[Mithalwen]

Erenor mused on Faerim's idea and cast her mind back to the distant days when she had learnt to scout and track for fun - fate had not required her to use woodcraft much for real, her status meant that she was invariably accompanied by elves skilled as rangers. Angore was a fine guide across country or through wood but these tunnels seemed to be affecting him, she thought. And of course the deaths of Gaeredhel and Rosgollo had affected him ... the whole wretched episode. Erenor was aware that their guard opened his mind seldom but she tried to reach him with her thought nonetheless. He was unreachable but she hoped that his bitterness and misery would not blind him completely. She also hoped that Berethil would not insist on joining the advance party. If they met trouble the unarmed woman would be a liability but if she remained they could communicate with the main group by thought quickly and silently.

"when we track in woods we leave signs. In these tunnels it will be necessary only to mark junctions. We will not need much material .. or maybe it would be possible to mark the stone somehow". She looked at the walls and tested them with the blade of her short knife..... the fine line could be maybe it would be enough... but she doubted it . Then out of the recesses of her memory a fact emerged. The Noldor, alone of the elves shared the dwarvish delight in metalwork. "Chalk! - see if there is any chalk around" she ordered .

"My lady Erenor, I don't think that there will be - these walls are hard stone" said the captain.

"Not in the walls! Around", The elf was at her most imperious, impatient that what now seemed obvious to her was lost on the others. " The dwarves worked metal here didn't they? Chalk is used as a flux when smelting copper and iron... " Erenor realised this was not the moment for a lecture on metal production " the dwarves would have needed it in quantity and they are unlikely to have taken it with them - I think we just passed some work shops - perhaps you could send a couple of your ...men back to have a look?"
Men! boys scarce out of babyhood who made Faerim look like a hardened warrior... nevertheless the lad was bright, and brave. There was somehing about him she liked and she gave him a quick smile while they waited for the boys to return. She would have to be careful though since it might do him no good to be seen overmuch as an elvish protege.

After a few minutes the lads returned with handfulls of soft white stone. "You see Captain? Chalk " said Erenor taking a pocketful before advancing, sword drwn into the tunnel.