Chapter One – A Welcoming Party
"Portside! Land ho!" The vessel's lookout cried joyfully from the Crow's Nest.
Immediately the ship's crew was in an uproar, they rushed about to see to it that the ship was ready to dock or lay anchor need be. All except Eiriel, whose broad smile quickly faded into one of blank expression.
"These lands lack the landmark features of Minhiriath..." Eiriel said, disheartened, as she strode toward the vessel's bow to analyse the coming shores with her sharp elven eyes.
"Oh don't be such a downer Eiriel, we've been at sea for far longer than we expected. Even if we make landfall in Gondor I'll be happy." One of the men said hopefully, as he secured a bit of rigging.
"Perhaps, but these lands… those trees, they look unfam-"
"Oh come on Eiriel, listen to the rest of the men." The Captain said, cutting her off. "Besides, what's better than a little adventure?" With a smile he patted her on the shoulder and promptly rushed off to help one of the struggling crew members.
Something isn't right, these lands are not as they should be… Eiriel concluded upon further examination of the trees ahead. However she set aside her fears for she dared not distress the crew any further with the harsh realities which they would themselves rather ignore. She turned about and stepped down a small flight of stairs onto the main deck, narrowly avoiding a run in with one of the ship's sailors as she passed by the mast. Finally she came to an open hatch and proceeded down a much longer flight of stairs, turned right and entered the first door she came too. As the door closed she let out a deep sigh and walked over to the nearby dresser.
She undressed and threw on another pair of clothes, giving little care to her appearance at this point, and fell backward on her bed. She had been sent on the very simple mission of delivering a message to a nobleman in Luin and then returning home safely. Somehow she'd managed to extend her trip far beyond necessary length by deciding that passage by water would be swifter, a mistake she would not allow herself to make twice. The food was lacking, the drink practically non-existent, the bedding was stiff and every man on the ship had gotten googly eyed after they'd first seen her. Some nights she'd feared for her own safety to such an extent that she had barred her door.
Not that she imagined any man onboard would actually try anything, but safety first is a good rule to live by. She took a moment to wallow in self-pity and then sat up to stare blankly at the wall, lost in deep thought. Deep thought of course means little to the practical lives of Hobbits however, and so it was that Fosco knocked on the door.
"Yes? What is it?" Eiriel asked, turning to face the door.
"Nothin', just wanted to talk is all, you decent?" Fosco said with an eager voice.
"That I am, come in then." Eiriel replied. Fosco opened the door and walked in casually, gently closing the door and sitting on a small chair next to her bed. While one might debate the necessity of a chair in a ship's passenger quarters, Eiriel decided she was in need of one shortly after meeting Fosco, who regularly visited her.
"So, what is this about us not really being where we're supposed to be?" The Hobbit said, before revealing a couple extra pieces of Elven bread that he had managed to carefully sneak from the ship's pantry.
"Ah yes. Well you see, the shores lack any match to maps of Minhiriath's coast. Furthermore, the trees are of a kind I have never seen." Eiriel said, taking her share of the bread from Fosco's open hand.
"Mhm, go on." Fosco said, clearly paying more attention to his bread than it deserved.
"They seem to be almost devoid of leaves and branches. The only leaves they do have are at the top, and are both large and few in number." Eiriel said, taking a bite of her bread.
"Strange, very strange. Say, do you have any paper I can use? I've got none as is and I plan on writing a letter back home as soon as we get ashore. You know, where ever this shore is." Fosco said, finishing his bread.
"Sure, take as much as you need, it's in the cabinet beside you." Eiriel said, nodding to the cabinet.
"Thanks, say, how long do you think it'll take for my letter to reach home?" Fosco said, standing and taking a few sheets from the cabinet.
"Honestly? I have no idea. I can't even be sure we're in the same lands anymore." Eiriel said, also standing to get the door for Fosco.
"Shame… you think there'll be more elves here?" Fosco said half-jokingly as he stepped halfway out the door, turning back briefly to hear Eiriel's response.
"I am uncertain."
"That's becoming normal for you lately, perhaps we're all in for real adventure then." Fosco said, starting toward his room with a broad smile on his face as usual.
Eiriel leaned out to say something else but gave up and decided just to let it go. She decided to retreat to her room's "comforts" instead of engage in a prolonged discussion with Fosco. She played with the idea of going up to try and talk sense and caution into the ship's captain but decided against that as well. Finally she settled on the one thing she knew would satiate her inquisitive mind for the time being. She stood once more and returned to the top of the ship, then let herself stare at the lands ahead once more.
