Saeradan and Gwin are off to investigate the infamous "slightly disturbed earth", looking for goodies to bring back to Echad Dagoras. Meanwhile, another party is trying to defeat the dark wolves and rescue their fellow kinsman. This was an interesting chapter to write, and I hope you like what I did with it. The Sindarin I used is from a couple sources online, so I cannot attest to them being 100% accurate, but I did my best. Anyway, read on!

Chapter 29

"I suppose we will have to continue our conversation while we work," I said. "However, we will likely be distracted scanning around for tiny runes and slightly disturbed earth."

"Which way should we go first?" Saeradan asked.

After thinking for a moment, I replied, "Let us go north. There was a dense copse of trees we passed through, and it would be a good hiding place for goods to be stored." There were a few dark wolves that we deftly avoided, and I wondered at their countenance. "Saeradan, do you think these are the same kind of wolves the others will be facing? They have a fell air about them."

He nodded slowly, "I agree. It is well the rescue party is made up of more than one person." He eyed me suspiciously, "I am sure you had planned to go all on your own?"

I chuckled, "You know me too well my friend. What can I say except it is how I am used to doing things." Before I could speak more, Saeradan had pointed ahead to a large tree, where a small rune was marked on the trunk. After staring at it for a few minutes, I noticed it was a Sindarin word, but the letters had been moved around so they were not in order. "It looks like it says "go left", but we will have to see." Sure enough, about twenty paces to the West, Saeradan noted that the earth looked slightly disturbed. After some digging, we came across a small chest, which when opened contained some medicine. My eyes lit up, "This will be very useful! We are bound to get into some scrapes which will require medical attention." I smiled at the scent of athelas.

As we journeyed, Saeradan told me more about his family, and why he lived alone in the woods in Bree. "I could sense Breeland becoming more dangerous, so I sent them to Esteldin, where they would be safe. Halbarad assured me they made it and are being well-cared for." His expression turned sad. "I would love to be with them now, and I am not sure my wife or daughter understand why I cannot."

I looked at him with compassion, "I think they understand more than you know. Aragorn is your chieftain; you are obligated to follow him wherever he needs you."

"Halros chose to stay behind," he replied, a little bitterness in his voice.

"Yes, that is true. It sounds like once he made up his mind, he would not be dissuaded. Sometimes it is easier to stay behind in peace than it is to walk into danger." My brow furrowed, "My heart tells me he has some part to play in the Shire. They will need him if the region comes under threat." The thought of the Shire being accosted by evil made my heart ache; at least I knew it was watched over by Halros. "The hobbits are tenacious and will defend their home to the last, if it came down to it. I pray they are able to remain at peace, but goblins have emerged in small pockets over the past several months. Nothing overly large, but it will be important to keep an eye on."

We rode in silence for a time, and one by one, we came across various caches, even stumbling upon one that had not been on the map. It was full of gold! "Gwinthilnel, are you sure the rune was in Sindarin?" Saeradan asked curiously.

My eyes were wide; this was no small sum! "Yes Saeradan, it is the same as the others. I am not sure if we should take this, at least not all of it. Perhaps it was not meant to be taken just yet." Not hearing any reply, I looked up and was startled at the expression on the ranger's face. His eyes were fixed on the gold, and they held a strange light. I glanced back at the gold and sensed something that made me uneasy. At first the gold had looked innocent enough, but on closer inspection I noted an almost green glow intermingling with the shine of the coins.

Saeradan reached out slowly to touch the gold, but I grasped his arm firmly, "Saeradan, do not touch it." He seemed not to hear me, and struggled to release himself from my grip. "Saeradan! Saeradan listen to me!"

He shoved me roughly aside, eyes fixed unblinkingly on the chest. "I must have it…I…must…have…".

I had been knocked a small distance away, and knew in my heart that if he touched those coins, something evil would befall him. I did the only thing I could think of; I threw my cloak over the gold and tackled Saeradan to the ground. We struggled, and his eyes were not his normal brown, but rather a blazing green.

I tried to gain the upper hand, but he was stronger than me. I found myself pinned to the ground with one of his arms across my throat and the other reaching for the gold chest. His fingertips were brushing the cloak, and I knew he was seconds away from pulling it aside to get at his treasure. Freeing one of my arms, I pulled on his beard hard. This distracted him enough to remove his arm from my throat, and I flipped him over and sat on his chest. He had not expected this, and did not react right away.

