We are sure you noticed that instead of 12, we now had 10 chapters and our new chapter is not 13 but 11. We finally finished our chapter revamps.

What changed?

We realized that Rosa and Fieven took too much space, so removed them, although there will be small references to them. But do not worry, for those who liked the story, you must not be sad. Their story will be published as a side-story and will be updated according to the timeline in connection to this book.

All chapters were carefully edited to be at least 10k words (with more or less success -shrinks back from angry mob-). So make sure to give another go at what was already published. New details were added here and there.

Due to some changes in what we plan in character count, we cannot publish our story in bigger chapters than 10k words, otherwise we would catch up too soon or we would need to update only every 3 weeks. But who has the time fo' dat?

Besides, with the prologue done, the real action can begin.

Without further ado...

Cub: *whistles as she pulls a fresh cake out of the oven. she then sticks a pie in the oven and walks away.*

Ren: *pops his head in. Sniffs the cake.* How dare she not make me more cookies?

*About 25 minutes later.*

Cub: *walks in and jaw drops. There was now cake everywhere! The ceiling. Walls. Somehow In and On the fridge. She twitched.* EVERYONE HERE NOW!

Hyano/Avp/Ren: *All run in.*

Cub: Who did it?

Hyano: Uh... not me. I was reading my book.

Avp: You think I would mess up my own house? I am the only one who pays rent here!

Ren: ... I hate cake... *Is covered hood to boot in cake.*

Cub: *twitches then takes out the scolding hot pie and throws it at Ren*

Ren: *screeches and ducks*

Avp: *Gets hit with the pie and cries out before falling over knocked out*

Hyano: *cringes* See this is why we don't let Cub cook... Enjoy the show everyone!

CA Productions

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

Chapter 11 - The Beast Escaped

*drip*

...

*drip*

Outer Earth...

*drip*

The new world they call Outer-Earth was fresh. Its ground had no forcefully taken blood flowing on it. No rivers of the disgusting fluid bathed its surface. No wars brewed... The people were unaware. Yes... It was fresh, just right and ripe for the picking...

*drip*

The people were too comfortable, their guard was down, not prepared for any kind of aggression. Why would anyone attack them? Only elves populated this world. They were strangely united... Not like Man. The race of Man was so easily influenced. Their mind was weak, they naturally followed the strongest among them. Like orcs. Only, perhaps, more intelligent. As foolish and petty they were... they could find many servants among them who did their bidding for a couple of shiny coins. Truly, not great of a price for rolling heads. Where he pointed, they sliced. What made them weak were their emotions. For this, he despised them. They were easy to scare, easy to lose. They had the habit of breaking down only after a few harsh words thrown at them. How weak was that?

*drip*

Emotions...

Emotions were the weakness of all things that could be great at his side. He never understood this unseen force. Reading emotions were now easier for him but understanding them? He gave up on that a long time ago. What he despised about them was that he could not follow them and sometimes they were unseen. Emotions changed with every word that was spoken, with every action that was done without any kind of rule he could make up for them. Sometimes, people had more than one emotion among their expressions, so which one should he concentrate on? Sometimes it even changed without any reason or any indication towards a difference. How? Why? It was confusing and frustrating at the same time.

*drip*

Confusion... Frustration... Yes. Two weeks have passed ever since he and his only servant traversed to this new world with the purpose of overtaking it and were locked into this prison in return. He truly did not understand what they were expecting from him. Yes, his servant told him they wish for him to change but what change did they want? Did they expect him to suddenly shed his cloak and walk around like an elf? To be seen? To be the public pet who was to do everything people tell him and yet cannot show any displeasure and if he bit... then he was to be put down? He would not stand for that. Because at the end of the day, he was a Nazgul. The darkest of beings that walked the surface of Arda. No amount of magic flow or persuasion will deter him from fulfilling his mission. His mission, to claim the wide world in the name of his Dark Lord. That was his last command. Until he completed his task... he will not rest.

There comes a drip...

*drip*

Ren found it hard to concentrate...

Ever since their stay in this Morgoth-forsaken cave, he did not have a true refreshing meditation. His mind was exhausted, mainly because of the noise that came from the top of the cave. The wraith knew they had plenty of watch above. The White surely spent a lot of time to stand guard. He could feel his aura all too strongly. If this was not enough irritation, he also had the audacity to sing a disgustingly happy song every now and then. And if it was not the White, then it was some long ear, who either played some kind of annoyingly noisy instrument to pass their time or they had the company of another of their kind. Inside the cave offered enough distractions as well. The space was not exactly dry, the water that soaked the opening from which the stream came constantly dripped onto the stones below. What irritated him was that it only dripped from one single place. If a couple of drips happened in the same manner, he would not care but this single drop in a perfect rhythm... it made his mind want to just shriek and claw his way out of the cave. It echoed so badly... Ren spent quite some time daily to try and dig them away but it was no use. It still dripped... It still echoed through the cave... It still did not let him meditate.

