Avp: We would like to thank you for the wonderful reviews. We are now back to our usual Wednesday updates. There were a few questions about Ren, and we would like to reassure you that you will be able to see his opinion about all this in the near future.
Ren: My opinion is that whoever keeps eating all my cookies is going to lose their Valar be damned hands! *Hissing and stalking around the house.*
Cubby: *Has 2 pillows stuffed with cookies.*
Hyano: *Has 3 jars of cookies under her bed.*
Avp: Well um… Enjoy the show! I need to go figure out how I am going to lock my closet… for no real reason at all… *Runs off.*
CA Productions
Disclaimer: See first chapter.
Chapter 19 - The Seed of Past is the Tree of Future
It wasn't far in the past when Isengard was flooded by the river Isen, the tower engulfed from all sides by the unrelenting currents of the water, sending all brooding fire to nothing, destroying the uruk-hai breeding chambers. The flood left behind many pools which would have created a marshland, making the land unable to produce another forest in the stead of the one that was destroyed thanks to the traitor white wizard of the past.
That was the time when tree herders walked these lands more frequently, helping the flood to pass and preparing the soil for a new generation of trees. The ancient creatures of magic had done enormous work, tirelessly ensuring the perfect development of the new forest, but pulled back to the equally as aged trees in the west, trusting the rest of the effort to the new White wizard.
And so far, they really should not feel betrayed or let down. The forest is developing without fail.
And yet, here he is, an ancient tree herder now stood in front of the great tower of Isengard, appearing like a giant next to the young trees, but as a dwarf compared to the structure that almost seemed to touch the sky. The herder was enormous, standing as tall as the tallest tree in the western forest, his yellow leaves and the white color of his bark indicated that he was of aspen tree descent. The tree herder stopped at the tower, careful of the young saplings, then stood in waiting. Like Gandalf, tree herders were very patient creatures. Despite having two legs they spent much of their time in one place, standing and speaking with the trees both young and old.
Hyano was on her way to the tower after noticing the creature, though, -unlike Gandalf who opted to approach- she kept her distance. She was not sure if it was safe to be around something like a tree herder. They were very sensitive creatures. Sensitive to actions, looks, and the aura of a being. Hyano was not sure she would be safe around the large being just yet so she kept a distance.
"I wish you good day, tree herder." The White wizard greeted him as he arrived, walking up to the ancient creature, standing in front of him, and pulled up a hand to shield his eyes from the sunlight as he tried to meet the gaze of the being. "What can I thank the honor for your visit to us today?" he asked, wishing to know what he was doing at the tower. Tree herders are rare around here, only started to visit more after Saruman's overthrowing and the fight here with the uruk-hai and orcs. They mostly came with important messages or inquiries. He wondered what he wanted this time.
The tree herder bowed his head to the wizard out of respect before starting to speak. A low and long voice greeted the wizard's ears.
"News has reached me of your work with the young wizard. I wish to see your progress. The saplings here are very young and easily influenced. I do not want a presence like Saruman being here as they are only fragile saplings still." he explained to the white wizard.
Hyano blinked. Well, great. So she had to meet the big tree man. This was going to be very unnerving at best.
Well, this was something that Gandalf did not expect. At least not this soon. Trees talk slowly basically, and information flows slower than among people... He didn't expect a visit like this for a couple more years. And so soon after the elves... Something told him they might have to do something with this... He flashed a very relaxed smile at the being, standing as determinedly as possible.
"Our progress is extraordinary. Her love to nature is without doubt and the dark influence only exists in her mind now. The darkness left her physical form, so no bad influence will reach the younglings. I am also always present when she works and helps around. If there was something wrong, I would have seen it and forbidden her to take care of the saplings." he informed the creature as best as he could, putting as much determination in his words as he could, but also said it rather softly and as reassuringly as possible.
"While I trust your judgment, White wizard, you must understand that after the occurrence with Saruman it would only be foolish of me not to see for myself." the herder said not wanting to repeat the same mistake twice. Trusting in the word of a white wizard was no longer in itself enough. Saruman had made sure to that after killing so many trees.
Hyano bit her lip then stepped up looking a little like a mud monster since she was covered head to toe in the substance.
"Um...hello." she said with a wave standing beside Gandalf, slightly uncertain but happy to meet such an ancient creature and see him this close.
The older istar raised an eyebrow and released a chuckle as he turned his gaze towards her, laughing a little.
"What in the name of all the Valar happened to you?" He asked then poked her with his staff, probing the mud a little. The trees failed to mention her state of... color. He couldn't help but keep laughing, stepping away from her. "Well... here she is... Not exactly in her natural color. Perhaps it would be best if you cleaned yourself first." he kept laughing, and patted her with his staff, urging her away. While he did feel offended by the distrust shown by the tree herder, he couldn't exactly blame them. After Saruman's treachery...
Thought the tree herder himself was brown in appearance he knew that wasn't the natural state of a wizard and chuckled lightly to himself.
Hyano blushed and smiled sheepishly. Well so far so good.
"Yes, alright. I will go get cleaned up... you should too." she said with a smirk before hugging the older wizard making sure to get him muddy before bolting inside. If she didn't get in trouble for that one she didn't know what would. However she couldn't help it. Just the very idea was far too good to pass up. She just hoped she could run faster than Gandalf could turn a spell to zap her with.
Some of the mud that was on Hyano's robe was now decorating Gandalf's perfect white one. He just stood there, blinking, still trying to make sense of what is happening; only looking down once she let him go.
"Excuse me for a moment..." He told the ancient creature before turning and waving at a bee not far away from him to go and do something for him, while he turned back and smiled at the tree herder.
The insect nodded and flew off, following the young wizard with high speed, easily keeping up with her, before landing on her back, and simply crawled under her robe. It did not sting her of course, but having something small run around your skin isn't exactly the most comfortable feeling.
Hyano let out a high pitched squeal as the bee got into her clothes making her jerk and almost dance the little insect's feet tickling her.
"Ahhhh! Out out out!" she yelled trying her best not to fall over or hit the bee, not wanting to hurt or kill it. That so wasn't fair. Bees, while very fierce in their own right, were also easily hurt. Their bodies were so small and fragile. She quickly ran to the wash room and started stripping as quickly as she could, hoping to rid herself of the little pest as quickly as she could.
The bee however had a mission to do! And the task was given by the white wizard himself!
It crawled out of the clothes as best as it could before buzzing around her and finally... landing at the center of her back, where she can't reach it. It started tapping its tiny legs on her skin, walking in a circle and buzzing still, shaking its wings to be prepared to fly if things get ugly. If she manages to reach it, her hair will be its next target... or should it just fly around her and bite her nose? Who knows... Depends on her actions.
Hyano arched her back, stiffening.
"Eeek! Ah, it tickles!" she squealed out. Part of her wanted to jump in the water but that may instantly drown the little creature on her back. This was very much not fair. She finally got an idea and quickly grabbed a bucket full of water and poured. Hopefully this would get the little critter off without hurting him. Might make it so he can't fly for a while but he should still be fine. She hoped.
Having not seen the threat, the bucket of water came suddenly, causing the bee to be washed down by the water and landed on the ground on its back. However insects are of course tougher than other beings, so survived the fall easily. It started wiggling its legs and flapped its wings, buzzing, trying to get back on its legs. Finally, managing it in a few tries, the bee shook itself before walking off, shaking its wings to try and get rid of the water. As the young wizard predicted, the bee was unable to fly, so crawled off on a rug and started cleaning its wings and body with its tiny legs, while it shook its wings, trying to dry them off first.
Hyano panted, shivering.
"C-cold." she shivered. She had not thought ahead enough to think about just how cold the water might be. She looked towards the bee then walked over and knelt behind it. "You alright, little one? Sorry but you were setting my nerves on fire." she said with a giggle then reached down and careful stroked a finger down the little bee's back being careful not to put too much pressure on it. She always found it funny how bees were so fuzzy yet most of their cousins were all smooth and hard.
The bee buzzed an alright, but soon grasped her hand and climbed on it, not exactly liking to be stroked like this. Mostly because her hand was wet and smeared more water on its already wet wings and body, and it wasn't used to touch. It resumed cleaning itself on her hand as punishment, not budging from its spot, shaking its wings once more, before walking about again and towards her shoulder, wanting to have a higher spot when it will try to fly again.
Hyano shivered, the bee's little feet still making her nerves tingle. She had a hard time understanding how something so small could have such an effect on someone. Though, paper cuts would be another example of this. Sometimes you didn't even know you had one until it started to burn. They could be very painful. She sighed then took a wash rag and got it wet and covered in suds before starting to wash herself off being mindful of the bee on her shoulder. She couldn't really take a bath with a bee on her so she would have to do it the long and hard way.
The bee decided to take a very long time to clean itself from every drop of water and shook its wings dry even if they were already prepared to fly as it pleased. However it was more of a revenge. It kept staying on her shoulder until she was done bathing, then when she was just done, -like nothing happened- simply took off and flew outside through a window, buzzing loudly.
Sly little bee.
Hyano couldn't help thinking about stealing honey later but dismissed the idea and quickly got dressed again. She walked outside and smirked at Gandalf, who was still having a long and slow conversation with the tree herder.
"Very funny." she said then looked up at the tree man. He seemed pleased with the display.
"The elves were wrong to worry so much. I can see you are doing very well. I can sense very little darkness here. Good." The ancient creature said, bending down slightly to take a better look.
Hyano couldn't help but laugh mentally. The elves could talk all they wanted. She proved herself already. Well, so far anyway. She still had far to go, even she knew that.
Gandalf smiled at the tree herder as he reacted positively and felt the change in her state.
