I awoke with a start, and as soon as I did I groaned in pain. I was on the back of a horse, that much was clear... But where was I? What had happened? The last thing I remembered was that... Monster, and a flash of light...

I opened my eyes and looked around. It was night, but the moon cast an eerie light on the ground below. I was in a meadow, and flowers grew there that seemed almost to have been planted in rows. In the midst of them stood a man, hooded and cloaked. He was specter-like in appearance, and he seemed to be searching the meadow for something. At my groan, he turned, and I saw that he was but an old man, bearded and bespectacled.

"You're finally awake, I see," he said with a smile as he picked his way through the flowers toward me. "If you're able, I need help searching for a particular flower. I seem to have completely forgotten where it grows." He scratched his hooded head thoughtfully as he glanced around.

"I am unsure that I would be of much help," I said as I clenched my teeth. "I'm injured rather badly. Now may not be the best time to pick flowers."

The man let out a warm laugh. "Oh, but it is! Now is the perfect time!" With that he shuffled away, looking to and fro among the flowers.

I rolled my eyes in annoyance and rolled off the horse, trying to land on my feet but stumbling and landing flat on my rear.

"Stay put if you can't walk! I'll find the flowers, then all will be well." The man's voice was faint, and I realized that he was no longer anywhere in the meadow. I closed my eyes and stayed seated, taking in the scent of the nearby flowers. I absentmindedly picked a handful, rubbing them between my fingers and smelling them. They smelled unfamiliar, like the meeting of the freshness of spring and the oldness of a dark, timeless cave. Flowers such as these didn't grow in Rhun.

A moment later, I heard the soft tread of footsteps coming closer. I opened my eyes to see the strange old man approaching, wringing his hands nervously.

"It seems that the flowers are missing, I can't find them any - Wait a moment, those flowers you're holding! Give them to me!"

I raised an eyebrow and handed them to him. "Are these what you were looking for? They were right under your nose the whole time," I said wryly.

"Yes yes, I see that now!" He said excitedly. He produced a small mortar and pestle from a pocket in his cloak and put several of the petals into it, adding a strange powder and crushing it all into a pulp.

"Here, apply this to your wounds." He gave me the bowl and I eyed it suspiciously.

"Go on! It's not going to kill you! If I wanted to do that I'd have done it when you were asleep. Though, gracious me, I'd not have done it even then!" His voice, along with his warm smile, were enough to assuage my fears for the moment. I quickly daubed the mixture onto my wounds, which were numerous, and nodded in thanks. The pain dissipated almost immediately, and I felt somehow invigorated.

   "Better?" The man asked with an inquisitive expression on his face.

   "Much," I replied.

   "So... What brings you to this forsaken corner of the world?"

   I thought for a moment before answering. "That is best left for discussing in a safer environment," I finally said, looking around at the misty jungle around us.

   The blue cloaked stranger rubbed his hands together. "Very well, then let's be off!"

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We arrived at the man's strange abode about an hour later. It was a tall tower sitting atop a hill, masked in an ill-looking green mist. It practically screamed sorcerer's home, which did nothing to ease my suspicions about my temporary companion.

  During the ride there the stranger told me his name was Romestamo, though other than that I learned little about him. He rambled incessantly about the nature of various healing poultices, as well as the virtues of eating cheese with every meal. I was barely able to say anything the whole time, only my name and that I agreed with him about the cheese.

   To my surprise, as soon as we arrived he suddenly grew quiet, meek even. Also to my surprise, the guard that greeted us at the gate was wearing the same armor as the strange riders we had accompanied.
  
"Who are those people?" I asked Romestamo.

   "Shh. All will be revealed at dinner," he said in barely more than a whisper.

   We entered a bleak-looking courtyard, where Nadow and his knights mulled around, speaking quietly amongst themselves. Romestamo dismounted and quickly made his way into the tower, leaving me to wander the courtyard. I immediately went to join Nadow and his men. At my approach, Nadow broke away from the group and came toward me.

   "Thank goodness you're here, I was beginning to worry," he said, anxiously looking around the courtyard.

   "What's wrong?" I asked.

   "Nothing yet, but I have a strange feeling. The other sorcerer took Hadar into the tower, and we haven't heard a sound since. And those riders..." At this, he shivered involuntarily. "I've been in my share of wars, met my share of strange people, but them... There's something off about them that I cannot put into words."

   "I know what you mean. Something strange is afoot here, that much is certain."

   Nadow nodded, then pointed toward the tower. "What of the old sorcerer? Did you learn anything?"

   "It seems you know more than me, for I wasn't aware he was a sorcerer. I do, however, know that his name is Romestamo, and he has an obsession with herbcraft and fine cheeses."

   Nadow rolled his eyes. "Well perhaps if they prove hostile we can use some Dorwinion Blue to choke him to death."

   "If only we had access to some Dorwinion Blue..." I put a hand to my stomach longingly.

   Just then the tower doors opened, and the Rider named Hatamo emerged.

   "My lords will see you now. Dinner has been prepared; I shall lead you to your seats." Hatamo waved us in and led us into an ornate dining hall. Gold decorations adorned the walls, and the table that was in the middle of the room was made of what looked like obsidian. We were seated at tall stone chairs, which were far more comfortable than any stone chair I had ever sat in. Nadow was seated further down the table. To either side of me sat Riders, one an elderly looking man and the other a woman, perhaps in her mid-twenties. Without the lifeless masks they were both far less intimidating. They both had long hair that was pulled up into a ponytail, and the man had a tattoo of a snake on his forehead: the mark of a criminal in Rhun.