Not to mention the frogs. Or the grasshoppers. Their cries did not help him either. Both seemed to be Hyano's favorite prey, as she usually chased after them during the day.

The rocks at the cave's entrance suddenly moved. They were small, just a little nudge. Then there was silence again.

This drew the attention of the Nazgul, who turned his hooded head towards it, although made no noise. His mind could be playing tricks on him right now, although he trusted each of his senses and did not believe in something like that. But Hyano insisted that if he heard or saw something that was not there... then his mind was playing tricks on him. How? He did not understand how a noise that he could hear was not real... yet he could hear it. That was just too confusing to think about. Not like his mind was in a shape to do so anyway.

With this thought, his mind slipped into a meditating state involuntarily, having spent too much time in control of the spectral body at once. There was nothing he could do about it. His constant thinking and frustration only exhausted him through the days and drained him of the magic that he needed to exist. It was such a relief.

Not long after this, the rocks moved once again, this time some debris fell from above it as someone worked on removing the layers beyond.

The movement itself didn't jerk the wraith awake, instead he was meditating, resting his mind in the middle of the cave with Hyano in his lap, who was possibly asleep but he wasn't sure. Not like he cared at the moment. He was too much concentrating on getting enough magic through her.

The change in the magical flow didn't affect him as much as Hyano or anyone else hoped through the past two weeks they spent in this cave prison. Or it simply was a much slower process than they thought it would be. His appearance didn't change, of course, but remained the same cloaked invisible creature that he always was. When he thought Hyano was purposefully wishing to annoy him by looking into his hood, she was actually examining him for any changes. o eyes stared back at her. No skin, no matter in what condition, peeked from under that hood of his. The spectral body that he possessed was just as cold as a grave in winter. There was no heartbeat... no breathing. Just the cold invisible corpse that he was. This did not mean he did not change, just that one should have lowered their expectations. Hyano never awaited anything different or major after just two weeks but she did predict more after months or years of their altered magic flow. The change was more prominent in his behavior and aura. His aura lost some of its dark taste and instead started sporting something milder but still could not be called a light aura.

Far from that. But even this change was something great for the wizard.

Ren's behavior also changed from the excruciatingly selfish, aggressive, impatient and prideful Nazgul to a less excruciatingly selfish, aggressive, impatient and prideful Nazgul. Hyano noticed him taking his imprisonment a bit better, since he no longer looked for a way out desperately. He seemed to realize, that he was powerless in this situation and now patiently waited for the day to come when they could be put to the test. Well, as much as he could be. Which required him to gulp down his pride, work on his impatience and became more bearable. He tolerated more than he originally would, thought less of his pride, had far cleaner thinking abilities and could tolerate light to a greater extent and the miracle: he could see in the light properly! Not as greatly yet as in the darkness but it was something. It was an improvement. An improvement that actually worked in his favor as far as Ren was concerned.

If this was enough or not... this was for those in charge to judge.

Not soon after, the rocks moved again but this time not just briefly. There were some tapping noises coming from the outside as if someone touched the rocks, which in return slid partially up and some downwards, revealing a tall figure, who soon after stepped inside, his staff held firmly in his hand, his blue eyes focusing on the two still figures on the ground as if expecting something and being prepared for any surprises that might come. He watched as the Nazgul awoke with a small jerk and raised his gaze to meet his with his invisible one, which was accompanied by a faint hiss but after a good minute of the staring contest the wraith slowly but surely lowered his gaze, finding no interest to fight and showing a small sign of submission, he presumed. Submission, because he decided to tolerate him instead of threatening him, seeing he had no real chance in battle against him. They already had a fight many years ago when they both found out what the other was capable of.

While Ren was not the best when it came to sword fighting, he was not someone to be underestimated either. Gandalf noticed -from the times he encountered him- that this particular wraith was one of the most dangerous. What made him think this? Ren was capable to recover a lot faster from hits and although he wasn't an excellent swordsman, he was able to handle a lot of weapons. If he lost his sword, he could grab basically any weapon that was around and continue the battle. Maces, axes, spears... he could even handle the bow if he wanted. He did not excel in anything but he had variety. Still, with all this, he was no match to the White wizard. Magic was one weak spot in the many he possessed. Although with Hyano's loyalty, he could probably put up a fight but in way could they match him. They know this as well.

Gandalf was aware of that.

The illusion of submission hurt the still present pride of Ren... but he knew it was necessary if he wanted to get out of his new prison, his mind concluded. He had no interest in fighting or threatening him but that did not mean he was content with his presence or that he respected him. If anything, that wizard should be glad he does not show him what he could do. What made him wonder for a moment was what he was doing in this cave but it soon dawned on him.

Today was the day? It seemed like he lost his sense of the time...

Just like all those years ago...

