A.N. This chapter was a bit strange to write. I wanted to include much more, but didn't. Spare time is not plentiful around here. I didn't have as much time to work on this chapter (soccer season started) so it's not as…I dunno…it's not the same. Also, read with the knowledge that most of this was written between the hours of 11:00p.m. and 2:00 a.m., while listening to Nickle Creek. Don't try it. Constant happy music does things to you…

"We must find someone!" Gandalf declared a little louder than was necessary.

"We know this, Gandalf," said Celeborn calmly.

The wizard sighed, and, for a fleeting moment, all of the years and troubles that burdened him showed on his already lined face. He turned to look out the window at the forest surrounding them.

This place had been in use only once before. Gandalf, Saruman, Radagast and Falandrin had built it; laying so many protection and hiding spells on it that even the elves could not find it without help. It was set in one of the darkest place in Mirkwood, and very few would ever venture in this part of the woods of their own accord.

The building consisted of a small meeting room and large library. Here there were records from every civilization ever to set foot on Middle Earth, as well as records of some who hadn't. Nearly all the prophecies ever made, all the songs ever written, and records of every battle ever fought were there, sitting on the shelf gathering dust. All condensed of course, so as to not take up very much room. But since there were spells to enlarge things, size of the book wasn't really an issue.

Word had come to the Lady Galadriel that the world had begun to sway towards evil, and only way to bring good and evil back into balance was to bring someone who had the power to help them. They had searched for three years, trying their best to find the greatest warriors, kings, even children. But nothing had come of it. But one day, Celeborn recalled that something of this nature had happened once before. It had been so long ago that he had simply forgotten. It had come to him one morning while he was brushing his teeth, and he had nearly swallowed the soap he was using in his haste to inform his wife, the Lady Galadriel.

Gandalf, Radagast and Elrond had been called to Lothlorien and almost the moment they arrived, Celeborn told them.

Long ago, before the Ring had even come into existence, the world had been in its darkest times. Melkor waged war against life itself, and though there were many who fought against him, his armies out numbered them by thousands. It was then that word had come from the Valar that someone must come to turn the tide, and come quickly before many lives were lost. It was found that the person must not be from Middle Earth, but from a place unheard of. A place simply called, Earth.

The greatest leaders had sent their spokesmen to decide who would go to fetch what they decided to call 'The Balance', but the spokesmen had not the relationship, nor the loyalty to one another that the leaders had, and all that became of the meeting was bickering and hard feelings. No one ever went to fetch 'The Balance', and Melkor began his greatest attacks before the leaders could do anything about it themselves. Help came in other ways, and the quest had been forgotten.

So here they were, searching once again for the 'The Balance', going through all of the old, dusty tomes hoping that something had been recorded to help them with this quest.

Radagast and Elrond continued to pour over their books, and Gandalf began to reminisce over the years. Long before any of them realized that Sauron wasn't defeated, but simply hiding from the world for a time, waiting for when he could once again appear and cover Middle Earth in his darkness.

Falandrin had called the four Wizards to the Shelter in Mirkwood. There had been discussion on the way there of why the meeting had been called. With Falandrin it could be anything. From the fact that he had discovered a new spell, to that he had met the girl of his dreams and they were getting married.

Falandrin met them at the door with a smile. Radagast and Gandalf exchanged a smirk. Saruman had bet them both that it didn't have anything to do with a girl, and the smile on the face of the youngest wizard was much too happy for the news to be about a simple spell.

"Welcome, my brothers." Said Falandrin, ushering them all into the front room.

"Hello, Falandrin. Nice day for a meeting, don't you think?" replied Radagast. It was pouring rain outside, and the rain had made it all more difficult to find the place. Saruman was in a foul mood by the time they actually found the front door, and the fact that he was going to loose the bet made Radagast mentally chuckle in an almost evil way. It was so much fun to get the better of the white bearded wizard.

Falandrin ignored Radagast and turned to the others. "Saruman. How are you?"

"I would be better if I were not cold, wet, and being called to a meeting that I don't know what it is about."

"Sit by the fire and warm yourself." Falandrin then turned to Gandalf. "And you?"

"I've been better. A rock seems to have lodged itself in my boot and I've been having an awful time with it the past few miles. But a wizard does not simply sit down in the mud and take off his boots, so I have endured. But now that there is a fire and chairs, I will take care of the decidedly nasty little thing." Falandrin nodded and motioned to one of the four chairs set in front of a blazing fireplace.

