READ THIS if you are part of the Barrow-Down's Birthday Party

[Samwise]

Stacey: Okay, let's go find Frodo.

She glanced at the paper again. Demon Lover--- icch.

[Frodo Baggins]

Frodo is talking with Legolas. He is a bit stronger but still not well, can only walk short distances.

"So then, when I am at the end of my rope about the pinched jewels, Rose comes nonchalantly waltzing up and returns the with an 'if you don't mind'. Sam and I just stared at each other. Actually that I think on it now... It is funny!"

They both laugh.....

[Rose Cotton]

While Child was on the phone Rose was given the chance to sit by herself and think things straight. She didn't understand half of what was going on.

Her feelings for one thing, were very strange. Unlike Child, Rose was relieved at not having to fight the Valar. But then why was everyone dreaming of beaches? She'd figure that riddle out later.

So they were heading east? Rose walked out of Child's cabin with an absentminded "I'll be back." Rose wasn't very familar with anything with the first two ages and lands beyond Middle Earth. But in her oun quarters there had been shelves filled with books that looked like they hadn't been read for ages. She reached the books and saw what she was looking for. 'The Atlas Of Middle-Earth.' Rose had that book back home and knew it showed lands other than Middle Earth and might be usefull for her to understand where they were going.

Oh, drat it. The book looked mockingly down from the top shelf. Like a little child Rose had to push over a chair and stand on it to reach the dusty volume. And still it was inches out of reach.

Rose jumped into the air and snached the book. But at that moment an especially large wave hit the boat and it sent Rose flying onto the floor with a loud bang and falling into unconsiousness
...............................................Ros e was back on the beach. But before her eyes the waves grew and smashed rentlessly opon a dark sanded shore strewn with weeds and stones. Black clouds rolled in and struck mangled trees down with powerfull spears of lightning. Then the coast was compleatly transformed. It was a place Rose had only heard named but never understood. Out in the water a familar vessil was being tossed about. Behind Rose from the inland came a dark shadow. It flew over her and swallowed up the boat dissapearing once more beyond the hills.

Then a voice in Rose's ear spoke.


It will happenit said.
"who...who are you" asked Rose.
Do not be afraid
"Is this what will happen to us when we reach.........Is it our fate?"
It does not have to happen
"But how......?"
You will find the way but in order to do so you must give no more thought to the blessed lands
"I feel it's call. It's like a constant ache."
You must look away or you will be swallowed in darkness
"I will try." And Rose knew she would never again long for that distant shore.
I can't help you further exept to tell it is Cirdan and Legolas who are not whom they seem
"Then we were right."
There are others too but you will know who they are in timeFor now you must go and warn the others
"May I know your name?"
But she only laughed in Rose's ear and was gone................................

[Samwise]

Stacey and Primrose walk back up on the deck.
There, still on the pillows, sits Frodo, now awake and appearing to be feeling better. Next to him is Legolas, and they are both talking.

Primrose starts forward. "Uncle Frodo--"

Stacey throws out her hand and holds her back. "Wait, Prim". she whispers.

Primrose: *Also whispering* What?

Stacey: Something's not right here.

Prim: How do you know?

Stacey: Well, in my world they call it a 'gut feeling...'

[Rose Cotton]

Rose's eye's fluttered open. It took her awhile to relize why she was lying on the floor with a book in her hand and a big sore on her head.

Then Child, Birdie, and Veritas ran in.
"Rose!" gasped Child."Are you alright? What happened. We heard a loud bang."
"Looks like she couldn't reach the top shelf." comented Birdie eyeing the chair witch now was toppled over.

"Never mind that." said Rose now coming back to her scences. She told the three about her dream.

"Frodo was lodging with Legolas." exclaimed Child.
"Let's go." said Veritas.
And they all hurried to were Frodo and Legolas were.

[Samwise]

Stacey and Primrose back up and go back around the cabin.

Prim: *still whispering* What's a gut feeling?

Stacey: A feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when something's not right.

Primrose: What could not be right about Legolas?

Stacey: I don't know--but now that I think about it, we were all here on the ship after we all ran after Rose....I remember Frodo, Sam, pio, Veritas, Child, Birdland... (ah! sorry, I'm forgetting names!)...but I sure didn't see ol' Lego running for the ship. How'd he get here?

[ June 10, 2002: Message edited by: Samwise ]

[ June 10, 2002: Message edited by: Samwise ]

[Child of the 7th Age]

Child, Veritas, Bird, and Rose came charging towards the door of Legolas' cabin.

