Hunt for the Palantíri RPG

[Arry]

The passage through the tunnel narrowed down in both height and width. The Elves and man had to tuck their elbow close to their bodies in order to traverse it. And by the time they neared the cavern itself, they were all three hunched over.

“Ouch!” cried Annû as he stepped into the main body of the cavern and attempted to straighten up. A string of rather colorful curses followed as he dropped his torch and slapped his hand to his injured head. From behind him came the unsympathetic laughter of his brother. “Look up next time, before you stand up,” came Carrandû’s unsolicited advice, followed by a surprised cry of pain as his Annû, in frustration, gave his brother a sharp rap on the shins with his now unlit torch.

A few moments of uncomfortable and rather dark silence followed. Then, the sound of giggling began bubbling up into full blown belly laughs. With a whoof of expelled air Annû sat down on the stony floor and reined in his laughter. The hand which held his unlit torch came round to be handed off to his brother. “At least Galhardir has kept his head about him,” laughed Annû, rubbing his own. “Pass our torch on to him and let’s get it relit.”

As the additional light flared up, the brothers and the man looked about the small cavern about them. “This is not a good sign,” commented Carandu, his hand going out to touch the encrustations in clumps on the walls of the narrow area and on its low ceiling. “Looks like barnacles and limpets, doesn’t it? That means the tide water fills this place completely.”

Annû retrieved the lit torch from Galhardir. “Let’s take a quick look around for a roundish sort of rock stuck in the cavern floor. Spread out in a line and we’ll crawl about for a close look-see. Hold your torch low, Galhardir, so we get a big pool of light as we move along.”

The three explorers moved in silence, their gazes fixed on the floor of the cavern. Carandû, at one point, reached out briefly and brushed some sediment off a likely looking little outcropping. The other two looked at him hopefully, but he shook his head ‘no’ at them and they moved forward in their search.

Carandû smiled to himself at the little specimen of rock he had found . . . the imprint of a whorled fossil imprinted in the small shale slab. He slipped it carefully into the pouch at his belt. Rodhal would have a souvenir from the adventure he had not been allowed to go on, he thought . . .

[Taralphiel]

Freyn followed at the end of the group, surveying the large cavern they had entered. Finally finding the source of these events was of great interest to him, and the story of this Stone had struck his curiosity. His boots padded lowly along the floor of the cave, making the familiar noise, and a loud echo following it. His old eyes darted across the tips of the slender peaks of ice, watching every slight movement or tremble of what was around him.

A few of those in the group divided, and he stood where he was, still watching the Cave cautiously. One hand was in his pocket, his thumb pressed on a small fur pouch of herbs and cloth, bandages and salves. He was not the fastest or strongest of this group, this he was oft reminded of. And so he though to provide service where it may be needed most, to those who may find trouble on their search instead of this Stone. He smiled as he recalled the worried mumbling of his wife as he left the tent, complaining that one so aged as he should not try such adventures of boys.

He chuckled inwardly, though saying nothing to the others of the group, as they waited for more to be said to him. The men they had chosen were good and brave, and he had no fear of this cave when trod through properly. Still, the familiar nagging in his gut told him that caution was always best, and his supplies would be well used by the end of this expedition.

[Orofaniel]

"What's that you've got there?" Annû asked his brother with great curiosity. He tried to crawl towards Carandû but was stopped by the big rock that lay in between. "There is a rock there..." Carandû said, without turning to look at his brother as he stumbled over it, loosing his torch. "Ouch!" Annû exclaimed. Galhardir crawled forwards to help the poor elf up, but Annû managed it on his own.

"I apologise brother," Carandû said causally as he still seemed fixed on his discovery. "Eh..no problem," Annû said, with a great deal of sarcasm. "I'm alright, if you were wondering," he then added, smiling widely. Hs brother burst into a merry laughter and so did Galhardir. But still, Galhardir was a bit worried about Annû’s fall, and asked him if he really was alright. Annû didn't seem to want to discuss it so Galhardir accepted Annû’s short answer. Now both Galhardir and Annû had reached Carandû and his discovery. "What exactly is that?" Glahardir asked Carandû as he examined it with his own torch. "It's...it's a fossil," Carandû said, looking very proud of what he had found. "See the lines here?" he then asked. Galhardir nodded.

"Where is your helmet Annû?" Galhardir then asked, noticing that Annû’s helmet could be everywhere else than it should be; on his head. "Uh..I don't know," the elf said, touching his head. "I probably lost it as I fell over the rock..." he then said. "Without noticing?" Galhardir then asked suspiciously. "Aye, must have been..." Annû continued.

"You better go get it," Carandû then said, finally looking away from the fossil. "Ah..you're right," Annû said. "Hand me your torch, Galhardir, will you?" Annû said, holding his empty hand out. "I could need both; it's so dark in here..." he then said, while Galhardir handed his torch over to Annû. "You two just stay here," Annû then said, turning his back on them to find his helmet.

Not a minute had gone by before Galhardir and Caranû could hear a great boom. Galhardir jumped, holding Carandû by the arm. "What was that?" he whispered. Carandû didn't answer, just had the only torch they had in the direction they had heard the noise. "Maybe it's Annû!" Carandû exclaimed. "Maybe...he went after all, in that very direction!" Galhardir then whispered back. "What shall we do?" Galhardir continued. He suddenly became aware of the tales that had been told about this cave; what if they were true? He got anxious and frightened, but could not tell by looking at Carandû that he felt the same; he seemed so calm. "We should just stay...hush!" Carandû said. "I hear something," he continued, he too was whispering. Galhardir could also hear it; slow footsteps, as they were dragged along the cavern.

"Who's there?!" Carandû then yelled.

Galhardir heard nothing but the echoes.

"It's just me..."

It was a familiar voice. It was Annû’s voice! "Annû!" Carandû exclaimed, as he saw the elf move slowly towards them. "Aye, it's me.." he then replied. "What was that frightful noise we heard? Did you hear it too?" Galhardir then asked.

"I did hear it, indeed. Too well, one might say..." Annû then said. He had now reached the two others. The light from the two torches he bore mad it possible for Galhardir to see the blood from his forehead. "What happened?" Galhardir then gazed. "The same old rock..." Annû said, smiling a bit.

"That doesn't look good, my friend," Galhardir continued, shaking his head. "No, we better return to the main cavern, don’t you think?" Carandû then said, holding his hand out to touch Annû head. "Nah-a," Annû said, taking a step backwards. "It's alright my friends," he said. "There is nothing to worry about...although returning to the main cavern is something we could...and should do after, my opinion," he said as he handed Galhardir the torch back. "Aye, there is nothing to find here...let’s go," Galhardir then said, leading the way.

[Rinfanawen]

“Jynne and Diera will go as a team.”

Diera despised the words. Of course, why wouldn't I be chosen? she thought to herself. It's just my luck. She praised the moment at the fact that Jynne had been chosen to go as well, for at least the two were familiar with each other. But the Lossoth... she sneered in her thoughts. I do not trust them...not well enough, at least. Marreth may find some loyalty in them, but I cannot find the loyalty I need to let them go wandering about a Cave of the Dead. They must not foil our plans. I will make sure of that.

As a foul look of disgust crossed her fear-worn eyes, she turned to look upon the Lossoth men. One, named Tarn as it were, had at some point placed a metal helmet upon his head. The helmet, to her, seemed rather odd to be worn by a Lossoth, since they mostly adorned in fur or some sort of animal hide. Diera questioned his intentions greatly. That ridiculous fool, she thought. We are going into a cave to spy, not give away our position with such outlandish armor. Suddenly the Lossoth caught her eye. Tarn smiled politely, but Diera sneered at him and turned her back before she arose in laughter. The helmet, and then the unusually white teeth? she thought in mockery. Well, you learn something new every day.

Diera led the small group silently through the cave. Just the thought of being there made her shudder, but knowing that is was indeed called the “Cave of the Dead” did not make it any more comforting. The cave was dark. Small rocks could be heard tumbling down the cavern walls far ahead, but she knew that no one had yet entered. Something was definitely lurking there, and she feared to meet what that was.

“I think we should split up here,” Diera whispered to the Lossoth. She signaled the Lossoth to take the far side of the cave while the Corsairs found some place nearby. The Lossoth took the lantern. The cave was now almost completely dark as Nilak led Tarn on away from them. Diera almost smiled at the thought of leaving the Lossoth, but she knew she must not forget her business.

Diera and Jynne walked on until they found a space near the top of the cave. They were clearly hidden from all...even the Lossoth. A small time elapsed before any sign of Elves appeared, and in that time, she found herself shivering at the eerie wind that blew through the cave. That is not a wind she thought to herself. It is far too lively to be any normal breeze. The light from the approaching Elven group soon lightened up part of the cave. Diera lowered her head below the rocks in front of her, as did Jynne. The Elves could be seen walking slowly below accompanied by many Lossoth.

