A Path Errant

by Virdu

By pure chance does Bilbo come across a stray. How will this affect the journey? How will this affect the world? (Plus LOTR as of Chp 14)

21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Valley of Green

---

H'aerindu did not know what to expect from Rivendell.

All of what she knew of it amounted to a barely descriptive summary courtesy of the wizard, until she arrived and found herself in a place akin to a dream. The miqo'te took a few cautious steps, slow and deliberate, as she silently, in wonder, gazed upon a small and tranquil valley with lush waterfalls, and a beautiful wooden town that positively shone as the light of day fell upon it.

The air about this place was also rich with aether, she absently noted, though not to any burdensome extent. Only just enough of it to lend Rivendell a mystical radiance.

It certainly lived up to its label as a place of peace given its apparent tranquility, until a group of armed guards covered in ornamental armor reacted to her presence and turned about with an eerie synchronicity – to such an extent, in fact, that grandmother's description of it in her book did not quite do it justice. They brandished finely crafted shields and curved blades alike as the one among them with the most ornate helmet addressed her sternly, "Hold!"

"I'm not here to cause trouble..." H'aerindu raised her hands, eying them closely while her tail was held low and still.

The elf did not lower his blade and appeared on the verge of shouting what she could only guess would be a question about her appearance or intent when a flash of light erupted from the aetheryte. "Lower your blades." Gandalf concisely barked as he materialized, not even needing a moment to understand the situation – like he predicted this would happen. "She's with me, as are the others soon to come."

And like that, the guards relaxed and sheathed their weapons like someone had hit a switch. "Mithdrandir!" their Captain – she could only guess as to his actual rank – spoke evenly, using one among Gandalf's ludicrous list of names, "You have returned!"

Gandalf briskly nodded, "I have... Now stand aside, for we have urgent business with Lord Elrond."

The Captain had his subordinates return to their respective positions with a light gesture, "Understood. Our lord can presently be found at his manor, tending to a fair number of dignitaries."

"Very well."

H'aerindu watched the brief conversation as it took place, idle until the others – soon as Gandalf finished his response – arrived, and promptly went through the same bumpkin-like stage she was in as they took in the view. Still Water was the very first to speak up, "What a sight..."

"Agreed." Augustus said breathlessly, "This place wouldn't lose to Gridania..."

"I'd say."

The males were themselves quite vocal about it, but Miana and Dagasi on the other hand said nothing, mesmerized by the beauty around them. "You seem rather astonished, Dagasi." Legolas spoke up, mirthful at her expression.

Dagasi's counter came slightly late, "... So did you back in the Sea of Clouds."

"I've never gone there before." Still River remarked, "How was it?"

"Lots of high places and kinda windy."

"Not missing out on much, then?"

Augustus was baffled, "Are you kidding me?"

"What?" the roegadyn shrugged incredulously.

"If you are quite done prattling among yourselves..." Gandalf half-growled at all of them as he went on ahead, "We have a meeting to attend ere it ends. Come."

H'aerindu did not say anything to that. All she did before following suit was give them a smile and a shrug, an implied prod at the wizard's flight of impatience, eliciting scattered laughs from her compatriots before they too fell in and explored this dazzling place with their wandering eyes even as they followed. She could not blame them, for she also took in the sights.

It did not last for long, though, as Gandalf had them make a beeline for this Elrond's place, a grand manor where the town's tranquility was somewhat tarnished by a heated debate only hushed by a few walls and paintings. "... I'm getting a bad feeling." H'aerindu whispered as much to herself as she did to whoever was close enough to hear.

"Likewise. For such debate to take place now..." Gandalf muttered, his eyes so narrowed down they could not be seen past his bushy brows. "What could have transpired in my absence?"

"War?" Still Water offered up the possibility, sounding almost eager.

The old wizard's frown deepened, and without further preamble he plunged into the manor.

OoOoO

Elrond knew the day would come, but wished it had waited for another few days at least. Not even the afternoon was allowed to end in the wake of Gandalf's abrupt decision to depart for shores yet unseen by beings of Arda before envoys suddenly flooded into his village. All of them with ill tidings.

The table he stood before was entirely covered in the map of all Middle-Earth he placed upon it, which was itself covered in pieces set in place as the information trickling in grew.

