[Adanedhel]

****DALE - Rira****

Captain Rira was happy to be on a boat again sailing down the Anduin, feeling the breeze in his hair and barking orders to the crew mates running the ship as well as they could.
He watched the crew as they went about their various tasks and Rira was fairly impressed with their efficiency and speed at which they did their jobs, and just as impressed with the Elves in the crow's nest whose magnificant sight was a blessing to any Captain.

'First Mate Bram!'

Rira yelled, standing at the cabin wheel,

'Make ready to cut the sails!'

Rira stood, legs slightly apart both hands on the cabin wheel listening as Bram relayed the message onto the crew of the ship. As he gazed ahead he instinctively looked up to the crow's nest and made sure that the look out was still there.
He pulled his attention away from the crow's nest as Bram came up to him and stood next to him, Rira looked over and said;

'We're moving at a steady rate, maybe too fast for this river. Cutting the sails will slow us down a knot or too but still keep us going at a fast enough rate on the current'

Bram nodded knowingly with a thoughtful look on his face, Rira smiled and said.

'Don't worry too much about not getting there on time, i have been sailing up and down this river nearly all my life and can get you there as fast as you want. The only problem is the portage we need to do before the falls of Rauros'

Rira paused for a moment and stared ahead of the boat willing himself to see any hidden dangers ahead.

'We will make a short stop over in Lorien, though i am not sure if we can stay long, maybe a day and a half at the most'

He still looked ahead eyes firmly fixed on the river beyond the bow and his calloused hands firmly on the cabin wheel, guiding the ship down the river....

[ October 30, 2002: Message edited by: Adanedhel ]