[piosenniel]

Pio was hungry from the long swim and no sleep. She finished one plate of searooms quickly, and asked Durshag if she might have some more.

'Yes, Lady Elf, please, Durshag will serve you.' He hurried back with her plate filled to heaping, giving her a small bow. She smiled and inclined her head to him as she took the plate.

He looked at her curiously, then shook his head and went back to his other guests, offering them seconds, and in some cases thirds.

Tired of sitting, she wandered about his cave, stretching her legs. She noticed the drawings on the wall and went to examine them. Child had come up beside her and was looking at them also.

'What's this?' asked Pio, running her finger down a long thick line that, as on a map, extended north to south and curved then west to open into a broad area. 'It looks like a river.'

'It is a river.'said Child. 'It's the Anduin. Durshag was illustrating for us how his people came down the Great River to the Sea long ago and adapted to sea life.'

'His people?', asked the elf, pointing to the the grouping of 3 slightly different stick figures.

'Actually, these two are clans of his race who settled in other parts of Middle-earth. This is his original clan, the ones who preferred living by water. Those first two are the Herfoos and Feyloheen as they are named in his dialect. And his clan is the Sturs. Or as we would say them, the Harfoots, Fallohides, and the Stoors.'

Pio stumbled back a step in amazement. The half-eaten plate of food dropped from her hands.