Avp: *stands on the podium in the spotlight, nervously adjusts tie* Ehm... Uh... Ugh...

Ren: *waltzes in with a smoothie in hand* If this is a Black Speech impression, you die now.

Avp: *blinks* No... I am just trying to explain to our audience why we are almost two years late with the latest chapter... but... It is not easy...

Ren: *stares*

Avp: *stares back*

Ren: *stares harder* Just tell the stupid mortals you didn't give a damn about it.

Avp: That's not true! I was trying, but the weather!

Cubby: *shouts from backstage* Two years, Avp...!

Avp: But work!

Hyano: *shouts from behind the camera* Two freaking years, Avp!

Avp: But my... life...?

Ren: Two... years...

Avp: *shakes and drops to the floor dramatically* I am a terrible human being!

*camera swings to the side to Hyano*

Hyano: While Avp has a mental breakdown due to laziness, just have fun with the next chapter!

CA Productions

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

Chapter 15 - It is on!

As the two wizards walked back to Gandalf's shack, the latter expected the orange istar to be outside, perhaps enjoying the sun and the magic it carried in these lands. Surely, the additional power is well desired by her but to his surprise, Hyano was not on the roof this time. Instead she must have gone inside.

This was surprising...

From the sounds Asteri was hearing and the many curses coming from the shack, so was Ren. He listened and among all the Black Speech, he heard one of them say something about 'fairy jam', 'son of a warg' and then something he couldn't understand.

Gandalf frowned along with Asteri as they listened to the... conversation, if one can call it that. He understood Black Speech as well of course but couldn't catch more than the other wizard did. He met his gaze slowly, matching his equally confused stare, until he heard some glass shatter and looked back at his shack... just in time to see the wraith get blasted out the window and land on the grass with a grunt. The black-clad dark creature rolled on the grass a bit, then stopped to lay in a heap of cloak.

"I told you to get off before I blasted you!" The younger wizard yelled from inside the shack, her green eyes narrowed to slits for a moment but her expressions changed to a wide and sheepish smile when she noticed her elders. "Uh... Hi Gandalf... Hi Asteri... I can fix that." She offered but from the scratching of her neck, the White wizard knew even she didn't know how she will do that. To turn their attention away from any possible anger and of the damage she caused, instead she recited what happened.

It had been a conversation they had once before. Hyano came home to Ren awake again. They talked, then she said something about making Fairy jam since she hadn't had it in a while. He proceeded to sit on her and promised to stay there unless she promised to not make the blasted stinky concoction. This began a lot of yelling with an end result of Ren being blasted right out of the window.

The white wizard shook his head at her, then hummed and looked back at his kin.

"I think... we could continue our walk... Or keep company to these two... Sometimes I wonder which is the devil..." He chuckled and watched as finally the wraith moved too, sitting up, shaking his head, then stood to brush off his dark cloak.

Ren, however, wasn't having any of her attitude for long. He puffed out his chest, formed his metal-covered hands into fists and stomped right back to her, standing in front of her, raising his chin to show dominance. He was the true master here! She better doesn't forget. If he didn't want to smell fairy jam, then he won't need to smell it. End of story.

Hyano crossed her arms and looked back into his hood, determined.

"I am making some Jam and you will have to deal with it. I am hungry and this stuff keeps forever." She told him sternly, just as dead set as he was.

Asteri looked back at Gandalf. "... yours. That right there. All you. You are her uncle, so I am putting total blame for her personality on you." He said like it was Gandalf's fault she was this way and snickered.

Gandalf pouted at the accusation and looked at Asteri, putting his hands on his hips, as if wanting to scold him with just a look and showing as if he was greatly offended by it.

"You forget that you are just as much her uncle as I am. But you are right. There is something... maybe a little part in her that is from me." He chuckled, before relaxing and turned towards the shack as they neared the two who were engaging in a staring contest as it seemed, neither letting down.

Asteri only waved his hand at his friend, then got an idea and walked up to the wraith.

Ren instantly looked at the two approaching figures the moment he sensed their movement and watched them, tilting his head to the side at first before turning his invisible gaze towards Hyano and her reaction, depending on her knowledge about these wizards and their threat level. She seemed to be relaxed, which meant these two might be no threat, after all.

"How about this. You do as you please for a bit and we steal away Ren for a bit. It is about time we got to know your... friend... a bit better anyway." He said, trying to both stop the fight and also test the wraith, see how he would do without Hyano by his side.

Gandalf raised an eyebrow when Asteri made the offer and couldn't help but wonder what he had in mind. The White thought it was too soon to trust the Nazgul without Hyano's presence... It was just a few days since their release... But then again... Who said he was not curious about what he may experience. In Middle-Earth, he had his share of run-ins with wraiths. He fought many of them, felt their darkness and how savage they truly were. The wizard wondered if anything will be different with this one after the treatment he received to his dark magic. Hyano claimed Ren could sleep properly and was more rational, more focused than before. Perhaps it was time to put that to the test. Well, Asteri did overhear them, probably.

So, giving a nod of agreement, Gandalf turned towards the orange wizard and watched her with expectant eyes.

Hyano blinked at this offer then looked towards Ren and told him what the star wizard wanted in Black Speech. Well, he did not quite understand any other language. His westron must be as rusty as a thousand years old badly made iron sword.

Ren watched them and tilted his head to the other side when Asteri spoke up, then looked back at his mate who translated everything to him. The moment she was done, the wraith turned his head instantly towards the istari and hissed at them, backing up towards Hyano, his lack of trust apparent.

This made both wizard raise their eyebrow at his... probably quite natural reaction. Wizards and wraiths never got along. Especially because they were on the opposite sides but right now... this was to be ignored. For his sake.

Hyano looked at Ren, then towards the wizards.

"Sorry but I don't think that would be a good idea. Maybe after he gets to know you better... but... how about you all share a smoke on the porch. He should be alright with that... and maybe you can distract him long enough that I can get my jam started, so it can cook overnight." She mumbled the last part. She thought since Asteri was here, they were going to probably smoke out in the front. Ren showed signs he could breath and from what he had said he did have a face just not one that could be seen by them, so maybe he could smoke. Probably not but if anything, being forced to be around the White and star wizard might do him some good. Might help him to relax a little once he knew of their efforts to help him.

She looked up at Ren. "Will just sitting outside for a while be acceptable? I will just be inside if you need me." She asked him.

Ren seemed to have another idea.

The moment she told him to sit with the wizards, he simply turned around and walked inside without a word. No way will he be alone with those two! Who knows what they were planning with him. They surely trusted him as much as he trusted them and he sure as Void will not endanger his own existence by sitting with them alone. Hyano could stop them before they do anything, though.

Gandalf raised an eyebrow at the display and shifted his gaze to Hyano, his eyes alone asking her 'what now?', seeing the wraith was bent on staying with her and doesn't seem to want to sit with them. Not like he minded. He also would be more relaxed without him. However, the star wizard might have some kind of plan... And being a curious wizard, he wanted to see that.

Hyano groaned.

"If you sit out with them I won't make the bloody jam and I will be sitting on the roof, keeping watch." She offered to her mate, a little disappointed and annoyed, however, she got the same feeling as Gandalf, wanting to know what Asteri was up to. That was a trait she could probably blame on Radagast, an almost insane amount of curiosity that just never seemed to be satisfied. She would probably find time to make some jam later but for now she would go without it. Maybe there were some nuts and fruits around the house she could eat.

How a wraith could find such an offer as attractive as Ren did, Gandalf didn't know but as soon as she mentioned she will not make the jam, his invisible gaze turned to her instantly, watching her, tilting his head to the side to signal his curiosity at the offer and as if asking if she was sure about this.

"They won't talk to me... and I won't need to answer." He said, determined to set rules before he even thought about going with the two. He knew they might start asking him questions and he wasn't so keen to answer or even as much as talk to them or hear them speak to him. They surely won't understand him anyway, only as much as he could understand from their language...

