[piosenniel]

Pio watched as Birdie, Child, and Sindacuion were sucked into nothing. She had stepped away from the site for a moment to discuss the moving maps with Veritas, when she saw Child look at the laptop screen in frustration and jab her finger at the keyboard. A small vortex opened up and half the band was gone!

'O no!' cried Veritas and Pio in unison. 'Where have they gone?' asked Pio.

'I think they've been directed to the false Fangorn that the REG has moved near the border of the field. What they'll find in there I can't be certain. But I don't think it will be Rose.'

'I was thinking that, too.' returned Pio. 'I think she and the REG must have some kind of watch they were keeping on us. I could almost feel a kind of dark laughter whispering in my ear at times. It wasn't Rose. It must be whatever force is operating through the REG.'

'Good thinking!', came a small voice from directly above their heads.

Angara peered down from the branch of a tree at them.

'Come down and help us solve this problem, please!' requested Pio. 'I was thinking that we need to get to the real Fangorn before Rose's trail get's too cold. Hopefully her and the REG's attention will be focused on the other part of our company. Can you think of how we might get to Fangorn quickly?'

'I think I can solve that.', said Veritas considering the dragon closely. 'Allow me to touch you with my staff, and I will make you bigger.'

Veritas touched the wary dragon with her staff and uttered a finite growing spell. Angara grew to the size of an exceedingly large oliphaunt with wings large enough to support her weight. Looking quite proud of herself, she stepped into a patch of sunlight and let out a long whoosh of smoke and fire.

'Don't burn the field!' cried Pio, who had picked up Kettle, still sitting dejectedly nearby, and was attempting to douse the small brush fire with water scooped from the river.

'Veritas, see if you can get our equipment onto the dragon. I need to make some arrangements for the defense of the Field.'

Pio ran to the shelter where Frodo and Sam had set up camp. She explained what was going on,although Frodo was pretty much in the loop through his Palantir. She told him that it seemed that 2 forces created by the REG, or perhaps just obscured by it, were converging on the Field. Once again they were going to need a home defense team mobilized for action against an unknown enemy. She suggested that they might want to retreat to the fortified position of Henneth Annun, just northeast of Cormallen. She asked Frodo to be careful not to let the Palantir 'see' too much of their surroundings when they moved. It might be possible that the REG could have a link to it.

Pio then hurried over to Menelduliniel and Gimli where they were drinking. She told them she hoped they could assist the defense of Cormallen with Sam and Frodo and any other hearty souls they could muster.

'I'm afraid the battle may prove an ugly one,'said Pio,'and I don't know what sort of foe or foes you will find yourselves up against. This Field, though, seems to be one target for the evil force's focus, and you must hold it against the time that we can return Rose and destroy whatever force is behind the REG. Will you take the challenge?'

They shook their heads in the affirmative, and then put them together to make plans.

Pio ran back to Angara, with Veritas now sitting at the nape of her neck just forward of her wings. She grabbed Kettle, who squeaked as Pio hauled it up the side of the dragon, and secured it between herself and Veritas.

'Why are you bringing that Kettle?' asked Veritas, eyebrows raised.

'Even the smallest creature can do great deeds for good!' reminded Pio, laughing as she saw Veritas roll her eyes at the line.

'Not to mention the fact that I quite enjoy fish!' rumbled Anagara deep in her throat.

The dragon rose into the air, heading northwest to Fangorn. Ketlle squeaked in horror and protest until the wind rushing past the swiftly flying dragon blotted out the sound.