A/N: The fox was not originally supposed to stick around, but he did anyway…
Chapter 7: Two Birds, One Stone
Radagast shook his foot loose from a clump of briars, nearly unseating the passenger on his shoulder. The fennec fox gave a small squeak and dug its claws into the Brown Wizard's robe.
"Sorry, Norman," he hastily soothed.
"What?" Gandalf paused to throw him a befuddled look.
"Our little friend here," Radagast explained, pointing to the tawny squirt whose massive ears were folded under the low brim of the wizard's hat. "I named him Norman."
Gandalf arched a brow. "Nor-" He shook his head. "Never mind. Radagast, why did you bring him? This is a serious task we must see to here."
Radagast paid no mind to his friend's tetchy disapproval. Gandalf was merely tense with worry for his elvish friends. Radagast knew lives were at stake, and he too had grown impatient with the slow travel to the Mountains of Mirkwood. He'd sent a bird to summon his Rhosgobel rabbits, for they would cut the journey time in half on his sleigh. But his faithful hares had yet to rendezvous with them, and now Radagast had the added concern that they had met with a trap he'd missed. But he could only focus on one problem at a time, and at the moment, they had finally reached the mountains, which meant their true search began.
"Norman knows the poacher's scent," he countered. "He may be small, but he has a gallant heart."
The fox stood up on his shoulder and let out a high-pitched bark in staunch affirmation. Gandalf rolled his eyes, but dropped the subject. Radagast gently put Norman on the ground where the fox did a quick little spin.
"Go on, friend," the wizard coaxed.
With a yip, Norman darted off under the brush. Radagast turned his attention to the base of the mountains. The Dark Mountains they were called, Emyn Duir, not so long ago when Mirkwood was Greenwood the Great. Silvan elves had dwelled there until the Giant Spiders moved in to make it their home. It was a dangerous place to wander, and Radagast wondered whether these poachers had been mad or foolishly brash. Canting his head at Gandalf and the way the Grey Wizard was undauntedly marching along the base, Radagast concluded it must have been a little of both.
He gripped his staff tighter, eyes peeled against the writhing shadows that slithered up and down the trees, despite the fact it was midday. He dare not light his staff though, for that would attract the dark denizens of the mountains. Radagast hoped Norman would be all right in his scouting. Usually the Brown Wizard was able to rely on multiple beasts and birds to evaluate his surroundings, but this deep in the forest none stirred. It left him feeling nervous and twitchy.
Gandalf was muttering under his breath, as he was wont to do when faced with a puzzle he could not easily decipher. Radagast had been considering it over the past two days as well, but could not come up with any theories.
A shrill squeal pierced the silence, and Radagast sucked in a sharp breath before he charged past Gandalf. Batting branches and twigs aside, the Brown Wizard barreled upon the scene of that villainous poacher holding Norman by the scruff of his neck, staring incredulously at the creature as it thrashed and flailed uselessly in his grip.
"Unhand him you scoundrel!" Radagast shouted, bringing his staff up in preparation to strike.
The man's brows shot up at the wizard, then glanced back at the fox in his hand. There was a rustling of foliage, and Gandalf joined them, coming at the poacher from his left.
"Well," Gandalf grumbled. "Norman has been useful after all."
Radagast took a menacing step forward. "Put him down before I turn you into a frog." Actually, he might do it anyway. The man certainly deserved worse for his recent actions.
"Radagast," Gandalf sighed in forbearance. "We need the man to talk."
"Fine. I'll just give him frog legs. You know, they're considered a delicacy in some places. And they're easier to amputate so he can stay alive and answer your questions, Gandalf." He took smug pleasure in how the man's eyes widened in terror.
"No, that won't be necessary," he stammered, and slowly knelt to set the fox on the ground. Once Norman's feet touched earth, the fox whipped around to nip at the man's hand. He jerked upright, out of reach. Radagast beamed proudly.
The poacher eyed the fox with a mixture of wariness and disbelief as it trotted back to Radagast. "He pounced on me first, just so you know."
Radagast raised his staff, and the man threw his palms up placatingly.
Gandalf moved forward, both wizards now hemming him in. "What is your name?"
"Uh, Cain."
"And are you truly from Dale, or was that a crafted lie like how you found the Prince of Mirkwood injured in the forest?"
"Yes, I am—was from Dale."
Radagast noted how the man did not appear surprised to learn the identity of the elf he'd kidnapped. Gandalf's bristling beard meant he had marked it too.
"What did you and your men do to the elf?" Gandalf asked.
Cain lifted his hands again. "We didn't do anything to him."
Radagast frowned. "You consider drugging and kidnapping nothing? And what about the other elf you slew? And the countless other animals snared in your inhumane traps, left to suffer slow, agonizing deaths over the course of days?"
Gandalf made a soft sound in the back of his throat, catching Radagast's eye. The Brown Wizard reined in his temper, though just barely.
Cain hesitated, and then shrugged one shoulder sheepishly. "Man's gotta earn a living."
Radagast nearly leaped on the poacher then, but he held back at a warning look from Gandalf.
