Two figures appeared at the gate to the Second base. Garm was calm, Fredericka noted, certainly, it wasn't the first time he smelled them. She closed the book she was reading and, for a moment, contemplated on its contents. Erasm suggested her to peruse through histories of Fornost, in order to find any clues to the mysterious knife that she brought from the ruins...
It was less than a month ago, when Fredericka went on a scouting mission from Esteldin to Fornost. At some point, when observing the Orc encampments there, something went wrong. Yet, Fredericka could not remember any of it. She could only recall herself waking up on top of The Falconer's Tower, with a silver knife in her hand. The shadows of the Dead were amassing below, terrifying. She tried to escape and it didn't take her long to figure out that immediate presence of the knife made the Dead oblivious to her location. Was it sheer luck that she escaped the tower? Still, the knife was not the only souvenir she brought from there. Haunting nightmares terrorized her in sleep, and they felt too real to be just scary dreams. They were Shades, lingering remnants of something ancient and evil.
Mahin sent her to Erasm the Chronicler, the mentor of their Breeland base. This aging scholar skillfully took care of Fredericka's nightmares, however, how he did this remains largely a mystery. It would seem that Erasm took much of the burden upon himself, convincing Fredericka that she was not meant to encounter what laid beyond the veil. She was no Lore Master, after all. This time she was happy, inside, that she was not meant to understand the nature so profoundly. Erasm helped her to get rid of the nightmares and made his rather unique raven, named Nevermore, accompany Fredericka at all times. She prefers not to talk about this part of the story, however.
Now, that Erasm made her sleep soundly, he himself was paler and weaker with each passing day. As for Fredericka, she was tasked with research on the silver knife and anything related to their experience, among the histories of Fornost.
Erasm's library was extensive, and it took her endless hours to go through the readings. She read in the house and outside, on the hammock, laying on the grass, munching at the picnic table, standing on the brewer's cart on one leg, stretching against the trunk of a bitch tree, pacing around the house of the Second Base, formally known to the Bree Administration as the Anduin Boat Club. She read out-loud to Garm, and read quietly sitting next to the huge dog, while she scratched behind his ear. Needless to say, Garm was the happiest while being scratched gently, between pages 135-398. That was when she noticed the two guests at the gate.
They walked toward her purposefully and inquired about Erasm, introducing themselves as Ionereth and Faerollas. The latter was a full member of The Wyld Hunt, one of the Wolves. That placed a lot of trust and respect into him. Fredericka invited them in and hurried into the house to check on Erasm. She was reading for too long and it suddenly got her worried. Maybe Erasm required help? She left Ionereth, who was interested in Erasm's library, to dig through the tomes, Faerolals seemed content to wait, as well, and Freddie rushed upstairs.
Several minutes passed and Ionereth got deep into her reading, with a big dreamy smile on her lips. Faerollas sat down on the steps and unsheathed his sword, cleaning it carefully.
When Erasm came downstairs he seemed visibly pale, significantly weaker than the day before. Whatever he went through during the night has left him somewhat drained. Yet, his eyes cast, through the cloud of tiredness, a willful spark, the sign of an unbreakable spirit. His raven, Nevermore, followed him closely. As he entered the main hall, Erasm held briefly onto the door frame. He used that time to find the figures of the guests. His raven kept looking at him with concern. Quickly, the scholar gathered his strength and entered the room, exclaiming: 'Greetings, young wolves!'
Ionereth exclaimed "Oh my.. Sorry to say but you look... awful... Was it so wise to take him down here?" She laid the book on the bench and got up.
Erasm chuckled at Ionereth's words and answered:
'There is wisdom and there is folly, yet we can only assess our actions after they bring fruit of their labour.'
Fredercika poured a cup of hot tea for Erasm. He nodded politely, taking a cup from her. 'Thank you, my lady. It will help me regain some strength. Alas...' He looked at them briefly, while sipping the tea. 'You might want to gather close, for I have something of significance to show to all of you.'
The three stepped closer to Erasm, forming a circle. The scholar straightened up, set the tea cup down, gathered all the strength and will that he had and began: 'I have with me and partially.... in me...' his voice changed slightly, when he uttered those words. '... something that might put things into perspective for you.'
Fredericka gasped 'In you?..." and Ionereth raised an eyebrow, confused.
Erasm allowed himself to check upon their reactions, before he continued. 'There are things and events in Middle-earth that defy common logic or sense, things that are straight out of legends and myths, rather than everyday life.' Erasm looked straight at Fredericka. His voice became softer, calming. 'Sometimes we risk. We can reach for things that are not meant for us, our curiosity can lead us to places we shouldn't ever be in. Or experience things we were not meant to live through.'
Erasm nodded to himself, before continuing. 'Dear lady, you have avoided a terrible fate. Gaze upon the remnants of what wanted to sneak into your very soul...' Erasm spoke without dramatic or theatrical tones. Indeed, he was calm and collected, revealing the facts, as he reached for his pouch.
Faerollas crossed his arms as he looked to the man, raising a brow.
Fredericka seemed collected but her voice sounded shallow as she mumbled about her Fornost scouting expedition, which made Ionereth quite confused.
