EPIC: A Demigod's Tale by Frodo Baggins

Chapter 4

Gandalf spotted the Tower of Orthanc easily from the air as his ship began its descent. He brought the ship in on a flat landing pad in the midst of the woods before the old wizard hurried onto the forest path that led to the bottom of the black tower. Orthanc stood intimidatingly upright, and from the top four dark spikes protruded from it in a menacingly symmetrical layout. As Gandalf neared, the Minister of Magic himself appeared on the front steps. Saruman the White wore a pale outfit that conflicted with the tower like a star against the night sky. 

"Ah, Gandalf, my friend," Saruman greeted. "I assume you have come to seek my counsel?"

"Yes, of course," said Gandalf as he launched himself up the steps. "There are some urgent matters we need to discuss."

"No doubt about the terribly troubled times we find ourselves facing," Saruman said, entering the tower he called home. The interior was dark and dim, the surfaces all slick black stone. Smokeless torches provided dim light. Several wizards and witches passed by, hurrying to complete their work. One young witch with a shiny brown staff and blonde hair hurried up to Saruman.

"Felucia has fallen, Minister. The press is here to see you. I've managed to coral them into the sitting room, but I'm not sure how much longer they will cooperate..."

"They will stay there for as long as they need to. I'm a busy man."

"Yes, sir. I'll tell them, albeit more tactfully. Also, the other leaders of Ministry have been gathered to deal with the, um, Felucia situation."

"Excellent. However, I need to speak with Gandalf first. Reschedule the meeting in, say, an hour."

"Yes sir."

"Thank you, Tara."

As Tara hurried off, Saruman gestured in her direction. "Tara Duncan, an excellent witch. I wouldn't be surprised to see her leading the Ministry one of these days." They had finished ascending a staircase and had traveled high up the tower. They left the staircase, traveled down a hall, and came to Saruman's office. The office was as austere as the rest of the building. A green fire burned in the grate, casting ghostly shadows around the room. Saruman sat heavily behind his imposing desk, an intricately carved affair detailing the history of Saruman's family. Some of the panels revealed gruesome secrets of the family if one took the time to analyze the art piece.

Leaning back in his throne, Saruman steepled his fingers. "How may I help you, Gandalf?"

"To get to the point of the matter," Gandalf started, "I believe I have found the Ring of power."

"The Ring of power..." Saruman mused, looking stunned and interested. "You have truly found it?"

"Beyond any doubt," Gandalf replied, thinking of the markings he had found on the Great Ring. Only the Ring of power had hidden markings like the one on Frodo's Ring. "I can't believe that all this time it was hidden on Shire. And in the hands of my good friend Bilbo, too."

"Yes, you were quite stupid not to see it," Saruman said. "Obviously, your love for the demigods has blinded you and clouded your mind."

Gandalf frowned. That wasn't exactly the way he had expected the Minister of Magic to respond. "Don't worry," he assured the white wizard. "We still have time to counter our enemies, so long as we act quickly. I already instructed-"

"Time?" Saruman interrupted, standing up. "What time do you think we have?"

Gandalf also stood up and followed Saruman out of his office and into Saruman's library, which hosted a fine collection of books. The library, a bleak, dark place, had a vaulted ceiling and light filtered weakly through the frosted glass. Even though there were plenty of shelves in the room, stacks of unevenly sized books and clutter littered the desks and tables that stood in the room. Archaic candles were interspersed throughout the room, their light diminished and ineffective against the bleakness that pervaded the space. Saruman poured wine into a couple of goblets, one for himself and one for Gandalf. The wizard accepted his goblet with a word of thanks, even though Gandalf didn't feel like drinking at the moment. He was too worried about the potential danger Frodo was in.