Author's Note:
I'm sorry about my updating but I've got exams at the moment. Thanks once again to those who have reviewed it truly inspires me. Wondering what happened to the party of Elves Elrond sent to scope out things on the western shores? Well you better read on then. Please read and review. Enjoy!
Eleven
By The Western ShoresGlorfindel groaned quietly as a soft voice penetrated his sleep. He wasn't sure who it was or what they were saying but he imagined it was time for his shift as watch. Opening his eyes he found Elrohir preparing to punch him in the arm. He caught the younger Elf's hand easily and sat up.
"No need to become violent Elrohir, after all it's not like these creatures are doing anything remotely interesting." He whispered.
"No but I've been trying to wake you for a while now but you seemed intent on remaining asleep. I was forced into a last resort option, punching you in the arm seemed kinder then a slap across the face."
"That I thank you for young Elrohir but next time try yelling in my ear or something."
Elrohir rolled his eyes. It had now been several days of watching and waiting by the shores of the Western Sea.
A lot had happened since Aquila had last visited the area but certainly nothing that was cause for concern. The Elven twins and the other Elf they had chosen to come Tinarandel did not mind the waiting so much. Glorfindel however was a little more than frustrated by the fact that they had been watching for days and yet these creatures seemed to have done little to nothing impressive.
From what the Elves could gather by studying them from a distance they had, since crawling up from the water, learnt to breath air and stand on their hind legs. Once they stood they somehow seemed these monstrous. They stood taller than probably the tallest Elf but they were by no means 'pretty' creatures. Their green, scaled skin was the first off putting factor. It was dark across their backs, arms and legs but their fronts seemed to be a more pale green. They stood on slightly bent legs and seemed to stoop somewhat. Their feet were webbed but at the end of each 'toe' was a sharp claw. Their hands too were webbed with even longer claws located at the end of each finger and seemed to have the advantage of an opposable thumb. Their arms were longer than the normal body proportions of a man but it was their heads that served to shock the most.
Their heads almost resembled that of a crocodile but with a much shorter snout. Rows of razor sharp teeth glistened inside their jaws and their eyes were stained a deep red colour. The remnants of gills were still visible along the neck and would occasionally flap out when the creatures were mad. From the top of their skulls till their tailbone ran a great webbed crest. Almost like a fish's fin. It was tallest atop the head and decreased in height till it flattened out at the small of the back.
It was these crests that had given the Elves the most insight into the creature's social customs, as they had to watch from a distance. It was Tinarandel who had been brought along for the sheer purpose of recording everything they observed of these creatures and trying to better understand what their purpose on these shores was. It was the other three who would determine whether or not they were a threat and then decide on a course of action. They were also highly skilled fighters so that if things turned ugly they would be able to hold off an attack long enough for at least Tinarandel to flee to Rivendell and report the incident.
Through simple observation Tinarandel had so far developed an understanding of their social hierarchy, or the basics of it anyway. It would seem that the largest of the creatures was their king/leader. He was most easily identified by his red crest. Those then directly bellow him, still holding positions of power, seemed to be marked by a bright yellow crest. Their colony then seemed to be split into several smaller groups, each of these was run by a creature with a brown crest. The rest of them all had crests of the same green as their skin.
Those with blue crests had baffled Tinarandel for the first few days as he watched them perform tasks both different to the other ranks and some the same. Some seemed to be permitted into the large nests of those in higher positions, while others were not. It wasn't until the night of the third day, when Tinarandel had been posted as watch, that he witnessed one of the yellow crested creatures doing what can only be described as mating with one of the blue crested ones. Suddenly it made sense; the blue crests denoted a female. He, of course, rushed to grab his books and furiously began scrawling notes on the matter. All the females in the clan had blue crests and this was how the males identified them.
All his findings so far proved the creatures were, for one, not colour blind. In fact their very existence depended upon their ability to see colour. Tinarandel doubted that a colour-blind male would survive very long, he may after all end up trying to copulate with another male and that would surely result in death.
The fact that there existed some form of a hierarchy in their clan suggested that they were beings of higher intelligence. As to whether they would be at par with Elves Tinarandel was unsure.
They had a form of speech, which he could not understand at all. The sounds were entirely different that any he had heard before. He imagined this was because they originated from beneath the water, so the influences of their language would be different to those that developed across the lands of Middle Earth.
One of the first tasks they had undergone once they had adjusted to their surroundings was the construction of the large nests that they were now living in. They were constructed from a large ring of sand built up before it was filled with a variety of driftwood and dried seaweed, used as a lining. They had been arranged in a very orderly manner. The leader's nest in the centre, with the yellow crested creatures nests forming a ring about his. The next ring contained the nests of the brown crested creatures. With the nest of their brown crested leader forming the point and the nests of the green crested creatures that were under his command expanded back in a sort of triangle. Some nests would occupy a solitary male while other would have both a male and female. Some of those of a higher rank may have one or more females to their nest. The king had certainly seen to it that he was not lacking in female company and five females lounged about his large nest.
