Long Lost Leaves

[Earniel]

Radagast had had no time to reply to Knockondor before the first invited adverturers arrived, but he had had a moment to look at 'the friend' both the Beorning and the Eagle had brought along and was very amazed. He wondered why none of his Ent-friends had mentioned there still being one Ent-wife in Western lands, but perhaps they didn't know. In that case, there would be some very astounded Ents at Rhosgobel, when they arrived. Still, the timing of the trio was remarkable, Radagast thought. He imagined Gandalf, if the wizard had still been around, would just have smiled and said that this was probably meant to be.

"I do hope you will stick around for a while, Truor," Radagast added. "Even though things here may look very strange now, I think we can more than help you in your own search -and that of your leafy friend here- if you do."

Then he turned to his guests, "Welcome in Rhosgobel, master Hedrim," He said, "the same goes for you too, miss," he said to Aelfwine, "and master hermit," he said with a nod to Ferrin.

"There are stables at the back, where you can leave your horses as long as you are here, and room to leave your travel packs. Oh and in the mean time, you can also help yourself to Haldis' most excellent tea."

"If I have counted Gandalf's letters right, there are still some visitors to arrive and if I have to explain everything several times I will be quite without a voice. So forgive me for being brief for now. You all have answered a request from Gandalf for your help in a difficult quest. Now that Gandalf, alas, has left these shores, he has left the task to me."

You may, in your own lands, have heard legends of the Ents, large tree-like creatures that tend to their forest. Their women, the Ent-wives, lived in gardens. However, they have long since disappeared under mysterious circumstances, except for one it seems," as he cast a glance at Blossomshade. "Now the Ents wish to find out what happened to them and that, my friends, is why you are here. There is much to say further, about what we know and where we will begin to look, however such talk should be reserved for when everyone has arrived. But I hope this short explanation will at least satisfy your curiousity until then."

[Acalewia]

Radagast's brief explaition left Aelfwine quite curious and also wondering why Gandalf would ask her to be a part of this quest for the Ent-wives. She was no warrior. She pushed it from her mind.

She went to take Midnight to the stables, but found she had already made her way there. Aelfwine couldn't help but smile. The mare still held on to her untamed spirit. She unsaddled and brushed her before returning to the house.

[orithil]

Hedrim looks around the room "well i suppose while we are waiting I should tell you a story of one of my great battles against the wild men of the north,
yes it is true they came riding on warg and horse into my lands, they outnumbered us 3:1 but I was determined not to let the north fall, so I sent out 1 legion to the river, their they charged the wild men and after fighting for 15 minutes my men fled across the shallow river and then some more of my men dragged a plank out of the water using some ropes, now where the plank had been was where my men had just run across....so the wild men thought if men in armour could do it so could they, so the rode across the river and without the plank there they sunk into the mud, stuck!!, and my men fired arrows down upon them and skewered them with pikes from the shore that river run read with blood for many days over a quarter of the wild men had been slaughtered in the river so after that i sent a relief force ;ed by yours truly to surround them, there we charged them and cut down the remaining barbarians and took the rest as slaves. Ahhh yes it was a great victory for us" Hedrim smiled as if remembering the battle.

[YayGollum]

Before he could react overly much to Radagast's words, he looked with a puzzled and pained expression at Hedrim, who he wished he hadn't heard. He had spent some time with wild men of the north. He knew that they were seen as barbarians by many, but he hadn't heard that they had allied themselves with evil Wargs. Remembering a brief time that he had spent as a slave, he sneered at the apparently arrogant human with disgust but ended up with a resolute shrug and a mutter to himself. "Not my problem. I don't know what happened up there. I should travel north again, sometime, though."

With a bit of a residual shudder, his eyes darted around, searching for Shadowflaps. With Knockondor the only bird in sight, though, he approached the Ent. "Looks like these people can help you out, lady. The group is large. Unless they have some big clue as to where your people have gone, they'll probably split up. I don't see why you'd need me. Maybe I'll go talk to Anthrax. Radagast said that I might be useful, though. Who ignores a suggestion like that?"