"They refuse to speak Black Speech, so even if they do you can pretend you don't understand and ignore them anyway." The orange wizard pointed out to him with a shrug. "They are going to smoke, though, so they might offer you a pipe. You don't have to take it but you shouldn't be rude either. If you don't want to, just shake your head and that should be the end of it." She added, finding she might as well warn him about that part ahead of time, then sighed, stepped out and made her way to a nearby tree. She climbed up the tree and walked along a branch before dropping down on the shack's roof.

"But no fairy jam!" The Nazgul warned her once again, reminding her of the offer she made. He wasn't keen yet to go but... for not having to smell that thing... he would do anything for that.

Mostly.

Nearly...

Maybe not everything... He will have to think about that...

The wraith shook his head, then turned his invisible gaze to the two wizards. Of course, he was not going to talk about anything with them, no matter what they try to say. Neither will he 'smoke', as she put it. He couldn't do that anyway. But... he might take the offer and put away the pipe... Another item for his collection. The most positive about this all. He didn't budge from his spot though, just watched them, unsure what to do...

Gandalf on the other hand decided to move things forward a little and gestured for the wraith to go with them as he led the wraith and a pleased Asteri to the nearby clearing, where he decided was best for a good talk with the star wizard... And he finally wanted to see what the istar planned...

Asteri took up a seat on the soft grass of the clearing, then reached into his sleeve and searched around for a moment before pulling out a game board. A very old game board that looked similar to Chinese Checkers. A game that could be played with as few as two people and as many as six. Being an istar, who used to travel to places that were more often than not unheard of, it wasn't that big of a surprise he had this kind of game.

"How about a game, my friend? Something to entertain us while we relax." He suggested with a smile. He didn't have to talk to the wraith. He planned to get him to want to play. Considering Hyano told them about his curiosity, it shouldn't take long for him to gain interest. Right? And once he did, he could test his intelligence and how fast he learned. Would he just get frustrated by the details? Would he just want to destroy their game? Or would he actually want to play? But for this... the wraith had to seek contact with the two wizards. The two wizards, he clearly did not trust. He wondered which one would win. Curiosity or distrust? Knowing this would make their efforts that much easier.

"Oh but of course! I always knew you still had this old game." Gandalf smiled and sat down, watching as the wraith sat a little distance away from them, his hands sliding into his sleeves, pulling away from them cautiously. The White wizard did not expect anything else from the Nazgul. But the plan of his friend slowly dawned on him, so he wondered if that was about to change.

That he kept distance didn't mean Ren wasn't curious about the game itself. His attention was drawn to the wooden board as it came into his field of vision and he observed it silently and secretly from his spot. It looked... strange. He never saw anything like that and didn't know what it was. this only lasted that long though, as he realized what he was doing and quickly looked away, glancing towards Hyano and watched her instead. He felt tense and had trouble actually relaxing while he sat, he was too distrusting and alert.

Hyano watched but she kept her gaze light, relaxed. She knew he would take any real worry from her as a bad sign and would be in the shack faster than anyone could blink. So, instead she acted like there was no threat at all, like this situation was harmless and she was just doing this to humor him. That way he might feel like there was nothing to worry about. While doing this, she also noticed the game Asteri pulled out and she raised a brow. She had never seen anything like it before. It was... different.

This didn't seem to make the situation better for the wraith but he did take the effort to look away from Hyano and watch the game as it was laid out and the two istari started to play.

Asteri chuckled.

"I try to keep a stash of old things around. Would be a shame to lose such fun items." He said, setting up the board with light blue pieces for Gandalf and darker blue for himself. He had enough of his old memory to remember what color Gandalf usually preferred. If given the choice, he was sure Gandalf would actually choose gray. Despite his now white clothing, he knew deep down Gandalf was still a gray.

Asteri grinned as he started to win the game.

"My Gandalf, you really have let you competitive spirit slip." He teased him as he placed the piece in the required spot. The game was very basic. Get all you pieces around the board and to the other side before your competitor did.

"Don't blame me. I haven't seen a board like this for a long time." The White wizard complained, defending himself playfully, noticing that he truly was about to lose. But that wasn't the point of the game to win every round because what was a competition when one won all the time. Right? Besides... he was concentrating too much on the Nazgul...

At first, Ren attempted to distract himself with anything around him, even going as far as entertaining himself with one or two items he pulled out from his cloak and eventually found that this whole thing made no sense... Why should he sit here, doing nothing? He could be in the shack, sitting on Hyano, telling her to not make that jam. That would make more sense than this situation. He should as well... perhaps just stand up slowly... and inch away from them. They might not notice! They were far too engulfed in whatever they were doing... So all he did was stare at them, waiting for the right moment to make a move.

The star wizard noticed he had the mild interest of the wraith so when his turn came he leaned back and actually gestured for Ren to make the next move for him. He was sure that Ren had watched enough by this point to get a basic feel for the game.

The wraith looked at Asteri when he gestured towards the board and noted what he wanted him to do. He however refused to budge... He didn't make a move to finish the round, neither did he say anything or make a noise.

The istar shrugged, then finished the game, of course, winning. He then flicked his hand, the pieces appearing back in their original places and the game started again. This time as Asteri played he would play... but then make obvious mistakes. He himself didn't seem to notice, though. He just kept playing like nothing was wrong, however again and again he would make a very obvious mistake. He knew exactly what he was doing. Now that Ren knew the basics of the game by observing them , he would see the mistakes... and if anything they knew of wraiths was true... he would quickly become frustrated by this.

Once the wrong move was made, the wraith's head tilted sharply to the side, as if curious about the unusual... strategy. This alone was an indication that the Nazgul did understand the basic rules already. And that just by observing the game. No explanation was required. Perhaps he was not as savage as they were back then in Middle-Earth. There seems to be some kind of spark of intelligence in that dark hood of his. Perhaps Ren had a knack for logic and common sense when it came to tactics and games. Was Ren even aware of it? Perhaps he would surprise even Asteri with his skills.

Asteri finished the game with a loss this time, then looked over at Ren to take a visible note of his tilted head. He raised a brow, then again waved his hand over the board and changed his pieces to black and then moved slightly so the space where he had been was free. He gestured towards the board, his gaze and manner saying he dared Ren to do better.

Hyano hadn't noticed the trick... not until now. She blinked. No wonder Asteri was so good with children. Until his student turned dark, Asteri had been the only one to be able to get through to the boy. Asteri could really play the mind game rather well, kind of surprising since his study was in everything but people.

The wraith looked at the wizard, then at the game, then right back at him again, judging the situation. This was a clear challenge. And he always stood up to each challenge, which usually ended in victory. Well, if he wasn't at the wrong place, at the wrong time and if nothing came up. Which was... rare. But still. He hated being challenged in a manner which he cannot refuse or else he would look like a coward. Which he wasn't, of course. However, he wasn't sure where the trick was... Something in his mind told him that something... was going on. Something he won't like or doesn't realize just yet... He watched the istar, not yet moving from his spot, still not exactly trusting him with the challenge.

Asteri waited for a movement, then as if Ren couldn't actually do it and he was all talk, he waved off the wraith and moved like he was going to take his spot back. His inner self was actually having fun with this. It had been some time since he had someone to play with in this manner... A very long time. He did what he could not to remember his old student and the things that went on because of him but there were good memories there. Just because he had some severe bad ones did not mean he would forget the pleasant ones, the boy he had first met and the man he was before he became that... that thing.

While everything in Ren screamed to stand up to the challenge and take his place, actually show him how to play, his other half screamed to not trust him. While normally this trick would have worked like a charm... Scratch that, even better and easier, however this time he wasn't that relaxed, was tense and felt the stress of distrust and the danger of being attacked and ambushed if he wasn't alert enough. This feeling made him far more stubborn and less likely to fall for tricks. It takes a while until his pride overrides his caution.