"Of course you have the right to worry. These are your descendants and their future is at stake. And after Saruman... I am not surprised. I hope we can establish the same trust as we had before all this... If there is a problem, I won't hesitate to send word to you." He tried reassuring the ancient creature, putting a hand on Hyano's shoulder and patted it. "She is an excellent helper as well. She is taking care of half of the young forest and is doing it well. I don't hear any distress from there." He praised her, before redirecting his gaze to the being and stepped closer. "What is the news of the old forest? Everything is in order? I haven't heard many whispers nowadays from the old trees."
The tree herder's eyes became sad as soon as the White brought up the old forest, causing the creature to stood up straight again, the wood within his ancient body creaking and groaning with this simply movement.
"The older the trees are the more they are losing their voice. In the world to come all of these trees will lose their natural voice and soon after, I and my brothers will not be here to protect them anymore." he said honestly. It seemed the elves and wizards were not the only ones who were being affected by the shift.
"Yes... we feel the change too..." Came the comment from the older wizard, shifting his gaze to the ground, before looking up at the much bigger creature, sighing. "The elves are fleeing Middle-Earth, and we will soon follow across the sea. The istari cannot continue their work in this world. We are done, our work is finished as it seems... And we are needed elsewhere still. However..." He stopped briefly to pat the young wizard's shoulder once more. "Hyano will stay back and take care of this world, the trees and the race of Man. Her much younger body and mind will be able to withstand the change much longer. But she will follow as well once she cannot stand it." He trailed off, taking a deep breath. He was trying to think of something, for years was he debating to try and help these creatures reach the land across the sea, but they are simply too big. No ship will carry them so long... And while they can withstand water for a while, they will drown as well soon if they were to try and cross the sea by themselves.
Hyano heard this and couldn't help feeling sympathetic for the bigger creature. Unlike themselves, the creatures of nature could not flee the shift in magic. "What will you do?" she asked quietly, although she knew nobody heard her question.
The creature could see the debate in the wizard's eyes and smiled a little before leaning down.
"It is not your place to save my kind, White wizard. We would not leave even if we had the chance to. My people were both born and raised in this world, so this is where we will stay. We will walk among the young ones until we can no longer walk anymore and then we will become like the trees we protect. There is little to be done about it... However... when you do leave for the new world… plant these." he said then pulled out a rather large pouch made of leaves and full of large seeds. "These are the new generation of tree herders. We have found it unsafe to plant them in this world. It would bring us ease of mind if you would take them with you and allow them to grow and protect the world to come." he asked.
Hyano blinked. She had never really thought about where tree herders came from. They just always were. She guessed they would have had to come from somewhere. The seeds were large and seemed heavy. No wonder. They will become enormous creatures who will live until the end of the next world.
Gandalf reached out and took the large pouch from the tree herder, which was surprisingly light. Seeing it was made of leaves. The seeds themselves didn't weight as much either as he predicted. He gave the ancient creature a reassuring smile.
"Do not worry, my friend. I will make sure to plant them and look out for them until they grow large enough to be protectors. As much as I know of the new world we will sail to, trees are already waiting there, but unprotected and scarce. They do need the ancient knowledge of the herders with which they are born with." He said, and made the mental note to put the seeds in the storage room, on one of the shelves, or perhaps give it to the elves for guarding. He cannot accidentally plant them... and they need the cooler temperature to stay alive. Just a few more years, and they will be planted.
"Thank you, Gandalf. It has been an honor. I shall be back every so often to check in on the young one's progress. If she is to be the last wizard of this world then, while we still walk Middle-Earth she should have good relations with us." he said then stood up once more. "We will be listening if you need us, wizards." he added with a bow of his head before starting to walk. Again, he was careful of the young ones around him.
Hyano sighed as she watched the giant creature leave, feeling each of his steps even when he was farther away. How could she have missed this being when he approached, she didn't know. "Well, that turned out better than I thought it would."
"I had no doubt in his judgment." Gandalf said finally, not turning towards Hyano. His mind was already at the loss of these creatures once they have no magic anymore to keep them moving. While they will still be alive even after this, they cannot fulfill their ancient task of protecting the trees. This might be the greatest torment for them once the time comes. "He saw what I knew he would. The elves overreacted and you have made quite the progress since then. You are almost clean." Yes, the darkness is indeed very little now, if not nonexistent, but he can only truly cleanse her soul and body once she forgets about the Ringwraith, because her desperate clinging to his memory is causing some of the darkness to stay. This of course is already in progress. She will forget about him soon enough. "Now..." he sighed, gesturing towards the pouch in his hands. "Let us find a good place for these seeds. They cannot be placed on the ground, nor can they be in water or on wet floor or they will sprout their roots..."
"Somewhere dry and off the ground..." she mumbled to herself. "We need to keep them away from the kitchen then. If ever I boil anything and the steam reaches the seeds we will be in trouble... Maybe in the basement on a shelf?" she suggested. It would be about as good as they could get for now. "Maybe when the elves come back we should give the seeds to them. The elves could start work and figuring out how to make sure the seeds make it across the waters without getting wet. If it rains or water splashes over the side of the boat you all are going to have a lot of problems very quickly."
"Oh yes... the sea has salt in its water and the seeds would die rather quickly." Gandalf said and made his way back to the tower. "The basement should do for now, but once the elves come back, I will make sure to warn them about this. I am sure they will figure something out by the time the seeds need to be put on a boat. I will not let them take them with them before it is time for my departure." He walked down the steps towards the basement, careful to not drop his precious cargo, and stopped when they reached the basement. However the basement itself was... full with everything. Many things were stored in here what they don't need at the moment or simply could only be stored at this dry and dark, cool environment. He hummed and let his eyes wander the shelves. "Cast some more light, Hyano. I can't see the shelves at the back. It is too dark." He called out, and kept surveying the basement. No place so far... maybe the shelves at the back...
"Um... how?" The younger-looking wizard asked him, putting her hands up. Hyano may have forgotten many things but the fact she couldn't use magic at the moment was not one of them. She giggled lightly then held her hands out. "Here, how about I hold the seeds and you cast the light and find a spot?" she suggested. She had yet to complain about the fact she couldn't use magic. She had spent much of her time living alone and she actually didn't use magic all that much. So living without it again actually felt kind of nice, like she was getting back to the basics.
The White wizard suddenly remembered the cuffs he put on her wrists and looked around. He was already too far back to go and swap with her and knew what they don't need and can easily hand them to her. She can lift weight better than him.
"Do you see the torches? At the far left one, there are some pebbles. Those are firestones. Light it and bring it here... I think I have found a spot..." he shouted back at her as he turned towards one shelf, frowning and looking closer, but apparently this spot was empty. This should do. He just wanted to make sure...
Hyano shrugged before doing as told. One of the sparks from the fire stone nicked her finger but besides that it was easy. She lit the torch, figuring she would only need the one then walked over to him, being careful not to get too close. She did not want to risk setting the bag on fire. She imagined having to tell the tree herder what happened. That was a quick way to change someone's mind about her. Light their offspring on fire. Just perfect.
"Are you sure they will be alright over here?" she asked wanting to be sure herself.
Gandalf sighed and shook his head, his eyes wandering on the shelves.
"No..." Was his curt reply and glared at the little creatures which started to squeak as the light came closer, complaining about it blinding them. They were used to the darkness by now. "Mice..." He sighed again and shook his head. "They will forget my request to not eat these seeds in no time... I absolutely refuse putting them in here..." He backed off, having no good connection with mice. While they were just like the other creatures and were to be respected as such, they are rather forgetful and insolent at times, making them not as welcome guests wherever they are. Not even among wizards. They tend to nibble and eat their food, herbs or any ingredients they need. "Alright then... basement out of question... Storage room? It might have some earth in it and slightly dump... I can't leave them anywhere else though..."
"Well... as long as we look at them every so often we should be fine. I can see to them in the morning and you can do so before bed. This should help prevent any problems." Hyano said, watching as the mice ran about. She would have to remember to ask Ship what he thought of mice. The reaction might be rather funny, like asking a troll what he thought of a hobbit. While they were similar in many ways, there were obvious differences and this ended in the two not liking each other much.
"Are you sure they are going to listen to us?" The White wizard raised an eyebrow and met Hyano's green gaze with his blue ones, the question present in his expressions. "I know I am going to roast each alive if these seeds get as much as a scratch." Gandalf warned, which caused some of the mice to back down, knowing his threat is not empty. He did try to reason with these creatures all too many times, asking nicely is not one thing that will make these rodents listen. They needed to be intimidated and put into their place. With this, the old wizard put the pouch with the seeds on the shelf and glared at the grey creatures. "None of you dare nibble on this and what is inside. If I find one single bite, you are all in for it. And once I close the door, there is no way out." He looked at each mouse which he had in his field of vision and noticed the fear and respect in their black eyes, nodding at him curtly and eagerly.
Hyano couldn't help but start laughing. It wasn't that she couldn't see Gandalf doing just that but seeing him like this was just funny to her.
"Sneaky and scary. Are you sure you are on the right side, Gandalf?" The orange istar teased him.
The old wizard chuckled and shook his head, laughing. "Oh, then you didn't yet see me angry, Hyano. Not even irritated." He turned back and started walking back to the entrance of the basement, not really wishing to stay in the cool and dark room. He started climbing the steps. "Come. Let us hope they understand the threat. I will repeat it every day."
Before following him however, she reached out and picked up one of the mice. "You all heard the old man. Be good or be roasted. However, if you are good and tell us if anything goes wrong, I might just be nice and give you something for it." she said. This felt a lot like talking to a goblin. They often needed something in return if they were to follow orders from an orc of any rank. They had a nasty habit of either forgetting or not caring.
The mouse the younger wizard was holding was insolent enough to ask back what she is willing to give, which caught the attention of the other mice as well.
Hyano giggled then looked at the mouse with a smirk.
