Haleth snapped to full alertness. A small, unexpected sound had registered upon her sleep-shrouded senses. There was an initial moment of disorientation as she tried to remember where she was, then the cold intincts of the hunter took control.
A dark figure slunk down the ladder, faintly illuminated by the trio of small lamps. In the blackness beyond the triple circles of light, Haleth flattened herself against her crate and waited.
The figure disappeared, hidden between the stacks of boxes. Again Haleth strained her ears. She thought she could hear the soft echoes of footfalls amid the silent barrels and the tiny rustling movements of the other inhabitants of the hold. There was a creak and a barely perceptible thud and the newcomer appeared on a crate the opposite side of the small lanterns.
They were at an impasse. Haleth could see the intruder, but he could not see her. She could not approach him directly as the area around her was too dark to move without the risk of making noise; at least not if she moved quickly.
She began a silent, tortuously slow journey towards the new arrival.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Ethirwen watched the western shore of Dorwinion glide past, listening to the strokes of the oars, the laughter of the rowers and the calls of the lookouts who scanned the river for sandbars and other obstructions. Grey and white sheep dotted the gentle green hills that rolled down to the river's edge.
She had been there since early in the morning, patiently waiting.
"Good morning," a fair, musical voice unexpectedly said beside her.
"Good afternoon, you mean," Ethirwen said, laughing. "You slept well?"
"After a fashion," Inglor said as he leaned against the side of the boat and looked across the muddy waters to the green hills.
"The smoke was too thick for you?" Ethirwen asked, at once concerned.
"Not exactly, no," Inglor said truthfully. There had not been any smoke in the hold which was where he had spent most of the night. He had also retrieved Haleth's pack from her cabin. The smoke had been dreadful, but he had not stayed long. He had found a flint on the floor and he was certain it did not belong to Haleth. The rest of the morning had been spent sifting through the remnants of Haleth's supplies, looking for some other clue as to what had happened. He meant to return to the hold at the first possible opportunity.
Ethirwen watched him from the corner of her eye. There were only three days left before the boat reached the mouth of the river at the Sea of Rhun. Inglor seemed to be physically present and very far away at the same time. She contemplated the best way to drag his full attention into the present. The only subject that would likely do this was far from Ethirwen's liking, but there seemed little choice.
"You were going to tell me of Haleth?" she finally asked, smiling to mask the sour taste in her mouth.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Haleth crept through the hold, moving with exquisite slowness in the complete dark, now on the floor, now on of the cargo. She wondered if her quarry had gone to sleep; she had neither seen nor heard any movement from him since he had found his perch. The other possibility was that he was stalking her through the blackness.
She stretched her hearing as well as her sense of smell as she felt her way along. At last she heard a faint rustling that could not have been made by rats. She silently drew her knife and approached the area from where the noise came. Soft, regular breathing told her that the stranger was asleep. Haleth hesitated, wondering how to best to subdue him without hurting him very much. She raised the hilt of her knife over his head, intent on knocking him out when there was a loud creak and a beam of sunlight penetrated the darkness of the hold.
"C'mon, lass," a crewman's voice said as heavy boots descended the ladder. He carried a large bucket with him. "I've brought yer food and water. Captain says yer can come out for a few minutes." It was the man who had warned her of Ethirwen.
"Where are yer?" he asked, peering into the solid wall of darkness outside the brilliant sunbeam.
Haleth's unseen companion seemed to have awakened. She could hear him pulling himself into a seated position. He obviously had no clue about her presence.
Haleth considered the situation. She would lose the initial advantage of surprise if she called out, but the crewman would help her subdue the stowaway.
"I'm over here," she called in a loud, clear voice.
She heard a sharp intake of breath as she moved out of his reach; or at least where she judged his reach to end.
Squinting in the darkness, the crewman raised a lantern and moved in her direction. Presumably he had carried the light with him in the bucket.
"I've got company," she added, immediately moving once more. She could hear someone scrambling along the tops of the boxes. She began to follow.
"Come this way," she called to the crewman.
There was a dull thud and a muffled curse as the stowaway felt into a crack between the piles of crates.
Haleth approached the noise cautiously, not wanting to suffer a similar fate.
"There yer are," the crewman said, the weak beams of light from his lantern had finally reached Haleth. "And what's this?" he added, studying the dim figure that was struggling to pull himself out from between the stacks of cargo.
