[Child of the 7th Age]

"Aye, aye, and thank you," Luindal responded with a sheepish grin. The Elf hastily regained his bearings and again leapt to his feet, all the while continuing to talk to Rôg but keeping his broadsword aimed squarely at Marreth's chest. "And remind me if I am ever foolish enough to try to make you angry. For someone who professes not to have skill with a weapon, you certainly pack a powerful wallop."

Within a few moments, a rope had been retrieved and Marreth trussed up like a fallen stag who was to be carted home as a prize from the hunt. The Corsair was taken from the ship and brought over to the Spirit in full sight of his own crew. He was to be imprisoned in the brig until he could be brought back to Cirdan for judgment. From that moment onward, the tide of battle quickly shifted. Once the Corsairs saw that their Captain had been captured, their will to resist was implacably weakened. The fact that both Jarlynn and Diera had earlier met their demise meant that the pirates had no other officers to step forward and lead them. The Elves quickly gained control of the helm and began securing the weapons of those who had been fighting.

Luindal was in a quandry what to do with those who remained alive. There were too many to take as prisoners on his own vessel. Nor did he have the heart to slaughter unarmed men, even those who had caused great mischief and brought about the deaths of his crew. Yet if he scuttled their ship, the pirates might head for the shore and wreck vengeance on the Snowmen who had allied with the Elves. And what was to be done with the Lossoth allies who had fought for the Corsairs, some willingly and others out of fear?

In the end it was decided to set the Lossoth adrift in small boats to go back to their homes. The Elders would be free to devise whatever punishment they chose. Alakhseey had whispered that it was not the normal way for Snowmen to fight Snowmen. It was likely they would be forced to turn over any booty. Their activities would be closely watched but they would probably be allowed to resume their normal lives.

Luindal had come to the reluctant conclusion that the Corsair ship could not be scuttled. The sails would be stripped down and the mast disabled. It would be some time before the necessary repairs could be made to allow the vessel to sail. But at least the prospect of having their own seaworthy ship should keep the men from wanton destruction; the weather was also on Luindal's side. It was almost winter, when the Bay would freeze over. If the Corsairs applied themselves day and night for the next week, they should be able to finish the needed repairs and slip out of the Bay, heading south. Any needless delay or military detours, and they would become victims of the relentless ice and snow.

"But what if they do make it out? What will they do after they head South?" one of the Elves had pressed. "They could wreck havoc on innocent folk."

"You could be right," Luindal acknowledged. "But , with Marreth out of the way, they won't have the skill or tactics to be very successful. And we're leaving them with only the most meager of weapons. I admit this whole setup doesn't make me comfortable. But slaughtering unarmed men is something I can't do. And neither the Lossoth or we have the means to imprison such a large group of men."

There was some muttering and complaints but Luindal had made up his mind and refused to listen to any further grumbles. "And the Palantiri ?" other Elves had asked.

"I've already been in contact with Cirdan, " Luindal confided. "And he with Elessar. The two Stones are to be delivered to the Havens and then brought to the West on one of the ships."

Once the Corsair ship had been disabled and set adrift, and the Lossoth dispatched in another direction, Luindal went about the sad task of having the crew say their goodbyes to many of the men who had been lost in the fighting. It was not an easy job for him or for his crew. Those returning to the Havens were far fewer in number than those who had sailed north just a short time before.

Perhaps, when I return to the Havens, Luindal mused, I will have some Elf skilled with verse sing of the bravery of Annu and Carrandu for never have I seen two brothers who shared so much with each other, a bond that has endured even after death. With that, Luindal went off on his own and began considering what his own part should be after they arrived at the Havens with the Stones. For should he continue to follow the path of the Stones returning to be with his own family, or tarry further in Middle-earth?