How shall I retrieve Holly from behind the castle wall, you ask? Perhaps my staff will come in handy, dear Bird. * Gandalf smiled and glanced at the jackdaw with gentle humor and an apologetic half-bow. With a supple poised wrist motion he lightly raised the staff on which Bird perched, angling the bottom towards the wall to poke around for secret doors. *
* Skeptically curious to see the outcome of the wizard's search, stifling an instinctive aggrieved call note, the skin changer fluttered up to settle atop Gandalf's hat. The two went the whole length of the back wall. Despite meticulous tapping, rapping, poking, and prodding with the staff, there was not the smallest hint of door or gate, hidden or otherwise, to be found. Bird dug her feet more tightly into folds of grey hat fabric as Gandalf shook his head. She sighed and somehow held her tongue as the old man muttered, "No good breaching the wall, not now." *
* Not giving up, Gandalf turned a corner. Lo and behold, there was a gate a little ways from the corner along the North wall, as plain as the nose on his face! As a matter of fact, the gate stood wide open. Gandalf strode through briskly, catching sight of Holly sketching and the nebulous transparent form of a young Elf-lad. *
* Gandalf nodded a greeting to the Hobbit artist. * How's the drawing coming along, Holly? What a relief you're unhurt from the tumble you took!
* Jostling from the wizard's nodding reminded Bird that staying where she was meant being noticed by ghostly eyes. She took wing again and clearing the castle wall, dipped out of sight. Too late, for the ghost now turned to Gandalf, asking "Why have you brought a crebain to my father's lands?" *
* Gandalf stroked his beard with a frown mild and not unkind. This wasn't how things were supposed to go, no, not at all. He inhaled an aromatic breath of Old Toby, then let the smoke drift up about him until he appeared as cloudy as Kenelm. At last Gandalf smiled an introduction to the noble half-Elven ghost lad. * That's no crebain, but a remarkable bird, a creature of uncommon strength and free-spiritedness. I see you've met my artist here. * He gestured towards Holly with his pipe. * As for me, I had wanted to meet you properly according to the poetic grace of your song, thus ... Elen síla lumenn' omentielvo. Please, call me Gandalf. * The wizard bowed a greeting to Kenelm. *
[ January 27, 2003: Message edited by: Gandalf_theGrey ]
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