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

[Frodo Baggins]

"Hahahahah Ohh Rosie! You still have mugh to learn. Elwing was the mother of Master Elrond."

[Samwise]

Sam peeks around the corner.

Sam: Mister Frodo! I was wondering where you'd gone to! *turns his head* Miss Stacey, he's over here!

[piosenniel]

OOC: Here's a sort of family tree to explain things -

Thingol(one of the originally awakened elves)
married
Melian (a Maiar)
they had a daughter = Luthien

Luthien
married
Beren (a Man)
they had a son = Dior

Dior
married
Nimloth
they had 2 sons and 1 daughter =
Elurèd ----- Elurín ----- Elwing

Elurín was the father of Piosenniel

Elwing married Earendil and had 2 sons =
Elrond ------- Elros

Piosenniel’s mother was Holly Stoor of Wilderland.

Elurín, along with his brother Elured, was killed in the assault of the Sons of Fëanor on Menegroth before he could marry Holly.

Eärendil’s father was the Tuor(a Man) and his mother was Idril Celebrindal, the daughter of Turgon, the Elven King of Gondolin. It was Eärendil who bore the last Silmaril into the West.

So, as you can see - I am quite old, except in comparison to Idril.
********************************************

The storm raged against the two ships. Waves crashed over each bow and threatened the smash the two crafts together. Lightning played about the masts and seemed to arc from ship to ship in a cold, blue current. The reek of ozone and evil filled the air. Pio and the rest of the ship's crew ran to throw off the ropes that had been securing the two craft together. She could see Mithadan rallying his crew to pull away from the elven vessel. Pio yelled at the two young elves who had gone up the main mast to take down the sails and secure them and then to get the hobbits down below before they could be blown off the ship by the howling gale. She and Bird grabbed the Wheel and attempted to steer the the elven ship away from the catamaran.

[ June 13, 2002: Message edited by: piosenniel ]

[Rose Cotton]

"Oh" said Rose blushing. "I guess I have to go back to history class."

ooc:Um..just to show that I do pay some attention to old tales:Wasn't Luthien that elf famous for giving up her imortality for the love of Beren. Or am I getting mixed up?::

Then the storm came. It was like it just popped right out of the sky. Rose was being ushered to the stairs but she pulled away. She didn't want to huddle in a corner while others worked throught the wind and rain. She saw a leanth of rope and used her new knife to cut a long piece of it. Then she tied one end around her waist. The other end she tied to a old hook. She set the hook on the railing. This way she could keep her balence but she could move the hook around to where she was needed.

Rose looked around to suggest the idea to other hobbits. She wondered if Sam had thought of it already since he was so good with rope.

[piosenniel]

OOC: Rose, no you are not mixed up. Luthien Tinuviel was the most beautiful Elf-maiden ever to walk in Middle-earth. She was the first Elf-maiden to reject immortality - for her beloved Beren, the son of Barahir.

[Rose Cotton]

ooc:Yay! I got it right!
Thanks Sam for that link.

[Birdland]

Birdie struggled to help Pio with the giant wheel of the Elven ship. It took the two of them to even get the wheel to respond, and the two vessels pitched and reared on the waves like horses in stampede.

"We were fools!" screamed Birdie over the shrieking of the wind."Did we really think the Blue Wizards would stand and face our swords and slings! They'll smash us and send us all to the bottom!"

Suddenly, Pio raised her voice above the waves and called in a clear voice: Ulmo! Lord of the Waters. Help us and preserve us!"
And Birdie joined in, invoking names she never realized she knew: "Ossë! Uinen! Vassels of Ulmo! Help us!"

At that moment the ship pitched violently to the left, as a massive wave slammed into it's side. Birdie lost her hold on the wheel, fell flat on the deck, and slid helplessly towards the railing!

[Losthuniel]

Celeaewen was hanging onto the mast for dear life, but enjoying the heavy wind that pelted her face. she heard a called order to tie up thje sails. she did it rather clumsliy, having never ben on a boat before. Rossseil worked effeicently, having experience with boats, and groaned when she saw Celeaewen trying to tie up a sail
"hapless little git"

[Mithadan]

Mithadan gritted his teeth as his friends tarried upon the demon vessel debating some topic unknown to him. "What is taking them so long?" he growled. He lifted his cell phone and rang Child but she did not answer. Suddenly Birdland, Piosenniel, Child and their fellows seemed to reach some decision. They stood and, smiling, waved to Mithadan and his crew, then set about trimming the sails as if they did not intend to leave their vessel.