At that exact instant, a memory jogged in Child's brain. Just yesterday, she had been speaking with Frodo. He had seemed genuinely puzzled why he had been assigned a room with Legolas. At the time, Child had thought it was because Sam was ill, or that Frodo needed extra nursing and Legolas could handle that.

Now she suspected someone was trying to drive a wedge between Sam and Frodo. This seemed even more likely when she examined Frodo's very strange behavior over recent days. When Sam had been literally dropping over from laughter, Frodo had thrown a pillow at him and complained that he wasn't being quiet. This didn't even sound like the Frodo Child knew.

Moreover Frodo was extremely intuitive about certain things, and she suspected that, deep down in his soul, the hobbit had sensed this was not the Legolas whom he had known and respected. This was the real, if unspoken, reason he had asked this question of Child. She was quite sure of it now.

[ June 10, 2002: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]

[VanimaEdhel]

Menelduliniel realizes that no one is paying any attention to her whatsoever, so, being who she is, she picks the most opportune time, and runs in as Frodo and Legolas are speaking, and tackles Legolas.

"Haha! You guys notice me now?" Meneli said, sitting on Legolas's chest. She was jealous that nearly everyone else was in on the action, but she was not.

She gets off of Legolas, and finally greets him after 50 years.

"Aiya! You have not changed!" Meneli shreiked, happy.

"And neither have you," Legolas said, matter of factly, as always around her...it drove her crazy: he hardly ever got passionate about anything around her. He quickly embraced her, then said, "Ai, eithel, off with you now, Meneli...real business to be discussed."

Wrong thing to say.

"WHAT? AND I CANNOT SPEAK OF THIS "REAL BUSINESS"?" Meneli said, incredulously, "JUST because I am 1: hungover and 2: generally cheery, I cannot talk this so called "business"? I ask what kind of relationship will this be if I cannot hear any of your conversations?! You, you, of all people should want me around now! We've been apart! And there was a time when I was exiled and we couldn't see each other at all! Now...now...now you just want me to leave? Ha! I'll be...ummm...over there!"

She points over to a tree, and she goes and climbs it, pouting, and glancing over at the others, to see if anyone is going to come over and fetch her from the tree...anyone meaning mostly Legolas...or anyone else...

[Rose Cotton]

As they raced to Legolas' quarters Rose asked the group around her:
"Who spoke to me?"

[Samwise]

[img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] (There are trees on the ship?)

Stacey walked down the deck looking for someone,anyone to tell her suspicions to.

Stacey: Child? Rose? Somebody? Okay, this is tooo wierd.... [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img]

[Child of the 7th Age]

Child shot ahead down the corridor and abruptly bumped into Stacey. She was gasping for breath.

"Stacey, Stacey, are Sam and Frodo alright," she gasped. "We've been trying to get hold of any of you. There is something terribly wrong."

[ June 10, 2002: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]

[Rose Cotton]

Rose asked again:
"Who do you think spoke to me?"

[Samwise]

Something's weird. Sam, he seems to be okay, he's sleeping in cabin 7. But Frodo's up on the deck talking to Legolas...something's not right about that Elf. [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img]

[Rose Cotton]

Rose gave up pestering everyone about who had spoken to her in her dream. They probably didn't know either.

"It's not Legolas who's up there with Frodo. I fell and was knocked out. I had a dream I was on a beutifull beach like in my last dream. But then I was.....somewhere else. I saw our ship engulfed in shadow. Then a voice said that was our future unless we do somthing. It said Cirdan and Legolas are somthing else. It said there were others on board who are not who we think they are. It said we'd know them when we saw them."

Rose looked up and saw how confussed and terrified Stacy seemed and knew she probably look the same.

[Losthuniel]

<<backtracking a lil bit, dont mind me>>
Celeae hung over the railing watching the waves under the ship. they looked red in the sunrise. Rosseil groaned
"Celeae, dont do that, you're making me sick."
Celeaewen grinned. "its fuuun". she had finally given up staring at the dragon scale, in favour of wave-watching, and it was now pierced and hung on her neck on a fine gold chain.
Rosseil was watching the sunrise absentmindedly." Celeae, where's this ship going again?"
"er, i think its the Undying Lands. i have no idea why, so dont ask me. mebbe its cuz we fought agaisnt Morgoth and the REG?"
Celeaewen did not notice that Rosseil had gone completly white until she rised her head from the railing
"Rosseil hwat is it?"
rosseil regained some of her composure.
"where is this ship going?"
"the West?"
"what direction does the sun rise in?"
"East..." realization struck through like a thunderbolt.
"you mean..?
"i do"
Celeaewen went as pale as Rosseil had been a moment ago.
Rosseil continued speaking " that obviosly isnt Cirdan"
"of course not, elves dont have beards!"
Rosseil glared at her for the innteruption.
"Cirdan does. i lived at the Havens for a while, with my mother. that is what Cirdan looks like. but that isnt Cirdan. he would not be taing us East. something fishy is goin on here."
"aside from the air."
Rosseil looked at her. "your sense of humor gives me the urge to dive off the crow's nest. And you know thta Legolas would not normally shoot a crow. especiallly not a talking one. i belive he knew about Birdland's crow shape."
"so what are we going to do about it?"
" I'll get someone to distract CIrdan and Legolas, then me and you will poke around. i will kill you if you tell me you forgot your lockpicks"
celeaewen produced a small package from her dress.
"bring me to your locks"