Blossomshade cocked what served as an eyebrow for her, shrugged at the Beorning's indecisiveness, and plucked a cup of tea from Haldis. Starting with a quite out of place curtsy, ending with a creepy wink, "Why, thank you! With such skilled tea-makers, storytellers, and magicians around, the Ents will be conquering your lands in no time!"

Knockondor was about to thank Radagast but stopped short and let loose a nervous chuckle. "Oh, she's just kidding!" He poked her with a claw and whisper, "Wizard, not a magician! Agh!" Towards the group, and with a far-off look in his eye, "Impressive, wizard! You somehow divined that I would be on this selfless quest, gathered a party of powerful allies, and even brought tea! Perfect! We will wait here and sip on your tea until the final members arrive, after which, I shall lead us to the conclusion of one of Middle Earth's great mysteries! Oh, no! I don't drink tea!"

[The last sane person]

It was mid afternoon, and a lone rider was asleep in his saddle, letting his horse take him to the edge of Mirkwood. Carnehilion had been traveling for over two weeks, making his way towards Rhosgobel, home of the wizard Radagast. A few weeks ago, he had been surprised with a letter from none other then his old friend, (well, as close to a friend as you could be with a wizard) Gandalf. The letter surprised him, seeing as he had known of Gandalf’s departure from these shores was forever, which saddened him to some extent, knowing he would never be back.

“Hmm, it seems as though he still has a chore left over for me, even now that he’s gone…” He had smiled to himself as he read the letter, deciding to sell his home near Helm’s Deep and few belongings in Rohan. He prepared his armor and horse, riding away towards Mirkwood and further to Rhosgobel, without looking back. Two weeks later, he has nearing the eaves of Mirkwood, close to the home of this new wizard he was to work with. He was alerted to the fact that he had arrived at the forest rather rudely, by his horse coming to a jarring stop under the leaves of the forest, waking him up.

“Eh? What was that for?” He groggily addressed his gray mare. She snorted and tossed her head, and bounced on her heels, causing him to grab onto her black mane, before he fell off. He finally yawned and noted where he was, and patted her neck.

“’At’s my girl, now, it shouldn’t be much further to this new Wizard’s place, according to old Gandalf’s directions….” At which, he took the much read and folded letter out of his saddle bag and consulted the map drawn onto the back of it. A few hours later, the pair found themselves nearing a small clearing, in which there was a small house with a fence and a gate

“Hmm, Gandalf didn’t mention having such company… Let’s see what’s up, shall we?” Carnehilion dismounted his horse, loosened the girth and lead her into the clearing, taking in his surroundings. As he was about to knock on the door, it opened of its own accorded, and he was greeted with a sight of just about the most hodgepodge group he had ever laid eyes on.

[orithil]

Hedrim turned in his seat (seeming always to have to say something) "greetings rider, are you here to join our quest?" he turned back in his seat and smirked for some reason.

[The last sane person]

"It would seem that I am here for some sort of quest, but I was not informed that there would be such... company to go along with it." Carnehilion narrowed his eyes as he noticed Hedrim's smirk, haughty behavior, and his quick dismisal of him, which caused Carnehilion to take a rather simmering dislike to the man.

"I beg your pardon for interupting your little tea party, I'm Carnehilion Redplate, and by the looks of it, we all more or less recieved the same letter? I'm assuming Gandalf left further instructions for us, now that we are gathered?" Carnehilion cast a semi amused glance at the assembled party, pausing briefly on the ent to his left.

[Acalewia]

Aelfwine scoffed at Hedrim's story. His arrogance would be a problem, her gut feelings told her. The door opened and a man entered. She rolled her eyes at Hedrim's reaction.
"So it would seem," Aelfwine replied to Carnehilion's remark.

[The Gaffer]

Hamfast fiddled with his weskit buttons, hesitating on the doorstep.