In all her immortal days, never had she seen such odd beauty. The trees were weird, the rocks were weird and what few creatures she saw looked completely otherworldly, but they all seemed to paint a nice picture together. As she shifted her eyes to her she noticed a fast-approaching ship, concealed amongst a series of tiny islands. She turned quickly and strode toward the Captain who'd taken to the helm for a change.
"Yes Eiriel, what is it now?" The Captain said as she ascended the ladder.
"There's a ship, fast-approaching from the islands to our starboard side." She said, turning to face them once more.
"Can you tell what kind of ship it is?" The Captain asked, hoping that perhaps by some unexpected coincidence Eiriel would recognize the particular kind of ship that appeared to be slowly stalking them.
"No, though that is the least of our concerns." Eiriel said, turning to face the archipelago where the vessel was hiding.
"Let me guess, Corsairs?" The Captain said, handing the wheel back over to an unhappy helmsman.
"Not at all. In fact I have no recognition of the vessel's design to anything I have ever seen." Eiriel said, taking a moment to examine the mast, though finding no further indication of its purpose or construction their either.
"White sails, no sigils, though it has an odd serpent at its bow." Eiriel though aloud.
"Captain! Should we change course?" The helmsman asked cautiously.
"Aye, hard to port. Let's try and keep some distance for the time being." The Captain replied.
Eiriel was about to further explain what the ship looked like, as she was graced with far greater sight. Though she was immediately cut-off when she noticed the ship suddenly turn sharply toward them.
"Captain, they've changed course!" The lookout shouted before Eiriel could speak.
"Aye, steady as she goes!" The Captain replied.
Suddenly their ship smashed hard against something and the whole crew was jolted forward as their vessel came to a hard stop.
"Rocks Captain?!" The helmsman offered.
"Nay! All hands to arms! We're in too deep water to run aground, something foul is afoot." The Captain said, hopping down from the helm and into his quarters to retrieve his cutlass.
Eiriel gladly accepted a sword, for she had been known to study the art of swordplay on the side of her boring job as messenger. So the lack of chance to practice lately had given her little to do aside from sleep all day.
"Captain! What sort of dark magic can stop an entire ship with so little struggle?" Fosco said emerging from below deck, a cutlass in both hands.
"Can't say! I haven't even seen any real magic before. Eiriel, what say you?" The Captain said, briefly turning to Eiriel.
"While mighty magic might be able to stop a ship, I can't imagine it stopping a ship without us being able to even try and escape it." Eiriel replied. Though she too had never seen real magic outside of healing, she'd rather not express her uncertainty any further.
"Perhaps we can try and force ourselves out of it then! Man the oars!"
With that half the ship's crew rushed back below deck and began to row with all their strength. Yet no matter how hard they tried the ship didn't do so much as drift ever so slightly.
"All right men, looks like this won't be a fair fight. Belay that order, we'll need every man if these newcomers truly do mean harm." The Captain shouted once more.
"Captain, ship approaching at flank speed! I've never seen a vessel move so swiftly." The lookout cried.
Eiriel turned back to gaze at the ship, she was taken aback with how much water the ship had already covered in the short time they'd been sitting still. Though what she took notice of next truly shocked her far greater.
"They appear to be elves!" Eiriel said in disbelief.
"Elves? What's next, giant sn-" The Captain said, pausing mid-sentence as he noticed a long dorsal fin shear upward through the water. He could just barely make out the creature it belonged to beneath the murky water. "Snakes."
"Captain?" Eiriel said, being unaware of what she had just missed, though knowing the Captain's pause to be unusual.
"Stay clear of the railing men! We've got some kind of creature circling us, and from what I saw I don't think it's friendly." The Captain shouted.
"Of what form did it take?" Eiriel asked, casting a curious gaze to the Captain.
"A massive serpent... You think there is any connection with it to this new ship?"
"Perhaps." Eiriel said, though she did not favour that possibility.
Without warning the sea suddenly became erratic, the waves grew to twice their previous size and a storm cloud rapidly formed above the unmoving vessel. Rain poured heavily downward and lightning shot out of the sky cracking the mast in half and sending the main sail and the lookout falling from the sky. The lookout screamed as he and the mast crashed into the ocean and a gargantuan snake shot itself out of the water, bringing its many teethed maw down hard on the helpless crew member. The creature's size was of such a great mass that as its body slipped back beneath the surface it created waves which nearly caused their ship to capsize. A sickening odor suddenly washed over the crew as the oncoming ship entered shouting distance.