Hyano mumbled lightly before opening her eyes and looked over towards the new source of light in the cave. She blinked as she saw Gandalf and could not help but smile at him. He had been watching over her, she knew that but seeing him with her own eyes was still something else. She was glad to see him. She was also curious about the ongoings in this world, especially she wished to know how the family was doing. She had so many questions but considering what day it seemed to be... she will need to hold onto them for a little while. The orange wizard looked up into Ren's hood and smiled up at him as well, even if he did not appreciate this. She probably should have kept track of the days during their time here, however she had been rather busy with other things for a time, so her count would have been off anyway. She stretched, then jumped out of his lap.

Now... the day of judgment arrived. Honestly, Hyano was not nervous about it one bit. The fact that they made any kind of progress and any change actually happened was surprising enough. It proved her point somewhat that he could fit in if they gave it all a chance. Although, the last word will be said by Gandalf himself. If he finds this progress enough for their freedom? Well, it was up to him.

She did all she could. Whatever happened, she will accept it with the same dedication she had for both Ren and the White wizard.

"Finally going to let us out now, Gandalf?" She said in a joking manner, before turning back towards Ren and waving for him to stand up too and follow her to the entrance of the cave but stopped halfway, already predicting that the White wizard will not let them out just so. They weren't as far as she had hoped, however they were a lot farther than she really thought they would get. She honestly thought they both would be dead by now but he proved her wrong.

While the wraith slowly stood with a sigh, the White wizard turned towards Hyano with a smile, clearly glad that she was still alive and in one piece. Many times he thought she might not make it, having felt the auras and the imprint of magic in the air. Though, there were signs of a fight inside the cave, now that he looked it over, rocks have been moved, claw marks here and there littered the wall... just like her face. Even if it was a faint mark by now, seeing it healed, one could clearly make out the mark he gave her at their fight. Before he said anything, Gandalf reached out and embraced her with one arm, glad to see her alive and well. Glad that she didn't change in this time closed in with the wraith. And most importantly... She was smiling. It wasn't fake but a genuine one and he was glad for it. Although he was glad about this, the one he had to judge was not her. It was Ren.

"It will depend on the progress..." He trailed off, raising a white eyebrow, before averting his gaze from her to look at the Nazgul, who was by now standing, although not moving anywhere, just watching them silently. The dark creature didn't yet attack. He had to see any hostile behavior ever since he came in other than the staring contest they had upon his entry. So in order to test that, he released Hyano and walked over to Ren. He started looking him over and carefully, slowly circled him, tasting his aura and waiting for him to snap. Wraiths usually didn't tolerate the White wizard -or any wizard for that matter- for too long but he didn't yet move, instead just watched him, staying in one position. He was aware that this change in behavior could be acting but he could not be sure just yet. His aura was clearly lighter somewhat, aggression was mild, the tolerance acceptable. He seemed to tolerate him and did not shrink back from the light of the torches at all, neither from the sunlight that came in from above.

So... There might be something...

Ren had been sizing up the wizard as much as it did him. He did not take his invisible gaze off of him and followed his movement with his hooded head, keeping his stance firm and straight as he circled him, while he kept his senses all trained on him. If he attempted anything, he would be not afraid to lash out and fight him, even without any weapons if needed. He did not like his judging gaze and found his presence too intruding, irritating. While the wizard tasted his aura, he did the same and noticed that his power did not change. It tasted the same way it did so many years ago. Disgusting... as usual. The wraith hissed faintly, giving voice to his displeasure with him.

Hyano watched this for a moment before putting her hands in her pockets. She could tell what both of them were doing, although with different goals. Gandalf was clearly attempting to provoke him by his mere presence. Wraiths would normally attack him by now. They despised wizards, especially the White one with a passion. She tried to read his expressions but he was a master of surprises... He knew how to keep everything hidden and only revealed what he felt and thought whenever he deemed it worthy. Even she was clueless about that most of the time. Ren, on the other hand, did all he could to not snap. She was surprised he didn't try to threaten him and did not use body language to express his dominance, like he did around others. Normally, he would raise his head, hiss constantly, would try to look taller and bigger than he was. As if that would work with anything else than a human, an orc or another wraith. A wizard would need a bit more than that to be intimidated. Perhaps he suspected this, hence why he did not do his usual series of actions. Or maybe he was so desperate to get out? No. She knew him well enough. Not even desperation would make him bow to the wizard. She was sure his only reasoning was that he was not interested in a fight at the moment. She honestly did not know what to think about this. The only thing she knew was that this surely was not the best manner to test him out.

"Gandalf. While you might be testing him, a better test might be the one of respect. Why don't you offer a bow or something? Something that shows equal respect." She suggested, thinking that might bring this little staring contest to the end. It was amusing to watch, really but this will not help either of them. She could tell that already. They were doing nothing else than sizing one another up, which could be potentially misunderstood by Ren. Although, she could not see inside the head of the mischievous wizard... Maybe he knew exactly what he was doing... Maybe she just did not see it...

