Chapter Five

Tirion

Seeing Tirion in flames was like seeing the desecration of some place holy.

As Miranda Miller closed in on the elven city, escorted by her reincarnated brother and his best friend, with her children huddled in the back of the carriage, she tried to hide the shock on her face. The city of jewel and pearl was alight. The flames within illuminating the night sky with amber glow. It evaporated the rain coming down from the thunder loud sky and drew strength from the hard winds blowing across the island. She could hear screams in the distance, rumbles that did not sound like thunder but something darker and more sinister. Fell denizens had been unleashed upon this pristine world. Miranda knew evil and she could feel its powerful breath across her skin. Sense told her she ought to turn back, get the children as far away from Tirion as possible but she could not bring herself to leave, not when Frank was in there, somewhere.

"I don't know if this is a good idea," Jason replied staring at the city before them. "It looks like a war zone."

Indeed it did. Polished white marble was blackened with heat. Walls had crumbled, struck by a malevolence that had yet to be defined. There was smoke, fire and screaming, all the ingredients of peril that should have warned them away. As they approached, the horses snorted their displeasure at having to proceed. Their heads reared unhappily and took uncertain steps forward as if attempting to convince their riders to do the same. The carriage jerked a little as the animals debated the wisdom of continuing and Miranda heard Sam clambering next to her.

"Mum, what's going on?" Sam asked.

"Sammie get in the back," Miranda ordered without looking at him, her eyes fixed ahead, "go keep your brother and Fred safe."

If there was trouble she did not want the enemy, whatever it was, to know about her children, little Fred included.

"But..." the boy started to protest.

"Now Sammie," Miranda said in a tone that would have sent Jason and Eric to the back of the carriage if they had been addressed similarly.

Sam frowned unhappily but obeyed nonetheless. He knew better than to argue with her mother when she used that particular voice.

Jason waited until the boy had retreated before he regarded the woman. Miranda Miller was perhaps the strongest woman he knew, not merely in her ability to protect herself and her children but by sheer will. Although he would never say it out loud, since it would undoubtedly result in his getting a mouthful of fist, Miranda's instinct to protect her own reminded him of the Alien Queen that had done battle with Sigourney Weaver in the Alien films. Fortunately for him, her own included the people she cared about, not merely her immediate family.

"What do you want to do?" Jason asked her quietly, certain the children were listening closely even if they were not supposed to.

Eric nudged his horse closer to the front of the carriage, interested in taking part in this particular discussion because he was uncertain about allowing his sister and her children to enter Tirion when it appeared as if the city had descended into the seventh level of hell. However, he knew Miranda well enough now to be certain that she would be unwilling to turn back, not when Frank's fate was a mystery. Not just Frank's but their friends Elladan and his family.

"We have to go find Frank," Miranda retorted firmly but even as she said it, she was weighing the full implications of that statement. Did she dare bring the children into the city? Now that she was close enough to see what sort of chaos was tearing it apart? Fred had been traumatized enough by Tory's death, did the child need to see another person in her life die? Even as Miranda thought it, she felt the surge of grief that wanted to bubble forward at the memory of Tory's lifeless body in front of her. Not now, she closed her eyes and forced the anguish away because the children needed her to be strong and she would kill anyone who tried to hurt that poor little girl again.

"Mira," Eric said leaning forward in the saddle calling her that nickname she loathed but seemed to tolerate from him only, "I think the kids should wait here. We'll both go."

Miranda's expression softened a little as she met the eyes of the Australian who entered her life less than a year ago and in some distant past been her brother. Moments like these swept aside all her skepticism about this being fact because she felt it deep in the pit of her that it was true. The sense that no matter what, he would stand by here because they shared a bond of blood no amount of time could change. However, in this instance, she could not agree with his reasoning.

"No Eric," she shook her head. "I think it's important we stay together. It's when we're apart that we're weakest." She didn't want to say that had Tory been with Bryan and all the others, the woman would not be dead. Perhaps it was unrealistic but after listening to that old codger Gandalf who delighted the children by his visits and impressive fireworks, Miranda believed there was power in their fellowship. Even if it had expanded beyond the original 'Nine Walkers'.

"Mira," he started to protest.

"I won't let us get separated," she said firmly, her voice setting in stone to prove how obdurate she would be on this subject.

Eric and Jason exchanged a resigned glance, the latter giving his best friend the look that said 'hey she's your sister', before Eric spoke again, "alright, we go together. I just want it known that if anything happens to you, Bryan will skin me alive."

