[Aylwen Dreamsong]

General Narrative for Radagast & Co.

The nervous anxiety of post-battle had reached its peak when the group found two of their companions dead upon the forest floor. Endereth and Anarya had passed during battle; many tears were shed for them. Calentoliel wept and Mattius mourned for their dear friend Endereth, memories of past times with her flashing through their minds. Anarya, though not well known to any other person in the group, was mourned and spoken very highly of for her skills and ability to somehow be strong and gentle at the same time. Everyone agreed (perhaps some more reluctantly than others) that there was little they could do for the two ladies' bodies, but all spoke of hope for their souls. And so the crew began to depart the forest of Fangorn.

They trudged through the foliage solemnly and quietly. No one asked Radagast questions, no one spoke to one another, and Ajada had even put away all of her writing things. It seemed to be a mutual pact of silence in the wood which would be the unfortunate resting place of former companions. Radagast led the way with grim determination, with Calentoliel and LinGalad following close behind. Kalir and Avery took up the middle of the group, Ajada just behind them. Mattius brought up the rear with a hand upon the hilt of his sword. The trip back-tracking to Isengard did not seem long, either because they walked with an urgency driven by the information given by the entwife or because of the terrible memories and thing that had happened within the forest. Whichever it was, they soon arrived at the edge of Fangorn.

Kalir and LinGalad began to turn to the west, while Radagast led the rest of the crew south-east to make for the Great West Road and follow it to Minas Tirith. Radagast, Mattius, Avery, Calentoliel, and Ajada would attest to the King and inform him of the threat and the armies gathering in the north. Kalir and LinGalad were going to Kalir's home, near Isengard. Fond farewells and promises of reunions were exchanged and soon both groups were off on their seperate ways. Ajada turned away to follow Radagast without saying another word, but then she thought of something and called ahead to Radagast, telling him that she would be there in a moment. Then Ajada darted back to catch Kalir and LinGalad.

"Wait!" Ajada called, pulling her sack of writing materials off her back as she ran and they stopped and turned around. Kalir and LinGalad waited, eyeing Ajada with questions in their eyes. Ajada withdrew from her bag a large packet of papers, handing them to Kalir as she formed an explaination. "These are the papers that contain every single thing I've written down about you two. Every absurd observation and accustation and description I've ever considered reporting since meeting you. You can laugh at them and keep them or burn them, whatever you wish."

LinGalad and Kalir chuckled, sifting through the papers momentarily before packing them away for later. Ajada noticed her other companions getting farther and farther away, and with a slightly reluctant hug to LinGalad and Kalir, she ran back off to catch up with with her group. Avery looked at Ajada with unconcerned venom, but in little time she returned to sipping water out of her canteen. When Mattius asked if she was alright Avery nodded and said she just felt a little feverish. Few words were spoken after this as the group made their way towards the road.

They were anxious with an unspoken fear that they might be too late - that they were too slow - as they reached the road a couple days later. They traveled most of another day along the road, and ran into a large army of Gondorian soldiers late that very night. Radagast was able to get three horses from the kind men, and was also able to get information. It was not a surprise to Radagast when the leader of the force told him that Easterlings were tearing up Rohan's countryside. The wizard had more trouble trying to convince and explaining to them that the destruction was only a ploy for distraction from the Marshes. The captain refused the suggestion of turning his group back to Minas Tirith to go to the Marshes later, calmly explaining that it would be considered disobeying his orders.

In the end Radagast and the group left the army of Gondorian soldiers as they rode off to relieve and help the Rohirrim. Radagast sighed at this lost battle of words as he mounted his horse. Calentoliel and Avery shared a horse, as did Mattius and Ajada. Galloping off into the night, the group hastened to reach Minas Tirith in time before it was too late to save Gondor from the wrath of the Easterlings.

With their horses, Radagast and his companions were able to make very good time, and were at the gates of Minas Tirith in half the time it would have taken them to travel by foot. The guardsmen at the gate allowed the group entry into Minas Tirith without any questions or complaints, recognizing Radagast's title and the mission he had been sent off to complete. Soon the group was on its way to the court of the King of Gondor, King Aratar (a descendant of one of King Elessar's daughters) to imform him of the army gathering in the north.

Radagast held council with Aratar and his advisors alone at first, but soon the rest of the company was herded in to add to the findings and reinforce what the wizard had told the King. Ajada offered the drawings of the entwife and all the quotes (exact quotes and no less, of course) that she'd collected from the tree-woman. Mattius, Calentoliel, and Avery included and added what they knew, and soon the group was shooed away while the King and his advisors debated.

When the group was allowed back into the room, Aratar informed the group that the evidence was enough to convince him and his adivors of the validity and seriousness of the situation. One of the advisors assured the group that an army would be assembled for the purpose of exstinguishing the threat that the Easterlings had proved to be. Then the King dismissed the group, informing them that everything would be handled by the army now.

"But sir!" Avery cried out, and Aratar whipped around to face Avery. Avery bowed with respect and as an apology for the outcry. Soon all eyes were on the young woman, and with a strong, unwavering voice she continued her exclaimation. "Sir, we've come so far! Was it not our mission for you that we should uncover the problem in Fangorn and get rid of it? Well, we've found the problem, but we still have half a mission to complete!"

Radagast smiled warmly at Avery, pride glimmering in his eyes, as did Mattius and Calentoliel. Ajada was pleasantly surprised, passively wondering where the thief girl who didn't care had gone and who was the person replacing her. Aratar considered Avery's words, and after a time he agreed to her request and promised that the group would be allowed to continue on the journey with the army. Before dismissing them, Aratar told them that the army would be assembled by dawn the next morning, and that they would leave for the Marshes soon after dawn.

The next morning the army left Minas Tirith, crossing the Anduin at Osgiliath and travelling north towards North Ithilien. Passing through North Ithilien was the last time they felt remotely safe. As they passed the border into Nindalf their once-hopeful spirits dimmed with the setting sun, and everyone realized that, while they knew what area the enemy would be in, they had no idea where exactly they would be hiding. Light-hearted joking ceased and a pall of seriousness had befallen the army as Radagast led them farther west towards the Anduin and the Falls of Rauros.

<font size=1 color=339966>[ 3:38 PM December 27, 2003: Message edited by: Aylwen Dreamsong ]