"And what kind of living does one earn by kidnapping the Prince of Mirkwood and then returning him home?" the Grey Wizard asked, tone low and threatening.
"I was just hired to capture an elf, that's all. I didn't know what she planned to do with him, nor that she'd tell us to take him back!"
Gandalf's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Who is 'she'?"
Cain shook his head. "No. She'll kill me." He flicked his gaze to Radagast. "She'll do worse than your threats."
Radagast quirked a brow. Worse than turning this putrid specimen into a frog? Which would be an insult to the amphibian species.
"What did she do to the elf?" Gandalf pressed.
The man's throat bobbed as he swallowed. "Something…evil. A spell."
Gandalf visibly stiffened, while Norman picked up on Radagast's resulting unease and whimpered. Sorcery as the culprit for the strange disease striking down elves? Yes, that was possible, though why hadn't the wizards sensed it earlier? It must be a very complex, yet subtle weaving of magic. Radagast glanced at Gandalf, knowing he was thinking the same.
"Where do we find her?" the Grey Wizard asked.
"In a cave."
"Show us."
Cain started shaking his head again. "No, I'm not going back there."
Radagast shifted his staff meaningfully, eliciting a scowl from the man.
"I told you, she's more frightening than the two of you. I don't ever want to get near her again."
"You've had four days to run," Gandalf rejoined. "Yet you are still here."
"You think it's easy to get away from a sorceress?" Cain hissed.
Gandalf drew his shoulders back then, and a great pall descended. The air became heavy and crackled under the increasing pressure as the wizard seemed to grow in stature and menace. Norman jumped into Radagast's arms with a yelp.
"Do not take us for benign dotards," Gandalf's voice reverberated. "The Maiar have watched this world since its foundations were laid. I helped the Valar set these very stones into the mountains; do not think it would take more than a breath to wipe away an insignificant worm like you."
Cain cowered back, arms up to shield his face. Radagast merely watched, laying a comforting hand on the trembling fox in his arms. The Brown Wizard may have been more of a pacifist in most of his dealings on Middle-earth, but for once he appreciated this side to his old friend.
"Alright!" Cain glanced fearfully between the wizards. "I'll show you where. Just please, let me go after."
"You have many crimes to answer for," Radagast replied.
Cain's eyes flashed darkly for a moment. "My friends are dead. Is that not punishment enough? We were just trying to recover from hard times. Yes, the way we went about it was…misguided and wrong. But as you pointed out, I am inconsequential next to the one you truly wish to find."
Radagast ground his teeth. It was true: if a sorceress was behind what was happening to the elves, then apprehending her was more important than this despicable fellow. Gandalf looked equally displeased with the notion, but eventually nodded gruffly. Radagast glared at the man. Fine, they could let him go. After all, a wizard had all the time in the world to track him down again later.
Radagast jabbed the end of his staff toward Cain. "Start moving. And don't try anything." From the crook of his arms, Norman curled his lip and bared his tiny fangs.
Cain put his hands up and slowly turned around to weave his way through the trees, the wizards following close behind. The man led them for about half a mile to the edge of the sheer rock face where an old tree was so distorted, it appeared to be bowing its head to the ground in reverence to the mountain. Radagast eyed it curiously when Cain walked straight up to it and ducked underneath. The wizards exchanged a look, realizing how difficult it might have been for them to find this place on their own.
"Gandalf," Radagast said in a hushed voice. "What if it's a trap?"
The Grey Wizard took a deep breath and exhaled calmly. "Then you may turn the weasel into a frog." With that, he started forward to enter the cave.
Norman whined, and Radagast patted him gently before setting him on the ground. "Perhaps it's best if you wait outside, my friend."
The fox yipped sharply in protest and ran in a tight circle before bouncing up on his back legs.
Radagast smiled. "You are brave indeed. Alright. But at the first sign of danger, hide." He scooped Norman up again and set him on his shoulder. Then he strode after Gandalf.
The tunnel leading into the mountain had torch sconces lit and set into the rock walls every five yards. More light pulsed from a larger source deeper inside where the shaft opened up into a cavern. Radagast's gaze immediately went to the shelves of jars and vials containing animal parts soaked in amber liquid, or dried bones and herbs simply stacked like biscuits.
"Those are not ingredients for a stew," he uttered to Gandalf.
The Grey Wizard's beard twitched, eyes narrowing on a stone altar in the middle of the chamber. Radagast felt a chill run up his spine as he also took in the cauldron and bundles of dried herbs with poisonous properties. How could he have missed that a witch had established herself in Mirkwood? And by the looks of things, she had been here a good long while. Preparing for this, perhaps? She had obviously gone to great trouble to target the wood-elves, and Radagast mentally berated himself for not catching it sooner.
Gandalf turned to Cain, who was standing by a table speckled with leftover herbs. "Where is she?"
The man shifted in discomfort and muttered unhappily, "Probably out looking for me."
Well, then maybe the wizards could be the ones to set a trap for once. Radagast walked slowly around the perimeter of the cavern, scrutinizing every item and knick-knack. "What did she use for the spell?"