"Enough!" Elrond interrupted the ongoing argument aloud, his eyes set on the envoys who argued among themselves like they bore ambassadorial authority. "The agreements made between our free peoples still stand as they were written! Our problem here come not from a violation of our pledge, but events unforeseen!"

The envoy of Lake-town spoke up harshly, "And what do you suggest I do while the enemy marches upon our doorsteps? Am I supposed to return empty-handed, twiddling my thumbs, in this dire moment?"

Elrond glared at him both long and hard, with an arced brow, "What I expect you to do is go back home and return once you learn more of the enemy you face – of how large a force there is, and for how long your home might be able to hold until the promised aid arrives. An expectation I hold for all of those present, for we face a more complex situation than we envisioned years past. Have I made myself perfectly clear?"

All as one the bickering envoys had at least the grace to be properly ashamed of their own impatience. The one he spoke to most directly backed away, as if to do as told, when an unexpected but wholly welcome visitor entered the hall at speed.

"Elrond." Gandalf, a little red in the face, said as he approached the table and glanced in concern at all those assembled.

"Gandalf..." Elrond said, "Welcome back, and I would have liked to say you're in the nick of time – unfortunately the time of your return was nowhere close enough, given how you elected to make away on a journey to this other world without the White Council's explicit approval just before your own was cast into a state of chaos."

The wizard took his tirade and blunted most of it as he focused his solemn gaze on the map, "The war has begun, then?"

He nodded gravely, "As you may amply see, but complications have risen. Gandalf, did your little trip yield any results? I cannot imagine what accomplishment you could have managed in so little a time..."

"I believe in this case that action will speak more than words." Gandalf replied evenly, "H'aerindu, if you may..."

Elrond was about to inquire as to who the wizard spoke of when an eclectic group entered the chamber at a sedate pace. In silence he stared at these strangers, but the foremost person to gain his attention was a cat-like woman in red who neared the table even as her group came to a tentative halt. Elrond had never met the miqo'te who journeyed with Thorin's company sixty years ago, but he concluded swiftly that this one was related to her in some capacity.

Most curious, but her coming could then only mean...

H'aerindu, as Gandalf called her, was eminently calm but also not a little embarrassed. It was not hard to understand why, given all the astounded looks she received from most of the envoys – most of them already quite smitten with her. The female swallowed down said embarrassment promptly, "Lord Elrond, I presume?"

"Indeed." he provided a dignified nod, "Do you have something for us, Ms. H'aerindu."

The female inclined her head in turn, seeming strangely thoughtful as she observed him, "Yes, I do, although I must first say that you would look absolutely splendid in a tuxedo, and maybe a pair of sunglasses..."

Elrond had to admit he was rather surprised by the sudden change of topic. It also somewhat ruined a suspenseful moment.

"H'aerindu..." Gandalf grouched.

"Just had to get it out there." H'aerindu shrugged before she reached a hand into a pocket and plucked from it a small item clasped between three of her fingers. A golden band that appeared to gain in weight as the miqo'te lowered it onto the table where it upon being set down produced a nigh-thunderous sound. "Here you go..." she continued in a more severe tone, withdrawing her hand, "Sauron's One Ring."

All of the chamber's attention seemed to fall on the golden band at once and at length, unable to believe for a moment that it has so suddenly appeared before them. The envoys' eyes grew large and round in astonishment – most of them from the easily influenced race of man. Elrond took a deep breath as he used this knowledge to pull himself from the pit of his own incredulity – that Gandalf accomplished this search in so short a time in a world none of the White Council knew aside from a few names and bare descriptions given decades ago boggled the mind.

The intake of breath brought their attention back to him, "To think such a day as this would come, that we would see the Dark Lord's greatest prize in our possession. Quickly now, envoys of our allies, make your return with great haste and let your masters know that the One Ring of Power has been found and tell them to dispatch representatives of proper standing! A council will be held here soon that may well decide the fate of this Middle-Earth!"

Quite taken by his impromptu speech all of them wheeled about and as one left the chamber, which as a result emptied out considerable.

"Now about the war..." Gandalf muttered soon as a relative quiet settled.

Elrond inclined his head slowly, "It began on the same day you made your departure, but we made our preparations on the belief that the enemy would focus on Erebor and Gondor alone. Instead attacks have been launched against Lake-Town and the woodland realm as well..."

"What of Rohan?"

