Chapter 11: Radagast and Folina
The next day, the company continued their journey through a rainstorm. Bilbo and Belinda were irritated from being drenched. "I should've brought my rain-cloak." Belinda grumbled. "Here, Mr. Gandalf? Can't you do something about this deluge?" Dori asked. "It is raining, Master Dwarf. And it will continue to rain until the rain is done." Gandalf said. "If you wish to change the weather of the world, you should find yourself another wizard." Dori slunk back in his saddle.
"Are there any?" Bilbo asked. "What?" Gandalf asked. "Other wizards?" Bilbo asked. "There are 6 of us." Gandalf explained. "The greatest of our order is Saruman the White. Then there are the 2 blue wizards. Given, I've quite forgotten their names." "And who are the 5th and 6th?" Belinda asked. "Well, that would be Radagast the Brown and his cousin, Folina the Emerald." Gandalf said. "Are they great wizards or are they more like you?" Bilbo asked. "I think they're very great wizards, in their own way." Gandalf said. "Radagast is a gentle soul who prefers the company of animals to others. Folina is similar, but has a talent of understanding the languages of the great beasts of Middle-Earth. Even taught me that trick when I was a little girl." Selindra explained. "They both keep a watchful eye over the vast forestlands to the East, and a good thing too, for always evil will look to find a foothole in this world." Gandalf said.
In the Greenwood, Radagast and Folina looked over the greenery. "Cousin! Bad leaves!" Folina called. Radagast picked one of the leaves and inspected it. "Not good. Not good at all!" He said with worry. The 2 hurried into the forest, passing by a dead fox and 2 dead rabbits. Radagast picked a mushroom and took a whiff, catching a foul odor. He bagged it and continued on. He met up with Folina by a tree that was oozing bad looking sap. He dabbed his finger in the sap to inspect it. He then whistled for nearby birds. As the birds flew over to the 2 wizards, Radagast took off his hat, revealing a bird nest in his hair. The 2 birds took rest in the nest before Radagast put his hat back on.
Just then, Folina saw a terrible sight. "Radagast!" She cried. Radagast turned and gasped in horror at what Folina found. A poor little hedgehog named Sebastian was under some form of pain. "Oh no! Sebastian!" Radagast carefully picked Sebastian up and gently caressed him. "Good gracious." "We have to get him to the house." Folina said. The 2 wizards hurried as fast as they could, passing a dead mouse. Soon enough, they reached their hut in the woods.
Inside, Radagast tried to give Sebastian some medicine. But the poor hedgehog wouldn't take it. Radagast quickly prepared another remedy. "Move back! Give him some air, for goodness sake!" He called as Sebastian's family huddled around him. Radagast tried giving Sebastian the remedy, but he still wouldn't take it. Radagast and Folina continued to try different healing herbs, potions and remedies, but Sebastian wouldn't take a single one. "I don't understand why it's not working. It's not as if it's witchcraft!" Radagast said. But then he and Folina slowly realized. "Witchcraft." "Radagast, you don't think it could be." Folina said. "Oh, but it is! A dark and powerful magic." Radagast said.
Just then, Radagast and Folina sensed movement. They looked and saw giant spider shadows outside the windows. And one was crawling up the door. Radagast quickly moved and bolted the door with his chair. "Radagast." Folina said. Radagast looked back at Sebastian. The poor hedgehog was now suffering greater pain, until he finally died. Radagast and Folina struggled to hold back tears.
But there was no time to cry. Hearing that the spiders were now crawling all over the house outside, Radagast went to his staff and pulled out the crystal he kept in it. Mice then ran towards Radagast, hiding in his robe as he started chanting a spell, holding the crystal to Sebastian's mouth. As he chanted, a black essence was being extracted from Sebastian and absorbed into the crystal. The spiders were close to breaking in through the roof, making Folina scared as Radagast chanted the last verse of the spell. And then, Sebastian was revived. Radagast and Folina were relieved that their little hedgehog friend was okay. they then noticed that the spiders were leaving.
The 2 wizards exited the house, following a robin around back. There, they saw the spiders heading deep into the woods. "Where on this good earth did those foul creatures come from?" Folina asked. The robin chirped to them. "The old fortress? Show us." Radagast said.
Radagast and Folina followed the robin on their rabbit sled. The robin was leading them to where the spiders came from. The old abandoned fortress of Dol Guldur.