Clouds were beginning to form over the horizon as a young wizard walked barefoot through the dirt, his feet patting softly on the ground as he brisked along. His blue eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Today is the day." He thought, "I will tell her today."
He began to speed up as his excitement began to boil and burn inside him, every step he took a new butterfly flew crazily in his stomach, and every step he was a step closer to his love. Aliceous was close, his heart seemed to feel her breath with every thud.
Nothing could stop him now, she would know of his love, and they could be together…forever.
He smiled, almost giddy. He soon broke into a half-run, but quickly slowed when he felt something within him…a sudden, odd foreboding that blanketed his excitement and replaced it with fear. He tried to disregard it, but his senses wouldn't allow it. He looked ahead, and the previously beautiful horizon was now enclosed with fierce rain clouds, and he jumped at a sudden boom of thunder. A boom that seemed to echo his name.
He began to tremble as cold, uninvited drops of rain suddenly fell, dampening his cloak and face. He couldn't hide his fear anymore, his eyes were clouded with it. He could feel a presence close by.
He turned around sharply, and his fearful gaze was met by a hooded man, his eyes, his only visible feature, burned into Gandalf's, causing him to shudder.
"Ah, boy. Why do you hurry so?" The man asked, has voice as deep and booming as the thunder.
Gandalf swallowed, trying to decide what to do. He couldn't run, for he was a wizard, and it was cowardly for a wizard to do such things.
"I seek my lover." He said, trying to sound unafraid.
The man laughed, and the very earth itself seemed to rumble from the impact.
"Foolish boy." He said, "You have no lover, for you are a child, a wizard destined to fail. You are undeserving of any love, especially the love of Aliceous."
Gandalf's heart began to pound, anger began to writhe inside him, his blue eyes burned like wildfire.
"Aliceous is my lover, and that will always be so. What business have you here?" He asked.
The man smiled, his teeth, white and evil, shone from under his hood, "I haven't any business boy. I have a mission. Aliceous will not be cursed by your presence any longer, and you will not be graced with hers." The man's words seemed to linger in the air as he threw his head and arms up, seeming to call darkness upon the land, the trees rattled and the grass swayed, the earth trembled, and a shadow seemed to come from the sky.
He saw Aliceous, in the arms of the shadow, limp and seemingly lifeless.
"What have you done to her?!" Gandalf cried, rage now consuming him, "Stop!"
"You see boy," The man said, his arms and face still pointing skyward, "You are even too weak to fight a shadow, what credits you to care for Aliceous?" Gandalf narrowed his eyes, and began using his magic, but nothing worked, he tried and tried again, but Aliceous still hung in the air, embraced by this shadow. "Aliceous!" Gandalf cried, falling to his knees, "Aliceous, I love you!" The man suddenly glared at Gandalf, as if he had hurt him, but then he smiled, "A love too late." He said.
With that, The man gave a final cry, and the shadow disappeared deep into the sky, carrying Aliceous along with it.
Gandalf screamed, holding his hands to the sky as if his will alone could bring her back to him.
"NO!" He yelled, putting his hands to his face in sheer agony, his face moistened with salty tears of remorse.
Gandalf felt a hand on his shoulder, and looked up, and the hooded man stood before him.
"A love so strong, yet a soul so weak." He said, and he began to walk off into the distance, his cloak dragging slowly behind him.
Gandalf quickly wiped a tear from his eye, a tear of sadness, remorse, and anger at himself. The sunset began to be drowned in darkness, and he thought of his love.
A love that came too late.