Crebain

These menacing black birds from the lands between the Misty Mountains and the dark forest of Fangorn are often controlled by the forces of darkness, acting from above as the eyes and ears of the enemy. Large and intelligent, flocks of these crow-like creatures darken the skies on their mission of evil. But be warned â¬" even one Craban1 is capable of alerting the enemy with the swiftness of the wind.

Away in the South a dark patch appeared, and grew, and drove north like flying smoke in the wind.

'What's that, Strider? It don't look like a cloud,' said Sam in a whisper to Aragorn. He made no answer, he was gazing intently at the sky; but before long Sam could see for himself what was approaching. Flocks of birds, flying at great speed, were wheeling and circling, and traversing all the land as if they were searching for something; and they were steadily drawing nearer.

'Lie flat and still!' hissed Aragorn, pulling Sam down into the shade of a holly-bush; for a whole regiment of birds had broken away suddenly from the main host, and came, flying low, straight towards the ridge. Sam thought they were a kind of crow of large size. As they passed overhead, in so dense a throng that their shadow followed them darkly over the ground below, one harsh croak was heard.

Not until they had dwindled into the distance, north and west, and the sky was again clear would Aragorn rise. Then he sprang up and went and wakened Gandalf.

'Regiments of black crows are flying over all the land between the Mountains and the Greyflood,' he said, 'and they have passed over Hollin. They are not natives here; they are crebain out of Fangorn and Dunland. I do not know what they are about: possibly there is some trouble away south from which they are fleeing; but I think they are spying out the land. I have also glimpsed many hawks flying high up in the sky. I think we ought to move again this evening. Hollin is no longer wholesome for us: it is being watched.'

Aurochs - Bog-Lurkers - Crebain - Dark-water - Dragon - Goblin- and Orc-kind - Neekerbreekers - North Downs Goblins - Sickle-Flies - Shades - Gorthorog - Rogmul - Warg - Watching Stone