"Well, if you keep watch on the seeds for us, I might be nice enough to see about getting you some actual cheese. However, keep that attitude up and your reward will be the ability to keep breathing because I will find your nest and set the whole lot of you on fire." her last sentence was a very deadly warning as she put the mouse back. "Be good now." she said with a wave before following Gandalf out.
The White wizard raised an eyebrow as she spoke and followed her with his gaze as she stepped after him, then went past him.
"Well... We could talk about who is being sure about which side they are on." He chuckled, and after casting a last glance and glare at the mice, he went up the stairs again then closed the door, locking it. They didn't want anyone sneaking in there, now do they? After a few seconds, his blue eyes wandered down at his robe and noticed the... mud prints she left on him. It had a rather noticeable contrast with the white robe of the wizard. He sighed and shifted his gaze at the young one again, raising an eyebrow and tapping a foot on the floor, crossing his arms over his chest, awaiting explanation.
Hyano noticed his annoyance and it took her a moment to realize what had gotten his attention. Oh yes... She had gotten him dirty. She couldn't help a slight smirk, however. If he was still a grey it would be fine, nothing really shows on grey anyway. Radagast had been lucky in the fact he could get dirt as it gets and not a person would notice.
"What? It was funny." she pointed out figuring that was more than enough reason. At least in her mind anyway. "Besides I thought you loved my hugs." she said in a playfully sad voice like he was rejecting her affection.
"I like your hugs." he told her, still having the same expression on his face. "But I like the mud less." He told her, a glare appearing on his face slowly, gripping his staff tighter; he stepped closer to her, pointing it in her direction. His aura seemed to change each second to something darker, then suddenly he brought the staff forward and poked her with it. "You are it." He said calmly, then as fast as he could, he bolted away, leaving nothing but dust where he was, running off rather quickly. How could he even be angry at anyone? He wasn't one to hold a grudge or make a fuss about mud on his clothes... Oh, if she knew what more decorated it all at once years back...
Hyano blinked as she was tapped with the staff. If she was to be honest, for a moment she felt like she was in front of Ren again. They were both the same height and similar build and his aura made her flash back. However, she shook off the thought and grinned.
"Not fair! I was already it!" she called out then ran after the old man. He was far too much fun. She wished that she had gotten to spend more time with Gandalf and Radagast. Maybe she wouldn't have felt so lonely and had welcomed Ren into her life so easily. Or maybe if she had been able to travel like they did. But in order to keep a good track of the little wizard she was asked to stay in that forest. No one wanted her getting into trouble and not being able to find her.
HA!
A lot of good that did to them.
-Next day early in the morning-
The moon never saw the surface of Middle-Earth this night. Angry clouds swirled, blocking its view from those below, as if they were jealous of its brilliant light and wanted to punish it in return. The wind picked up as soon as the sun went down, carrying the thick blanket of clouds right along, collecting them greedily. Rain fell as if someone poured the water from an enormous bucket when morning started to approach, coming all too suddenly. For all those who spent the morning on the surface of the lands, they could think that fog is covering it. The rivers quickly gained size; usually silent lakes stepped out from their beds. Lightning, followed by loud thunder shook the mountains and forests, bathing them briefly into a white gleam.
The sun's first rays for the day forced themselves through the tiniest cracks among the clouds.
Hyano woke up to the sound of rain. She blinked her eyes lazily and looked around. She heard a loud crack and cringed before realizing what was going on. A storm. A very bad one at that. She stood up, went to the window and her eyes widened. Scratch that... A horrible one! The ground was already starting to flood. Hyano didn't even take the time to get dressed before running into the hall.
"Gandalf! The saplings are going to drown!" she screamed as she ran quickly. The young trees would not survive a flood like this. They would be dead before the next day. However, her mind was buzzing trying to figure out how in Middle-Earth she would be able to save at least half of them let alone the whole lot.
The White wizard -a story above her room- woke up with a start and gasped.
"What?" He blinked and frowned, not exactly sure if he was dreaming or not that she called out. Today he took his time to sleep in, having predicted the rain... But not exactly a storm. He thought they won't need to water the saplings today anyway. The loud thunder however woke him up instantly and made him jump up. "Hyano?" he asked, then walked up to the window, seeing the rather harsh storm. The wind blew harshly and the rain fell like waterfall. He gritted his teeth and realized what she said wasn't a dream. He quickly got dressed and took his staff, hurrying down as well after the younger wizard, and out of the tower. His eyes searched the ground for the land patch where they grew the newborn saplings, and found it... under water.
Great.
Not wasting time, he hurried to them and quickly cast the same magic as he did with the well, and let some of the water hover and threw it away somewhere farther.
"We need to lift the ground at least around them to not let the water flow back! I can raise a shield above them and keep it until the storm lasts!" Gandalf shouted as he repeated the actions again, a cracking lightning appearing behind him, illuminating his determined face.
Hyano came out with a rather large pot.
"Understood!" she called and without a second thought she started digging up the dirt around the saplings, bringing it up, creating something like a dirt fence around the poor children. She got halfway through when a rather harsh wind hit her head on with a fallen branch, knocking her to the ground. Despite it being small, it did a good job in knocking the wind right out of her. It cut up her arms a little but she didn't let it stop her, so quickly pushed it off and got back to work. She was going to feel horrible once this madness was said and done.
The White wizard didn't see this as he was busy concentrating on his magic, lifting the last bits of excessive water from the newborns. After this was done, he lifted his hands, grasping his staff tighter and pushed upwards, creating a force shield. He stared up at the storm clouds, almost glaring at them, angry that they are emptying their excessive water on the fragile saplings. He had half the mind to use his magic and force them away but if nature so wanted this now, so be it. He will not stand in its way. He stayed like this, like stone as if he was a statue, standing guard and protecting these 'children' from death. He just hoped that Hyano was doing well and finished the block.
Said younger wizard did finish and was left panting, her body covered in mud and cuts. She took a minute to catch her breath and brush some of the water from her face but it was quickly replaced as the water continued coming. She gritted her teeth and glared at the sky. Despite all the work they had done trying to cleanse her, she could feel her anger boiling and flooding out. She knew this was just nature at work but that didn't stop her from being angry at it all the same. Why now? Could it not wait until the saplings were at least a little stronger? If only she wasn't wearing these cursed cuffs!
The storm might have been harsh and came suddenly, but it also relieved itself from all the water quickly as well, the angry almost black clouds parted, letting through the promising first rays of the sun. Soon, the rain fell slowly, then stopped altogether as suddenly as the storm came. Most of the remaining clouds were swept away by the coming gentle wind, travelling to the east, gathering water once more.
The White wizard stopped holding the shield after a while, already as the rain was scarce, letting the saplings catch the small water now. They did need it after all. He sighed and took in a deep breath, closing his eyes, taking in the scent of the pure land as it was cleansed by the rain, the fresh scent of the rain itself and the wet earth. He smiled slightly, then finally remembering the young wizard, so turned around and searched for her with his gaze.
The istar he was looking for was tired and frustrated. Her arms hurt and her body felt drenched to the bone. She was panting heavily as she walked towards the older wizard. She felt so limp and angry.
"Nature... can kiss my staff." she said bluntly then looked towards the little trees. She felt her frustration melt away a little and smiled softly then knelt beside them and let her now bloody hand stroke over one of the little tree leafs. "You just lived through a water based hell. Good job, little ones." she said proudly.
The White wizard raised an eyebrow as he saw first that she was dripping with water. He chuckled, smiling.
"Nature is what keeps us all alive, Hyano. Do not mock it or it might bring us a drought and dry out the river and the lakes..." he warned, but playfully. "Why didn't you stand under my shield once you were done. You could have built the block even under it; you wouldn't have been drenched like this." He said, then tilted his head a little to the side when he directed his gaze to her hands. They were covered with blood. He did not know what happened and what could have happened to make her this bloody. As far as he knew there was nothing sharp around... or did he miss something? "What happened to your hands? Let me see them..." he trailed off and looked down, making sure to not step on any of the saplings as he made his way to the young wizard and held out his hand to see her hands more closely and inspect the wound.
Hyano looked at her hands and lifted her arms so he could see.
"I got hit by a branch. Probably wouldn't have caused this much damage if the wind hadn't been so strong." she told him, her mind finally processing the pain she was in, making her cringe slightly. She had been so into what she was doing that she didn't have time to consider it until now. "I didn't get under the shield because I was running around trying to make sure the older saplings didn't get hit by objects or knocked over by the wind." she added, figuring she might as well answer his question while she was at it.
Gandalf just shook his head, his blue eyes searching her hand and her wounds in his gentle grip, turning the hands slightly to get a better look.
"You can't use magic, Hyano. If something was hurled in their direction, there was really nothing you could have done to prevent the disaster. Sadly this is the law of nature. Not all saplings survive in the forests either, only just a few. Excluding this forest, where we take care of them and so more survive. But not all will make it even with our help..." He commented sadly, then let his hands be engulfed by a golden-white glow and healed the other wizard's hand. After he was done, he let go of her and looking around, surveying their situation. "The newborn ones will survive... At least most of them. We don't know yet what damage the water did to them for those few minutes... We should go and see to the older saplings in the new forest..." He nodded towards the young trees, and started walking.
"I just thought I should try..." she mumbled softly then sighed, knowing he was right. Hyano then moved to follow Gandalf but something caught her eye. A little... creature was swimming in the water towards them. She blinked then realized it was one of the mice that lived in the basement. She quickly picked it up.
"What in the Valar brought you out here? You know you can't swim very well, right?" she asked as the little creature coughed in her hand. Once it got its breath back, it told her it had information but wanted payment first. Hyano got an annoyed look in her eyes. Mice were so annoying.