"Well as long as its you," Jason quipped, trying to interject some levity into the moment. In truth, Bryan would not be skinning anyone. As it was, Jason did not know how the former MI6 man was managing to hold it together after finding the woman he loved dead by that bastard Saeran's hand. He hadn't known Tory long but Jason liked her and she deserved better than to die the way she had.

"You're a real friend," Eric gave him a look.

"Let's get going," Miranda interrupted them impatiently, more than accustomed to their bickering but on this occasion having little patience for it. With all their lives at stake, she could be no other way.

*********

"We're going in there," Sam said quietly, peering out of the back of the carriage to see that they had resumed their journey.

"As we must," Fred replied enigmatically.

"Sam," Pip looked at his brother with an expression of concern at Fred's odd behavior.

At some point after she had been put into the carriage with them, Fred had seemed to change. She stopped crying for Tory and had gone very quiet. She hadn't said anything for the longest time, causing his older brother to grow frightfully worried as Sam often did whenever there was anything out of sorts with Fred. Pip didn't quite understand the bond his brother shared with Fred but he knew that it was important. Gandalf had tried to explain it to him but Pip was too young to understand and in the end, the old wizard had simply said that it would be clear to him one day. More than anything Pip wished Gandalf was here. The frightening things happening around them would not be so if Gandalf was present, of this Pip was convinced. In fact the old man's absence was part of the mystery taking place around them.

"It's alright Pip," Sam said squeezing his brother's hand to reassure him as he returned his attention to Fred. "We have to go there to find dad."

"I'm scared," Pip confessed, "everything is so different. What's wrong with the sky and why is it so cold?"

"I don't know," Sam said looking at Pip, unable to explain it because these were things beyond his comprehension. He knew only that the dark lord that Fred had been so afraid of was freed somehow and he had killed Tory.

"It is Sauron's revenge," Fred answered, looking at Pip. "He means to make everyone suffer, especially the elves."

"Why?" Pip answered, knowing only that the dark lord of whom Uncle Elladan had spoken about in the story about the magic ring had escaped his prison.

"Because it is the End of Days," she replied, eyes looking past them. "He is as much a slave to it as everyone else."

"I don't understand..." Pip looked at Sam hoping his older brother could explain better.

Sam looked back wearing the same bewildered expression. He had no more idea than Pip what Fred was saying and furthermore, he had the sense that she was not quite herself. Something had changed. He was not even certain that he was talking to Fred any more. She was someone else, some far older who had an insight into what was happening in Valinor Sam couldn't even begin to fathom.

"For all things to begin again," Fred said looking at both of them, a soft smile on her face. For a moment, Sam was almost reminded of the Golden Lady, Elladan's grandmother who had come to see them once. "For all things to begin, there must be an ending. The cycle of beginning and end must reach circle. All that is coming is by design, it has been shifting into its proper place for some time now. We are finally where we need to be."

"Fred," Sam swallowed, the fear so thick in his chest that it was making it hard to speak. "Is...is that you?"

Fred reached for his face, her small palm cupping his cheek. "She is here with us Sam."

*********

"Oh my god," Eric could only exclaim as they passed through the grand archway of marble and pearl that led into the city of Tirion.

For one who had seen Sarajevo, Kosovo and Rwanda, it was required a particular kind of carnage to engender the reaction of horror that swept over him when he saw the destruction to Tirion. The destruction was almost profane. Tall majestic spires were crumbling, those that were breathed in flame. The city that had gleamed in the sunlight, its marble towers and jewel encrusted columns of ivory and pearl was now comparable to the most war torn cities of the modern world. It struck at the core of him and Eric who prided himself in being able to maintain journalistic impartiality felt the blood in his veins boil with outrage.

It had been bad from a distance but now as the horses made their way uneasily through the debris filled streets, the horror of it was mind numbing. Eric tried not to notice the stench, a stench he knew all too well to be burning flesh. One did not have to look too hard to find the bodies. If Tirion's destruction seemed profane then it has nothing in comparison to knowing those bodies belonged to elves that had lived longer than human civilization. As a writer, he could not even conceive the words to describe how it felt to see their dead corpses.

"Tell the kids to stay in the carriage," Eric ordered as he rode ahead of the carriage.

Miranda nodded and looked over her shoulder, "Sam, you have to make sure that you keep Fred and Pip in the back won't you?" She looked at her oldest who always ready to bear the responsibility for his younger sibling and now the newest possible addition to their family.

"Yes mum," Sam nodded, not about to argue because mum's face showed her worry and what worried his mum was something he ought to be mindful of.

Miranda faced front again, trying not to be affected by what she was seeing. Jason's expression was grim and his eyes was searching for some signs of what had cause this mindless destruction. So far, there was no sign of the malevolence responsible for what had been wrought in Tirion. There was only fire and debris.

