[Rinfanawen]

Diera stood calmly, yet eagerly as well as she listened intently to Marreth's speech. The violent storm halted for the moment. Only the lingering sound of crashing waves against a battered ship could be heard, alongside her captain's powerful voice.

“The Elves plan on searching the Cave of the Dead tomorrow at sunrise for the Palantiri and we’ll be waiting for them,” said Marreth during his brief address to the crew.

Splendid... Diera thought. She could feel her fingers tighten with excitement as she thought of the pleasures of spying on a group of Elves. The most despicable creatures in Middle Earth, they are: she thought in hatred. so powerful and yet, so foolish.

“This is going to be fun,” Diera whispered to her fellow shipmate, Doyal, who stood beside her. Doyal nodded in agreement and quickly turned his attention back to Marreth. Diera did the same. The speech ended quite abruptly, as did most of Marreth’s speeches, and the crew dismissed throughout the ship. Diera stood for a while on deck thinking of the future plans. The thought of entering the Cave of the Dead chilled her bones, for she much despised the thought of stepping foot on that land again, but into a cave? She shuttered at the thought. Nevertheless, she was determined to get to the Palantiri first.

Diera was silent as she turned towards the shore. The Elven ship was within her vision, but she tried to forbid herself from looking at it. Each time she looked upon the curved formations and graceful details of the enemy vessel, she longed more and more for it to be the next day...the day the Elves go in the cave. She needed to be ready. She had to make sure that nothing would go wrong, that their plan would continue without a flaw.

Suddenly she was pulled from her concentrated state of mind by a tug on her sleeve. “Diera, you are needed on the starboard side,” said Doyal.

Diera nodded and began to follow Doyal across the ship, but as she did, she heard an interesting conversation taking place nearby. She could not see whom the voices belonged to. The only sight was a bit of swaying white fur from a coat of some sort above a few barrels that had been stacked on the deck. A mischievous smile crossed Diera’s face. The voices continued, and Diera made her way towards the barrels.

The voices clearly belonged to her captain and co-officer, Jarlyn. Diera bent just low enough behind the barrels so she could peer through the small gaps between them, without being seen herself. She listened carefully to the words being spoken.

“I am not a coward but I would prefer to keep my life,” said Jarlyn to Marreth. “I have already had contact with the dead—”

The words were cut off, and Diera new the reason. Clearly, Jarlyn opposed the idea of going into the cave, and who wouldn’t? Such a dreadful place it was. Any being in their right mind would not even consider entering the Cave of the Dead. The conversation continued.

“We must find the Stones,” Marreth said shortly.

”Fine. If you want to join part of the reason why the cave is called The Cave of the Dead that is fine by me,” Jarlyn said waspishly. “I suppose it's better to die this way instead of growing old and feeble.”

Ha! thought Diera. That’s what he thinks! I would much rather die old and feeble, as long as I was old and feeble aboard a ship...but to die in the Cave of the Dead? That would be horrible! It would be terrible! It would be...well, if it happens, then I guess it happens. Either way, we must get to those stones before the Elves lay their filthy hands on them. Suddenly a horrendous thought entered her mind. Who would be going ashore to spy on them? Surely, he would not choose me, Diera thought in almost complete confidence. Already I have suffered enough by being placed on land, but... She closed her eyes in disgust. If I must, if need calls for me to enter the cave, then so be it.

Seeing that the overheard conversation was coming to an end, Diera quickly left her position on the ground and made her way to the Starboard side of the ship. She would see Marreth about placement orders at another time.