"Falandrin, when did the fireplace get here?" Radagast asked, "I don't remember putting one in."

"Oh. Well, I realized that we didn't have one and that we might have to meet in the winter at some point, so I magicked it in a few days ago."

Saruman sat up straight to look at Falandrin. "You magicked it in?"

"Oh yes. Wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, really. Though there was the nasty complication of where the fireplace would come from, seeing as you can't make something out of nothing. But I thought about it for a while, and finally decided that Lord Elrond had plenty of fireplaces to spare, and who would notice if one suddenly went missing?

Gandalf coughed to cover a chuckled, as Radagast said through gales of laughter, "I can just see the face of the poor elf who has to report that one. 'I'm sorry Lord Elrond, but the marble fireplace in the main hall seems to have…disappeared.' 'Disappeared?' 'Ye-Ye-Yes S-Sir. It's…it's gone.' 'Gone!' 'Gone, my lord.' "

Saruman did not seem to find it as amusing as Radagast, and he sat slowly back into his chair, a contemplating look on his sharp face. After a moment asked, "So, tell me Falandrin, did you bring us here to discus your latest pranks on the elves, or something important?"

But Radagast was still chuckling and didn't appear to have heard Saruman speaking "I think you should magick Rivendell's front gates here too! They would make a splendid entrance! And while you're at it, bring Elrond's best horse and maybe his favorite robe." He paused a moment to contemplate this and then burst out laughing "I hope he isn't wearing it when you do." At this thought, Gandalf and Falandrin collapsed into gales of laughter, and even Saruman was amused enough by this to smirk.

"Really Radagast! The things you think of." Gasped Falandrin "Next you'll be suggesting I call the bridge that leads out of Rivendell to grace the front porch!"

"Just be sure you get it while Lord Elrond is inside, and not out. He will come after you with vengeance." Said Gandalf.

"But he'd be more after the robes than anything else!" Radagast stated, trying to keep a straight face as he spoke, and failing miserably.

The banter continued for some time, until at last Saruman stood and declared that it was high time they got to business.

"Yes, yes. I quite agree." Said Falandrin, straightening his robes and wiping tears of mirth from his eyes. Radagast and Gandalf followed suite, the former still chuckling. One didn't have such a good laugh at the expense of the Elves very often.

Falandrin stood and Saruman resumed his seat, a bored expression on his face.

"My brothers." Falandrin began. "I know you all wonder why you were called here today and I-"

"Get to the point, boy." Said Saruman, sounding very annoyed.

Falandrin nodded, coughed, and continued. "As you all know, the Valar sent us here for a purpose. I did not know mine when I left, but I was assured one would come. And it has." The three listening leaned forward, eager to hear the news. "I have been sent to the Southern lands."

"Where?" Gandalf asked.

"I do not know yet. I was simply told I must go to the Southern lands. I will know what I must do when I arrive."

There was a rather awkward silence. Falandrin was the first to receive any word from the Valar since they had left the Undying Lands.

"When did they speak with you?" Asked Saruman in a strangled voice.

"Last night."

"Are you sure it was not a dream?"

"A dream? I know the difference between a dream and life, Saruman."

"Did they give you any instructions to pass onto us?" Radagast asked eagerly.

"No. I'm sorry."

There was a pause. At last Gandalf looked up at Falandrin, his face unreadable "Then you must go as soon as possible. Do not tarry in following their orders." Radagast nodded in agreement.

Saruman still sat motionless, his thoughts raging. Why must it always happen to someone else? He was the oldest of the four, and yet it never seemed to matter. The only thing he had ever gotten was the right of being 'in charge' of the other three on the voyage to Middle Earth. He had once thought he was at least the most powerful of them all, but it seemed that Falandrin had taken that as well. In all the studies, he had not removed something from so far away as Rivendell. In fact, the farthest he could move anything was no more than a mile at most.

The urge to hit the floor with his staff was almost uncontrollable. But no, he must never let them know how he felt. They would think him selfish and things would become strange between them all. No, he must not let them know of anything. But a day would come when he would have the power. It had to come. If Fate did not have it in mind, he would defy Fate and make it happen. They would never defeat him, he had worked too hard and given up too much for this journey here to be tossed aside and given the dirty work.

Falandrin's voice broke through he thoughts. "Saruman, are you alright?"

"Yes. Yes, I'm fine. So…you've been called to the South. Splendid. I agree with Gandalf, you should leave soon. We will miss you."