OoOoO

Much can be said about first impressions, particularly on the superficial level, but H'aerindu grew to quickly favor Elrond based on his wonderful mane and the angular eyebrows that almost seemed to speak for him. A case of near-instant approval, mixed with the embarrassment of being so closely examined by so many, that led to a rather spontaneous and not to mention random moment where she dissolved the thick tension by bluntly telling him what clothes he would look good in.

H'aerindu felt so embarrassed about that, so she spoke not a word as the conversation left her behind and moved on to a general briefing about the local war.

"As of yet we have received no message." Elrond said on the matter of this place or person Gandalf just brought up. "The most unexpected development, however, has been the opening of an additional front here in the west – though we are as of yet unsure whether the enemy was responsible for it."

Gandalf furrowed his brows, "An additional front?! Where?"

"The old forest."

"You mean to say there are orcs so far into the west?"

"If only that was the case." Elrond muttered darkly, "As you know, Lord Balin with Radagast for assistance launched an expedition into its boughs to extract an aetheryte. We know little of what has transpired, but the forest has inexplicably sprung into motion with clearly an inimical intent and now march toward the Shire as we speak..."

She almost jumped with a start, blurting out; "The Shire is about to be attacked?!"

"According to Balin who fainted not long after he arrived at the Shire, it soon will be," the dark-maned elf pointed out evenly, seeming quite used to such reactions, "the timing of which could not have been worse – beset as we currently are."

"Twelve forfend..." H'aerindu hissed, not even finishing before she left the table and at a brisk pace marched straight out of the chamber without as much as a farewell. Miana and the others exchanged looks at this change and hastened after her.

"Lady Dhelh!" Augustus near-shouted, "What is wrong?!"

"Sorry about this," she said firmly, "but I need to pay a visit to a war zone in the making..."

"No trouble at all!" Still Water followed up, "Still, it's a pity we have to leave this place so soon. It's not everyday one gets the chance to see a pair of talking eyebrows."

Among the others, none appeared to know what to make of that. Well, H'aerindu did, but she decided to not let them know that.

OoOoO

"The sky darkens..."

Bilbo had stopped by a window to look outside, and frowned as a beautiful day was dimmed by a tide of clouds like someone high above decided the day was not ominous enough for the rural people of the Shire – all of whom never expected that a day like this would ever come. A belief he admittedly shared until a terribly unwell Balin suddenly came with a small horde of similarly scarred dwarves whose distant eyes could simply not be unseen.

The old dwarf fainted not long after, but not before he spoke of a terrible peril. Long story short, Bilbo volunteered to help look after the exceedingly exhausted dwarves who were shortly bunked at the local inn while the Mayor sent for aid.

Said aid has so far amounted to no more than a battalion's worth of dwarves from the Blue Mountains – one of very few realms not currently under siege, reportedly.

"Mr. Baggins." Rosie spoke as she approached him with a bloody set of bandages in her hands, "Your friend has awakened and wishes to speak with you."

Bilbo nodded his balding head, "I will see him in just a moment. Go and dispose of those now, swiftly does it."

"Alright," the girl excused herself quickly, "I'm on my way."

Which left the much older hobbit to complete what he was doing – aside from looking out the window – before he made for the room given to Balin who looked more ancient than ever before as he, devoid of strength, stared at the ceiling. That is, until Bilbo made his entrance.

"Ah, Bilbo..." Balin croaked and winced as a wrinkling of the forehead given in concentration caused the angry scar that diagonally ran across his face to lend a stab of pain. "Ugh... how are things outside?"

"Not much going on for now." Bilbo sat on a nearby three-legged stool, "Only yet another rave soon to be thrown here without permission, only with many more plants than dwarves."

"Aye." the ancient dwarf coughed a chuckle halfway painted in regret, "Many apologies for the inconvenience. There came to mind only so many places."

"Question now's whether that forest's coming here because it's trying to catch up to you, or if it had the same toss of an idea you did."

"A question that weigh heavily on my mind as well."

Bilbo nodded, and endeavored to ask about what happened when Rosie once again approached, "Mr. Baggins, some... people here who have come to see Mr. Balin."

"Send them in." the aging hobbit said, then addressed Balin soon as Rosie left, "That must be Dwalin. I took the liberty of dispatching a messenger to the Lonely Mountain not long ago to notify him. Admittedly it's odd that he found time to come given the current situation over yonder, though."

