[Alkanoonion]

******HARAD/UMBAR******

It was a hot day and Herumir was in a foul mood. He had just received confirmation that a Corsair ship had slipped out from Umbar a day before, intending to pillage along the river in South Gondor. Such actions would jeopardize any chances for revitalizing the coffee trade. As of yet no word had arrived from Fuinur, the King of Leowenna, who was to travel with Herumir up the bay and the Anduin towards Minas Anor.

Before they could sail, however, they needed to travel swiftly to Umbar to stop the rebellion by the Corsairs who had been ordered by the local Council to turn over all ships, but had refused. Herumir had ordered a battalion of Olipaunts to be prepared for an attack on Umbar. To make the attack successful, Herumir needed Fuinur and his men to assault the city from the opposite side.

Just then a man entered. The man was tall and dark skinned, with short-cropped black hair. He was wearing bright red pantaloons and his chest was covered in many tattoos. Herumir recognised the man as Seth, the personal servant of Fuinur the King of Leowenna. “Finally” said Herumir “what news from Fuinur?”

“Mighty King Fuinur sends his greetings and a message that he will arrive shortly with a small force. His men will be ready to depart for Umbar within the hour”.

Just then a large tall man with dark skin, long braided black hair and piercing black eyes entered. The man was wearing bright yellow loose flowing pantaloons, with a matching tunic that was slit at either side, leaving his chest bare. His chest was also covered in tattoos and he had a golden chain with an emerald on the end. As he walked into the room he called out, “Herumir you old dog, how are you? Do you believe that Elessar, as if one meeting will make all of the world's worries disappear?”

“Finally Fuinur, what kept you?”

Fuinur looked at Herumir and smiled, “I heard rumours that a rebellion was going on in Umbar, so I stoped to gather a small force just in case we need them.”

Herumir laughed, his earlier foul mood disappearing as one more problem was solved. “Great, how soon can you leave?”

“I can leave now if you need. What's the plan?”

Herumir looked at Fuinur and said
“First, I need you to circle the city and attack from the opposite side at dawn tomorrow. Secondly, under cover of darkness I need a smaller force to board and hold the ships to stop them making a run for open sea once the fighting starts. Once the city is secure, we seize control of a ship. Then we'll find and stop the ship that sailed yesterday.