Trudge Trudge Trudge.
A few weeks ago we had parted with the small red haired creature - she had disappeared every night and we heard strange growlings all through the night. she had agreed to scout ahead and behind us, and that was when we last saw her. Sometimes I still think I feel her following us, prowling and watching, but I'm ever sure. Olorin really liked her though, and found her conversation refreshing - he said she reminded him of another of her kind, called Beorn, but he never elaborated on that point.
Keep on walking.
We had been walking all day now, and I began to forget why we were even continuing, I wondered what happened to Brundt.I walked up to Isilindil's tall frame.
"Isilindil?"
"Yes?"
"What do you thinks happened to Brundt? And his ageing?"
"I don't know, Ruby. Don't fret, I'm sure we shall find him soon." she replied without breaking stride.
We passed a couple of trees, and I looked up to see that alreday these were being infected by the strange disease that was ravishing the lands around us. They're colours were muted and unhealthy growths had began to appear.
Suddenly, a startle from a bush ahead of us drew me out of my reverie - a middle ages man had sprung out of a bush, drawn his sword and was facing us!
"Come no further, strangers!" he shouted, brandishing his weapon. I recognised his voice slightly, which was rough and low.
"We mean you no harm" replied Olorin "we are only seeking a young man which may have passed this way. Have you seen him?"
"Ah yes... yes I have."
I grew angry with his manner, and stamped my foot.
"Well tell us which was then! What happened to him?!" I shouted angrily. Isilindil put her hand in my shoulder. The man stared at me.
"He met someone he didn't expect to, and came to terms with his fate. He is long, long gone by now."
"Well, which way did he go?" Olorin asked, with a questioning tone - I could tell he was pertrubed by something, but I wasn't sure what yet.
"Ah, in no direction, sir. He is long, long gone. The young man you seek is no more, no more at all!"
With that fateful sentence, he attempted to leave, but Olorin had drawn forth his staff from under his cloak and brandished it shouting,
"Stay you where you be, changeling of man! And reveal yourself!"
Suddenly, so suddenly, a crack sounded through the forest and when the last revebrations had cleared away, I realised who this man was.
I hadn't torn away any disguise, or suddenly realised what I had forgotten - it was if I had known all along - but my brain suddenly allowed me to know, that this was Brundt.
How he had changed - almost old now. I was suprised that this change of appearance didn't diminish my happiness and confusion about seeing him one bit.
"Brundt! What is the meaning of this?!" Shouted Ranewan, and Olorin questioned with his volumous eyebrows.
But as Brundt opened his mouth to answer, his eyes wide open as if we could see into him, into the young man that me missed, a loud whooshing noise filled the path.
It came from somewhere we couldn't see, although I didn't feel anything the trees swayed in this intangible wind.
Release my One.
A simple sentence was heard in my mind, and looking at the others I realsied that they ahd heard this too. Isilindil's reserve had melted away and she was gazing open eyed at soemthing I couldn't see beyond Brundt.
A few moments later we came back to reality, only to realise that somehow Brundt had broken through Olorin's bond and slipped away.
"Wh-what was that?" I asked, and coughed to clear my throat as if I had not spoken for years.
"I may know.... but I do know what it means." Olorin replied gravely.
"What does it mean?"
"That Brundt has chosen his side. It is time we acted on ours." and Olorin sighed.
The trees swayed in a wind which pricked the hairs on the back of my neck, and I watched the mountains roll away to greyness in the impossible distance.
~ Ruby Burrows