So they aren't a race of their own, I thought to myself. The woman was pale, and her hair was a light brown shade that betrayed that she wasn't from the East. She was quite beautiful, though she also looked quite dangerous.

   "We will have silence!" Hatamo said, breaking my train of thought. At that moment Romestamo and the other sorcerer Nadow had mentioned entered the room, both dressed in elegant blue robes. The other sorcerer was built like an ox, and this, combined with his now clean-shaven face, made him the polar opposite to the thin, grey-bearded Romestamo.

   They took seats at opposite ends of the table, and with a nod from Romestamo food was served. I noted with amusement that there was a wedge of Dorwinion Blue cheese on my plate, and I skewered it on my fork and waved it at Nadow. He smirked and lifted up a wedge of Umbar cheese.

   "Is there something interesting about the cheese?" The woman next to me said dryly. I looked at her in surprise, a little taken aback that she was speaking in Common Speech.

   "Nothing m'lady, just a joke between my friend and I," I said as I hastily put the cheese back on my plate. "And who is it I have the pleasure of speaking with?"

   "I'm called Syri. And you are...?"

   "Rukil. I am from Rhun."

   "I could tell by the accent."

   "Indeed? I cannot tell where you are from, you seem to lack an accent altogether."

   "I was taught by Ala- I mean, Morinehtar," she said, turning red at her apparent mistake.

   "Who is that?" I asked. I noted that she had been about to call him something else, which seemed strange in itself.

   "You don't know? How long have you been here?" She asked, seeming genuinely puzzled.

   "I arrived today along with my friend and his men."

   "You mean... You're not here for...? Never mind. Morinehtar is the one at the head of the table, over there," she said, pointing to the muscular bald sorcerer. In doing so she leaned close to me, and I noticed her earrings. They were shaped like a horse's head.

   "I take it you're from Rohan?" I asked. I knew her response would give me the answer I needed.

   She narrowed her eyes and moved away slightly. "No. I'm from here."

   "Ah, I see. Nice earrings, for someone living in the middle of a jungle." I gave her a lopsided smile.

   "I found them in a raid on a caravan. Why so nosy?" She smiled back.

Touché. She was lying, that much was clear, but probing more would get me nowhere.

   "No reason. I'm just a curious person."

   "Mhm. And I must admit, I'm equally curious about you. So I'll make you a deal. If you answer a question I have about you, I'll answer a question you ask me. Fair enough?"

   "I suppose," I said slowly. I decided then that if she asked anything that would endanger my quest, I'd lie about it.

   "What brings you to-" she was cut off by a loud clap from the end of the table.

   "Silence for just a moment please," the sorcerer named Morinehtar said. "Rukil, if you and your friend would be so kind as to accompany me, I believe we have much to discuss."

   I nodded, then turned to Syri. "I suppose we'll have to finish this conversation at another time."

   "It seems that way. It was a pleasure meeting you," she said with a slight bow.

   "The pleasure is all mine," I replied, standing up and pushing my chair in. The sorcerer beckoned, and I followed him out of the dining hall, Nadow just behind me.

   "You have not met me yet, I know. But I know much of you, Prince Rukil of the Dorgeshi. And of your task." He led us both into a large room with a round table in the middle, where Romestamo was already waiting.

   "How do you know anything about me?" I asked, suddenly wary. If these men knew that we were no friends of Sauron, then things could get dangerous quickly.

   "We have our ways..." Morinehtar said as he walked slowly over to a spherical object in the corner of the room. He absentmindedly ran a finger along it, turning his head to look at me.
   Suddenly, the window on the opposite side of the room shattered, and a dark figure swung in on a rope, followed by several more. Morinehtar reached for his staff, while Romestamo shrank into the corner of the room.

   The dark figure executed a graceful combat roll and froze upon rising back to his feet, staring in disbelief at Morinehtar, who looked equally surprised.

   "Alatar?" Said the figure, who I quickly recognized as Caledorn.

   "Caledorn... I might've known." The burly sorcerer relaxed slightly, dropping his staff to his side.

   "Must you have broken the window? It was vintage," Romestamo murmured, shaking his head as he wrang his hands nervously.

   "Neither of you have changed a bit," Caledorn said. He stepped into the light and I saw what seemed to be a genuine smile, something that was as rare on Caledorn's face as finding an unattractive elf was in Lothlorien.

   "Nor have you, though I daresay I had hoped you would've ceased your swashbuckling ways by now," Morinehtar said as he surveyed the damage with an unaffected air.

   "I hate to interrupt this fond reunion... But Caledorn, how do you know Morinehtar and Romestamo?" I asked.

   "Who? I know no-one by that name," Caledorn said, raising an eyebrow.

   "Ah, you see Rukil, in the West we go by different names. I am Pallando and Morinehtar is called Alatar there." Pallando wrung his hands together nervously as he spoke.

   "They are Istari.... Which means they're allies," Caledorn explained.

   "Indeed we are," Alatar said as he narrowed his eyes. "We have much to discuss."

Hey everyone! I added Alatar and Pallando to the Dramatis Personae chapter, you can learn more about them there. I did not make them up, they are the two Blue Wizards that are mentioned multiple times.