This brought Tinarandel up to the present morning where he sat sketching this elaborate arrangement of nests from their vantage point.
"I don't like it one bit." Glorfindel said as he sat himself beside Tinarandel "They are far too organized for my liking."
"It could be that they're setting up a societal group upon the beach."
"No they're too smart for that and you know it. Who would set up a colony on the beach, knowing full well that the tides come and go with the seasons? No they're organizing themselves for something else."
"I have decided to call them Chameles."
"I don't very well care if you chose to call them beach pixies. What I want to know is, are they dangerous?"
"As of this point I see no reason to suggest why they would be. They're most fascinating to study Glorfindel, you really should sit and watch them for awhile."
"Well, as it is my turn at watch I will have to wont I?"
The day crawled by for Glorfindel, watching the Chameles set about their daily activities. Though he hadn't told the other Elf so, he approved very much of the name he had picked for the creatures. It seemed fitting somehow, suppose that was why he had chosen it.
Tinarandel found everyday they were there too short as he deciphered more and more about the Chameles. Today they seemed to be hosting some sort of ceremony.
The King stood meters from the waters edge with a row of yellow crests behind him and the browns behind them. They stood in two perfect straight lines behind their King while the green crests seemed a less organized clump. Situated behind the row of brown crests. The females, it would seem, had been ordered to remain in the nests as not a single one was to be seen amongst the mass gathering.
"See, look at what they're doing. If that's not organizing an army I don't know what is." Glorfindel spoke up, finally taking an interest in the creatures.
"They could be having a harmless ceremony to celebrate the waxing of the moon for all we know." Elladan remarked as he joined the two, having left Elrohir to sleep off his nights watch. "I wouldn't consider them any sort of threat as they seem to have no weaponry of any sort."
"What do you call that then?" Glorfindel replied eyes fixed upon the waters edge.
Elladan followed his gaze and his jaw dropped at the sight his eyes beheld.
From the sea was emerging a precession of brown crested Chameles. Each dragged behind it a net of sorts, constructed using tough but thin seaweed. Within the nets was a collection of weapons unlike the Elves had ever seen. Most appeared to be oddly shaped spears but as they were all laid atop each other and concealed by the net it was difficult to make out detail or how many each net contained.
Glorfindel wasted no time and was on his feet before the procession had even reached the King. He dashed about their make shift camp, packing up all their belongings and eradicating any signs that they were ever there.
He tossed each Elf his respected bag and as it struck them in the head they seemed to awaken from their trance-like state.
"Why are you in such a hurry to leave?" Tinarandel questioned the frantic Glorfindel.
"You're not serious are you?" He replied, brow raised and eyes wild. "They're preparing for war. We have to ride to Gondor immediately and give them no further chance to prepare themselves better then us."
"I'd really prefer to stay and study them some more……" Tinarandel was cut off as Glorfindel dragged him to his feet and pushed him in the direction of the horses.
"Get on the horse!"
The twins were quick to pick themselves up and hurry after the other two Elves. They knew Glorfindel knew what he was talking about. After all he had seen more combat then all three of them put together, though they doubted Tinarandel had seen any combat at all.
"I understand why we need to hurry Glorfindel but why would we ride to Gondor?" Elrohir queried.
"What would be the point on riding to Rivendell?" He called over his shoulder as he mounted his horse. "Elrond is not there, he will be in Minas Tirith and if he has moved on I imagine King Elessar has already begun to prepare his armies on Elrond's instructions. No, it is Gondor where we shall rally an army to defeat these Chameles."
He urged his horse to run as swift as its legs would take it and they took off at a flying pace. The other three horses matched this pace and soon the beach was lost over the horizon behind them. They set a course for Gondor but knew it would be many days of hard riding.
Tinarandel began to understand the urgency of their message and so called upon a sea eagle he had seen circling high above. The bird swooped down and landed upon the Elf's outstretched arm. He then relayed a quick message to the bird concerning the basics of their discovery and asked if it would take the message to Minas Tirith and deliver it to Master Elrond. He was in luck for this particular bird had spoken to Lord Elrond before and so knew who he was looking for.
The bird flew off and was soon lost to the keen eyesight of the Elves who continued their blistering ride across Middle Earth in the hopes of reaching the city of men before it was too late.
To be continued…
Disclaimer:
I do not own Lord of the Rings or any of the places, characters, items, etc associated with it. I am not making any money from this piece of fiction and am merely borrowing these places and characters to place in a new situation for your and my amassment.
However, the Rocs, the City of Cirus, Aquila, Pandion, Audax and any other characters, weapons, places, etc associated with the Rocs are my own creation and I lay full claim to them.