"I don't know. It was ready when we brought her the elf."
Norman jumped from Radagast's shoulder to land on the stone table where he stuck his nose to the granite and began to sniff furiously. The fox sneezed then and looked up at the Brown Wizard with flattened ears. Radagast's stomach clenched as Norman relayed that Legolas had been on that altar.
He whirled toward the man accusingly. "You held him down though, so you witnessed what she did."
Gandalf's eyes sharpened, ire darkening the shadows already cast on his face by the low fires.
Cain paled under both wizards' glares. "I swear, I don't know what she did. I didn't even recognize the language she spoke when she cast it."
Radagast was sorely tempted to turn the man into a frog after all since he appeared to be no longer useful. But then he had a thought, and canted his head at Norman. "Can you sniff out the spell ingredients?"
One tan ear flicked sideways doubtfully, but the fox pressed his snout to stone once more.
"You're madder than her," Cain mumbled under his breath.
Radagast huffed, but didn't deign to respond. He merely watched and waited for the fox to find something. Gandalf moved past him to investigate the back of the cavern concealed behind one of the tiered shelf units.
It was then that Cain bent down and reached for something underneath the table. Radagast barely had time to understand the significance of the tiny muslin pouch before the man tossed it across the room and into the hearth. The bag exploded, a powerful shockwave bursting out and striking Radagast in the chest, propelling him backward into the shelves. He crashed into them with a pained cry as bottles and jars rained down upon him, showering him in broken glass and sticky substances. Dimly, he heard Norman yelp and Gandalf shout.
Radagast tried to regain his feet, but before he could, the mountain gave a massive, low groan. Silt shook loose from the ceiling, and Radagast's eyes widened. "Gandalf!"
The Brown Wizard scrambled forward on his hands and knees, searching frantically for Norman as the ground jolted and rocks came raining down. Some smashed into pieces across the stone altar, while others knocked one of the torches off the wall. Dirt and dust filled the chamber with a murky cloud.
Hands suddenly grabbed Radagast and hauled him to his feet. He tried to shove Gandalf off, wanting to find Norman, but he could barely see. Another violent judder ripped through the entire mountain, and both wizards pitched forward to hit the ground. Radagast threw his arms up to shield his head against the pelting stones. When the bombardment finally ended and the mountain fell still, he lifted his head, blinking as his eyes watered from the sting of dust.
"Norman?" he called tentatively.
A small bark responded, and in the next moment, the tiny fox bounded over, his tawny coat covered in dirt. Radagast patted his head, sneezing at the resulting puff of powder. Next to him, Gandalf pushed himself upright with a grunt, and Radagast sensed when the Grey Wizard tensed. As he looked up through the slowly clearing haze, Radagast gulped at the mound of rocks completely filling the tunnel exit.
"Well," he said after a moment. "I guess it was a trap after all."
Cain staggered out of the cave as a cloud of dust billowed out on his heels. He plowed into the misshapen tree as the ground once more shook under his feet, and cursed as he fought his way past the prickly branches. When he finally cleared it, he tripped and sprawled to an abrupt stop at Mornince's feet.
The woman looked down at him, lips pursed in a tight mien. After a long moment where she simply stared at him, heaving on the ground, she spoke. "Well done."
He coughed to clear the dust from his throat, but would not dream of asking her for something as simple as water. "I was almost killed," he accused.
She waved a dismissive hand. "You weren't even harmed, just as I said you wouldn't be."
Clenching his fists, Cain quickly got to his feet. Mornince strode around him and lifted her arms above her head. Deep, heavy sounding words fell from her tongue, and runes carved into the mountainside began to glow gray, then smoldered to black before disappearing.
"There," she said. "A tomb befitting two of the Istari."
"Are you sure that's going to hold them?" Cain asked nervously. He'd thought those two old men were nothing to be concerned about when he first saw them, but meeting them up close today had changed his mind. Now there were people on both sides of this mess who had the ability to rip him to shreds, and would gladly do so. He was beginning to think that if he must die, a simple execution by the elves would be easier.
Mornince angled a smug look at him. "Radagast is hardly a great wizard, and Gandalf, while powerful, is still no match for me."
Cain furrowed his brow doubtfully, but didn't argue. "Well, what now? You've just buried our only shelter in these woods. It'll be dark soon and the spiders will come out."
Her lips twitched, as though she found that thought amusing. "We will have to make do for a little longer, but soon we will begin making our way to the Elvenking's halls."
Cain gaped at her. "And you'll what, simply walk in?"
Mornince's eyes glittered. "Oh, yes. Because by then, no one will be around to stop me." She turned away from the cave-in, pausing at Cain's side to tuck a finger under his chin. "Stop fretting, pet. Everything is working out exactly as I'd planned."
Cain gritted his teeth, but didn't say anything, and he suppressed a shudder when Mornince finally moved away from him. If he was smart, he would run now. But as he gazed around the darkening woods, he realized he had nowhere to go and no means to protect himself from the evil denizens that would soon be stirring. So with a resigned shake of his head, he turned and followed after the sorceress.