"Steady yourself men! We're bound to have a fight on our hands, but we didn't spend this many days at sea just to be eaten by an oversized lizard." The Captain cried. Though his words did little to calm the men, who had just watched one of the most seasoned crew members aboard get devoured in a single instant.
It was then that Eiriel realized they stood no chance. The evidence pointed toward the sea elves wanting to attack their small transport vessel. Though she had no idea why any elves would be so hostile toward any newcomer. Especially so hostile as to summon such a vast beast. However if there was one thing she was sure of today, it was that they would stand no chance against opponents whose skill was so .
It took only mere seconds for the fast-moving ship to slow to a crawl as it began to circle the trapped ship. Eiriel spotted some of the elves aboard the other ship holding bows, it took them seconds to notch arrows in preparation for a volley.
"Get down!" Eiriel cried, though it was too late. The volley of arrows caught five crew members off-guard and they all hit the deck hard, their cries of pain were unlike anything Eiriel had ever heard.
One who was sprawled out nearby Eiriel began spasming uncontrollably as his mouth frothed and he clutched at his neck. She noticed that the arrow had only hit his shoulder, whatever poison these elves had created, it clearly worked faster and more effectively than any she had ever bore witness too. She also noticed Fosco had backed himself down below deck. She felt bad for the Hobbit, not only were Hobbits unfamiliar with war, but his small stature and open acceptance of inept experience with weapons had likely been too overwhelming for him. As she poked her head back above the railing she realized the ship had stopped circling and had set a course directly for their own ship.
"Prepare yourselves! I believe they intend to board us!" Eiriel cried out.
As if on cue three of the white-skinned elves flung themselves onto the ship's deck, rolling and immediately using their momentum to attack the nearest sailor. Eiriel rushed to the aid of one sailor, only to see his throat split open by a clever parry, which the other elf performed as if it were a simple task.
"I'm going to enjoy killing you ground-walker!" The vicious elf said, bringing the pommel of her cutlass to bash the gurgling sailor into the deck's wooden floor.
"See reason my kin! We have not-"
Before Eiriel could finish the elf sprang into the air and brought down her blade in a powerful thrust. Eiriel quickly rolled backward and brought her blade up just in time to counter another thrust directed at her throat. She brought her blade crossways, sending the other elf's blade off course. Then she tucked below a swipe from the elf's dagger in a counter-parry and sent one of her heels across the elf's feet, knocking her down hard on the deck.
"You'll pay for-"
The elf was unable to finish, she tried to roll right but was too late and Eiriel dove her cutlass through the elf's back, twisted it left and turned to face the next fighter. However as she took in her surroundings she quickly felt an overwhelming sensation of fear as she was greeted with the sight of five more of these murderous elves. Most of her crew lie dead or dying on the deck, their blood staining almost every square meter of the ship. Though she took some comfort in that both the Captain and his First Mate appeared to be alive, though quite outnumbered and likely outmatched. She would have jumped to his aid if one of the elves had not just rushed below deck.
She followed him quickly, though he was quick to notice her. He turned round in one swift motion, tossing a dagger at her chest. She twisted left just in time to avoid getting stuck with the poison coated blade, though not quickly enough to avoid injury entirely. The elf bounded down on her now, he came on strong, unleashing a flurry of blows where ever he might see a hole in her defense. He probably would have seen one to if Fasco hadn't drove his cutlass through his spine.
"Come quickly." Eiriel said softly, as the elf collapsed in a cry of pain.
"Quickly!" Eiriel repeated, as if trying to coo a scared animal from hiding. Fosco seemed utterly transfixed by the tangled body of the dying elf, so she grabbed his arm and dragged him onward.
"You must hide yourself, can you do that for me?" Eiriel said, concern filling her usually calm face.
"Y… yes." The frightened Hobbit finally said after a short moment, then he rushed into off further into ship.
Eiriel turned and rushed back up to the top deck, quickly met by a sharp cutlass as it grazed her hair from behind. She turned quickly and managed to block the blow that followed it. Though it nearly knocked her flat. She stepped up onto the deck, casting a quick glance at the Captain. His first mate was headless, and missing an arm. Though the Captain himself seemed to be holding his own despite the odds. In her moment of curiosity she failed to notice the elf who'd slashed at her as he moved. He rolled to face her at her left side. The elf then rose a hand quickly and a bolt of lightning struck Eiriel hard, she twitched a moment and was unable to move, just long enough for the other elf to get a slash at her leg.