"I do not expect him to have changed all too much on that department." Gandalf admitted. If anything, he did not expect any change at all. His appearance for one did not show any alteration but his behavior was worth testing. Respect? The Nazgul will never show any respect towards him and the White wizard also thought it would be wrong to attempt. He would end up showing respect he did not have for the wraith. He was no liar. "I am looking for small things..."

Hyano raised an eyebrow at this. He seemed to know about the small steps they were able to take forward but this did not mean he could not bring the tests further. Just staring at one another will not give him any ideas about their progress. In order to do that, they will need to start to be something else than mortal enemies. This was what she was trying to achieve.

"You should talk to him." She suggested with a shrug and just stood there, relaxed. As things looked, Gandalf did not seem too worried or disappointed, so there must be something good that he saw. She just hoped that the prideful friend of hers will keep tolerating a little longer and will not mess up their chances. They talked about this but he tended to... want everything his own way in the end. "You would be surprised how colorful thoughts he has. All you need to do is discover..."

"Oh, I can imagine what colorful thoughts that would be." The White wizard chuckled and shook his head as he stopped his walk and faced the creature of darkness in front of him. Tension was clear in its stance. The wraith did not trust him and probably had indeed a lot of colorful thoughts about how to murder him on the spot. Honestly, it would be entertaining to listen to it but that would not help their situation, now would it?

Ren had been patient. He truly was. At least, this was what his thoughts told him. But the judging and scrutinizing gaze of his was bringing up alarm flags in his mind. He was clearly sizing him up. His body language and stance told him he was challenging him. It was hard to manage his growing irritation with this. He did not care about what the wizard thought of him. He did not care about some tests and what he was trying to accomplish. All he wanted was to escape this prison, to know that he could roam wherever he wished to go... as he was supposed to in this new world. This wizard will not stop him. In the end, the wraith hissed at the White wizard and shifted his invisible gaze away from him, his hooded head moving to stare towards the entrance of this cave instead.

'Are you doing alright?' Hyano asked, shifting to Black Speech like it was nothing. She had found that jumping from one language to the other wasn't really that hard, though sometimes she did get her words mixed up. Using the Black Speech word for 'light' instead of the language of man's for example. She found she had done that several times when she really thought about it but she had hardly noticed.

"Do not use Black Speech, Hyano." Gandalf warned as he finally turned towards her, having heard the question. The problem wasn't the understanding, as he could make out what she said... The problem was with the speech itself. "It is not the way to talk in this world. That speech needs to be forgotten. It went down with the other traces of the Dark Lord." He said as he walked closer to her, stopping in front of the young wizard. "The elves also would find it inappropriate if you used that tongue. The ones who knew on Middle-Earth would panic because it is the sign of the Lord's presence and his minion's loyalty to him." As it was the speech of darkness, this world should not hear such words; at least this is what many believed in. It was forbidden to speak in Black Speech, even utter a word. Though, it was hard to not say a word or two in it... There were a few in the language of men that came from that speech, mingling with their own. For example the way they call the Ringwraiths. Nazgul is a shorter expression. One of the many examples. "And if respect truly means anything to him, we shall see. For now I do not trust him and would like to live with the healthy doubt for the project. Only time will tell if he truly changed or not. Until then... he will be your responsibility and the elves will keep a very close eye on him." He nodded, then gestured towards the exit which was now freed from the rocks. One couldn't blame him for being so cautious. This was a too fragile and new world. They didn't need a wraith going loose.

"The Council is waiting."

Hyano was a little caught off guard by this. She looked towards Ren, wondering if he understood any of that but was sure he didn't. He hadn't been forced to use the tongue of man in quite some time so he likely forgot a majority of it. She waved for him to follow her as they stepped out of the cave.

"Gandalf he doesn't know any other languages. It will take time for him to learn the language of man again. Exactly how else are you planning on me to speak to him if not in his own tongue?" She questioned honestly. She could understand not using it in front of the elves but the reality was... in order to talk to Ren she really had to use the language. She could start teaching him the language of man again but it would be easier to convey each word's meaning if she could translate it into Black Speech rather than have him guess at it. She could still remember how comical and complicated it was back then in her old shack. While it was truly entertaining... she rather had it easier now.

"Teach him." Was all Gandalf said, then made his way outside, leading them out of the cavern system, which was still guarded by a few elves, all had their weapons sheathed but it was clear that they were tense, not trusting the creature just yet. It was just natural. They knew his kind and trust was the last thing they want to put in him. He will have a lot of proving to do... "If he truly wishes to be a part of this society with time, he will need to forget who he was and start living a new life. A new life means changes. He will have to accept that. I will make sure to ask for patience in your case but there has to be progress soon." He told her, turning slightly to look at her, knowing very well that he was asking the impossible. The nature of a wraith like him cannot be changed, no matter how much time they give for it. It was like asking an elf to worship the Dark Lord. The same way will a wraith find troubles in abandoning his memory. The darkness itself was holding him back, the very essence of his being. But still... He gave Hyano that much chance to prove this law of magic otherwise.