"Fools," he spat. "That ship is the focus of the Blue Wizards' activities and attention. They have proved they can control it and come and go with impunity. To stay on board is folly."

As if to confirm his concerns, a great storm formed above them as abruptly as a door closing. Waves crashed against the ships threatening to smash them one into the other. "Cast off!" he cried. "We cannot be lashed together in this storm."

The two ships parted and an elf ran up to ask if the sail should be lowered. "No," he responded. "We must retain control of our vessel and continue to make headway. Trim the sail as needed. Turn into the storm. But we must remain close to our friends. The Blue Wizards will not harm them...yet."

He thought back to the old man who had tapped the ship with his staff and blessed it while at port. "Ulmo," he muttered. Then, to the surprise of all around him, he seized a rope, tied it to his ankle and leaped from the ship into the grey wrack of waves.

He bobbed atop the wild sea for a moment, yelled to his crew to remain close to their friends' vessel, then disappeared under the surface. Alarmed, his crew shouted to him, then, after a moment, pulled on the rope. It came out of the water easily, but its end was cut clean as if by a knife. Mithadan was gone...

[ June 13, 2002: Message edited by: Mithadan ]

[Rosseiliantiel]

As Celeaewen was fumbling with her knot ("Really, Celeae, you can't just do silly double knots, you need at least a double sheet bend or a bowline"), Rosseil paused for a moment and surveyed the scene. She saw a splash off to the portside and looked oveer just in time to see Mithadan dissappearing into the dark, rough waters.
<Ai, this really can't be good!> she thought and turned to Celeae.
"Celeae, what's Mithadan doing?!" Celeae squinted at the water.
"Probably swimming."
"That's not what I meant, you...Argh! Glenna medi salch na yrch! And you're not doing that knot right! Ai! You see what I have to deal with!"

[ June 13, 2002: Message edited by: Rosseiliantiel ]

[ June 28, 2002: Message edited by: Rosseiliantiel ]

[piosenniel]

Pio called for Rose to bring her some rope. The valiant hobbit threw a large coil over her shoulder and pulled herself along as best she could, grasping on to masts and balustrades to steady herself.

Bird was nowhere to be seen, having slipped over the side of the ship. Pio was torn between a rescue attempt or saving the ship and her passengers. She offered up one more small plea to Ulmo that he might take care of Bird, then returned to the task of securing the ship on a course away from the catamaran and out of the storm.

Rose helped the elf wind the rope around the stout pillar that held the Wheel. Then checking the compass set next to it, Pio held the Wheel to a south-west direction, and had Rose lash it in place, tethered to the pillar. She could see that the storm was of limited area and was making for calmer waters.

The two sodden creatures crawled into the Wheelhouse, and sat their to wait out the storm. There was nothing more they could do while they storm played itself out.

Pio shook her short curls out, scattering drops of sea-water about the room, and pushed her bedraggled hair off her face. She pulled a flask of miruvor from her tunic pocket and offered Rose the first sip. Huddling together in the small room they talked of what they knew of wizards and how they might be overcome. The wind howled and the rain beat upon their retreat. To ease their minds and pass the time, they turned to an old favorite - The Riddle Game.

[Rose Cotton]

Rose tried to hide her feelings as she and Pio sat in the wheelhouse but then burst out.
"What about Birdie?"
"Rose we can only hope for her saftly. We can't go out there or we'll be in trouble too."
But Rose stood up and smiled. "I only recetly discovered what I can do when I believe in myself. This is when I put it to the test." She was gone.

Rose ran over to the side where Birdie had dissapered. She couldn't see anything in the water. Then she thought of what she had seen Mithadan do and looked down at the rope she had. She wasn't a good swimmer. Did she dare go after Birdie? Pio was coming up to her as she tied the two ends of the rope to the rail and her foot.

"Rose wait!" Pio called
"Stay here. When you feel a tug pull me up." then she dove into the icy water not hearing Pio suggesting that she go instead and imediatly regreting she had decided to do this. But if Mith could she would at least try.