[Samwise]

Rose looked up and saw how confussed and terrified Stacey seemed and knew she probably look the same.

LOL, Rose--I don't get terrified. confused, sure, terrified, no. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]
*********************************************
Stacey looked at Rose, and placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Rose. We'll get out of this." If we don't, she thought,at least I know where I'm going.....
Primrose piped up, "So--are these things that are pretending to be Mister Cidran and Mister Legolas gonna hurt Papa and Uncle Frodo, or what? [img]smilies/mad.gif[/img] If they try, they'll have me to deal with!

[Birdland]

Birdie is huddled over the copy of the ancient verse supplied by Pio. "See, it says right here:
'And the sails that were o'the taffetie
Filled not in the eastland breeze.'

So whatever they were talking about in this song, they were going east, too!"

"But where are 'Ireland' and 'Italy', I've never heard of those places, before", said Birdie, with a worried frown.

"They sound scary," whispered Rose.

"There are probably many regions in the East, that we don't know the names of," guessed Child, "The maps we have of the East Lands are mostly blank. No one from Middle Earth has ever explored there...and come back."

"But who was speaking to me in my dream!" demanded Rose.

"This song speaks of a woman who supposedly 'wronged' a lover, and married another instead of him. I wonder who that woman was? I wonder if there is any tale in the books that speaks of such a thing?"

(o.o.c. - I'm serious. IS there a tale in the Silm or U.T. that speaks of a woman refusing to marry someone? Or a guy who got mad at a woman who ditched him?)

"Maybe the voice you heard was the 'fea' of that woman, Rose. She may be trying to warn us. I wonder if it was an Elf who stepped on that deadly ship in the song?"

"And", said Birdie, "who's ol' Green-Face, that I saw in the water, and in my dream? Is he a kelpie, or a selkie, or even a mer-man? In the dream I couldn't tell if he was taunting me or warning me. It's like we don't know who to trust on this voyage. And now we even suspect Legolas of being something other than what he seems. And we don't even know who really lured us on board. Is 'Legolas' working for 'Cirdan' or is 'Cirdan' working for 'Legolas'."

As Birdie sat and pondered these riddles, a small, mean thought came to her head, and she forced it away. If she could only use her shape-shifting on the ship, she could have morphed into a crow and flow away from all this. Birdie hung her head as her face turned red with shame at the thought. Child could have flown away on her dragon, but didn't. Birdie told herself that even if she had the means to escape, she would never leave without her friends.

"Never!" she silently swore.

[ June 10, 2002: Message edited by: Birdland ]

[Child of the 7th Age]

Child sat on the deck hoping for a few minutes of peace and quiet. But, wait, what was that? A voice in her head? It must be Angara surely.

But, no. This voice sounded very different than Angara. Suddenly, she remembered that Rose had heard one or more voices and couldn't identify who they were.

Now, they came again but stronger.

"Child,.....Child.....resistence is hopeless. We are Allatar and Pallando, heirs to the ways of Sauron, Masters of the East. We are the Inheritors of the Blue Robes....... As Sauron was to the earlier ages, we shall be to your people."

"But your people are wicked and stupid. They do not believe in the reality of Evil. They do not believe in the reality of Good. So how will you withstand us?"

"Look at our power and majesty. While Sauron and Morgoth languish in the void, we have gone forth in your world. So many evils........you scarcely need us to lead the way. You have great weapons of terror, and you kill each other over differences in your looks or beliefs."

"You may ask why we have need of such small ones as you?"

"We desire to build an army of Orcs to accomplish our goal. Now the Orcs of this age may be different in form than the Orcs of ancient days. You may still retain your hroa (sp?), and yet your fea and your eyes will be cold, as cold as a heart which knows only Evil......as cold as he who turns against his friends."

"For we have come to split friend from friend, and to reveal the Evil which lurks in the hearts of all, even the great Ringbearers of old."