They finally made it out of the caverns. The sun was up by now but it was still morning, so it did not yet reach the highest peak. In the mean time, the Nazgul followed after the two, staying silent, of course not understanding much of what was said, so simply gave up on trying, instead he felt the rush of freedom as they finally left the cave itself. He had to hold himself back from running towards the exit, forming his hands into fists, stepping slowly after the two wizards. However, as soon as they reached the very exit to the cavern system itself, Ren stopped in front of it, hesitating for a moment. He shrunk back for a moment, either because it still irritated him or because of the past and the memory of it having a bad effect on him. One was for sure. He despised being defenseless. And while he could see in light now somewhat... it was still scarce. He will have to use his sense of smell and aura to 'see', to watch where he was going...

Hyano listened but knew there was going to be a lot of work needed that would have to be done away from the sight of the elves. She shook her head and noticed the elves for the first time. ven these parts of the cave was guarded. No surprise, really. They were that way before. Ren could be a full-blown human right now and they would likely still act this way. She felt a jump in her energy for a moment that made her sigh as she was hit by the sun. The cave had an opening in the top, yes, but in the end that was only a limited source of direct sunlight. Only during the hours that it was above them was it any good, though, she did enjoy those hours. The moment only lasted a few seconds before her strength changed again duo to Ren stopping. She looked back and noticed what no one else likely would. His hesitation. She smiled a bit before stepping back and holding her hand out to him. "It's alright." She assured, using some of the few words she thought he might still know.

The wraith looked at her, seemingly unsure, just staring, then looked down to see where the shadows ended and where the light began. The memory of the irritating sensation was still clear in his mind and no matter what would happen, his first reaction would be hesitation. He looked at her hand, then around, as if trying to check if it was safe before finally moving and slowly extended his hand to grasp hers, then took a step forward out into the light after two weeks of getting used to the dim light and the dancing fire of the torches. He shuddered when the light touched his spectral body under the cloak but he didn't take it as badly as he did the two weeks ago. After a few seconds of adjusting, Ren started to see shapes once again, the blinding white light now giving way to the shape of Hyano, the faint green color of the grass and the orange tint of the wizard's clothing. He shook his head briefly at the unusual ability, before stepping forward again, following the two wordlessly. He didn't want to speak right now. He didn't trust the wizard yet and knew that talking might end in a verbal debate.

Of course, Gandalf was aware of the sudden stop and turned around, walking back to Hyano and the wraith.

"Everything is alright?" He asked, looking at Ren briefly before turning and walking ahead of the two. "I will bring you to the shack, where we will leave your... friend. For now. We don't want to cause panic among the elves and especially no hostility from the other istari." With this, he started walking down the path towards the home he used. Luckily, he will not disturb anyone there anymore, so he was not worried about the creature harming people. He shall be watched at all times.

Hyano nodded.

"Yes, he is fine. Light normally would burn him so he is rather... hesitant to just walk out into it." She explained for him as they started to walk, continuing to hold the wraith's hand. When he said they would be leaving Ren behind, she thought this over. While she would rather keep Ren with her... she thought it safer he stayed behind. A room full of istari was dangerous, to say the least. And considering Asteri would be there... everyone knew he was a wizard who was full of nothing but huge spells. While he had little skill in earth magic, the magic he did know was powerful and dangerous. While Hyano was sure he would be on her side... if he wasn't well... she shook her head.

"Oh yes... The tee herder family moved away into the city. We will also pay them a visit before attending the council." The White wizard noted quickly with a smile. He had been watching over the family as best as he could while Hyano could not. They were truly worthy people to be in this world. He could tell the similarities they had with the normal tree herders in the way they had a special connection with nature. There were many things that went lost through the ages but the very base their kind was built on... remained in their roots.

"Oh? Are they settling in well?" The orange wizard asked, not able to help her curious nature. It was such a long time ago when she saw them last. She wondered if Rosa finally managed to get over her fear of this world and the elves... Or if Lilly found any friends. Did Will and Holly manage to organize a nice Ash Day with the elves? She had so many questions but most of them could be answered later. For now, she just wished to be sure about their happiness.

"Oh, they do brilliant." The White wizard said with a chuckle. "They had their celebration tied to the elven one that one month of the year. It was fantastic. They already attended that one like true citizens of this elven city." He paused, remembering how the elves seemed to accept them instantly, liked their shows and participated themselves. Surely the family didn't expect such a fast process. "Rosa, in the mean time, is learning sewing from a shopkeeper and might want to open her own one day." He added, remembering his visits to the elven city. Of course, he kept close contact with them, despite his constant guarding at the cave's opening. "And I think she might have found a little more than a friend among the elves here." He hinted, chuckling. He was sure he was not the only one who saw her being accompanied a lot by the elf boy who brought them to this world from Middle-Earth. Fieven was his name. While it was not too obvious, it was clear there was something in the air around them. "I think Lilly isn't far behind. I can see her and her elven friend living together in their own home in ten years." Of course he never told anyone this suspicion. But normally such close friendship between a boy and a girl ended in a much tighter connection. Usually this was true for Man and elves... but if it was also true for herder people? He will need to see that. Love wasn't so far behind, now was it? They are in their teens, after all.

