cut
"They have Orcs following them!" Ruth cried out.
Both could smell the rotting flesh of the cursed race even though they were several miles away.
"We are getting close to Gandalf and his group!" Radagast shouted and Ruth focused on the path in front of them. They came upon a clearing and managed to scare the group led by a wizard dressed in bluish-gray, time worn robes.
"Radagast!" Gandalf the Gray cried out in shock at the sight of his long time friend and fellow Istar. When his eyes met those of Ruth thought, Gandalf frowned in confusion and looked at Radagast again. "Radagast, what made you come this far from Rhosgobel? And who is your young companion?"
The Dwarves and the Hobbit behind Gandalf watched the exchange in confusion, having not expected to run into anyone even remotely friendly this deep in foreign territory.
"This is Ruthímiel. We've only just met, but he is an Istar like us," Radagast spoke with a small hesitant smile, glancing at Ruthímiel before looking back at Gandalf who has been observing the raven-haired Istar as Ruth climbed off of his horse and bowed to Gandalf respectfully.
"Master Gandalf, it is a pleasure to meet you, although I'm afraid out meeting does not carry the blessing of the Valar for we have no good news to share with you," Ruth spoke, sounding much to calm to the confusion and doubts of the Fellowship in Gandalf's company.
"What news?" Gandalf asked darkly.
Ruth turned to Radagast and the older Istar took a step forward. "The forest is dying, Gandalf. I hadn't seen anything like that since the turn of the last Age," Radagast's voice fell to a whisper, baby blue eyes widened and his shoulders hunched as shivers shook the slight frame dressed in dirty brown robes. "Spiders have appeared. Huge, dark, evil spiders! Animals are dying, the forest is rotting! Nothing is growing; nothing good at least."
Gandalf frowned in worry. "Do you know what could be the cause of this?" he asked and Radagast muttered something into his chin as he turned to Ruth for help.
"We have met at Dol Guldúr," Ruth spoke up and Radagast nodded. "We have found something there. Something dark and dangerous."
"Have you any idea what it could have been?" Gandalf asked and Radagast cursed under his breath.
Before Radagast could say anything though, Ruth spoke up again and his words made a shiver of dread pass over everyone. "I have met such darkness before," Ruth spoke gravely earning glances of worry and wariness. "A long, long time ago."
"Excuse me!" Ruth looked at the only Hobbit in the group of Dwarves behind Gandalf. "But I can't actually believe it was such a long time ago. You look very young."
The Hobbit's eyebrows met the line of his hair when the beautiful face of the young Istar broke from its expressionless mask and cupid-bow lips tilted into a small smile. "In your eyes I may look young, Master Hobbit. Even compared to Master Radagast and Master Gandalf I am young, but in reality I am a little over 700 winters old."
Everyone, including Gandalf and Radagast gaped.
"700?" the leader of the Dwarves exclaimed in shock. "You do not look older than 20 winters."
Ruth shrugged elegantly and pushed a single strand of raven black, waist long hair behind only slightly pointed ear. "I shall take that as a compliment," he said and looked at Gandalf, "but we have bigger things to worry about than my age. What we found in that fort is something that shouldn't exist. It uses the darkest of magic, so dark that it made my stomach turn. The magic stinks of Death and Decay."
"You have said that you had encountered it before," Gandalf recalled and Ruth nodded.
"Yes. A long time ago, in a world much different from this one. The creature, for I dare not call it human, used this sort of magic. It left a bitter taste in the air and made my skin crawl."
"I felt like that back there," Radagast stuttered out breathlessly, and Ruth nodded.
"What is it?"
"A Necromancer," Ruth spat out venomously and Gandalf's eyes widened. "You know what I speak of, Master Gandalf."
Gandalf paled at that and Radagast shivered with a whimpering whine.
"A Necromancer?" asked the leader of the Dwarves and Ruth glanced at him.
"Yes, Master Dwarf. I fear that the darkest of all evils settled in Dol Guldúr," Ruth spoke in a grave tone, and Gandalf patted his long beard, grunting something into his chin.
"Have you any proof of that?" Gandalf murmured and Radagast tugged on his hat in annoyance.
"Curse it all!" Radagast whimpered, "If only I had remembered to take the sword!"
"You mean this?" Ruth asked and pulled a short sword from under his cloak.
Radagast gaped and Gandalf tensed up. "When did you manage to grab it? And why? You couldn't have known..."