Falandrin nodded, wondering if all was as it seemed.

He was gone when they all awoke the next morning, and all of them wondered if they would ever see him again.

Soon after, Saruman found a home in Orthanc, and Radagast made friends with every wild creature in the lands. Only Gandalf was left with nothing. So he became the wanderer, the odd one of the three with nothing much to do besides amuse children with his fireworks.

As the years had passed, the three grew distant. Saruman was consumed by his jealousy that the Valar

had called Falandrin off, and left him to rot here among the humans with no explanation as of why. Radagast seemed to have never gotten over Falandrin leaving. Not because he wished he had been called, but simply because he missed him terribly.

Gandalf never let on what he thought of Falandrin leaving. He knew why the Valar had not picked him to journey alone to the far off places. He wasn't angry with anyone for being left here in Middle Earth. His punishment had been just. In fact, it had been a much softer sentence than he had expected it to be. Any other wizard who dared to do what he had done would have been put on guard duty at the pit of Melkor for at least five thousand years. But evidently one of the Valar had a soft spot for him, so he was sent to Middle Earth.

All four of the wizards had their own stories as to why they were sent to Middle Earth. Falandrin had been asked to go, and he readily accepted. Radagast had heard of the mission and had requested to go along. Saruman was one of the most powerful of all the wizards, and was sent to guard the other two and help them in the tasks that they would find when they arrived in Middle Earth. At the last moment, Gandalf had been added to the group, and they had set sail. No one asked why he was there; simply assuming that he had requested to come along as well. None of them knew the truth. Not even Saruman, the shrewdest of the three would ever have suspected the reason he was with them.

Gandalf's recollections were broken as baffled conversation broke out behind him. He turned slowly to

see Radagast and Elrond looking from the book to each other and muttering things like:

"No."

"It can't be!"

"Why would they…?"

"Too dangerous."

"Are we sure this is it?"

"I will not stand for such a thing!"

"Who do they want?"

This manner of conversation went on for a while, Elrond and Radagast never bothering to let the others know what they had found. At last Gandalf strode over to the table, picked up the book and handed it to Celeborn. "I'm very glad you can read this language, otherwise neither of us would never know what they are going on about." Celeborn smiled and began to read the text aloud to the others.

Shay and Dometan stood in the cemetery, surrounded by friends and distant family members. Grief was now simply sitting like a black fog around their minds, not allowing them to think or speak. She wore a veil to conceal the absence of tears and he had come in a large, black hat for the same reason.

The people were all filing past now, hugging them, crying, telling them things would be all right. Just people. Faces they would not remember, hugs they did not wish to accept. How could any of them know how this felt? It felt like nothing. Like life had become dull and meaningless. A few people noticed that the children were not crying, and went home in anger, appalled at the lack of emotion shown. But only a few. No one else looked close enough to notice.

The last of the mourners hugged them, and Dometan turned to leave. Why was he here? Nothing would bring them back. And the sight of the coffins lying in a row only intensified the black fog in his mind. Shay paused to throw her flowers to the ground, leaving it to the gravediggers to decide which coffin to place them upon. After a last look at the thirteen wooden boxes lining the ground, she turned to follow her brother to the car, wondering if she would ever feel anything again.

"So…" Gandalf said after a very long silence "This is all we've found."

Celeborn nearly threw the book back onto the desk. "Three years of searching! Three years! And that is the answer that the Valar give us. Curse-!"

"No, Celeborn!" Gandalf cried in alarm. "Do not say such things. They do not forgive words easily."

Celeborn took a deep breath, composing his outraged features. "I'm sorry, my friend."

"But why would they say such a thing? We can leave this place only once, and when our ship sails out of the harbor, we can never return." Elrond said, hopelessness creeping into his voice.

"The Valar has never command a thing that cannot be done."

Celeborn spoke again, his voice as hopeless as his sons "It seems one of us must give our life for the cause."

Elrond nodded sadly. But Radagast and Gandalf looked at him in confusion.

"Why must one of us die?"

"My people cannot leave this world and return alive." He drew in a deep breath. "I have lived a long and full life. I will go."

"No, father you cannot! Your people need you!" Elrond cried.

"Who do you suggest, my son?" Celeborn asked, hints of sarcasm in his voice. "You? The people of Rivendell cannot be left leaderless. If I go, Galadriel will be there to take my place."

"One moment, please." Radagast said loudly. The two elves stopped to look at him. "No one has to die. There is a very simple solution to this problem: don't sent an elf."

