Hunt for the Palantíri RPG

[Taralphiel]

Freyn listened to all the Captain had to say, and slowly mulled it around in his head. The nights sleep had brought him little to ease his weariness, and his thoughts quickly became muddled. But, he could think of nothing to add in the way of a judgement, so silent he sat.

After all was said, he slowly made his way up on deck and peered about. The strng breeze seemed to clear his senses somewhat, and he smiled as he saw the other ships lightly bobbing about the waters.

'I think the Captain knows what is best....and I know little to naught of these Stones. He has the best judgement...' he said to himself.

Shaking out of his train of thought, he fumbled about in his pocket, making his way to one of his patients.

'Best to be useful...' he thought.

[Lalwendë]

The morning sun shone through the snow shelter, illuminating the interior with an eerie blue light. Tarn rolled out from his thick fur sleeping roll and began to pull on the few clothes which he had removed last night. He wore all his outer clothes, but he had removed his boots as they had been known to freeze to sweating feet in the extreme cold of the night that could descend when camping out. Having suffered frostbite once, he was careful to avoid it again. He sat up, pulled his boots on and strapped fur leggings over his breeches. After pulling on his overcoat, he added a huge fur cloak over the top. These garments were made form the pelt of one of the great white bears and made naturally warm and camouflaging protection for a man out in the ice and snow.

Peering out of the shelter he saw that Thynne had begun a fire, contained within in a thick bucket, and had prepared breakfast. Both Tarn and Thynne were in their element out here; Tarn was born and brought up on the ice, and Thynne had been sent out to join hunts from an early age. They both followed the usual routines. But this was not routine, and Tarn’s eyes followed the Corsairs as they slipped and stumbled on the ice, eager to start their work. Some used pickaxes and hammers to try and break through. This would work, but Tarn knew an easier way. He sat and watched while he ate, and he noted that the lad, too, was watching them with curious amusement.

“Why do they work so hard?” said Thynne, “When there is an easier way?”

“Hmm. What do you say, Thynne? Shall I show them?” answered Tarn, looking at the lad with a wry smile.

“What would be in for us…I mean, for you?”

Tarn laughed and almost slapped the lad on the back, then thought better of it. “You’ve learned something from the trek yesterday I see.” Tarn had taken a little time during the trek to talk to Thynne and tell him some tales of his own adventures. They had had an effect and the lad now seemed eager to help. Tarn could see that Thynne was much like he had been when he was young, and he thought that by taming that rebellious streak he would end up with a very useful assistant. Thynne was beginning to feel proud that he was assistant to the man with the frightening reputation and tall tales.

Tarn strapped a pair of overshoes with spiked soles to his boots and taking hold of a long leather bag, he headed off to where the Corsairs were struggling to make holes. Thynne put a lid onto the bucket containing the fire and followed. Once out on the ice, Tarn took out his harpoon from the leather bag and began to poke around for a good place to begin. He stopped and motioned Thynne to put the bucket down. Out of the bag he took a long spike which had a spiral ground into it, a drill. He removed the blade from the end of his harpoon and fixed the drill onto it, concentrating carefully. He knew that some of the Corsairs were watching him and muttering about “that idle Lossoth”, but he knew they would think differently once he had got going.

Thynne stirred up the fire in the bucket, which had now died down to hot embers due to the lid restricting the air. When Tarn was ready he plunged the end of the drill into the bucket and held it for a minute before placing it firmly onto the ice and pushing down carefully but firmly. As the drill took hold, Thynne held it steady and Tarn moved it rapidly down, held it and then pulled it out quickly before it froze, reheating it and repeating the process several times. A drill-hole soon appeared in the ice and Tarn was able to leave the lad to knock it wider into a man-sized hole. The ice gave way easily, but not so much that it made fractures which would pose a danger to anyone working nearby.

Some of the Corsairs watched and Tarn came over to the group and started to drill similar holes for them. They had been using a drill, but had been unable to get it far into the ice. When they asked about Tarn’s method, he explained it and told them “It is how we hunt for fish under the ice”. He stood back and watched other groups work as he waited for the drill to reheat. He smiled when he saw the female officer again, this time hacking at the ice in frustration. He had thought of offering to help her, but seeing the anger in her face, he thought she was probably best left alone. One of the men offered him a drink from a flask and told him a joke and he turned back to the task. It was a good plan, but Tarn could see they would need a lot more holes for it to work.