I took my chance and grabbed his face in my hands, looking straight into his eyes, "Saeradan, daro!(stop) Heniach nin?(do you understand me)" His eyes flickered but did not lose their emerald hue, "Saeradan, estelio nin!(trust me)" I spoke in Sindarin to try and break through the fog in his mind; it was a language of light, and since Westron was not working, I figured I had nothing to lose by trying. "Echuio!(awaken)". Finally, his eyes began to clear and return to their warm brown.

Bringing a trembling hand to my cheek in confusion, he said, "Iston i nîf lîn(I know your face)…" I was slightly surprised to hear him respond in Sindarin. "Gwin? Ú-chenion (I do not understand)…"

I slowly raised myself off of him and was ready to restrain him if needed…but I hoped it wouldn't be necessary. The gold was covered by the cloak, yet I could still clearly sense its malevolence. Saeradan carefully sat up, looking around himself to try and piece things together. "Gwinthilnel, what has happened? One moment we were digging up a cache and the next thing I remember your hands were on my face…and you were speaking Sindarin?"

I sighed; clearly, he was unaware of his actions, and I needed to tread carefully. "Saeradan, what we found in the chest was evil, cursed gold. At first, I thought it was just a vast amount of normal gold coins, but upon closer inspection, I could see a faint green aura and felt it in the air." I hesitated; knowing how he acted would likely cause him to feel ashamed.

"Gwin," he said seriously, "Please do not lie; I must know." I noticed him take a closer look at me, and his eyes widened. "You are bleeding!"

Puzzled, I looked down and noted a sluggishly bleeding scrape on my chest. "Ah, it is nothing, barely a scratch," I replied, finding a piece of clean cloth in my bag and dabbing at it.

He moved closer and assessed me, looking distressed. "There is bruising here on your neck, and you favor your left side…what have I done?"

I grasped his shoulder firmly, "Peace, mellon nin. May I continue to explain?" He nodded, and I said, "I wondered out loud whether or not we should take it, and when you did not respond, I noticed you had a strange expression on your face. Looking closer at the gold, I could see a fell aura around it. I told you not to touch it, but it was as if you could not hear me. I tried to hold you back, but you shoved me aside, your gaze fixed unwaveringly on the gold. You said that you must have the gold, but I felt in my heart that if you were to touch it, some dark evil would befall you and I could not allow it."

I chanced a look at his face and he was staring down at his hands, which were clenched in fists. "I threw my cloak over it and attempted to subdue you by force, but you are stronger than me and were able to pin me to the ground. Your eyes…they were blazing with a green fire, and I was afraid for you. Just as you were about to move the cloak aside and seize the gold, I distracted you enough to flip you over and grabbed your face in my hands. I had been yelling in Westron before, but when I realized it was not effective, I decided to use Sindarin. Eventually my words called you back, and as your eyes became your normal shade, you recognized me." It hurt my heart to see him grappling with what he had done. "It was not your fault."

"I could have hurt you, or killed you!" he burst out, and jumped to his feet. "What would I have done then? How would I explain it to the others?" He began pacing back and forth, and I rose to try and stop him.

"Saeradan, you would not have known them if you had taken the gold for yourself. They would only be your enemy." I grasped his hands and held them tightly in mine. "You cannot blame yourself; you would never attack me under your own free will. I would not have you bear that burden."

He slowly sank to the ground, and looked up at me with sorrow, "Nevertheless, please forgive me."

I gave him a small smile, "There is nothing to forgive." Unfortunately, I did have to do something about this gold, but what? "I am unsure what action to take regarding this cache. If someone else were to come upon it, they too would be ensnared. Where did it come from? Who put it here, and why? Did they mean for someone to find it, or were they storing it for safekeeping?"

Saeradan shook his head, "I am unsure of the answers to any of those questions. Perhaps the others have some ideas?" He was eyeing it with distrust and I could sense his fear, despite his attempt to hide it.

"I worry about physically bringing it to Echad Dagoras. I would not wish for another one of our friends to become ensnared," I replied, concerned.

"Did you feel its pull, as I did?" Saeradan asked curiously.

I thought for a moment; did I? "I remember noting its strange aura, but did not feel drawn to it."

"Could it be that Elves are unaffected?" he mused.