I knew they couldn’t be trusted! Diera thought raising her eyes at the sight. The Lossoth have joined with them as well! You would think that the entire group would join with one side or the other. I must now keep an extra eye on those who say they are with us. She peered down with glaring eyes at the Elves. Fear could be seen clearly through the eyes of the Elves as the wind continued to blow. Rocks began to fall from the walls, one happening to fall directly towards an Elf. The Elf fell in shock, but managed to keep her balance. Diera laughed inside. If only Doyal could see this, she thought, remembering her shipmate. Oh, this is going to be quite fun.

[Child of the 7th Age]

Luindal had staked out for himself a section of the floor as well as the adjacent wall along the back of the cavern. The search here was easier in one respect: this was the tallest part of the cave so that he could stand upright with no difficulty and still have considerable room to spare. The ground in this spot had only a superficial covering of mud and silt. Underneath the mud was a hard, rocky ledge. Larger boulders were spread out here and there.

Right above his head, Luindal noticed some odd formations that almost looked like giant icicles hanging down from the roof. He had seen these in other caves back home, but the matching icicles that usually pushed up from the ground were totally missing, perhaps destroyed by the waters of the Bay.

Still standing upright, but using the protruding rocks to feel his way cautiously along the length of the ledge, he had to be careful not to cut his hands. Several of the stones had unrelenting sharp edges: one reached out to nab his ankle sending him sprawling to the floor. Feeling a bit embarassed, he reached out and grabbed onto a boulder to pull himself up to a standing postion. His fingers unexpectedly rubbed along something that was soft. Holding the torch closer, he was startled to see a tiny swatch of material hanging from a jagged rock edge. The cloth looked as if it was torn from something larger and still had a large button sewn on it.

Someone in our party must have caught his cloak and ripped it. Yet strange that I should find this here. I could have sworn I was the first to search here. But perhaps not. You can't see more than a finger's breadth in front of your nose in this infernal darkness. And what a strange design this button has. Certainly not Elvish. It probably belongs to one of the Snowmen"

Luindal absentmindedly stuffed the button and scrap of material into his pocket thinking that, perhaps later, someone would discover they had lost it and be grateful to get it back. He firmly believed that nothing should be wasted or simply tossed out. Then he forgot about the incident and refocused his attention on examining the floors and walls.

When another hour brought no new discoveries for anyone in the party, he stood up and beckoned the Elves and the Lossoth over to his side. "We must make haste. We will split up and search the side tunnels as Galhardir, Carrandû, and Annû have already started. But be careful! The most dangerous part lies ahead. Freyn, make sure to keep in touch with Rôg in case anyone needs your help."

With that, the last of the Elves and the Lossoth collected their torches and filed out of the main cavern to begin their exploration of the treacherous side tunnels.

[Lalwendë]

Tarn

Nilak had finally found a hiding place and Tarn was so relieved to have stopped descending further into the caves that he crept in behind the other Lossoth man, despite the alcove in the rock being so small and cramped that he began to wonder if this was what being buried alive would feel like. He wriggled about until he managed to fit his long legs into the crevice in such a way that they would stand no chance of becoming trapped there. The rock was cold and slimy with salt water caught in the cracks; this was obviously a place which filled to the brim with water at high tide. Tarn raised himself up onto his arms a little to be free of the clammy stones.

“Yes, this is a good spot” he said to Nilak quietly. “I suppose some of those elves will come down here. So we just lie and watch.” For a while, there was nothing to see, and little sound apart from the incessant dripping of water, a sound that soon began to get on Tarn’s already edgy nerves. Nilak extinguished the lantern and they were plunged into oppressive darkness. The walls seemed to close about even more tightly and Tarn struggled to breathe steadily. Then he felt a slight breeze on his cheek, and heard a faint whirring sound, as of birds’ wings. He sensed another noise, one which he could not hear, but felt as an uncanny flickering in his eardrums, as though the air pressure had altered. He kept as still as possible, holding his breath and after a minute he exhaled in a rush.

“What is it?” whispered Nilak, in as low a voice as he could manage.

“Something went by” Tarn whispered back. He couldn’t work out what type of creature it was, whether it was a bird or an insect, but he knew something had passed them by. Tarn was an instinctive hunter and knew the ways of animals, and he knew that what had just passed by was not a draught of wind.

Minutes later voices began to drift into the tunnels, as mingled and incomprehensible as the sound of waves at first, but gradually changing. A woman’s voice came echoing down the tunnels, musical yet filled with fear, then it grew quieter. A group of men approached, making a lot of noise. Tarn heard shouting, followed by laughter, and a torch revealed a group of three, two elves and Galhardir. Tarn realised what the Lossoth boats had been doing at the Elven ship yesterday; they were forming an alliance. “Idiots!” he thought to himself angrily, as he and Nilak slowly crept as far back as possible into the shadows, like two spiders hiding from the light.

Tarn watched the party search the cavern and couldn’t help but smirk as he thought of these elves and their Lossoth companion, rummaging around in the silt, vulnerable and entirely innocent of the spies who watched them.

[piosenniel]

Once he had spoken with Luindal, Rôg took wing again. The Captain had indicated that three of the searchers had already gone down one of the side tunnels. Carandû and Annû – the two who had so kindly helped him below as they’d entered the bay. One of the Lossoth was with them, also. Galhardir – the fellow who had brought the young boy with him.

The main body of Elves and Lossoth had broken up into search parties at Luindal’s direction and were now fanning out toward the side tunnels that Rôg had indicated were passable. Rôg flew low, skimming softly at knee height about the main cavern, checking for the presence of searchers heading down the tunnels to the small caverns. At one of the tunnels, he heard the sound of scraping coming near – something moved along slowly within the passageway. Flying cautiously into the side tunnel, he caught the sounds of the two brothers and Galhardir moving toward the little cavern. ‘By the Stars! he squeaked to himself – the keen-eyed Elves had apparently found an additional tunnel that opened into yet another small cavern. No luck, though he noted, scanning their hands – nothing of a rounded, globe nature could he pick out.

The three came all they way out into the main cavern, their knees covered in silt. And themselves looking a bit battered, he noted changing back to mannish form. One of the Lossoth’s hands had a good deal of dried blood on it. And the foolish Elf, no helmet to be seen, looked to have a sizeable goose-egg of a lump on the top of his head, and a few streaks of blood from where it had bled a bit.

Startling the three, as he stepped into their pool of light, he raised his hand in greeting and pointed back near the entrance to the main cavern. ‘One of the other Lossoth, Freyn by name, has stationed himself over there. He has his little kit of herbs and bandages. Go over and let him take a look at your injuries. We wouldn’t want any of you falling ill from them.’ Annû was about to wave off the suggestion, saying he was alright, there was no need. But Rôg stood firm, saying the Captain had made a point that injuries of any sort should be seen to . . .

[Regin Hardhammer]

Marreth watched and listened as the Elves passed out of the large cavern into the side tunnels, their footsteps leaving behind an eerie echo through the empty chamber. Even with my coat, it’s still freezing cold in here, he grumbled. One by one the Elves passed by Marreth’s hiding spot, completely oblivious to the Corsair who crouched in the shadows.

So, the Lossoth had been telling the truth after all. Marreth decided he would reward the shadowy figure for being of use to the expedition. Of all the places to look, he would never have imagined that the fools would choose to search in the Cave of the Dead. Gleefully, Marreth saw them stumble and grope through the darkly lit cave. One or two seemed to have sustained minor injury. Foolish immortals, scoffed Marreth, their pretty little faces will all be bloodied and bruised.

After a moment spent relishing the Elven misfortune, Marreth turned his attention back to the reason he had actually come here: to have his men spy on their enemies. He had already learned a number of things. The group was definitely searching for the Stones but had yet to unearth anything of use. He had also found out that their captain's name was Luindal, a tall and gangly fellow who appeared strangely calm.

His men had already apprised him of the numbers in the cave. At the present moment, the Elves outnumbered them by seven or eight. With the numbers being against him, Marreth was quite glad he had decided not to attack the group outright, but to pursue a more subtle approach by keeping his own intentions hidden.

The newcomers were relatively well armed, bearing an assortment of things that could be used as weapons: torches, daggers, short swords, and pick axes. A few of the group were not Elves at all, but Snowmen, like the ones Marreth had working for him. He did not harbor the same ill feelings for the Snowmen as he did for the Elves or Gondorians. But, if these foolish Lossoth chose to side with the enemy, they would have to be discarded as well. These fools might have been rewarded if they had aided the Corsairs. Now, their fate was sealed.

Hearing a suspicious rustling on the ledge next to his own, Marreth rapidly turned about. To his horror, one of the crew had pulled out a knife and was about to jump out and slit the throat of an Elf passing by. Moving decisively out of the shadows, Marreth forcibly restrained the crew member, clapping a hand tightly over his mouth. Although enraged, Marreth controlled his temper for fear of being heard. He had heard tales of the sharp hearing of Elves and did not wish to test their validity.

Moving to a farther corner of the cave away from the stream of Elves, Marreth grabbed the man by his neck and whispered commandingly, “You fool! What do you think you were doing? Trying to get us killed?”

