[piosenniel]

'D@mn and double d@mned be those evil creatures who sent this storm' thought Pio as she slid into the churning glassy sea and the waves closed over her head.

She recalled the lessons her Falathrim cousins had given her and resurfaced quickly to take in a large breath of air. Then, slowing her breathing to almost nothing, she dove beneath the surface of the water and looked for Rose. She could see her nowhere, despite the repeated dives to increasing depths.

Pio resurfaced, and shook the water from her hair and face. The ocean seemed to have calmed somewhat, but it was difficult for her to get her bearings. She could not see the elven ship, a mist seemed to hang in the air, obscuring objects from her sight.

She floated on her back, securing a strand of kelp over her body to keep her from drifting. She needed to think clearly about what to do next.

Something soft and ticklish nuzzled the side of her neck, and she pushed against it thinking it a stray bit of kelp. Sharp teeth gently nipped her fingers, and she turned to face it, knife drawn.

'Is that any way to greet an old friend?!' spoke the brown eyed, sleek skinned face now grinning at her. 'You look as if you could use my help. Much like that larger creature who entered the sea before you, although she declined my offer'

She sheathed her knife and smiled at the seal-shaped creature with a human face that had drawn along side her - a selkie as they are called in the language of the Orcney Isles, gentle, playful creatures who were human on land and seals in the water.

'I could use your help (Garek isn't it, from Sule Skerry) if there are no strings attached to it', said Pio. 'I need to get back to that great white elven ship that was just in this area.'

The selkie turned to look off into the heavy mist, and shook his head 'no'. 'It's gone too far away for us to catch up to it now. Some great elven lady now commands its course and it obeys.'

Pio chewed her lip in consternation and thought hard about some alternate plan, but none came to her.

'But, you know,'continued the selkie, 'we are close to that other ship, the one with the lovely banner - the one the man fell off of.'

Pio turned on her belly and placed her hand on the lush fur of the selkie's back, and he bore her to the side of the catamaran safely, then dove and disappeared beneath the waves.

An elven hand came down from the side of the vessel and drew her aboard. She stood dripping, looking about the company for any sign of Mithadan. 'Where is he?', she asked. 'Has he come back?'

The crew shook their heads 'no', saying that they had hoped it had been him they had seen coming back toward their ship when she had appeared.

'Who's captain in his place?' asked Pio, seeing that the cat was anchored in just about the same position as she had seen it last. None of the twelve claimed that title, and looked at her, expectantly.

She sighed, and motioned all to gather about her. 'Last I knew, the elven ship was heading in a south-west direction, away from this vessel. We need to catch her and join our force to hers. Set a course in that direction, and let's set sail. Hobbits, please look for charts of this area. Men and dwarves - the oars as needed; and you elves, climb the masts to make repairs to the sails.'

'What about Mithadan?' cried some of the crew.

'We can not wait for him. We shall have to trust that the Valar look with some measure of grace upon him.'

She caught a hurrying hobbit as he ran by her. 'Take me to the captain's cabin.' she asked him. 'There are some things I need to find.

A quick search of the cabin(he was an exceedingly tidy and organized creature!) turned up Mith's other cell phone. She turned it on, and on a whim pressed #1 on speed dial. An irritated and ghastly voice croaked 'WHAT!' into the receiver. 'Oh, sorry, wrong number!' she said and pressed #2.

'Hello, Mith?!' came the groggy voice from the other cell. 'Is that you?'.

'No, Child it's me, Pio. I've taken command of the other vessel. Where the heck are you all?!'

[ June 14, 2002: Message edited by: piosenniel ]