While she stopped, Gandalf did not as he didn't notice the mouse but kept walking. He noticed the many broken branches made by the wind and different objects that were thrown by the strong air currents. He also heard the distress and the still scared whispers of the young trees, still having a hard time to relax. He walked among them and patted the thin bark of a few of them, caressing them and whispering to them about the sunlight and its warmth, trying to avert their attention to the life-giving source. He proceeded parting the broken branches from the trees, removing thrown rocks from their vicinity and sadly had to mark a few saplings dead... They didn't survive the storm...
Hyano walked inside with the mouse and looked among the food until she found some cheese. She held it right out of the mouse's reach though.
"Tell me or I drop you off of the roof..." she hissed at it, her eyes locked on it like a snake. The mouse shivered before telling her what it knew. Her eyes went wide and she instantly dropped it with the cheese and ran into the basement. What she saw made her gasp.
"GANDALF!" She screamed as she worked her way through the now waterlogged basement. She ran up to the shelf and grabbed the bag full with the seeds the tree herder gave them the other day.
The bottom was wet.
The White wizard frowned and turned around, he could have sworn he heard someone call his name. He blinked a few times, staying in that position until a few saplings confirmed his suspicion Hyano must have called him. But where was she? He turned around fully and looked around. The call didn't come from nearby... She must be somewhere else. He asked the trees to work together and find her around the forest but the search went unsuccessful as none could see her. So, she wasn't here outside.
"Hyano?" he asked, shouting, walking towards the tower. He walked inside and looked around, calling her name, until he found her rather quickly. He saw what she was doing and frowned. "What are you doing?" he asked, stepping closer. "What happened?"
The orange istar cursed under her breath, already having left the basement and having started working through the bag, getting out all the dry seeds until she came to the bottom of the bag. She reached in and pulled out a seed that was soaking wet. She thought for a moment, trying to figure out if she could dry it and it would be alright. However, as she held it she felt a thump...
No...
A beat.
"Damn it!"
Hyano looked at Gandalf briefly while she felt herself panic.
"I... There is a crack in the basement. Some water got in... Most of them are fine but... not this one." She said, holding it like one would hold a fragile egg. She wasn't sure what they were to do. Could they stop the process? Not likely. However, would they be able to grow it safely and how mad the tree herder was bound to be? She cringed at the idea. While she didn't think he would be terribly angry, he would likely not be pleased with this. And would the little plant be small enough still when Gandalf left? She surely hoped so.
The White istar gasped and kneeled down, taking the seed from her and held it in his hands. He actually thought that something bad happened to it, like… something fell on it or cut it open. He didn't know if he should be relieved or horrified when he heard the heartbeat in this case. Should he be relieved that it did not die or go into panic because it is… developing? In the wrong place and the wrong time. He gritted his teeth and held it, just looking at it.
"Well... we certainly can't turn back the process without killing it in any way... We will have to let it grow now..." With this, he stood up carefully and looked around before addressing her again. "For a few days it is enough if it nurtures itself from a pot. Get a pot, fill it with the earth from the earth patch for the young saplings... then we will plant it in it. After it sprouts the first leaves we will have to plant it outside..." The little herder will need to be nurtured in order to survive and develop. While their problem could be solved by not giving any earth for it, it will surely die of hunger... This would upset the tree herders even more... He wasn't one to let nature do its own thing if it decided to take this course of actions. The little tree herder shall live as it pleased if it started to develop.
Hyano nodded then ran to her room. She emptied one of her pots into another one before going outside and taking the fresh wet dirt from the little nursery. She could hear the little saplings whine, not sure what was going on and still too young to voice it. She smiled a little and gave them a few words to calm them down. First, a storm then some of their earth is being taking away. It is no surprise they are confused and scared. She then ran back in. When she had the seed back she pressed it into the dirt being as careful as she could be.
"Gandalf... how long does a herder's growth cycle take?" she asked him curiously.
Said wizard reached out and took the pot, walked over to the window and put it on the windowsill, letting it catch light once its tiny leaves peek out and of course the earth will be warmed up a little by the sunlight. He sighed as he put his hand on the pot and still felt the strong heartbeat, relieved that they managed to take care of this one before it died.
"Well, in a few days its first leafs will develop." He said, turning his gaze to the young wizard. "The first branches will appear in a matter of a week. And from there, it depends on what kind of tree herder we are talking about. Its body will develop under the earth, and then comes out once it is ready. It will be very fragile first but just like a tree, it will get bigger and sturdier with the years."
Hyano looked at the pot then back at Gandalf.
"Will it grow at the same pace as a tree? If it does... maybe it will be able to make the trip still." she said, putting as much hope as she could into this little being. That would just be cruel for it to be born into a world then... to practically be put through hell not too long after. That would be nothing less than a sad reality if it turned out to be true. "It can't stay behind... It will be so young..." she whispered softly.
"I know... and I see no problem with why it couldn't make the trip with me." Gandalf shrugged, confident that he will be able to put it on the boat with which he will leave. "In the few years it should be as big as a human child. The only problem I see will be the lack of water on the trip..." he trailed off, blinking a few times and turned towards the pot. "It can't take the water of the sea, as it has salt in it... It would only destroy it... I think I will need to take a few barrels of water with me as well..." This also meant that some people will have to go with a different boat, as the weight would be already too great with the tree herder and all the barrels of water. "Now... I trust you can watch it while it is in the pot, right?" he told her, and watched her expectantly. "As soon as the first leaves peek out, make sure to tell me. We will plant it outside next to the other newborn saplings. Slightly farther away, though..."
Hyano relaxed a little then smiled and nodded.
"Yes, of course... I will do what I can to help." she assured him walking up to the pot. In all the rush today she had yet to really get dressed. At this point she didn't care. However, this also made the mark on her shoulder -which so far had stayed half black- visible to the wizard. But as she seemed to get more enthralled by the young life in front of her the blackness lifted away from it, leaving it as bright and shining as the day she first got it. She did not notice this, though. She had her hand on the pot, feeling the heartbeat of the little creature inside, feeling how strong it was, how alive. It made her smile.
Just as the tree herder sensed, and just as he suspected.
Gandalf smiled and nodded slightly as her now pure sign was visible to him, pleased with the progress they made. When he found her again, half of her mark was black already. He suspected once it became dark, it might have killed her finally... Or perhaps it would have solved her issue of living in light-less environment? He will never know. And he didn't want to know either. He didn't want to experiment and possibly kill her at the same time. All that mattered was that she started to be herself again, in body and mind as well. His method of letting her help nature so it can help her back is working, just like his magic of memory erasing. Well, he isn't truly able to erase it completely as they will remain with her for the rest of her life, she just won't remember them at all. They will be stored away to never be found again.
"Good." He said finally, giving the pot a last glance before turning around and walking out of the door. "How about we just... relax for the rest of the day, seeing we did quite the work just now. What do you say?" He asked and turned around. He wasn't really keen to go about in this still wet and rainy day. The saplings will have to learn to be more dependent on each other than the wizards.
Hyano looked up at him then nodded.
"Agreed. I think I couldn't work any harder today if I tried." she said jokingly, knowing she would try anyway if she had to. She waved to him as he left. "I will see you in the morning, Gandalf." she said with a smile. She should probably eat but at the moment she wasn't feeling all that hungry despite everything, likely because she was both too tired and more interested in the plant. She waited until Gandalf left before moving a chair over to the window, then put her head down on her arms, one of her hands resting against the pot. The heartbeat started to lull her into a soft sleep. It was one of the nice things about cuddling or being close to someone. Their heartbeat helped one rest.
She wasn't sure why but she really liked it.
-A few months later-
Gandalf, as usual since they planted the tree herder, woke up earlier than the sun rose, just to see to the young forest and check on the small tree herder. He walked about the forest, and patted a few trees, hearing their waking calls as they awoke from their slumber in answer to the sun's very first rays. He smiled and whispered to them, smiling brightly as he noticed a few bushes here and there growing now. With the flora returning some animals will soon make this young forest their home as well. Flowers and herbs started to make themselves known as well. The seeds might have remained from the time when there was a forest to depend upon. Finally, after he finished with this, he turned and made his way to the newborn saplings. The small tree herder was still under the ground, the very top with the leaves and the branches was above the surface to catch light. It looked like a small bush right now...
Hyano came outside a little after Gandalf. The younger wizard's tan had returned by this point since she had spent so much time outside in the past few months. Her hair had also brightened considerably, considering before it had almost been black because she had spent so much time in the caves. She also was always smiling and was back to singing as she worked. She used to love making music. She noticed that sometimes some of the young trees would try and join her. They had a little ways to go before they could create the music of the forest yet. Despite Gandalf's original objection to her cooking for him she had done so almost every day for the past couple of months and was currently holding a bowl for the older wizard, sure he hadn't eaten yet. She walked right up to the developing tree herder and smiled brushing her hand over the leaves in a loving manner, then looked at Gandalf.
"Good morning. Did you sleep well?" she asked him as she held out the bowl to him.
The blue eyed istar almost got a heart attack when she suddenly popped up in his field of vision when he stood, almost jumping in surprise.
"Do not sneak up like that again..." he scolded her playfully, chuckling lightly. "And I told you to not strain yourself..." he gestured towards the bowl in her hand, putting a hand on his hip, giving her a disapproving look, even if he struggled to hold it. Today he was in a good mood as most days nowadays. Mostly it can be thanked by the progress they made. Her memories started to fade even more. This little tree -as he observed in the past months- had a very good effect on her and he knew she will be attached to the little tree-child once it comes out of the ground. She is already, however he didn't know how she will take its departure. He shook his head, smiling, getting rid of these thoughts and took the bowl from her so she can concentrate on her little friend.
"You also said 'don't smoke', yet you smoke more in one day than I do in a year." Hyano teased him as he took the bowl. The younger wizard had been smoking even when she was a small wizard. She got a lot of scolding for it from her older brethren too. However, when she dared them all to stop smoking themselves the majority all left her alone. It had been rather funny in her opinion.
