“Kurt?” Blaine whispered, though with exhaustion bearing down on him after their long trek across the Meadow, it was less of a whisper and more of a hoarse groan. The absence of trees to bounce sound off of forced him to use more breath than he actually had in his body. “Are you going to tell me where we are going?”

“It's supposed to be a surprise, my impatient Dwarf,” Kurt chuckled, slowing so his husband could catch him.

“Can I not have a clue?” Blaine asked, his hobble turning into a pronounced limp even though he no longer had to push himself to keep up.

“Yes,” Kurt said, jogging back halfway to meet him. “If you keep talking loud the way you are, you'll frighten everything away, even the Trees. So shush, my love.”

“I'm…I'm trying,” Blaine replied, surrendering to a half-skip/shuffle through the golden knee-high grass. “I just need…a moment…to catch my breath---“

Blaine barely finished his sentence and Kurt's mouth was on his, kissing him gently, the gesture infused with his own energy and enthusiasm, with the hopes that it might seep into his poor husband. When Kurt pulled away, it was to a look of endearing shock on his Dwarf's face.

“Did that help any?” Kurt asked, with a mischievous grin quite unlike him. Blaine smiled.

“I think it may have had the absolute opposite effect than the one you were hoping,” Blaine said, “since your kisses always take my breath away.”

“Oh,” Kurt said, with no loss of his smile. “Well, then, I apologize for my thievery. I pray you will still be able to continue.”

“My love,” Blaine said, “if you needed me to, I could fly.”

“Interesting that you should use that particular turn of phrase, my darling Dwarf” - Kurt took Blaine's hand - “for then you and the animal we are going to see would have something in common.”

Kurt led his Dwarf hand in hand the remainder of the way, across the Meadow and up a small hill, the two talking no more and walking as silent as Blaine could keep his heavy footsteps. When they reached close to the top, Kurt dropped to his knees, then helped Blaine to his. On their stomachs, they crawled till they reached the crest, and found a relatively flat spot to lie, beneath a low growing bush, with leaves thick enough to hide behind, and trunks thin and sparse to see between. On the other side of the hill, in a watery stretch of land below, grew a magnificent host of tall grasses, white, green, and yellow in hue; papery plants with buds falling victim to an early autumn chill; and tall, woody-stemmed flowers, blooming in a dazzling and vibrant array of deep scarlets and cobalt blues. Fishing in the shallow water, closest to the non-existent bank, stood two great birds, their feathers a soft, powder grey, like the fine ash that blew from the volcanoes of the Black Land; and golden beaks and feet that glimmered in the light of the noon sun.

“What…what are those?” Blaine asked, his voice smoothing with rest and tinted in awe.

“Those are the Elven-Birds,” Kurt explained. “They hail from the island of Tol Eressëa. That means…”

“The Lonely Island,” Blaine filled in with pride for his Elvish lessons, and his amazing teacher.

“That is correct,” Kurt said, smiling at his adorable pupil. “They travel in pairs, and they mate for life.”

“Are there only the two?” Blaine asked, peeking around the trunks to get a better glimpse. “I see no others.”

“I have heard that there are more,” Kurt said, creeping closer to his husband, “but that they keep to The Lonely Island, living among the Elves there. This pair is unique. They were gifted to Erendis, for her wedding to Aldarion, the crown-prince of Númenor. But he traveled ever much, and she became resentful. When their marriage dissolved, she set the birds free, but for some reason, they will not return to the island to nest with others of their kind. They linger here, staying close to the water - some believe because Erendis died in the water, in the haven of Rómenna.” Kurt watched the birds spread their wings, circling one another in a deliberate and graceful dance. “Being able to see them here like this, it is considered a sign of good fortune…especially for those in love.”

Blaine listened to his Elf, held to his every word, watched him speak, his eyes wide and glittering with wonder, his lips twitching with a smile of pure joy. With so much passion did Kurt speak of these animals, Blaine could not pull his eyes away to observe the rare wonder in front of them.

The wonder of Kurt was what he needed to see.         

“How did you know they would be here?” Blaine asked.

“I didn't,” Kurt said. “I just…I had hope.” Kurt turned his eyes away, only for a moment, and caught his Dwarf, lying fully on his side with his head cradled in his hand, staring at him. “Blaine!” Kurt scolded, low so only his Dwarf could hear him. “Blaine, are you even watching them?”

Blaine blinked, then shook his head. “I'm sorry. What?”

“The Elven-Birds,” Kurt said, his voice touched with exasperation. “You're not even watching them. They're about to take flight. You won't want to miss it. They are the most glorious creatures in the Meadow!”

“Oh?” Blaine said. “Because I believe I am looking at the most glorious creature in the Meadow.”