Asteri started the game and again he started to make the same mistakes, almost the exact same ones at that. While he did this, he thought he might as well start a conversation.

"So, how about you tell me a bit about the herder family. I would ask the orange wizard but she looks to be half asleep up there so I doubt that would do me any good." He said, thinking he should start with a topic that was 'not' about the wraith. This was to keep him from being attracted to their conversation for now and keep his focus on the game that was being... played if you could call it that.

Gandalf chuckled, having the exact same idea, knowing what the star istar was planning, so decided to play along and answer his question as he chose his own move, almost instantly gaining.

"Well, it depends on what you want to know. They are a peaceful and quiet family, holding themselves out of trouble and making an effort to fit in. The elves already seemed to accept them, the oldest child having found a mentor and will soon open her own shop. They are a very nice family and the mother cooks one of the best meals. You should really try her food." He nodded, praising the food she makes, having tried it himself a few times and so far he was pleased with it. His cooking doesn't come close. Not even by far...

In the mean time Ren watched the game, although he did tilt his head when they started the conversation, not exactly understanding what they were talking about. He didn't understand much, if anything at all, so found slight interest in it but his attention was more on the game. When the istar made the many mistakes, he couldn't help but shake his head in pity. And maybe in something akin to frustration.

Asteri noticed this but did nothing this time. He wanted to build on this reaction until it blew over.

"I would suggest she opens up a food establishment, then." He replied to his friend as he moved a piece. "It will likely be the only one of its kind here for some time. If her cooking is so good, then I am sure the elves will grow to love it. Though, to be honest I never could get into elven cooking. They lack any real taste to their food other than sweetness. Their excuse is that they like it to be all natural. Why in the name of Valar can't all natural include some kind of real taste?" He shuddered, remembering the last elven meal he had. So bland. He would gladly take the cooking of the herder family over any elven dish and he hadn't even had her cooking yet. "What of the other two children? I have heard from the trees the youngest has quite a bit of... spunk to her but I have heard nothing at all about the middle one besides a comment about him behaving erratic at one point." He said before moving his hand over a piece obviously getting ready to make yet again another mistake.

The wraith in the mean time watched as Asteri made the wrong move and couldn't help but scoot closer just a bit. Yet, he didn't move too close. There was a large battle going on within his mind. His stubbornness and pride were equal, trying to gain the upper hand and make him act according to it.

"I have lived close to the elves for a long time. I actually like the natural flavors. Your taste buds were burned out by spices." The White wizard said, shrugging at his opinion, knowing that their taste might be very different indeed.

Asteri chuckled at the idea that his taste buds were just too used to spiced foods. It was probably true. It was also an effect of having many different kinds of foods too. Elven food had very little variety in his opinion. Asteri lived for a long time with humans in Eriador, so grew accustomed to more spicy food.

Gandalf on the other hand always ate naturally prepared dishes. He liked the harmony of mild tastes in the elven foods.

"But you are probably right. I think she could indeed accomplish a nice fame for her stronger spiced foods." The White agreed on this one, then watched as the other made his own move, once more making a mistake. "The little one truly has a strong spirit and equally as strong will. I do not fear for her. She is very tough, their little Lilly." He chuckled, remembering the little one and all the tales he heard about the little restless child. "She was very quick to fit in, the children all like her and guess what..." He trailed off, looking at Asteri with a smile. "She has befriended the proud Lord. The past leader of the local elk herd." He raised an eyebrow, indicating his surprise and wonder at this fact. "The middle one... Cane... Well, he is more the silent type." He hummed, thinking back at the boy, frowning a little at his thoughts. "He talks little but is developing to be just as wise and caring as his father. Made fast friends with a young elf who is the... best friend of the youngest."

"I commend the young elf. I only hope his will is as strong as the little herder's. I do worry, though. I have heard they are rather... heavy and strong people. They could very well hurt the boy." Asteri said, then again looked at the board looking over his options. There was actually a move he could make that could very much help him and put him and Gandalf even, however he acted like he didn't see it and instead waved off the turn altogether.

Ren neared the state when he wanted to tear at his own cloak, seeing the perfect opportunity himself at the move but almost snapped when the wizard decided to leave out the turn. He was by now silently fuming, using the bouncy ball that was in his hand as stress reliever, which he was flipping in his hand within his folded arms within his sleeves.

Asteri smiled at the wraith and the way he was acting. The Nazgul's reaction may be subtle but the star wizard could see them just fine. How a dark creature could behave in such a manner was beyond funny, however he held it in for all it was worth.

"Oh, don't worry about the boy." The White wizard chuckled and nodded, pleased that the other decided to leave out a turn and moved to make his own. "The father and Cane decided to train the young one in their own way. Naril... the elf boy... is kind of strange himself. Not too fast as his kin, not good with balance and climbing. But he has potential in strength. He is learning from them to build muscle and use their techniques. A good idea in my opinion. They took the boy in as if he was their own. Very accepting family. I wonder if they all will be the same..." He trailed off, grimacing, unsure if his thoughts were right. He wondered how those who are yet to come will take to the new world... He didn't know about them, neither did he know what to expect...

"An elf who can actually throw a punch? I never thought I would see the day." The star istar said honestly, before thinking over the herders and their demeanors. "I hardly think it is by pure chance that this family all had such accepting personality. The rest are likely the same way. It is no real surprise. Their ancestors were much the same way, and as long as it causes no harm to the forest itself, the large tree herders of old were quite accepting of most any creature that crossed their paths." He pointed out with a shrug.

"There is no reason for them to be hostile." Gandalf noted. "After all, while they do protect the forest, they accept the fact that their trees are also a part of the food chain and some need them as food, as shelter, as hiding places and homes. There is much to tolerate for them." He commented, thinking that the star istar might be right on that one... "But I wonder how the humans, the lack of magic, and the changes in the world affected them..." He hummed at this and made his final moves on the board with a satisfied smile.

"It likely has affected them greatly..." Asteri said, shaking his head and looked the board over in thought, his hand hovering over a piece. "I have noticed the father when I first arrived here to pass through the village. He didn't seem to have a reason to be there himself. He seemed to just be passing through as much as I was. At first, I thought it rather odd but then I looked a little closer. He was observing. He does not trust the elves. I don't think he trusts anyone for that matter. The humans must have done much to have broken the trust of such a strong man. He looks like he could take on a small army if he really wanted to, yet he stays on his toes like everyone is out to kill him. Tt is almost sad really." He said, remembering the observation. When he first saw the herder father he honestly had no idea what he was looking at. That was until he met Rosa later at the meeting, there was no way he could have known. Now that he did, though, he wondered... what in Valar's name did the humans do?

As the game ended with yet again another loss, the star wizard smirked and waved his hand. This time Gandalf's pieces were the ones that turned black and he looked towards Ren, then waved to him this time, challenging the wraith to beat 'him'.

The Nazgul was in a large battle within himself. Pride or stubbornness and caution? Quite a... hard fight, indeed. But there were things that just cannot be defeated... especially when talking about the simple yet cunning mind of a dark Ringwraith, whose pride was as important and strong as their own curse. Only if his Lord would tell him to, would he have not accepted the challenge and would have refused, pulled back and suffered the broken pride... But he wasn't there to tell him so... So, slowly but surely, he ended up sliding towards the game, switching places with Gandalf, answering to the challenge with a low threatening hiss. As he came closer, he visibly tensed as his hooded head moved between the two wizards, probably expecting some kind of trap but relaxed when none came.

Asteri let a smile play at his lips. Now was the time for the real fun to begin. He allowed the other to make the first move, of course, just for the sake of manners, then would he make his own. He did not plan to make as many mistakes this time. He wasn't really playing yet but he wanted to give the wraith a bit of a challenge. He didn't want to beat the wraith just yet but he didn't want him to lose complete interest in the game in just the first match.