She took a deep breath and followed Birdie and Mithadan under the dark surface.

[Child of the 7th Age]

Child was beginning to feel extremely nervous. She had stepped under the deck for a short time to tend to Idril's needs. When the storm had hit with full flurry, both she and Idril had come racing up to the main deck to see if they could help.

As Child came upon the deck, she saw an amazing thing. First Rose and then Pio seemed to purposely slide into the dark waters. Child stood in stunned disbelief. She knew not what to do. So she turned and begged Idril for help.

Child had assume that Idril would be next to useless in the face of such catastrophe, but she was pleasantly surprised. It was quite obvious that Idril was an experienced mariner, more so than any other person on board. It was clear that she had gained much knowledge of sailing while living on her husband's ship.

Moreover, because of her family's close ties with Ulmo, she seemed to have a special connection with the ocean itself. Idril went forward to the brow of the ship and raised one arm to the heavens.

She spoke beseeching words in Quenya, of which Child could only guess the meaning, but it was clear that they were addressed to the Lord of the Waters and King of the Seas. Slowly, slowly, the fierceness of the storm subsided.

Yet its departure brought little joy to those on board. It soon became clear that many of their number had fallen or jumped from the ship itself into the ocean waves. Child shook her head in disbelief--Pio, Birdie, Rose, and, from the other vessel, Mith. All were missing.

This was not possible. Child was racked with guilt.....if only she had remained on deck. Perhaps she might have done something to help her friends.

Child turned a tear stained face to Idril and knelt at her feet. "If you have any special gifts of seeing, what has happened to my companions? Where have they gone?"

Idril looked on the distant horizon and spoke as if she was in a dream: "Your friends, perhaps, have perished, or may have managed to drag their bodies upon some floating piece of driftwood. Truly I cannot say."

"But," she hesitated as if not knowing whether she should even speak of such a thing, "there is one other possibility. It is said that Master Ulmo dwells in the waters under Middle-earth or in the Outer Ocean for he does not wish to assume a fana even to visit the Council of Valar."

"It is possible that your friends have been sucked into a channel which leads down to the kingdom of Ulmo. I simply do not know."

"Then, again, others have told me that sea balrogs dwell in the watery bowels of the earth. We will pray that your friends do not meet with such a creature, for they will wish that they had never lived and walked upon the dry lands."

Child hung her head. She almost began thinking that this whole mess was all her fault. But, no, this was ridiculous. She had done nothing to generate the storm.

"Idril," Child queried, "May I also jump into the waters and meet my friends and help them?"

"Oh, no, little one, Idril said. "The ways of the Sea are different. A channel that opens one moment may be closed the next. You can do naught but stay here and wait. Keep guard on the waters in case your friends have found some temporary raft."

"But look," Idril said pointing. "Here comes some small tiding of help. My husband and his ship pull up to our bow. If any man on the face of the Earth may gain us favor with Ulmo, it is my beloved Tuor, for the Lord of the Sea regards him almost as a son."

[ June 13, 2002: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]

[Rose Cotton]

Underwater Rose couldn't tell when the storm started to subside. She searched a bit trying to find Birdie and found someone else. A shadow she reconized as Mithadan was swiming down into the depts of the water.

Rose went up to catch her breath and saw that the waters were now calm. But she was curious about what Mith was up to. She untied the rope from her leg as she knew it was too short for her to go very deep and went to follow. She stayed a distace from Mith in case he didn't want to be followed.

She was unawair of the elf that was following her.

[ June 13, 2002: Message edited by: Rose Cotton ]

[VanimaEdhel]

Menelduliniel, now completely sober and NOT drunk or silly, goes to the back of the ship and lets out a whistle. A great hawk flies down out of the skies and lands on her arm.

"Dulinelee," Menelduliniel addresses her hawk, "Go...go to Estelawinyawen, Anoroniel, Mellonaug, Palurinutinu, Coiamelar, Ornion, Earwen, Ten'oionessa, and all the others! Tell them to bring women, men, and ships! All they can! Ripa sii'! Ripa!"

She lets him go, and he flies to her children...

[VanimaEdhel]

Soon, some ships come sailing up, all of Meneli's kids on board.

"My children!" Meneli laughs, "You have come!"

"Of course we have, Mother!" Estelawinyawen exclaimed, "How is Father?"