"I felt its evil," Ruth explained, button nose wrinkling in distaste and disgust. "My first thought was to try and find out where it came from so I had decided to take this with me."
"But after you deflected the attack you grabbed me and we ran! When did you manage..."
"I am a Wizard, Master Radagast," Ruth interrupted the Brown Istar, emerald orbs twinkling almost mischievously. "You know that we do not share our secrets," he drawled teasingly and Radagast rolled baby blue eyes while Gandalf hummed.
"May I see it?" Gandalf asked and Ruth offered the weapon to him.
"I can feel nothing but darkness in it."
When Gandalf got a closer look at the blade his eyes widened and fear gripped his heart.
"That- that is-..."
"The Morgul blade that once belonged to the Witch-King of Angmar," Gandalf interrupted Radagast.
Ruth took a cloth from inside his cloak and wrapped the sword in it. "This should be taken to someone who can determine what exactly is going on," Ruth said and Gandalf nodded. He took the sword and stored it under his cloak.
"Do you have any knowledge about this?" Gandalf asked Ruth and he nodded.
"I know enough."
"Master Gandalf, I'm sorry to interrupt this important matter, but our quest..."
"I know, Master Balin, but this matter..."
"You are going for Erebor, aren't you?" Radagast asked and the leader of the Dwarves nodded.
"Yes."
"Gandalf?" Both Gandalf and Radagast looked at Ruth when he spoke up. "You should continue on your way."
"The young lad is right," Radagast said. "You and your companions should make your way forward. Young Ruth and I shall research this matter."
Ruth nodded. "I can go anywhere undetected. I shall go and look for answers. I believe it would be best if Master Radagast remained at Rhosgobel and kept watch over Dol Guldúr. That way we would immediately know if anything was going on."
Radagast nodded in understanding and Gandalf smiled knowingly at Ruth. The Green Istar tilted his head to the side, eyes filled with wonder, while Gandalf's gray orbs glimmered.
All of a sudden loud howling and barking made the whole group tense up.
"Those are Wargs!" Gandalf shouted and the Dwarves grabbed their axes and swords.
"You should go! I'll distract them!" Radagast cried out and Gandalf looked at him strictly.
"Those are Gundabad Wargs! They'll catch you and eat you whole!"
"These are Rhosgobel Rabbits!" Radagast looked at Gandalf defiantly. "I'd like to see them try."
The two old Istari stood head to head when Ruth cleared his throat, making them look at him. "I shall distract them," he said and everyone raised an eyebrow at that.
"Did you not hear..."
Ruth interrupted Gandalf with a click of his tongue and Orion approached the young Istar. "Orion is one of the Mearas," he said and patted the stallion's head when he leaned it over Ruth's shoulder. "Nothing is faster than him."
Gandalf nodded while Radagast grinned. They heard the Wargs approach and Ruth mounted Orion quickly.
"Go! And may the grace of the Valar be with you!" Gandalf said and Ruth nodded minutely.
"Také, Orion. Také!"
Quicker than an eye can see Ruth galloped in the direction of the Wargs.
"We must move quickly," Gandalf said and Radagast climbed the sleigh.
"Good luck, old friend. I shall stay in contact."
"Good luck," Gandalf said and they parted ways.
Exiting the forest to run onto an open expanse of land the Fellowship caught sight of the green dressed Istar on a black stallion, long black hair snapping in the wind, a group of Wargs and Orcs hunting the Green Wizard.
They hid behind a rock and Thorin approached Gandalf. "Is this really alright?" he asked and Gandalf grunted in displeasure.
"I cannot say exactly why I feel this way, but I know that lad can be trusted. And I have a feeling this isn't the last time our paths will cross," he said.
The Dwarves exchanged glances while Bilbo looked at the old Istar, big eyes imploring Gandalf to be honest with him. "Have you any idea what is going on, Gandalf?" he asked and Gandalf grunted and mumbled something into his chin.
"I don't know at this moment and you shouldn't concern yourselves with that." Gandalf tensed up when a few Wargs separated from the group chasing Ruth. "Quickly! We must run!" he said and they broke into a run.
The tides were changing. Middle-Earth stood on the brink of another Dark Age.
But that had yet to come.
They had their own quest to complete.
Neither one of them had known at that time that this same quest would birth a much bigger one.
A quest that would bring upon a new Age into Middle-Earth.
The Age of Men.