Wayfarer of dawn

V. In which Rána awakens

Rána awoke to several sounds, loud ones. And when she opened her eyes she saw a few Dwarves hoarding gold into a box and digging a hole. The smell around them was repulsive, but Rána chose to ignore that and focus on the Dwarves, that were now burrying the box. "What in the Valar's name are you doing?" She questioned them. And the only response she got was a chorus of 'she's awake's. Getting up she met eyes with Gandalf. "How are you feeling, dear Rána?" He questioned, a soft smile on his face. Rána stretched a bit and smiled. "I am feeling quite fine, just a tad sore, Gandalf" she answered him. He laughed softly. "Your healing skills will never cease to amaze me, dear Rána." And with those words said Gandalf handed her a sword, which she recognised to be of Elven make, and walked off. Looking around at the cave she was in, Rána realised it was a troll cave. She looked down at the sword in her hand, it was craftman-ship of the highest kind. And there were two small, green gems in the blade. Attaching it to one of her many leather belts she followed the Dwarves, who were finally done with hoarding, outside.

Somewhere in the corner of her eyes Rána saw Gandalf hand Bilbo a small-sized sword. And while walking up to Thorin she murmered something in Elvish. "Nad no ennas." Gandalf whirled around at her words and quickly walked up to her. "Man cenich?" he asked her. "The one of the forest approaches, garbed in brown." Rána's voice held no hostility, only mystery and a hint of joy. "Something is coming!" Thorin roared to the others, causing them to huddle together in a group and draw their weapons. But Rána would have none of it, she simply stood there. In front of the group of Dwarves, without her weapons drawn. The thing that was headed their way was clearly in a hurry, the foliage was being disturb rappidly. But still Rána did not draw her weapons. And when the figure, garbed in brown on a sleigh pulled by rabbits came to a stop and adjusted his brown hat, Rána did no more than smile. And then the figure cried out. "Thieves! Fire! Murder!" Rána laughed. "Calm down Radagast, is this a way to react after seeing old friends?" She asked, motioning to Gandalf and herself.

Gandalf walked up, and Radagast just stared, the crazed look in his eyes not completely gone. "Well..." Gandalf started as he stopped in front of Radagast. "What on earth are you doing here?" He inquired. "I was looking for you, Gandalf," Radagast started in a high-toned and rapid voice. "Something's wrong! Something's terribly wrong!" Rána frowned at this information. Even though this wizard, Radagast the Brown, was known for a high consuming amount of mushrooms and talking to animals, she still took him quite seriously. After all, most of the times something big regarding power was about to happen it were the simple souls that noticed first. And this simple soul was a wizard no less! "Yes?" Gandalf asked. Radagast's mouth opened, but no words came out, so he closed it. And then he tried again, but again there were no words. "Just give me a minute," Radagast said, clearly distrought that he had forgotten it. "Oh, I had a thought and now I've lost it! It was right here on the tip of my tongue!" But then Radagast made a weird face and stuck his tongue out. "Oh, it's not a thought at all." Even though his words came out slightly garbled Rána giggled softly. Gandalf plucked off the little insect. And Radagast continued. "It's just a little, silly stick insect." Rána sighed softly, seeing the slight irritation on Gandalf's face. She started humming a calming tune, eyes drifting shut. And to her the world disappeared right then and there, nothing but the calming tune existed. And to Radagast it helped him find his thought again, but Rána was too far gone to hear it.

It was silent in Rána's mind, untill the howls started. She abruptly stopped humming. Her eyes snapped open and she drew and notched an arrow on her bow. "Was that a wolf?" Bilbo asked, "are there wolfs out there?" "Wolves?" Bofur repeated, "no, that was not a wolf." And before anyone could explain to the confused Hobbit what it had been, a scruffy wolf-like figure barreled down through the trees. Thorin met it mid-air, striking it down before it hit the ground. But it was not enough to keep the creature down. And when it lifted its wolf-like head, a crazy look in his yellow-ish eyes, Rána let her arrow fly. "Warg scouts" Thorin snarled, his voice holding an edge of insanity and anger. "Thorin," Rána's voice seemed to snap him out of his angry-bubble "we need to move, an Orc pack is never far behind." That seemed to trigger something in Gandalf, as he strode towards Thorin angrily. "Who did you tell about your quest beyond your kin?" Gandalf's voice boomed across the clearing, demanding an answer. "No one" Thorin said airily. "Who did you tell?!" Gandalf almost screamed the words, and they traveled across the forest. "No one! I swear!" Thorin cried out, looking around him paranoidly "what in Durin's name is going on?!" he now asked. Rána strode up to stand next to Gandalf. "You are being hunted, Thorin Oakenshield" Rána told him, her eyes flitting across the clearing. "We have to get out of here!" A dwarf behind her said. But another voice, a panicked one, was the answer to that. "We can't, we have no ponies," Rána turned to look at the Dwarves on pony-looking duty. "They bolted." The howls started again, though much closer this time.

"I'll draw them off" Radagast volunteered. Rána's eyebrows rose, how was he going to pull that off exactly? "These are Gundabad Wargs, they will outrun you" Gandalf said, a warning. "These are Rhosgobel rabbits," The Brown Wizard retorted. "I'd like to see them try." Rána let out a soft laugh despite the situation. It looked like the Valar had another thing in store for them, a good thing.