"Oh...him...yes...he is...his normal self," Meneli sighed, "Well, the romance is over and we didn't kill each other, I'll give the relationship that much..."

"Ai, uma," answered Earwen, who was the youngest and had witnessed most of Legolas and Menelduliniel's disagreements, so she was familiar that the honeymoon was very over, "Well, you have been together for thousands of years...romance was bound to wear off eventually."

"Yes," sighed Meneli, "But we must prepare for battle! Get ready!"

[Samwise]

Sam sat at the back of the ship, brooding. He had barely been able to hear all the goings on in the storm, but he did catch something about folks going overboard. He buried his wet head in his hands.

Sam:"Oh, Mister Frodo, what'll I do? I could swear sure as anything I heard your voice before, but where are you now? Did you go overboard, too?

Just then Primrose came running around the cabin.

Prim: Papa! Oh, I'm so glad you're safe! *kneels down and hugs him, noting that he has tied a rope around his waist and secured it to the guardrail.* I thought you'd been lost!

Stacey came around the corner then.
Stacey: So did I. What was the meaning of running out of the cabin like that?

Sam sighed.
Sam: I'm sorry, Miss Stacey. I was just so concerned about Mister Frodo...

Stacey frowned.
Stacey:I know. Don't worry, we're not going home without him unless the Lord wills it, little guy.

She turned and headed to the foredeck, to ask someone what was happening.

[Frodo Baggins]

Frodo had not thought to anchor himself to the rail, so now he was being tossed about, searching for Sam.


"SAM?? Sam? Prim? Stacey?" Water was in his eyes so he could not see

"Where are you? I cannot find you!!"

[Samwise]

Sam tried to get up, but forgot he had tied himself down.
Sam: "Mister Frodo!"

Stacey: Agh...hang on, Sam.

Stacey felt along the rail, making her way around the ship. Finally, she caught sight of the farmiliar little hobbit clinging to the rail himself.

Stacey: Mister Baggins, it's me, Stacey! Hang on to the rail and follow me!

She took one of his hands in hers, clamped his other on the rail, and began to make her way back to Sam and Primrose.

[Frodo Baggins]

"Oh you saved me! I can't swim you know, and I am terrified of deep water. Thank you Stacey!"

[Samwise]

Stacey grinned, fighting the urge to let go of the rail and wipe the water out of her face. She could barely see herself, as her glasses were completely spotted by the downpour.

"What are friends for!?" she shouted back, relieved to see the blurred forms of Sam and Primrose.

Sam: "Mister Frodo! Oh, thank the Lord you're safe! " It was difficult to tell if there were only raindrops streaking his face or he was crying.

"Come on!" shouted Primrose, untying the knots her father had used to secure himself. "Let's go below! I don't think we're of any use up here! "
Once she had her father undone, she put an arm around his waist and guided him to the door that led below.

Stacey, still grasping Frodo's hand, followed.

[Child of the 7th Age]

Once the storm had abated, Child spent the entire day perched on a tall ladder searching the Seas for signs of her friends. Her vigil was to no avail. Frodo, at least, had been rescued from the open deck but there was no indication of those who had fallen or jumped into the waves. Child wondered if they had been seized by a kind of madness which comes from one of the mysterious forces of the world.

The three ships now were within hailing range of each other. Other Elven vessels were also gatheing along the outside of the Ring, apparently hailed by Meneli. Mith's ship had attempted to send out a small boat to search for their captain, but they had found nothing. Command had been temporarily given to one of the senior dwarves.

Child feared what the Barrow-wight might say if they had to return to the Downs and explain the fate of the unfortunate Mith. She did not look forward to such a meeting. Moreover, she had no idea how to explain or understand this turn of events.

Child determined that nothing further could be accomplished by staying up far into the night. As was her custom, she was the last one on the ship still awake. She lay down on a pile of old sacks and curled up to go to sleep. In her head, she began composing the first page of a new article she was considering writing entitled "Idril and Tuor: True Lovers of the Sea."

[ June 14, 2002: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]

[piosenniel]

'D@mn and double d@mned be those evil creatures who sent this storm' thought Pio as she slid into the churning glassy sea and the waves closed over her head.

