[Aylwen Dreamsong]

" … comes … rabble … marauders … before … gates … besetting … and … household … trembling … of … you … against … Castle … on … destruction? Ware, lest … meet … doom … this!"

Aislan frowned as she tried hard to listen as Gandalf and Maladil spoke. She could not hear everything, but she understood enough. Alearindu held a questioning look upon her face.

"I can hear nothing. What does he say?" Alearindu whispered to Aislan.

"… of … West, … you? … by … Valar, … all … years? Your message … fails, … you … mock me, … Adela … not with you. Come, … name, … may … greet thee." Aislan heard the bits and pieces of the conversation.

"Something about the West, and the Valar. He says our message has failed...and that we mock him...and Adela not being with us. Our names?" Aislan seemed slightly confused as she explained to Alearindu.

Aislan noticed Midnight still by her side, and the whites of his eyes showed as he snorted towards the entrance to the castle. Midnight took a few steps back, but didn't go too far. Aislan kept her eyes glued to the scene in front of her. A glowing spirit at the front of the entrance moved little as it exchanged words with Gandalf. Gandalf explained Poppy and the gold, and Aislan heard a scorful laugh fron Maladil.

Before Alearindu could ask what he had said, Aislan began to answer. "He says something of the smallest, and Gandalf cares wether she lives or dies..." Aislan sighed when she realised how ridiculus it had sounded. She hadn't heard everything. The ghost spoke again. "Now he talks of Nardol, and sport at his blade. Maybe he thinks we should send Nardol?"

"As to the Elf-warrior you mention … I leave him to decide what answer to make you." Gandalf finished, after assuring that Poppy would not die or be harmed. Aislan watched and wondered what Nardol would say in reply. Maybe he would say nothing, but that didn't seem like the Nardol she had met, even if it was only for a time on the road.