[Envinyatar]

The Corsairs flee Dol Amroth . . .

A messenger had come looking for Yr Saldan, and when he couldn’t find him he had spoken with several of the guards stationed at the outer entrances. They assured him Saldan had not left the palace, and grew concerned when he said he could find no where. The captain of the palace guard called for ten of his men to spread out in pairs and seek Yr Saldan.

The two who found him came running back, faces pale, to the captain. They described the scene and that Yr Saldan was indeed dead. ‘Someone has taken the prisoners from the tower . . . the two children.’

‘Jem,’ asked the captain, ‘is he dead also?’ The guards said they could not find the young man. The captain frowned at this answer wondering what really had gone on. He sent messengers to run to the harbor. The captains who remained in port were to be brought quickly to the palace. A decision must now be made on what to do.

*******

And hour later, they gathered in the garden, Yr Saldan’s body had been wrapped in a tarp and brought down to the foyer. The conference was brief; none of the captains wanted to assume the position that Yr Saldan had placed himself in, nor did they want to stay land bound any longer.

One of the older men spoke up. ‘We have plenty of loot and new conscripts to man the ships. I say we torch the docks and set sail south.’ ‘I agree!’ came the chorus of agreements.’ The older captain spoke up again. ‘We can meet up with Khazdifir and Narwen.’ He looked around at the garden they stood in. ‘This place is closing in on me. Give me the open sea, the rhythm of the waves, and a fair breeze to take us home!’

*******

At sunrise, they were ready to leave. The wooden structures on the quay had been spread with pitch and set ablaze. Now men with pitchy brands boarded the empty ships of Dol Amroth and set the masts and sails on fire. It was a red and smoky scene that they bid a brief farewell to. They turned their faces to the west at last and set sail out of the little bay. Not one looked back.

And when they were well out to sea, sailing south, they raised their blades in salute as Yr Saldan’s body, weighted down with rocks taken from the jetty at Dol Amroth, slid from the plank and sank beneath the waves.

[ March 31, 2003: Message edited by: Envinyatar ]