"I would not say unaffected; it is possible it eventually would have subdued me." Before I could decide what to do, I saw a party of riders coming our way. As luck would have it, they were our fellows returning with Amarion. Saeradan looked at me, unsure of what to do. "I will handle this; will you promise to aid me if things are to go awry?"

Saeradan nodded firmly, "I owe you my life, and I will help you however I can." Deciding now was not the time to explain that he didn't owe me anything, I waited until they got closer and within shouting distance.

Elladan was at the head of the group, and I called out to him, "Stay where you are, there is an evil artifact here and I do not want anyone coming any closer unless it is necessary!" He slowed his horse in confusion, but held up a hand and signaled for the party to halt. He turned his horse around and I could hear him relaying my message.

Candaith looked past Elladan and, seeing me, argued with the elf lord. Clearly, he was worried, which to be fair he had every right to be. I turned to Saeradan, "Could you ride out to them and explain what happened?" He looked uncomfortable, and I added, "You do not need to tell them everything, just the basics about what it is and why it is dangerous." Squaring his shoulders, he made his way over to them.

I turned my attention to the gold that was under my cloak. Truth be told, I was afraid to gaze upon it again, knowing what had come over Saeradan. Before I could do anything more, I heard Elladan call out to me, "May I approach?"

"Yes, but carefully," I replied, feeling anxious.

Elladan dismounted and slowly walked my direction until he was next to me. He was staring at the cloak, and I could sense the revulsion he felt. "What is this artifact?"

"I do not know of its origins, or how it ended up here, but I do know what can happen when one is under its influence." Elladan looked at me swiftly and with concern. "Suffice to say that one can desire it so greatly that they do not recognize friend from foe."

Clearly doing a quick assessment of my well-being, he replied, "It sounds powerful, but was it not found under a rune used by the Dunedain to label their hidden stores? It is possible someone meant for one of us to find it and be swayed by it…but who?"

I had one guess. "Saruman?," I whispered angrily, and not without a little fear. "His Uruks roam Eriador and Rhovanion, with the white hand on their faces and armor. He knows of the Dunedain, but I hope not of our errand."

Elladan was thinking hard, "Perhaps, but are there not other evil forces at work here? You have had dealings with powerful gaunt men, and not all of their leaders are accounted for. I have heard rumor of the haunted fortress of Ost Dunhoth, full of foul things and reeking of evil. It is south of here, but not too far."

"Whatever the source of it is, this evil cache cannot stay here. I just do not know where it should go or what to do with it." It was frustrating, and I could not think of a solution.

A conflicted expression crossed Elladan's face, and it worried me. "What is it mellon nin? What are you thinking?"

"Well…my brother and I, we were taught from a young age the art of healing, as well as the skill of cleansing the fëa of those taken under an evil spell. It has been many hundreds of years since either of us have used such power, and never on a cursed object…"

I shook my head, "It is too risky. It could corrupt one or both of you in the process, overtaking your own fëa."

"It may be the only way! Could you not aid us in some manner?"

"I do not have any secret power or training of my own; if you were to be subdued, I cannot guarantee I could help bring you back."

Elladan sighed, but suddenly his countenance brightened, "Do you perhaps have a beryl in your bags?"

My brow furrowed, "A beryl? Yes, I believe so, but why?"

"I know you have experience with Glorfindel's beryls that he infuses with light. Are they not used to chase away the darkness?"

I nodded slowly, "Well yes, but we do not have Glorfindel to imbue them in such a way." He looked at me seriously, and I realized what he was inferring, "You mean to tell me you can do the same?"

Elladan scratched the back of his head, "I have not done it for some time, and never to actually use to banish evil; we just practiced it for fun."

"My confidence in your skills in this area is somewhat lacking," I deadpanned, and he cracked a small smile. "So, you are saying it would be safer to use the beryl as a conduit for your magic than doing it without?"

"I find it likely but cannot be certain," he replied. "I must admit it is intimidating to think of cleansing an evil presence from an object, but we have to try. It is too dangerous to leave the coins as they are."

"I agree. We will send someone to fetch Elrohir and escort Amarion back to camp. He likely will need some food and water after his ordeal. You will have to tell me of it later."

Finding our plan sound, Lothrandir and Amarion rode with speed to Echad Dagoras to relay the message.

These coins sure sound sketchy. Will the twins be able to do anything about them, or are they putting themselves in too much danger by trying to dispel the evil? Hope you enjoyed, and please favorite/follow/review!