"You know very well who I am, Taeg," said the stowaway said.
"I do, but the lass here don't," answered Taeg.
"It's alright, lass," he added to Haleth as he approached her. "Orolondë won't hurt yer. His bark is far worse'n his bite." Taeg placed his lantern on the crate and helped the stowaway back to the top of the crate, boosting his foot upwards from below.
"This, I take it, is Orolondë?" Haleth asked, peering suspiciously at the ragged, bearded man who was rubbing his bruised arm and leg. The name was familiar and Haleth tried to place where she had heard it before.
"Orolondë of Lake Town," the presumed stowaway replied, bowing in an elegant manner that was completely at odds with his tattered appearance.
"Haleth," she replied automatically.
"And I'm Taeg and we're both expected above," the crewman interrupted. "Ye'll be alright, Master Orolondë?"
"Yes, Taeg," Orolondë replied.
"That was good work creeping up on me. I never heard you coming," Orolondë said to Haleth.
"You were asleep," she remarked suspiciously; Orolondë was far too friendly. She was about to ask who he was when Taeg spoke again.
"Up the ladder with yer," he ordered.
Haleth had no choice except to obey.
The sunlight was dazzlingly bright after the dim light of the hold. Haleth blinked and shielded her eyes as she climbed onto the deck. Through her half-closed eyes she could see two tall figures looming before her. They stood just a hair's breadth too close together for her taste.
"Haleth," Inglor smiled, stepped forward and grasped her arm as she squinted like a bat at noontide. "I am so happy to see you."
"There are matters we must discuss," his voice whispered in her mind. "I shall pay you a visit tonight."
"I've found something unexpected as well," Haleth thought. She shook her head and winced, wondering what she expected to accomplish. She repeated the thought aloud in her stilted Quenyan.
"I heard you the first time," Inglor replied quietly in the same language.
"May I remind you to use your time wisely." The captain's voice was icy.
"It is good to see you again, Lady Haleth," Ethirwen smiled warmly at the dishevelled woman. Haleth returned the expression with a somewhat forced grin, mentally berating herself for her unreasoning jealousy.
"Thank-you, Lady Ethirwen. Please just call me Haleth. If you will all excuse me, there is some private business I need to attend to and I have just been reminded that I have limited time to see to it."
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
The final thing Haleth saw before the hatch closed was Inglor's outline etched against the blue sky as he looked down on her. She raised her hand in farewell. Then the hatch swung closed and her world returned to the dimness of the hold.
" Orolondë?" she whispered.
"Over here," came the reply. He was once again in his spot outside of the circles of light.
"I've brought a few things," Haleth said as she made her way in his direction, a small pack across her back. She kept her hand near her knife just in case he decided he was not friendly after all.
She heard the soft click of tinder being struck and a candle flame blossomed into life, illuminating his lair.
"Be careful," Haleth remarked as she crossed the uneven stacks of cargo, "The Captain wouldn't be very happy if he knew you had an open flame down here."
"The Captain knows and wouldn't mind," Orolondë chuckled. "Who do you think paid him to leave the lanterns lit down here?"
Haleth reached Orolondë and dropped the pack. She studied him in the flickering light. He seemed young, about Ethirwen's age. He had the dark hair and beard of the men of Lake Town and his dark brown eyes were as keen as a hawk. With a pang, Haleth realized that he reminded her of Beregnil. That memory triggered another of Beregnil speaking of the members of the town council. There was Calanloss, Ethirwen and Orolondë. Could this be the Orolondë he had mentioned? If it was, what was he doing skulking in the hold? It was more likely that he had just taken the name and assumed that Haleth would feel comfortable enough with him to lower her guard.
"I take it that means you aren't a stowaway?" Haleth asked.
"No. I have a right to be here," he replied.
"You've chosen interesting accommodations," Haleth said, her hand still near her knife.
"Yes," Orolondë sighed. "But I could say the same of you."
"This wasn't my original cabin," Haleth noted. "But you must know that."
"I know who set the fire," said Orolondë.
"Really?" asked Haleth, readying herself for an attack.
"Well, I don't know his name, but I know who hired him," said Orolondë.
"And that would be?" she asked.
"Ethirwen."