Surprisingly enough, the wraith played his own tactics with ease, his observation and having learned the game itself was a large help, but that didn't mean that he didn't make mistakes. But learning seems to be his strong point at the moment. Being a wraith, and having been basically the mindless servant for thousands of years... he had a lot of 'free space' -so to speak- in his head to learn and cope with his environment. Or learn a game and use his intelligence to gain the upper hand. Might maybe surprise the istari with this one.

"Hyano told me about the world that Middle-Earth became." Gandalf said, sparking that conversation up again, which ended abruptly when their game did and Asteri enjoyed the fruit of his labor. Since he gave up his spot for Ren, he sat down a little farther off to give them space and watched the game. "She said... even the Dark Lord wouldn't do all the things the humans are doing to the world and to each other. Life has apparently no more worth. Honor died out and dignity was nonexistent. I don't even want to imagine..." He almost shuddered at the thought and folded his arms, slipping his hands inside his sleeves while he watched the game.

"It makes one wonder why the Valar created humans at all." Asteri said honestly, his eyes on the board. He noted the wraith was doing quite well and decided to turn up the skill level a bit to give the wraith all the more challenge in order to see where his level maxed out at. He was, of course, surprised but it didn't show. He was actually pleased with this surprise since it told him quite a bit about the creature. How they were so good in situations that were unfamiliar or how tolerant they could be to new challenges. A simple game can tell quite a lot about someone.

"The Valar created them for the same reason they do every sentient being." Gandalf noted, watching as the other wizard decided to give in a little more into the game and take it slightly more seriously, since the wraith might have met his expectation, or more. Try as he might, he couldn't hide his surprise and for a moment he found that rather hilarious. They have indeed much to learn about this kind. "To entertain themselves and make sure something is about to maintain the balance. But the humans didn't turn out the way the Valar meant them to be. They are but an experiment. They surely will create another kind in this world too... This time excluding the mistakes they made with the previous kind." He said, having had this theory for as long as he could remember. They take each world like a new creation and experiment, entertainment. Watch it being born, form it, watch the lives on it like a movie, then turn away from them once they don't live up to their expectations.

"You might want to have a conversation with the father, though. " The star istar suddenly spoke up after a short silence, catching the attention of the White wizard, who looked at him with a confused stare. "I think he might also be carrying a weapon of some kind. In his... What is it? A small cloak, I believe... Anyway, I saw something metallic. I am not sure exactly but I have a feeling it is a weapon of some kind. And considering he was wearing the cloak even though the weather was quite nice suggests he keeps it on him at all times." He said, not knowing the word for the jacket the father had been wearing at all times when he was out and about. Especially among the elves.

"A metallic weapon?" Gandalf asked with a raised eyebrow. " But everyone is carrying some kind of weapon around. While I am not against this, I will observe him when I next see him. I don't want to see something taken from Middle-Earth here... Not something that can destroy." He suspected something, but didn't speak of it. Hyano told him that she warned them to not take anything from their world... The father might have ignored that rule...

"I think that would be wise. It might be best to inform Hyano and ask for her help in handling it." Asteri suggested with a hum. "While you are the White wizard, you are not the wizard they are familiar with. They will not take your will and word as seriously as they will hers. It would be like her trying to do the same with the elves. To them, even though she is a wizard of our Order, she is not one they know and trust. Not yet anyway." He noted as he made a move and then waited.

Ren in the mean time found himself stopping in his advance as they reached the point where he needed to use his mind more excessively. Something, that he wasn't used to. Yet, the more they played, the more logic he could see in the istar's moves, thus countered them just fine.

Now it was a match. They were playing against each other now rather than to win. It was much like a fist fight. When one has two opponents who are equal they push against each other, and for a while it seems like neither can really get ground on the other. It just becomes a matter of who has the better endurance. In this case, Asteri was not using his full capacity on purpose, wanting the wraith to push him to do better and better. This in turn would tell him how high the wraith's skill set really was. He, in a way, was using himself as a gauge. Gauging the wraiths intelligence and other factors against his own. He wondered if the wraith's logic was always this good? Maybe it was one of the effects the light magic had on him.

While under the thumb of Sauron, he was sure the Dark Lord in a way replaced the wraith's logic. Any order he gave became their logic. If he said to jump off a bridge, he was sure they would not even object for the sake of logic, simply because the Dark Lord was logic in their eyes. He wondered what else the light magic has done to him.

The White wizard hummed and watched as they played, raising an eyebrow when it suddenly evolved to a little more than a small game. A full blown out competition. He wasn't sure what to think of this exactly. Asteri might be just playing still, pulling back most of his skills to try and make the wraith play more, analyzing him on the way -seeing his thoughtful gaze, it was easy to determine his true goal- or perhaps he has truly found his match... No... that can't be. He wouldn't think of a wraith of Ren's kind being so... good opponents in mind games. Because it is that. A competition of the minds and tactics.

The Nazgul was doing surprisingly well. However, each time Asteri made their level harder, Ren at first couldn't catch up and always ended up making a mistake or two at first before somehow always correcting it within a move or two, as if he was able to learn his mistake and adjust to the difficulty quickly. This made the istar wonder what the other wizard was thinking. He wondered if he found this game challenging by now.

Asteri seemed to be enjoying himself. Finally, he got to a point where he was actually competing fully with the wraith. It was such a simple and basic game but to any onlooker, it looked like an intense match was going on. Each one calculating their moves to the very T. This also made every game drag out longer and longer. That was until finally... Ren actually beat the star wizard. The istar blinked as he saw this before smiling a bit.

"Well... It seems I have lost... Fair and square." Asteri said, accepting his defeat, though, he was beyond surprised. The wraith... This wraith had skills that Asteri did not even think the wraith knew about. He was tactful, had a quick learning and seemed to be able to look to future moves and calculate strategies quickly. It was likely one of the many things that were held back by the Dark Lord. This could be considered both good... if he was on their side... or bad if he ended up betraying them. But for the most part... he was pleased with the results of his observation.

The moment he won, he didn't know what to do... Ren's first reaction was instinctual that came with his race. He looked at the wizard, then slowly leaned away from the game, raising his chin and crossing his arms to stare him down, showing him his dominance and success, his victory over him in the most mocking manner he could without needing to say a word. He puffed out his chest as well, feeling proud. He accepted the challenge and won it successfully, having known this from the start, of course. His next reaction was to look down at the game, then simply gestured towards it again, wanting to repeat. Just to feed his dark mind with the 'humiliation' of his opponent in beating him in his own game.

Asteri chuckled at this. The wraith's pride was likely a leftover effect of them at one point being the kings of old. They had quite a bit of pride back then and -if nothing else- the ring simply took that and amplified it to extreme levels. He then nodded as he was in a way asked to play again. He waved his hand over the board and set the pieces to their starting positions again.

"It is my turn to start." He said and took his turn. "Ren is quite good at this. I am impressed. Beside the other istar and a few elves, I have found very few that can keep up with me at any game, let alone this one. It is quite a treat." He said, finally deciding to have a conversation about the wraith, his voice showing praise, knowing the fact he used the other's name it would likely get his attention this time. He didn't seem worried about it, though.

Ren's attention instantly was claimed by the board and the pieces, leaning slightly forward to have a better and closer look, his mind already calculating and planning, going as far as bringing up a hand and stroking his 'chin' as the other started, but after only a short waiting he made his move, waiting for the other to do his turn while he crossed his arms over his cloaked chest. Only then did he look up all of a sudden when he heard his name being said and looked at Asteri, tilting his head to the side with curiosity and confusion, seeing he lacked any other type of expression. Surprisingly, his pride over winning seemed to make him forget about all the caution and distrust he held. If only for just a few minutes while the game distracted him.

"Well... Surprising. I honestly didn't think you came so much out of practice." Gandalf chuckled, shaking his head but nonetheless nodded in approval at the wraith for his performance, who only hissed at him in return, then went back to stare at the board, eagerly waiting for his turn. "I think I have the slight suspicion that he doesn't exactly favor me. Or is it just my imagination from the smoke Hyano gave me not long ago?" He asked, raising an eyebrow as if the question was actually serious, but couldn't help a smile.