She recalled the lessons her Falathrim cousins had given her and resurfaced quickly to take in a large breath of air. Then, slowing her breathing to almost nothing, she dove beneath the surface of the water and looked for Rose. She could see her nowhere, despite the repeated dives to increasing depths.

Pio resurfaced, and shook the water from her hair and face. The ocean seemed to have calmed somewhat, but it was difficult for her to get her bearings. She could not see the elven ship, a mist seemed to hang in the air, obscuring objects from her sight.

She floated on her back, securing a strand of kelp over her body to keep her from drifting. She needed to think clearly about what to do next.

Something soft and ticklish nuzzled the side of her neck, and she pushed against it thinking it a stray bit of kelp. Sharp teeth gently nipped her fingers, and she turned to face it, knife drawn.

'Is that any way to greet an old friend?!' spoke the brown eyed, sleek skinned face now grinning at her. 'You look as if you could use my help. Much like that larger creature who entered the sea before you, although she declined my offer'

She sheathed her knife and smiled at the seal-shaped creature with a human face that had drawn along side her - a selkie as they are called in the language of the Orcney Isles, gentle, playful creatures who were human on land and seals in the water.

'I could use your help (Garek isn't it, from Sule Skerry) if there are no strings attached to it', said Pio. 'I need to get back to that great white elven ship that was just in this area.'

The selkie turned to look off into the heavy mist, and shook his head 'no'. 'It's gone too far away for us to catch up to it now. Some great elven lady now commands its course and it obeys.'

Pio chewed her lip in consternation and thought hard about some alternate plan, but none came to her.

'But, you know,'continued the selkie, 'we are close to that other ship, the one with the lovely banner - the one the man fell off of.'

Pio turned on her belly and placed her hand on the lush fur of the selkie's back, and he bore her to the side of the catamaran safely, then dove and disappeared beneath the waves.

An elven hand came down from the side of the vessel and drew her aboard. She stood dripping, looking about the company for any sign of Mithadan. 'Where is he?', she asked. 'Has he come back?'

The crew shook their heads 'no', saying that they had hoped it had been him they had seen coming back toward their ship when she had appeared.

'Who's captain in his place?' asked Pio, seeing that the cat was anchored in just about the same position as she had seen it last. None of the twelve claimed that title, and looked at her, expectantly.

She sighed, and motioned all to gather about her. 'Last I knew, the elven ship was heading in a south-west direction, away from this vessel. We need to catch her and join our force to hers. Set a course in that direction, and let's set sail. Hobbits, please look for charts of this area. Men and dwarves - the oars as needed; and you elves, climb the masts to make repairs to the sails.'

'What about Mithadan?' cried some of the crew.

'We can not wait for him. We shall have to trust that the Valar look with some measure of grace upon him.'

She caught a hurrying hobbit as he ran by her. 'Take me to the captain's cabin.' she asked him. 'There are some things I need to find.

A quick search of the cabin(he was an exceedingly tidy and organized creature!) turned up Mith's other cell phone. She turned it on, and on a whim pressed #1 on speed dial. An irritated and ghastly voice croaked 'WHAT!' into the receiver. 'Oh, sorry, wrong number!' she said and pressed #2.

'Hello, Mith?!' came the groggy voice from the other cell. 'Is that you?'.

'No, Child it's me, Pio. I've taken command of the other vessel. Where the heck are you all?!'

[ June 14, 2002: Message edited by: piosenniel ]

[Birdland]

Birdie felt the shock of the water, and watched as the top of the waves receded as she sank like a rock to the bottom of the sea. "Oh, no, not again." she thought, as she resigned herself to a briny death.

Then she saw her tail.

"Eeeeeeee! Eeeeeeeee!" she screamed, thrashing frantically. The grey, horizontal tail-fins waved, sending her speeding through the water, 50 feet from the bellies of the ships above her. Birdie braked, rolled, then righted herself as she got the hang of things. She tried to look back over her shoulder, only to discover that she had none.

"I'm a dolphin! A dolphin!" chirped Birdie with delight. "Now how come I never knew I could do this?"

"Perhaps because you never tried, silly skin-changer", and the emerald green face of the Mer-Man appeared before her again, mithril-colored tail waving languidly as he floated in front of her.

"Please," said Birdie, "You helped us before - or at least taught us a very interesting variation on one of Child's most popular ballads. What can we do to defeat the Blue Wizards?"