[Niluial]

Sun rays entered the cabin early in the morning. Elwë stretched out his arms and yawned, quickly covering his eyes as they were not used to the light.

“Are you awake?” Andtuariel whispered from across the room.

“Yes. Good morning” he smiled sweetly at her. It had been odd lately after their kiss and yet that had said nothing about it, though one could see they wanted to talk about it.

“Breakfast is being served in ten minutes! I can’t wait for today.”

“I know…” Elwë shot out of bed, “You aren’t coming with!”

“My leg is much better, I will come with.”

Elwë eyed Andtuariel suspiciously. It was rather typical of her to prove that she was strong and by now Elwë knew not to argue and just let her do as she wished.

Everyone was jittery about the day ahead. Elwë had an odd feeling inside, a gut feeling as if something was wrong, something was going to happen. He brushed the feelings away probably just anxiety or nervousness kicking in.

[Arry]

Once they had departed from Elwë and Andtuariel, Carandû motioned for his brother to follow him down the passageway to the Captain’s quarters. He stopped just outside the door, as he had done the previous night. Once again the door was slightly ajar, and a lamp burned within. Carandû tsk’d, thinking the Captain had perhaps again left his cabin and left the lamp burning. But there was a noise inside, as of someone walking in the room, and the sounds of papers shuffling and a drawer being closed.

Annû squeezed past his brother, giving him a questioning look. ‘You were going to knock, weren’t you?’ he asked, raising his hand and tapping soundly on the door. ‘Captain? You in there?’

The door creaked open at the pressure on it from the knocking and Luindal’s voice could be distinctly heard as he bade them come in. ‘Just putting a few things away in my desk,’ he said, taking out a key and locking the drawer he’d just shut. ‘Be with you in just a moment.’ Several flat pieces of parchment were unceremoniously scraped from the table top and into the shallow drawer. And again the Captain locked them away. ‘Now what can I do for you two?’ he asked, one brow raised as he looked from one to the other of the brothers.

‘It’s about the caves,’ began Annu. ‘Carandu and I talked it over last night.’ He nodded at his brother. ‘We thought you probably already had thought about it,’ continued Carandû, picking up on his brother’s words. ‘But we wanted to give you our thoughts on it, too . . .’

Both brothers talked at length about their suspicions. Why had the rocks piled so neatly and conveniently in front of the cavern’s entrance? Why had no one in the cave felt any tremors if that is what caused the rocks to slide? And from his quick glances at the hillside above the cave as they’d left to head back to the ship, it had seemed to Carandû that a number of the rocks were pried out of the ground by some fair sized force, as there seemed to be some indents in the ground where they had lain.

‘And what about those blurry figures I heard Rôg tell you he saw hastening away from the hillside?’ finished Annû. ‘Seems to us,’ he continued, looking to his brother for confirmation, ‘that there were others there who meant us harm.’

‘My brother is far too kind in his words,’ said Carandû, stepping forward. ‘What we mean to say is that it is the southrons who compromised our exploring of the cavern. And by doing so, they killed our two companions.’ Annû nodded in agreement.

‘We mean to be fully prepared on our next outing, Captain,’ Annû said quietly . . .

[Lalwendë]

Thynne worked hard hacking at the boreholes that Tarn had made. It was easy enough work for a lad of his age, indeed, he had done this task many times before, but he was making sure that he was seen to be putting an effort into his work. He thought again how lucky he had been when he had returned from his disappearing act. His father had boxed his ears, but Tarn had done nothing but act coldly towards him, and this was how the man normally acted even if he was pleased. And yesterday, as they walked up to the ice sheet, he had even told him some stories, about great whale hunts and cold journeys in boats, about fights and bets he had won, and about the treasures he pulled from the seas. His father never told him tales, he was always too drunk. He had been impressed and wished he could have adventures such as those he heard about.

He had been given some new clothes, too. They were old, and had been worn by someone else, but like most things Tarn owned, they seemed to be of good quality. His new fur breeches were thick, and best of all, they were made of pelts from the white bears. He couldn’t wait for the other lads to see him wearing them.

The holes in the ice widened easily, and as he completed each one, Thynne felt compelled to peer in to look for fish. It was habit. This was how fish was caught in the depths of winter, particularly in the northern reaches of the bay, and Thynne had joined many hunts, although none had been with his father. His belly rumbled; he hadn’t eaten for a few hours, and wondered if he could get away with dropping a line and fish hook into one of the holes to catch himself some dinner.