“I am sorry my Captain. I just couldn't resist. They looked like easy targets. I could not bear lying idle and watching them prance about this hole pretending to be the masters of it. As I was spying on the vermin, a fire of hatred burned in my belly and I resolved to act."

Mareth grimaced, “Fool, I am the one giving orders here. If you had attacked, the Elves would bear down on us like a wolf on fresh meat. We must keep surprise in our favor at all costs. Don’t ever disobey me again, or you will swim with the sharks. I will deal with your lapse when we get out of this cave. And do not think my mind so feeble as to forget it!”

“No Captain, of course not Captain.” The man cringed submissively and slunk silently away.

Although the deed was reckless, Marreth understood the impulses that drove his crewman to act. He had also felt the urge to attack and humiliate the Elves. The only difference was that he possessed enough discipline to control his actions. His men, however, were growing restless. He would have to act soon, or they would get out of control. The only question was what course of action would bring the results that they needed.

[Imladris]

Jynne listened to the elves as they worked, listened to the leader tell them how the Stones looked. And he realized that the Corsair's job could be so simple. As he heard the elves and Snowman scrabble down one of the side caverns, leaving the main cavern, he slithered from his ledge of rocks and slipped into the shadows, seeking for the captain.

As he crept along the rocks, he heard a sharp whispering. "Don’t ever disobey me again, or you will swim with the sharks. I will deal with your lapse when we get out of this cave. And do not think my mind so feeble as to forget it!”

Clinging to the cavern wall as if he had become one with the shadows, he slipped around a jutting crag and saw the captain with his hand gripped around a fellow crewman's neck. A thin smile flickered upon his face.

“No Captain, of course not Captain.” The man cringed submissively and slunk silently away.

"Captain," Jynne whispered softly, "why should we crawl around like blind worms when the sun shines?"

"What?" asked Marreth.

"Why not let these...elves look for them? The caves --" he guestured up towards the cavern ceiling -- "are old. They are crumbling. There could be a...natural...disaster," he added silkily. "The elves would become trapped...hopefully they will find the Stones before they realize their peril...we would wait until the filth had died and then uncover the treasure within. And if the elves did not manage to add the Stones," he added, "then we will find them ourselves without our steps being dogged."

[Arry]

Annû snorted as Rôg took off. ‘Captain’s orders, eh?! We’ll see about that.’ He held his torch up high looking to see where Luindal might have gone. Carandû hauled his arm down, hissing that perhaps he ought to think twice before he go taking up Rôg’s directive with the Captain. ‘It’s your own fault you banged your head. I do know you were standing right next to me when the Captain ordered us all to have helmets on.’ He hauled his brother in the general direction that Rôg had indicated. Galhardir followed along with them.

In a few moments, the two Elves and their companion Lossoth stood before a bemused older man. Freyn, the Lossoth said in way of introduction. He held his torch closer to see their injuries. Carandû laughed as the healer fingered the goose-egg bump on his brother’s head. ‘We didn’t find the globe the Captain’s looking for,’ he chortled a bit when Annû winced as Freyn’s fingers found a particularly tender spot. ‘But I must say I think my brother gets the prize for bringing back a globe of his own.’

[Regin Hardhammer]

Regin's post - Marreth

Marreth gazed at Jynne with a glint in his eye, “Yes. I think a little “natural disaster” would be a very good idea. And I’d be exceedingly glad to get out of this cramped, freezing hole. We must gather all the men and climb onto the ledge overlooking the entrance of the cave. The sooner we spring our trap the better. We can do no more spying here for the Elves have moved into the side passages.”

Giving Jynne a short, appreciative nod,, Marreth crept noiselessly toward the entrance of the cave, gathering groups of his men along the way, until all the crew stood outside the entrance. He said to them, “Mates, I have a plan to get back at those vile Elves. We will trap them inside by sealing the cave off with rocks. Best of all, no one will suspect that we are the culprits. Follow me.” Marreth led his crew in scaling the distance up to the ledge, accompanied by the ship’s officers at his side. The ascent was not long or difficult, thanks to the many protruding rocks adorning the opening’s facing.

While at the top, Marreth stopped and waited for his crew to join him. They made their way up the face of the hillside cliff one-by-one. When several had gathered, he began, “The plan is to push the rocks on the ledge onto the ground below, making it look like a rockslide, so that the Elves are not suspicious. When they try to get out they will be trapped. So…there are some large boulders here and we will need to work together. Who will help me push these rocks down?”

With that invitation, Marreth began pushing up a nearby boulder with a sturdy crowbar, hoping to pry it loose.

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Rinfanawen’s post

It's been no use spying on these Elves, Diera thought. They had been waiting and watching for what seemed like hours, but nothing was to be seen. They don't even look to be good at searching in the first place. Who would send an Elf to do a mortal's job? Suddenly she caught herself, realizing the words that entered her mind. What am I saying? She said in her mind. I should be glad the Elves have not found the stones. I want to find them first! They belong only in the hands of my captain at this present moment. Quickly her thoughts were interrupted by the quiet sound of an arguing voice in the distance.

Diera turned to gain Jynne's attention, but he was already near the floor of the cave, walking in the shadows.

“Jynne,” Diera whispered to her shipmate. “What if it's an Elf?”

Whether by choice or lack of hearing the comment, Jynne did not answer. He clung tightly to the wall of the cavern, hidden within the dark shadows around. Diera listened quietly to the voice in the distance. She breathed deeply in relief. It is but Marreth approaching, she sighed in thought. Diera began her descent from her hiding place to find the Captain already near, and speaking with Jynne.

“There could be a...natural...disaster,” suggested Jynne.

Diera already loved the idea. A cave-in would be perfect, she thought, listening to the rest of the proposal. Finally, a little action, and we are going to obliterate those immortal villains.

The captain seemed to agree, though he did not know her thought. “The sooner we spring our trap the better,” he has said. Diera smiled at the remark. She followed her crew out of the caves, and to the entrance from which they had come. Marreth began to address the Corsairs.

“Mates, I have a plan to get back at those vile Elves,” he spoke. “We will trap them inside the cave by sealing the cave off with rocks. Best of all, no one will suspect that we are the culprits. Follow me.”

[Taralphiel]

Freyn kept his chuckle inward as he saw two Elves and a man approach to be tended to. He nodded to them, saying “My name is Freyn, and I’m the man left with tending to you. Let’s see what we have here…”

As he prodded gingerly one Elf’s crown, the other chuckled at him and said “We didn’t find the globe the Captain’s looking for, but I must say I think my brother gets the prize for bringing back a globe of his own.” Freyn let escape a laugh, and added “Aye, that ye did, but I wager it could have been a deal worse. These caves are quite hard to make any way through…”

Freyn applied a cloth, soaked in a sweet-smelling leaf, and wrapped a loose bandage over it, clucking a little “Well, it looks rather awkward, but with a helmet on, it should help it heal up and stop any more bumps coming up, if you follow…”

He turned and looked at the group, seeing that maybe his helped could be needed on one other. But, scratching his head, he smiled and said rather sheepishly “I did not quite catch your names…”

[Niluial]

Er, Elwë where exactly are we going?" Andtuariel asked anxiously.

"I want to go into that unexplored tunnel," Elwë pointed to the dark, lifeless tunnel. He shivered; the icy air had bitten right into his
bones, and his teeth couldn't stop clattering together. Andtuariel followed him, grabbing onto his hand as they entered the small tunnel.
They had to bend over to walk in the tunnel as it was low and the sides
touched them as they crawled along. As they kept on going, it got smaller and smaller, and soon they had no choice but to squeezed through.

Andtuariel muttered something to herself and Elwë chuckled. "First sign
of insanity to talk to yourself, you know." Elwë said trying to joke, in hope to avoid the anxiety and fear. Before Andtuariel could reply Elwë said abruptly, "what's that?"

"Oh, it looks like a cave!" Andtuariel said jerking her head trying to see more of it.

"Yes, a rather small one."

"Let's go see." Andtuariel said with a sudden tone of excitement.

Squeezing through the blacker hole that marked the entrance into the smaller cave, Elwë stopped and looked about it. It had a surprisingly high ceiling covered in long pointy pieces of ice. The thought that one of those icy swords could come tumbling down upon them was too terrifying to put into words. Elwë then shivered. "Beautiful, isn't it?" Andtuariel said, walking slightly ahead of Elwë exploring the iced cave.

"Beautiful, yet dangerous," he added.

Elwë walked around the small cave, looking for another tunnel. A few
rocks fell from the ceiling and Elwë lifted his head and pricked his long, pointy ears up looking around suspiciously. "Did you hear that?" He asked Andtuariel, with a worried expression.

"Yes, but it's probably just the vibrations or something like that,
nothing to worry about" Andtuariel said, sure that everything was right.

"Vibrations from what? Do you think some of the elves have ventured up
above us, on the roof?"

"Probably!" Andtuariel said sounding not very concerned. She crouched down examining a strange looking rock. It was covered in what looked like sickly fungi. She stood up, starting to walk towards Elwë, "I really think. AAAAA!"