But only Elves can become true Orcs. So you all are here, gathered on this ship, that we may use you for our purposes. At the end you may beg for death, and yet no relief will come to you. For all here, except the dragon and bird creature, have some Elven blood or bear the soul of an Elf-friend which we may use for our purposes and goals."

"What fools you are. NOW YOU WILL LEARN OUR WAYS."

Child shuddered, fell to the deck, and knew no more.

[ June 10, 2002: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]

[Samwise]

Sam slept peacefully for some time. That was, until the dream.
**********************************************
He saw, through his own eyes, himself walking down a farmiliar path in Hobbiton. He was by the water.
As he walked, he saw three farmiliar figures--young, younger than they were now, and playing together. One of them looked up, and jerked his head toward Sam.
Sam recogmized him as Mister Merry!

"Well, well", said another he recognized as Pippin. If it isn't the little poorling Samwise."

"Been out pickin' taters for your dad?" snickered Merry.

Sam was hurt. How could they be treating him like this? That was when the third turned.

Mister Frodo?

The hobbit looked like the Frodo he'd known in his youth, but his eyes were cold--so very cold. They looked Sam up and down with disdain.

Frodo: Eh--I wish Uncle Bilbo would be rid of this Gamgee filth--but no--he has to let the rabble live right on the Hill!

Sam felt the blood drain from his face. What was going on?

Frodo: But no matter. I have something that will at least take care of this one.

With that he put his fingers to his lips and blew. Sam heard a gurgling in the water behind him. Turning, he saw a horrid creature--a huge head with numerous arms like snakes. Before the little hobbit could think, one of the arms wrapped itself around his ankle and lifted him into the air.

Sam: Whoooaaaa !

Below, he heard the other hobbits laughing.

Frodo: Sic 'em, Beastie!

Sam craned his neck and looked upwards. One of the arms was coming down toward him. He lost sight of the end of it behind his foot, and the next thing he knew--

Sam: *eyes widening* No--oh, no--giggle--stop--ha,ha,ha--M-Mister Frodo, m-make it s-s-stop!"

The Frodo below him only looked up with a smirk. "Later, Gamgee." he said. "Maybe when you can't breathe."

He, Merry and Pippin walked off, laughing.

*********************************************
POP!

Sam:AH!

He sat up, breathing heavily. What had happened? Frodo had been awfully strange actin' when he'd had his laughin' fit before, but he didn't want Sam to die from it, surely?

He looked around. He was on the bottom bunk in a room that he figured must be their quarters.

Sam: Ai...I've got to go find Mister Frodo and figure out what's goin' on.

He got up and went out the door, noting the number 7 on it for when he came back.

[Frodo Baggins]

Frod had been reading and had dropped of to sleep on the deck of the ship.

Frodo ans Legolas were talking of their past adventuers togehter. Suddnely He felt his old wounds, the sting and the blade, as well as the one from the Maia. He looked to Legolas for help, but Sauron was there and Legolas had disappeared.
"Come with me, my rong bearer. Your evil in you knows you want to."

"I AM NOT EVIL!!"
Frodo woke up screaming.......

[Samwise]

Sam was walking on the side deck, wondering where everyone had gone to. That was when he heard:

NO! I AM NOT EVIL!!

Sam: Mister Frodo!?!?

He ran as fast as he could to the foredeck. Frodo sat there screaming.

Sam knelt by him. "Mister Frodo, it's me, Sam. It's okay, Mister Frodo, it's okay. "

[Child of the 7th Age]

Child awoke on the deck of the vessel in the middle of the night. She remembered the words in her head from the night before. Was it a dream? Was it a vision? Or merely her fears speaking in what seemed an increasingly cold, empty world.

She listened carefully to the sounds of the ship. She could hear the creaking of the wood and the groaning of the taut lines as they stretched and curved above her head. But beyond that, she heard the sadness of people, each in an isolated cabin, each locked in silence and unable to see or feel or touch their neighbor.

Once or twice, she thought she made out a sound of fear or nightmare. Perhaps Frodo, or Sam? She could not tell.

Child shuddered, not from cold but from loneliness. She felt so very, very alone.

But then she heard a whirling above her head, saw a red-gold light of flame and a flash of wings.

"Angara, Angara come here great one. Have pity on me." The dragon lit on the deck and lowered her head until it fairly fell into Child's lap. Never before had this taken place.

Child bent over the great creature, her own curly hair, mixed brown and grey, falling down onto its scales of green and gold. Angara, her precious Angara, was weeping. Never, in all the tales of old, had she witnessed such a thing.