"What?" Haleth jumped to her feet. The proximity of the ceiling meant that she had to crouch. "That's ridiculous. Lady Ethirwen has been nothing but kind to me. She was the one who prevented the Captain from putting me off the boat entirely. Why would she do that if she wanted me out of the way?"
"To get you away from that elf," answered Orolondë. He spat out the word 'elf' as if it left a bad taste in his mouth. "Or rather, to give her the opportunity to be alone with the elf. That wouldn't have happened if he had followed you off of the boat. From the little I've seen of the two of you together, that is exactly what would have occurred."
"Of course it would have," said Haleth, exasperated and still poised for a fight. "We're partners.
"But that doesn't explain why you're here," she added.
"That is a long story in itself and one which I don't intend to tell," said Orolondë . "It's enough to say that I am watching the Lady Ethirwen to be certain that she does not do anything rash."
"Such as run off with an elf?" asked Haleth.
"Exactly," Orolondë said with a lopsided smile.
"Would you like something to eat?" he asked, turning his back on her and rummaging in a pack that she had not known was there. "Please sit down."
They shared a meal of bread, cheese and watered wine and discussed the Captain's temper. Haleth kept her guard up the entire time, fully expecting him to try to shove a knife into her ribs as soon as the opportunity presented itself.
"If you'll excuse me," he said when they had finished. "I did not sleep last night and would like to try to nap now. I don't expect Ethirwen will be a problem until after the sun goes down and there are fewer eyes to mark her actions. We've three days travel until we reach our destination. The real trouble will come the night after next."
"Why then?" she asked.
"It will be her last chance," Orolondë explained as he stretched out with his head on the pack.
Haleth didn't bother to tell him that she and Inglor were planning on leaving the boat before it reached its final destination.
Haleth sat cross-legged in the darkness of the hold, listening to Orolondë's even breathing. She could not trust him to be what he claimed. She also did not want to believe that Ethirwen was anything other than the gracious, kind woman she seemed to be.
She caught herself dozing off. It would not be wise to leave herself vulnerable in that way.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Above deck, Ethirwen was having difficulty sustaining a conversation with Inglor. Every subject she had opened had been met with a bemused confusion on the elf's part. Each promising beginning quickly dwindled to nothing unless she carried both halved of the conversation.
For Ethirwen it was most disappointing that Inglor could not or would not speak as his voice was musical and very pleasant to the ears. It did seem a shame that one so fair should be so lacking in the more intellectual gifts. When she looked upon the elf again, Ethirwen felt herself more than satisfied by his physical appearance alone. She was confident that, in the long run, his lower mental acuity would make things easier for her. In the meantime, she would have to settle for his physical proximity, which was quite intoxicating.
When Ethirwen tired of speaking, the only sounds were the wind in the rigging and the rhythmic strokes of the oars cutting through the muddy waters of the River Running. There may have been other sounds, but they were only audible to Inglor.
He stood against the railing, watching the western shore move past them. The sheep had been replaced by vineyards. Men were harvesting the last of the season's grapes, singing as they worked.
"You said that you would tell me more of your travelling companion," Ethirwen finally said. "How did the two of you meet?"
"We met in Lake Town several years ago," Inglor answered quietly.
"Did you meet Beregnil then as well?" she asked.
"No," admitted Inglor after a moment's pause, "We only made his acquaintance on this past visit."
"I only wondered because the Master seems to be quite taken by Haleth and that in itself is unexpected," said Ethirwen. A person with a keen sense of observation may have noted the note of jealousy in her voice.
Inglor shrugged and effectively closed that particular thread of conversation.
Ethirwen was racking her brain for something else to say when tatters of the grape-pickers melancholy song was carried to her by a trick of the wind.
"Almost all of the music of Dorwinion is sad," she said.
"Truly?" Inglor asked with slightly more enthusiasm than he had used to greet her other attempts at conversation. "It almost sound elvish."
"There are tales of elves in this area," Ethirwen said. "And of the dwarves."
This finally seemed to catch his interest.
"Could you tell me of them?" he asked with a brilliant smile.