"What the hell did this?" Eric demanded, looking over his shoulder. "If I didn't know better I'd say this place had been hit with artillery."

"Do they have anything that could do this?" Jason asked, "I mean do they have weapons that could cause this kind of damage?"

"No," Miranda answered before Eric could. "They wouldn't need weapons this dangerous," she met both their eyes. "Why would they?"

She had a point.

"Something did all this," Eric retorted and his concern was mounting that whatever evil was responsible for this was still in the city. "Let's get off the street as quickly as we can," he suggested. "We'll head to the library. If Frank is still in the city, that's probably where he'd be."

In truth, it was just a guess but Eric wanted them out of sight. They were out in the open for all to see and if Eric had learnt one thing since finding himself embroiled in the affairs of elves and the Valar, the things to fear were not always worldly or conventional. In a realm where magic and second sight were common place, there was no truly safe place for Hildorien's children to hide.

"Good idea," Miranda nodded, the wife and mother starting to give way to the soldier she had been. Danger often brought out that side of her and now her mind began to think of things in tactical terms and she knew that Eric had been right; they should have left the children behind before trying to enter the city.

Suddenly the walls flanking the street down which they were travelling began to shake. Something was approaching and its footsteps were causing tremors in the ground. Pieces of wall already standing precariously gave way, crumbling unto the paved streets. The horses became panicked, refusing to move any further as the tremors gave way to the sound of the thundering approach. For a moment, none of them could move. Perhaps mesmerized by the awesome horror of what was coming, they watched like moths captured by the flame as the amber light began to move across the ruined walls. Eric's mount reared up suddenly, dislodging the newsman from the saddle before it bolted down the street in the opposite direction.

"Eric!" Miranda cried out as he hit the ground hard. Without thinking, she jumped off her seat and was at his side. He sat up from the rubble covered ground , a little disorientated but no worse for wear when suddenly all notions of running or surviving the night bled out existence as the reasons for Tirion's ruin made its first appearance before them.

"What...in...the...hell...is that?" Jason gasped as he stared at the beast, almost as tall as a building with furnaces for eyes, trailing smoke and sulfur as it carried a lash made of flame.

Paralyzed with terror for possibly the second time in her life, even more so when she had first seen the Nazgul take her children, Miranda could not speak and knew instinctively what was coming at them was beyond any of them to fight.

"GET OUT OF HERE!" She fairly shrieked at Jason as she hauled Eric to his feet. "NOW!"

Her voice shocked Jason out of his temporary lapse and the young camera man nodded, snapping the reins, trying to get the horses to move. The creature paused as it put the humans in their sights and unleashed a bellowing roar of fire and rage. As Eric scrambled to his feet, with Miranda dragging him up to help matters along, they could feel the blast of heat across their skin. The horses, more than happy to depart, immediately sprinted into action as the carriage turned in the narrow street to return the way it came.

The beast, seeing the intended departure of its prey was not so eager to let them take flight and while there was time to deal with the two on foot, it took steps to ensure that carriage did not get far. Snapping the last against the wall, the force of it bringing down a hail of rubble and fire over the top of the carriage.

"JASON!" Eric shouted as he saw his best friend leap off the carriage, having no choice but to throw himself off bear the brunt of the murderous torrent of flames and debris.

The animals wailed in agony as they were incinerated, the carriage tipping on its side as they struggled to break free of their harnesses, their manes on fire. The air began to fill with the scent of burning hair and stench. Miranda did not even think. She pulled the handgun tucked in the front of Eric's pants and ran forward. All she could think of was her children. Her children who were inside that burning wreck.

Eric didn't look over his shoulder as he ran forward to help Jason as well as his sister get her children and put as much distance between that demonic monstrosity behind them. He could feel its flame on his back as he ran, walls shattering within reach of him, as the creature's lash slammed into the marble. He could hardly breathe, it was exuding smoke so thick it would have rivaled toxic waste in the real world. A column shattered in front of him and Eric barely got past the flying shards of fine marble without serious injury. Those thundering footsteps were still there, he could feel the fear twisting cold tendrils around his spine.

Jason was on his feet, adrenaline and sheer terror forcing him to move far better than anything else. While Eric did not turn to look, Jason had a full view of the monster closing in on them. He doubted that in his entire life would he be able to forget the sight of the beast that was doomed not to forever inhabit his dreams. Eyes wide, he stumbled forward as Eric grabbed his arm and forced him to move, out distancing the creature that was going to catch up far sooner than they were capable of outrunning it.

"Sammie! Pip! Fred!" Miranda shouted as she reached the carriage and pulled open the only door not burning. She could hear Pip's voice inside its confines, crying. Her babies, what had she been thinking bringing them in here?

"Mummy!" Pip answered first as the little boy scrambled out into his mother's arms.

Miranda wrapped her arms around her youngest and held him tight. "It's alright, I'm here." She said as he cried into her blond hair. "Sam! Fred!" She called out.

Sam and Fred were in better condition than Pip and emerged hurried just as Eric and Jason arrived.

"MOVE!" Eric shouted at them. There wasn't any time to linger. They were barely going to stay ahead of that thing as it was.

Eric bend down to pick Fred up but the little girl side stepped him and started walking towards the beast.

"FRED!" Sam shouted after her. The young boy would have run after her had not Jason wrapped an arm around his waist and hoisted him off the ground to stop him from advancing any further.

"What the hell?" Eric practically skidded to a halt as he turned around and saw Fred walking resolutely towards the creature.

"STOP HER!" Miranda cried out in anguish as Fred closed the precious distance they had gained between themselves and the creature.

Fred stopped and looked at the Balrog.

The beast had raised the lash about to bring it down on the child's head when suddenly, it seemed to stop short as Fred's gaze fell upon. It lowered the lash in mid air, uttering a snort of surprise that escaped its nostrils in puffs of black smoke. It took a step forward, almost cautiously before retreating again. The furnace like eyes dimming for a moment before another step backwards was taken and then another. Fearlessly, the girl stood her ground, unmoving, challenging the creature to come forward. It made the attempt once but no more than that.

It was afraid of her.

This Eric Rowan knew without understanding how it was possible. Whatever that monstrosity was, it was afraid of her, of Fred.

Slowly, despite his better judgement, Eric walked towards Fred, certain now without understanding how, that the creature was not going to risk approaching the little girl. Eric almost wished it did because he would very much like to know what it was about Fred that could scare the demon that had damn near leveled Tirion.

As if things could get no stranger, suddenly a barrage of sharp pikes flew through the air, raining death onto the beast from aloft. Looking up, Eric saw a group of elves at the top of one of the few buildings not in flames, launching a savage assault on the creature. The beast howled in pain as the elven blessed spikes plunged into its flesh. It retreated up the way it came and suddenly was confronted by another group of elves, clad in gleaming armor carrying long shields that almost guarded their whole bodies from the flame it roared in their direction.

As the creature became assailed by the elves that were determined to end the threat of it, Eric scooped Fred in his arms and hurried away from the fighting.

"You okay sweetheart?" He asked her even though it was most likely they were still breathing because of Fred.

"Yes," she nodded, her dark hair bouncing off her shoulders as she nodded. "I am not harmed."

"I noticed," he replied carrying her back to Miranda and the others. "Want to tell me how you managed that?"

"All things as they unfold," she looked at him with eyes not belonging to an eight year old but someone far older.

It was by far the strangest thing Eric had so far seen on this shores.

"Are you going to stand there and wait for the beast to return?" A new voice declared, emerging through the smoke as the elves did battle with the demon. Arrows and pikes flew through billowing smoke and fires and losses were mounting on either side with elves dying where they stood and the creature taking substantial injuries.

"Glorifindel...isn't it?" Eric asked, having seen the elven lord but having never been formally introduced. Eric had seen him in Elrond's company and new that he was respected as a great warrior and guessed that it was he who had been leading the battle against the creature.

"I am," the balrog slayer nodded. "You have come in search of Frank."

"Yes," Miranda said hurrying to them, the mention of Frank's name jerking her forward like a puppet on a string. "Where is he?"

"He is safe," Glorifindel said quickly. "But we are emptying the city until the balrog is dealt with so you must hurry if you wish to find him. I do not know how long he will remain at Elrond's house."

"He is Elrond's?" Miranda grasped immediately, letting out a sigh of relief at knowing he was safe. After seeing what was rampaging through these streets, finding all those dead bodies, Miranda had began to entertain her worst fears regarding her husband's state of health.

"Yes, my lady," Glorifindel nodded and then looked over his shoulder as the balrog lashed out again, the great whip striking another marble wall and crumbling it as more elves encircled the creature like hunters surrounding a bear, reading for slaughter. "Now you must go," he said to all of them, "we have work to do here."

Miranda was not about to argue with the elf that more than sounded like he knew what he was doing. "Good luck," she said sincerely.

"And with you my lady," he bowed his head graciously at her unsheathing the sword that seemed to gleam in the light of the fires scattered around the city. Sweeping his gaze to the others in a look of farewell, Glorifindel joined his men as they did battle with the demon plaguing Tirion.

Eric waited until he had gone before turning to address the others.

"If Frank's at Elrond's, let's get there," the newsman urged them to get moving again. It was tempting to watch Glorifindel and his warriors doing battle with the monster but having escaped its clutches once tonight and he was still trying to figure out how, Eric was in no hurry to do so again if the things went badly for the elves.

"You don't have to tell me twice," Jason said holding Sam's hand. "You okay mate?" He looked down at Sam who had been just as mesmerized by everything that had transpired in the last hour.

Sam nodded, "I'm okay Jason." He smiled.

"That's my boy," Miranda said to her son affectionately as she ruffled his hair while still carrying Pip in her arms that wasn't about to let go of his mother's embrace. "Fred, are you alright?" She looked at the little girl in her brother's arms as they started moving up the street towards Elrond's home.

"I am unharmed," Fred answered Miranda with a somber expression.

The adults exchanged a glance, sharing the strange feeling that it wasn't Fred who amongst them.

*********

It was easy to become complacent when one was accustomed to the controlled environment of submarine’s interior with its temperature regulated and only the clocks on the walls to indicate the passage of the day. Through the periscope, the thick iron shell of the USS Connecticut protected them from the seascape of gray sky and treacherously choppy wave. Therefore it was quite a shock when Isaiah and his men emerged from the interior of the USS Connecticut into the cold, dismal weather of the Norwegian Basin.

The wind he had been able to see by the slanted drops of rain pelting against the periscope glass was hard and brittle making him cringe further into the flap jacket he was wearing. Pulling the brim of his hat lower over his eyes in an effort to shield himself from the spitting rain, Isaiah felt the icy cold temperature with each breath he took. With him, Isaiah noticed Purcelli hugging his arms closer to his body while he and Devereaux worked the oars to bring the small craft closer to the shore, further away from the Connecticut which had safely put into the island's natural deep water harbor.

However before the Connecticut had sailed into the bay, sonar and seismic equipment had allowed the Seawolf submarine to discover a chain of smaller isles preceding the landmass. Framing it almost like a shield, the gathering of islets protected the mainland from the harsh winds and inclement weather that scoured rest of the Norwegian basin. It was a simple matter to navigate through the reef like islands to enter the bay and as they pierced the links of the chain, discovered yet another isle cradled against the contours of the mainland. Lighthouses could be seen atop of cliff faces, an island vanguard against the ocean. They stood, as beacons to travelers choosing to visit although they looked nothing like what he would thought a lighthouse should to be. If not for their strategic location, he could have been forgiven for mistaking them as something else.

Like great sculptures against the backdrop of the dismal sky.

Polished marble statues that towered high, shaped by masons with more skill than any Isaiah had ever seen after a lifetime of travel, proudly welcomed visitors to this unusual shore. The beauty of it had been too much for Isaiah to deny his men and the sub had surfaced long enough for a good number of crew to brave the terrible weather to catch a brief glimpse of these magnificent constructs. A feeling of wonder was sweeping through his boat and it was quite conceivable for a short time, the crew forgot that they were soldiers in a weapon of war. For a time, as they passed the statues of seemingly ancient warriors, perhaps even kings with outstretch palms holding the flame that would draw ships to safe port, the crew of the Connecticut felt like explorers.

Isaiah kept thinking of the Colossus of Rhodes and the Statue of Liberty and the Connecticut sailed into what they would know later as the Bay of Eldamar, the mystery of this island seemed to be as deep as the waters the submarine was currently navigating. Isaiah had ordered a message sent to Norfolk, informing the powers that be of what was transpiring out here and as anticipated, they were just as baffled by the existence of the landmass as he had been. Although not customarily required, Norfolk had asked the Connecticut to investigate and determine the nature of their discovery.

Isaiah had an odd feeling that whatever he discovered here would not be something that naval intelligence was going to be swallow easily. This island was a mystery not only to be him but possibly to all of mankind.

Leaving the Connecticut, Isaiah felt strangely vulnerable as if he wasn't just leaving his boat, the domain he ran with supreme authority, but taking a step into a great unknown. There had been no short of volunteers to accompany him to shore however, Isaiah had opted to take his Exec and Master of Arms because they were men he trusted to keep their heads no matter what the situation. Nevertheless, the desire to leave the Connecticut was shared by most of his crew as word traveled quickly through a boat that they might have just discovered a new civilization, no matter how preposterous it may sound.

***********

"We have company," Bryan Miller stated as he stood on the edge of the tree line where forest and beach met.