And into her mind, there came a sadness. The two istari, they who dressed in blue and walked with Curunir in an ancient age.....They who still used strange potions and set heart against heart, it is they who killed the line of my people. It is they who slaughtered my mother and my father, my kin, my spouse, and my little ones until only I was left. For we were the last dragons of gentle heart, we who lived with Man and Elf in peace.

For peace is not in the hearts of these wizards. They set Man against Man, Elf against Elf, even Hobbit against Hobbit. Guard against their wiles, oh wise woman of your people, for they look to you, your small band, to make a single crack in the universe, and should they make that crack, they will enter therein. No peace shall be left on earth.

Guard well Child, or all that you know and love will perish, as happened to me and to mine.

Child bent down and brushed a gentle kiss on Angara's nose.

[piosenniel]

Luckily elves do not require much sleep, if any.

Pio stood in the shadow of the great mast and listened to the troubled sounds of the night. The ship was uneasy; its planks groaning in protest against the waves and wind which propelled it on.

'Funny thing about that wind,' she thought. 'It seems so still and close as I stand here and yet the sail billows out with a great seeming wind that blows from west to east. And the waves, they seem like grasping hands that pull and force the ship along against its will.'

The most troubling to her heart was the sound of small ones crying out in their sleep. What should have been a peaceful time of rest was marked with fretful cries of terror and confusion. She felt a growing shadow in her mind, a sort of sickness that was creeping into her companions' souls.

Her eyes and ears and mind were open wide to ferret out the source of this malady. Her senses strained to pick out all the creatures on this ship - Frodo, Sam, Rose, Prim, Stacey, Child - she ticked the hobbits off on her fingers; Veritas,Rosseil, Celeaewen, herself - the elves; the unique Bird; and dear Angara, a glowing ember in her mind.

'Funny,' she thought, 'I can't pick out any other beings as present.' She narrowed her focus of concentration to her cousin, Legolas - no, she couldn't find him anywhere, not a trace. The same went for Cirdan, though she entered into that search with great care.

This finding puzzled her greatly. Making her way quietly across the deck to where Child lay dreaming fretfully, she knelt down and gently shook her shoulder. Angara, who lay nearby, awake, nudged the sleeping hobbit on the other shoulder.

'Child, wake up and come with me,' urged Pio. 'Legolas and Cirdan have somehow left the ship. Make haste and we can look in the captain's cabin for any helpful clues.'

[Rose Cotton]

ooc:sorry Stacy about the terrified thing. I guess I thought you were scared because I was scared.::

They were planing to finnish the plan in the morning. For now they tried to go into uneasy sleep. But Rose like most could not sleep. She gave up trying and went purposly through the ship.

Rose arrived in the room with the bottles. Everyone was being so brave and meanwhile she was hysterical with fear. She would find the bottle labled BRAVERY. And she would drink all of it. How could a little courage hurt her.

She begain to search and found, in the corner, a small glass with dark red liquid that looked in the dim light like blood. But Rose uncorked it and put it to her lips.
"Here goes nothing." and drank.

[Child of the 7th Age]

Child woke with a start to feel Pio tugging at her shoulder. Angara also woke abruptly and took off for the top of the mast. She seemed determined to keep her distance after the closenss of the night before.

Child shook her head as she listened to Pio's words. "Maybe you are mistaken" she said. "Who is sailing the ship, if Cirdan has gone?"

Child got up to follow Pio as she started on her search.

[Losthuniel]

Celeaewen and Rosseil traversed the basement of the ship, hoping to find anything that might help them. they knew that the passengers wuld havce to regain control of the ship, and Rosseil and Celeae were trying to help. they were completly noiseless as they opended doors and searched rooms. they saw a door at the end of the hallway, and knowing the ways of doors, decided that they would try that before they continued forward. it was locked, and the lock was rusty, as if it hadnt been opend for a while. Celeaewen picked at it persistently, while Rosseil was hissing in her ear.
"hurry up. we're going to get caught!"
"quiet."
click
"there. having people lock things away from you your whole life has its advantages."
the door swung open to reaveal.....a broom closet. Rosseil swore quietly.
"well, we might as well check it out."
they looked through the closet, moving brooms and mops out of the way. Celeaewen was replacing a box when she stood up, hitting her head on the ceiling. but instead of coming in contact with a solid ceiling, the panel was pushed up by her head.
"Rosseil, look at this"
they inspected the panel, and the others around it. it was the only one that lifted up.they pushed the panel into the ceiling, and, climbed up into the space. it was a secret compartment, and they saw why it was secret. now THIS was what they had been looking for.

[Veritas]

The thing about the ship sailing with no-one who lead it was wandering trhough Veritas mind. Trying to get to sleep was not easy either.

