If she had to be honest with herself, it wasn't one of her smartest plans. The metal shackles around her wrists were started to rub her skin raw. Nulonna glanced from the corner of her eye and watched as the men rode on top of their horses. It had been days since they last saw a village and the heat of the sun was starting to get to them, as well as the dense forest. The trees shook and swayed with a wind that they could not feel. The men had long ago started to try and ignore it, uncertain of what was happening, but Nulonna kept paying attention to the leaves.

It had been many years since she last spoke their words, but she could hear their occasional whisper and knew that they were spreading tale of her being there. She wondered how much longer she would have to wait until someone came for her. The trees above them shook again before falling silent. Nulonna tensed and finally glanced up, the hood of her cloak falling down. Her golden eyes flashed as she scanned the forest. She tried pulling at the shackles again, but pain raced up her arms.

Nulonna bit her lip to keep herself from crying out. The wooden cage she was in would do nothing to keep her safe from whatever was lurking beyond sight and the chains made her practically useless. She shifted slightly and pressed her shoulder against the wooden bars. The men had attached her prison to their horses and she was sure if she tried to break it, they would feel her.

"What was that?" one of the men suddenly said and he drew his sword. The metal was dull and tainted with old blood.

Nulonna shook her head and leaned fully on the bars. These fools were going to get her and themselves killed. She thought back to just how they had captured her and she still found herself amused. If she hadn't been distracted, she was sure they would have never stood a chance. But how was she to know that someone would attempt to steal her while she was playing with a couple of the orphaned children.

Who even does that? she thought to herself and closed her eyes.

The other men had also drawn their swords and were trying to turn their horses to form a circle, but the horses wouldn't listen. The animals sensed no danger and neither did Nulonna. She knew that there was nothing to fear, but she wouldn't tell her captors that. She was done trying to be a hostage.

A low groan echoed around them and the men began shouting out orders to each other. She heard the words Orcs and Goblins tossed through the air and a smirk found its way across her face. Nulonna opened her eyes and watched their panic spread through the clearing. The horses began to stomp their hooves against the ground and pull against their reins. Their cries filled the air as they tried to shake their riders off. The noise blocked out more groans.

It was almost like lightning struck the area around them. A loud crackle cut through the noise as a tree limb swung down at them. The men cried and the horses tried to rush forward. Some managed to break through the clearing, but the ones that were attached to Nulonna's prison we kicking and thrashing.

"Cut the ropes," one of the men said.

"What about the girl?" another asked as he ducked a wild branch, "She's worth good money."

One of them jumped down from his horse and cut the ropes that attached it. The creature sprinted out of the clearing and Nulonna's eyes flashed with worry for a moment. Orcs didn't roam this forest but there were others who would find such a horse to be a good prize.

The man walked toward her with his sworn drawn, but lazily at his side. Nulonna put her head down and tried to appear smaller. He didn't believe her to be a threat. He reached her cage and opened the door. His hands clasped on to her cloak and he pulled her out. Nulonna stumbled before she found her footing. She shot him a glare before glancing up at the trees. Now that she wasn't protected by the cage, they had stopped their wild swinging.

"What is this?" The man asked quietly from beside her before he turned to look at her.

Nulonna's eyes flashed once more before she smiled at him, "I'm very sorry about this." She pushed hard against him and in that moment a branch swung down and pushing him almost across the clearing.

She didn't stay to see if he had survived the landing. Nulonna turned and ran the opposite ray the rest of the rogues had gone. Her bare feet slammed against the grown and small branches slapped against her face. Behind her she could hear the shouts of the men as they tried to follow her. The first in front of her parted, making a small path only she could follow. As soon as she passed by, the bushes and trees closed around each other once more.

He's going to kill me, she thought as she ran across a small stream. The cool water a relief against her aching feet.

The land started to slope downward and she frowned before shaking her head. She hadn't realize they had been on a hill. Nulonna slipped on the grass and she stumbled. Her hands caught on to the trunk of a tree and she hisses as the bark cut into her skin. She rested her head against it as she tried to catch her breath. Honestly, she wasn't made to be running such long distances. Off in the distance she could hear the soft yells from the men, but it wasn't something she was worried about anymore. The forest would lead them in circles before they could dream of catching up to her.

With a loud sigh, she pushed herself away from the tree and looked around. The forest was less denser and she knew she had reached the edge of it. She only hoped that she wasn't to far away from her home. Nulonna stumbled down the hill and broke through the tree line. An empty field greeted her and she felt herself deflate. From what she could tell there was nothing for miles.

"Well," she said out loud before sitting down on the grass, "I've done everything possible. I guess this is where I'm going to live now." Nulonna looked down at her shackles and frowned. Right. She had forgotten about those. The skin that was exposed around the metal was red and raw and she shook her hands, making the chain rattle with her movement.

"You always were an odd one, Nulonna."

She quickly glanced up. To her left, the gray wizard sat on top of a horse drawn cart. His pipe was in between his lips and he looked down at her with a kind look in his eyes. The brown horse neighed at her before it went back to pulling the grass off the ground with its teeth. A couple feet behind them a couple more horses had gathered. A smile made its way across her face and she shot up from the ground.

"Gandalf!" she exclaimed before launching herself onto his cart.

"Hello my old friend," he said as he pulled the pipe from his mouth and embraced her into a hug.

