Fayn (A LOTR novella)

Chapter 6: A Meeting

I had been walking through the forest on my way to meet Ratagast, we had some business to discuss that I have now long forgotten, when I ran across her. She had taken the form of a young girl, and was running from a pack of wargs. Even as I saw her run by, I knew it was a disguise because of the gleam of excitement rather than fear that flashed across her face.

I was frozen in shock, watching this small little blond child racing around and around, twisting and spiraling out of the way just in time to avoid being caught. She would leap up and over their backs, seemingly able to just fly through the branches above the wargs' heads.

It took me some time of watching to realize I was not frozen in shock, but rather a spell had been placed upon me so I could not move aside from my head. I follow the small blond girl with my eyes, attempting to figure out if it could have been her, but I lose sight of her small figure in the trees as she bounds farther away.

She moved farther into the forest, still running circles around the ten or so wargs, but with every flash of her I saw through the trees, her appearance changed. Her once blond hair became a curled black that matched the night sky, her skin began to change as well; it went from pale and almost white to an unearthy blue green color that could not be match by any other thing of Middle Earth.

As she approached me, now in the form of a young woman, I noticed she wore greyed and torn rags, but carried herself with such dignity which would befit a queen.

I was confused, to say the least.

She smiled brightly at me though, and I watched I utter shock as the wargs all sat down behind her, staring at her intently as if waiting for her to go back to running through the forest with them.  Though still wild, the young woman standing before me had somehow been able to make the wargs obey her.

When she spoke I was shocked again, for the words came not from her mouth, but echoed in my mind.

"I apologize if I startled you, wizard, but I did not wish you to hurt my friends.  I understand that here they do not take kindly than others besides their own kin." she explained, her voice like a rushing river.

"In all my years I have only ever met one other able to speak within another's mind.  Tell me, my lady, who are you?" I had asked her, having no idea.

She looked nothing like any other races of Middle Earth, though her grace and beauty matched that of the elves, and I would later find out her adamancy to do what is right matched the stubborness of dwarves.

"I am Fayn. Long ago, the Valar chose me to protect your world, but until recently I have been away fighting wars in other lands I also protect.  It saddens me to see that even after so long, few races in Middle Earth will cooperate with one another."

"It saddens me as well, lady Fayn.  Too long have feuds remained between them." I had responded truthfully.

"Please, if you will, I prefer to be known only as Fayn.  I do not desire a title.  If I may ask, what do they call you, wizard?"

"If that is what you wish, Fayn." I remember smiling slightly at the oddness of someone wishing to have no title. "I am known by several names; some call me Mithrandir, while others call me Gandalf, Gandalf the Grey. You may call me whichever you wish."

"Very well, I shall call you Gandalf." she decided. "Where is it you are traveling to?"

Regretfully, I spoke again. "I must be off, dear Fayn.  I have matters to speak with my friend Ratagast about in western Mirkwood."

"Would you mind if I were to accompany you there?" she asked, her blue eyes wide.

"I would consider it an honor."

We ended up traveling through much of Middle Earth together, before she had to leave again.  A war was threatening another land under her protection, and she had to help. She hoped to return again when things were made right, but did not any time after that, though that is soon to change.

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We will be meeting a new character in the upcoming chapter; any guesses as to who they might be?

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