What could it be, she never read or heard about things that could move theirself, without anyone helping it.
What if Cirdan blocked the ship, in a way that the ship would sail straight ahead?
But then he must have left the ship, how? She didn't see him, nor any other people, as far as she knew.

She dicided to go to the wheel. Coming there, she found that the wheel was not blocked, she could move it, but the ship was still sailing straight ahead. She couldn't find out WHY the ship was sailing that way.

Then the other thing, 'Ireland' and 'Italy', she remebered that she read about it, but she couldn't find out where or what was said about it.

A great feeling of sleep overcame her, and she fell down on the deck, sleeping...

[Birdland]

Birdie sat crouched in the stern, biting her fingernails. Her seasickness seemed to have passed, but only to be replaced with a growing withdrawal and resentment from her companions. She hadn't eaten, hadn't slept, and was feeling utterly wretched.
"Listen to them all," she thought back on the night of cries, screams, weeping, and shouts of defiance. "They all think they're so wonderful, with their Elven blood. What good does it do them now? They couldn't even tell the real Cirdan from a fake, the real Legolas from a shadow."

"And they don't even want me. It's just all a mistake that I'm even here at all. Leave them to their fate. I'm getting out of here."

Birdie spread her arms and closed her eyes, trying with every fiber of her being to feel the change of morphing. But it was no good. She remained in the body she was born with. Remained on the ship.

"What am I doing? I can't leave them." A small nasty voice in her head suggested that she was not leaving everyone, she was going to go get help. "But that's silly. By the time I got back to shore, and another ship could be sent out, they might all be dead, or something even worse."

"Why am I acting this way. I haven't laughed or cracked a bad joke since I came on board this barge. What's wrong with us all?"

Birdie decided that she may as well try to do something to help them all out of this situation, she went over what the other had told her, thinking back on all the dreams and signs given to them throughout the voyage, ending with Child's declaration of seeing a vision of the Blue Wizards, and their plans for their elf captives.

And now Legolas and Cirdan are gone, could they have been the Blue Wizards in disguise? But who was piloting the ship? Or was it piloting themselves.

Birdie ran to the wheelhouse. There she found Veritas slumped in enchanted slumber, and the wheel of the vessel, seemingly unmanned. But the small cabin had an icy feeling to the air. Birdie had lived in the Downs too long not to know when someone was in a room, even if no one was in the room, if you take her meaning.

"Who is captain, here?" she whispered. Silence answered her, but the air grew thicker and colder. "What do you want from us?"

Suddenly, the vapors of the room coagulated into a form. Birdie had seen many elves in her day, but known had feeled her with the horror that this Eldar did. Tall, magnificant, splendid, but his face had a ghastly pallor far beyond the fairest of the Fair Folk, and his eyes burned unseeing with rage, shame, and longing. He gripped the wheel of the vessel with a dead man's grip, and his hair flew about his face in a wind not of this world. He was quite mad. His mouth opened, lips curling back as he shrieked one word:

"Idrillllllllll.........."

Then he was gone. But the ship sailed on.

Birdie backed out of the cabin, stumbling and screaming with no sound, she started to fly from the horrible vision, but then remembered Veritas slumped on the floor. Sucking a deep breath, she dashed back into the cabin and dragged the somnamulent elf/wizard out of the there by her heels.

"Wake up, Veritas! Wake up! We've got to find the others! I know who the Demon Lover is! The Blue Wizards have called back Maeglin!"

Then once again the horrible, mad cry came again from the wheelhouse:

"Idrilllllllllll........."

[Frodo Baggins]

Frodo looked in a mirror and then looket at Sam.

"Oh! That was awful! Sam? do I look evil to you?"

[Veritas]

In the dream she dreamed, Veritas was flying in the air, she had become a Hawk.

She was flying above the sea, and she saw a small ship under her, it was the ship where they were kidnapped! She dived down to the ship.

When she arrived, it was abandon... At least, it looked abandon.

She hadher normal form back. She ran to the cabins and saw all people sleeping, or where they dead...

She got a terrible haedache, and ran to the wheel, there she saw herself lying on the ground.

"Wake up!" Birdie screamed.

Veritas was back on Earth, or sea, and then she heard a icy scream:

"Idrilllllllllll........."

[ June 11, 2002: Message edited by: Veritas ]

[Mithadan]

A 40 foot long tri-hulled catamaran swayed in the ocean swells by the docks of the Falas. Many Downers bustled about the vessel preparing it for departure. A crew of 12 had been assembled, 4 elves, 3 dwarves, 3 men and 2 hobbits had volunteered for the journey. Mithadan stood by the gangway with a pack on his shoulder, a sword hanging at his side and a cloth bundle in his hands. Beside him stood the Barrow-Wight.