"Who then? A human?" Replied Celeborn.

"Do we look human to you?" Gandalf muttered, but Radagast ignored him.

"Gandalf and I will complete the mission. This is the reason the Valar have brought us here."

Gandalf looked up at him surprise. His companion had never claimed to have a calling in Middle Earth other than the simple one; he had wanted to go.

"Falandrin was not the only one of us promised a duty here on this world." Radagast continued "And I know I have found mine at last. But I cannot do it alone. I ask you to come with me, Gandalf."

"But I don't…" Gandalf trailed off. His calling had been to wander alone, no one needed to tell him that.

"Surely you would not send one of our Elvish friends to their death. We must go."

"Very well, I will accompany you. But it is you who will be in charge of the child."

Radagast shook his head gravely. "No, brother. My calling only extends to bringing the child here, nothing beyond that. And what life would they have with me, growing up with animals as friends? I cannot be the one to keep it."

"And in Lothlorien only Galadriel has enough knowledge about humans to raise one, but she has far to many other matters pressing for her attention." Celeborn said. "What of you, Elrond? You have raised a human before."

Elrond nodded, a shadow passing over his face at the mention of his foster son. "Yes. But I'm not sure it would be for the best for this particular child to be raised among the elves."

Gandalf looked at his friends, aghast. He knew what they were going to ask of him, and he would not do it.

"What of you, Gandalf?" said Elrond, turning to face the horrified wizard. "You are the only one of the four of us who would have the culture and experience to raise such a child. They would learn of every race in Middle Earth, all the languages they would need to speak in this world, and I doubt there is anyone else who knows the lay of the land as you do. They would be able to meet every important figure possible, simply because they would be with you and-"

"No." Said Gandalf, slamming his staff against the floor "I will not."

"Come now, my brother," pleaded Radagast "you are the only one who can do this."

"I will not spend the rest of my life raising some sniveling child."

"By all accounts, I doubt this child will be sniveling."

"It doesn't matter. It's still a child. And what child whose entire family has died, won't be sniveling?"

"The book did not say how long ago the child's family died. Simply that they died."

"Does it really matter? They're dead!"

"And if there is no one to raise the child to be what they are destined to be, their family will have died for nothing. And if you think that cursing the Valar will cause you harm, thwarting their plans for another being brings about more wrath than a few words ever would."

This was one thing Gandalf knew all too well. He sighed deeply and after a moment he said, "I will go with you to fetch the child. But I cannot promise that I will take care of them once we have returned. It may be that they will be left with Elrond. Despite what you say about it not being the best, it will be better then leaving it with no one to care for it."

Celeborn, Radagast and Elrond nodded in assent.

"What are we still standing here for then?" Gandalf growled, "There's work to be done, other worlds to visit, children to kidnap. Let's get on with it!"

chuckles gleefully Too much fun doing this. Do come back for the next chapter and find out what happens to Shay and Dometan, what exactly Gandalf is going to do, and possibly learn more of the dark secret the gray bearded Wizard is hiding.

Please review. Really. Just click the little button over there to your left and tell me what you think. Do it! That's right…move the mouse...move it…little more…hehehe…

Betsy - Your review came exactly when it was needed. I was wondering if I really had the time and patience to complete this story that no one seemed be reading, and then you reviewed and I was happy about it again. hobbit hugs

Southern Gaelic - You made me rethink this story and want to make it a little more interesting and complex than I had intended. I can honestly say that this chapter would have been nothing like this if it weren't for you. In fact, the entire story line would be different. nods soberly in your direction Keep up the honest reviews please.

Lendielstar - You are an absolutely fabulous editor. Thank you for convincing me to go onward and upward, for introducing me to Sierra Charm's story "Eyes as Green as a Fresh Pickled Toad" laughs and for dragging me to the nearest Wal-Mart in the middle of the night to get "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" despite all of your protests that Harry will not die in book seven. I know He will. As will Ron. We really need to go for coffee and discuss that book…

(Note to all HP fans: If you would like to join the 'Great Discussion' of all things Harry Potter, just let me know in your review : )

(Note to all LoTR fans: The same goes for LoTR as HP. I adore them both and could talk about either all day. Weather you have read every work Tolkien has written which I recommend, seeing as he wrote much, much more than simply LoTR and most of it is just as interesting, or if you've simply seen the movies, you are welcome to join the 'Great Discussion' of all things Lord of The Rings, via e-mail.)