[Envinyatar]

The waters had been quiet these past few days. Hafez had brought the Windrunner and the other five ships just off the western tip of Tol Falas. Decked out as merchant ships, they bobbed peacefully on the waters near the small dock at that end of the island. He stood at the railing of the helm deck, his eye glass in hand, scanning the waters to the north and south. No ships had entered the waters from either direction in the past two days. And the only traffic around between the isle and the mouths of the island had been a small number of fishing boats on their daily journey to fill their holds with fish.

Khazdifir came up beside him. A breeze had sprung up, riffling the feathered earring hanging in the captain’s ear. ‘Anything?’ he asked Hafez. He frowned when Hafez shook his head ‘no’. Khaz was growing restless from the onus of daily inactivity. He turned his head, looking speculatively at this first mate.

‘How would you like to go on a scouting mission for me?’ Hafez said nothing, waiting for Khaz to continue. The captain gripped the railing and peered eastward, as if he could see beyond the isle and into the mouths of the great river. ‘Take Tariq and his ship, and make your way in all haste up the Anduin to the White City. Make contact with some of the merchants. Be my eyes and ears to what is happening there. I want to know if the Prince and his fleet will sail this way soon.’

That evening, under a slender crescent of a moon, the small ‘merchant’ ship made its way to the entrance to the river, and began to make its way upriver against the current. Men were stationed on either side of the bow to note the presence of any ships or larger settlements of men. At each watch they would report back to the captain or to Hafez with their findings which were duly noted on the map just taking form as they sailed northeast.