[Regin Hardhammer]

Marreth pushed a heap of snow over the hole he had just dug with his ice pick and then evened it out to cleverly conceal all evidence of his meddling. The Corsairs and their Lossoth allies had riddled the snow-covered ground with a number of such holes. By tomorrow, a thin icy covering would freeze over the top of them. When the Elves came, some of their party would walk right over them and then with a crack fall through. The current underneath would drag them under the ice, where they would drown. The rest, Marreth planned to ambush during the confusion and send them to an early grave: no more meddlesome Elves putting their perfect long noses where they didn’t belong.

Their labor complete, Marreth addressed his crew, “Good job mates. Now we rest until tomorrow when the Elves arrive. At dawn, we conceal ourselves in the snow and wait for the enemy. If we have done our job with these holes, many of the Elves will fall through. During the commotion, we spring out and attack them while their guard is down. We shall not stop until they are all dead. Now get some rest.”

Marreth noticed that Jarlyn did not seem to look well. His face was pallid and he was shivering slightly. Marreth approached his friend and said calmly, “You don't seem well. Get some sleep. I don't want you to get any worse. I can’t afford to lose one of my most trusted officers. Here," he said gruffly, "I've an extra blanket you can take." He pushed it towards Jarlyn and then barked out an order in Jynne's direction. "Give Jarlyn a hand. Start a fire and get some broth heated to take the chill from his bones.""

With those stern words, Marreth retired to the ice hut he had made the day before. They had been careful to chose a hidden location back from the Bay where the Elves would be less likely to find them. Settling in for the night, Marreth mused that it was only a matter of time before they were rid of those pesky intruders for good. Just before he fell alseep, one of the Corsair sentries brought him news that their visitors had made it north and settled in less than a quarter mile south of their own encampment. Good, thought Marreth, they're here early so we have less time to wake. We'll get up early and be ready for them......