Ethirwen fought to maintain her composure in the wake of that devastating grin.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Haleth prowled the hold within the dim circles of light cast by the lanterns. It was not curiosity that drove her as much as the need to remain awake. She had taken the opportunity to rummage through Orolondë's belongings. There was nothing there to indicate he was anything other than what he claimed to be; a love besotted merchant from Lake Town. The cautious (or what some might call paranoid) part of Haleth's mind told her that a clever agent of the Hosluin would not carry anything that would betray his allegiance.
She could not afford to trust Orolondë.
The hatch opened and Taeg once more descended the ladder.
"Here now, where are yer this time?" he called.
"Over here," Haleth replied from the top of a stack of crates.
"I brung yer a bite to eat," he said, offering her the sack that he carried once she had clambered down.
"Thank-you," she smiled and took the bag from him.
"Is there anythin' else yer need?" he asked.
"Maybe," Haleth said as she dug through the bag. Her hand encountered the smoothness of a wineskin. She pulled it out and examined it. Taeg watched her with interest.
"I don't think I'll need this," she said slowly. "Would you like it?"
"Well…If yer don't need it," Taeg said slowly.
She handed him the wineskin. He opened it and took a long, careful pull.
"Have you known Orolondë for long?" she asked.
"All my life," Taeg answered. "My da worked for his da."
"Why is a wealthy merchant from Lake Town travelling like a stowaway in the hold of a ship?" she asked him.
"I'm sure he tole yer tha himself," Taeg said, shaking his head. "He's here to keep an eye on the lady, that Ethirwen."
The tone of his voice told Haleth that Taeg's opinion of the lady in question was far from good.
He chuckled at the expression on Haleth's face. "She got him right bewitched, she does. And she's done it to you, too. There's only one I've ever seen that she can't charm."
"Then maybe you could tell me of Ethirwen?" Haleth asked stiffly.
Taeg took another long pull from the wineskin.
"She's one of the richest merchants in Lake Town," he said. "The richest, 'cept for Beregnil."
Haleth winced at the mention of the Master of Lake Town's name.
"Her mother was from here, Dorwinion," Taeg continued. "She left her the estates the lady suddenly had to visit when she saw your friend there and learned he was heading in this direction. Her dad was the second richest merchant in Lake Town. He was killed nigh on four years ago. She's been leading almost all the men of Lake Town on a merry chase since then with all of them trying to marry her and her playing them off against each other. She's made a small fortune by hinting that she might say yes to one of them. My master thought he finally had a good chance with her when you and your elf showed up."
"He's not my elf," Haleth corrected him automatically while wrestling with the twin monsters of anger and jealousy. This time they had been joined by righteous outrage.
"Begging your pardon," Taeg gave her a crooked half smile and raised one bushy eyebrow, "He sure won't be Ethirwen's no matter how hard she tries."
"You can be certain of that," Haleth muttered under her breath.
"'Scuse me?"
"Nothing."
Taeg drank from the wineskin to hide his broad grin.
"I should be wakin' up the master," he said. "The sun's nearly down and he watches her cabin at night to make sure she's alone."
Haleth followed him, a grim expression on her face.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
The Scene According to Ethirwen
Night had fallen once more. The boat was anchored near the western shore and the watch had been set. Most of the crew had again made camp on the shore. The red and orange lights of their fires danced in the darkness.
Ethriwen stood beside Inglor on the deck of the boat. "And so for the men of Dorwinion, the harvest feast has always been sweet and yet sorrowful," she said, finishing yet another of the legends of the area. Her throat as dry and her voice tired from speaking for so long. "They are thankful for the food but they mourn their loss of freedom."
Inglor absently studied the stars. It took him some time to realize that Ethirwen had finished her tale.
"That is very interesting," he said softly. "Are there any other legends?"
Ethirwen was torn between the desire to slap him for not paying complete attention to her and the need to smile and do as he had asked. Her voice was a problem as she was not certain she could talk for another half hour. The sun had set. It was time to put her plan of seduction into practice.
"There is one legend..." she said in a very low voice meant for Inglor's ears alone. In Ethirwen's mind, he would to lean closer to hear her. She would move imperceptibly nearly to him and bush against him ever so gently. She had used this trick to good effect many times before. The effect was always the same. The man would become distracted and Ethirwen could easily convince him to do her bidding.
"Only one tale left?" Inglor asked, turning towards her but shifting away at the same time.
It took Ethirwen a fraction of a second to realize that her opening tactic had, for the first time in her experience, failed.
