[piosenniel]

Holly took the rods from Bethberry, and wishing her well one last time, ran to join the others. Bird, Olo, Volondil and Peri were ambling along at the rear of the rag tag procession, waiting for her. She slipped in between Bird and Peri, matching her pace to theirs.

Bird was talking low to the pony as Holly came up. ‘Those Elves and their insuffrable singing are giving me a headache!’ she complained. ‘Why can’t they ever walk along, quiet, like normal folk!’ Peri cast one large brown eye at her and made no comment. Holly poked her in the side with the rods Bethberry had given her and told her to lower her voice. ‘Gandalf asked them to sing,’ she said to the irritated shapechanger, ‘so I suppose it has something to do with our being safer if we go in under cover of song.’

‘Hmmph!’ came the laconic comment from Bird. She looked at the companions in front of her and at the castle looming ahead. ‘I hope you don’t intend to go into that place. I don’t care how much gold or treasure is in there – I didn’t like the looks of the grounds, and I like the looks of the castle even less.’ Holly and Bird had walked back to the encampment apart from Gandalf earlier in the evening, discussing the ill-fated mapping sortie. Neither of them had cared for the encounter with the ghost in the garden, and the figures moving behind the window just above the garden had put the hair up on the backs of their necks.

Bird shook her head as she watched the castle approaching. ‘We’ll go to one of the bigger Inns and run a game there, if we have to. You can do some tinkering, while Olo hires on as a stable hand. Volondil can be my . . . ahem, bodyguard.’ Holly and Olo rolled their eyes at this pronouncement, stifling a chuckle. Perhaps it was just a trick of moonlight and the torches, but the Ranger seemed to blush at the statement. It was Bird’s turn to poke Holly in the arm, and glare at her.

Holly’s attention was drawn to the three rods Bethberry had given her. ‘Shadows take them!' she swore. 'I promised her I’d do this for her.’ Excusing herself from the group, she ran up to the head of the procession, trying not to jostle anyone in her haste. Nardol was there, near Gandalf, and she tugged at his cloak until he stopped. ‘Begging your pardon, Sir Elf,’ she began, looking him directly in the eye, ‘but Bethberry asked me to give these to you. She is ill and won’t be coming with us.’ She did not wait for a reply, but placed the rods in his out stretched hand, and wishing him well, ran quickly back to her companions.

********************

Now they had neared the Castle’s gate. She saw the others preparing to pass in and toward the main door, following the lead of Gandalf. Holly brought her companions to a halt, and motioned them to follow her to the right, northward along the east wall, and then left along the long north wall.

They stayed well beneath the cover of the surrounding trees until they came to the small, open gate just east of the western wall.

Peri they left among the protective covering of the woods. Silent as a ground mist they approached the darkened gate, and looking about, as carefully as they could, they went in toward the garden.

[ February 03, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ]