Dominque Darkwatch has known and befriended many dragons in Sylvhara. However this huge creature had a passenger of flame that she she had only seen once before in an attack on her native lands. And the thought of creatures such as these in Alqualone horrified and angered her at the same time. Even more so now that she sees the dragon snapping at the swans, thankful Lu had sought sanctuary elsewhere. But her and Nole were not so lucky. She is frozen in place for a split second before she turns to Nole and and screams, "RUN!"
Shocked and in panic, he runs with Dominque away from the harbour. "We must go warn everyone!" he says between breaths.
Hearing a commotion outside, Aztryd slides off her chair and goes to the window which overlooks the harbor. Those dratted birds are making a terrible racket, honking and screaming. What could be setting them off now? They haven't carried on like this since the day that dragon ... Aztryd falters at that thought, as she peers nearsightedly toward the ocean. The squawking birds are scattering, but something else is flying in, toward the island. Something very large ... She shades her eyes against the brightness of the autumn day, squinting to make out what it is that is approaching. Is it that injured dragon returning? She can hear, even from this distance, elvish voices shouting down near the harbor. As dark shape wheels closer to the land, she hesitates, remembering how she had made a fool of herself when the last dragon arrived -- assuming it was attacking, when it was only a traveller seeking help. These are strange lands here, where even dragons might be harmless. She watches, uncertain, biting her lip edgily.
Súraumo circles high above the island, noting the location of the harbour to the east, and the canyon of waterfalls nestled between the peaks to the west. His eye gleams as he takes in the gleaming blue crystal palace, and then he turns to observe the tall tower next to it. Gold trim gleaming brightly in the noonday sun. If there was one thing that draws a dragon more than food it is gold! Súraumo makes careful note of the position of the tower as he continues his reconnoiter of the island. From his precarious perch atop the dragon, the Balrog searches the island. He is looking for one person in particular. Let the dragon take the rest, if he wishes.
Dominque Darkwatch follows as they scramble from the dock. "Go, go, GO!" She tries again to pray to Nienna, with the same hapless emptiness in response, and she instead prays, "Eru save us!"
 |
| Olwë in the library |
He dare not delay any longer. He must press on, move forward. But where, how? In Middle Earth, his kin still lived, hidden from the eyes of men, scattered across the lands. Everything he has gleamed from his readings this morn, the accounts of merchants trading still in the mortal realm whilst Alqualonde still was part of the Undying Lands, and his extensive conversations with Nole these past few days--everything points to Teleri descendants alive and in Middle Earth. But where? Could it be that somewhere in Middle Earth, his own people were safe?
But here, this day, the Arien's vessel had climbed the sun, and the air has a lazy warmth to it that still speaks of summer, despite the changing of the leaves, and the chill of the nights. Outside the library, squirrels chatter at each other while they gather acorns. Birdsong blends with the sound of the ocean. Opening his eyes, Olwe, Lord of Alqualonde, pulls himself out of the chair and stretches, arms up and over his head, hands interlaced.
Suddenly, without warning, a quiet descends upon the home of the Teleri. The birds stop their song, the squirrels their chatter. The breeze dies away, and only the gentle lapping of the ocean remains for a scant few breaths. Then it happened. The rending, shrieking screeching sound that Olwe would never, in time to come, forget.
Súraumo's rush at the swans has taken him well beyond the harbour. Now, his mood black from his failure to snare a swan, Súraumo turns inland in search for the promised elves. The muscles on his back heaves as he beat his wings to gain height. He needs to circle first and get his bearings. The last thing he wants is a repeat of the failure with the swans. He shakes his head angrily at himself. Sometimes still he really did have no more sense than a youngling.
Nole reaches the empty marketplace. No one is within sight. He looks up and sees the palace. "We must find Olwe!" Nole panics as he looks around.
Dominque Darkwatch speeds after Nole, thinking briefly about the sword upon her back, wondering if she would rather have had a bow but quickly realizes both would be useless and nearly bumps into Nole when he stops. "Take cover! We must get out of the open..we must hide!"
Faster, Olwe commands of his legs, faster, though the passage of the long years has not dulled his wits nor slowed his body's reactions, though his feet is pounding the ground with a stride that rapidly eats up the distance between the library and the docks. "Nonononoonono," he chants under his breath, though he knows, he cannot deny, what is in the skies over Alqualonde. For one brief moment, before he began his run to the docks, he considered dashing to the garrison, but what could he possibly find among the munitions there that would allow him to battle both a balrog and a dragon? Nothing, he answers himself. Nothing. So he runs.
At the War of Wrath the Mightiest in Arms among the Maiar led his kinsmen into battle. But Eonwe is not here. Only Irmo, in his disguise as a Teleri musician. And Nole and the unconscious Elwing, and the dwarf mother, who is, no doubt, hiding with her daughter. As he comes to a halt on the docks, he raises a hand to shield his eyes from the glare of Arien's vessel and lifts his eyes up to the terror flying overhead. The dragon looks like the veteran of many a battle, the scars mute testimony that he has remained victorious. His blood roared in his ears such that he felt he had surely gone deaf, for he could not hear the familiar lap of the sea against the wood of the docks
Nole turns to look back toward the horror over the harbour and notices... Olwe! Heading out onto the docks into plain view of the beasts overhead. "My King!" He rushes back towards the dock to his side.
> Next