Elwë rolled his eyes. She's probably seen a spider, silly girl.
"What's wrong now?" He waited for a reply. Nothing. "I said, what's
wrong!" he shouted but quieted himself, remembering the long ice pieces
hanging from the ceiling.

He walked to where she was. He suddenly froze, "Andtuariel!" he shrieked as he saw her body on the ground. "I. I. I think I'm ok" she stuttered, slightly opening her eyes. Elwë shone his torch to examined her; her one foot was stuck in a hole and her head was bleeding as it had hit a sharp rock. He tugged at her foot, trying to get it out. "Try and get it out Andtuariel! We need to get you to Freyn."

"I can't"

Elwë sighed and sat back after ten minutes of tugging. Now what? Do I keep on trying or leave her and get help? It's too dangerous! I wonder where Rôg is.

[Arry]

‘Hmmm . . . this doesn’t smell too bad!’ Annû lifted his helmet off and fingered the bandage that Freyn had applied. Carandû hissed at him and jammed the helmet back on his brother’s head. From the corner of his eye he could see Captain Luindal looking their way.

Galhardir, catching the last of Freyn’s question, stepped forward and introduced himself. Freyn’s gaze fell on the man’s injured hand and he offered to take a look at it. ‘Go on,’ said Annû. ‘Let him look at it. He’s not half bad!’

Carandû sighed and stepped forward. ‘I’m Carandû, from the elven ship . . . but then you probably already knew that . . . the Elven ship that is.’ He dragged his brother forward. ‘And this is my brother, Annû, . . . my younger brother. And you need to know his “not half bad” comment really was meant as a compliment.’ Carandû nudged his brother who shook his head ‘yes’ as he made a small bow toward the healer.

‘Say,’ said Annû, ‘we seem to be your only patients at the moment. Would you like to join us for a little exploration of one of the side tunnels.’ He looked toward his brother. ‘We have enough time for that, don’t we? Before the tide turns and begins washing in?’

‘It’ll have to be a quick search,’ returned Carandû, after giving the question a little thought. ‘I think the Captain will probably call us together soon and we’ll need to get out of here – back to the boat.’ He looked expectantly at Freyn. ‘What do you say? Four pairs of hands and eyes would make the work go more quickly. And besides,’ he said laughingly as he looked toward his brother, ‘the medicines and bandages would probably be where they’re most needed.’

[piosenniel]

After his ‘encouragement’ of the Elven brothers and the Lossoth concerning their need to visit the healer, Rôg joined Luindal’s group in one of the smaller caverns on the northern end of the big cave. ‘Might as well get in on the action,’ he said to the captain, as he lit the torch he’d brought and bent down close to the floor with it. It was back breaking, dirty work - all hunched over, eyes glued to the surface of the floor, hands prying through whatever silt had mounded up around objects on the floor. Rôg inched along, on his knees for the most part, brand in one hand, knife in the other for prying at likely objects.

After a bit, Luindal motioned him over. ‘I’m worried that we might spend too much time in here and the tide start to come in,’ the captain said. ‘I’ll have my little group move back out to the main cavern. Can you contact the other groups and tell them to head back there, too? Once we’ve all gathered together and all are accounted for, we can head back to the ship and make plans for the morrow.’

With a great sigh of relief, and a small rub to his back to ease the cramped muscles, Rôg handed the captain his torch and changed back to a little bat. Soon he was zipping in and out of the tunnels, bringing the message to the search groups . . .

[Arry]

It was Carandû who took the lead this time. He’d spied another tunnel half hidden behind a pile of loose rock that had apparently fallen down from the ceiling. The four searchers cleared away the pieces – carefully, as Freyn and Galhardir reminded them that the rock, though soft and easily flaked often bore sharp edges where it had separated from the surrounding stone facings.

Freyn was tied on to Carandû and him in turn to Galhardir, with Annû bringing up the rear. The tunnel itself was short, and thankfully high enough that it could be crawled through without elbows or skulls hitting the sides and top of the passageway. Once they were in, the cavern it connected with was another small sized on, at least in ground area, but to the Elves’ delight, it was tall enough for them to stand.

‘I think we should untie ourselves and each take a torch,’ offered Galhardir as he looked about the area. ‘Good idea,’ said Annû. ‘We can each go over a quarter of the ground.’ He looked about the small area. ‘It does look promising. The tunnel was big enough for the smaller of the palantir to be wash in. and there are plenty of piles of loose rock that it could be hidden beneath.’

The four men divided up the search area and going to the farthest boundary of their part of the little cavern. They got down on their hands and knees and began an examination of the floor, moving the piles of rubble carefully as they did so..

‘Remember,’ said Carandû, calling out from his lit corner, ‘work as quickly as you can without hurting yourselves. We can’t spend long in here. The tide will be coming back in soon . . .’

[Orofaniel]

"The tide!" Galhardir exclaimed. He had completely forgotten about it; The water would be flowing all over the place when the tide came. They ought to be out before then. What happened if someone didn't make it out until that time, Galhardir couldn't say for sure, except for that they would indeed be in a difficult situation. He shuddered while thinking about it, before he followed the others through a new narrow, dark path.

"Do you actually think we'll find something?" Galhardir whispered to Annû. He didn't quite know why he was whispering, but he couldn't help it.

"It depends, I guess," Annû said. "But it's too dark," Galharidr replied. "Aye, it is. But if the thing we are looking for really is here in the caverns, I don't think the darkness will stop us finding it," Annû then said. Galhardir shrugged. "You're probably right," Galhardir then said, thinking about the others who were also looking around in the other tunnels. They had to find it eventually.

Galhardir then turned his thoughts towards Rodhal. He still felt a bit bad because he left him behind. But at the same time, it wouldn't be responsible to bring him along. Rodhal was old enough to know that and he had shown his uncle how mature he was by telling just that to him.

"I think we should return to the others," Carandû then said after a while. He didn't have to repeat that as all four of them moved quickly. As they came towards the end of the tunnel, Rôg asked the two eleven brothers to help two of the other elves that were stuck further down the tunnel. Galhardir gasped as he heard the news. How would they get out? But he trusted the Carandû and Annû as the two of them followed Rôg. Freyn and Galhardir continued forwards, waiting for Annû and Carandû, together with the two elves to return...

[Lalwendë]

Lalwende's post

Tarn moved quickly down the tunnel, following the elves and Galhardir. He was eager to keep up with what they were doing and did not move quite so awkwardly on his return to the main cavern. He moved in short bursts, stopping to hide when he thought he may be spotted, carrying on when he could remain within the shadows. A change in the level of the voices indicated that he had arrived back at the main cavern; they were not so clear, and it sounded as though a crowd had gathered. Yet when he peered around to look, there was just a handful of elves and men.

Creeping along the dripping wall of the cavern, away from the light, Tarn edged out of the tunnel and into the wider space. He started to breathe a little more easily, and side-stepped along until he came to a corner where he could hide. He heard who he thought was Nilak move into the corner next to him, but his breathing was different, and he seemed to be taller.

"Outside, now " said Marreth

Tarn didn’t refuse. He was desperate to be outside once more. As soon as he left the cave he stretched, screwing up his eyes as they adjusted to the light, and greedily breathed in the clear, fresh air as though he was drinking after a long thirst.

Tarn's eyebrows shot up when he heard Marreth’s plan. He didn't know whether to say something defiant to the captain, to try to refuse, but this sounded like a task he could relish. He nodded his assent and started to climb with speed. He was eager to be one of the first to reach the ledge above the cave entrance and as Tarn was a good climber, nimble and surefooted, he was soon standing near Marreth. He began loosening a boulder, working quickly but with a wry smirk on his face.

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Rinfanawen’s post

Diera climbed quickly up the jagged rock wall alongside her captain and other officers. Despite the fact that she still hated the land immensely, she loved the thought of not entering the caves for at least an extended length of time. She smiled merrily at sun. A bright light was finally shining on their mission. The top of the cave soon came, and the crew stepped foot on the peak. Marreth began to address them once again:

“The plan is to push the rocks on the ledge onto the ground below, making it look like a rockslide, so that the Elves are not suspicious. When they try to get out, they will be trapped. So…there are some large boulders here and we will need to work together. Who will help me push these rocks down?”

The corsair crew immediately began to aid Marreth in loosening the boulders from atop the cave. Some, Marreth for one, used tools such as crowbars or metal rods to loosen the protruding rocks. Others, Diera included, chose a more subtle approach. She began with the smaller rocks near the edge of the cliff, tossing them aside for lack of purpose, which slowly began to free the larger rocks from their positions on the cave wall. If nothing else, Diera thought. We could use the smaller rocks for hurling directly at the Elves, just in case one manages to escape. The rocks began to shift slightly as the stones beneath them were removed. Diera smiled evilly. She returned to the previous side of the larger boulders and began to push against them, aiding their plunge to the cavern entrance.