"How did you know I was here?" she asked as she took a seat beside him.

"Oh, you could say I heard from the trees," he said with a wink.

Nulonna rolled her eyes before shaking her shackles, "Well since you're already here, would you mind unlocking these pesky things for me?"

"Always getting into so much trouble, aren't you?" Gandalf teased her lightly as he inspected the metal. He raised an eyebrow up at her as he ran a finger across the metal.

Nulonna smiled at him and shrugged, "Careful there my friend. You are beginning to sound like a certain white wizard."

"I am sure, my dear that Saruman would have made you keep these on for a couple more days. You are lucky that it was me who happened to be passing by."

The shackles released her wrist and fell onto her lap. Nulonna let a sigh of relief pass her lips and she leaned back, letting her head fall against the back of her seat. She wanted to scratch at her wrist like mad but she knew it would cause more pain and it was not something she was looking forward to. Just the thought about how they would heal made her shudder.

"Just passing by, you say?" Nulonna asked him while opening one eye to peek up at him.

Gandalf ignored her and picked up the reins. With a small flick they began moving and she saw that the other free horses were following them. They probably would until they found a spot they liked.

Nulonna allowed them to travel in silence for a while. In honesty, she was exhausted and knew whenever Gandalf was involved with something, it usually meant that she wouldn't be resting for a while. When the sun began to lower, she finally sat up and half turned to him. She brought up one leg underneath her, tucking her long skirt down. "So Gandalf," she began, "You remember where my home is don't you? I'm sure you can have me there before day breaks."

She hoped that he would say yes. That the troublesome wizard would look at her, smile, and nod his head. In a perfect world Nulonna would reach her bed tomorrow morning and probably wouldn't see Gandalf for another couple years. She probably wouldn't see any other wizard if she could avoid it. This however was not a perfect world.

"My dear, we are not heading that way," Gandalf said with mirth. His eyes twinkled down at her before he turned to look back at the grass in front of them.

The hill had been long forgotten and the other horses had stopped following them a long time ago. Nulonna hoped that wherever they chose to remain, they would live the rest of their years unbothered by Men. She played with the fabric of her skirt as she tried to think what to say to convince the wizard to take her home.

I could fake an illness, she thought and then looked down at her wrist. She looked back up at him, ready to tell him about the pain she was in but stopped short when she met his eyes. Gandalf looked amused. As if he could read the thoughts she was having and with a glare, Nulonna suddenly worried that he could. She wouldn't put it past him in all honesty.

"Gandalf," she whined softly.

"I was on my way to the Shire, you see," he began, "There is a hobbit there that we must speak too. Bilbo Baggins. He is required and now that I think about it, so are you."

"No," she tried to make the word sound strong, but Gandalf kept on talking as if he hadn't heard her.

"I didn't think about it before, but yes. I could use an assistant of sorts now that we've crossed paths."

"Ú," she said, this time in sindarin.

"I'm sure he wouldn't really mind. Besides you'll be part of my company not his if we get down to it."

"Daro!" she commanded him, the word echoed around them and even the horse pulled to a full stop, craning its neck to look at them. It wasn't the only thing that had stopped however. The wind stopped dancing and the leaves stopped waving at them from the few trees that stood near them. Nulonna frowned and pulled her cloak tighter around her and pulled her hood up, "I'm sorry," she whispered softly, but just like her command, everything resumed its course once again.

"Nulonna," Gandalf's voice was sharp and she flinched slightly.

She moved down the seat, further away from him as she looked down at her lap, "I'm not going Gandalf."

"Did I mention there's a Hobbit?" he said lightly, the caution gone from his tone.

"That's not going to change my mind,"

"And Dwarves."

"Gandalf."

"There might even be a dragon."

That caught her attention. Nulonna looked back up at him and saw his grim expression before it vanished. "The king under the mountain," she whispered softly while keeping her eyes on him, "They plan to retake their home." Suddenly she realized just how dangerous their conversation had become. Her eyes roamed the area around them and she realized that they were on a road now. It wouldn't be long until they came across a village. But she knew that their were eyes and ears everywhere, even if she could not see them. "This is madness, Gandalf."

"Come now, the dragon might be long gone for all we know. It hasn't been heard from in many years," he said, though his voice was kept low and he tugged down his hat to cover most of his face.

"You know that's not true," Nulonna said. She could feel a darkness start to creep over her. It crawled against her skin before it settled deep into her soul. She tried to shake it off. She didn't want to know any of this, but she knew that it was too late now. Damn this wizard. "There is only darkness if they follow this path."

Gandalf hummed softly and stayed silent for a couple moments before he spoke again, "Look further my friend and you'll see it. You'll see the blazing light that will also come."

Nulonna glanced at him and looked away. Yes, she saw it. The white fire the broke through all the darkness in the begged for her to follow. She saw a great white tree, and flashes of a crown. But before all of that, she saw death and destruction. "Is it worth it?" she asked.

"The defeat of darkness will always be worth it, my friend." Gandalf said. "Come with me to the Shire. Decide for yourself after you meet them."

"You and I both know that I have already made up my mind," Nulonna sighed as she leaned back and looked up at the stars that were beginning to appear across the darkening sky. Yes, it hadn't been one of her best plans if she was honest with herself.