"You are a White." Asteri pointed out as he too took a while to make his move but did so, calculating and actually using his istar intellect at this point. "I doubt he will ever like or trust you, Gandalf. You are quite literally everything that he is not and never can be, no matter how 'good' he may become. He may at some point act like he trusts you and may become more calm around you but he will never fully trust you. It is just in his nature." He replied. Asteri did not have to worry as much about this problem. His power did not technically come from neither dark or light magic. He lacked any of either, so he doubted he set off any of these natural senses. The fact Ren saw him as an istar probably kept the wraith on his toes but he would never see him as quite as big a threat as he saw Gandalf, he suspected.

"I know that, of course." Gandalf pouted playfully, noticing that the other wizard didn't catch on his playful tone and careful choice of words when he spoke of his 'suspicion'. He might be thinking far more deeply about his moves to notice the sarcasm in his sentences. He didn't blame him, though. The wraith seemed to be a good player, a challenge to the istar of the stars, finally someone who makes him give his best and made him develop even further. He decided to stay quiet and watch the match, however... he found that the wraith was occasionally looking at him, breaking his concentration in return. He sighed and looked at both, before standing up and walking to the side to leave the two alone and play to their heart's content, perhaps even going as far as say a few words to one another. Maybe Asteri could get the wraith to talk to him.

Gandalf straightened his robe before his blue eyes scanned the area, landing on the shack. He stared at his current home, thinking about using the opportunity and search around within it and determine what he was missing... But then another thought came to his mind. Hyano was sitting on the roof... He might as well speak to her about Asteri's find. So, slowly but surely he made his way to his home and using a spell, he also jumped up onto the roof, sitting down next to her slowly, facing the direction where the two were still playing.

Hyano had been on the edge of falling asleep when she caught the light sound of the older istar touching down on the roof. She opened one green eye to look up at him before smiling. "Hey there, uncle. What's up?" She asked, for a moment forgetting in what world she was in, thinking he had a reason for coming up here. After all, he was not the type to sleep on roofs and trees like she was. Upon seeing his confused stare, she quickly realized her use of slang and decided to correct herself. "What is on your mind?" She asked and wondered for a moment if any of the old world slang herself and the herders brought with them would last into this world. Maybe even some of the herder language would be picked up in this world. She pushed that thought to the side for now. She would find that out in due time.

Gandalf sighed and watched the two in the distance silently for a little while, until he decided to speak up, turning his blue gaze towards her.

"Well, you know me too well, don't you?" He chuckled. Was he so easy to read by now? His habits so predictable that it wasn't even funny anymore? Well, it was quite funny on its own. "Indeed, there is something on my mind, young one." He said, trailing off, averting his gaze to watch the playing istar and wraith. "Something that Asteri noticed not long ago..." He said, his tone changing to a little... warning hint to it and looked back at her. "The father. He might have something metallic he is not supposed to have..."

Hyano raised a brow. What did Gandalf mean by this? Have something? What could Will possibly-? She stopped and thought it over before gripping her fists. There was only one thing she could think of at this moment that Will could have that he was not supposed to have that was metallic. It had been something they argued over quite fiercely before they came to this world. It seemed despite her warning, the man still brought the infernal thing. She sat up with a sigh.

"It is called a gun. it is made so that it shoots small bits of metal so fast, it can cause more damage than any arrow. I told him not to bring it but... He has been using one since he was a child, so I am hardly surprised he brought it anyway. He isn't likely to use it unless he feels he has to but the fact he brought it at all might still be an issue if any of the elves realize what it is." She explained, her voice showing her annoyance. It might cause the elves to fear him, since he has such a powerful and basically unseen weapon at every time with him. Even around elflings.

Gandalf kind of expected this answer. They already talked about these weapons when she arrived in Outer-Earth, and he expressed his gratitude that she took care that none make it here... Seems like she was wrong...

"You know how dangerous it can be in the hands of someone not fit to handle it... It can land with the wrong person... and cause a lot of destruction. I think... it would be best if we did something against it and destroyed it. We don't need something that kills all too easily and so invisibly." His worry about this being used for wrong purposes was very much real and strong. If this weapon caused destruction and claimed the lives of many easily.. then it has nothing to do within their world. It would give power to someone who was not supposed to gain advantage... His blue eyes slowly drifted towards the wraith in the distance.

Hyano sighed.

"We can just get rid of the ammo..." She stopped as she caught herself and thought of a more understandable word to use. "Uh, the stuff the gun shoots. I don't want to destroy the gun itself. I told him to give it to someone who would be staying behind because it had been his father's at one point. I would rather not destroy something of sentimental value, considering they no longer have very much of that kind. However, if he is stubborn about it, I might change my mind. Valar knows that man is as stubborn as they come. And he wonders where his daughter gets it from." She replied, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

"Not just the 'shoots'." Gandalf told her strictly, although the word he used made Hyano chuckle a bit inwardly. The White istar narrowed his eyes slightly to try and make a point, this time wanting to stand to his opinion and wish. He was usually a very accepting and considerate wizard, however too much depended on him at the moment, and this weapon surely was far more dangerous than she tell him. "I am sure anyone can make 'shoots' for it. So that will do little to nothing. The weapon itself needs to be taken and destroyed, or given to someone who stays behind through the portal. I understand it might mean much to him, but it could easily get into the wrong hands and cause too much destruction... We don't know any defense against this... And I would hate to see this being used and even copied in any way. We aren't ready for such a thing. It is best they don't even know it exists." He advised, expecting her to agree, of course. Yes, she was a great friend of the herders, but now as full member of the Order and part of the creating force, she will have to start to consider what was good for the most of the world.

This will be one of her first lessons.

Hyano knew better. Bullets were not that easy to make and for this gun it was even harder, considering the making of the item. However, she had to realize that Gandalf had a point.

"I will talk to him tomorrow. If you want to come, you can. I will fire off the 'shoots' so it becomes useless, then dismantle it so it is as good as a toy. A shell at best." She said, before sighing and leaning back. "He will not be happy about this. If I had been out of the cave I would probably have caught it sooner." She added, a little annoyed by this but she knew it couldn't have been helped no matter how much she would have wanted to.

" As their protector, it is your task to handle it. You should know my role. I am the merely the voice, not the might behind actions. But remember..." Gandalf turned his blue gaze towards her from the two playing, and nodded, whispering. "... You are a full istar now. Your task is to decide what is the best for the greater good. And not for a single person." He noted this, before sighing and returned to watch the two play in the distance. They were still at it and seem to enjoy the game. "Did you know that your friend is just beating Asteri in that old game for the second time already?" The White chuckled, starting up a more casual conversation to lift the mood and avert their topic to something more pleasant. "The star wizard was known to be unbeatable. Until now..."

Hyano giggled lightly.

"Not that surprising. Ren hates to lose, so even if he wasn't good... he would want to replay over and over again until he did win." She said honestly, turning her eyes to the two playing.

"I can tell. Does he like to play such games, or is this the first one he ever tried?" The White wizard asked, leaning slightly closer briefly before leaning forward, frowning, using his magic to try and see where they were at. It seemed like it was the wraith's move... yet it took too long. The board was shielded from his view, though.

Hyano snickered at the notion and smiled, waving a hand towards the stubborn wraith, sitting further away. "He loves games. In his own way, of course. Unless he loses, then the game is a part of some kind of evil scheme to overthrow him. " She paused, thinking for a moment before adding, relishing in the memories she gathered with him in the modern world. "Once, I taught him how to play poker but you can tell how unfair it was... "

All Gandalf did was frown at her, unsure what this... 'poker' was.