"What situation?" Balin queried, doing his best not to wrinkle his forehead again.

"A war has begun in the east." Bilbo shuddered, listening as a crowd came up the stairs, "Dreadful business."

"Dwalin would not even think of coming, if that's the case. For that his duty weigh far too heavily."

"Some of the others, then?"

"Perhaps... or... or..." Balin's voice failed him as he started to stare toward the door, eyes all wide in shock. Bilbo, furrowing his brows, turned to look also, only to perfectly mimic his old friend's gobsmacked expression as he found the door blocked by a huge bear of a man in a full suit of armor who actually had to bow down to peer into the room, his oafish face all scrunched up.

After a silent moment he pulled away and called down the hallway, "Oi! Looks like this room's it!"

Bilbo could not really muster a response and continued to stare, until the giant pulled further away and allowed a number of other individuals to peer in. Most worthy of note among them at first was a positively tiny girl who bore eyes clearly those of an adult – and who was clearly not a hobbit. For the first time Bilbo found himself gazing upon a non-hobbit that required him to crane his neck in an entirely different direction. But what caused him to stand suddenly from his chair in complete surprise was the last to come into view, but was the first to cross the threshold.

The brunette who was clearly a miqo'te raised a hand in greeting, "Excuse us for intruding, but—"

"H'anigi, is that you – after all these years?!" Bilbo blurted out before he could stop himself, not sure whether to weep or cheer.

"Eh?" she almost took a step back.

"Don't you recognize me?" he expressed halfway in dismay, "I am—"

Balin interjected right there, "Old friend... Look closer, she is not her."

The old hobbit could not quite believe that, "Not her? Surely you jest!"

"Sorry to disappoint you," the busty brunette said, scratching her cheek sheepishly, "but I am not H'anigi. I am H'aerindu Dhelh, her granddaughter."

"Her granddaughter?" Bilbo breathed his question, asking for confirmation, "You're her granddaughter?"

"As I said, yes." H'aerindu said more evenly, "I take it you're Bilbo Baggins, then?"

The rest of her group suddenly closed in on the door frame, with two of them squished against it by the giant. "Did you say Bilbo Baggins?!" the little lady asked aloud, ignoring how the lanky man and horned girl beside her struggled for breath. "Where?"

"Right here..." Bilbo pointed out despite how taken aback he was by the surge of interest... and everything else about this encounter out of nowhere, without prior warning, "Bilbo Baggins at your service."

"My grandmother wrote a book about your journey, hence... that reaction. You're famous after a fashion back home – though most who've read the book still believe you to be fictional characters." H'aerindu let him know flat out before her attention moved to the dwarf, "That said, you're Balin, yes?"

Balin ignored the reaction, "That's right, but before we proceed how about some introductions? I still need time to adjust..."

The brunette scratched the back of her head, awkwardly, "Ah, yeah, I imagine this was all too sudden... Well, you already know my name." she said and gestured to those at the door, starting with the big one, "As for my associates here: Still Water, a roegadyn. Augustus Powell, a hyur. Miana Mia, lalafell. And lastly Dagasi, an Au Ra—" and paused momentarily in puzzlement, "Er, what are you doing here, Dagasi?"

"What am I doing here?! That's my question!" the horned girl, Dagasi, uttered as she finally pushed the giant far enough back to speak, "I was dragged all this way by this cursed blockhead!"

"Still Water..." H'aerindu, after another pause to let that sink in, set her gaze on the beige-skinned giant, "Why did you bring her along like she's some stray you found?"

"Um, well," Still Water had the grace to appear bashful, "I was just thinking us folks from another world ought to stick together."

Miana exhaled in exasperation that was amply due, "You're unbelievable, you know that?"

The buxom miqo'te sighed, resigned but not angry, "Once we're done here, Still Water, I expect you to offer her a sincere apology or we'll see how your armor holds up to some blunt trauma. Understood?"

"R-right." the giant retreated a step.

"Good." H'aerindu nodded crisply before she turned to the dwarf, "Anyway, I came here because I need to talk to you – about the impending attack."

Balin frowned, "I take it a particular series of events led you here..."

"Long story short..." she did not waste any time to answer that, "Gandalf crossed over, a lot of things happened, and I went with him to Rivendell where I learned about the situation here and decided I could not just leave it be," her voice faded into a half-whisper, "given that it's the home of my grandmother's friend."

