Reynir, the Red Pilgrim, Wizard.
Few know about this wizard. While Saruman, Gandalf and Radagast stayed on the North, and the blue wizards went East, this one was last seen going South, searching for palm trees...
The Maia Arnason was an Ainu, created by Iluvatar, like all his fellow divine spirits, the Ainur, before Time itself, and present on that first attempt of Gregorian Chant, the Ainulindale, that ultimately shaped the World.
Like all Maiar he was in the backing vocals, following the lead of the biggest stars, the Valar, who got all the solos.
He sang quite well, it's said, albeit with an uncanny tendency to "step over" other's parts, which owned him a few unhappy glares, particularly from Melkor, the greatest (and first) prima-donna. Unconfirmed accounts even refer that it was just after one of these moments that Melkor decided to improvise his own music, jazz-style.
As we all know Jazz and Gregorian Chant don't mix well, which in turn caused unforeseen consequences as Iluvatar's celestial ears were already ringing, prompting the Creator to ponder if all that music and people were indeed a good idea...
The Celestial patience eventually ended and Melkor was cast away, and he bumped painfully against Arnason shoulder on his way out, throwing both on the starry ground. It's said that instead of getting angry Arnason tried to help the powerful Vala, and that made him even more furious. He kicked a passing star, that exploded as the first Nova, and that boiled out the last remain of Iluvatar patience. Harsh words followed, and that was, as we know, the beginning of many problems.
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After some time (it's hard to tell if it were days or eons, because watches weren't invented yet) Arda, that we now call Earth, was created, and many Vala descended to continue their creative workshop there. A larger number of the Maiar followed to help them, and of course Arnason was one of those.
As part of Yavanna's Green Team he got to help with the creation of many animals and plants. According to Olorin (later known as Gandalf) it was Arnason, after a few cups of Aiwendil's (later known as Radagast) new drink, that created the first Platypus, that he named Perry.
Yavanna was called to "do something about it" but started to laugh uncontrollably at the view of the animal, and decided to let it "just like it was, so people on Arda would always scratch their heads in the Future."
It was time for Curumo (that would be called Saruman) to get angry. The guy was a perfectionist, and had trouble accepting it, but couldn't go against Yavanna's decision. That made him dislike Arnason, and he promised not to speak to, or about him, ever again.
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Ages passed and many things happened, including the defeat of Melkor, meanwhile rebranded as Morgoth.
However the Valar grew concerned about the growing power of Morgoth's BFF, Sauron, in Middle-Earth. Manwe, big-shot Vala, summoned a council of his peers, and they decided to send a few Maia as emissaries help the Free Peoples. The Vala Aule chose Curumo, Orome chose Alatar, and Manwe chose Olorin. Yavanna, tired of solving the problems caused by Aiwendil's beverage, wanted him to go to, and Alatar took Pallando, a friend, to go with him.
Curumo (later Saruman) chose a white vest, that he believed was the coolest thing in Middle-Earth, while Olorin (later Gandalf) chose a more practical grey, and Aiwendil (later Radagst) an even more practical brown. Alatar chose blue because he liked it. Pallando couldn't decide and after some long minutes (or weeks, because still no watches) gave up. But Alatar wouldn't go without his
special friend, and convinced him to go robed in blue too, which caused a great deal of gossip among the Ainur.
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Soon their ship landed upon Middle-Earth's shore. It was, more or less, the year 1000 of the Third Age, and hats were in fashion, so they all added hats to their vests, with exception of Saruman (that, according to Gandalf, was already so swell-headed that no hat would fit him),and then they disembarked, in the form of old Men.
Each brought a large trunk with personal things (backpacks weren't invented yet) and there was an additional trunk with food to nourish their new physical bodies. However when Radagast opened that trunk they didn't found food, but a stowaway inside!
It was Arnason, now in the shape of a tall, lean middle-aged man, with an outstanding red hair, gathered in a long braid, and a matching red beard. His vest and hat were crimson, and his eyes a sparkling emerald-green.
Saruman was furious, and hungry, which gave him a bad temper, but Gandalf managed to find a chocolate* bar on his pocket and gave it to him, thus avoiding the first fight between those that humans and elves would call Istari, or Wizards, among many other names.
They formed a circle and Arnason stood in the middle, telling how he always wanted to see Middle-Earth, and that he didn't understood why they, being spiritual, immortal beings, had to carry food, so he waited and, when nobody was around, hid inside the trunk, just to find himself into a man-shaped body that was too big for the little space available inside. And so after eons an Ainu found out what a painful back really meant.
He always wanted to see those palm trees Yavanna created when she got bored of the usual ones, and perhaps find how the platypus lived.
The other wizards understood, and forgave him, with the exception of Saruman. He thought that Arnason should be sent back to Aman, the blessed land, at that moment, and there the Valar would decide if he should be punished. Outnumbered, Saruman smiled to Arnason and invited him to come with them, but his smile didn't last long, just until he tripped on Arnason's long braid and understood that white wasn't the best choice for trekking through Middle-Earth...
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They walked for a while and soon were spotted by some elves, that sent for their leader, Thalond. The wizards sat with the hunters around a fire, admiring the animals and plants, and waited. When Thalond arrived she surprised his men by kneeling before the strangers.
"Don't you see, fools? Ah, I forget that you're born here, far from the blessed land, else you couldn't fail to recognize these old looking men as what they really are, spirits of light!" She smiled to Gandalf. "Am I right, noble Olorin?"
That was the beginning of a long conversation that last the whole night. There's no record of it, though, because it was really hard to find a place to recharge batteries on Middle-Earth. All we know is that after it the wizards had already the names we know so well, and Arnason had adopted the name Reynir.
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The elves showed them the road, and before long they were on a crossroads. Saruman, Gandalf and Radagast would turn North, while Alatar and Pallando would keep going East.
"And you, Reynir?" Asked Gandalf, already smoking from a long pipe offered by Thalond.
"South. I shall go to warm places to find palm trees, and platypus. And after that I'll try to help people, just like you, and keep an eye on any activity that looks like Sauron's work. Farewell, friends. I think we will see each other again, but not for a long time."
And Reynir the Red turned South, and walked many many miles, and befriended people, and helped.
Did he find his platypus and palm trees? Probably, but that will be another story.
* Yes, chocolate was already invented. It's said the Iluvatar used chocolate to teach the Ainur how to create plants and use them to create new things. And of course no one questions the divine origin of chocolate!
