Long Lost Leaves - Part III

[Acalewia]

Aelfwine realized this creture, what ever it was, was the willing guardian of the Entwives. A duty it did out of sheer loneliness.
"Why were you left here alone?"

[Varnafindë]

What would this creature be? Barufiniel wondered. 'They came - they tore up the mountain-teeth and laid bare the pits - they left without me' - when would this have happened? At the end of the First Age?

Had this guardian been waiting there for more than two Ages?
No wonder it was bitter.

She waited breathlessly for its answer to Aelfwine's question.

[Earniel]

"Questions, questions," the Guardian repeated as if in agony. "Enough. Enough! No solace in answers. Don't want to remember. Don't want to hear. Don't want to talk. Don't want you here. Gogogogogogogogo."

"We can't do that," Radagast said softly but the Guardian no longer seemed to hear him. She kept on rattling off complaints, reproaches, insults that did not seem aimed at him or his companions but at someone long ago.

Radagast's mind was racing, going over every clue they had found; what had been said in the Dol Guldur papers, what Teye had seen in her vision, what cryptic clues the Guardian had told them. Radagast didn't like where they were all going. If his idea was right, then the Guardian could be very dangerous indeed, especially in this unhinged state as she appeared to be in.

The fireflies he had brought settled on his hat, as if they felt he needed some light to illuminate his mental processes. Or more likely, they disliked the draught in the cave too much to stay flying.

With a jolt, Radagast lost his train of thought. Draught? What draught? There had been no draught when they entered the cave and yet he could feel it now. It had not been there before.

He berated himself, he should have seen it coming, if the draughtt had not been there before, then it had to have been brought in recently. And had they not met creatures than moved with the wind before?

"Everyone," Radagast said. "don't be alarmed. But it would appear we have old acquaintances joining us."

Knowing they had been spotted, the shadow martens stepped forward into the light circle of the torches. The draught picked up as their small shapes shimmered in the poor light. There were about two dozen of them and they had formed a circle around the adventurers.

In his mind, Radagast could hear Teye's voice as she spoken to them in the Ultai camp: "“The second image is of an immense hall with strange, dark pillars. Some of you have entered it, although not all, and I cannot say who. There’s a strange draught around you, like a fickle, ever-shifting wind: whispering, alert yet indecisive and potentially dangerous. I believe this is to be the turning point in your quest, but which way the balance swings, in your favour or against it… I cannot say.”

[Acalewia]

Aelfwine had been there when the shadow martens were freed from their prison, but she was surprised to see them surround them. She looked about her, wondering what they were goin to do.

[Midge]

Aerin shuddered as she saw the shadowy creatures and felt their accompanying wind, reminding her of her last day in Dol Guldur. Though the feeling had heralded freedom, it was not one she associated with joy or happiness or anything positive.

"Whoaa.." She heard Magor quietly gasp in awe at the same time she shuddered. Though he was shocked (having never seen the shadow-martens before), he reached over to grab her shoulder and steady her. She looked toward him and thought, Who would ever have thought that a Beren-and-Luthien-like pair would forge a friendship more similar to what Legolas and Gimli had? Then she turned toward the shadow creatures and awaited what would happen. She'd think about her mundane things after they emerged from this cavern alive.

[Varnafindë]

Barufiniel had only heard the others talk about the shadow martens, she hadn't been there when they were freed. She only hoped that they would be friendly - perhaps even be of some help.

[Earniel]

It was becoming a curious scene, Radagast mused. Here was he with all his companions, probably mere yards away from the Entwives they had been seeking although he could not fanthom where they were hidden or why they hadn't shown themselves. And then there were these mysterious wind-creatures who had them surrounded but did not appear to know what to do next, all the while with the voice of the Guardian in the background as she had run out of reproaches and complaints and was now only sobbing loudly and wretchedly.

Radagast felt that if they were to get out of this impasse, it would be up to him. Animals usually liked him, he hoped that worked for incorporeal ones too.

"Good day," he addressed the shadowy creatures and tipped his wizard's hat in greeting. "We seem to bump into one another in various places, but we haven't had the chance yet to actually exchange greeting."

The martens exchanged uncertain glances, confirming to Radagast that they hadn't thought things through either before entering this cave and revealing themselves to the adventurers.

