Ooh, proto-Watchers in the Water! So Sauron's forces have taken to leaving these beasties as doorwardens whenever they defeat Dwarves, have they? Interesting. And I love your description of the way that the baby Watcher moves, especially curling its tentacles around Alatar's staff - I could see it all very clearly in my mind.
And how fantastic, to see all the Istari traveling together, with Alatar for a change being the POV character! Their interaction here has the feeling of siblings arguing with each other at this point:
“Squid cannot survive in fresh water, they are not equipped–”
“Yet there’s a squid in here, whatever your science has to say about it,” Aiwendil observed somewhat defiantly.
Curumo reached the edge of the stream and peered down at a hand-sized shape distorted by the swift water. “After all the time you spent in Kementári’s tutelage, I should think you would recognize when a creature does not belong in a certain–”
“My business is to love the creatures of Arda, not to dissect or taxonimate or whatever you–”
no subject
And how fantastic, to see all the Istari traveling together, with Alatar for a change being the POV character! Their interaction here has the feeling of siblings arguing with each other at this point:
“Squid cannot survive in fresh water, they are not equipped–”
“Yet there’s a squid in here, whatever your science has to say about it,” Aiwendil observed somewhat defiantly.
Curumo reached the edge of the stream and peered down at a hand-sized shape distorted by the swift water. “After all the time you spent in Kementári’s tutelage, I should think you would recognize when a creature does not belong in a certain–”
“My business is to love the creatures of Arda, not to dissect or taxonimate or whatever you–”
Write on!