He had taken a moment to himself because it was harder than he could possibly imagine, keeping himself together knowing that the only woman who ever meant anything to him was gone. He had compartmentalized his anguish, praying that it was enough. Each time the despair rose up inside him, Bryan had crushed it ruthlessly but it was becoming harder and harder to maintain that facade of indifference. He had been strong for Aaron, telling the doctor that there was hope left while Eve still lived but inside he had been screaming at the unfairness of it. Tory deserved the same hope.

Not this great emptiness that was devouring him from inside out.

"Company?" Elrohir who had been keeping close eye on the former son of Gondor immediately turned to him and strode across the wet grass to his side.

Bryan had expected Valinor to be discovered by global positioning satellites at some point but certainly not this soon. At first Bryan had been uncertain of what he had been seeing. The wind had turned the waters of the normally tranquil bay into a troubled sea with waves that seemed to smash against the shore instead of rolling languidly across the white sand. Thus the break in the water had not seemed all that unusual until the dark shadow had broke what passed for surface tension and rose out of sea in a construct of dark steel that could be non other than a product of 21^st century technology.

Elrohir's statement had captured the attention of Aaron, Legolas and Ariel. The elven prince had been in the process of wrapping his wife in a thick cloak to shield her wet skin from the icy temperatures. Despite possessing an elven constitution, Ariel had no experience with weather like this. From the day she had been born, she had known only days of sunshine and warmth. Such was the blessing of the Valar upon this land. Legolas was rubbing his hand up and down her sides, trying to create the friction needed to generate warmth. Her wet clothes did not make this task any easier and he knew that if he did not take her indoors, she would take ill. As it was, he too was feeling the cold terribly but he thought little of himself and only of her.

"What company do you speak of?" He asked, looking over his shoulder as Aaron joined Bryan and Elrohir.

"Looks like the Yanks have landed," Bryan retorted, pointing to the rubber inflatable that was steadily making its way across the sea towards the shore.

"What manner of beast is that?" Elrohir asked, his keen eyes catching sight of the metal leviathan that was floating in the middle of the bay, its dark crown protruding from the turbulent sea.

"Aw hell," Aaron exclaimed as his mind grasped what Elrohir's 'beast' immediately. "Is that what I think it is?"

"I'd say so," Bryan nodded somewhat subdued. "That's a submarine."

"A what?" Elrohir looked at him in confusion.

"A ship that travels under water," Aaron responded.

"Boat," Bryan reminded gently, "you call them boats."

"Beneath the waves? Truly?" The elf stared straight ahead again; marveling at the notion of traveling across the sea completely submerged. Man had truly exploited every manner in which one could travel from place to place in his world, the elf thought. Elrohir had been astonished enough when he and his brother had returned from Arda in the 'airplane' that had crashed so spectacularly on Valinor.

Bryan left out the part that the 'beast' was also carrying a complement of nuclear warheads. There was no reason to worry the elves unnecessarily when it was most likely that the three men paddling their inflatable boat towards the surf had done so because the island had probably just turned up on their chart. If they had thought that the island was a threat, they would have sent more than three people to investigate it. No doubt, the commander of that boat was without any clue how this island had suddenly materialized out of nowhere and was trying to determine the nature of it before reporting to naval intelligence.

"What are we to do?" Legolas asked as he came up along side Bryan and stared at the unfolding situation. "Should we stop them?"

"No," Bryan shook his head, "I don't think they're here to cause trouble. I think its more likely they were doing a normal patrol of the area and suddenly caught sight of a bloody big island where there isn't supposed to be one."

"We can't let them wander loose around here," Aaron declared as the boat started surging over the tide as it closed the distance.

"No we can't," Bryan let out a deep sigh of weariness. So much relied on his judgement. The outside world was encroaching fast upon Valinor and he and Aaron were the only ones who knew how to deal with it.

"Legolas," Bryan looked at the elf. "You should take Ariel to the house, get her warmed up. She can use some of Tory's clothes, she won't..." he faltered then, the grief rushing up at him for a renewed assault even with a brief memory of her. "She won't mind." His voice grew soft and somewhere in the haze of agony where he was forcing away the sorrow he felt, Bryan was conscious of Elrohir's hand squeezing his arm.

"Thank you Bryan," Ariel said gratefully, "however I wish to remain." Inwardly, she knew Legolas wished to remain with his friends and she would not be the reason why he was forced to leave them.

"It's not safe here for you to remain here," Legolas insisted, agreeing with Bryan that she should be taken from this cold before she became ill.

"It is not safe to be alone either," Ariel countered. "Eve and I were no safer when we as such. Under the circumstances, I would prefer to remain in the company of our friends." She looked into his eyes and showed her resolve on this matter.