"There is more than one," she said in a more normal but somewhat strained voice. "This particular story involves my family."
He waited for the to continue, his face a mask of polite but distant interest.
Ethirwen studied the blue eyes and the fair face and found her thoughts becoming jumbled and confused. She mentally shook herself and regrouped.
"There's something I'd like you to see," she whispered. She had only used this line one time before. It had worked wonders on Orolondë. The usually collected merchant had jumped to his own conclusions about what 'what' was and had been quite easily manipulated from there. He never had seemed to notice that Ethirwen had not, in fact, shown him anything.
Inglor was another matter entirely. He simply stood there, heart-breakingly beautiful and only vaguely interested. In fact, he did not even seem to be looking at Ethirwen directly. He was watching the rowers' benches over her shoulder.
"It's in my cabin," she said, hoping he would understand the remark was an invitation.
Inglor's attention drifted back to her but otherwise he did not move a muscle. He was content to watch her with infinite if distracted patience.
"Oh," he eventually said, effectively throwing the ball back into Ethirwen's court.
"I suppose I should get it," she said slowly and stepped closer to him. "Only..."
He refused to pick up on her increasingly unsubtle hints. Again he sidestepped her and looked at over her shoulder. Ethirwen silently fumed at Inglor's continued lapses of attention. No man ever paid her less than one hundred percent attention. Annoyance was quickly replaced by a steely resolve to bend him to her will. The first thing she would do would be to wipe that expression of detachment from his face.
"Only?" he finally asked, as if prompted.
"Only I don't want to reveal it outside of my cabin," Ethirwen said after pondering her response.
There was a dull thud and a muffled curse from the oarsmen's area behind her.
"Lead on," Inglor said smoothly indicating that Ethirwen should precede him.
Pleased that her charms seemed to be working again, Ethirwen swept towards her cabin. She allowed herself a quick smirk of triumph in the darkness. She was more than confident that she could easily seduce the elf once she had him alone.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
The Same Scene According to Inglor
Crouching in the shadows, Haleth led Orolondë to the rower's area. They crept forward until they were three rows from the back. This was the last row where Haleth felt comfortable that a stray beam of light from the lantern on the stern would not reveal them to Ethirwen. She could see the couple standing by the side of the boat, Ethirwen's graceful form leaning towards Inglor, who, as always, seemed to glow in the starlight. The woman's voice murmured in the soft darkness.
"Inglor," Haleth whispered. She hoped that he would hear her. "I'm in the rowers seats. Give me a signal if you can hear me. " Inglor made a small waving motion without looking in her direction. "I've got someone with me," she added.
"What did you say?" Orolondë demanded in a loud whisper.
Haleth immediately hushed him. "They'll hear us," she whispered to him.
"I doubt Ethirwen heard you," Inglor's voice said in Haleth's mind. She noted that he sounded vaguely amused and wondered what he and Ethirwen had been discussing. "But she is bound to notice if your new companion insists upon being so noisy."
Orolondë glared at Haleth and then turned his murderous attention back towards Inglor and Ethirwen.
"He'll be quiet for now," Haleth breathed the forms of the words.
"The Lady Ethirwen had been telling me some of the stories of Dorwinion," Inglor's voice again chimed in her head. "They are very interesting."
"You'll have to tell me later," Haleth breathed. The murmurring of Ethirwen's voice had stopped.
"I think she's finished," Haleth breathed.
"So she is," observed Inglor.
"I think she's expecting you to say something," Haleth prompted him.
"That is very interesting. Are there any other legends?" Haleth experienced the extremely odd sensation of hearing Inglor's words in her mind as well as with her ears. A powerful wave of vertigo rushed over her senses and she had to clutch both her head and stomach to not be immediately sick.
"Stop that!" she breathed at Inglor.
"Stop what?" Orolondë asked. Haleth immediately shushed him.
"You can hear me?" Inglor asked in her mind. He seemed pleasantly surprised.
"Of course I can hear you," she whispered.
"I know you can hear me," whispered Orolondë, "But you shushed me for no reason." Haleth shushed him again.
"Just speak with your mind," Inglor told her. "It will avoid misunderstandings."
"I think I am going to be sick," Haleth groaned silently.