One of the creatures came a hesitant step forward. "You will not hurt Mother," it said with more determination than it probably possessed.

"We have no intention of doing that," Radagast said soothingly. "We actually only came here to free her fellow prisoners. We mean your eh... mother no harm."

"Mother?" the shadow marten turned around as if to seek confirmation. The Guardian didn't show any sign she had even noticed the new-comers. The sobbing continued unabated.

"Mother!"

"I think you can see she is not well," Radagast volunteered carefully. "Which incidentally has nothing to do with us," he added speedily.

"I don't trust you," the shadowy rodent said.
"That is most unfortunate," Radagast replied with a sigh.
"You fight among yourselves."
"Ah, so you did see that fight between Abasi and Quickleaf. Well, all I can say is that young blood runs hot occassionally." Radagast had no compunction about calling First Age Elves 'young' as far as he was concerned he had even more seniority.

"You claim you do not wish to hurt Mother, but you march with an army at your heels."
"Army, what army?" Radagast asked confused. He pointed at the group of adventurers behind him. "I will not deny that almost all are armed, but one can hardly call my friends here an army..."

The shadow marten hissed. "Do you think us fools, wizard? We can count. Ten scores of soldiers. Three scores of archers. Strange devices pulled by fourfooters. All on their way here. What do you call that?"

In the stunned silence that followed, Radagast repeated his question with alarm. "What army?"

[feawen]

"Army? But we saw no such army following us." was Namis surpised response to this new piece of infomation, but at the hissed reply of reproach from the shadowy new comers she quickly added, "Not that i do not believe your information." Nami looked towards Radagast, "I think we need find a quick end to this, if there is such an army on its way if they are not with us then i dont think we have the numbers to match it."

[Acalewia]

Aelfwine let the information sink in.
"They must be after the Entwives. Not to rescue but to distroy," She motioned to her companions. "Nami's right. We haven't the numbers to stand against an army that size. This is a far cry from Helm's Deep,"

[Earniel]

"Who'd want to destroy the Entwives?" Radagast asked baffled. "what good would that do to anyone? And how could they have known? It's not like we advertised what we were doing and where we were going to anyone. But those questions will have to wait. Everybody out! We may not have much time before they get here and we better use that time to prepare!"

Leaving the Guardian and the shadow martens to their own devices, Radagast led out the rest out of the cave. Finding the Entwives would have to wait until there wasn't an unknown army with unknown intentions coming.

Blinking into the sunlight, Radagast surveyed their camp. All seemed in order. The horses and mules were calmly grazing. Out of habit, he counted them. There was one missing.

He turned around and counted his fellow adventurers. There was also one missing, and not unsurprisingly the one belonging to the missing horse.

"Where is Hedrim?" He asked. The others looked surprised, obviously none of them had seen the warrior leave. He had probably sneaked back out again when the rest had entered the second cave. But had he known that the army was coming? Or had the idea of confronting the Guardian spooked him enough to flee? It seemed strange, considering Hedrim had often bragged about not being afraid of anything. Oh well, that too would have to wait.

"Well," Radagast said, "we have two options, none of them particularly attractive. We either leave and try to take refuge in the Hills in which case the approaching army will undoubtedly find this place even if we block the entrance again. We left too many obvious tracks here and the way the shadow martens rearranged this place will draw attention too. And if it is us they want, they will easily find us as well, you can't hide a group as large as us with horses and mules well on such short notice.

Or we can take refuge in the cave, in which case we are likely trapped unless there is another entrance of which we don't know at the moment. We should be able to defend the entrance even against an army for some time. But then we can only hope that whoever's coming isn't interested in putting up a long siege."

[Varnafindë]

"Didn't Hedrim always talk of being King of some place I've never heard about?" Barufiniel asked. "Could it be him this army is following, and not the rest of us? I guess this might be just a fanciful notion, of course ..."

She blushed a little.

"Anyway, would it be possible for some of us to try to find out what this army is and what it wants, while the others take refuge in the cave? Perhaps even negotiations might be an option - all depending on what the army is trying to do. I'm willing to go - I shouldn't go on my own, but there shouldn't be more than two or three going either. Perhaps we should even go without our horses ..."

