The steward of that period had me thrown out, though the soldiers dared not touch me. But I would not relent.

I had contacts inside, and with their aid I secretly entered the White City, and was led deep down, into the oldest rooms. I myself sat in the same chair that Gandalf the Grey later assumed, and I studied many things. The Nazgul were my foremost interest. I desired to unravel everything about them that I could. I studied the birth of orcs as well; trolls, balrogs, ancient wars, all were in the pages I read.

At last, after days of reading, I came upon a dusty, crumbling, and yellowed book. I read dark things inside that book, many things about the Nine. But when I was at the most interesting and deadly part... the text stopped. The page was ripped halfway down and the rest of the book was blank.

I asked my contacts if they knew anything of it, yet none of them did. My only guess was that whoever wrote that book wanted to leave the city, and take with them the most important part, perhaps to finish it somewhere else.

So I went to Isengard. Saruman’s tower was the most likely place that the page would be, or that I could find the whereabouts of the page. As it turned out, Gandalf himself held the page, and he warned me that I should not take part in what the page contained, that I should leave it to he, Gandalf, to deal with it.

The missing piece said:
... and so if I am correct in my thinking, then that would mean that Dol Guldor, held by the Nine, is now the hideout of the Dark Lord’s form. If this is so, then that would mean that all this time, he has been there, waiting. He is planning something... though I do not want to fathom what. I leave it to higher Istari to handle this.. or some foolhardy man or dwarf that believes they can challenge Sauron...

I never discovered who wrote that book, other than that it was a wizard, of whatever rank. As Gandalf instructed, I leave it to him. I have stayed at Isengard since, save for when I took a ship back to Valinor to visit relatives. Which, sadly was during the War of the Ring. A ship could not be found fast enough to take me back with aid, and when I returned to Middle EArth, it was over.

Nevertheless, there was still work to be done to ensure a peaceful age; that is where my more combat oriented task began. During the first 4 years of the Fourth Age of Middle Earth, I slew many enemies, and gained many allies, some powerful, some not so much. The large wars were over, but orcs still roamed the Misty Mountains, goblins still crept in the halls of Moria, and the Haradrim and Easterlings were angered by they’re defeat, yet they remained cautious.

ventured into Moria, a place I had been on a few occasions in the distant past, with 40 men and dwarves and two young and inexperienced wizards that had taken up the role of my "official bodyguards". Our journey took us ever deeper as we made our way into the deepest levels. Goblins harried us, slowly pecking away at our numbers. We had 30 dwarves left (the men had all been slain or had abandoned us), and both my "bodyguards" when we arrived in Darrowdelf. The halls had amazed me on my past visits, and the two young ones were gaping as the dwarves bragged about the stonework.

In that hall, I almost met my doom.

Halfway through, we were ambushed from all sides by goblins. They came from the ceiling, the floor, the columns, and though there weren’t any more than twice our numbers, they surprised us; for with them they brought 3 mighty Olag-Hai trolls. I was astonished that these mightier trolls would join with mere goblins, and I had thought them all seeking refuge in the Misty Mountains, but here was proof that they were still alive and kicking.

The lot of them still wore their black armor, and it was likely that they hadn’t taken it off. The dwarves formed a circle around us mages, and they used their teamwork, dedication, and skill to keep the goblins out of the tightknit perimeter. That was until the Olag-Hai charged. They barreled through the dwarves, who closed up once more behind them to keep them in and the goblins out. They were heading for me and my "bodyguards".

One of the younger wizards, whose name was Beroth, stepped forward with sword drawn. He slashed the first trolls leg, but I watched in horror as he was smashed aside by the trolls mace; there was no doubt that he was dead.

Hentian, the second young one, stayed back behind me, and I didn’t move at all as he shot a ball of fire at over my shoulder. It hit the beast in the shoulder, and I was on it in an instant. I slashed up across it’s chest while it struggled to put out the fire that was spreading along it’s flammable hide; my sword cut through it’s armor and hide and it fell back to the ground hard, it’s breath gone and it’s life depleted. I looked up to see only one troll before me, yet it was far enough away for me to get my bearings and look around. The other troll had run past me towards Hentian, who was running back and for between it’s legs.

I started for it, but I only took a few steps before I was hoisted in a tight grip on my leg. The last I saw of Hentian’s battle was the back of the trolls foot kicking him hard before I was turned to face the monstrous troll’s meaty face, not half a foot from mine, yet I was upside down.

The troll roared, and as spit and other things I would rather not mention splattered over me, I thrust my sword through it’s gaping maw and out the back of it’s head. It fell to the ground in a ragged tumble, and I was fortunate enough to fall on it’s relatively soft, exposed belly, instead of the hard floor.

As soon as I had my leg free of it’s grip I was up and running at the next troll, who had, in it’s apparent stupidity, left the wounded though not dead Hentian laying there. His arm was crushed completely, and his breathing ragged, though he was alive. The troll turned and swung at me; it’s immense sword bounced backwards off of a blue orb that surrounded me now, and it stared confusedly at it’s weapon.

I took my time then, as my orb was up, and I struck out straight with my sword; it was yet five feet from the troll, but I had not meant to pierce it. A flash and a crackle ensued, and the Olag-Hai was catapulted backward overtop of the dying-down fighting to crash hard into a pillar, which held it’s place steadily under the impact.

The trolls were dead, I was fatigued, one of my companions was dead, the other severely wounded, and our numbers lessened. But the dwarves had done their job well. Despite the fact that we were forced to hurry back out of Moria and get reinforcements, I, and Hentian, again accompanied the even larger force of dwarves, and only dwarves, back down into Moria.