Ionereth was a Bree Huntress, largely unfamiliar with the doings of the Wyld Hunt, yet an able-bodied, skilled and kind lass. It was no surprise she wasn't aware of the Wyld Hunt's help to Council of the North. Faerollas was a Wolf, though. He had experience both behind him and certainly in future. He had enough experience to remain calm when Erasm took out a lump of... darkness. There was no other way to describe it. Coalesced shards of something that looked like shreds of the shadows themselves laid on his cupped hands. Then, suddenly, they began to twitch.
Ionereth backed off "What... is that?"
Terror momentarily appeared in Fredericka's eyes as she observed the twitching shadows "They are here again, aren't they?"
Erasm spoke in a quiet, soothing voice. 'What you see here is but an echo, a remnant of something that wanted to appear, to come to be, through the discord of the Song.' He gave them a sad, but kind smile. 'It is but a reminder that we should be vigilant and careful, for the Enemy does not sleep.' He spread his hands and the shadows formed into a swirling apparition. 
Ionereth took up her weapons that she had by the bench, just in case.
Fredericka stood in stupor, holding breath 'What is it, Erasm?' Faerollas widened his eyes, at last.
The Shadow Grim was a swirling mass of shards of darkness, half-dormant and subjugated.
Ionereth laid her hand on the bow. "What exactly... is that thing?"
Fredericka whispered to the side "Ionereth, I am not sure an arrow would take this element down, don't even bother..."
Erasm raised his hand with an opened palm directed towards them. 'Do not fear, for the grim is fully under my control now. I have managed to strip it from its power, however, I had to exercise my whole will to the limits, in order to achieve that.'
Erasm gave Fredericka a reassuring smile. 'Do not fear it, my lady. I am not a wizard. All it takes to control the world is knowledge about how it works. And will strong enough not to fall sway to temptations.'
Ionereth removed her hand from the bow. She looked at Erasm. "You... control it?.. That's even possible? Wouldn't that be magic?"
Erasm gave Ionereth a long look. 'Tell me, young wolf... do you fear fire? The element that can destroy so much, kill in such a horrible way?'
Ionereth looked at Erasm with an arched eyebrow "Well... If there was a forest fire I would fear it... But I care for it when it's a campfire. So, I guess, depends in what situation?"
Erasm gave Ionereth a mentor's smile. 'Precisely, young one. We fear only what we don't understand. It doesn't take magic to control the world, it's our will, our mind, our knowledge that does it. We know how to use fire, how to use water and other elements. One day, we shall learn even more. For now, this apparition, Erebus, as I have called him after old legends, is something to make us aware and careful. A reminder that without wisdom we are too close to wander off to the path of folly.' He reached out and held his hands around the grim. The apparition subsided and coalesced into the previous lumpy shape, soon to rest peacefully in the scholar's hands. 'We only fear what we don't understand...' He said in a quiet, sad voice. 'However, we also should fear being overconfident, for it can hurt others.' He placed the shadowy creature in his pouch, glanced at the three and continued. 'Always remember that, do not let your pride and confidence overcome you.'
Nevermore looked strangely peaceful... and focused. Being an unusual bird, he probably had been a part of the solution of how to control the grim.
Ionereth scratched her head before saying: "Uhm, so this is the thing that made you ill?"
He smiled in response to Ionereth's words and shook his head. 'No, it wasn't. It's just an echo of the malady that befell...' He gives Fredericka a quick look. 'Me. And all that reminds of the nightmares is here.' He tapped on the pouch, where the peculiar souvenir had rested.
Fredericka looked apologetic "The malady befell you, but I brought this malady from Fornost. For that I am sorry."
Erasm shook his head and made a dismissive sleight of hand. 'Nonsense, my lady. You were sent to Fornost with a mission and you have done extremely well, probably disrupting a very dangerous ritual that would have happened, had you not intervened.'
Fredericka tapped on her pouch "Does this knife have any power remaining in it? Or is it now just a souvenir?"
Erasm gave her an apologising smile. 'That I do not know, my lady. Whatever ill was in it, is gone now. Has something unusual, of a value and use, remained in it, that I do not know. Alas, I do imply you to be cautious about testing it.'
Fredericka agreed 'I will not discard it into the kinship chest then, but take it back to the North Downs... Rangers need to know about this, and I truthfully believe that we should go and present the grim to them."
"In a day or two, yes." Erasm replied "I have to regain my strength, for my resolve alone is not enough to endure a horseback journey at this very moment."
Fredericka looked at the others inquiringly "The wait is fine with me, but how about the others? Would you accompany us to Esteldin, for the sake of safety?"
Faerollas nodded, shifting his gaze between the three. 'I will, gladly.'
Ionereth confirmed "Count me in."
Erasm scratched his beard, giving them all a look. 'I do believe that Mahin was right about the Council of the North requiring help in Angmar. That is where Faerollas could really prove himself.'
Faerollas closed his eyes for a brief moment. 'I will try to do my best.'
Nevermore seemed more relaxed. Unabashed, he continued to enjoy a pretzel he obtained from a nearby stand. Animal-loving Ionereth couldn't help but giggle at the bird.
The company departed two days later...
