[Orual]

The forest was even darker from the inside, and if anything, even more unnerving, Anson decided. He jumped every time anything made a sound, though it generally turned out to be a dead twig snapping under the feet of his companions or their horses.

They stopped at a small clearing, and Anson frowned around it while Marsilion ducked to clear a low branch. "We're about as lost as lost can be," the hobbit said fatalistically.

"We're a day into the southwest end of the forest," Luin said promptly. "I know how to get back."

"We can get back, but back isn't where we want to get," Anson replied. "We need to find this bothersome flower, and we don't know where it could possibly be. I could find a patch of kingsfoil if need be, or any other nice, normal weed you could ask for, but not this ainereg business. I wouldn't know it from crabgrass. We'd better split up; double our chances."

"Why not all go on our own and multiply our chances by nine?" Andunériel said dryly. "There's strength in numbers."

"It won't matter anyway, if we can't find the ainereg," Anson insisted. "We have to find it. And we'll find it faster if we split up. Luin, Tinüsel, Gondolin, come with me. Peony, Elenlith, Marsilion, Ferdibrand, go with Andunériel. We'll head north; the rest of you go east. We'll meet back here in three days, whether or not we've found the ainereg. If one team doesn't make it after another day, the returning team will head back for Eriador. If the second team makes it back at all, they're to return themselves." He shrugged his pack further onto his shoulder. "Let's off, then. We have another long journey ahead of us."