"Here, Mr. Gandalf, can't you do something about this deluge?" Dori questioned.

"It is raining, Master Dwarf, and it will continue to rain until the rain is done. If you wish to change the weather of the world, you should find yourself another wizard." replied gandalf with a tired expression as they followed the path through the forest. Rain was pouring down, dampening their spirits, and the ominous threat of thunder present.

"Are there any?" akked Bilbo curiously.

"What?"

"Other wizards?"

"There are five of us," Gandalf explained "The greatest of our order is Saruman, the White. Then there are the two Blue Wizards; you know, I've quite forgotten their names."

"And who is the fifth?"

Gandalf hesitantly replied "Well, that would be Radagast, the Brown."

"Is he a great Wizard or is he...more like you?" Bilbo trailed off.

Gandalf seemed rather offended at that and retorted "I think he's a very great wizard, in his own way. He's a gentle soul who prefers the company of animals to others. He keeps a watchful eye over the vast forest lands to the East, and a good thing too, for always Evil will look to find a foothold in this world."

***

I followed Radagast who was rushing through the forest examining dead and festering plants.

"Not good; not good at all." Radagast muttered before dashing off again.

I continued to follow Radagast through the forest. Startlingly, we see many dead animals lying around. I turned to see Radagast pluck a mushroom and put it in his bag and then he moved on to feel and taste the sap of a tree which appeared to be infected; I pulled a face in disgust but my expression faded as radagast grew more and more worried. A shrill whistle sounded, and a bird appeared. Radagast lifted his hat, and the bird and its mate landed in their nest. I turned away to survey the rest of the damage with a veil of worry shrouding my vision but out of the corner of my eye I saw something truly upsetting.

"Over there Radagast!" I called out from behind him "It's Sebastian!"

Radagast gasped and ran over to the hedgehog lying on the floor, writhing around and close to death. Radagast scooped Sebastian up and cradled him."Oh no! Sebastian! Good gracious," he whimpered sorrowfully but soon his expression changed to urgency as he called out to me "Hurry! we must return home before it is too late!"

***

When we get back to our home, we attempt to cure the hedgehog using various medicinal and magical techniques, but to no avail. The Sebastian's family surround him, and I shoo them and tell them to move.

"Move back! Give him some air!" Nothing was helping Sebastian. I began to fear the worst. "Radagast, nothing's working!"

"I don't understand why it's not working; it's not as if it's witchcraft..."I whirled around to stare in realisation as a strange look crept over his face, and he spoke again in a low voice trailing off into a whisper "Witchcraft. But it is. A dark and powerful magic."

A large crack sounded above our heads and my eyes flashed up to see several giant spiders crawling up the side of our house and I hurriedly braced the door shut with a nearby bench. Sebastian suddenly croaked, gasping for air. Radagast was still. I rushed over to Sebastian but he had let his last breath go and his eyes rolled back to embrace the eternal slumber. I desperately turned to look to Radagast for answers but he was crestfallen and on the verge of tears. I rushed over to him to offer comfort but before I could open my mouth to console him, the house started creaking with the sound of the wretched spiders crawling over the roof. In a flash, I unsheathed my daggers. But it was nothing more than a foolish attempt to feel safer. Radagast ran over to his staff and pulled out the blue stone embedded at the top of it while I stood ready to defend him and myself. As all the small rodents and other animals in his house scrambled away in the hopes of survival, Radagast cradled Sebastian and whispered a spell, while holding the blue stone to the hedgehog's muzzle. He begins to utter a spell.

"Lerya laman naiquentallo, Sí a hlare ómaquettar, Na coilerya en-vinyanta. Sí a hlare ómaquettar. Na coilerya en-vinyanta."

Free the animal from the curse, now hear words of my voice, be its life renewed. Now hear the words of my voice, be its life renewed.

The spiders began to break through the thatched roof and I twirled my daggers in anticipation and rocked back and forth on the balls of my feet. I hadn't had much practice but it would have to be enough now. I turned to see Radagast go into a trance-like state, and his spell grew more and more powerful, as darkness fell over the house. A black, ichor slowly flowed from the hedgehog and into the stone. Suddenly, Sebastian gasped for air and woke up, and light returned to our surroundings; the spiders turned and crawled off of the house. I ran outside and Radagast was in toe, spider webs covered our house like a plague. I looked into the distance to see the menacing spiders slinking away into the undergrowth.

"Where on this good earth did those foul creatures come from?" I asked Radagast and with that one of his friends, a bird, hovered in front of him answered, chirping into his ear.

"The old fortress? Show me." he muttered to the bird who nodded and flew off towards the old fortress.

"I'm coming with you this time" I called out to him as I followed him to his sleigh.

"No, stay here with Sebastian," he ordered me "I'll come back for you". I wanted to go and protect him from the inevitable danger but I knew he was right. I sometimes forgot that he wasn't completely helpless. He jumped on the sleigh and away he went; disappearing into the greenery. Sighing in defeat I returned to the house to fix the damage.

Besides the webs, the outside of the house looked like it's normal self but when I inspected the interior structure and there was a different result; one of the eves had cracked and a mixture of dust and various pieces of wood covered the floor. I decided to get to work and reluctantly fetched the broom to sweep away the mess. Cleaning was one of my most tedious chores.

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