"You were still a child in development... and now you are a healthy adult." Gandalf replied to the smoking matter, scowling but was going at it on the playful side. "I am old, I can do as I please, and my body won't be affected anyway." He chuckled and just then thought about going in for his pipe... He left it in his room... He was about to turn and make his way inside.
Hyano bent down to check the leaves and progress of her little sapling and then noticed something, tilting her head and putting her hand to the ground. The herder's heartbeat was so strong she could feel it in the ground around it.
"How can you tell when the tree herder is going to finally be born?" she asked, hoping Gandalf would know more than she did.
The White wizard stopped and smiled, thinking she was so eager to see the little one. He had to think for a few seconds, falling silent but addressed her again soon. "You feel them move a little, loosening the earth around their limbs for later harsher movements; in addition this trains their limbs for what is to come. This happens mostly at night and causes cracks in the earth around them and their heartbeat will be stronger because of the physical exertion. I don't see any cracks, so it will take some more time I am guessing.
She was about to tell him how strong the heartbeat really was when the ground under her feet actually shook, making her almost fall over onto the bush. Lucky for her, she caught herself, ending up looking like a human bridge over the little bush-like plant. The orange wizard quickly pushed herself to her feet. A rather hard task considering her position but she made it happen nearly falling backwards. Once she had her balance back she grinned.
"I think it might be a little sooner than you think, Gandalf." she said happily. Yes, the older wizard was right. She was rather eager to see the herder finally but that wasn't what was influencing her at the moment. The fact that she could feel the little one's heartbeat through her feet and the sudden movement was more than enough.
The old wizard wanted to help her but in one hand he had the bowl and with the staff he couldn't really catch her without the danger of hurting the tree herder. He frowned when she commented on his last words and shifted his gaze to the little bush-like plant. His keen ears did pick up the sound of movement and couldn't help but chuckle. This also surely was felt by the bigger, much older tree herders as well. He didn't get to yet talk to them; he didn't think it was a problem that they accidentally let one develop. It wasn't their fault. It is hard to keep seeds without water anywhere in this land.
"I think you might be right..." He said and handed her the bowl he was holding and walked over to the little newborn, which was still in the ground. He crouched down and put a hand on the earth next to it, feeling the rather harsh heartbeat and the now more prominent rhythmic movement as it instinctively loosened the earth around its limbs. "A few more hours, I presume. For a tree herder it is just as hard to get out of the earth as it is for a chick to leave its egg. It needs to do it on its own as well. It needs to suffer a little in order to become strong."
Hyano nodded her agreement as she took the bowl from him. She had a good feeling they would not be the only ones here to see the little tree's birth. The herders all had to know by now, if by nothing else the trees would have told them. While she was sure the herder would be a little displeased, part of her believed this was a good thing. This way Gandalf would have some good experience with a young herder before he got over the sea. Also, an older brother would make the growth of the new herders in the new land much easier. Who knows what they would be coming up against in the new world? She started to hear the whispers of the plants and heard them talk of a herder on his way there. Well, that answered that question.
"I would prepare him something to eat but I'm sure all the food I can make would just offend him." she said jokingly.
The whispers of the trees didn't go unnoticed by the older wizard either as he hummed then stroked the leaves of the small tree herder as it still moved under the earth, trying to urge him and motivate him to come out. Gandalf stood up and brushed off some dirt from his white robe before turning towards the young forest, knowing the much older creature will come from that direction.
"Relax, that you are a woman doesn't mean you need to spend your days in the kitchen." He chuckled at this and shook his head then took a few steps towards the forest, wanting to meet the herder a little farther away from the small saplings. While he knew the being would surely look out and not step on them, he couldn't take any risks.
"Kind of hard when all the men I know couldn't boil water. It's a wonder you were considered the best in potion making, Gandalf." Hyano teased, following his example and moved away from the young trees. For some reason there was a difference between making potions and making a meal, even though they included many of the same things. Boiling water, finding and preparing ingredients, checking them regularly, following instructions perfectly. Yet for some crazy reason the only istar Hyano knew of that could cook besides herself was probably Saruman. How in Middle-Earth such a stiff high-nosed man ever was able to force himself to cook was beyond her. She still had a hard time believing he had actually created that meal but everyone had vouched for the fact that the now dead White wizard could in fact cook. He just believed it was peasant work. The only reason he did it that time was because there was no one else to do it and he valued his taste buds just a little more than his pride and in a way used it to insult the little wizard refusing to even let her try. It had been an annoying day in her opinion.
"Potions are different... They don't have to taste nice..." Gandalf chuckled as he moved even more forward, having heard the extra footsteps. This place won't be enough for both to stand here and talk to them... They will need to move to one of the few clearings. "I am mostly messing up at the taste, not by the looks of a dish." he looked at her firmly, telling her to not criticize him with only this look. While he couldn't cook and he knew it himself, he wasn't too keen to having no end of her bragging about her cooking skills and comparing it to his. It is like comparing his magic to hers. Two completely different worlds and abilities...
"True. You can make potions far better than I ever can. It must be like writing. If you can write very well you are likely not to be very good at drawing or other forms of art. If you are a natural artist you probably can't write. Both require your hand and even the same grip but for some reason the mind won't allow both." Hyano said, having thought on the subject. She the thought about it and looked at Gandalf. "Was Sarumon any good at potion making?" she inquired curiously ready to laugh her cap off if his answer was what she thought it was.
At this, the White wizard had to think. Honestly, he never really asked their late leader about it... neither has he ever seen him making potions. All he knew was that the potions that were stacked in Isengard were rather well made, rivaling his own. This of course didn't mean that it was Saruman who made them. He could have requested them from someone else.
"I am not sure..." He finally replied. "I have never seen him making a potion in my life... but I did find well-made ones here when I took over. I am not sure if it was him who made it..." While what Hyano said was in most cases true, in very little few occasions one can find exceptions. But he believed that exceptions only made the rules so much stronger
Hyano had to think on that a moment. She felt like she had an answer to that statement... however... she couldn't remember it. There was something that happened a while ago in the mines… However, she couldn't even remember Ren's name let alone anything he told her and what happened to them. But she was pulled out of her thoughts when she felt the ground shake under her feet and blinked. "I think we should work on teaching the forest about the meaning of numbers." she said once she felt not one but two sets of footsteps. She wasn't that surprised. Honestly, considering there weren't many tree herders she was surprised the whole lot weren't coming. Though, it was probably better off they didn't, seeing as there were so many young ones here.
Finally, Gandalf stopped at the clearing he targeted with a chuckle at her statement and grasped his staff tighter before tapping it twice on the ground, making the top light up, giving the sign to the tree herders to come here instead the tower. It was much safer here.
The owners of the footsteps seemed to understand his sign and changed their direction slightly towards them instead. Soon the footsteps of the tree herders were enough to quite literally shake the two wizards. Hyano looked up and saw the large creatures. One was the one they met before; the other was someone she had yet to get to know.
Gandalf stepped back once as he saw the ancient creatures come into view way sooner than how they arrived in front of them, eyeing the two, not exactly sure why the tree herder brought company this time. He tapped his staff once to the ground and put out the light on it, standing in front of the two giant beings, and feeling like a dwarf. However, he held strong and showed them his determination. The two did not mean harm and surely are here to question about the seed that started to develop over the past months.
"I welcome you both to Isengard." He greeted them, raising his voice slightly, just to make sure they hear him. The White wizard wanted to ask what brought them here, just because of formalities but he was sure he knew why they came. So, why ask? "I know why you came... and I can assure you I have it under control. Nature decided to alter the plans a little but nothing I cannot handle." He gave them the most reassuring smile he could do, nodding at them.
The original herder nodded his head slowly.
"From what we have heard, it is by far no fault of your own. Mother tends to have a plan all her own more often than not." he said. Herders had an odd habit of referring to nature as Mother, considering they were almost one with nature, it kind of made sense but it was still odd. At least to Hyano anyway. "I do trust in you good wizard... however not all of my brothers are as convinced." he said, glancing at the other herder beside him. "But in order to dispel this mistrust, I thought it best to be here for the birth. It will be the very last we will ever see in these lands so it is something of an event." he said a soft smile crossing the old tree's face.
Hyano smiled back then turned her eyes to the other herder. Alright, so they wanted to see the birth in order to prove that Gandalf was worth what he said as well as because this would be the very last chance they ever got to see one. Considering herder births were rather rare in themselves, she wouldn't be surprised if one of them had never seen one. She for sure hadn't.
Gandalf nodded, then gestured towards the patch of land where the newborn saplings and -with them- the newborn tree herder was developing.
"We shall go then, and we can talk, discuss while we watch. It will take a while for the youngling to see the sunlight for the first time in its very life." The White istar told them, smiling then made his way to the location slowly, letting the herders arrive there as first, stand as they wish but carefully and minding the other saplings. He knew it will take many hours until the little creature digs itself out of the ground but everyone who is present is rather patient, hopefully including Hyano. But then again... the talking and discussion should gain her attention from simply waiting and watching. They cannot help the little one... sadly. It will have to make its first steps alone as well.
Hyano seemed less interested in the adult herders as she was the little sapling that had yet to push out of the ground. Every now and again she would hear movement and for a second her mind would yell at her to go check on him but she would bite her tongue and stay put, making sure to stand on the other side of Gandalf just in case her helping nature got the better of her and she tried to anyway. When she heard her name, though, she finally snapped out of it and looked up.
"Huh? Sorry. Can you repeat, please?" she requested.
The herder raised a brow then chuckled deeply. Young ones, even in his kind had a habit of letting their minds wander. Even the saplings around them did such. It was always amusing to see.
"I see you have improved greatly since my last visit. You don't even look like the same person." he said.
