[Child of the 7th Age]

The chanting and swaying of the huorn continued as the priestess and her companion approached the outer circle of trees. Saelonia leaned over and whispered conspiratorially to her companion, "We have nothing to fear. A missive came this morning. We have eyes and ears even within the King's camp. The fools cannot even agree on which path they should follow. If they are so divided, unable to decide on such a simple thing, they will never stop us!"

Saelonia tilted back her head and laughed, until the echoing sound of her own voice came ringing back in her ears. "We will triumph. This King will wish he had never set eyes on the people of Rhun. No longer will our royal Khan bend a knee to the heirs of Aragorn."

Walking along the forest path, she proudly turned to Brethil and purred out a silken greeting, "Huorn, mighty prince of Fangorn, my companion and I extend good tidings to you and your kin. The mighty Khan will soon send an army to strike down these evildoers on two legs. It is they who have chased away your beloved Ents. It is they who are responsible for those who come into the sacred wooden groves carrying axes on their shoulders. We share your grief and rage against these Men of Gondor. Join now with Rhun! Together, we will bring the King of Gondor to his knees."

Brethil eyed the woman warily, uncertain whether or not he should trust her. Did she not also go on two legs? Was she truly different from the Men with axes? And how could he be certain that the Men of Rhun had not played some part in driving away the Ents? Still, he wanted to believe her. He wanted a path to follow, some clear way to channel his outrage. He almost willed it to be so.

"Fair Lady, I wish to believe you, as do my kin. But I do not know. You have come here before and spoken words like these. How can I trust you? How do I know you say the truth?"

Saelonia fixed a steely eye on Brethil, nodding her head, "You are right to question for you do not know me. But would you believe if an Ent came to confirm that I speak the truth. Or, perhaps.....perhaps not an Ent, but an Entwife."

The birch leapt convulsively so that his very roots tore loose and came spilling out from the earth. He turned his massive body and took one step forward, bending until his mighty branches almost touched the woman's face. "Do not jest about such a thing. No Entwives have been seen for long ages past. They are gone....gone." Brethil's voice sounded sad and distant. "Only the eldest of us even remember them."

Saelonia hissed back at the huorn, "I jest not. Nor do I lie. Tomorrow night, I will come here to this circle and bring an Entwife with me."

A low and excited murmur swept through the circle of trees that stood in the clearing. Brethil looked towards the others who nodded back to him. Their branches swayed in the cold night air, and a sound like the wind passed between them, as if they were talking to each other in some unknown tongue. Then Brethil turned again to Saelonia, "If you will do this, if you will bring an Entwife here who will vouch for your words, we will follow you until the ends of the earth. Our people will rise up and leave these quiet woods. We will march to war against the Men of Gondor."

With that, Saelonia and her companion nodded respectfully to the trees. "Tomorrow then. We will meet here and bring our friend." Then they turned and left the gathering, making their way back to their horses, quickly disappearing into the black haze of the night.

[ June 15, 2003: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]