"There is one legend," Ethirwen's voice was on the very edge of Haleth's hearing. Haleth saw Ethirwen take a half step closer to Inglor, who immediately sidestepped and turned to look directly at Haleth and Orolondë.
"It will pass quickly," Inglor's mind spoke directly to Haleth's. "Who is your new companion?"
"His name is Orolondë, He is a merchant of Lake Town," Haleth told him as the nausea began to recede. "He's been staying in the hold. He's in love with Ethirwen."
"I'll kill that elf," Orolondë whispered viciously under his breath.
"He doesn't like you very much," she added to Inglor.
"Only one tale left?" Inglor asked Ethirwen, too distracted by his silent conversation with Haleth to pay much attention to the raven-haired beauty before him.
"There is more than one left," Ethirwen's voice sounded forced. "This particular story involves my family."
"How can he want to murder me when we have not even been introduced?" Inglor asked Haleth.
"Do elves consider it bad manners to kill someone without a proper introduction?" Haleth asked.
This was met with a dry chuckle. "You are feeling better," came the thought.
"There's something I'd like you to see," Ethirwen said to Inglor.
Orolondë gasped so loudly that Haleth was certain Ethirwen had heard him. She placed a restraining hand on his shoulder. A steady, dull, scraping sound came from the merchant's direction. With a start Haleth realized that it was his teeth grinding together.
"It's in my cabin," whispered Ethirwen
"What is that noise?" Inglor's voice was in her mind again.
"I believe that Orolondë is coming to the realization that Ethirwen is not as he believed," Haleth answered. Inglor's response could only be described as a mental snort, which surprised Haleth to no end. There was no time to consider her suspicions of Inglor, though, as Orolondë's muscles tightened under her hand.
"Oh," Inglor said vacantly to Ethirwen when he finally noticed the pause in their conversation.
"Either that or he's getting ready to kill you," Haleth added to Inglor.
"I suppose I should get it," Ethirwen said slowly as she stepped closer to Inglor. "Only..."
Inglor sidestepped Ethirwen again and looked directly at Haleth. Even with her distance from him Haleth could see his eyes glittering in the star light.
"Are you in danger?" came the calm question. Haleth was surprised by the strength of the feeling underlying the query. Inglor noticed her reaction and immediately drew back as though she had seen something that she should not have.
"No," Haleth answered Inglor, pretending that she had not noticed anything unusual. "But Orolondë is in danger of revealing us."
"Only?" Inglor asked Ethirwen aloud.
"Only I don't want to reveal it outside of my cabin," Ethirwen answered in a conspiratorial whisper.
Haleth gripped Orolondë's shoulder with more force to remind him of their current situation. Instead of an outburst he settled for a muffled curse.
"You better get her away from here," Haleth though to Inglor. "I don't think Orolondë will keep quiet much longer."
"Lead on," Inglor said to Ethirwen.
Haleth watched Ethirwen sweep past her hiding spot. The woman wore a smug, over-confident smirk. She was unhappy to know that Orolondë had seen that particular expression. It would likely kill any of his precious, lingering illusions about Ethirwen's true personality.
"I think we should follow them," Orolondë said with quiet determination once the other couple had disappeared below deck.
He stalked towards the door without saying a word. Haleth trailed after him treading lightly on the boards of the deck, uncertain of what to say or if comfort would be welcome.
"You have nothing to fear from Inglor," she finally said with some hesitation.
Orolondë appeared to not hear her. He went without pause directly to the closed door of Ethirwen's cabin and leaned on the oak panel.
"Can you hear anything?" Haleth asked, not unkindly.
"No," he answered. "You seem to have better hearing than me. You try."
Haleth placed her ear firmly against the door.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Inglor was being very careful to keep himself between Ethirwen and the door. His fear of Haleth being discovered outside of the hold and put off the ship had made him decide to accept Ethirwen's invitation to her cabin. While the situation was potentially educational, it was also potentially dangerous. He would use the earliest opportunity to leave and escort Haleth back to the hold. Once there, he intended to spend the rest of the voyage in the hold with her.
Ethirwen's cabin was slightly larger than his. There was a small, round window and the bed was slightly wider. If she could have seen the room, Haleth would have thought that it looked as though Ethirwen had been expecting company. A gentle breeze ruffled the delicate curtain that screened the small window. The bed was covered in a soft, delicate cloth.