"Ariel..." Legolas protested but it was half hearted. He could see Aaron flinching at those words because Ariel was correct. It did not matter whether they were safely hidden away. If the enemy meant to find them, they would. On such occasions it was best to be in the company of one's friends than alone. Perhaps if Tory and Miranda had not been on the coast alone, Tory might still be amongst them. As he thought that, the elf raised his gaze to see Bryan closing his eyes in reaction to his lady's words and for an instance, it seemed as if the Man was steadying the carefully erected walls of control around his grief.

"She's right," he said quietly. "Do you think you can manage with the cold?"

"I will do my best," Ariel returned proudly, chin raised as she spoke, issuing Legolas a glance to silence any protest he might rise to this end.

"I'm sure you will," Bryan gave her a little smile but there was no joy in it, just sadness. Ariel felt her heart go to this man with his haunted eyes and wished that Eru had been kinder to him.

"They're reached the shore," Elrohir pointed out, bringing their attention to the matter at hand.

Indeed even as he spoke, Aaron turned to the usually pristine beach and saw the rubber inflatable wash up onto the sand, its occupants preparing to climb out. If there were any doubt that Valinor now found itself in the real world, it was the sight of the familiar naval uniforms worn by the three men who were presently disembarking from their tiny craft onto the shores of Eldamar. The modern world had well and truly encroached onto the sacred borders of the Undying Land and this was never clearer than the sight of the submarine that was presently waiting in the depths of the bay while its masters explored the new island.

"Well then, we'd better get to it," Bryan said releasing a heavy sigh because this was just one other task he needed to do, another little distraction he was prepared to indulge in order to stave away the anguish ready to crush him in its maw. Tory, he thought silently as he braced his inner defenses once more. Oh god Tory.

"Bryan..." Aaron started to call the man. The psychiatrist in him could see how tenuous Bryan's hold was on his emotions but there was no repertoire of tricks that Aaron knew that could help the man through this. He knew all too well what Bryan was facing and feared that if they did not reach Eve in time then he might be facing the same horror.

"I'm fine," Bryan said abruptly and started walking, waving off the query dismissively, looking at none of them.

Elrohir exchanged a worried look with his brother in law before following the Son of Gondor to deal with the newest arrivals on Valinor's once fair shores.

**********

LOCH NESS

The weather was bloody awful.

It was cold and miserable day and Janice Keely had no idea why on Earth she was out at this hour of the morning. Hugging her arms closer to her body, she wished she had worn something warmer and then remembered why she had opted for the blue cardigan when she ought to have worn the red parka that would keep the icy chill of the morning from her skin. The blue cardigan looked better on her than the bulky parka and when a sixteen-year-old was attempting to impress a boy, there was no contest between being a little cold and looking good.

Nessie watching. Who believed that nonsense? It seemed like one of those things that seemed plausible only to the tourists who came to the Loch each year to catch sight of the lake's most famous native. Janice had never bought into the existence of Nessie even though the people around the Loch had exploited the stories into a thriving tourist industry. Her parents who owned a boating business made good money from renting out small craft to would be monster catchers who came with their expensive clothes and high powered photography equipment, hoping to catch sight of Nessie.

Fortunately, the old girl had proved too smart for the likes of them.

"You do this every day?" Janice asked of Doug Palmer, the young lad she had been trying so hard to impress by coming out with him here today. She had never expected to him to have this kind of interest when he was the most popular soccer player in school. He was certain to play for the big clubs like Manchester United, if the descriptions of his game were the truth and not hyperbole spoken to stroke his ego. Janice had spoken to him once or twice in the halls and when she learnt that he made morning forays out here before school day began, saw an opportunity to get to know him better.

"Yeah," he nodded, looking at the strawberry blonde and wondering what she was doing out here in this weather with such ridiculous clothes. She'd catch her death of cold if she didn't watch out, he thought. "I think its peaceful out here and who knows maybe I'll catch sight of her."

"Do you really think she's there?" Janice asked, walking alongside of him as he kept his vigil with his camera in his favorite spot.

In truth, Doug Palmer told people he was monster watching so he'd be left alone. Most people thought it to be such an odd pastime that they did not wish to have any part of it and Doug was afforded some much needed quiet time that did not involve his school mates, his soccer team or his six brothers and sisters at home. His life was one constant lot of noise after another and being out here gave him a much needed silence.

At least until today.

"I think so," he responded and surprised himself by actually meaning it. Yes, she was here somewhere. Whether or not anyone had actually seen her was debatable but Nessie was here. Doug could feel it.

"What do you think she is then?" The girl asked again. "Do you think its like those scientist say? That she's a dinosaur?"

