The Sins of the Father: Erebor

Chapter 5: The Hidden Pass

A/N: The picture above is Allie's bow and arrows

Chapter Five: The Hidden Pass

Someone shouted, "Gandalf."

"Stay together!" I shouted. I knew who was coming was no threat but there was a threat nearby. I just wish I knew what it was.

"Hurry now! Arm yourselves!" Gandalf said rounding us all up into a tight circle.

"Relax Gandalf, it's just your cousin, but there is something else," I said. Suddenly someone burst through the brush. He rode upon a wooden sled pulled by rabbits no less. He was clad in brown robes and there was bird poo on the side of his face.

"Thieves! Fire! Murder!" He looked absolutely startled. His sled came to a stop.

"Radagast. It's Radagast the Brown. Well... What on earth are you doing here?" I asked.

"Gandalf, I was looking for you. Something's wrong. Something's terribly wrong."

"Nice to see you too," I growled in annoyance.

"Yes?" Gandalf questioned shooing everyone but me away.

"Oh. Just give me a minute. Oh. I had a thought and now I've lost it. It was right there on the tip of my tongue," Radagast said stumbling over his words. Suddenly it appeared as though a thought struck him,"Oh. It's not a thought at all. It's a silly old," he said sticking out his tongue. Gandalf pulled off a stick insect. I resisted the urge to gag, "stick insect." We moved further away from the dwarves, not wanting them to hear us."The Greenwood is sick, Gandalf. A darkness has fallen over it. Nothing grows anymore. At least, nothing good. The air is foul with decay. But worse are the webs."

"Webs?" I asked.

"What do you mean?" Gandalf continued.

"Spiders. Giant ones. Some kind of spawn of Ungoliant, or I am not a Wizard. I followed their trail. They came from DolGuldur." I turned to look at the brown wizard.

"DolGuldur? I used to live there, until a dark force drove me out. I guess we now know what that dark force was."

"But the old fortress is abandoned," Gandalf said, seemly ignoring what I had just said.

"No, Gandalf. 'Tis not. A dark power dwells in there... ...such as I have never felt before. It is the shadow of an ancient horror. One that can summon the spirits... ...of the dead. I saw him, Gandalf.

"From out of the darkness......a Necromancer has come." No! My father couldn't return! If he came back the world would fall. I could become dangerous to those I cared about again. I could lose them all. I had lost enough in my life. My father could not return.

"Radagast?" I asked noticing the faraway look in his eyes. Whatever had happened in DolGuldur had him spooked.

"Sorry," he replied shaking. Gandalf took his pipe and wiped the mouthpiece off using his beard.

"Try a little Old Toby. It'll help settle your nerves," Gandalf said giving his pipe to Radagast. The brown wizard took a deep drag off the pipe. "And out," Gandalf said and Radagast breathed out, the smoke coming out of his nose. The look on his face spoke of how quickly the weed had taken effect on him. "Now, a Necromancer. Are you sure?" Radagast pulled out what was obviously a tightly wrapped blade. He passed it to Gandalf as I backed away. I knew what that was. This could not be, it was not possible. Gandalf opened it and my fears were confirmed. It was a Morgul blade made for the witch king of Angmar and it had been buried with him.

"That is not......from the world of the living," Radagast said, his voice full of warning. Suddenly there was a loud howl from behind us. I ran back to the dwarves taking on my wolf form.