[Regin Hardhammer]

Marreth had chosen a medium sized rock which was perfectly situated for blocking the cave's entrance. He began to heave his entire weight against the boulder with the assistance of two of his crewmates. The stone shuddered mightly and then began rolling downward. With a thud it hit the earth, right in the center of the opening. A few smaller rocks fell as the tremor created by the original reverberated through the mountain.

This is a good start, thought Marreth, but they needed more rocks. And larger ones too. The Captain selected a bigger boulder that was a few feet from the edge. Once again, Marreth pushed the rock with all the effort he could muster. bearing down on his crowbar. It budged an inch, but refused to move any farther.

Marreth turned toward his men and yelled, "What are all you standing there for. We need more than three people to push this boulder. Get your behinds over here and lend a hand. All of you."

Marreth turned his attention back to the rock and pushed, waiting for his entire crew to pitch in. Pushing boulders over the edge was not as easy a task as he had first thought.

[Imladris]

Jynne slouched over to help the captain. Naturally, he would not be allowed to go back to the boat. It was not the captain's way to award the brains.

The rest of the crew trailed along after him. Nestling his shoulder in a little cranny, he heaved and felt the rock skid across the rough land. He felt one of the crew put their grubby hands on his shoulder to aid in pushing the heavy boulder. "Hands off," he hissed, sending a daggerous glare at him. "Push on some other lout."

The boulder tumbled from onto the other, a cloud of dust accompanying it. A thin smile stretched Jynne's hollow cheeks. The elves could not escape once the opening was completely covered.

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he followed Marreth to another suitable boulder.

[Kitanna]

Nilak had crawled out of the alvoce and was following Tarn back to the main entrance. He could still hear the Elves and their Lossoth allies moving about the cave. For fear of being caught Nilak moved along the wall and a few feet behind Tarn. Two would be easier to spot then one. He was swift and like a shadow, making as little sound as he could.

When he moved into the main cavern he shrunk against the wall to avoid unfriendly eyes. Tarn was not five feet away. Someone moved next to him. It was Marreth. Nilak barely made out what he said, but when the Lossoth and Corsair headed for the entrance to the cave he followed.

It seemed Marreth was planning on pushing boulders down to block the entrance of the cave. This captain was Nilak's kind of scum. Marreth and two of his crewmen were able to free a medium sized boulder and it rolled down and blocked the entrance. The Elves would be trapped inside.

"What are all you standing there for. We need more than three people to push this boulder. Get your behinds over here and lend a hand. All of you." Marreth snapped.

Nilak smiled a wicked smile and went to aid the others. This was a job Nilak could enjoy. Eliminate those who were after his treasure.

[Imladris]

Crouching in the shadow of a nearby boulder, Jynne wiped the sweat from his eyes, and began to pick out the fine grain of stones that had lodged themselves in his skin.
The glare in his eyes hardened as he looked at his hand. It was becoming patchy. Blotches of the white skin were beginning to spread like mold upon old bread.

With a frown he glided to his feet and put his shoulder to the rock. It moved easily under the loose dirt, toppled over the edge, and landed on top of the other boulders with a cracking thud.

Slithering down, his eyes flitted across there work. A thin smile stretched his face. It was a fitting tomb for the elves. Hopefully they'd do the job right and find the Stones before they died.

[Child of the 7th Age]

Glad to be leaving the side tunnel, Luindal re-entered the main hall and noted that a number of Elves and Lossoth had already found their way to the spot near the back of the cavern where he had told everyone to gather. Weary and footsore, with backs and arms aching from bending down and squeezing through narrow holes, each of these told a similar account: despite hours of digging and close observation, they had seen nothing resembling magical Stones. There had been only endless twisting pathways covered with mud interspersed with an occasional patch of slick ice and cliffs that dropped precipitously downward.

"There's no Palantiri here," Luriel, one of the Wood-Elves, assured him. "Not even a hint of one. Can't we leave before things get worse?"

The Elf's heartfelt plea had mirrored Luindal's own thoughts. He could hear and see nothing of the outside world from this vantage in the cave, but the tide would soon be pounding against the shore, bringing with it a surfeit of water that would eventually submerge the entire cavern. Alahseey had told him grim tales of treasure hunters who'd hid shipwreck cargo within the recesses of the black cavern and, unwilling to give up their reward, had perished in the attempt to save it. This, as much as anything, had led to the cave's bleak reputation.

Holding his torch aloft to survey the men in his group, Luindal was appalled to discover that more than a few of their number were still missing. The reason for this soon became obvious. Rôg darted into the cave bringing a dire message: "The waters are rising in the lowest tunnels. At least one, perhaps two of the searchers, are having trouble getting through. The others have stayed trying to help them."

"Shall I send more Elves to help?"

The tiny bat blinked twice and seemed to shake his head. "It would do no good. Any more in such a narrow passage would only increase the risk. They are doing their best and I will help them."

Luindal turned towards the Elf, who had spoken with him before, "Luriel, lead this group outside. Wait on the shore. I'll stay in here till we get the rest

The brown bat had begun to flitter over to the side tunnel, but abruptly halted to alight on a rock, Rôg cried out in a tiny voice, "Can't you feel that? The vibrations from outside."

Luindal stopped and closed his eyes, leaning against the back wall of the cavern. he could definitely feel something. For a moment, he thought it might be an earthquake. Such things were not unheard of in lands made of ice. But then he had the clear sense of great giants thuds coming not from the ground underneath his feet but from somewhere over his head.

"Go now. A landslide!" he bellowed. "Get out of here as fast as you can...."

[piosenniel]

Pio's post

As he flew toward the tunnel where the searchers were still making their way out, Rôg noted that four people were just emerging from a tunnel near it. It was the two Elves who’d helped him on the ship – Carandû and his brother. In a flurry of little wings he flew to them and landed precariously on Annû’s thick fleece over-tunic. Working his way toward the surprised Elf’s ear, he squeaked a request for him and his brother to follow down the tunnel after him. ‘Two of the Elves are still down in the little cavern at the end of the tunnel,’ he said. ‘One of them may be injured. Help me get them out.’

‘And you, Freyn, can you wait here until we bring the Elves out? They may need your services.’

Rôg dove down the tunnel, the two brothers following . . .

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Arry’s post

By the time Carandû and his brother had reached the little cave, Rôg was already back in mannish form and kneeling by the injured Elf. It was Andtuariel! She looked quite pale, the blood on her face from the rock cut making her skin seem even whiter in contrast. The lower part of her leg had caught in a hole in the cavern floor and seemed quite firmly wedged.

Annû knelt down quickly opposite Rôg. He took out his big-bladed knife and began chipping at the rock edges of the hole. Elwë, too, was knocking at the jagged rim that held her boot tight. ‘At least her leg is not bent at an unnatural angle,’ whispered Annû to Andtuariel’s brother. ‘The boot has padded it a bit and hopefully there will be only a little swelling.’ Rôg stabilized the woman’s leg as the other two worked on enlarging the hole. After a number of minutes, the only sounds being the clack and scrap of steel against rock, Annû, Elwë, and Rôg were able to gently eas the Elf’s foot from where it had been trapped.

Carrandû had packed a thin piece of leather, all folded up, into the pouch slung at his belt. It was a fair sized piece with which he meant to wrap the palantir should they discover it. Now he laid it on the ground, and the four of them eased Andtuariel onto it. Her ankle was quite swollen and too painful for her to bear weight.

Rôg changed back to his bat form, flying quickly down the tunnel to alert Freyn. Carrandû knelt down and grasped the edges of the leather. He began backing down the tunnel pulling Andtuariel with him on the leather piece. ‘Sorry about the bumpy ride,’ he said, smiling at her as they jostled over a particularly rocky section of the tunnel floor. ‘Soon we’ll be in the main cavern, where the healer is waiting.’ Annû and Elwë took turns cradling the Elf’s booted leg as they inched toward the main cavern.

Finally, Carandû could just hear Galhardir’s voice saying, ‘Here they are!’ And hands reached down to take up the burden as he emerged from the tun

[Regin Hardhammer]

After the cave entrance was completely blocked by boulders, Marreth took a deep breath and sat down on the hard earth. Pushing boulders was painstaking labor and, although he had quite enjoyed trapping the Elves, he was glad to be done with it.

“We had better stay here and watch mates. We don’t want the Elves slipping away through some crack and escaping from under our noses. Anyways, it will be fun to sit outside and listen to the howls when they discover the jam that they're in.”

Marreth looked with content at the solid mass of rock blocking the opening completely. For once, thought Marreth, our plans seem to be working.

[Imladris]

Jarlyn peered over the top of the railing, his eyes boring holes into the drifting elven ship. The mooring lines hung limply, their arches almost trailing in the water. It seemed as if the air itself was resting from its fury the night before.

He glowered at the elven ship. Their sails were in rags, slime was smeared upon the hull. Elves had such an awful knack for complicating issues. Why did they want the Stones....why did the Corsairs want to see the Stones.