"You will never defeat them through use of magic, that is certain," said the Mer-Man, eyeing Birdie doubtfully. "You made a good start, calling on my master, Ulmo. However, you hardly invoked him with the respect and honor due him. I suggest you remember your manners, and try again."

"But we were desperate. And I've never been good at extemporizing under pressure. Surely he can understand that."

"There is one among you who understands the proper forms and courtly manners required when addressing the Valar. He may have a better chance at communicating your needs. My master is a very busy Valar, you know. Do you think yours are the only ships foundering on the seas of Middle-Earth right now?"

Perhaps not," said Birdie, slightly miffed, "but I imagine we're the only ships facing down the Blue Wizards. Please, what can we do?"

The coal-colored eyes of the Mer-Man rolled in irritation. "Obviously, you cannot defeat them from afar. You must invite the Wizards back to the ship, where you can face them in their human forms."

"But how do we bring them back to the ships!" Birdie's voice grew higher, and she bobbed in the water with exasperation. Birdie hated Middle-Earthlings who spoke in riddles.

The Mer-Man waited patiently until she had calmed down, then spoke: "How does anyone arrange to face their foe on the field of battle?" He gave a dramatic pause, then said one word:

"Surrender."

"Surrender! That's it? Surrender!" squealed Birdie

"What? Did you expect me to say face them in single combat? You would hardly stand a chance," said the Mer-Man condescendingly.

Suddenly, Birdie heard splashes all around her in the water. She watched in amazement as she saw Mith, then Rose, then Pio dive in the water, and take off in various directions.

"My friends!" said Birdie, "Are the ships going down?"

"Nay" said the Mer-Man matter-of-factly, "They but go to play their own roles in your adventure. They will be fine...except for that one," he tilted his chin at the struggling Rose, valiantly striving to follow the strongly swimming Mith towards the bottom of the sea. "That one will drown like a rat, unless you do something."

Without a further word, Birdie sped towards the struggling Rose. "Rose!" she keened in her high, delphinic voice. "Grab hold of my fin! You'll drown! And we have to get back to Child on the ship." Rose ignored the shape-shifting cetacean, and continued to grimly paddle after Mith.

"Rose! Come on!"

[ June 14, 2002: Message edited by: Birdland ]

[ June 14, 2002: Message edited by: Birdland ]

[Losthuniel]

Celeaewen watched from the mast as various small splashes came as people jumped into the water. she nudged Rosseil
"why are they diving into the water?"
"i have no idea, who's they and shut up, im tryin to work"
"Rose, Pio, Birdie, Mithidan."
Rosseil blanchd "that means that the only senior member left on this boat is Child. Ai ELbereth. things just got a whole lot worse"

[Mithadan]

"Stay close to our friends' ship," cried Mithadan before he dived beneath the waves. Several meters ahead he saw Birdland and watched as she morphed into a dolphin. One of the Mer-race spoke to her and pointed upward toward a small figure struggling beneath the waves. A second appeared to be escorting Piosenniel to the surface.

Birdland swam gracefully to Rose who attempted to avoid the finned creature. Mithadan approached and gently but firmly pushed Rose to the dolphin and watched as the two rose to the air above. Taking a breath himself, he dived again. In the murk before him a large shadow appeared and rapidly closed on the swimming man. He attempted to evade the ominous entity but it drew ever closer. With straining lungs, Mithadan attempted to reach the surface but the shadow opened wide jaws which closed around him. The rope around his ankle was cut instantly.

He found himself in a rapidly draining chamber. With wavering vision, he saw what appeared to be a man clad entirely in shades of blue. As he lost consciousness, Mithadan heard the figure say "Well, look what we have caught in our nets..."

[Birdland]

Rose finally latched onto the high dorsal fin of Birdland, ala Elijah Wood in "Flipper". Holding her breath through the hole in the top of her skull, Birdie swam lower into the sea. Then turning, and quickly beating her tail behind her, she sped towards the surface.

Birdie and Rose broke through the top of the waves into a suddenly clear, blue sky. Arcing high into the air, they landed with a unceremonious "thup" on the deck of the Elven ship. Bird had immediately transformed into her Middle Earth Extra form as she landed on the planking. Rose landed in a heap on top of her.

