[piosenniel]

Night passed uneventfully on the Star. Pio had kept watch the greater part of it. Sleep would not come. Her thoughts raced over details that must be gotten into place.

'Only eight days until the Teleri come.' she sighed to herself. 'So little time! So little time.'

Khelek had come on deck, bringing with him a cup of tea for her. She thanked him, and asked him to stay and talk with her a while. She told him of her plans to go to the caves. He didn't seem surprised, only shook his head at her, and smiled as if he had expected her to say this. 'You should have called me to stand watch, Pio. You look tired. You could have used the rest.'

'There are too many details to think of now, Khelek. Even in dreams the endless lists of things to be done march by!' She looked at him closely, and smiled. 'There is a thing I need done. Started today, in fact. Will you do this for me, since you are so well rested?' He grinned, and said he supposed he would.

'I am going to speak with Cami and Rose, and with the Hobbrim woman, Andril. This morning, actually, before I leave.' She punched him lightly on the shoulder, though hard enough to make him wince. 'The Star has few fighting men of your caliber, Sir Elf!'

She grinned back at him. ' I want you to take all the able bodied hobbrim under your tutelage. You will need to go down to the ship's armory and bring up the weapons we have stored there. Mithadan has been so kind as to have sorted them for us, but I need someone to begin to teach whoever can bear a weapon, how to hold the weapon of choice, how to defend one's self, and how to attack. I know it will be only a rudimentary education in arms, but it will greatly enhance our chances of being successful in the rescue. I think you can mostly focus them on getting the hobbits to the ships safely. Have Mithadan help you if he will. Make sure he shows the hobbrim how the hobbits might use the floating devices and how the hobbrim might help ferry the hobbits and whatever else is needed to and from the ships.' He nodded at her, and said he would find Cami and speak to her about this.

Pio laughed. 'You're in luck! Here they come now. Let's get you and them started this morning if we can.' She hailed the trio and walked toward them with Khelek.

'How tired she looks!' thought Cami. 'And how thin.' She frowned as she looked at her friend, and started to speak. But the Elf cut her off, saying that she hadn't much time, and would she please speak with Khelek about something very important to the mission. Khelek stepped forward and began to talk about the need for the hobbrim to be involved in the actual mission, and that such involvement meant arming themselves. He gathered the trio together and asked them to come down to the armory to help pick out what might be usable for the hobbrim.

Cami looked over her shoulder at the retreating Elf, a look of concern on her face. Then she was hurried downstairs by the insistent urges of Rose.

Pio went to the stern and looked down at the waters below. They looked cold, and uninviting. Barefoot, and dressed only in light, short breeches and a sleeveless, undershirt, she shivered at the thought of another long swim.

'Are you cold,Pio? Can I get your cloak for you?' came the soft voice in the shadows behind her. She turned and heard a sniffle and a long sigh.

'Kali?' she said, crouching down. 'Have you been crying?' She held out her arms to him and he came to her, burying his face against her neck. She could feel the warm tears on her skin, and held him tightly until they stopped.

'Oh, Pio! I have been here all night. Mithadan told me about Daisy yesterday, and I am so worried about her, and so sad. I feel so helpless here on the ship.'

She held him at arms length, searching his face. 'You feel just the way that I do, Kali. We both love her.' The hobbrim nodded his assent, not taking his eyes from Pio. 'Perhaps we can help each other, then. Do you think that you can follow my lead and do as I ask you to do?' 'I can.' he said.

'Then here is what I would like you to do. I had thought to swim to the caves today, seeking information. But if you will help me, I think we can take the skiff at least near to the mouth of the river. There are some oyster beds not too far from it and the coast overhangs here and there, affording some places in which to hide. Once to the oyster beds, then we must tie off the skiff and you must remain hidden while I go upriver. I will be there late into the night, and you must not worry. I will return to you. Then you must help bring the skiff back to the Star.' She looked at him closely again. 'It would be a great help to me if you would do this for me.'

'I can do this for you!' said the hobbrim, throwing his arms around her. He noted the grave look on her face, as he anwered her. 'I will stay by the skiff and hide, as you wish, Pio. I will wait for you.' She smiled at him. 'I thank you then.' she said to him. 'Now if you will be so kind as to get my cloak as you offered, we will be off.'

Kali was soon back, and they climbed down to one of the small skiffs. Pio placed her cloak lightly about her shoulders and bent to the oars. Kali swam before her, the towline pulled taut. They made good time, at a leisurely pace, and by early evening had come to a place along the coast where they would be hidden.

She shook off her cloak and folded it neatly, stowing it beneath the seat. Kali tied the skiff securely to a rock, and watched her as she checked that her knives were secure, then lowered herself into the water.

'Wait for me!' she said, again to him. He nodded and slipped into the shadows, barely visible. He watched her as she swam against the setting sun to the Siril.

[ October 12, 2002: Message edited by: piosenniel ]