"A plesiosaur I think you're talking about," he returned, watching the rippling water, thinking how peaceful and tranquil it looked under the morning sun. "Maybe," he said after a moment. "They say there's caves underneath the loch that may have pockets of air where a beastie like that might be. Who knows."

Suddenly, something caught his attention. It was little more than an indescribable splash of water but it made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end for some peculiar reason. Maybe because it was such an unfamiliar sound for this hour of the morning. Out of place almost. He was used to gentle sounds produced at this time of the day, swirling ripples of water like a babbling brook with not much to say. It was certainly different from the harsh splash of something he could not identify.

He stood up from where he had been bent over at the edge of the water, with camera in hand and looked into the lake, trying see where it had come from.

"What is it?" The girl interrupted.

"I don't know," he said straightening up, his back taut with tension as he caught sight of it. Something was moving and at first he thought it was a fish swimming too close to the surface but made up his mind quickly that it wasn't, it moved too oddly. An eel perhaps? Doug watched for a moment, trying to make out its shape through the murky water.

"Maybe you should step away from the edge," Janice said starting to get anxious. Nessie wasn't real she told herself but she couldn't deny the stories were getting to her.

"What do you think is going to happen?" He looked at her derisively. "Nessie's going to come get me?"

Something smashed out of the water with lightening quick reflexes, wrapping itself around his leg in one fluid movement. Doug had just enough time to register the cold, wet around his ankle before he was swept off his feet. Hoisted above the ground, he let out a short cry of fear as he saw the ground beneath him and air around his flaying arms. The girl Janice had started to scream, her eyes wide with terror.

He blinked once or twice, looked at the thing around his foot and saw that it was a tentacle, a tentacle that followed all the way down to a creature starting to surface in the dark water. He saw its slimy body, slick and gleaming with moisture, like black marble. There were other limbs snaking towards the edge and he saw Janice starting to retreat, screaming as she tried to put distance between herself and the beast that was inching its way towards the edge. She didn't get very far when he saw another tentacle snap forward like elastic, moving impossibly fast to wrap itself around her waist.

Janice's screams echoed throughout the loch, causing birds to break roost from their branches and take flight. Absurdly as he screamed his own terror, he could hear beating wings in his ears and thought that they were of some comfort. Dangling above the air, he tried desperately to reach the appendage that held on to his foot in a vise like grip. The thing began to shake them, perhaps sensing the attempts to escape. Doug felt his bones snapping like he was tied to a whip.

Then he saw the teeth and all sense left him.

Widening jaws opened, teeth as long as his arm waited for their feast and while he became numb with terror, Janice screams had become mindless shrieks of terror. Perhaps irritated by the noise, Doug watched as Janice was released and she fell screaming wildly into the maw of the beast. There was another blood curdling cry when those jaws snapped close, ejecting blood and flesh in all directions before Janice uttered no more sound.

What remained of his sanity lingered long enough for Doug Palmer who would have turned eighteen next month, to realize that he would never play for Manchester United.

SOMEWHERE....

"It is beginning," the younger said to the Old One.

"I can see that," he said stroking his thick silver beard, looking at the youth with so much impatience. "They have heard him call. They will be waking up wherever they are to join with him."

"We should go now," the younger repeated, hand stroking the smooth finish of the machine he had help to construct.

It was a thing of beauty, crafted from the finest metal that was known to exist. Even in the dim light of the cavern, it gleamed, created its own illumination and the younger smiled with pleasure knowing that at last, the time had come for both of them to see the sunlight. "It will take us days to burrow to the surface and too many of the devices had yet to be tested."

"You sound like one of THEM," the Old One pointed out.

"We have learnt much from them," the younger replied, not all sorry for this. "Perhaps it is time that they learnt something from us."

The Old One looked at him skeptically.

"Well it could not hurt," the younger snorted. "They've made a proper mess of things up there and that they're still alive is a miracle. Perhaps if they had learnt what we had to teach them, things wouldn't have turned out the way it has."

"It was the decision of the Elders that we took the course we did," the Old One stared at him. "Do you refute their wisdom?"

Not ready to re-ignite that particular debate, the younger conceded defeat for now, "no I do not but I still think we should be on our way. They will need our help. They have no idea what's coming at them."

"We will wait for just a little longer," the Old One replied, aware that this would cause more consternation for the younger and smiled in bemusement at the outburst to come.

"I give up," the younger groaned. "If you need me, you know where to find me."

With that he trudged up the ramp and disappeared into the belly of his creation, there to wait until permission was given.

The Old One watched as the younger drew away grumbling and sighed. The children of Durin's line were always so impatient.

TO BE CONTINUED