[Marileangorifurnimaluim]

**** Harad/Umbar - Gramil ****

Gramil scattered the stones marking Ethar and Garlin's direction east, a precaution he hadn't bothered with elsewhere. His thoughts centered on his last visit to Nurn, and at last shook the dark vision out of his head. That was during the war. There were no orcs in Nurn now, he thought. Surely conditions were better. But since his last expedition and retirement there had been no word. That alone gave him pause.

"Fatal?" Jarl asked softly, his face serious. "Perhaps you should tell me what you know."

"Let's not borrow trouble," Gramil flashed his quick smile. "It might be nothing."

For a moment Jarl thought Gramil wasn't going to answer, but as they mounted their oliphaunts and lumbered east, Gramil began a sing-song chant. Jarl realized after a moment that it was a story, the history of Nurn. It told of the fall of Sauron in the second age, and of prospectors from Rhun daring that accursed land in their search for Sauron's gold. Mines were built and abandoned. A shadow lay on the land, and gold was left open in the sluice. But the settlers in the rich vales of the Sea of Nurn persisted, locking their doors at night and warding off the curse of that land with what simple charms they knew. And they prospered, though no council or kingdom lasted for long where the Dark Lord once held sway.

[ October 19, 2002: Message edited by: Marileangorifurnimaluim ]