Hyano was a both surprised and pleased with the news. She raised a brow slightly as she heard about Rosa and Lilly's development.

"You know, not all the elves will be pleased with this. Especially not with Lilly." She said honestly. While the elves seemed to have become much more tolerant people since she last saw them... she did see the one flaw they had was still very much there. An inability to change or accept change. It just wasn't in their nature. It was what kept many elves from accepting more human partners back in Middle-Earth. She was sure there had been more than just the few who had wanted to. She felt a slight ping of fear for the young ones. If Rosa didn't have trouble coming her way for this... Lilly sure did.

Of course, Gandalf knew that. He saw this coming and unfortunately, he might not be here to defend them when the time comes. Hyano was wise to see a problem with Lilly's situation, even if she did not see the same with Rosa. The elfling, Naril, was far too young and will be until he reaches his fiftieth year of his life. Lilly might be far too old for marriage by that time. However, there was not much they can do for now.

"The elves don't know yet about Rosa and her elven partner. And no one yet sees that possibility between Lilly and her new friend. Anything could happen." He added, agreeing in his own way but like with everything, he didn't like to think about the bad consequences. While he was aware of them, he liked to only realize it truly once he could do something about it. Until then, it won't help anyone if they start fussing over that now. "The most problems might come with Lilly, indeed. The boy is only ten years older than her... and we all know that elves come of age at the age of fifty..." He added, humming, and looked up when the shack came into his view. He sped up a little to be done with this. They still needed to snatch Rosa before going to the council. "But you can inquire about all this yourself. We will take Rosa along."

Hyano nodded, feeling bad for Lilly and her friend already. But maybe they were over-thinking it. Maybe they will be just the greatest friends for life and will consider one another as siblings, becoming the godparents of each other's children. People were so easy to draw conclusions and now it dawned on her that istari were no exceptions in this. When they reached the shack she smiled and walked right in, looking around. Hyano already saw it before she and Ren were taken to the cave but she could not get enough of the sight. It brought back so many dear memories... Memories about her carefree 'childhood', about her just roaming the forests and playing with the animals without a worry about the world... Radagast... Her time with Ren there and his clumsy attempts to make himself work without his master... She smiled and sighed, then looked at Ren, who clearly showed no true interest in going inside himself.

Ren just knew... no... suspected what they would want from him as soon as Hyano turned towards him. He was still distrusting their current situation. So they want him to go in there and then what? Imprison him there? Keep him locked up like a dog that bites to never escape? Oh no... he will not make it that easy... With this thought, the wraith planted his feet firmly to the ground and stood there, refusing to go any closer to the door.

'I'm going to a meeting with the other istari. Likely to talk about your progress. Gandalf wants you to stay here until we get back. It should only be a few hours.'She told him, not about to leave without giving him some kind of explanation and she thought since they were inside it would be fine to speak in Black Speech for a second. Just so Ren knew what was going on. He clearly did not like this situation but there was nothing she could do about it at the moment. Once the meeting was over, she could easily explain to him what the next steps will be in their stay. Speaking of which, even she did not know... Although... she could already suspect.

Ren was not content to go inside. While he tolerated the sun more, it still wasn't a pleasant feeling but the memory of being helpless and imprisoned was still too fresh in his mind... He suspected this would be his next prison? But then again, the sun was irritating him enough to reconsider it. The change was very much in progress still and there was a long way to go. The wraith slipped inside and shook his head as if trying to get rid of a dizzy feeling, the truth was however that his sight sharpened too suddenly, causing an uncomfortable feeling in his mind. But this simple gesture did the trick. The first thing he did was observe the location. It was... kind of familiar actually. He already saw such a shack before, although much older and much simpler.

Aaaaand he was instantly off.

The Nazgul couldn't help his natural childish curiosity and the first place he stopped at was the table, where many unusual items lay, picking up the first glass object already. He only barely heard what she said over his loud thinking as he tried to guess what this item was meant to be.

"Am I to stay in here... or can I go outside?" He asked, now turning his hooded head towards her, tilting it a little in curiosity, still holding onto the glass object. This was a critical detail for him. "I am not imprisoned anymore..." He added, giving it a slight warning tone and pointing it out. He was promised freedom, so wanted to have it in exchange. Not to be... closed in like that again... Not like a wooden door could keep him inside, though. He would find a way outside. The window looked large enough, at least.

Hyano looked out, noting that there were armed guards a distance from the shack. She wondered where they have been so long. She expected to see them the moment they set foot outside the cave and went towards the shack. She could tell the elves were armed to the teeth and were dead set on keeping Ren under their watchful gaze. If they kept up their current determined behavior... she wondered if they were up the challenge ahead.