Hyano blinked. For a moment she honestly had no idea what the herder was talking about. Thanks to Gandalf's work she didn't remember herself being any different. Though, she also didn't remember growing up either but she had yet to question it.
"Thank you... I guess." she said sheepishly.
Gandalf shifted his gaze to the tree herder as he commented on the great progress they made and frowned a little. While he didn't mind that they talk about this, Hyano's memory of being a darker being was almost completely erased now. She still remembers the wraith though, even if not by name but this still needed to vanish and become forgotten in order to make sure she does not turn back. This of course didn't mean she cannot remember at a later time. Just like he purifies her with istar magic, the wraith might be able to have her reclaim her forgotten memories by making her perform black magic again. The progress however would be just as slow. And maybe some memories that are more memorable might be remembered by triggering it with something that reminds her of it. In this case, he will have to inform the tree herders about not mentioning this again or talk about it in front of her. While he can control the topic of conversation now, he cannot do the same once he leaves. And that will be very soon... A few more years.
"I have heard a small whisper from the older trees, which the younger ones wished to mimic as well to practice. Is it true that there was a forest fire in the south? It was quickly put out? I will make sure to bring some seeds there to let the forest recover." Gandalf changed the subject quickly and watched the tree herders, expecting an answer to it.
The herder noticed Gandalf's want to change the subject and decided it better to go with it. They would talk over the matter later if needed.
"Yes. While there was much rain here, there has been very little in the south. Some of the trees grew outwardly dry in order to preserve their water until the next rain. However, when it seemed to finally come lightning was given to them first. A few of the trees were struck and set ablaze. We were lucky that the rains soon followed or many more would have died." he explained what had happened.
Hyano looked sadly at the ancient creature.
"Why is it nature works in such an odd way? Sometimes it seems to love life and other times it seems to just want to break it down." she questioned.
"You know, Hyano..." Gandalf started, turning towards the young wizard, wishing to explain so she could understand. "A fire in the forest might be devastating to the trees and the creatures. But in the end, fire cleans the area and gives the opportunity for new life to develop, as it didn't have a chance before. A forest fire might not be good for us but there are those rare creatures that prefer the burned down trees. Nature simply doesn't favor anyone. It will let those live whose living conditions aren't the same as ours. It will give life and take it away to keep the delicate balance. It is a must to have, as we cannot be selfish and think of ourselves always. Those creatures and plants needed the fire, so nature gave it to them." he said, smiling at her, nodding, awaiting any questions the wizard might have in this subject. They had time after all.
"I guess... Though, it seemed like the plants there needed water not fire." she pointed out, this time claiming the attention of the tree herder standing in front of them.
"Those plants did. Yes." The magical creature replied with a nod. "However the young ones to come are growing quite well in the ashes of their fallen ancestors. Despite the loss it was not for nothing. Already many little saplings that were blown in with the storm have started to grow. While I do agree with the idea that you should come and plant more, the forest will eventually be as it was." The herder assured.
Hyano thought on this.
"So nature sometimes rids the world of the old to make room for the new... Like how it is pushing the elves and istari out of Middle-Earth right now." she said a little sadly.
"But I have some seeds that are of rarer trees. I will make sure to plant some of them to give them a chance too to prove themselves in the forest." The White wizard pointed out. He saved them up for a while now, keeping the little seeds without water and earth was easy but now he feels this was the clue he needed and will plant a few seeds there, then give the rest to Hyano once he was to depart. He returned his attention to the young wizard again and nodded at her find. "Yes. You see, humans are a young species and now that the elves and we are leaving this world for them, they can grow and spread, like a new kind of flower. We are the trees that shadow their lands and won't let them get sunlight and to develop, however once we are gone they are free to bloom and engulf the lands. We were only here to prepare the world for them and prepare them for the world. Now our task is done and the Valar think that the time has come to move on and help the new flowers to grow in another land."
Hyano nodded.
"Agreed. I wonder how long it will take before I can no longer stay here myself." she questioned, though, it was more for herself. How many ages were between her and leaving this world? Would it be one? Two? Maybe many more than that? Or would she leave not because she had to but because she wanted to? She was knocked out of her thoughts by the sound of the herder sapling moving again, only this time it wasn't stopping. It was taking a good try to getting out this time. It took a little bit but it finally stopped, like it needed to catch its breath or regain its energy.
"A stubborn and strong sapling from the sounds of it. You may have your work cut out for you, Gandalf." Said the herder once things had calmed again.
"I am only happy about that." The wise istar replied, chuckling. "It will need all of it when we reach the new world. The trees won't be so sure to accept it at first." He sighed and returned his attention to the little creature that was still in the ground. He could still remember how the tree herders here had to prove themselves for many long years until they accepted them in the forest and talked to them regularly, giving information and gaining some at the same time. The little sapling will need to be as stubborn as it gets to get through the strong resistance and have strength to do its task, guarding the forests and letting them grow. However it will have an advantage... Unlike the tree herders in Middle-Earth, it will go to the new world already developed enough and strong enough to take care of itself and a good amount of trees. The others he will transport will have to be protected at first.
The herder nodded his agreement.
"After the birth, my kin and I will keep our distance. We do not want him to become dependent on one of us in any way because we will not be joining you in the new world. You and nature will continue to be his parent. However we will be listening if you need help." The herder said.
Hyano could tell that this wasn't an easy choice. Herders were not seen in large groups normally. In fact, it was rare to see two in the same place but she could guess that while a herder was young it was normally taken care of by one of its older brothers. Allowing someone who wasn't even one of their kin to do this must be very painful.
While Gandalf had been one of the istari to take care of the tree herders of today when they were saplings and has the experience to handle young ones, it was still a long time ago and might need reminders of 'hows 'and 'whys' at some point. He smiled and nodded at the herders.
"I will make sure to send news about the progress the sapling makes, just to ease your mind and make sure you know it will be on the right track to become a strong and able tree herder in the new world. However, once we leave... the line will be cut. But that is for the future." He told them and returned to stare at the sapling, waiting for it to 'hatch' like a little hatchling from an egg.
Hyano had lost attention of the herders as well. Seemed they were also focused on the little sapling. As much as talking passed the time, they all really had very little on the light side to talk about. Not many good things were going to be coming in the future and they all knew that. However, Hyano really didn't care anymore. She would miss Gandalf greatly and hoped when she did finally make the journey he would be there on the other side waiting for her... But for now she would have to focus on her future... And that future was with the little sapling.
No matter how short that time was.
It had taken a few more hours, but eventually more cracks started to form around the branches of the sapling and the ground loosened as well.
This was the hardest part in the newborn's surfacing. Once the earth was loosened not long after it started to rise slowly, moving sometimes in a pattern, instinctively knowing how to loosen the earth even more. As soon as the branches were more above the ground one could see that the sapling will be rather thin, just as usual by trees and tree herders. It will gain its sturdy form with the years. Right now, it will be very fragile and will need the protection of the wizards to survive. The more it surfaced, the more it heard the silent whispers of the trees, mimicking a call or two, not knowing what it meant. It was still unable to speak of course and will learn with time, just like the other saplings.
Its struggles lasted for about another hour as it popped up its head, the thin body, then finally was struggling to free its feet, which was the deepest within the earth. Eventually, after a strong pull it freed itself from its birthplace and fell with the momentum but otherwise nothing seemed to be wrong with it. On instinct, it turned towards the other two tree herders and attempted to make some contact, trying to sound calls towards them, primitive compared to the language of the trees, it more sounding like a groan of a tree as it moves, considered as the 'baby-talk' among the trees, calling for protection and announcing its arrival, searching for safety.
The newborn tree herder had a thin bark, but already showed signs of becoming a sturdy and strong tree in the future with green thin leaves already growing on its head which was above the ground. There was no question for Gandalf. This tree herder is originating from the family of ash. It will become a great guardian one day.
While it had been a sight to watch the little herder come into existence, this was where its older brothers had to take their leave. Neither returned the call, neither even made a sound, instead one bowed his head to the wizard rather sadly before they both walked away from the newborn, keeping their distance. Each one went in a different direction to give news to their brothers of the birth. Of the new arrival into the world.
Hyano felt pained for the older herders but also for the little one. She thought a moment before she knelt down. She whispered softly. "Come on, little one... This way." she called to it, her green eyes watching him, hoping to show that she was where he needed to go. She will be his new guardian, his protection and mentor.
Apparently, the little creature did not understand why they did not return the call and watched as they turned away, leaving him behind. However he wasn't one to be shaken off so quickly, maybe a little unsure but he started taking his first shaky steps towards the direction one of them went, wanting to follow it, as his instincts told him but the White wizard stood in his way quickly, preventing him from wandering off. He will need to understand that his place is with them and they will protect him from harm.
The creature had to look up to meet the gaze of the wizard before his attention was averted to the younger istar as she called to him. He of course didn't understand what she said but the gesture was familiar. He cast one more glance into the direction where the herders left, then back at Hyano, clearly unsure what to do. It gave out a groan again, calling for his older brothers yet again but all that answered were the trees.
Gandalf sighed and shook his head.
"He still needs to learn his situation and will attempt to wander off. We will have to make sure he stays. Once he gets used to us, he won't leave us alone, I can assure you." He chuckled, remembering when he was followed around the forest by four little tree herders at once, all seeking and gaining protection from him while they grew. He couldn't sit down for a moment because they were crowding him at his feet.
Hyano knew and understood. She would be the same way if she was in his situation. The poor thing would have to adjust his instincts with time. He still wasn't fully walking yet, was trying but for now she still could not help him. What's more, he would have to choose to come to her.
"Can I name him?" she asked Gandalf, turning her eyes up to the White wizard for a moment before looking back towards the little plant creature. She then did something she had not done in some time. She snapped her fingers to get his attention and again waved for him to come to her. She didn't know why this gesture came to her in the first place, but she just found that it might work.