It took Hyano a moment but she noticed Gandalf was not chuckling at this, so stared at him until her smile and eyes widened. "It is a card game that relies a lot on lying and facial expressions. "

Now, the White wizard understood and smiled at her joke, albeit a bit late now. He nodded and shifted his blue gaze back towards the scene in front of them, watching as the istar and the wraith sat facing each other so peacefully, concentrating on a game they played together. It was a strange sight after all those years seeing them one way... "Maybe... he can stay. " Gandalf suddenly said, gaining the full attention of the younger wizard, who stared at him silently with hopeful green eyes. "It is a big maybe. A very emphasized one. But a maybe nonetheless. I see a progress. I see him sitting there, eagerly playing a game with a wizard. No plotting, no hostility. Such a short time passed and he is already showing signs of recovery" He looked at Hyano to see a small smile grace her lips, and sighed. "But... " There was always a but. "There is still so much danger surrounding his existence. We have many questions which we need answers to. Questions you cannot answer. So we will need our own examinations and experiments to lead. And I will need his cooperation. "

Hyano knew very well what Gandalf was up to and didn't know how it will end. Ren will not allow any kind of intrusion to his person. He didn't talk about everything that happened to him so many years ago during his imprisonment in Mordor... but the elves probably did more than just chain him to the ruins of Barad-Dur. Having to tolerate the wizards as they examined him and tested him could end in him going violent on them. Still, she had to take the chance. She will deal with Ren later and get it through his thick non-existent skull that he needed to suck it up if he wanted to stay.

"Well... I wonder if we should end their game and join them... " Gandalf sighed, noting she did not say a word about his plans. Her silence meant she understood it. At least he hoped. "Or perhaps you want to accompany me inside, leaving the two to themselves to drink a liquid with me that the elves like to make. I tell you, you never drank anything this delicious." He was aware that it contained sugar, something that Hyano perhaps shouldn't have, but oh well... He might become hyper himself.

Hyano sat up, then looked towards the two, also noting that Ren was taking quite a while with his move and Asteri was just sitting there, calm as can be. She raised a brow. She had seen that look on the star wizard's face before. Where had she seen it before? It had been so long... She shook it off and nodded.

"Alright." She said with a smile, not knowing that she was about to take in a very sweet drink. She had very little elven food, even back when she was small, so she really wasn't that familiar with their drinks or cooking style. She got up, dusted herself off before jumping off the edge of the roof and onto the porch, then headed inside but not before she risked a glance at her mate.

Asteri and Ren were still just... sitting there.

What was Ren waiting for?

-a little earlier-

Asteri hardly noticed his friend's departure, only glanced at him once before going back to the game. He continued to play, then decided to talk.

"My name is Asteri." He said attempting to start a conversation. However, he was not speaking in the language of man. He was using Black Speech. He was not in favor of the language by a long shot, of course, but in this case he could make an exception. The wizard understood the language well enough and since he understood it, that meant he could speak it. He was aged enough that he had learned quite a few languages by now. Many good. Some not so much. "The star wizard. You may have known my apprentice. He was one of you."

Ren was taken aback by the familiar words as they left the lips of the istar, having not expected him to utter something that his kind considers as forbidden, even disgusting... He averted his gaze from the board and looked at the wizard, meeting his gaze with his invisible one, watching him long and thoughtfully, tilting his head slightly to the side, however refused to answer. He knew it they might try to speak to him, and he did tell Hyano that he will not answer. He didn't feel obligated to, for the reason that they might try to gain information from him. If he doesn't watch his own mouth, he might get into trouble. The topic however was interesting. This was the mentor of one of his brethren? That was difficult for his mind to comprehend. Were his brethren even anything else than wraiths? That was an interesting concept to think about. So instead of answering, he simply shook his head a little to shake off the curiosity, and looked back at the board, planning his own next move.

Asteri raised a brow, noting that he was heard but ignored. However, since he was not asking a question of any kind he thought that was fine. A one-sided conversation hardly bothered him.

"So, I heard you have a love for collecting things. I do as well. I travel quite a bit so I have made quite the collection for myself. Maybe I will take you to see. That is, if you can keep your hands to yourself." He said, then finally made his move. He was rather calm, taking the conversation as him simply talking and not asking any real questions. Just talking.

This, of course, caught the attention of the wraith not a second after he uttered he had a collection himself. He tilted his head to the side and stared at the wizard, unable to hold himself back from showing curiosity towards this offer, before looking down and after a few seconds made his own move, then met the gaze of the wizard again.

Asteri noted this. He really was a hoarder at heart, wasn't he?

"Many of the items are just too fragile and old to be picked up by this point." He stated simply and continued with the game in silence for a number of moves before deciding to talk again. He noted that despite being mildly distracted, Ren still seemed t be able to do just as well at the game. If anything, he thought they were at something of a stalemate at this point. Neither could gain any ground because the other would not give any. This might be a longer game than he thought.

Ren stared at him for some seconds and for a moment it looked like he was about tu utter something but in the end he just shook his head, and simply resumed the game, making his move after a short time of calculation, then looked up again, raising his chin, having created a rather large advantage in the game with this single move, and dared him to try and get out of this one. He was extremely proud of his success so far, and didn't show any signs of letting down. He liked to boast and rub his victory in the face of his opponent.

Asteri watched him for a little while in return and noted his continued silence. But he could feel the curiosity bubbling just below the surface. This was more than enough to coax the wizard into talking more and switch the subject to a recent business.

"If given the time, I will take you." He started with a sigh, then looked back at the board. "However, with this portal business who knows when that might be." He said, waving off the thought.

Ren's thoughts were shifted to the portal and his... supposed task of sensing darkness... Now that he mentioned it, he had to wonder if this was a trick? They might end up just pushing him through and leave him back at Middle-Earth...

Asteri observed him. His keen eyes recognized a slight move of his hooded head, an almost inaudible hiss and the change of his posture. The Nazgul was uncomfortable about something. Could he... call it worry? This was strange in a wraith.

"You shouldn't worry. As much as we don't like you, with your connection to Hyano, if we were to harm you in any way, it would instantly kill her as well. I do suggest being careful, though. What we will do about you has been put on hold for the moment. That likely won't be handled for a while yet." He stated simply, noting the other's pride again. He looked over the board for a moment, then made his move and in one turn had taken over the game. "You are very good at this but you should probably work on your pride. Until you have won... it serves you very little to show off." He replied, leaning back, sporting a smile.

The Nazgul's shoulders slumped when he noticed the unexpected move, and his mind worked on overdrive to try and find the right tactic to gain back his lost advantage. It shouldn't be hard. There was always a way... He decided to not answer. He knew the wizards were to decide about his fate, this was why he never wanted to be in their grasp. He knew they want him to die ultimately, so will do something to make sure this connection didn't stay. He will have to work on keeping it as best as he could... As long as Hyano was on his side and aided him, nothing could go wrong. Just as he arrived at the end of these thoughts, he made his move, not yet winning, but at least seemed to be an unexpected one. He knew he only needed one more move to win, that was what his mind saw. The istar on the other hand needed two. Which made him to the winner.

Asteri saw this as well and pondered over his choices for a time. He then smiled before making his move. He crossed his arms and waited for Ren to realize what he did. He had created a stale mate. Asteri may not win bit neither could Ren now.

Ren stared at the board. It took him quite a while to either realize this or even take up the courage to admit the tie. He tried to think of new moves, sometimes reaching out and hovering over one piece, thinking deep before giving a brief shake of his head, then pulling back, crossing his arms to think again. He just refused to give up... This couldn't be the case. No... He had to win. He knew he could... there must be a way. His dominant pride wouldn't let him admit the tie...

By now, both Gandalf and Hyano were sitting inside the shack. The White wizard at first just stood there, baffled at the sheer chaos that awaited him, with some of his stuff carelessly stuffed in a corner, while the rest were either broken or lost. He was quickly calmed by the orange wizard, who promised him she will create order while they drank and Ren was occupied with the game.