Seeing things that were best kept in whispered darkness tended to make one paranoid. It would suck the joy from life...you would always be afraid. You could not take the blows as they came, you would tense up, waiting for the blow, wondering how in Middle Earth they could ever stop it, how it could even be stopped. And the worry would eat away at them, like a parasite upon a host.

He heard a crash from behind him and he flung around. His fellow crew mates were pushing boulders from the mountain crags, blocking the entrance to the cave. His eyebrows shot up. Why would they want to do that?

With a shrug he dived into the water and began to paddle to shore. The water was cool, glimmering in the clouded sun. Pulling himself onto a bit of hard ground, he sauntered towards the cave entrance which seemed to be choking up clouds of dust.

"Why did you do that?" he asked incredulously to Marreth, gesturing towards fallen boulders. "Do you realize how you have complicated the issue?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jynne sidle up behind Marreth's shadow.

"We have trapped the vermin, killing them," said Jynne silkily. "The captain agreed to my plan --"

"Do not answer my questions, Jynne," Marreth snapped.

"So, you created a boulder slide to kill them?" asked Jarlyn. "It would have been so much easier to have a mock battle with them, pretend to flee before them, and, when they found the Stones, to set upon them in the night."

Marreth frowned and glanced at the rockslide.

"It would have taken too long," Jynne said smoothly, his dark eyes narrowing. "We would have run out of supplies skulking in the waters."

Jarlyn scooffed. "The Snowmen would have given us supplies. I think this was a convenient way for you to disguise your cowardice with cunning."

Jynne flinched. A grimace flittered across his face as he said softly, "I am not afraid of death. I value my life, and will do the utmost....to preserve it," he added in a whisper.

Jarlyn opened his mouth to retort when Marreth said, "That's enough, the both of you!"

Within the cave, there was a faint of scabbering, like rats trying to escape. A muffled voice began to shout.

[Lalwendë]

Tarn
Tarn had pushed more than his share of boulders and rocks down to the cave entrance, and now he sat contentedly chewing on a piece of dried reindeer meat which he had taken from inside his coat. He was perched close to the edge, and kept peering down to see if the trapped elves would appear. A pile of small sharp stones was at hand in case a head should manage to pop itself through the wall of rubble. He didn’t think this likely, but he would have some more good sport if this did come to pass.

The muffled sound of shouts came drifting up from behind the fallen rocks and Tarn looked around at Nilak and the corsairs, grinning. The shouts became more frantic and he heard some screaming, which made him laugh “Go on, scream like women in a thunderstorm!” he thought to himself, “You’re trapped in the Cave of the Dead and you’re all going to be food for the little fishies”

Tarn cast an eye out to sea. It was getting closer to noon. The tide was coming in, and it looked like it would be a high one. He saw the gulls coming closer to shore and below them the great shoals of fish which only came so far in on the highest of tides. He thought of the water filling up the cave, putting out the lanterns, consuming those trapped within, and how it would recede when it had claimed them all, only to wash up again and again until it had made skeletons of them all. A shudder crept down his spine as he thought of it, and shaking the thought off, he turned to the others to tell them about the tide.

[Child of the 7th Age]

Returning speedily to the front entrance, Luindal stared in disbelief at the outer tunnel where they had come through just a few hours before: it was now totally blocked off by rocks and boulders. Bending down to examine the spot more closely, Luindal could not see a shred of daylight. The twisting tunnel was inky black, with stones packed tight against the opening. Worst of all, the tide was beginning to pound against the sandy shore. Only an hour or so, and the greedy waves were likely to swallow up the cave, even the main cavern in which they stood. Several inches of water already lapped around his feet, while most of the smaller tunnels were wholly impassable. Even if the waves did not overwhelm the front entrance, the water that had flooded the side tunnels would ultimately come rushing into the main cavern, since it had nowhere else to go.

Alahaseey had spoken of an occasional rock that came crashing down from the hill onto the shoreline below, but she had never warned of a general landslide that could block off the entrance trapping the searchers inside. A cluster of Elves and Lossoth were crowded about the entry tunnel, frantically attempting to clear out whatever stones and rubble they could. Yet,even with the aid of picks, their work was proceeding slowly: they could not outpace the rushing waves.

Rôg had come back with Annû and Elwë and the Elf who had been injured in the side cavern. Luindal gestured to the small brown bat to come over and speak. "Are there any other ways out of this cave?" For the caves the Elf had known as a young lad often had more than one entrance.

"No," Rôg squeaked. "When I flew in, the first thing I did was to check all the passages. There is no other way in or out."

"Then we are in a mess indeed. For the front opening is crammed with a thick wall of rubble and rock, quite heavy stuff, and I see little chance of tunnelling to the other side."

Rôg's small brown eyes suddenly lit up and he cocked his head sideways, as if he wanted to say something. "Well, out with it, my friend," Luindal prodded. "I have no idea what to do next. If you have any good ideas, share them now, or none of us will be left to hear them...."

[Taralphiel]

Freyn stood in the open cavern, clambering in as much of an ordered fashion as he could, attempting to clear the stone from the entrance. He felt the slapping of puddles of water against the soles of his boots, and breathed heavily. In the back of his mind, the warning of his gut rang out.

‘Aye, I knew there would be happenings…but this…’ he thought to himself.

He had no time to finish his musings, for he heard a call ring out for his aid. One of the Elves had injured her leg, and he saw them carrying her in on a makeshift stretcher.

As they eased her down, he peered over her damaged leg. She winced as he carefully touched the swelling, and mumbled.

“I shall bandage it, and that should help it stay from any more damage…but I’ll wager you’ll be carried the rest of the way…”

Reaching into his waist pack, he took out some thin bandages, and wasted no time in bandaging the swollen ankle. Grinning lightly at his handiwork, and securing her boot, he said.

“There, that is all that can be done for now…” he said, stretching back up and smiling wearily. Casting an eye over his shoulder, he went back to his musing.

‘A fine fix we have ourselves in’ he thought.

[Rinfanawen]

Diera sat atop the stony ground that was previously adorned in many monstrous boulders. The boulders, however, now found their resting place securely on the ground below. Diera laughed in delight. She sat staring out into the wide ocean before her. The waves tossed calmly against the shore. Two opposing vessels sat still atop the water. A slight wind blew through the air, making the towering sails from both ships sway as if it danced upon the sky. The sun shone down mercilessly onto the corsair-filled lands. If there were any remaining Elves, which were not trapped within the rock walls of the cave, they could not be seen by Diera at that moment. Even at this point, though, Diera would not have noticed them if they were, for she sat gazing into the sea.

Her thoughts filled with pleasure as she stared into the deep, blue world at the land’s edge. Oh, how she wished she could be out there again. She thought honestly to herself, Nothing is more peaceful, than to be out at sea, roaming wherever my ship may take me. Such a wondrous place it is out there...so exotic and untamed by mortal hands. I wish one day to see it all. Suddenly a most irksome brawl broke even her most serene thoughts. She turned to see Jynne standing beside Marreth near the edge. Jynne seemed to be arguing down at Jarlyn below, but even beyond them, another cry could be heard.

“It’s the Elves,” she said aloud. A few of the crewmembers stopped and listened intently to the screams coming from inside the cave.

“That's enough, the both of you!” Marreth said suddenly. Even Jynne now stood quietly listening to the commotion below.

Diera almost felt an urge to break out in laughter, but she smiled wickedly instead. “It won’t be long now,” she said, half to herself and half to anyone who was listening. “The Elves have no way out. What else can they do but find the Palantiri?”

Sounds could be heard below of not only screams for help, but also rustling, as if they were trying to push some of the boulders away from the opening. It’s impossible,Diera thought. It was hard enough pushing those stone down there. They’ll never be able to move them. She looked back out to sea. The Elven ship rocked smoothly as the waves beat against its curved frame. The Elves will be gone, and the seeing stones will be ours.

[piosenniel]

Rôg flew to the blocked exit and crawled about on the large stones that now filled it. Taking wing once again, he flew back to Luindal, landing softly on his shoulder. ‘I think I can find a way out. It may take some time, but there are small cracks where the edges of the rocks don’t meet. Bat’s can squeeze through some very narrow passages. I’ll get out and fly to the ship for help.’

Luindal brought a torch near the avalanche of boulders and inspected the face of it. He cast a skeptical eye at the bat. ‘Small as you are, these crevices look even smaller.’

‘What else is there to do, my friend?’ returned Rôg. ‘The tide is coming in . . . even now it has crept through the lower crevices in the piled rocks and licks at the soles of your boots. The sea is relentless; you know that well. It will inch in further and higher as the hours wear on. Men and Elves will be picked up and tossed about as it flows in and retreats, again and again. And even those who can manage to float to the top will sooner or later succumb to its frigid waters. We must get help to get out soon.’ He cocked his head to one side as he disengaged his clawed feet from the Elf’s over-tunic. ‘Let me try.’