The dwarf accepted this summary, giving several slight nods, "I see."

"Now if you would, about the hostile forest..." H'aerindu, with all said and done, went straight to the point, "Do you know what set it off?"

"Very little, and I cannot make sense of it all."

She folded her arms, frowning, "I understand, please tell me what you know."

"Hm..." Balin deflated visibly, looking off into the distance, "Well, I believe it began with Radagast, the wizard who journeyed alongside us. Something happened to him, though I know not precisely what. Only that when I went to speak with him in regards to the forest, he was terribly distraught, crying for us to flee. Naturally I attempted to reason with him, but then the forest attacked. All we could do to that was run ourselves ragged..."

"Do you remember aught else?"

"Not much..."

"When you saw Radagast, was there anything in the area that looked kinda off?"

Balin's face scrunched up as he thought back, "Well, now that you mention it, the place was to an extent darker than it was elsewhere. Darker, at least, than you'd expect from a place close to a clearing."

"No idea how that would matter, though." the dwarf continued, shaking his head.

"I'd say it cast a lot of light on the situation." H'aerindu's expression had darkened with the information he managed to dredge up, "Now we only need to see the wandering forest for ourselves, and decide from there how to proceed."

"A response has already been formulated, I'm told." Bilbo chose that moment to speak up, "The townsfolk along with our friends from the Blue Mountains are working on it right about now. A lot of flammable stuff and fire arrows included."

"Setting a whole forest on fire, huh..." Augustus muttered, tapping his chin.

Still Water hummed, "That sounds fun."

"I swear," Miana glared up at the oaf, "you better hope no gridanian ever learn about what you just said."

"On a practical note the plan does makes sense." H'aerindu contemplated the thought briefly, "The question, however, is whether they have the time to make it work."

Bilbo got a bad feeling, "Wait... w-what do you mean?"

She looked up at the ceiling in a contemplative manner, "Well, how fast do these trees move, how many are there, do they have the bloody-mindedness to advance even as they're turned aflame, are they wet or dry? Depending on the answers, what you have for a front might or might not to be enough."

Each of these questions resounded in Bilbo's mind, and his thoughts went to Frodo who was alongside his friends called upon – conscripted in other words – to serve in the Shire's hotchpotch of a militia. Worry took him, and it clearly showed as the tailed female turned to him and gave a small smile meant to be reassuring, "Don't you worry, Mr. Baggins. We'll take care of it one way or another."

"Can you, though?" Bilbo did not wish to be crass, but it was difficult to believe a small group like this could make any impact against an enemy like this despite the certainty in her voice. There was also a sense of contradiction about her that he could not wrap his head around, for while she appeared a great deal younger than H'anigi was, her eyes had a considerable apparent weight behind them – a hint of world-weariness one only saw in those who have experienced much. Bilbo had never before seen it in one so young.

"Well, I've had more than a few tussles with less than friendly trees." H'aerindu said evenly, and gave a half-smile as if recalling something humorous before she unfolded her arms to rub the left shoulder, "That said, we best get going before it's too late."

Bilbo nodded gravely, "Head to the east of here and you'll eventually find the designated front. Ask for Frodo Baggins, my nephew, and tell him from me to show you the old forest."

"Frodo, huh. I'll do that, thank you." H'aerindu accepted with a soft hum before she and her company stepped out, "See you later."

Several moments passed as the footsteps faded to and down the stairs. Balin quipped soon as the door downstairs was pulled open; "That was most unexpected."

"I'd say." Bilbo said and looked out at the window, observing as these visitors from Eorzea paced away. They only stopped, briefly, when a clearly exasperated Gandalf came up to and exchanged a rather heated conversation with H'aerindu before he joined them on the eastward path.

OoOoO

"Really, I could do without all these stares."

H'aerindu agreed with the lalafell's statement when it was made upon their arrival at the largely improvised front line where almost everyone stared at their mostly Eorzean group. It was to be expected, but the sheer number of wandering eyes meant things rapidly grew to be deeply awkward. Nevertheless they endured it, outside of Still Water who had no trouble with it, as they asked around till finally they found a youthful-looking hobbit with curly brown hair who tended to some equines tied to carriages loaded with large straw bales these people likely intended to use for improvised barricades and weapons.