"Mith, are you sure you can do this?" the Wight asked. "What if the wind dies down? What will you do for food? How will you find them?"

Mithadan smiled grimly. "We have lembas and plenty of water. I do not think the wind will die down. Something big is happening. We will have to rely upon Manwe and the Valar for help with the winds and I think they will not fail us. As for finding them..." Mithadan pointed to the gps system. "We will track them through my cell phone. I can recharge it with the REG. They have come about and are travelling east. They will pass within ten miles of here if they hold their course." He smiled again. "Don't worry. Seamanship runs in my family." He drew his sword and showed BW the runes on the blade. "This has also been in my family for some time." The Wight raised what was left of his eyebrows in surprise. The runes spelled the name AElfwine. "Sometimes the best stories are true..." said Mithadan.

[piosenniel]

The old man leaned against the piling at the end of the Falas dock, his staff supporting him. He looked with interest at the hustle and bustle of preparations taking place for some great voyage. It had been a long time since he had seen such a ship and crew set out. He smiled at the young man leaning in toward the older fellow, giving him assurance that all would be well. His hand tightened on his staff in anticipation as that same young man drew his sword and the sun glanced off the ancient lettering. He had thought never to see another cycling of this story during his long span of years.

The young man resheathed his sword, and boarded the ship, a final check that all was in order. Glancing over the side, he noted an old man in tattered robes. His eyes, as he met the young man's, were deep as the unfathomable sea, and his long beard was blue and grey. An ancient memory stirred the young man's heart.

The old man touched the prow of the ship with his staff and murmured a parting blessing:
May your oars have skill to steer
When hands that hold them fail;
May you always find lost courses;
May you steer truly by stars that are hid.

He tapped the wood of the ship three times then turned and strode quickly through the parting crowd, until climbing he came to a great pinnacle of the cliffs. Then he leapt far out and down and vanished with a mighty flurry of foam where the great breakers gathered to assault the towering shores.

[ June 11, 2002: Message edited by: piosenniel ]

[Child of the 7th Age]

Child and Birdland had searched the entire ship tono avail. No sign of Cirdan or Legolas could be found. Whether they were real or not, whether they were phantom spirits, Child could not say.

Suddenly Birdland and Veritas burst upon them, full of amazing words that could scarecely be believed. Maeglin??? Searching for Idril? A chill pierced Child's heart.


Think Child, think. What special aid did Maeglin have? What special object to help him?

It hit her suddenly. "Bird, I do not know how we can defeat this mighty Maeglin, but there is one thing we can do now to begin to weaken and harass him. Now, when you looked upon this evil mariner he wore no sword. But I tell you there is one sword abve all which Maeglin held dear."

Child continued, "It is the sword Anguirel which the wicked son Maeglin stole from his father Eol. It is forged of a metal galvorn which Eol alone, in kinship with the dwarves, knew how to bring from the earth.'

"I am sure this great and mighty sword, accursed as it is with the blood of his father, lies somewhere on this vessel. For Maeglin would not dare to go forth without it."

I, as a hobbit, do not even have the strength to lift such a weapon. But you, Birdland, are strong. And you do not bear Elf blood so you would be more resistent to the evil charms Maeglin has woven into it."

"This sword must be found and hidden from his eyes. It is our only hope to stand against him until we can figure out some way, I know not how, to overcome his evil."

[Rosseiliantiel]

meanwhile on the doomed ship in the mysterious broom closet

The two elves were startled when a horrible scream went screeching throughout the ship.
'Ai! ELbereth! What was that?" Celeae squealed. Rosseil growled low in her throat.
"I really do not like the sound of that. We should get out of here, yes?"
"Agreed, But what about...?"
"We can deal with that later; and not by ourselves. No! Do not touch it! We must not! We need to warn the others. Now let's..." But Rosseil was cut off by the sound of someone entering the broom closet...

[ June 11, 2002: Message edited by: Rosseiliantiel ]

[Mithadan]

Under its billowing sail the catamaran cut through the waves as it rushed headlong to its destination. The Hobbits, already regretting their decision to join this venture cowered atop the central hull while attempting to retain their breakfasts. A dwarf clambered over to Mithadan who was crouching near the mast and looking to the west.

"Well, this is a fine vessel and no mistake," growled the Dwarf. "Not that I have much use for boats. But why did we not simply have the REG drop us onto the deck of our foes' ship?"