It was a short glide to where the rocks jammed into the exit of the cavern. Rôg clung to the rough surface of the boulders and then began to carefully crawl about. At last, he found a narrow crack that he could ease himself through, this leading into another search for a further passage. A sense of urgency pushed him forward. He could hear below him, the sea seething low, seeking its way in. At last the scent of the sea air beyond the cavern grew stronger, and the high pitched sounds the little bat had been sending out faded into a clear distance and did not return.

The passageway he’d found grew narrower; it pressed closely on him as he inched forward, his goal in sight. He was almost out. His nose felt the breeze and he brought his leathery wings forward, the claws on them scraping along the ragged surface, pulling him forward. Rôg poked his head out, straining to catch some dim sight of where the Elven ship lay at anchor. He could not see it, but as he cast his gaze to the right, he saw two vague figures go scurrying away . . . like large dark crabs scuttling off along the upper part of the beach . . .

With a last push, he pulled one wing free and then made to free the other one . . . but the crevice had narrowed to a slit on that side and his wing caught on a jagged surface, tearing the thin membrane in a ragged line. Rôg pulled back, he knew the wing was injured enough that he could not fly. Turning carefully around he made his way back toward the cavern. He was bleeding and felt tired, light-headed as he dragged himself through the last passage way. With one final thrust he found himself in the cavern. He raised his little head, trying to focus on the few torches that were still lit. His claws lost purchase and he tumbled from his precarious grasp on the rock surface.

The cold water hit him as he fell. ‘Luindal,’ he cried, changing back to mannish form. ‘Are you near? I could not get through . . .’

[Arry]

Annû was standing with his brother near the blocked cavern exit. He thought that if they could not get out before the water rose, they could at least cling onto the edges of the rocks as the tide came up. And perhaps as the water moved against the obstructing rocks, it might knock a few loose – at least enough for the Elves and Lossoth to push against them and move a few out of the way.

It was a slim chance at best . . . but he could think of no other.

He gasped and stepped back quickly in the now ankle high water in the cavern as something large plopped at his feet. Thinking at first that it might be some part of the cavern ceiling falling down, he yelled for others to watch out, move away from the cavern’s exit. He gasped again as whatever had fallen began to speak. Coming nearer, he recognized the weak voice of the skinchanger. Reaching down a hand, he hauled the man up and called for his brother to help keep him standing. One of Rôg’s arms seemed to have a large, long gash in it and was bleeding profusely.

‘Someone get the Captain and Freyn,’ shouted Carandû, as Galhardir stepped closer with his sputtering torch to give some light.

[Child of the 7th Age]

As soon as Luindal heard the sound of anxious voices coming from the front of the cave, he turned and sprinted forward to where a number of Elves and Lossoth had gathered near the tunnel entrance. A quick look at his friend confirmed that something had gone very wrong. The small bat had disappeared and, in its place, was a familiar human form. Rôg's face looked ashen. He cradled his arm against his body, with blood still flowing from the wound. The shapechanger was no longer standing but had slipped to the ground, the water washing against his legs. Annû sat beside him, helping to prop him up. Freyn rushed forward to kneel beside his patient and triy to tend the wounds.

"Of all the devilry!" Luindal exclaimed. "I should never have let you go. What mischief has happened to you?"

"The rocks. The rocks were packed too tight. I came within a hair's breadth. I could even see outside, but I could not push through." The sadness and frustration in Rôg's voice were evident.

"Could you see anything? Is anyone about to help us?"

"I thought I saw two shadows flit by, but whether these were men or beasts, I do not know. And even if Men, they seemed to be leaving the shore."

In his desire to aid his friend, Rôg made a feeble effort to rise but then slumped against Annû's arm. Reaching out a hand and placing it on Rôg's shoulder, Luindal spoke, "Rest friend, but do not give up hope. We will figure out something to get us out of this quandry." He spoke loudly and clearly so that all his companions could hear. Then he drew away from the group, walking alone to the back of the cave, and found a quiet cove where he could sit and think. Luindal crouched down, putting his fingers to his temple and began to concentrate, drawing up an image of the ship and the Elves who had stayed behind. I should have thought of this before, but I am no Noldor or one of the ancient ones who is used to having so much on my head. I will just have to do the best I can. Let us hope that these walls are not impenetrable...... Hear me, then, Thalion, my companion from the woods of Lorien. This is Luindal. The men and I are trapped in the cave with great rocks blocking our path. Bring ropes and a winch and volunteers to dig. Come soon or we may perish in the wild waters of the Bay, which threaten to overwhelm us.

With that he turned and waited......

[Arry]

Annû was right – as the tide rose, pounding onto the land with greater force, it loosened the large rocks that had cascaded down in front of the cavern’s entrance. He and his brother had climbed up to the top of the small entrance, onto an overhanging ledge which jutted out just above it, and two other of the Elves along with Galhardir had fount foot holds up the cavern wall that surrounded the opening. They doused their hardwood brands, leaving the feeble light of those others that still had enough fuel to remain lit to be held up near the entrance so that they might see what they were doing.

The tide water was waist high now for those on the cavern floor, and they clung to ropes secured to some of the bigger, taller rocks in the cavern to keep them from being tumbled over as the tide seethed in and out. Annû, Galhardir and the other two Elves wedged their brands into the crevices of the upper rock pile. Carrandû lay flat on his stomach with his brand abutting the face of one of the top rocks. As the tide fled out, the lower parts of the pile grumbled, and groaned, and scraped against each other as the water pulled on them. With a mighty effort the four Elves and Lossoth man strove to move the top rock. Five times they heaved their strength against it, and on the fifth it teetered and crashed into the waiting sea below.

Late afternoon light flooded in through the small hole and the keen eyes of Carrandû could see the waters of the bay and the place where their ship was anchored. ‘Captain!’ he cried nearly tumbling himself from the ledge. ‘I can just see two longboats filled with crew from the ship. They row mightily with the tide and should be here within the hour.’ A cheer of relief came up from those below. ‘Annû motioned for the group to squeeze up on the ledges above the frigid water. ‘Huddle together – Galhardir says. It will be of little help for our mates to arrive for the rescue if most of us have frozen to death in water.’

Galhardir nodded his head as those on the ledges threw down ropes to help those still in the rising water clamber up. Soon, wet and dripping, the lot were up above the waters, crouching together. One of the Elves, a slender fellow, eyed the small hole left by the rock. He shed his bulky outer garments and squeezed through to the outside. Freyn handed over a large strip of cloth he had brought for bandages and the Elf used it as a signal flag.

Catching sight of one of their own hailing them, the Elves in the longboats bent forcefully to their task, their oars cleaving the waves as they hastened to their companions.

[piosenniel]

Rôg breathed a quiet sigh of relief as the sunlight found its way into the darkness of the cavern. His left arm wasn’t hurting as badly as it had been, or so it seemed. It had stopped bleeding, thanks to the bandage and herbs Freyn had applied, and if truth be told, the man from the South was so cold that he really couldn’t tell any longer if it pained him or no. Luindal and another of the Elves had dragged him up to a ledge, safe from the waters below. The injured Elf woman was there also, her brother crouched down close to her, trying to keep her warm.

The loose rock on the ledge was beginning to dig into his right side, and he sat up hoping to ease that discomfort. His head spun a little as he did so, and he would have fallen from the ledge save for the Elf Luindal had stationed to keep watch over him. From his vantage point he could see the two Elf brothers and the Lossoth who had been searching with them. They were all still engaged in trying to clear the fallen rock from the entrance. Rôg found it interesting to consider how so much rock had fallen so neatly in front of the cavern’s entrance. Surely they could not have just decided to all let loose their moorings and come tumbling down . . . and if it had been some quaking of the earth, why hadn’t they felt it more strongly in the cavern . . . wouldn’t the ground beneath their feet have been trembling, cracks open, and the rocks in the cavern fall down?

In the back of the cavern, he noted there was a small group of Elves and several of the Lossoth. Two of the Elves were talking in an animated manner, the one holding the lit brand gesturing wildly with it – pointing often toward the water. Rôg could see the looks on the faces of the other Elves and Lossoth concerned were grim. ‘What is going on down there?’ he asked of the Elf near him. The Elf climbed down to the floor on the cavern, the water was now mid-thigh as he made his way to where Rôg had pointed.

Rôg could see two of the Elves at the back put their arms about the one who had been gesturing and drag him gently, but firmly, away from the area. They were shaking their heads in a resigned manner. As they moved out of the way, Rôg could see the three Lossoth all in each others’ arms, looking as if they were about to wail. And indeed an eerie keening sound began, spiraling round the cavern in sorrowful waves. Luindal could be seen hurrying toward where the commotion had begun. Rôg could see him speaking quietly to the Lossoth and to the stricken Elf.

‘It is as I feared,’ said Rôg’s companion as he climbed back up to where the skinchanger sat. The Elf’s face was grim, lined with sadness. ‘The rising tide has completely flooded the smaller caverns that lead off the main cave. In the darkness and the confusion of the rockslide, we did not notice that two of the searchers had gone missing. One of the crew, and the Lossoth who was his search partner never came out of the back cavern they had gone down into. With the water this high, their cavern will be flooded. We cannot reach the Elf with our thoughts. He is gone. And the Lossoth, too is surely lost . . .’