This calmed the White wizard enough to look for the secret batch of drink he received from one of the elves a while ago. It had a sweet scent and quite an alluring aroma.

Hyano tried the concoction very carefully.

And...

It tasted fantastic!

She had no idea how long it had been since she had anything that was actually made to be sweet. She grinned as she downed the drink. It wasn't long after that she was bouncing like mad, like a little child she used to be, much to the surprise of her companion. She couldn't for the life of her stay still. She then for some reason remembered her friend outside. Her memories bringing her back to the good old days.

"Be right back, Gandalf! I'm going to go get Ren!" She said excitedly, then took off outside.

All Gandalf could do was raise an eyebrow, but smiled nonetheless. After all the worry and serious matters, finally she seemed happy and full of energy. He knew exactly that she will end up tired once the sugar rush wore off, but at least she will have a nice sleep. He watched as she bolted from the shack, chuckling, before deciding to slowly follow her out, then made his way to Asteri to converse and maybe smoke a little.

They still had to make the smoke horse race he promised.

The wraith in the mean time didn't suspect anything... That his doom was approaching. He was still deep in thought and reached out to make a move, but withdrew his hand, seeing that this won't save his victory either. Oh wait! What was this? Ren froze as his mind pointed him to a single piece, which actually... That's it! The wizard overlooked a move! The wraith already felt the victory at his hand and met the gaze of the wizard as he reached out to a piece the istar surely didn't think about, soon he will win their almost tie match! But he was forced to hesitate when he watched with curiosity as the wizard leaned away, tilting his head to the side at the unusual action. Why was he-?

Then without warning an orange blur tackled the wraith from behind.

"Your game is boring! Let's play!" She said excitedly, not even realizing she had knocked over the board.

Ren couldn't even say a word as he was helplessly flying forward with something clutching him, landing on the floor soon face first, sliding a little forward to a stop. He laid there, trying to come out of his shock, but he suspected he won't have as much time...

Hyano giggled happily as she hugged him tightly before jumping up, then grabbing his hand, all the while still bouncing.

Ren had absolutely no idea what was going on. He never saw her this way, and it was... strange.. unusual and slightly annoying, actually. Ren grunted when she hugged him tightly, not because it hurt, since he cannot feel pain, but because it kind of felt slightly humiliating in front of the wizard... and because he couldn't win the game after he found the right move. He looked at her as she let him go, and watched her confused, tilting his head, slowly standing up.

The orange wizard stared at him with a wide smile, her body yearning to move, unable to stand still for too long. Then, she got an idea and smirked. She reached into his cloak, causing the wraith to hiss in surprise, and dug around in it.

Ren was unable to move as his mind couldn't keep up with the pace she was going at. Normally, if anyone else did this, they wouldn't have a hand anymore, neither a head... But Hyano was his mate, his servant and his only army, so he tolerated her actions... making him briefly wonder if his toleration was just too much by now...

"Catch me if you can, Ren!" She yelled after she jumped away with her prize, the bouncy ball, in her hand, then bolted, taking off running from him. He would get it back later, of course, but for now she wanted to play. She was moving so fast she might as well be the bouncy ball, since her movements were quite random.

At first the Nazgul had no idea what she was doing, unable to process the happenings so fast, even when she told him to catch her and showing him the ball. Only after a few seconds did he realize it, and hissed in surprise, running right after her, to get his favorite toy back, not even glancing back at the istar he was about to beat, completely forgetting about their game.

Asteri had been smart enough to move out of the way when he saw the girl coming but was still surprised all the same. He never got the pleasure of seeing the female wizard on sugar before.

"... what in Valar's name did you do?" The star wizard asked, wondering if there was some kind of herb he gave Hyano, not thinking that this was only the effects of the sweet sugar-filled elven drink. He reached out, taking the board and the scattered pieces to put them back into his sleeve, ready to start the new competition with his friend. It seemed the wraith will be distracted for a while if Hyano has anything to say about it.

Gandalf eased down himself, sitting cross-legged in the soft green grass. He just chuckled in reply to his question and pulled out two pipes, handing over one to the other, then lit his own.

"Oh, it is just sugar. Honey to be precise. But you know elven dishes and drinks in general..." He trailed off, shrugging, blowing the first smoke, a few circles. "... they make them so they contain a lot of energy. This way one needs little of each. Seems like Hyano forgot about that." He smiled, and then turned his gaze towards the darkening sky, the first few stars already appearing. They will have a very nice and very quiet night.

Asteri watched and shook his head.

"Still a child at heart, it seems." He said before lighting up his own pipe and blowing out an arrow that shot into the middle of the smoke rings. He sighed at the flavor before looking up at the stars. They were still his favorite thing in all of creation. He could know all there was to know about them and still not know enough. "Alright, Gandalf. I believe you owe me a race to win." He said with a smile and prepared for yet another game.

Hyano didn't seem to register that she was annoying the wraith. All she wanted to do was kill this horrible amount of energy she had in her. She giggled as she saw he bought into the game and continued to run, going right for a tree. Before she hit it, though, she ran up it a few steps then jumped off of it, back-flipping over the wraith.

Aaaand she was gone...

Ren was about to catch her, but she suddenly vanished from his view... The wraith skidded to a stop when she jumped over him, however he wasn't as fast as she was. And couldn't stop in time... He hissed in shock when he met the trunk of the tree, crashing flat against it, in the end hugging it and sliding down into a sitting position. He shook his head and looked at the bark of the tree, sinking the tips of his gauntlets into it in annoyance, leaving long and deep scratch marks behind. With a sharp hiss, the wraith stood up and turned to take off after her.

"Too slow, Ren!" Hyano called to him teasingly. It had been some time since she had moved around like this but it seemed to come back to her like riding a bike. And to be honest, she was loving every second of it! She closed her green eyes and her smile widened as she reached to both sides and let the air flow between her fingers. The breeze brushed against her hair and clothes, she felt the grass and leaves under her feet, while her ears were assaulted by the noises of nature, by the chirping of birds and the sound of leaves brushing against one another. It lifted her spirit, adding to the seemingly bottomless energy she was running on. The young wizard took a deep breath and giggled as she ran even faster.

The Nazgul, of course, wasn't having any of this. He knew about her speed, so decided to use a little... tactic in this chase. Thinking once, he started running after her, but not directly behind her. Instead he used the forest's thick foliage to shield him from her view, hopefully confusing her and since she won't be able to see him she might think he didn't follow and let her guard down... Just enough for him to catch up and punish her for her insolence.

The plan seemed to work.

The wizard blinked when she failed to hear the obvious clinking sound Ren's metal boots made when he ran. She couldn't hear the unique noise his Ages old cloak made when he was moving. Neither could she make out any hisses or huffs. The Nazgul was never good at sneaking or running for that matter and always barreled through areas like he owned it and had no intentions to hide from anyone. Especially not from her. So, the istar risked a glance backwards, only to see... nothing. Hyano blinked in confusion and let her green eyes wander the area but could catch no sign of him.

"Ren?" She called, looking confused. But no reply came. All her hyperactive ears could hear were her own breaths, her heartbeat and the noises of nature all around her, which were overpowering most of the other sounds.

Hyano froze.

The sugar made her hyper, yes, but also made her emotions a little sporadic. All of a sudden, while her mind finally concluded she was alone, she also felt cold. He was not there... No matter how she looked, how hard she stared everywhere... she couldn't see him.

Just like so many years ago, when every shadow and every noise she sensed were a reminder of him but she knew he would not be by her side anymore because he was gone. Sometimes she found memories of him being there with her but those would be only dreams.

And now...

The thought that he was gone again flashed in her head and before she knew it she was freaking out and turned in all directions with wide eyes, searching frantically and erratically.

"Ren?!" She screamed, tears brimming at the edges of her eyes. She stepped back and looked around, not sure where to look or where he went off to. One minute he was behind her the next... the next he wasn't!

