V OF ISTARI AND PIPE-WEED It came to be that Irminsul, Idril, Amalina and Elanor came to Rhosgobel, for they wished to speak with Radagast, and see what could be done to secure peace on that side of Mirkwood. They were greeted by Regnic, the Russet Hound of Rhosgobel, who sat on the council, and served Radagast. Inside Rhosgobel lies Radagast’s grove, through which none may may be allowed to enter, save with the blessing of Regnic, and through which none may find their way save with Radagast’s blessing. Yet the Fellowship showed sufficient wisdom, and so they were allowed to reach the home of Radagast. There Idril spoke fairly with Radagast, and so Radagast declared they may stay freely in Rhosgobel and consider it a sanctuary from the dangers of the wild. Within the home of Radagast, they met also Beren, a Woodsman who had served Radagast faithfully for the past few years, and a dwarf named Burin who was over-fond of drinking. Soon after, Radagast would ask the companions if they would journey to the Easterly Inn to acquire a shipment he had ordered from the Hobbits who lived there. Beren and Burin decided to go as well, for Beren wished to serve Radagast, and Burin much desired to see what the Easterly Inn had to offer. They left Rhosgobel then and stopped at Woodmen Town, where Amalina would speak to Gailavira, for Amalina had a shard of the axe Wolf-Biter and wished to recover the remaining shards. Gailavira gave her blessing for such purpose, for Wolf-Biter was a famed weapon of their people, and all Woodmen would rejoice were it to be reforged. Gailavira knew not though where the shards of Wolf-Biter might be, save for a tale she had once heard of people who were nought but children to Wood-Men’s eyed having one of the shards. Irminsul, Idril and Burin meanwhile spoke to a marker-seller who was in the employ of Halfdan son of Halfmark, and who ran the trading post on Halfdan’s behalf. A part of Idril longed for home and for the sea, and so she bought particularly fine raiment, embroidered with fish, as was the style of Esgaroth. Burin instead spent his money on drink, and lost control of himself, so that Beren took him to the dog kennels, that he might sleep there rather than in their guest-house. They departed the next morning from Woodmen Town in fine spirits and chanced upon Saruman the White upon the road. They knew not then that Saruman had come to discuss the matter of the Beast of Mirkwood with Radagast and with Gandalf. Saruman would spare but little time for them, though he gave them his blessing. They came to the Easterly Inn, meeting Dodinas, Dinodas, and Agatha, who was wife to Dodinas but longed to leave the inn and return to the Shire. Dinodas was yet young and rejoiced in Dalish games, and Elanor would play with Dinodas, which brought him great joy. In the inn too they met Gandalf, who spoke with Idril about Gondor, and the rising Shadow, of which Idril was afraid. Gandalf bade them all be kind, saying that small acts of kindness would hold back the Shadow, though perhaps not all took this to heart. He played the game of smoke rings too with the Fellowship, and Burin performed best of all, and so won a fine Dwarven telescope which Gandalf had found in his travels. Gandalf too gave the Fellowship a sack of giant carrots, which he named the Curulausimatl and were to be a gift for Radagast, and these were the largest carrots that had been seen in the history of Arda. For Gandalf had visited Bilbo Baggins in the Shire, and tarried a while in Bilbo’s garden, where he lay many words of command upon those carrots, that they might grow, and impart some magic to those who ate them. Beren cut great amounts of wood for the Hobbits, and in return for this service, they bade him consider the inn as a second home. The Fellowship claimed the package intended for Radagast and would set off in peace. This was not to last, for they chanced upon a young eagle that had been shot down with an arrow. Their arts of medicine failed them, and the arrow could not be removed. The mother of the eagle came then, and they had to fly from her wrath. It was on that same day they came upon a pair of Woodsmen, whose names were Munderic and Waleran, and they made camp with them. All save Beren came to distrust them, for they claimed to be trappers, though they had no traps on them, and to be shepherds, though there were no sheep in sight, and the Fellowship believed that it was these Woodmen who had shot the eagle. Nor did these Woodsmen trust the Fellowship, for the Fellowship asked a great many questions, and they would not share their business. They spoke with Beren, and asked him of the Easterly Inn, for they said they were greatly interested in the Hobbits, whom they knew as wise children. They asked about the protection of the inn, asking if it was not dangerous for such people as Hobbits to live in the wild, though truly they desired nothing more than to rob the inn, and wished to know who would stand in their way. Beren told them then that Gandalf was in the inn, and fear came into their hearts. When the Fellowship awoke in the morning, they found that Munderic and Waleran had fled, and their tracks led southward, from whence they had come and away from the inn. The Fellowship believed that all was well and returned to Rhosgobel, presenting Radagast with the package, though when he opened it, it was found that it contained nought but wood-chips. Radagast despaired then, for he expected to receive a package of the finest pipe-weed the Shire could offer, which was Old Toby. He said that it was to have been a present for Gandalf, though the Fellowship did not know that the present had been intended to be presented at a meeting of the Istari, to show gratitude, for Gandalf had sworn to aid Radagast in the matter of the Beast of Mirkwood. The Fellowship would not believe that Dinodas and Dodinas would have knowingly cheated Radagast and thought therefore that the crime must have been committed by the Woodmen they met on the road. So they tracked them by their trails, and it was Elanor who first saw them as she scouted ahead of the rest of the Fellowship. She thought not that she needed aid and hailed the Woodmen as if a friend. Munderic and Waleran however, trusted her not. For it seemed to them that Elanor followed them, and still asked questions about their business which they would not answer. They drew knives and bade her leave, but she answered merely that if they attacked her, she would kill them. They thought her aim would not be so true and made to attack, ere Munderic was shot dead by Elanor’s arrow. Fear came into Waleran then, and he waded across the Anduin to escape the Dúnedain wrath. The rest of the Fellowship came then upon the scene, and they were appaled to see that Munderic now lay dead. They searched the camp, and found no trace of the pipe-weed, or anything else of value, though they found a letter from the mother of Munderic, begging him to gain gold by any means, for they were sheep farmers whose sheep had been taken by the Eagles, and who now faced ruin. “This man was my kinsman, and you have slain him over pipe-weed! Yet, there is no pipe-weed here, nor anything else, save for a letter from his struggling mother! By my honour as a Woodsman, I shall bring you to face justice from the Woodmen!” Amalina exclaimed. “It was not murder. These men tried to attack me!” Elanor said, that she might defend herself. “If this is a crime, there is nought to be done about it now. We must continue and when our quest is done, perhaps then can this be dealt with?” Suggested Irminsul and the Fellowship reluctantly agreed. They made to return then to the Easterly Inn, passing by a swiftly abandoned campsite where they found the tracks of a great bear, and a mummified head, clearly used for some dark sorceries. What had happened there, they knew not, and would not stay in such a place, so sought to find a new campsite, but could find nowhere suitable, and slept on rough ground. They rejoiced then whence they came upon the Easterly Inn, looking forward gladly to sleeping in soft beds. Though the Hobbits knew not of the theft of the pipe-weed, Gandalf spoke to the Fellowship and hinted at what he knew. “Hobbits are remarkable creatures, and just when I thought I knew all there was to know of them, I found myself surprised again. They can avoid being seen by most, should they wish it, and perhaps only a Hobbit could avoid being seen by another Hobbit. I have often found that the best way to discover such surprises as this is by going on an adventure, and I find myself now wishing to arrange one. I have found that sometimes if you wish to learn about the smaller folk, you might go to where one of the mighty fell, and where one thing even mightier, and more precious, was lost.” The Fellowship thought then that Gandalf spoke of the Gladden Fields, where once Isildur was slain, and the One Ring was lost.