Mithadan squinted into the spray while checking the gps. "We are tracking them using my cell phone which Piosenniel 'borrowed'. Its signal is not strong. We know where they are within perhaps a few hundred meters but no better. If we used the REG we would, like as not, 'drop' into the waves rather than their ship. Also, all who board that vessel, save by the 'grace' of its masters, fall asleep. Sleeping warriors are little help. Some power is at work which I don't understand and I am reluctant to use the REG except for the simplest tasks. Its use may work against us. We must rely upon our wits and wills this time."

"How shall we defeat an enemy on a boat which we cannot board?" complained the Dwarf.

"We must use our wits, as I said," responded Mithadan. "Or else..." He glanced meaningfully at the prows of the ship which were each shod with steel tapering down into dire points which lay below the waterline. "Or else we must sink that vessel and save who we can."

[VanimaEdhel]

Menelduliniel watches everyone abandon her, even Legolas. She sighs...

"Why does everyone always do that?" Menelduliniel muses, "I always get left alone...no, wait! Not true...I usually abandon others...well, I guess I deserve this then. Wait! No! They didn't abandon me! I'll abandon them! I'll show them...I take a ship...and sail...and sail...on a wild adventure!"

An inner voice within Meneli sighed at this. Her inner voices were getting quite fed up of Meneli's vanity.

OOC: Meneli is Menelduliniel's nickname. It is pronounced Me-ne-lee.

Meneli wandered back to the shore, looked for a boat to steal, found there was none, then got briefly distracted by something shiny. Upon further investigation, it was nothing much, just a rock, but...shiny was shiny!

She then makes the most stupid decision she's ever made in all the many thousands of years she's been alive:
"I'll SWIM across!" Meneli said.

She gets her stuff together, and leaves it on the beach. She sets out swimming.

"This isn't so bad!" Meneli thought...all of about 10 yards out...

She swam and swam (she was a fairly good swimmer), and, eventually, started to get tired.

"Blah, just a little further, I'm sure," Meneli thought...but it wasn't a little further!

She swam some more, 'til she could hardly swim.

"Oh, poo!" Meneli thought, "Now what?"

Coincidentally (notice how stuff like this always happens?), a boat came along just at that moment.

"OOO! A BOAT!" Meneli thought, "I'M SAVED!"

She waved the boat down and got onto the deck, soaking wet and shivering.

"Well, you got saved again," Meneli thought, disgusted, "One of these days, Meneli, you SHOULD drown..."

She told that boat it could take her wherever, but they said they could only drop her on a small island close by.

After they left her on the island, Meneli got to thinking.
"NOW what am I going to do?" she despaired, "Ai, well, I'll think of something!"

She sat down to either think or wait for help...

"HEEEEEEEEEEEEELP!"

[Rose Cotton]

"Or else we must sink that vessel and save who we can."

ooc: I don't think I like the sound of that plan Mith. I hope plan A works. Hey wait a sec, I drank the bravery potion. In that case: BRING IT ON!:

The potion tasted sweet and thick on Rose's tongue. She pocketed the now empty bottle and went off in seach of her friends. She didn't feel any different but that was because she could now see the expression on her face that she had never worn before. As she went down the hall she heard noices from a room that had been left open.

Upon inspection Rose relized that it was not a room but a broom closet. She looked around but didn't see anyone inside. She hadn't noticed the loose panel that Celeaewen and Rosseil had used.

"Come out!" Rose called as she put her hand on the hilt of her sword.

[Child of the 7th Age]

Bird and Child continued to search the lower decks, trying to find any sign of the cursed sword Anguirel. They were also looking for their friends Celeaewenen and Rosseil who had disappeared without a trace several hours before.

Child saw Rose round a corner and abruptly disappear into what appeared to be a small room. She and Bird quickly caught up to enter the room and stare into the darkness of what now appeared to be a closet filled to the ceiling with great piles of junk, cleaning supplies and mops.

Child was carrying a small torch which she and Bird had used to illumine the corners of the ship in their search. Now she held it up to better see the contents of the closet.

Some paces ahead of her, she could hear the command issued by Rose as the hobbit stepped bravely forward to brandish her sword.

[ June 11, 2002: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]

[VanimaEdhel]

Menelduliniel's head now hurts from thinking to much.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAH! THEY'RE NOT COMING FOR ME!" she cries, tired of being a poised Elf.

She sits and cries like a baby, lonely.

"Will no one come to the isle and save me?" Meneli thinks...

[Rose Cotton]

Rose caught sight of Child and Birdie by the light of the torchlight that now filled the small space.

She smiled and said "Hello. Had trouble sleeping too? There's someone in here." She was suprised by how her voice didn't waver anymore but was strong and sure.

ooc:Um, Meneli.....we are a bit busy right now. As soon as we have some free time we'll come pick you up.
[img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

[ June 11, 2002: Message edited by: Rose Cotton ]