Eiriel screamed sharply, the pain was beyond excruciating, whatever poison they were using it seemed to be even so potent as to cause pain to even another elf. Eiriel recovered just in time to intercept a thrusting blow that her opponent had aimed for her heart. She brought her cutlass upward, sending a shower of sparks down on the deck. Then she kicked low at the male elf, catching him in the groin. He nearly doubled over in pain, but recovered faster than she had hoped. He brought his blade down on her as hard as he could, setting her off balance, despite her quick response to block the blow.
With that the elf drove his blade's pommel into her chest and then swept his leg across her own left one, sending her crashing into the floor. However just before he could finish her the unmistakable battle cry of a dwarf came from the hatch behind him. Blood splashed across the deck as a heavy axe chopped deep into his back. He collapsed without so much as a gasp. The dwarf who had downed him freed the axe's blade and turned to charge the elves who'd nearly managed to break through the skilled Captain's defenses, his two dwarven brothers close behind. As they helped the Captain fight back the four remaining elves, Eiriel recovered.
She stood, though it caused her great pain, and took a quick glance at her wound. The cut itself appeared mostly superficial, though she was worried of whether or not the poison would work as intended. While under normal circumstances she would assuredly be fine, the fact that the poison had actually caused her some form of pain was worrisome. She watched as the dwarves and the Captain managed to finish off the last of the elves. She could scarcely believe it, how had they survived such an onslaught.
Then, as if to answer her thought, twelve more elves fell in unison on the starboard side. Each was adorned in some strange cloaked armour. They stood as one and unsheathed a series of jagged edged cutlasses, muttering a strange incantation before assuming a more effective combat stance.
"Ye've got to be kiddin' me!" One of the Dwarves exclaimed in disbelief. "Priestly killers are ye?! Well let me help introduce ye to your god!" The dwarf said darkly as he charged the nearest. As he brought his axe up to slash at the elf a series of ten quick slashes followed by a kick silenced the dwarf instantly. His brothers looked down in horror. Though it took mere moments for them to fill with rage.
In a single combined movement the twelve elves began to thrust wildly at the four survivors, who struggled to block the oncoming blows. Suddenly they all jerked, and fell to the deck. Eleven of them faded into a strange black mist, leaving one dead, with a blood-covered Fosco standing triumphantly above him.
"What kind of dark magic is this?!" The Captain said through his many ragged breaths.
Suddenly another elf showed himself on the portside of the other ship. He had a tight grin on his face and he began to clap slowly.
"Wonderful, truly wonderful. Though, I grow weary of our struggles, so let us put an end to all that shall we?"
"Come down here and we'll put an end to you!" The Captain shouted back fiercely.
"Now, now. Let's not be so rude. I'm certain this is all just some big misunderstanding." The elf said, before waving his hand to someone off to the side.
In moments three more robed elves stepped in behind him. Their apparent leader waved his hand in front of him and gently levitated onto the ship, the others dropping around behind him.
"Just stand still, it'll make this much easier for all of us." The elf leader mused. The robed elves suddenly appearing to become dozens. Without so much as a command all of them immediately charged the cornered band of friends. Eiriel dove left and managed to skillfully kill the first elf she found with a powerful upward slash, though the elf quickly turned to a shadowy mist and vanished. She watched as the Captain and dwarves were knocked to the deck, the Hobbit swept off his feet and thrown at the feet of the elf leader. Eiriel herself was struck in the temple with the pommel of a blade.
As Eiriel faded out of consciousness she vaguely saw through the deception of the trick, three robed elves laughing as they kicked her companions into submission. The leader had one of them pick up Fosco and drag him onto their ship, he followed behind them. Then he paused a moment, turned on his heel, and spoke.
"Don't forget to feed our pet." He said with an evil grin.
The two remaining elves laughed as they began to toss the bodies of her and her companions overboard. As she fell she began to speak an incantation, unsure of how well it would serve her now, but willing to let go the last of her hopes.
After what seemed like a mere instant of hitting the water, she gradually faded back in to consciousness a moment, choking on the shores of a strange world.
"Rest now elf, you're safe." A strange voice suddenly said, and then she slipped back into unconsciousness.