[piosenniel]

It was late evening by the time the three had examined the caverns, and the area of the valley surrounding them. As the sun sank beneath the western ridge and darkness sailed over the land, they abandoned their explorations and returned to the swan-ship.

'We should spend the night here.' said Tulë, laying out some provisions he had brought for the trip - dried fruits, a small wheel of smoked cheese, a loaf of wholegrain bread, and a flask of red wine from the region to take away the chill of the evening. 'Tomorrow we can sail back to the Lonely Star, and then back to Beleriand.' A certain light shone in his eyes when he said, 'I am very much looking forward to seeing this time crystal of yours. Ancalimon has told me such a thing exists, and I would see how it works.'

'A useful thing, I must admit.' said Mithadan, settling back comfortably against the side of the ship and sipping his cup of wine. 'But a great headache also, as one is always scrambling to remember what can and cannot be done in this or that age, what is known and what is not. One age is time enough for me to get through!'

Khelek chewed thoughtfully on a dried fig. 'Not to change the subject, but I've been thinking about how we will get the hobbits from this place before the sinking. How many ships will it take to transport them do you think? And where will we get them?'

'The ships are already arranged for.' replied Tulë. 'Ancalimon has left that to me. We will only need to know how many and when.'

'Arranged for?' asked Khelek. 'With whom, from where?'

'The Teleri from Avalónë. They will aid the hobbits with their swan-ships. They will look to us to call them through the great tower there when we have need of them.'

'And how do you propose that we call this tower?' asked Mithadan, casting about his memory for an answer.

'It will have to be from Númenor that we contact them, through one of the Seeing-stones. But I must confess I have not found where they are placed as yet. Though I have reason to believe that one is in Andúnië, in the Tower on Oromet.'

They sat in silence for a while, taking in this information. Khelek was just about to ask how they might find whether the seeing-stone was there or not, when a splash was heard near the boat.

They stood, drawing their weapons, and looked carefully over the side of the vessel, only to be greeted by the smiling face of Levanto. 'I have just found a way into the caverns through the water.' he said excitedly. 'The river springs from deep within the mountain. It will be possible for me to get in and out of where the hobbits will be held without anyone seeing me.'

'Ah, that is good news indeed!' said Tulë. 'It will mean we can get the hobbits mobilized and prepared to depart before we actually have the ships there. That will lessen the time we must spend waiting for them to board, and so lessen our chances of being stopped or seen. I thank you Levanto for that piece of the puzzle!'

The mer-man bowed to the elf, and then began to swim downriver. 'I will meet you back at the Lonely Star tomorrow.' he called to them.

'Let us get some rest now.' suggested Tulë. 'Tomorrow we should sail back quickly to the ship and return to Beleriand. As I understand it, we must rescue your companions who are among the hobbits in Beleriand before we begin this next part of the journey.'

'Yes,' said Mithadan, wrapping himself in his cloak, his small pack a pillow, 'I am much looking forward to seeing Child and little Rose, and Bird. His last thoughts, as his head settled comfortably on the makeshift pillow, were those of a strange memory - a small black and silver, winged dragon flying against a blood red sky.

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