[Mithadan]

Mithadan watched the rapidly shrinking silhouette of the dragon as she sped off towards Beleriand. He sipped at a cup of fortified wine and squinted as Angara disappeared in the distance. For a long time, he remained at the rail, absent-mindedly tracing patterns on the dark wood with a finger. Then abruptly, as if he could remain still no more, he drew out a knife and sank it deep into the railing. He shook his head and drew a hand over his eyes, then down his face until his fingers encountered the beginnings of a beard which had sprouted during his long sleep. Yanking the knife from the wood, he examined the blade as if debating whether to shave with it. At that moment, Tule came up behind him and spoke.

"You are restless, Mithadan," he said. "What ails you?"

"I would have liked to have gone with Angara," he replied. "If only to set my blade into the chests of some orcs to honour the memory of a fallen comrade. I also worry about Child and Rose and the evil that they must have suffered."

"Angara has enough to do without carrying an additional burden," laughed Tule. "And can you think of no better way to do honour to your friend than to spill blood?"

"Maybe, once time has passed, I might write something in her honour, but words fail me now. It is too soon and I still grieve at her death." He shook his head. "This does no good. I should prepare for the return of Angara, Bird and the Hobbits -- if nothing goes wrong this time. Perhaps I should prepare a meal. They would like that."

"They would," agreed Tule.

Mithadan sighed. "I always envisioned the beauty of Beleriand when I heard tales of the First Age. But now I can taste the depths of the sadness of the Noldor and I do not like the flavour. The tales will be different for me now."

"Yet the tales are great and full of valour as well as sadness," replied the Elf. "We stand at the edge of great deeds and the end of a dark evil. Look and rejoice!"

Mithadan looked up at the sky. Far above a radiant star was moving quickly towards the Northeast. As it passed, it grew brighter rather than dimmer and appeared to move lower in the sky. The Man nodded in salute to his ancestor...