"Get...off...me" Birdie protested weakly. Rose rolled in a sodden heap to one side. Birdie lifted her self to a sitting position and looked around her.

"We're back." she said. Then she vomited up a quart of sea water.

[piosenniel]

The catamaran gained quickly on the elven ship. Pio scanned the area quickly, and in disbelief. There were now 3 elven ships in the area. 'What's going on?' she thought to her self.'Is the ship cloning itself? Is this some new wizardry?'

She pushed #2 on speed-dial, trying to get old of Child. They had been cut off last evening, and Pio had gotten no information from her. Still no answer, just the irritating message about forwarding to voice-mail.

She gave orders to trim the sails and pull in alongside the other ships. She saw Child waving furiously at her from the one nearest - and Thank Ulmo!, there was Bird and Rose on deck, both looking a little bedraggled as far as she could make out. But no sign of Mithadan anywhere.

The catamaran puled in close to Child's ship, and Pio shouted over: 'Permission to come aboard!'

Idril stepped to the railing and motioned her across: 'Permission granted, Pio.'

[ June 14, 2002: Message edited by: piosenniel ]

[Rose Cotton]

As everyone else looked away Rose made to jump overboard again. Then Birdie grabbed her.

"Rosie! Are you mad?" cried Birdie.

"Mith. I'm going after him." Rose stuggled to get away.

"You'll drown. Mith will have to fend for himself."

But Rose wouldn't calm down. " I will not drown. Let me go."

[Veritas]

Veritas woke up in a cabin: How did she get there? O yeah, she was so sleepy, she just fell asleep...

Back on the upper deck, a hobbit brought her to the captains room, where Child was on the wheel.

"Hey, where have you been? A lot happened."

"Yes, never had a quiet time here," Veritas smiled, "but where's Pio?"

"The things are very serious here, Mithadan was suddenly goen, so Pio had take over control of the catamaran. There are strange things happening here. Ah, there is Pio."

She walked outside and walcomed Pio back.

"We must move quickly." said Pio.

"It weren't this way, there's always adventure at this party." thought Veritas.

[Samwise]

Stacey woke up, yawning. She remembered the night before, going through the rain to get Frodo before Sam had a conniption, then she, Frodo, Prim and Sam coming back to room #7.
Across the room, on the top of the other bunk, slept Primrose with her face to the wall. Below her was Sam, who had a peaceful look on his face as he snored softly.

Stacey hung her head over the side of the bunk to see Frodo also asleep.

Sighing, she turned over and looked at the celing.
Stacey: *Sigh* Wonder what's going on now? No one's spoken to any of us since I can't remember when. Senior members.... [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img]

A little feeling nudged her heart, and an old Bible verse came to her mind...
Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he will strengthen thine heart; wait, I say, on the Lord.
She sighed again, closing her eyes.
Stacey: Lord, what's the matter? I haven't felt like I belonged with these people since I got to the party at the fields. I don't see what use I can be of here. Please show me.

[Birdland]

As Birdie looked around she discovered that another Elven ship had appeared next to the Catamaran, and yet a fourth was appearing over the horizon. "Wow," she thought, "We're turning into a flotilla!"

Then she saw the fair Idril raise her hand in greeting to the tall, handsome man at the wheel of the new arrival, and realized that it was none other than Tuor himself, come to join in battle against the Blue Wizards in honor of his Lady.

Birdie was glad to have such a noble and accomplished Numenorian on their side, but the two eternal lovers, as they exchanged long-lost greetings, made her feel a little sad and envious as well.

Birdie looked down at her sodden, ruined second-hand party clothes, and felt very much the "silly skin-changer". She knew that at the end of a long day of life-threatening dangers and death-defying adventures, Idril would never have to go home to an empty manor.

Birdie sighed. Being in the company of the Blessed always made her feel a little self-conscious.

She wondered what the Noble Tuor would think about the Mer-Man's advise that they fake a "surrender" to lure the Blue Wizards back onto the ship. ("He did mean a "fake" surrender, didn't he?" she thought.) Somehow, she figured Tuor would not consider that to be Kosher.

Suddenly all thoughts were put to rest as the valiant, but seemingly temporarily insane Rose made a dash for the rail, in a attempt to throw herself back into the sea!