The wise istar chuckled, seeing the gesture she did and watched as she successfully gained the creature's attention.
"Of course you may, but still... Try to stick to tree herder customs and names. We wish to carry all of it in the new world." He told her carefully before returning to watch the little one again, curious what he might do now.
The tree herder watched the young wizard, yet again understanding the gesture she made but didn't go, instead stayed put, still unsure.
"You can't expect him to trust you so soon." Gandalf told her as he stood next to the small creature, watching as he looked up again but didn't budge. "You have to prove it you are no threat and you will protect it. Just stand next to him and he will realize we are keeping him safe. He might be uneasy now and will try to run off maybe but he will see we don't harm him." Right now, he isn't running off because he couldn't really run yet, so he just stayed where he was, nervous, uncertain and confused.
The newborn creature started to take a few steps to the side, trying his thin limbs; the old wizard followed him of course, just like how an older brother would. With time, he will start following them everywhere.
Hyano nodded and thought a moment. He was obviously strong-willed, so deserved a strong name despite his currently weak state. She looked him over for a moment and remembered some of the names she knew. Most had to do with a type of plant and a body part or element of some kind, such as Tree Beard. She honestly thought that was a type of name that came with age, like how some children were given nicknames, then they moved to a more mature version of their name when they grow up.
"Iron Bark?" she suggested, her eyes still watching the little tree. She could see how unsure he was. Her bright yet soft green eyes held much sympathy for him along with the love she had gained throughout the time she had watched him grow. She really hoped he learned to trust her.
"Iron bark?" Gandalf repeated, raising an eyebrow. Of course he did suspect why she decided to give a strong name to the little sapling and it kind of matched him as well. Stubborn and strong, as the way he freed himself from the earth showed them. Right now, the name has no meaning as he was very fragile and unsure yet but once he becomes bolder... He can see he will become a very effective tree herder. The way they free themselves show their future personality. Which also means that he will be quite impatient as well, which causes his stubbornness, which in return makes him strong in body and mind.
For the next few hours, the wizard spent his time with the sapling as it stepped around, making its first journey from the patch where he stood to the other newborn sapling, seemingly curious and hearing the same calls from them, trying to speak, using the speech of the older trees to gain knowledge of how to use it. The little sapling however didn't seem to try yet. He was content to just listen and stay quiet, seemingly not minding the presence of the old wizard anymore near him. And after Gandalf moved away from him, testing, he smiled as he saw the sapling turn as well and started to follow him slowly.
Hyano watched, allowing the little herder to get used to Gandalf and didn't do anything to get in his way. She smiled, seeing he was doing what he was supposed to. He was learning quickly, was walking rather well considering this was his first day. He was following Gandalf now and seemed to understand the White wizard. This was good... Maybe better than him getting attached to her, though, the idea disappointed her. If he attached himself to her maybe he would have a harder time letting go when it was time for him to leave? She already knew it would be hard on her. She thought then looked to their home.
"Gandalf, will he be staying inside with us?" She asked curiously.
The old wizard made sure to walk about a little, just to train the little one's legs and get some practice in his walking, wanting to strengthen him very soon in this. He had to slow down many times to wait for him to catch up but of course stood in place to let him rest, leading him back towards the other newborn saplings. He might get a little unsure again if they travel to the bigger trees, seeing Gandalf wasn't nearly as tall as them. He might see them as a threat first. He needed to develop the confidence.
"No." He replied to the younger wizard. "He will stay outside and sleep among the newborn saplings, getting used to them. We will keep him company on the day. He will be safe hiding among the other thinner trees. He will need all the nurturing he can get from the earth and as much sunlight as he is able to gather, as he needs to grow very quickly..." Right now, Iron Bark wasn't taller than a middle-sized dog, in a few years he will reach the size of a human child and will be more sturdy but still fast and can even run at long distances without the fear of breaking a limb.
"Alright. I hope he will be safe... I would hate for another storm to come at night." Hyano said a little worried, remembering the last storm and didn't want the little sapling to drawn or get hurt. She walked up behind Iron Bark but made a point of not making too much noise, not wanting to give the little creature a shock. He was young. Little things could have a big effect on someone so small. She would hate to cause any unneeded stress.
"If there is a storm brewing, he will know and sense it way before we do. He will make noise and will want protection. We will hear it and bring him inside in this case. I won't let him being carried off by a harsh wind, of course." Gandalf said as he let Hyano approach and watched them.
The sapling didn't seem to notice her either but stepped around towards the other newborns, reaching out with its still clumsy hands and tried to touch a leaf with a finger. He succeeded after a few tries. For a normal person, he would seem silent, not saying a word but who knew the language of the trees could hear the calls he sounded and the first sounds he made, trying to communicate and get in touch with his environment. Instincts played a very important role in this stage of his development. He turned around and started walking about again, finally noticing the younger wizard as well, then walked up to the White wizard instead. He knew him more and was still slightly unsure about her. Well, she did not hurt him yet... and if this other one didn't threaten her, then she must be somewhat alright...
"Stay close and let him see you. He will trust both of us with time and follow us around. I have experience with this, so it is no joke what I say... You won't be rid of him after this even if you try. He will follow you everywhere, and ask questions once he can. They don't need much care, though. All they need is your presence and protection." Gandalf explained as he watched the interaction between the small tree herder and the saplings. Of course, this was something completely new for Hyano, so he expected such an interest from her and will make sure to teach her a few things she will need to know to keep an eye on Iron Bark.
Said orange istar thought about this then nodded, continuing to follow them around. She watched him try to speak and stumble over himself. When she thought he was going to fall it took everything in her not to save him. Unlike human children, herders needed protection but not over-nurturing. If she did he could easily become weak. However, as he started to get his bearings she reached out and touched his leafs the way she had before he had popped out of the ground, showing her approval. He could not understand speech but it seemed he understood physical cues very well.
The tree herder looked up where he knew he was touched and found the young wizard did it. He stopped and watched her, seemingly not quite understanding the gesture before continuing his curious exploration of the little patch of earth at the newborns. Most people wouldn't have the patience to take care of one of these creatures. They require constant presence, protection, keeping them busy yet in place as well. They are of course by nature more active than their older siblings, as they need to explore but soon he will calm down and remain mostly motionless, standing next to his protector for hours without moving.
Gandalf will have to remember to bring a good book.
After one more burst of exploration, the sapling returned to Gandalf and Hyano, standing around them, moving less now. It will be soon time for him to rest.
The White wizard of course noticed the younger's curiosity and wish to help, get closer to the little being so stepped away from both of them.
"Keep him from trouble, I still need to check a few notes I left about the saplings. I will need to refresh my memory." He chuckled, not at all lying as he did need those notes and moved rather quickly, not giving the chance for the tree herder to go after him.
While Iron bark did take a few steps after him, he soon pulled back to stand next to Hyano instead, relaxing for now.
Hyano blinked, not sure she believed the wizard but decided not to question it. Though, even if he did have notes they were probably old enough to turn to ash with the wrong touch. She watched the littler herder, wondering what he might do and was pleasantly surprised that he stayed beside her. She smiled at this then thought a moment. They had yet to really give the trees any water. Maybe she could show him how to care for the trees, how to make them the most happy. She smiled softly then quietly walked over to the well expecting him to follow and filled the bucket there. She then walked over to the little saplings and started to give them their needed water.
Iron Bark followed her around, still slightly unsure in his steps and slow but learned quickly compared to human children. He wasn't really watching what she was doing as he found an interest again in his environment, watching the green grass then the well and then the little saplings again, walked about, touching their leaves before going back to Hyano. He started to move less now and only did so when she did as well to follow her but otherwise he became more motionless, resting a little more as much as he could. Just as Gandalf said, one needs quite the patience with these saplings. They will need to have one stand there for hours or sometimes even half a day to let them rest.
Hyano noticed this and once she finished her work and put the bucket back she decided to stay still so the little one didn't have to follow her around anymore. She even decided to sit down with her legs crossed, putting her a little over eye level with little tree creature. She thought a moment. Would it be alright to hold him? She wasn't sure. If it wasn't then Gandalf would tell her when he returns. She looked towards him and smiled before patting the spot on her lap.
Iron Bark kept watching her but was unsure what she wanted from him, instead stayed where he was, swaying with the small wind as it blew around them, carrying the whispers of distant trees. He tried to mimic with less success than failure but what would one expect from a newborn tree... He kept staying in one place, letting water seep into his thin body through his feet, nurturing himself while his leaves took in the sunlight.
Gandalf joined them not long after but stood and sat down next to Hyano, holding a very old book in his hands.
"There it is. I have written it back then, copied it a few times through the years... I think it needs fresh sheets again..." The paper was already going yellow and the cover started to break here and there but the writing was easily distinguishable from the yellow pages and contained all the information needed to take care of a tree herder. He let the young wizard have a good look at it too. She might need it, seeing she wished to take care of Iron Bark.
The orange istar watched the little one with a smile. Well, at least he didn't seem stressed in any way. Confused maybe but not stressed. This was good considering the situation. She looked at the older wizard when he brought the book and gave him a grateful smile as she took it from him. She looked over the book itself for a moment, judging if it was safe to even open the thing. While the pages were slightly yellow with age as long as one was careful they should be fine. She carefully opened the book and started to read.
"I never imagined you as the kind to keep a diary, Gandalf." she teased as she started to read from the beginning, figuring she had time to work her way through. Maybe once she had read the book a few times she could start recopying it for the older wizard.
He chuckled at this, his blue eyes wandering the letters as well as he read.
"I knew I will need it one day. And maybe if I do not, others might." he replied simply, resuming to read while the little creature remained still for as long as they didn't move, resting and sleeping, the swaying with the wind started to become automatic now.
