[piosenniel]

Tulë's small craft sped across the waters and had soon passed the mountainous regions of southwestern Hyarnustar. It skimmed up the eastern coast, hugging near the great cliffs that were the main feature of the western and southern coastline.

'A rugged, harsh looking land is this part of Andor.' commented Khelek, as the sheer cliffs flew by them, uninterrupted. 'How can we enter it from a seaward approach?'

Tulë, his hand on the tiller, skilfully navigated the rocky coastline. Keeping his keen eyes on the waters ahead, he told the elf and man that they would soon come to a much gentler area of this region. 'The two southern promontories of Hyarnustar on the southwest and Hyarrostar on the southeast shield this part of Andor from extremes of weather. It is filled with grasslands, much fertile farmland and great vineyards.'

Khelek and Mithadan watched as the sheer coastline on their left gave way gradually to sandy beach areas and then to marshes and reedy flats as they entered the place where the River Siril flowed into the sea through its many small mouths.

The swan-ship turned north and made its way up the river, past the large fishing village of Nindamos. Here in its southward course the river was slow and winding, but as they sailed north toward its source it became a little narrower and its current a little swifter.

'It will be an easy course to navigate,' said Mithadan, watching the countryside as it passed by. 'There are not too many settlements set on the river, though I have counted a number of docks from which the farmers must transport their crops downstream.'

'Yes, most of the farms and small towns are set back from the river. And much of the traffic in this area is by horse. Crop cargoes bound for the rest of Númenor are seasonal in nature, and are borne by the river and then the sea. We should not encounter too many large craft as we sail up or down the river. If we do, the swan-ship is small enough to slip by them should the need arise.'

For some time now, the gaze of the two companions had been held by the great mountain to the north which seemed to rise up to the heavens. The base of it sloped gently to the plains in two long ridges from their vantage point on the river. Khelek recalled the map they had seen of it, and how the base appeared as a series of five roots in a pentagram pattern which extended outward toward the five promontories of the isle. There were rolling grasslands now which edged the river's course and carpeted the land to the mountains roots as they came nearer the mountain.

The river now narrowed as it they entered the valley of Noirinan, in which lay the tombs of the Kings and Queens of Númenor.

'This is where the Siril rises from springs beneath the base of this great mountain, the Meneltarma.' said Tulë. 'We can go almost to the base, and from there it will be a short course on foot to the entrance of the caves which lie beneath the mountain.'

They drew the swan-ship along side the bank of the river, near a natural docking area and disembarked. A very short walk brought them to the chambers cut into the rock at the base of the mountain. These man-made chambers were where the royalty of Númenor were entombed, but beyond them were a series of large natural caves extending far into the interior of the mountain.

'An ideal place for holding and hiding prisoners, is it not?' asked Tulë, shining the bright light of the lantern he had brought into the caves' darkness.

[ August 18, 2002: Message edited by: piosenniel ]