[piosenniel]

Rôg stayed with Luindal for a while, talking over the Captain’s change in plans for continuing the search. ‘I think you’re right in switching where we should be hunting for the palantiri,’ Rôg said. ‘We’ve had no luck on land . . . and if you remember, I had an idea about how we could go about finding and bringing them up. Of course, you’ll need to have full use of that arm of yours.’ Rôg chuckled and was about to make some joke when he heard a strange sound. The herbal tea that Freyn had given Luindal to ease the pain had taken effect it seemed and much to the skinchanger’s surprise, the Elf had fallen asleep and was snoring. He covered the Captain with a thick fur and left him to his dreams.

The wounded had been treated by the healers and all the company had filled their bellies with good food and hot tea. Rôg could see the guards that Luindal had set about the perimeter of the camp, their weapons in hand, eyes alert to any dangers. He felt secure as he marked their presence. And there was Carandû he noted, keeping watch over the prisoner. A thought niggled at the back of his mind as he saw the Elf talking to the Lossoth elder. Something he meant to remember before the Corsairs had attacked. He tried to review the sequence of events, but his thoughts were muzzy, his mind and body dead tired from the exertions of the day. He gave up trying to remember and headed off for some rest, himself.

~*~

Rôg was late in getting up the next day. The Elves were up and about, already getting everything and everyone ready to go back to the ship. Luindal was overseeing the move and looking as if he felt much better, though from time to time his hand strayed to his injured arm, rubbing it. The group tramped further down the beach to where the longboats could come in close to the shore. Then, the wounded were loaded into the boats first and taken back to the ship.

Last to go was Luindal who stayed to make sure everyone had gotten off the beach. As a measure of respect for the fallen he came back in the last boat, behind which trailed the smaller craft that bore the bodies of the dead.