The storm had indeed been a powerful one, moving the ship swiftly westward, like a seabird through the air, about four hundred miles off the coast from Vinyalondë. When day broke, fair and clear the following morning, there was no coastline visible, only open sea and gentle waves.
Bird and Veritas lay in exhausted slumber on the helm deck, having covered themselves with a tarp. Pio stood at the helm with Kali beside her, Daisy being still asleep in the cabin. The elf had lashed the wheel in position to hold them on a westward course, and was using the sextant and compass to determine the location of the ship. Kali looked askance at the intruments, wondering how these two pieces of metal knew where they were. Pio explained their workings as she went along, but still it puzzled him.
His wondering was cut short by the arrival of Mithadan on deck, who looked as if the rough, stormy seas had kept him up most of the night.
Mithadan looked toward the now long gone coast, then at the compass, and frowned.
'Where in Arda are we?', he asked, taking a look at the navigational charts. 'And why are we heading West?'
[ July 23, 2002: Message edited by: piosenniel ]
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Eldest, that’s what I am . . . I knew the dark under the stars when it was fearless - before the Dark Lord came from Outside.
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