There was weird outlandish folks about all right. No good could come from gallivanting up mountains wearing ironmongery. Talking birds indeed. Looking back down the path, he wondered what other abominations might be lurking in the trees.

"And whoever this Rad Aghast is, he's a stranger to the scrubbing brush and soap." he said aloud, wrinkling his substantial nose at the filth and disorder of the front of the house.

"Still, the Gammer will rip me a new one if I come back empty handed, so let's be having you."

He pulled his dentures out of his his coat pocket, brushed some lint off them and put them in his mouth. He drew breath and knocked loudly on the door.

[Willow Oran]

Haldis went to answer it, grateful for an excuse to get away the posturing being indulged in by certain of their male guests. She was delighted, having never met one but also having heard enough to convince her that one would bring far more sense to this gathering than any save herself or the wizard) to see an elderly hobbit at the door.
"Welcome to Rhosgobel!" she exclaimed, smiling, "You're just in time for tea."

[The Gaffer]

Hamfast jumped and stared at the wild-haired Woman silhouetted against the light. For a brief moment he was reminded of the time a very young and impressionable Hamfast called round to the Gammer's house to see if any eaves needed dropping.

He recovered himself and shuffled inside, tugging an area just in front of his forehead, where a forelock would have been, had he not been bald as a coot. Here was a woman who knew proper etiquette, so he replied in the time-honoured fashion.

"Thank ee kindly ma'am. Milk and three sugars if you don't mind."

He sat in an armchair beside the fire. Perhaps this wouldn't be so bad after all.

"And none of that herbal nonsense, proper Tetley for me, if I may make so bold."

As his eyes adjusted to the light he took in his surroundings. Surveying the rest of the company, comprising more species than a botanist's biography, his heart sank again.

[orithil]

"Is this the last of our party? oh my apologise i'm Hedrim Valdaes lord of the north" Hedrim said blankly "and who might you be?"

[The Gaffer]

"Hamfast Gamgee, Tatermeister of the Fifth Farthing, at your service."

Hamfast rose from his chair and bowed, slightly embarrassed at his poor manners.

He was even more embarrassed at the cascade of small trinkets, jools and root vegetables that fell out of his pockets and skittered across the floor.

With surprising agility for such an elderly creature, Hamfast scurried about the floor recovering his loot before settling back into the fire and pretending that nothing had happened.

[Butterbeer]

Just then there was a knock at the door...

[Acalewia]

Aelfwine blinked when Hamfast entered. She had never seen a Hobbit, but had heard many tales of them. He was an old hobbit, but she was sure that didn't matter. She hid a smile in her teacup as Hamfast collected his escaping loot from the floor.

[Butterbeer]

followed by another knock...

after a short while a letter was pushed through the letterbox ...

[The Gaffer]

"Is no-one going to answer that?"

[orithil]

"Hmm well I suppose I could" Hedrim stood from his chair and took severel long strides to the door, he knelt down picked up the letter and threw it like a frissbee into the middle of the group, then he turned the knob....threw open the door and put his hand to his sword hilt.....

[Butterbeer]

Old Barly, who'd been peeping through the keyhole fell flat on his face.

*thud*

Teacups and cake-trays jumped.

But before you could say 'Jack rabbit' he was up and bustling in with a cheery wave.

"Barliman Butterbur at your service.... Lor but it's mighty cold all of a' sudden ... and these tracks in these parts, nobbut i mind foreign trees like, but what i wouldn't give for some decent Oak and beech... so, i see the tea's up, i am that parched, why would you beleive the time it has taken me and ...oh, some toast? Oh yes please ...well, well, i wasn't expecting to see one of the little folk here, by your leave ...

my ..."

Hedrim was about to say something, but after seeing Barli bustle in only slightly slower than his mouth, snuggle himself down by the fire next to the hobbit and start talking Tea and cakes, the trouble with foreign parts and the strange ways of furriners, he decided he'd just shut the door, as it was a bit chilly.

[The Gaffer]

"Cor, yer hands are cold, Barly"