[feawen]

"And maybe" Nami added from where she stood near the enterence of the cave, "In case negotiations dont go well some of us can try and create some kind of defense here, outside of the cave. If all goes ill i would hope that going back into that cave is ours last place to stand and defend." Nami looked toward the horison. "Would it be wise to maybe send some form of message to our alleys for help?"

[Varnafindë]

"Do we have any allies that are close enough to reach us in time?" Barufiniel asked, a little confused.
"Might we perhaps call for help from the eagles - don't they often turn up in the nick of time?"

[feawen]

"I dont know, i was just thinking out loud" Nami replied. "I figured there is enough of us here that it was a small change that some one here who know some one around here". Nami shrugged, her glance fell on Radagast, "Heck, maybe you call down a hoard of birds to attack them!" The image made her smile, even if it was a grim one.

[Aikanáro]

Tabrîl regarded the entrance to the cave dispassionately. It was narrow enough. With a trained company of warriors she could have held it for long enough, even against an army. All it would take was a little organization and forethought. But Tabrîl didn't have a full company of Kindi warriors. What she had was...she dismissed the thought as quickly as it had come to mind. This wasn't even her fight, and it wasn't her place now to tell them what they ought to be doing. If any of them wanted her assistance, surely they would ask for it.

Somehow, the knowledge of the approaching army didn't trouble her nearly as much as the presence of that Guardian and the shadow-creatures that called it 'Mother' had done. Battle, at least, was something she understood. She looked on as Barufiniel and Nami spoke of sending for allies, and gave them a wry half-smile at the suggestion of eagles. 'If that army is half as close as we presume,' she told them, 'indeed, no aid but that from the skies might reach us.'

[feawen]

Nami looked over as Tabril spoke, she often forgot about the silent moody elves in their company. Remembering Tabril's warror heritage Nami looked from Tabril to Radagast. "I dont want to presume anything, but we need a plan if the worse does happen, and i think Tabril is the best one here to set up a good defensive postion. If you like as Radagast?"

[Aikanáro]

Tabrîl's first thought was to declare that what Nami was asking of her was nothing less than impossible, but she held back.

Don't, she told herself. They will not see it as you do. It would be better to give them what small help you can.

Tabrîl nodded to Nami. 'If we are to defend this place,' she declared, quietly but firmly, 'we do it from inside the cave. Not here. We are outnumbered and the narrowness of that entrance is our way to counter that. And those who will not fight may take shelter further inside.' She paused for a moment, considering it. 'Barufiniel is right,' she said then. 'Someone must ride out and see the number of our enemy, and their distance from us.'

[feawen]

Nami nodded towards Tabril but shivvered a little at the thought of being in that cave during a posible long stand off. The unwanted thought of their untimely deaths in side the cave flashed in her head, followed by a darker thought, to die in a cave like your mother. Nami shivvered, crossed her arms and turned her back on the caves enterence. "No one is going to save you from this one". She wispered to her self, turning her face towards the sky.

[Earniel]

"I tend to agree, Tabrîl," Radagast said. "We'd be sitting ducks out here in the open. Archers could easily pick us off one by one from above. And we are far away from anyone in this place. The Dwarves are the closest, but the army is between us and their settlements and I am not aware of their precise location. Khan Geruth will already have reached his own territory by now and a message to him will not reach him in time. We are basically on our own."

Radagast glanced up, the skies above were disappointedly empty. No convenient Eagle passing by. They really were on their own. He turned to Barufiniel.

"Scouting ahead would be a good idea, Barufiniel. You have sharp eyes, could you take this on you? Take one or more companions with you. You'll be faster on horseback, the sooner we know who is coming, the better. Do not engage them, but see if you can discover their identity and strenghts. If you see Hedrim and if it's his army that is following us, try and bring him back here."

"The rest of you, bring everything we've got into the cave. Gather as much firewood, torches and supplies as you can find, we may be in there for a while. We'll have to find a solution for the horses. We can never find enough fodder for them to stay in the caves for a longer period so we can't take them with us in there. And we should look into sabotaging the slope down which we entered, that might force the army to take the long way down through the canyon to reach us and buy us a little more time..."

[Varnafindë]

"I will do it," Barufiniel said, nodding. "Who of you will come with me? Another sharp-eyed Elf would be best."