"To a degree." She replied finally and looked back at the Nazgul. "You can go outside but without me... they will likely not trust you to go far. I would honestly suggest you stay here and get some rest. You haven't really gotten a chance to really meditate in the past two weeks and once I'm a distance away you will only have the strength you have now to work with until I get back." She pointed out. She wasn't trying to discourage him from going outside as much as make sure he knew the facts and understood that he was likely better off inside until she returned. As curious as he was... he was also likely very tired as well.

The wraith hissed faintly, then simply returned to the table, putting down the glass object to pick up a strange looking flower. He tilted his head to the side in confusion before holding it closer and sniffed on it. He regretted it instantly as the scent of the flower was rather strong from so close, so hissed in irritation and disgust, then threw it to the ground, not even wanting to touch that thing ever again. His next victim was an unusual bowl which was used for making potions.

Seeing the wraith was occupied, Gandalf stopped at the doorway, having given them the privacy to talk but now it was time to go.

"He seems to be busy, so let us use this chance and get Rosa.." He wasn't at all worried about being late. His philosophy said that a wizard arrives when he means to, neither late, neither too early. So, there was no need to rush.

Hyano nodded and walked to follow him. She knew Ren would keep himself busy for a number of hours before either testing his elven guards or going to rest for a while. She honestly expected at least twice that many guards to be there by the time they got back. Hyano raised a brow as he mentioned that they would be picking up Rosa. She raised a brow.

"Not that I mind seeing her but why exactly do we need Rosa again?" She questioned curiously. Istari meetings very rarely involved anyone who was not an istar and the few times it did they were more like negotiations than meetings.

What could they possibly need with the eldest herder child?

All Gandalf did was slowly look at her with his blue eyes, meeting her green ones in almost mischief, before going to look back at their path.

"You will see." He said in a mysterious tone, then sped up a little, his long legs giving him the boost. He walked down the path towards the elven city, the peak of the highest tree already visible from their current distance. They met a few elves here and there, who greeted the two istari. Most were hunters, others were guards, another portion were gatherers who went to collect fruits and vegetables from the forest.

Once arriving at the city, the White already knew where to go, leading the younger wizard with ease and swiftly across the city. There were a few murmurs here and there, seeing Hyano out of the caves so soon, all of them talking about her and the dark creature but most were hushed and silent. Once they arrived at the house, the istar noticed the elk laying next to the door, which looked towards the window, smelling the scent of cooking that reached the nose of the wizards. Lord was probably waiting for the mother to give him some fruits and vegetables from the window, maybe some left-overs from the previous day's meal. They were spoiling him. Gandalf only chuckled, though, and nodded towards the elk, who nodded back at him, not hesitating since he already knew him. But at the sight of the younger wizard he became unsure, so perked his ears and watched her, alert. The old wizard gestured for her to bow to the creature, while he went to knock on the door with his staff. Rosa might be still at home. It was fairly early.

Hyano kept quiet while following him all the way to the herder's new home. Of course, she heard the whispers but she ignored them. Not much else she could do about it besides tolerate it. The humans hadn't been much better so she was used to it. When they arrived at the shack she noticed Lord and smiled. It had been some time since she saw one of those. She looked at Gandalf, then smiled again at the elk, bowing down to it in a polite manner.

Rosa answered the door. She blinked in surprise when she saw the old tall wizard in front of her, having not expected a visit from him at this time of the day.

"Oh, hello. If you are looking for my parents, they are all out. Dad is out training Cane and Naril, while my mom and Lilly went to go have breakfast with Naril's parents." She said, then noticed Hyano. She blinked, staring at her for a few seconds before it dawned on her what or rather who she saw, then grinned. "Hyano!" The herder girl yelled happily before running and hugging the shorter girl.

Hyano yelped and hoped the elk wouldn't be offended that she was forced to stop bowing early because she was literally lifted into a hug.

"Ugh... Nice to see you too, Rosa." She said sheepishly as she patted the girl's back, feeling like she could not breathe. Bloody Void, they were all too strong for their own good.

The elk of course didn't take any offense and saw the bow in the motion, so sighed but eventually bowed back, although only nodded his head because he was lying down, then looked at Rosa in an almost pleading manner, awaiting more treats through the window, of course.

The White wizard chuckled at the display of friendship and shook his head but nodded in greeting at the herder girl.

"Oh, I didn't come to see them." He said, using that tone. That specific tone that said something was going on but he also would not tell her what. After all, Gandalf loved surprises, so he always expected others to like it too. One negative trait of his personality but then again... No one was perfect. Not even istari. "Now, it is time." He said, then turned around, already marching down towards the path. "Let's go to the council. They are waiting. We just came around to get you, young lady."

Rosa put the istar down, who gasped, finally able to breathe properly. Rosa smiled sheepishly before looking at Gandalf. She blinked, confused, then realized what he must be talking about. He was taking her along? For that meeting? Was he serious? She instantly got nervous but seeing as he was giving her no room to say no she quickly ran inside, getting the last bowl of treats for the elk, then ran back in to make sure everything in the house was cleaned and put away before running after the istari.