Rôg’s heart lurched . . . surely he had gone down that tunnel and warned those two . . . there had been so many . . . he had tried to be careful . . . this could not be . . .

There were cries from the front of the cavern. Annû was waving wildly at those away from the cavern’s entrance. His brother had seen the long boats tie up to the large rocks near the cave. The crew were already climbing the rocks that blocked the cave’s entrance, tools in hand . . .

‘They are here!’ cried Carrandû in a loud voice. The sounds of the crew and their implements could be heard working at the stony impasse . . .

[Orofaniel]

Galhardir was somewhat relieved, although he knew it wasn't over yet. He'd heard Carandû's voice calling out that they would soon be out of the cavern, but Galhardir could know nothing for certain. He wondered what Rodhal was doing at the ship and if he'd noticed how the tide had come over them all of a sudden. He wouldn't know the consequences of it though, would he?

All of them stood close each other on ledges. Galhardir could feel the rocks beneath his feet a bit unsteady, but they would manage to hold him for some time. The water became higher and higher for every minute, although it would still take some time until it reached them.

Galhardir wondered if they had overlooked anything while they walked in the tunnels. What if they had? What if the thing they were looking for had been just beneath their very noses, and they hadn't found it. How dreadful. Had the whole day been in vain? Had the crew been looking for something that wasn't really there after all? This made Galhardir confused and rather annoyed. He should probably never have gotten himself into this.

Then another thought rushed into his head; how had these rocks suddenly blocked their way in front of the entrance? How was that possible? Galhardir could recall hearing any big rocks falling down from anywhere while he walked the tunnels. Yet, this could be the situation, but he somehow doubted it.

[Child of the 7th Age]

Luindal had been the last to seek safety on the ledge. At first he had been wholly occupied by the pressing need to find a means of escape for his companions. After making sure his message had reached the Elves who remained behind on the Spirit, he had darted back and forth, making sure that Freyn attended to all the injured and that everyone was safely removed from the frigid waters.

At his suggestion, the Elves and Lossoth had strapped ropes about their waists, linking themselves together in groups of two or three. Once the rocks gave way, there would be a rush of water, and it would not do to have the smallest or weakest pushed under by the pounding waves. They would stand a better chance if they linked arms and helped each other to push through against the rushing water.

Now all he could do was sit and wait. Outiside, he could hear the welcome sound of picks and hands clawing away at the thick wall of stone and rubble imprisoning them, and watched as his own crew attempted to push out the stones from inside with some success. The water below now looked to be some four feet deep. They would need to move quickly when the last stone fell.

Yet still knawing at the back of Luindal's mind was the grim scene that had occurred earlier inside the tunnel. He had extended his thoughts outward and touched one of the Elves, trapped with his Lossoth companion inside a narrow cleft of rock with the water relentlessly pouring in. One instant, there had been a quavering response laden with fear, and the next, nothing: only emptiness and shadow. To leave behind two companions in a watery grave seemed a hard thing indeed when they had only been here for less than a day.

A thundering crash put an abrupt halt to these ruminations. Outside, two boulders had been pried loose and heaved aside from the entrance so that the hole was large enough for a man ofr Elf to get through as long as he bent low, crouching near the ground. The waves surged forward with great force, but close behind came a familiar Elvish voice. The next moment, one of the rescuers stood firm inside the cavern amid the swirling waters, urging them to spring down from the ledge and come forward to leave the cave as quickly as they could. In groups of two and three, they approached the opening and crawled through with difficulty, coughing and spluttering, as the waves beat rhythmically against the walls of the cavern. After a time, each one managed to push their way through to the outside. Thoroughly cold and drenched, they waited for the longboats to bear them to the safety of the ship.

[Regin Hardhammer]

Marreth's mood was sullen as he watched the Elves exit the cave and head for their ship on longboats. The Elves had gotten the message out to some of their allies outside the cave. Their rescuers had managed to create a large enough hole in the sheet of rocks blocking the entrance that would allow the prisoners inside a method of escape.

“Infernal Elf vermin, Lossoth dogs, may my hate for you be stronger than the waves of the stormy sea." Marreth sourly reflected that nothing in this quest for the past few months had turned out the way it was expectged to. Marreth wondered how the imprisoned Elves had possibly managed to alert their rescuers. Probably some of their devlish feats of magic and power! Scowling, Marreth resisted the temptation to hurl a rock at the head of an Elf as he boarded the ship. That would only reveal their presence to the departing band, making them agitated and compromising the safety of his own crew. He needed to return to the ship and think of a new, better plan to eliminate the Elves.

After the boats had all departed, he motioned to his crew to follow him down the cliff and back to the ship. On the way, he tried to think of some new strategy the Corsairs could employ, but was thoroughly stumped. Then, when he reached his quarters, Marreth remembered the mysterious Snowman and what he had said to the stranger in their last meeting: Watch for the flash of the lantern at sunset. Of course, how foolish! I shall find out the plans of the Elves and surprise them again. Only this time, I will not be so gentle. As the sun lowered onto the horizon, Marreth took his lantern to the window of his ship and flashed it three times. His plan would not fail again.

[Arry]

The mood as they returned to The Sea-Spirit was somber. The crew who had remained on the vessel rejoiced at first that the search party had been brought safely back to the ship. But word soon spread among the Elves and Lossoth that lives had been lost. The entrance to the cavern had been blocked. An unfortunate landslide it was said.

Carandû and his brother had retired to their cabin once all had been brought aboard. Galhardir and Rodhal had gone to the galley for something to eat and to talk with the other Lossoth. Carandû had pulled the small fossil he’d found in the cave from his pouch and laid it carefully on the boy’s bunk.

‘Small comfort, brother,’ said Annû, taking his quiver of arrows off the peg by his bed. ‘Small comfort for one who has lost a kinsman.’ He took the small whetstone from his pack and began sharpening the edges of the arrow heads. Carandû sighed heavily, and sat down wearily on his own bunk. ‘I heard what Rôg said when he returned from trying to get out to find aid,’ Annû continued, bent over his work. ‘You remember – the two vague figures who scurried away.’

‘Hardly a definitive sighting,’ said Carandû. ‘He saw them as a bat, didn’t he? Which means, really, that he couldn’t see anything clearly, if at all.’ He scratched his head absent-mindedly as he watched his brother hone the arrowheads carefully, one after the next. ‘Still, don’t you find it odd that there was a “landslide” – and yet we felt no tremors in the caverns.’

Annû’s grey eyes met those of his brother. ‘I do indeed find it odd. And I wonder if those rocks had a little “help” in finding their way to the area in front of the cavern’s entrance.’ Carandû pulled out his sword from beneath his bunk and unsheathed it with a practiced hand. He turned it this way and that, sighting down the sharp edge of the blade, as he held it to the light. He fished about in his own pack for his whetstone and began to run it down each side of the edge.

Silence filled the small room, save for the swish-swish as the arrow heads and sword edge grew sharp. Old habits are not easily put aside. The practice of making ready ones’ weapons against the threat of attack had been ingrained in the two Elves those many years they had served as warriors in Imladris. Their hands recalled the familiar disciplined movements as their minds began to consider the possibilities of how the deaths of their two search companions might have come about.

[Niluial]

The cabin of the ship swayed gently on the lolling ocean. The sheer curtains that framed the windows fluttered in the cool night breeze. Moonlight bathed the carved benches and splashed pinkly on the rose red cushions. Easing Andtuariel into a becushioned chair, Elwë wrapped a thick woolen blanket around Andtuariel and made sure her leg was firmly supported. “By the look of it you won’t be walking for a few days. Your leg isn’t looking too good.” He said desolately. Elwë looked at Andtuariel’s pale yet lovely face which shone in the candle light. He liked to catch her thus, her eyes bright even though she felt pain, her skin soft and pale and her lips slightly apart the way they always were when she was in deep thought. The candlelight shone richly in the deep browns and reds in her hair. Silence fell upon the room as they both sat and thought about their danger riddled day and how close they had come to death.

Andtuariel sighed deeply and Elwë lifted his head, “is it hurting badly?” he asked with a worried expression on his tired face.

“No not too much. You know me I am strong and I can endure a lot.”

“Yes, you never seize to amaze me. I do not know of many females who could cope with what you have today.” Elwë smiled slightly.

“Is Carandû safe?”

“Yes, Carandû is fine.”

“what about Annû?”

“Annû is fine too! Though we did lose a few crew members.”

Silence fell upon the room once again. “You need some sleep; you need that leg to heal fast. The palantiri is out there somewhere; you do not wish to lose out on the fun, now do you?” Elwë said with a slight trail of teasing in his voice.

“Before you go please won’t you close the curtain for me, the moon is bright this evening.”

Elwë did so but before he left he lent down and gave Andtuariel a soft, intimate kiss on the lips. Andtuariel fell silent, not even her breathing could be heard. “Good night” Elwë said.