[piosenniel]

Rôg breathed a quiet sigh of relief as the sunlight found its way into the darkness of the cavern. His left arm wasn’t hurting as badly as it had been, or so it seemed. It had stopped bleeding, thanks to the bandage and herbs Freyn had applied, and if truth be told, the man from the South was so cold that he really couldn’t tell any longer if it pained him or no. Luindal and another of the Elves had dragged him up to a ledge, safe from the waters below. The injured Elf woman was there also, her brother crouched down close to her, trying to keep her warm.

The loose rock on the ledge was beginning to dig into his right side, and he sat up hoping to ease that discomfort. His head spun a little as he did so, and he would have fallen from the ledge save for the Elf Luindal had stationed to keep watch over him. From his vantage point he could see the two Elf brothers and the Lossoth who had been searching with them. They were all still engaged in trying to clear the fallen rock from the entrance. Rôg found it interesting to consider how so much rock had fallen so neatly in front of the cavern’s entrance. Surely they could not have just decided to all let loose their moorings and come tumbling down . . . and if it had been some quaking of the earth, why hadn’t they felt it more strongly in the cavern . . . wouldn’t the ground beneath their feet have been trembling, cracks open, and the rocks in the cavern fall down?

In the back of the cavern, he noted there was a small group of Elves and several of the Lossoth. Two of the Elves were talking in an animated manner, the one holding the lit brand gesturing wildly with it – pointing often toward the water. Rôg could see the looks on the faces of the other Elves and Lossoth concerned were grim. ‘What is going on down there?’ he asked of the Elf near him. The Elf climbed down to the floor on the cavern, the water was now mid-thigh as he made his way to where Rôg had pointed.

Rôg could see two of the Elves at the back put their arms about the one who had been gesturing and drag him gently, but firmly, away from the area. They were shaking their heads in a resigned manner. As they moved out of the way, Rôg could see the three Lossoth all in each others’ arms, looking as if they were about to wail. And indeed an eerie keening sound began, spiraling round the cavern in sorrowful waves. Luindal could be seen hurrying toward where the commotion had begun. Rôg could see him speaking quietly to the Lossoth and to the stricken Elf.

‘It is as I feared,’ said Rôg’s companion as he climbed back up to where the skinchanger sat. The Elf’s face was grim, lined with sadness. ‘The rising tide has completely flooded the smaller caverns that lead off the main cave. In the darkness and the confusion of the rockslide, we did not notice that two of the searchers had gone missing. One of the crew, and the Lossoth who was his search partner never came out of the back cavern they had gone down into. With the water this high, their cavern will be flooded. We cannot reach the Elf with our thoughts. He is gone. And the Lossoth, too is surely lost . . .’

Rôg’s heart lurched . . . surely he had gone down that tunnel and warned those two . . . there had been so many . . . he had tried to be careful . . . this could not be . . .

There were cries from the front of the cavern. Annû was waving wildly at those away from the cavern’s entrance. His brother had seen the long boats tie up to the large rocks near the cave. The crew were already climbing the rocks that blocked the cave’s entrance, tools in hand . . .

‘They are here!’ cried Carrandû in a loud voice. The sounds of the crew and their implements could be heard working at the stony impasse . . .