to my distant friend

Evan.

In the lord of the rings, one of Gandalf's stately associates is named Radagast the Brown. He only appears in the book for a moment, but you learn that one of his uncanny skills is to speak in the language of birds. He wears an Auburn cloak as his name entails, and he is wrapped in mystery, though from Gandalf's description he is clearly an amazingly genuine and sweet man. He was one of my favorite characters in the books.

You, sir, are Radagast. A wizard from a different time with abilities that separate you from the rest. You are the last pillar in this mortal world of your old order who yet remains honorable and wise, using magic and mystery only for the betterment of the world and never for epic or suspicious ends. Would that I were an elf, who alongside thy cloak-hem trots, to guard thee and keep thee safe from dangers and free from all mortal woes, that I might glean from your mutterings the answers to some of the world's questions. Or at least that I may learn better questions to ask.

My name would be Ruheron Lornythien and I would lightly tread beside you and be your eyes, your ears, your arm, and your friend. Perhaps one evening at the end of a day's travel, in an alehouse we'd take our repose. The stories of the bards and the drama and the fights would seem to us so precious and temporary, us being endless, them being a flicker of the candle light. And we'd sit in our pipe-smoke slowly thinking to ourselves, when suddenly thine eyes would mine meet, and that, my friend, would be the most glorious joke of all.

If only to us. Ha ha ha! Our laughter would bubble out of strong hearts.
If only to us.

"To us!" You'd exclaim and I'd raise raise my cup slightly.
"Are you posing a toast, wizard?"
"Aye." you'd chuckle. "I'm that."
"To us, then," and we'd be gone by morning, the rain never wetting our tunics for it's learned to give us passage. We have many miles ahead, though all must change around our stepping feet as though we walk through time itself. Tree roots rapidly churn and rake the soil as slowly we walk, marveling more and more as we are swallowed in the beauty of the dynamic world.

love,
adam