[piosenniel]

Pio watched with her keen elf eyes as Angara flew high above Fangorn, higher even than one of the mighty Soron band.

The forest was quiet and still, no evidence of any creature, animal or tree-like stirring.

'Strange.' she thought to herself. 'I thought that Rose had gathered the Ents to attack us?!'

The dragon found a large dell in the midst of the forest and circled in for a landing. There was a tall creature striding into the perimeter of the area, waving his hands at them. He did not look dangerous, or angry, but both Veritas and Pio drew their weapons as they climbed down from the dragon's back and asked him to identify himself.

'Hrummm . . . hoom . . . some hasty creatures and a dragon with a kettle on its back . . . strange times . . . and dangerous times, too . . . so let me be hasty and tell you my name. I am Quick-beam to use my shortened name, Bregalad to you Master Elf. And who might you be?'

There was an exchange of greetings, with a wary welcome to Angara from the Ent. He went on to outline what had happened before their arrival - that a small hobbit who seemed almost split in two in spirit had suddenly appeared in Fangorn and rallied Treebeard to a supposed threat against the trees. There was a great moot called, which Quick-beam was unable to attend, him being called far away to a grove of rowan trees who had succumbed to some sort of blight. He had 'listened' in to the moot and to Rose over the distance, and was just coming to meet with the other Ents, when the connection to them was broken abruptly. Now the forest was left unguarded except for him.

'What do you think happened to them?' said Pio.

'They are gone from this Age and this Place, or I would be able to sense them. When they left, I did "see" a shadow of two of the Halflings that I once met here long ago drawn out with them.', said Quick-beam.

'Merry & Pippin! They are in the Third Age!' cried Veritas. 'The REG is distorting time!'

Pio thought fast and furiously - Time was wasting. She stepped up to a large rock in the dell and asked for a scale from Anagara. Etching a message into the rock, she took a small pouch from her belt and rubbed in some ithildin. Above the message, she deeply inscribed a holly leaf with her initial. She asked Veritas to lay a spell-out-of-time on the message so that Child, Sindacuion, and Bird might be able to see it in whatever Age they might be in. 'Ai, Iluvatar, let them find this message', she sent out as a small plea. She also gave the message to Quick-beam in case they happened in during the present age: The object of our pursuit has gone to Mordor of the Third Age. We will meet you there - Pio, Veritas, Angara.

'And how do you propose to do that, Elf?' said the Kettle?

Pio and Veritas looked at one another in consternation. Pio scratched her head.

'If you'll say "Pretty please, Sir Dragon" I will take you there', purred Angara. 'I have many talents as yet uncovered.'

The elf and wizard remounted the dragon and secured the kettle once again between them. 'Thank you! and fare well!!' Pio called to Quick-beam. And then in chorus they shouted, 'Pretty please, Sir Dragon!' and held on for dear life as the dragon rose to the limits of Vilna and then winked out against the stars.

'Hrummm . . . hoom'. . .rumbled the Ent to himself . . . 'a dragon in Fangorn . . . a good dragon as I sensed it . . . hoom, hoom . . . I shall have to add another line to the lists . . .'

[ June 03, 2002: Message edited by: piosenniel ]