[Envinyatar]

Sailing to Minas Anor took less time than expected. The wind was with them, and the sleek ship cut through the opposing current easily. Soon the port of Harlond was in view, and Hafez brought the ‘merchant’ ship in.

The quay had an uneasy feeling about it. Tense, though there was not much activity. Unusual, since this was the major trading port for Gondor. Hafez was mildly alarmed at the number of guard troops with spears and staves bristling who patrolled the area, faces grim, eyes sharp.

‘Stay aboard,’ he cautioned his crew, ‘and most of you stay below. Do not speak with the guard or any officials unless you are hailed, and even then pretend ignorance and call for me. I will not be far from the ship.’

Hafez pulled a black cloak about his merchant’s outfit and strode down the plank to the rough dock. A few questions to several of those near the ship, and he found directions to the Harbor Master’s office. The Harbor Master, himself, was grim faced and distracted.

It was not a good time for trading he warned Hafez. The city was in near chaos. The King had been kidnapped, and there were evil stirrings in Minas Anor. Rumors were flying that a creature of Shadow had come to claim the White City for his own. Hafez made the appropriate surprised and frightened remarks, thanking the man for his advice. He could scarce conceal his grin as he turned and strode quickly back to his ship.

‘Cast off!’ he cried, just barely aboard. ‘We have the information we need. Now we must fly back to Khazdifir.’

************************************************** ***********

Captain Narwen had delivered the directive from Yr Saldan to Khaz. And now the two Captains and their combined fleet of eleven ships set sail up the Anduin. They did not stop, but sailed on during the night, hurrying against the strong current as quickly as they might.

About two days south of the port of Harlond, they were met by Hafez. They anchored for the night and held a conference to discuss a plan of attack. They would use the boxes again to hold the armed men and place them strategically about the dock. At a signal, the men would burst from them and overwhelm the guards. Most of their looting would occur on the first three tiers – the second one being filled with trade shops. A small group of men would stay near the three ships tied to the dock and defend them. The other ships would be deployed in the river nearer the city.

‘We will dock in the evening,’ said Khaz, pointing to the port on the river. ‘Deploy the other ships here, here, and here. Hit the high end trade shops and the jewel and goldsmiths first, then the shops that sell the fine cloths. Take as much as you can, and do not linger. Should the Shadowed one already have made his move, we will move a small force up to the seventh tier and seek out the treasury, if we can.’ He looked closely round the table at his assembled captains. ‘Two days at the most, is all I want. A nice tight operation with as little bloodshed as possible. Then we set sail south to Yr Saldan.’

The next morning at first light, eleven merchant ships were bound for the White City. Their white sails unfurled in the early morning breezes, they plowed up the river toward their target . . .