"Frodo Baggins?" H'aerindu went right ahead before Gandalf did.

"Yes, how can I help yo—" Frodo confirmed as he turned, but came to a dead halt mid-syllable once he set his gaze on them – making a facial expression of disbelief so unbelievably ridiculous that the miqo'te had to fight to keep herself from bursting into laughter, an effort Miana had much less success in and buried her face therefore into the fabric of Gandalf's robe to stifle herself. "Gandalf?" he spotted the old man and used the observation to distract himself promptly, too flummoxed to notice the amused reactions he provoked.

The wizard brushed away the hiccuping lalafell with his staff, "Frodo, I know this is sudden but we require you to lend us what mounts you can spare."

Originally the intention was to ask Frodo to show them the old forest, but now that Gandalf stood with them his help to that extent was no longer required.

"I... can do that, Gandalf, but it will take a while to find ponies not soon to be away for everyone."

H'aerindu blinked as she eyed the many carriages that are quickly being offloaded. Rounding up enough mounts for all of them would surely take time just as the hobbit said. An overt delay wouldn't do them much good, so she experimentally plucked out her chocobo whistle and tried to blow it, producing a clear and sharp tune that earned her odd looks from across the area – to the extent that the next five seconds of nothing happening became more than a little embarrassing.

It came to a sudden end when a sharp burst of concentrated aether spilled into the world, and lasted just long enough to eject her chocobo.

Now all the stares landed quite firmly on the large golden-feathered bird with a saddle that chirped loudly and beat its small wings eagerly. H'aerindu took the arrival with a smile, seizing the reins before turning to the incredibly incredulously wide-eyed Frodo, "One mount for Gandalf, please. We'll make do with ours."

"I... see. One moment." Frodo nodded nervously, his lower jaw not far from the ground until he clammed it up and scrambled away.

Augustus sighed audibly as he ruffled through his pockets, "Whew, glad to see we can call for our chocobos."

"That doesn't help me overly much." Dagasi raised her shoulders, "All I had for a mount was a griffin, and that one's long gone."

H'aerindu cocked her head, raising a brow at the auri girl who had not gone back to the aetheryte after the overly loud roegadyn apologized, "Huh, does this mean you intend to come along?"

The ninja crossed her arms, huffing aloud but not denying it.

"In that case you can ride with me." Still Water laughed without deafening anyone this time, pointing a thumb at the huge chocobo he had already summoned.

"... Thanks." Dagasi accepted with utmost reluctance.

Said acceptance nevertheless cut a potential complication short, along with the delay it would have brought.

"Gandalf." Augustus spoke up as he climbed on his armored chocobo and tugged at the reins, "You don't look too surprised."

"I saw some in Ishgard." Gandalf shrugged as he remained in place and waited patiently for Frodo's return, "The arrival was certainly a surprise, admittedly, but I wonder in complete sincerity whether those creatures can at all keep up with the steeds of ours."

That was a challenge if H'aerindu ever heard one, and her companions interpreted it the same way given how they smirked in response – even Augustus could not hide it. "Oh, Mr. Gandalf." Miana shot out a laugh, seeming very confident about her own smallish mount, "Try not to eat our dust."

OoOoO

That boast made by the lalafell was not an idle one.

Not long afterward did Bilbo's young adoptive nephew return with the largest and strongest pony he could fetch on short notice. Gandalf found it satisfactory enough at least, and did not think much of the unintentional challenge he had issued as he set out, only to be immediately overtaken as the others got going as well. While their birds were comical in appearance, they did not lack in speed.

Even Miana's diminutive chocobo sped past him, if only until he compelled his given steed to greater haste. The race fortunately did not last as they soon matched speed and allowed him to take the lead.

"Was that fast enough for you?" H'aerindu quipped.

"Quite so." Gandalf dryly replied, "Now if you are done playing around, I will show you to the forest."

Still Water barked a laugh from the back, causing nearby flocks of birds to scatter, "Can't blame us for showing off after what you said."

"By the Twelve..." Augustus groaned, "Please turn down the calamity that is your voice!"

"What'd I say?"

Gandalf did not listen to the argument as they crossed a set of farmlands, his attention focused more on the implications of why these homesteads were evacuated. That the front line was not placed further out meant the old forest had to be close by. Therefore he altered their heading slightly, aiming for one of the taller mountains in sight.

