[Mithadan]

Levanto's news was ill-starred; Daisy imprisoned and more guards being posted at the caverns. Mithadan rubbed his forehead and closed his eyes for a moment. Then he returned to the rail and cried out "Levanto!"

The Mer-Man returned to the surface and approached the ship. "Yes, Mithadan?"

"When you return to the caverns, we need to find out one thing," said the Man. "We need to know when Daisy will be released. If she remains imprisoned at the time of the rescue, we may need to make specific plans to assure her safety." Levanto nodded tiredly and sank below the waves again.

Mithadan stood by the rail, looking toward the North with a frown upon his face. Then he turned and went below decks. He halted before Rose's cabin and knocked on the door. After a moment, the Hobbit opened the door, blinking away sleep from her bleary eyes.

"I have a task for you Rose," he began. In the foremost port side storage hold, you will find rolls of greased cloth. We use it to make emergency repairs of small breaches in the hull. Take two rolls and locate the sturdiest needles and sail thread that you can find. We will need shears and hot pitch as well. Ask the Hobbrim elders for help. Have you paper and ink?"

She nodded and returned to the door with paper, ink and a quill. Mithadan knelt and drew quickly what was to be made with the cloth and handed the drawing to Rose. She looked at it without understanding but nodded. "I will begin immediately," she said.

Mithadan then proceeded to the Hobbrims' quarters and found Kali chatting with his new cousins. "Kali, can you come with me please?" he asked. The Hobbrim accompanied him back up to the deck. Sitting on a barrel, Mithadan took a deep breath and looked Kali in the eyes. "Kali, we have news from the caverns. Daisy has helped us greatly, but she has encountered a problem." He related briefly what Levanto had told him of Daisy's efforts and her imprisonment.

"No!" cried Kali. "She must be saved! I must help her!" The Hobbrim stood and hopped up to the nearby rail, preparing to dive into the water. Mithadan leaped forward and caught Kali out of mid-air, holding him tightly as he squirmed and fought to get away from the Man's grip.

"Kali, no!" he cried. "We believe she is safe for now. We cannot allow you to risk yourself by attempting a brash rescue. If she is in danger, I promise you we will save her." Kali ceased his wriggling and settled down in the Man's arms. He looked up at Mithadan with tearful eyes.

"If it were Piosenniel in prison, wouldn't you rush off to rescue her?" moaned the Hobbrim.

Mithadan held Kali close for a moment, then released him. Their eyes met again. "Yes," he answered. "But I would think things through first. A dead man cannot accomplish a rescue." Kali whimpered and closed his eyes. Mithadan took him by the shoulders and said firmly, "If she is at risk, we will save her. I promise." Kali opened his eyes and looked at the Man. "I promise!" he repeated...

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Later that day, Mithadan came on deck to find Rose and several Hobbrim busily cutting pieces of cloth and sewing them together. A small stack of the finished materials had already accumulated. It was a hot morning and Rose was sweating as she worked. Seeing Mithadan, she stood and walked over to him.

"We've made about 10 of these things already," she said. "How many do you need."

"Perhaps 20 more for now, maybe more later," he replied.

"What are these things?" asked the Hobbit.

Mithadan smiled enigmatically. Motioning her to follow, he took one and carried it down to the galley where a pot of pitch was being heated. Taking up a brush, he spread pitch along each of the seams of Rose's creations and waited while it cooled. Then he brought the sack to his mouth, bunching up the open end and blew into it until it had inflated. He deftly tied off the open end and dabbed more pitch into the opening.

Then Mithadan headed back up to the deck followed by a curious and slightly annoyed Rose. Going to the rail, he threw the sack overboard. It bobbed on the surface a few feet from the boat. Then, to Rose's surprise, he leaped in after it. Mithadan swam over to the sack and threw his arms over it. The sack supported him on the surface. He kicked back towards the Star and shouted up to Rose, "These are bladders. They will support those who do not swim well and can be used to carry things which are heavy or should not get wet. We can use these to carry things into the caverns and to carry Hobbits out!"

[ October 11, 2002: Message edited by: Mithadan ]