Hyano, having already started following Gandalf, was still as confused as ever but decided not to question it. "Alright, Gandalf. Exactly how far away is the meeting place?" She asked him, thinking he could at least tell her that much.

"Oh, it is not far." The White wizard replied but as usual... his answer was maybe giving them an idea but was not accurate, leaving them to guess and pass the time.

They left the path soon after they left the city and started walking in a different direction in the forest. He was walking at a straight line, so surely knew where to go. He didn't inform Rosa about her part in this but not because he wanted to see her get all nervous and panic. He simply didn't want her to panic now. There was no reason to at the moment. Instead, he kept silent and walked, looking back sometimes to make sure they were following.

That was until they reached a rather... large and quite wide tree. He stopped in front of it and held out his staff, tapping it a few places, using his magic to open a door inside it. Once it creaked open, revealing wooden steps that led downwards. The White stepped inside, gesturing for the girls to follow, before tapping his staff to make some light in the tunnel that followed.

Hyano and Rosa walked side by side chatting about the past events, getting Hyano as up to date as it was possible, considering the amount of time they had. Hyano was surprised so much had happened while she was in the cave but she smiled none the less, glad to see everything was progressing well. When they came to the tree, she giggled lightly, having not seen one of these in a while. It felt nice to see the old tricks being used again.

"Watch your step. The ground is not all that even." Gandalf warned, then kept walking, the steps under him squeaking like in a comical show, which was only made worse by him taking his time. The closer they came to the small light at the end of the tunnel, the more they could hear the noise and the cheerful talking on the other end. It didn't take long for them to reach another simple wooden door, which Gandalf swung open without even giving a chance for Hyano to imagine what the other side would look like.

The green eyes of the younger wizard opened wide and a large smile spread across her face.

In the mean time, Ren has lost interest in the thousand items that were in the shack. There was not much guessing to do, since he knew already what most were used for and he had no shipmunk on him to put it into the glass containers. There was nothing truly interesting in there... And that the long ears were staring at him through the window was only making this situation more irritating for him than it should be. No matter what he did, no matter where he went in the shack... he always felt eyes on him. So, he decided to play along.

What was the worst that could happen when one keeps staring at a creature that could harm them with the intention to keep an eye on it?

If the creature began to stare right back.

From his experience, living beings tended to get more nervous and smell of fear if their stare was acknowledged. Like that time in the village. That little girl right below the wheel of a broken down wagon kept staring at him in hopes that he did not see it. Of course, he could smell the stench of her fear quite sharply in the air, so knew where she was and tolerated this for a while but eventually he just turned around and stared straight at her.

The memory of the scream and the smell of terror was still fresh in his mind.

Thus, Ren began to stare back. Each time he moved past the window, he would make sure to turn his hooded head towards the elves outside and did not avert it until he was out of their sight. It did not take long for him to stay right in front of one of the windows and just stare outside with his hooded head resting on his folded arms.

Their stare did not seem to change at all. If anything, they were harder and stricter the more time he spent staring back at them. The elves did not budge. This called for a more... closer inspection.

Knowing that this might cause some stir among the long ears, he simply vanished from the window. Not a moment later, the door's handle moved ever so slightly and it began to open slowly, lazily. The creaking of the dry handles and the wood echoed in the forest around them. Sharp elven ears were going alert. The dark hooded head of the wraith appeared by the door and stared right back at the elves that seemed to have surrounded the shack.

Ren took his sweet time. He was not in a hurry, so why should he be hasty about his next actions? He could tell even from this distance that the elven guards tensed up as soon as the barrier, namely the walls of the shack, did not stand between him and them.

The beast escaped.

But even now the long ears refused to move or acknowledge the fear they surely must be feeling at his mighty presence. Frustration started to boil at the surface of his mind, so eventually he was forced to move from the door. He stepped away from it, one step at a time and let the wooden item close on its own.

But he did not stop there.

The Nazgul's gaze swept over the form of the many guards that were around him, trying to spot the weakest of the group. Because every team, every army, every troop had its weakest member. It was common knowledge, that every group was as strong as its weakest point. Using this to his advantage could prove to be most useful in his current situation. He did not wish to be seen as a pet, kept on a leash. Oh no. He was the darkness, the source of the very evil on this world and these long ears will learn it. One way or another.

Eventually, his steps took him from the shack to his chosen victim, who stood straight, his strict gaze observing him. He did not move, didn't even as much as budge at the sheer closeness of the darkness that he carried. He just... stared at him with that slight frown on his brow.

He did not move even when he leaned slightly closer... his hooded head mere inches away from his nose.

Alright...

He shall take this as a challenge.

Not exactly 10k words but this should do it.

Hmm... We wonder what Ren is thinking right now... What do you guys think? Any ideas?

See you guys in two weeks!

CA Productions