Time passed, and soon his suspicion was confirmed.

"Look there!" Miana abruptly called out, "To our left – scores of treants!"

"Those are huorns, little one." Gandalf corrected as looked down the valley, at a staggered line of trees that came from around the mountain they intended to climb. "An ancient race of long-brooding trees fierce in their temper. Many among them are black of heart, and they seek to do harm when the opportunity arise."

"Does that mean we can chop them up?" Still Water asked with the bluntness of an oncoming wall.

"Not yet." H'aerindu declined, "First we must take a proper look on the situation..."

Gandalf used his staff to point up the mountain, "For which reason we must climb the mountain straight ahead! Come now, not much further!"

More of the forest became apparent as they climbed the mountain, stretching for a distance out of sight. Gandalf was unsure of how many huorns there must be in the old forest, but what he saw painted a dark picture that turned wholly black as they rose to the top and from it gazed upon a great host. Several hundred huorns wandered in the valley below, perhaps thousands of them in a formation of bark and crowns of leaves that stretched for miles.

Against such a force, the Shire was woefully ill prepared.

"That's a lot of, um, huorns..." Miana whispered.

Augustus tossed in his observation succinctly, "A lot of animals too, strangely enough."

"You sure?" Still Water inquired, "I can't see all that well past that strange fog."

"That's no fog." H'aerindu grimly observed, "We are looking at a massive concentration of aether – most of it coalesced right over there." and pointed to an area where the fog was so dense nothing else could be seen past it.

What could that mean?

Miana took a deep breath, "You're not aiming for the huorns, are you?"

The monk shook her head, "Not if we can avoid it..."

"A weak spot, then?"

"Maybe.." H'aerindu's frown deepened, "Gandalf, within your knowledge, is that kind of fog something that normally accompany huorns?"

Gandalf chewed on that question for a few seconds as he looked across the valley, and thought he felt something familiar, "No, it is most unusual, but then again this whole situation is unusual. Huorns never venture in such force, not without Ents to direct them. I wondered if there were any ent-wives in the old forest, but there are no sign of any."

"Then I believe we've hit the cactpot."

"Cact-what?"

"Our target – in other words."

Gandalf raised a bushy brow high, "You intend to enter this forest? Now?"

"I do."

Augustus subsequently supplied, utterly solemn; "There are gaps in the formation... We should be able to reach that foggy area unmolested if we use those."

Recklessness can only go so far... Gandalf was perplexed, and honestly thought they could not possibly mean to assault this forest without some form of assistance, "You are serious?"

H'aerindu gave him a look devoid of hesitation, "Absolutely."

The others offered no argument or counterpoint. Dagasi was the only one who appeared to be having second thoughts, yet even she for some reason refused to back down from this course – unbelievably enough. "Another gap is opening!" Augustus pointed out, urgently, as a portion of the forest made a slight change of course different from the one behind it.

"You can come with us, old man, or stay!" Still Water barked, sounding a little less oafish, "Make your choice!"

"So these are adventurers, huh?" Dagasi clutched the bird she rode for dear life, "Courage and madness go hand in hand with people of that trade... No wonder they're crazy."

Miana sighed even as she quivered, "Oh... Put a sock in it, au ra."

H'aerindu did not seem to hear either of them as she prompted her chocobo into an abrupt forward motion, "Come on guys, let's dive right into it!"

This elicited boastful cheers from the others as they followed at a most tremendous speed. Gandalf observed this display and thought they were crazy just as Dagasi said, but then he too must surely be mad as he also joined in and raced down the mountainside, making a direct beeline for the gap Augustus had pointed out with such calm.

Resolutely they neared the gap that might as well be considered a canyon of wood, and raced into it so brazenly this portion of the forest momentarily came to a dead halt – unable to believe what just happened – before the huorns proceeded to do their damnedest to close ranks around their fast-moving prey. Some ahead were dangerously close to succeed in that effort until Miana took her staff and through a feat of conjury pulled a large rock from the soil and projected it at the huorn on the left, while Augustus tossed a bomb at the huorn coming from the right.

The targeted huorns faltered before the onslaught, and could not close the gap in time to stop the party.

A great number of roots shot forth, to try and trip or entangle them, but the chocobos nimbly jumped past them without losing speed. Gandalf's pony was not so agile, so he resorted to magic of his own and batted away what advances were made toward him.

