[Nerindel]

Maranwe

As Greenbeard strode on Mara gave more thought to their situation, Greenbeard seemed sure that they would be safe at Fir Hill, but Mara was not so sure. she looked up at the sky recalling Mori saying something about this thing… this shadow having no like of sunlight or was it day, she could not recall but she was certain that he had said that it weakened it in someway and this could only be of an advantage to them. perhaps if only to give them yet again the opportunity to flee!

Maranwe had fought many battles in her young years but she was no fool, she knew this thing was beyond her and more than once since she had left the relative safety of the Green man she wished Arato was with her… she did not know what it was, but whenever she was with this strange mysterious warrior she felt safe, even when faced with the most terrifying of evils his presence was a comfort.

As she thought of Arato, she again pondered on her visions and of what she had seen. Mori and Stamo battling the shadow or at least that is what she assumed they were doing though they bore no visable weapons, but wait had she forgotten so easily the glimmer of light just out of reach of the battle a glimmer like that of a blade edge? Arato? Mara suddenly wondered or was she merely grasping? Perhaps… perhaps not, but if it was her friend with Mori and Stamo then she must find a way to let them know where they were going.

Pulling out the sheaf of pine bark owl had brought them, she carefully stripped off the top layer and with Greenbeards instruction she etched with one of her knifes a crude picture of a lone fir atop a small hill, surrounded by other firs knit together in a wall that enclosed the hill, hoping at least one of them would know the place. Greenbeard seemed to think they would when she spoke to him of her suspicions that all three men seemed something other than what they appeared. Then unclasping the copper brooch fastened to her cloak she quickly slipped the pine note on to it and had Greenbeard stop that she could attach it at eye level to one of the trees.

“Hoom not far now!” Greenbeard rumbled in a lower tone than he had been. She could feel it too an oppressive darkness that weeded it way into her soul rooting out and tugging incessantly at her fears, she glanced down at Wenda. All three deer’s eyes where wide with fear as they glanced nervously together. “Stay close!” Mara called to them, hoping that her voice might reassure them and distract at least momentarily from their fears.

It was not long before they reached the close knit wall of firs that Greenbeard had described and as they drew nearer Mara could see no way for them to pass, suddenly she could hear a low hum, it was coming from Greenbeard then the firs seemed to part admitting the Ent and his companions, before again knitting together behind them.

Greenbeard gently set her down on the ground, there was no snow only a carpet of fallen pine needles, a gentle slope lead to the top of the hill, where underneath a lone pine sat a pool of clear fresh spring water. “Drink” Greenbeard urged them as the reached the pool and they did greatfully. It was cool and crisp and left them surprisingly filled and refreshed and the fear that had tugged at then seemed to have gone when they had passed under the wall of firs.

Mara stared at the wall for a long time there was something about it that reminded her of Arato a feel, a sense, that she could not quite grasp….

“ Hoom This place is special to the trees,” Greenbeard said interrupting her thoughts. “Especially the firs see how they close themselves together to protect it, there are not many of them left but they gather here and take root.” Mara saw a light of sadness in the old Ents eyes as he spoke.

“Do you really expect these trees to hold against that.. that shadow,” Wenda asked as she came beside them, Mara took off her over tunic and gave it to Wenda along with her cloak as the young Shape-changer waited the Ents Reply. But Mara’s thoughts where no longer on whether the firs would hold back any attack, nor whether Arato and the others would reach them on time, but on the Mountains that loomed over fir hill. There had been more to her vision than she had not told the others and as she stared at the white peak of the mountain she knew that what she had seen was near, it would be here and soon and fate would decide! a great fear then welled up inside Mara a fear that she had never known before.


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Arato

Arato flew through the darkness, a silent shadow twisting past trees and leaping over stream and brush. He was driven by fear for Illuvatar’s daughters and anger at himself for failing to foresee this new danger!

All about him the forest was silent, a curtain behind which many eyes watched and waited, fearful of the events passing before them, of this shadow, this darkness that threatened to devour their world. He ascended the mountains slope at a dead run, alert for the presence of both the shadow and its intended prey, sensing neither yet, but knowing that they must be close.

He tried to calculate how far ahead of him they might have gotten, but it was impossible to tell. At best, he could only hazard a guess. He knew not how much of a head start the two women had gained and now admonished himself for not asking as much of the brothers before they had left to face the new danger threatening those back at the Green Man.

A darkened trail of death and decay marked his enemies passage, snow melted into thick brown mush, leaves blackened with disease, bark rotted on still living trees. This one cared not if any followed, arrogant in it’s own ignorance, still believing as it’s master had that it’s power, greater than that of Illuvatars children gave it the right to be lord and master over all, that it was better than any that walk this world, that none could contest it’s will! But it had been wrong about that and had paid dearly for it’s mistake, Mori and Stamo would have surely wounded it deeply. ‘but perhaps not dearly enough’ Arato thought bitterly, as his thoughts again turned to the two young women being chased by this thing.

Every few feet deep gouges crossed his path left and right unmarred by the decay. Arato stopped to study one more closely as he realised that there was a regularity to their occurrence. The earth was cut deep as though a tree had been ripped up by it’s roots but not nearly deep enough for it to have been rooted overly long. As he moved outwards from the gouges he noted something else deer prints at least three sets , keeping pace with what ever made the gouges he thought as he followed them on.

Could this be he wondered contemplatively, could it be that young Wenda and her companions managed to find an ally in one of Yavanna’s Guardians? But what of Mara, there was certainly no visible sign that she was with them, though she would have not been able to keep up with the Ent on foot, perhaps it carries her…. But where too he wondered looking out into the vast scope of trees before him.

It was then he noticed it a faint glimmer on the branch of a nearby tree, drawing cautiously forward he realised that it was a reddish copper brooch in the shape of a beech leaf… Mara’s he realised at once plucking it from it’s perch, attached was a tightly rolled up scrap pine bark no words were written upon it but a hastily etched picture of a small hill with a fir tree on top adorned it’s surface.

‘Clever girl!’ Arato grinned, realising from the simple etching where they were heading. Fir hill, he had once heard it called, a sanctuary for Yavanna’s beloved trees, perhaps this night it would serve thus for the two young women!

Slipping the brooch into his tunic, he hurried on hoping that this sanctuary of Yavanna’s would at least keep them safe until he could arrived.