[Rinfanawen]

"I am asking you to go and hide on the shore behind the rocks and the snow bluffs in one of the secluded groves."

Diera's heart jumped in glee at Marreth's words. Spying on the Elves again, are we? she thought. The rest of her captain's orders seemed like music to her ears, even if they were to camp on land again. It will be worth it all in the end, she constantly told herself. She soon returned to her cabin beneath deck.

She opened the door of her room quickly, smiling as she stepped inside. Diera stood over her bed, thinking of what she would need to bring with her. "You are to leave immediately," Marreth had said. Diera stared sideways in thought. No, there will be no time for packing. She picked up merely her long, leather cloak and hat. Both had somehow managed to dry in the elapsed time after the battle. Her small knife remained sheathed nicely within her boot. Her sword she left on her bed. Swords are not needed for spying, She thought, trying to comfort herself. She looked back at the sword upon exiting her cabin, almost going back to take the weapon. She shook her head. Turning away once more, she shut the door of her cabin and walked to the deck.

Doyal and another trusted shipmate of hers were already waiting on deck. Diera gestured a ‘hello’ as she approached. Soon after, Jynne appeared from below deck, looking rather unsteady in his walk. Diera looked at him curiously. Her thoughts returned to a few nights ago when Marreth spoke to her about Jynne. Her captain himself had warned her of Jynne’s suspicious deeds, and now she was beginning to see them herself. Diera stared at Jynne. A thousand questionable comments went through her head to say to him, but she remained silent. A time for inquiring would come later. Their small group departed soon after.

The group quickly rowed to shore. Quickly they rowed, but quietly as to not draw attention to themselves. Diera stepped onto the earthy soil of the land with much hesitation. Ever since that cold night on the ice, she could not keep from thinking of her parents. She sighed. Don’t go there, she thought as she stepped off the boat. The rest of her crew was already on shore. She looked up at them with soft eyes.

“Let’s go,” she said. Her voice quivered and squeaked as she spoke, but she quickly cleared her throat and repeated the phrase in a more commanding tone.

The land was deathly quiet, apart from their own light footsteps. They were the only Corsairs to be found, and no Elf had been seen leaving the ship. The air was cold. It blew through what thin clothes they wore until it froze even the tiny hairs on their arms. Diera could sense the frost was coming. She could smell it in the air, as if snow had already touched the ground.

Their slow, cautious pace was quickened as they came nearer to the location of the Elven ship. Diera bent low behind a few patches of shrubs in the secluded area Marreth had pointed out. The Elven ship could clearly be seen, but nothing unusual was taking place at the moment. A light wind began to blow. Diera held her wide-brimmed, brown hat over her head as she peered out towards the deck of the hideously graceful ship. Soon a few Elves appeared in her view, followed a rather large crowd of Elves.

Diera closely watched the interesting scene that was taking place on the ship. The attention of every Elf and pro-Elf Lossoth was fixed upon a certain Elf in the middle, named Luindal, who seemed to be of a high order. Diera watched as the Elf spoke words she could not hear. Luindal then singled out an Elf of whom she did not know. Luindal spoke more words to the crowd, acknowledging the other Elf through the whole speech. Diera sighed. For the first time, she wished she had the vision of Elven eyes so she could at least try to make out what was being said. She soon let the absurd thought flee from her mind as she waited to see what would happen next.