At Your Service

6. Out of the frying pan into the fire

My first couple of days at Radagast's house were filled with sleeping and enjoying his delicious stews. Radagast was a weird yet funny man. He sure as hell knew how to cook and cure wounds as my leg looked almost completely healed after only three days.
He was an easy-going and peaceful fellow who preferred the company of animals over humans and I couldn't blame him. He wasn't very talkative and when he spoke he often spoke in riddles, which was fine by me.
I had been wandering the wild for too long and it was good to spend a couple of days in a safe house, with a roof over my head so I didn't have to look over my shoulder to see if I was in danger every five seconds.
Radagast hadn't yet asked me about where I came from or why I ended up in Emyn Muil. Maybe he sensed I wasn't ready to talk about it or he simply didn't care. Whatever it was I was grateful for it and enjoyed the peace while it lasted.
Shadow had been feeling a lot better too lately, in these woods there was enough grass for her to eat. Radagast even had stables next to his house where he had built a shelter for some giant rabbits, a few goats and sheep. Sometimes when I woke up early I noticed him go outside to feed a pack of deer, they stopped by every morning for breakfast before leaving.
Shadow seemed happy amongst all these other animals, she was free to go where she wanted, yet she stayed. After a week her leg seemed healed and I started making plans to move on.
I felt safe in these woods and Radagast was often gone minding his own business, taking care of animals or collecting plants for his potions so we were never in each other's way.
Sometimes I would be observing him as he made his potions or cured sick animals that way I learned a thing or two. Yet I didn't want to outstay my welcome.

On the seventh morning of our stay I packed my belongings again and followed Radagast outside as he was feeding the deer pack. From the moment I got closer they fled into the forest making Radagast look up in surprise.
"Oh, don't take it personal. They're quite fearful, once they'll get to know you they might come and eat right out of your hands." He smiled.
I offered him a smile in return before softly whistling to call Shadow.
"I believe you, yet I do not have time to test your theory my friend." I spoke, Radagast now looked at my backpack and a hint of sadness touched his face.
"You're leaving." It wasn't much of a question, rather an observation.
I nodded quietly as Shadow approached.
"I am very glad for all your help Radagast. I left some coin on your table, for the medicine and the food you prepared for us. You have been very kind, but it is time for us to move on."
Radagast laid a hand on my shoulder.
"Please get your coins back, I do not need the money. It was a pleasure helping you two. Where will you go now if I may ask?"
I shrugged. "That I do not know yet. Perhaps I'll go to Dale. I always wanted to see that city." I smiled. Radagast seemed happy with this response. "Yes, Dale is quite beautiful." He agreed.
I went to the stables to get Shadow's saddle and bridle.
"Know that you are always welcome here. I will make stew any time and oh please take some of these." Radagast spoke before I could mount Shadow. He handed two bottles filled with a potion I recognized from when he was treating my wound.
"It will help you heal wounds should you run into another monster. If you run out of this then remember to use Kingsfoil also known as Athelas." He spoke.
I chuckled before hugging the man briefly.
"Thank you Radagast, I will make sure to stop by if I am ever in the neighbourhood. Until we meet again friend!" I spoke.
I mounted Shadow after this as I was never good at goodbye's and urged her into a smooth canter turning around to see Radagast wave at me until I was out of view.
Shadow galloped in a steady pace through the woods, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes briefly enjoying the wind in my hair.
In this moment I felt the power of freedom again.
I rode on till noon after which I took time to hunt while Shadow rested. I did not want to stockpile Radagast's food as he had already helped me enough during my short stay.
After catching two rabbits and finding some nuts and berries to eat, I rode on again until nightfall where I made a campfire and prepared the rabbits for myself while Shadow went to graze in a field nearby.

We travelled this way for days on end. According to Radagast, I should be able to leave the forest behind me in five days and head north across the plains of Bight East to walk along the forest edge to the big lake of Lake Town after which I had to keep to the right until I rounded it and reached Dale.
I was laying on my bedroll watching the campfire when I heard whistling sounds in the bushes. I didn't pay much attention to it, the woods were never quiet, all kinds of creature lived here. I was used to the sounds of birds nesting I the trees, rabbits or mouses gathering food in the bushes and so on. This was their home and I was a disturber of the peace to them so the least I could do was leave them to their business and hope they'd leave me with mine.
I was so lost in thought I didn't pay much attention to anything until I suddenly heard a twig snap from behind me. By the time I sat up I heard orc voices.
"She's here!" One shouted.
I grabbed my backpack and tried running to the opposite direction. Shadow was by my side in seconds, but she wasn't wearing her saddle meaning I couldn't climb on.
"Shadow, you have to run! Go to Radagast! Be quick!" I told her yet she neighed angrily and kicked her feet at me as if she wanted to tell me my plan was stupid. I knew it was, but I was not going to let the orcs get my pony.
"Listen to me go!" I snapped again already pushing her yet she pushed back.
Eventually I grabbed a stick from the ground throwing it at her. The orcs were coming closer and I could already see the rustling of bushes in the dark.
"Go!" I shouted throwing another stick. Shadow was startled and ran out of my reach. When she looked around the orcs had reached me. I waved a stick more angrily urging her to keep going after which I took my pocket knife and stood my ground wounding the first orc that came at me by cutting his artery in his upper leg.
Shadow had disappeared in the bushes to my relief so I focused on the orcs. There were at least five of them. Too many to win, but it didn't stop me from trying. I ended up wounding two, yet when I pushed my knife in the shoulder of the third one two other's jumped on top of me and held me down as they bound my hands.
"You're lucky the master wants you alive!" One spat in an angry growl making me look around in confusion.
"What master? Who the hell are you talking about? You have the wrong person!" I shouted, but they didn't listen and pulled me to my feet.
"Keep her moving!" Another orc growled as I was pushed forward barely able to stay on my feet as the orcs started running.
I had never been much of a runner and definitely not in a dense forest like this one yet I tried to keep up with their pace. I felt like they were dragging me with them all night before finally letting me rest for a couple of hours.

They kept my hands bound for two days, kept me running for hours to no end and barely offered me any food, even if they did I rather didn't eat it as it tasted so bad I guessed it was probably orc meat.
On the third day I saw a fortress rise up in the distance. The air felt heavy, a fog rose up around the towers of the fortress. The trees looked death and rotting. The closer we got the more I noticed it was more of a ruin then a fortress half of it had been destroyed a long time ago. Yet this wasn't like the haven of Edhellond, nothing grew here and the greying stones and fog made this place give me the creeps. The orcs nearly dragged me inside, I already told them a million times they had the wrong person yet they refused listening or even talking to me.
Inside I was dragged up and down multiple stairs until I was sure I would never find the way out of here again. They eventually threw me in a cage that looked a lot like I birdcage but then in human size. The bars were old and rusted yet strong enough so I wouldn't break them open.
"What even is the meaning of this? Who is your master and what does he want with me?" I shouted, but the orcs just left me hanging in the cage and went down to the lower levels as if they couldn't even hear me.
"Hello? Anybody!" My voice echoed through the many hallways. For a long time I heard nothing, no orcs, no footsteps or whispers. Only the soft breeze of the wind.
"You have come." A well-known voice suddenly spoke making me look around in disbelief.
"What? It's you?" I snapped.
"Is this another test?"
The voice laughed. "Perhaps? Do you like being tested?"
I growled "Is this a sick joke? I like being left alone!" I spat.
"Oh alright if that's what you want." And just like that the voice was gone and I heard nothing but the wind.