[Regin Hardhammer]

When the storm had finally calmed somewhat, Marreth decided he had better check on the sailboats that were used to haul supplies across the bay. His ship was sturdy enough to take the repeated bashing from the violent waves and harsh wind, but the smaller vessels were flimsier and could use a thorough inspection. The crews search had been frustrating enough, Marreth thought; they did not need to exacerbate matters by losing their tools and rations.

As he walked down the path, Marreth began to reflect. What was he going to do about these new intruders? Surely, he reflected, the Elves’ arrival is not merely a coincidence.. They must mean to reach the stones before we do and take them for themselves. Then the urgency to find the Palantiri and give them to Castamir was that much greater, not to mention the danger posed by the patches of ice that were accumulating on the edges of the Bay. There was no way that he was going to let these pussyfooting Elves steal the stones from right under his nose. Despite all the obstacles standing in his way, a spirit of determination overflowed inside of him to complete this mission just as he had always done.

When he reached the sailing boats docked in a small harbor next to the main ship, Marreth thought he heard something moving in the bushes, but when he turned to see what it was, he saw nothing. The boats appeared to have weathered the storm fairly well and all of the masts, hulls, and rudders were intact. A few of the sails appeared to have slight tears in them that he would tell his men to fix as soon as he returned to the ship. As he turned to leave a dark, cloaked figure emerged from the side of the path where he had earlier heard the rustling.

Marreth drew his rapier and pointed it at this stranger. “Explain yourself!” he bellowed commandingly, “Who are you and what business do you have with me coming out of the shadows like this?”

The answer came swiftly. “I am a Lossoth who has some information that might be of interest to you. Have you seen these Elvish newcomers to the bay?” Marreth nodded. “They are also after those stones you seek.”

“I figured as much,” growled Marreth.

“Yes. But I can tell you where these fellows are going and what they will be doing. I can even tell you their plans so that you can lay ambushes and pounce on them. Are you interested?”

Marreth considered this strange offer and began to weigh his options. He did not even know who this Lossoth was. Although this seemed like an excellent opportunity to gain the upper hand on the Elves, Marreth realized that it could also be a trap. However, such an opportunity was too good to pass up. Reluctantly, Marreth nodded again and began to speak.

“Why are you doing this? What do you want? How do I know you speak the truth?”

“ I wish to take advantage of this opportunity to gain power. I do not take this power for myself, but for someone else who deserves it. The Corsairs are great and by providing you with vital information, I will be able to see something happen among my own people. I will need a goodly supply of gold and weapons.”

“Very well. That is possible,” said Marreth quietly. “Now tell me what you know.”

“They plan to search the great cave known as the Cave of the Dead. It is cold, dark, and very dangerous. There are parts that are extremely narrow and places where ground that seems solid slips under your feet. They will begin at sunrise tomorrow.”

“The Cave of the Dead” scoffed Marreth, “You lie. Even Elf vermin aren’t that stupid. That cave is so dangerous that even we dared not enter it in our search. If what your saying is true, then perhaps we should just wait for them to die there instead of going in after them. Entering the Cave of the Dead! Pure madness! Had that oafish Elf leader lost his mind?”

“No. I speak the truth. It was with great trepidation and fear that they decided to look there, but they seemed to think that it is the most likely place that they could find the Palantiri.”

“If you lie Snowmen, I swear I will have your head impaled on a pike! Do you hear me!” screamed Marreth. “I warn you,” ne continued in a calmer tone, “I shall meet you again out here in a couple of days if your information proves accurate. Watch for the flash of the lantern at sunset. Do not come to my ship, for I find it best that this be kept private for now. If you prove useful, I might just reward you. Now off with you.” With that, the Lossoth lumbered back into the bushes.

When Marreth returned to his ship, he gathered all of his crew for an announcement.
“Listen up mates, I have some new information here for all of you that will be very helpful in disposing of our new guests. The Elves plan on searching the Cave of the Dead tomorrow at sunrise for the Palantiri and we’ll be waiting for them. I want advance scouts to go ahead and make sure the coast is clear before the rest of us go in.” That way, thought Marreth, we won’t get suck into any ambushes, even if it was a trap. “I don’t want any fighting yet, just spying. We have to know our enemy and evaluate them. I want to know how many they number and how many weapons they have. Maybe we can give them a little surprise. Any questions?”

Marreth always asked if there were any questions at the end, and there never were. He always told the crew exactly what they needed to know and they never dared to ask anything else, at least to his face. His officers would speak with him privately if they wished.

“Good. Everyone get a good night’s sleep and no getting drunk on rum. We all need to be fully alert tomorrow. I fear we have a rough day ahead of us.”