Save Us

Desperate Hope

Thorin stood at the prow of the barge. His eyes held the image in fornt of him with a firmness that had slowly become familiar to them all. The Lonely Mountain rose at the far end of the lake. He lead the small company into the foothills above laketown, looking back when they all set foot ashore. They were missing some members, important people that should have been by his side for what was about to happen. His nephews, his heir, his Queen... they should have been there. 

The company looked around and noticed new vegetation growing among the blackened ruined forests, but the trees were still sick, the earth was still poisoned. Bilbo looked up and carefully watched the ruins of ancient houses, towers, bridges and roads that were shadowed by the mountain. The landscape was completely destroyed, and he could almost hear their elf (oh, how he missed her, already!) lamenting the destruction of nature, and the contamination of water.

"What is this place?", Bilbo looked around, examining his surroundings.

"Once it was the city of Dale, now it is a ruin", answered Balin, sadly, "The desolation of a dragon."

"The sun will soon reach midday", Thorin had looked up towards the pale, watery light of a noon day sun, "We must find the hidden door in to the Mountain before it sets. This way!"

"Wait, is this the Overlook", the hobbit hesitated, "Gandalf told us to meet him here!"

"Do you see him?", asked their leader, "We have no time to wait upon the Wizard - we are on our own. Come!", the dwarf King had taken the map from the silent red head and had resumed his walk to the mountain.

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Said wizard was accompanied by another, Radagast, and they were in Dol Goldur. How wonderful it was, to be in the hulking, dark ruins of the abandoned fortress... Among the Mirkwood gloom, the fortress was, after so many centuries, still standing. The two wizards watched it from a hidden advantage point.

"Dol Guldur, the Hill of Sorcery", Gandalf looked into it with a terrible feeling.

"It looks completely abandoned", noted the brown wizard.

"As it is meant to... a spell of concealment lies over this place", a small smile appeared on the grey's face, "which means our enemy is not yet ready to reveal himself, he has not regained his full strength", nodding, he turned towards his companion, "Radagast, I need you to carry a message to the Lady Galadriel, tell her we must force his hand."

"What do you mean?", frowned the other man, while conferring their surroundings quickly.

"I'm going in alone. On no account come after me", nodding, the Brown began going away, "Do I have your word?", asked the other wizard, without turning around.

"Yes, yes, yes...", turning around, Radagast frowned, worry and fear had consumed him, "Wait, Gandalf... what if it's a trap?"

"Turn around and do not come back. It's undoubtedly a trap", confirmed his frienf while making his way from their point. Unsheating Glamdring he moved along the crumbling causeway towards the front gate, and disappeared.

Keeping close to the wall and surveying his surroundings, Gandalf heard nothing, saw nothing, and it unsettled him. Raising his staff, he began speaking and elvish spell, loud and commanding.

"Ké ná ulko sís nurtaina - I ettuluvas kaninye; Kanin i sá tanuvakse!*", yelled the wizard, while slamming his staff down

A powerful pulse of white light travlled across the old fortress like a shock wave, but nothing was revealed. Walking a bit more, the spell was said once more, the staff slammed down again and he waited. Still, nothing. But alas, there was someone there. Azog, the Defiller stood on a darkened, ill-lit courtyard. Warg riders surrounded the tall Orc, waiting his commands. Looking up, his blue eyes stood out even more in the dark.