It was obvious that once he goes and hides among the other newborn saplings he will be well hidden. If one doesn't know what to look for, they wouldn't even notice him. He stopped trying to copy the speech of the trees for a while now as he rested, moving just a little.
"Yes... I can remember this very well..." Gandalf said as he read the first few pages, chuckling, shaking his head. "I had at first six, then after Saruman's arrival I had four saplings follow me all day. You should have seen that. When there was a storm, they were all huddled up to me, seeking protection. I am of course not complaining as my care was successful. All saplings grew up and left my side after they reached half my height."
"Do they even remember you caring for them?" Hyano asked him, having noted the way the herders seemed to act around Gandalf. While they respected him it seemed to be less because he was a father figure and more because he was a wizard.
"I don't think they do... It was a very long time ago. I myself only remember most of it because I read the journal sometimes." He answered, shrugging, before reading a few more lines. "However I am very familiar to them. At least to those who I have cared for. There are a few who never saw me in their younger years." He wasn't really bothered by this, as all of them respected him the same way, especially now that he was the White wizard. They already know from a distance away that he was no threat so never had to put up with accidental attacks either. He never had to fear their wrath. An angry tree herder can be a huge problem even for an istar. Mostly because many spells simply don't get through their strong barks and they are immune to a few as well. Wind, water, earth, frost spells... These are all useless against them.
Hyano took in what he said and looked at the little herder, giggling lightly.
"He is so small yet so calm. It is hard to believe he is only a newborn when you compare the way he acts to other newborns." she said mostly to herself, then noticed something when she skimmed through the lines of the first few pages and smiled. "So, herders of any age enjoy music. I assumed so, since all other plants do as well." she said deciding she would use that later. For the first few nights the little herder might feel almost abandoned when they went inside and it might help if he had music to calm him down.
"Of course he is calm. He was just born and had little energy left to move about. With time, he will be more active and energetic, calling for us very early when the sun rises and will not stop wandering around for the day..." Gandalf chuckled, remembering more details from the past. "It is also in his instinct to care for other saplings and right now he is depending on it to survive. Later on he will start to learn by himself by watching and asking questions."
Hyano smiled and nodded.
"I understand. It is probably better that way. I don't want the little one missing me or anything when he has to go. That wouldn't be fair. Besides, he will have enough things to worry about without thinking about me." she said relieved a little by this. She had spent many years when she was a little wizard, helping babies who had lost their parents in some way or another. She would hatch eggs, take in animals then when they were old enough they would go out to likely never return. Ship was probably the only one who ever stuck around but he was an exception because he had chosen to come to her rather than being found and taken in. "Is there anything I should know now? It is too bad Istari never figured out how to talk like nature. Might make this whole thing easier. We can understand and reply but even Radagast couldn't talk like a tree. At least, not that I remember."
The White wizard hummed at her question and leaned a little back, stroking his white beard as he thought of anything she might need to know about taking care of the little tree herder in short. She surely will need to know much faster than how she would when reading his journal.
"Do not worry about the speech of the trees, Hyano. He will learn this first from older plants and will use it effectively. We won't need to speak it as we are not the ones to teach it." He chuckled, remembering as all six little saplings started to babble about and say words in their tongue, almost driving him mad with their constant 'practicing'. It was more pleasant when they actually understood what they were saying. "All you need to do is be there for him. Walk about, take care of the trees to urge him to do this but don't force him to do anything. Once you find he is tiring, just stay still, stand or sit and let him rest for a few hours. Don't let him wander off too far and make sure he follows you. There is no need for any activities other than this. It needs patience and it can become monotonous very quickly."
Hyano smiled at the little one and stroked a hand over its leafs again.
"I think I will be alright. Maybe if I'm lucky Iron Bark will teach me patience. I am very much lacking in that department most days than others." she said with a giggle knowing full well if there was any istar in history who couldn't keep their attention on one thing for long it was going to be her. Though, she did not remember Ren had not made this trait any better. If anything, he encouraged it considering his attention span was as bad if not worse than hers. She had on many occasions compared him to a big child. "At least so far he has not made a run for it. Though, something tells me that might still be a problem to watch for in the coming weeks."
Gandalf chuckled, nodding in agreement to her statement in both cases.
"He will be a handful at first. He needs to learn, just like other creatures in their youth that danger can be lurking anywhere and that the safest at first is with his protectors. Once he grasps this, he will not attempt to go off on his own. He will teach you much about patience, protection, obligation and knowledge about his kind. If we succeed and he survives, you will see him again in the new world as grown and fully functional tree herder in the forests." he smiled, shifting his blue gaze to the little tree herder as he stood still, letting the young wizard touch his leaves then swayed a little like a real tree as some wind blew through his branches. "We have to keep him away from the forests here, though. In case he wanders deeper he might see his older brothers... It will be hard to keep him with us once he notices they are close by..."
Hyano nodded.
"I understand... I bet he will make a very good tree herder when he does finally get that far." she said as she relaxed.
-Hours later-
This made up most of the day. Walking around and sitting. She ate and did some work with the trees here and there but for the most part the day was rather dull. She was finally forced to decide to stop spending time with the small plant-like creature when she noticed the sun started to go down. Iron Bark seemed to have settled himself. Maybe she could get inside without causing too much trouble, so started for the tower as quietly as she could.
She didn't have as much luck, though.
Iron bark was quick to notice as she moved so left his resting place and started following her slowly. His steps were slightly more determined than when he was 'born', so could catch up quickly now although he still stumbled a little. He could not yet speak so did not say anything, just gave out the same call he did at his older brothers when they were here. While it didn't feel natural for him yet to follow the wizard instead of his own kin, she was the only one who could protect him and was willing to do so.
Hyano stopped when she heard the noise and couldn't help but smile, then turned around and blinked at him. Alright, it was not as easy as she might have thought. She stopped before she got to the door and thought a moment. Gandalf said he could not stay inside, at least not when the weather was nice, even though he had the body outline of a human he was in fact a tree. He needed to be in a natural environment. She thought for a moment then guided him back towards where they had started, the trees around him still were young but large enough for him to hide among. She then knelt in front of him with a smile and put a finger to her lips.
"Shhhh" she said in a soft tone, then reached into her robe and pulled out her whistle. She thought of the various types of music she knew until a soft one came to mind and started to play it. The idea being that it would help the little creature sleep.
He stood among the younger trees and -as wind blew- he swayed with them. If one looked now, they wouldn't spot him if they didn't know what to look for. He instinctively copied the movements of the trees. He was confused as she signaled for him apparently to not say a word? This was strange... Why would he not say anything? The others asked him to speak... so who says the most important request? He watched as the wizard took out something and some nice tune could be heard from it. He didn't know how she did this but at the moment he didn't really care. It was so nice. He listened to it silently, watching the instrument more than the wizard. Slowly but surely, the music lulled him to sleep.
As he fell asleep yet again the orange wizard smiled. She did not stop playing though but slowly stood up again and stepped back from the little creature, being calm. Her basic hope was to continue to lull the little one into slumber while she made her way to the tower. Once she was there she would carefully stop playing then go inside. As she made it to the stoop she stepped back until her back came to the door. Alright... Three...Two...One... She calmed the music until it was nothing but a whisper on the wind then stopped altogether. She pocketed the whistle and turned to go inside.
Just as she closed the door, Gandalf was standing in her way with his arms crossed, making her jump in surprise and raised an eyebrow. He was old enough and seen many things to notice what is going on. She is getting too much attached to the little tree herder, which he either can't let happen... or simply will have to make Hyano understand why this is a dangerous situation. He wanted to be the only one who looks out for the creature but sadly... duty calls. He will have to leave the tower for days at a time and this meant that the young wizard will have to stay and take care of Iron Bark.
"I see he fell asleep. Good. You can handle him well." he commented and nodded in approval at her progress. "I see you like him. You take care of him as every other being that needs it and it brings peace within you when you can spend time with Iron Bark." He chuckled. "But... I have to warn you about this... Do not let the bond within you grow too strong..."
For a moment, the orange istar honestly thought she had done something wrong until she heard him speak. She blinked then smiled.
"Thank you for worrying, Gandalf, but I will be fine. I already know what is to come... no matter what I do, him leaving will be far from pleasant. I thought about that quite a bit actually... however... I enjoy being around him and you. No matter what kind of distance I make I will get attached. I was doomed before he was even born. You should have known that already." she told him with a sigh as she leaned back against the now shut door with her hands in her pockets.
"I know." he sighed. "I just wanted to make sure you know this too. He does not need special treatment; this is something you will discover. He doesn't need to be touched or babied. All you need to do is be there for him and protect him from sunrise to sunset." He informed her, holding his stance, not relaxing. "I would take this duty from you, but sadly... I have been called by various cities. I need to leave soon for many days at a time, and can't take care of Iron Bark. You will have to do this from now on. So, be careful." This was all he said before he smiled again, now relaxing and reached out to pat her shoulder approvingly, making sure she knew he was still pleased with her work. He just wanted to warn her and have reassurance that she knew what will come in a few years. He turned around and started walking back towards his room where he was already writing a letter to the king of the Reunited Kingdom.
Hyano smiled back at him and looked over her shoulder at the door before deciding to take Gandalf's lead and go to sleep. Not like she had much choice. The sun would soon set and then that would be the end of it no matter where she was. She sighed as she made it to her room and thought about Gandalf leaving again.
A few days...
That could easily turn into a few weeks. There was very little Gandalf could do about that, seeing the travel itself would take a considerable amount of time. Add on whatever task it was he had to do and you were very likely not to see him for a while. Iron Bark would have to become attached to her because of this. She just hoped it wouldn't hurt him too much when they had to part ways. She sighed then closed her eyes as she fell onto her bed.
It didn't take long for sleep to take over her mind.
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