[Aradaewen]

Faye and Collette watched in open-mouthed horror as Radae's enormous body fell to earth. When she landed, she did not get up. A normal fall like that would not have hurt her much, but obviously the magic bolt had done more damage than knock her out of the air. Their heads turned towards the tower as Saruman once again emerged with a new staff upraised, as if in preparation to strike something down...

Radae felt like the fires of her being had gone haywire and started burning every fiber of her body. Her throat hurt too much to groan in agony. Barely concious, the dragon lay on the ground, taking what comfort she could from its solidity. "Fools!" Saruman cried. Radae could barely hear him through the thick fog of pain surrounding her senses. "Women come to fight the mighty Saruman! Go home and nurse your babies, weaklings. Evil is on the rise, and the dawn of a new dark age is approaching. This is my hour of triumph!" Radae turned elven as one last act of defiance. She heard her own words dimly slogging their way through the painful mire of memory- "Then I will die..." and knew no more...