Kryssta was born small and slight, and deemed by the Dúnedain no warrior, but even the Rangers have need of people to hunt, scout, maintain camps, and keep the fires lit. When they started work on building a hidden base on Girdley Island, Kryssta was sent there, which suited her fine; she mostly got to keep to herself. In recent years, the other Rangers seem to have forgotten about the island, and the hidden base, barely begun, mostly serves as her private camp. Well, not entirely private; she shares it with Duin, the river-otter she found, injured, a few years ago, and nursed back to health, who now tends to ride on her shoulder and warn her of trouble.

On a spring morning before dawn, she sighted down her arrow at a rabbit, but then eased the arrow back as she saw the rabbit scratching at a tuft of grass, and the floppy ear of a kit popping up. Duin chittered quietly. Thinking he was upset, she whispered, "If you take a mother, the kits die, and there is nothing to hunt in autumn. We will need to find breakfast elsewhere." But Duin did not calm.

"True," came a voice just behind her, "and unseemly wise for a woman your age." By this point she had dropped down, snatched up her spear, and had it leveled at the old man, who seemed amused and unthreatened. "I can take no credit, for though I have had my eye on you since before you could walk, I have scarce been able to spare a word. Fortunately, you seem to have raised yourself to be quite capable just as I have need of your skills. Gandalf the Grey; you may have heard others speak of me. I will aid you when I can, but first I must call on your aid."