The stalking wraith was already nearby when she started turning frequently, not leaving him with any opportunity to finally go closer. He tilted his head to the side when the change in her behavior and tone was just too prominent but too focused on the hunt, he decided to grasp the next opportunity when she turned her back to him to stalk closer, and in the most opportune moment he reached out with a metal-covered hand and snatched the ball from hers in a quick swipe.

In her panicked state, Hyano gasped when all of a sudden she felt the ball being yanked from her hand at her side, so turned suddenly and a smile appeared on her lips when she noted the sight of her friend right by her side. No, he did not look pleased, and did not pay too much attention to her but... He was there! In that moment she realized this through her hyper state she tackled him, not caring about the ball anymore, causing the wraith to hiss sharply in confusion, unsure about her fast changes in her mood. Ren never liked sudden changes in things he was familiar with.

"Ren!" She practically screamed, her voice mixed with sadness and joy as she was relieved he was still with her after all. She clutched onto him tightly. "I thought you had left me again!" She said, hugging onto him tightly. Something in her knew she was being irrational but to be honest at the moment she didn't care. The fear was still there. Still as strong as ever.

"Again?" Ren hissed suddenly in anger, making Hyano flinch a bit but otherwise did not let him go. She did not dare to in case he would just vanish, like in some of her dreams so long ago. "You were TAKEN from me at Moria! If it was not for it, I would have ruled over Middlke-Earth. Taken by the same rats who we have to impress in order to survive on this world. Filthy maggots... " The Nazgul hissed, one of his metal-covered hands finding Hyano's arm and gripped it tightly in frustration. And party to signal for her to let him go. Which was ignored, to his displeasure. Or misunderstood.

Hyano sniffled, her mind running a mile a minute, many thoughts, emotions and memories danced around in it. Hearing the anger in his voice made it worse. She looked up at him, her green eyes tear-filled.

"... when you were human... " She started with a sniffle, still holding onto him for dear life. "You sent a letter to the Order. You made them take me away!" She told him, wiping her eyes and shaking her head.

Ren tilted his head to the side in confusion, watching her from the ground he was laying on, staring at her almost blankly. He couldn't remember his human self of course, but if he sent her away, it might have meant she wasn't such a good use to him anyway. He wouldn't send away or kill a servant that was quite useful and loyal. However, he couldn't imagine the reason, neither did he want to. That past wasn't his, at least he liked to think that way. His true life started when he became a wraith, which time he could remember. Everything else was insignificant.

"I couldn't do anything... Saruman knew what was going on... Looking back, he was probably the only one that did... The others were just following orders. " Although now Hyano suspected it was the last humanity that was left within him as her friend that made him send her away so many ages ago. He wanted to protect her because deep down he knew what was happening to him... This didn't make it less painful, however. It was the worst day of her entire life. She wanted to help... She really did... But he wouldn't let her.

"Then Moria... " Hyano sobbed. "That wasn't any better. After I got caught... I was out cold at first... then when I came to I was handcuffed with cuffs that stopped my magic... But I told Gandalf you would come for me... I had no idea they had locked you away... "

As the Nazgul predicted, she brought up Moria, where he didn't want to leave her, but was taken and chained up in Mordor, close to the destroyed Barad-Dur, under the sky. They didn't even bother to build him a prison. Just chained him to a few stone structures and left him there to rot. As far as he could remember, he himself hoped she would come for him. He never gave up on it. After all, after he tried for months to get out by force, he found he couldn't, so his only means of escape would have been with her help. But she never came, no matter how much he shrieked and called her name. Even after time itself ate away the rocks and he was finally free, in a much weakened state as magic started leaving the world... when he dragged himself towards the gates of Mordor... even then he was calling for her in forms of hisses of distress and shrieks when he had the energy. He didn't leave her! She was taken from him! She, his only loyal servant he could build his reign on.

"Twice we got separated. " The wizard continued, noticing he did not utter a word in return. "What if it happens again?!" She said, looking up at him. Hyano knew there will be no face to stare back at her, but yet she found herself searching for eyes within that darkness in his hood. And sometimes, she swore she saw a glint...

It made Ren think again. If it happened again... it will solely depend on her this time. From the time he spent outside, he could tell he had no power over his own survival, as much as he loathed the situation but he would be a fool to misjudge his aituation and ruin his chance of total domination. There were istari everywhere, elves and whatnot... If Hyano worked to keep their connection... Then they won't be separated.

"It happens again if you let them." He simply answered, with only a few words, saying only what he believed needed to be said. This was the truth he knew and he wished she understood as well. Putting any useless mortal beliefs and emotions into it will not use either of them.

Hyano nodded at his words, knowing all too well he was always blunt with her. She closed her eyes and rested her head on his chest.

"... I will do my best, Ren... Because I don't think there will be any second chances this time." She admitted, the sugar high dropping quickly and before she knew it... she was out cold. She had killed a lot of energy all in one shot and the crying had only added to that. Her mind and body were both worn out now.

The wraith watched her and decided to not reply. He was late anyway, as it seemed. She didn't move, only her chest did as she breathed, something he wondered why the living needed... He was just fine without air...

She was asleep.

Her words stirred something in him, though. His indifference shifted and he felt a strange sensation overcome him, burning within his core, coming from their necessary connection. It was like a sudden pulse... like a heartbeat he always felt in her chest. The whole world seemed to come to a standstill. A new kind of curiosity he never knew about welled up in his mind. A curiosity of... the future, but in a new way. It made him think. Indeed... If he was to be destroyed, then there was no way to escape anymore. If they find a way to destroy their bond, he was doomed. But only him. They will probably block her memories of him again... and she can live on. But what would happen to him? Strange... Strange thoughts all of a sudden. Why was he thinking about that? What brings his mind to such serious and deep thoughts? Suddenly, he hissed in frustration and shook his head to clear it out.

Looking around, he decided to make his situation more comfortable for himself and after a brief surveying of his environment, he found a tree not far and slid towards it, leaning against it and pulled her up into his lap, embracing her protectively as if already dreading the break of their connection and bond, looking around frequently to make sure no one was stalking them. His mind unintentionally returned to the same thoughts he had before he changed their position.

If he was destroyed... what would happen to him? He wondered if his mind will be destroyed right along. His memories, his very existence and he would be just one of the nothingness they call the Void or Abyss? To never to be remembered and never to remember? Like his whole existence was for nothing? All he did was in vain? Despite living so long and having immortality... how many would still mention his name? This was why they were immortal after all, right? To be remembered by the people and do something significant to change the world according to their own visions. To their Lord's visions. Or perhaps... his memories would be wiped and his soul would be sent back to be reborn as something small and insignificant as punishment? His mind instantly picturing the form of a chipmunk hiding on a tree and munching on a nut.

He shook his hooded head at this thought.

The thought in itself was humiliating...

But that would be the point. Or maybe... the Valar would let him keep his mistakes and contributions, his memories and send him back as something else to suffer...

The thought itself was outrageous and felt his anger flare up within him, blocking that strange sensation he felt, causing his entire body to go cold once again in an instant.

The wraith hissed and decided to end his sudden, highly unnecessary and unexpected philosophical battle in his mind. Instead he remained silent and motionless, knowing he will fall asleep as well in this silence out of boredom...

Maybe it will be for the best. At least these annoying and frustrating thoughts will not bother him while his soul rested.

Unless they decided to bother him in the strange images he saw...

Ren -to his dismay- was not wrong.

We would like to apologize for not posting for so long. We know most probably thought we forgot about it but that cannot be farther from the truth. It was always in the back of our minds but changing situations, life always had different plans.

Now, we promise we will never abandon the story. If we don't post for a while, don't give up on it. We will be back with more eventually. Though, sadly we do need to give up the 'post every two weeks' business due to busier life schedules. We will try to post once a month, though.

So hurray! We are back and kickin'!

Give us some R&R for a boost!

Of course, only if you want ._.

CA Productions