"Child! Stop her!" screamed Birdie. They wrestled the wildly struggling halfling to the deck, as she cried, "Let me go! I know what I'm doing!"

"Rose! Stop it. You can't go back into the sea. You'll drown! Child, talk to her!"

Child firmly grabbed Rose by the shoulders and spun her around. Looking into her fellow hobbit's eyes, she sternly demanded, "If you don't want us to lock you in the brig for your own good, you need to explain right now why we should let you plunge back into the sea to follow Mithadan, whom we have not seen or heard from since he dived overboard."

Rose looked stubbornly back at the older halfling.

"Well?" said Child...

[piosenniel]

'It was always like this in the presence of older Elves' thought Pio, as she walked the boarding plank from the cat to the other ship. She knew the Idril she saw was not the one standing in front of the others. This was a being of such wondrous and unearthly light that the sun dimmed in Pio's sight, the breath caught in her throat. If any moment were to be it, this would be the one where regret set in and longing.

But the moment passed, the vision cleared, and Pio extended her hand in greeting to the Elven woman. Idril drew her close, and whispered in her mind. *Will you not relent, my dear son's niece?*

Pio bowed her head, and stepped back. *Not in this moment,Idril*

She turned to greet her other friends, giving smiles & hugs to Child, and Bird, and Veritas, just coming up from belowdeck and looking a little rumpled from sleep.

'Where are Frodo and Sam and his family', asked Pio. 'You must keep them safe. They are the ones most wanted by the Wizards.'

She waved to Celeae and Rosseil, who had climbed the masts once again for a long look out to sea.

Turning back and bending down to hug Rose, she was surprised to see that she was no longer standing between Bird and Child. She looked beyond them and saw the young hobbit climbing the ship's rail.

'Rose! Wait!' cried Pio, but with a perfect swan dive, Rose once again entered the water. Her daring act punctuated by a small splash in the passing waves.

[ June 15, 2002: Message edited by: piosenniel ]

[Veritas]

Rose dived into the sea and left behind her confuzzeld friends.

"What does she think she's doing? We're on full sea." Veritas said angry. "And what are we going to do now? We can't wait until we find her drowned."

"Birdie, you're coming with me, we'll see what we can do for her. Child en you whatch over Frodo." Pio said with an anxious voice.

They split up and Child and Veritas went to the cabins where Frodo and Sam's famlily were.

[Rose Cotton]

Rose knew that the others would probably think she was just trying to be heroic. But it wasn't about that. She knew that Mithadan whether good or bad was into somthing important. And besides wanting to make sure he was alright she wanted to be appart of it. There was a new light in the hobbits heart that she loved.

Rose felt once again as the water rushed around her. Child could throw her in the brig for all she cared. It was Mithadan who she had all her attention on. She thought for a moment before they could try and rescue her. Well she better swim back the way they came aways first and then dive.


As she swam she enjoyed herself. Dispite the fact that it was cold and she was doggy paddling she really liked moving through the water.

Then she saw somthing below her. A shadow. She stayed as still as she could. Hoping what ever it was would pass by her. But what if it got Mith? Now she was torn between rescue and retreat. But what would she say if she went back to her friends empty handed?


Rose took a deep breath and dived, praying for her life.

[VanimaEdhel]

Menelduliniel remains with her children, then as all are safely on the boat again, eagerly looks to Mithadan.

"What shall we do now, my Lord?" Meneli asks, "My children and their armies are at your disposal

She awaits an answer...

[Samwise]

Stacey lay on the bunk for a while, listening to the Hobbits' breathing. Finally she sat up, swung her legs over the side of the bunk and jumped to the floor.

Stacey: "Might as well go for a walk. "

Quietly she opened the door and went out, closing it just as quietly behind her.

[ArwenBaggins]

OoC-im gonna be in this thread now... iz that ok?::


Fëaelenawen walked in. "Uma! A Warg Battle is refreshing." Everyone looked at her.

"Sorry! Hey Meneli!"

She walks up to the bar next to Gimli and has her first{hahaha [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img]} drink.

[Samwise]

Arwen, welcome! Just might help if you read from the first page. We're no longer at the feild...

[VanimaEdhel]

OOC: ARWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE EEEEEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway, Meneli is still awaiting her orders from Lord Mithadan!