Checking his pockets, he found some twine, but he had nothing which would serve as a hook. He looked towards Tarn, who was back with some of the Corsairs, listening to their chatter. He wondered if Tarn would have a hook, but then realised that he’d best not go and ask him. He might be pushing his luck. “No“, he thought, “I’d best leave things be.” Yet he still looked into the hole hopefully, watching the dark waters swirling beneath. He thought he could see a fish, and crouched down, in case it came in reach of his hand, but it turned out to be a piece of wood, strangely carved, and before he had a chance to catch it, the water swept it away. “It wasn’t edible anyway” he thought, standing up and hoping that there would soon be a break for something to eat.

[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......

[Child of the 7th Age]

Luindal's eyes hastily strayed to the locked drawer where a number of things had been tucked away for safekeeping, including the mysterious button and fabric. He cleared his throat, nodding his head in agreement at what the brothers were saying. "I know little of landslides, but what you say makes sense. It is hard to believe those rocks came tumbling down so conveniently as the tide was pouring in."

"But that does not alter our plans for tomorrow. Our duty is to find the Stones. We will just need to be more vigilent as we carry out our task. As to our preparations for this journey, I have given that some thought. When we get to the northern shore, we'll be taking extra precautions, which I'll explain further at that point. And, as I said before, everyone is to come fully armed. In any case, I am glad that you're here, since you are the only ones who've come forward. If you see or hear anything suspicious on the ship or the trek north, just let me know."

"Suspicious?" queried Anû. "What would you be thinking of?"

Luindal shook his head and sighed, wondering how much more he should say. When he spoke, he phrased his words carefully, "Perhaps, someone on the ship who is someplace you wouldn't expect them, or doing something strange, maybe wandering off from the camp at night, or toting a map or book under their vest jacket. Just something that strikes you as out of character or odd."

"But enough of that. Finish your packing tonight and come down early tomorrow. We'll be starting out while it is still dark."

The brothers nodded and disappeared out the door. Luindal knew that the blankets and ropes had already been secured from the Elders and were being loaded onto the sledge in preparation for the morning's departure. He had managed to obtain an extra reindeer or two to pull a second sledge for those who might still need to rest for part of the trek. Several of the Elves most severely injured were being left back on the ship. He had tried to persuade others to stay behind as well, but they would hear nothing of it. Alahseey had assured him that the trek north would be easy, and that the sledge would give those with minor injuries another day for their wounds to heal. He hoped she was right.

About to settle in for the night, he heard a crisp knock at his door and beckoned whoever was there to come inside. Hilde appeared, carrying a load of blankets and a thick fur parka that she set down on the table along with a travelling pack. She backed away from Luindal and made an awkward curtsey, while fumbling nervously with the edge of her apron, "Master Luindal, I am but a humble Lossoth servant woman. Not the likes of you and the other Elves. But there was something I saw. Something I thought was strange, and I can't explain it. I thought if I told you that you might understand and could set my mind at ease. Last night, when you were off touring the ship and talking to Rôg, I saw that Elf. I don't recall his name, but he was the same one who was just here talking with you."

"Annû perhaps? Or Carandû?"

"That was it," she nodded vigorously. "The last one you mentioned. He was in here pouring over one of your maps. He seemed to be memorising it. But undoubtedly, you gave him a job to do that?"

Luindal looked at Hilde and smiled weakly, "Undoubtedly.....," he nodded, bidding her a hasty goodnight, not wishing to talk about this any longer. Yet, as he fell asleep, he couldn't help but wonder what Carandû had been doing in his room.

*******************

Just as the first rays of the sun stretched across the Bay, they had said their goodbyes to their Elven comrade who had lost his life in the caves. "He was a decent Elf with a good heart who volunteered to come North," Luindal confided to Rôg. "He'll probably spend only a short time in Mandos before going on to Valinor. Still, for those of us in Middle-earth, it is a grievious loss. For our numbers are small and grow seemingly fewer every year."

With that Luindal raised his hand and signalled the procession to begin its trek to the North. Alahseey and Hilde jointly took the lead, since they knew the land better than any of the other Lossoth. At the end of the line were two reindeer pulling sledges, one burdened with supplies, and the other carrying those who preferred to ride at least part of the way.

In one important respect, Alahseey was correct. The journey north was relatively easy. They met only one or two Lossoth hunters and a caribou herder and his family who were all heading south. By late afternoon, they had nearly reached the northern shores where they were to camp tonight and begin searching for the Stones in the morning.