"We are almost there!" Still Water hollered after what seemed like a whole day's length.

Gandalf gazed ahead, and truly did he see the foggy area they had beheld from atop the mountain. Even this close it was nigh-impenetrable to their eyes.

Not about to just let them through, two more huorns raced forth to bar their way.

"These ones are fast!" Augustus hissed, "We won't be able to stop them in time!"

"We'll just have to deal with them!" H'aerindu hollered in turn as she dismounted from her chocobo without slowing down first, skidded across the grassy ground, then proceeded to momentarily overtake her mount as she raced for the huorn closest to her. Said huorn shot its roots for the fast-moving monk, but she lowered her posture and rushed straight in, brushing off the attempts to stop her till she was close enough to swing a punch that reduced a fair portion of its trunk into pulped wood, splashing away a gratuitous amount of sap in so doing.

"Here I go!" Still Water howled with delight as he hefted his axe. The massive chocobo of his did its part to jump over the roots until they came close where the roegadyn swung his mighty weapon and – with a piercing battle cry – smashed the huorn he faced into two halves.

As a consequence the path was made clear, and allowed them to charge headlong into the fog.

Where a much stranger force awaited them.

Gandalf could see nothing for a spell, till they cleared the fog to find themselves in a clear and open area akin to the eye of a storm. There was unfortunately not nearly enough time to appraise this strange sight, for no sooner did they arrive before a deluge of crazed animals raced for them.

Wolves.

Deers.

Rabbits.

Mooses, and many more.

All of a forest's worth of wildlife seemed to have gathered solely to do battle. Gandalf was thrown off his pony as a moose rushed him from the side, which led to an attempt by a group of wolves to pounce on him until they were mowed down by a sequence of intense gunfire courtesy of Augustus, "You alright?" he shouted.

"I am." Gandalf groused as he batted a rabid rabbit aside with his staff, unable to believe how ridiculous this has gotten for them to fight mere animals.

The resulting chaos was such that hardly an organized effort could be made, but they were all seasoned fighters and as such not much time passed before the ground was covered in broken bodies. So many animals perished in short order, yet more came out of the woodwork like they craved death. A particularly large wolf made a head-on leap for the miqo'te, but for naught as its head was crushed by the intervening talons of her chocobo. Indeed, even the giant birds had stopped to fight alongside their masters.

"Close ranks!" Miana cried out, "I'm almost done!"

The wizard looked to the lalafell who practically shone as she funneled energy into a dome that took form a dozen feet out from her while Dagasi flashed around her like a shadow, running through any beast that attempted to close their jaws on the diminutive being. The rest closed in around her, mounts and all, accordingly, and Gandalf belatedly joined them, staring in defiance as countless beasts treated them as cornered prey and closed in for the kill.

Until the lalafell screamed out, "Holy blast!" and unleashed a wave of radiant light that met the animals like an onrushing wall and flung them away nearly wholesale, forging for them a brief respite.

"Who darest deny my children their feast!?"

Ahead, in the eye's center, a great pillar of light suddenly erupted along with a great ire terrible to behold. It washed across the area, and forced their party back a step.

"What is that?" Gandalf growled as the pillar grew all the more intense till it burst like a bubble and sent them a crashing wave of energy akin to the one Miana had sent forth.

H'aerindu apparently did not think of it that way as she rushed in front of the group, arms raised and took the assault like she meant to catch it. Rather than be blasted away, the wall was distorted by her touch and petered out, leaving them unscathed, and the enemy exposed.

The figure that now stood in full view was familiar to Gandalf's eye yet twisted to his senses, giant in all regards, and thrumming with dark power. All of his thoughts argued that he looked upon a comrade, yet there was a distinct wrongness about the person he could not dispel. "What is that?" he asked yet again, "I find recognition... but somehow...!"

"..." H'aerindu hissed as she took a stance, all trace of humor gone, "That, wizard, is a Primal."

Lord of the Wilds

Radagast the Brown

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Author notes: There we go, with a primal fight coming next with more to it than it seems.

Greyjedi449t: Thank you.

Meteor Arbert: I wouldn't call the track record in regards to Ascians shaky. Far as we know, the number of Ascians killed thus far is borderline unprecedented given the specific conditions required to permanently put them down. That said, the journey in Middle-Earth will have its share of difficulties to overcome.