Ethirwen lit the lamp, which was filled with fragrant oil. When that was done, she stood and watched Inglor expectantly.
"You were going to show me an artifact and tell me a legend about your family?" Inglor prompted her.
Ethirwen scowled at him, but he maintained a serene expression in the face of her obvious displeasure. Remaining tranquil was not nearly the challenge Ethirwen liked to think. Haleth had given him plenty of practice under far more trying circumstances. He was aware of his companion's presence on the other side of the door.
"Would you please go back to the hold?" he spoke directly to Haleth's mind. "I would like to get out of here."
"Orolondë won't go," her voiceless words replied.
Inglor bit his bottom lip in consternation.
Meanwhile, Ethirwen was desperately trying to think of something to show Inglor in order to keep him in her cabin and give her more time to work her wiles upon him. The artifact, of course, had been imaginary. She could, however, take an old legend and rework it to her own ends.
She sat on the edge of the bed and patted the spot next to her. Inglor blinked once and remained standing.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"Hey!" the night watchman's voice rang in the corridor. "Who's there?"
"Run," Haleth whispered and, pushing Orolondë before her, they fled above deck. She dived beneath one of the rower's seats and hoped the Orolondë would follow her example. She heard rather than saw him crawling under another bench.
The night watchman stomped past, cursing under his breath. The man's grasp of the curse words of several languages impressed even Haleth, who had grown up in a country of seafarers. He passed by without seeing them.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"What was that?" Inglor asked.
"What was what?" asked Ethirwen.
"That noise," he said. "Did you not hear shouting?"
"I'm sure it was nothing important," she said with false brightness.
Inglor sprang to the door and opened it, intending to make his escape. He was in time to see the night watchman's back moving up the hallway.
"Haleth?" he called with his mind.
"We're fine," came the quick reply.
"See?" Ethirwen said as she pulled Inglor back into her cabin and closed the door while he was distracted. "I'm certain that everything is under control." She tried to push Inglor onto the bed but he neatly slipped from her grasp.
"The story?" he asked. There was a slight edge in his voice.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"That was a bit too close," Haleth whispered once she had made her way to Orolondë's hiding spot. "We should go back to the hold."
"No," Orolondë's voice was a soft, menacing whisper. His jaw was set and his eyes gleamed fiercely in the starlight. Haleth thought of his earlier reactions towards Inglor. She doubted that Orolondë's new knowledge of Ethirwen's true personality would make things less dangerous for the elf. It was unlikely that the merchant could harm Inglor, but he could cause a great deal of trouble, which was the last thing they needed.
"I am not going to walk up the hallway," Haleth said firmly.
"There's a window in her cabin," Orolondë said.
"What?" asked Haleth who was of the opinion that holes in boats were a bad thing.
"Come on," he said, leading the way to the side of the boat without looking to see if she followed. He leaned over the railing. Haleth, after checking the deck to be certain there was no one watching them, followed his example. There was indeed a small, round hole in the side of the ship.
"Can you hear anything?" Orolondë demanded.
They both stood stock still, barely breathing.
"Just the waves on the hull," Haleth admitted after straining her ears for several moments while keeping a careful eye for the watchman.
"Here," Orolondë whispered. "I have an idea."
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"And when she grasped him, he turned into a lion," Ethirwen said, staring intently into Inglor's clear, blue eyes as she told her tale. She leaned forward slightly and breathed deeper, certain her charms were finally working. For once Inglor seemed to be listening very intently.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"Can you hear anything?" Orolondë demanded. He was holding Haleth by the ankles over the edge of the boat.
"Yes," she whispered. "She's still talking."
"As long as one of them is talking," Orolondë said grimly.
"This is ridiculous. Pull me up," Haleth said after several minutes of listening to Ethirwen's story which had been old when the hills were young. Haleth was beginning to get dizzy from the blood pooling in her head.
"Just keep listening," Orolondë growled.
Haleth was not in a position to argue.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"And finally he was changed into fire." Ethirwen rose from the bed and approached Inglor, who shrank against the door of the cabin.
"It burned her hand cruelly, but she refused to release him as he was her own true love." Ethirwen reached for Inglor, intending to hold him tightly to her.
Inglor cocked his head towards the window.
"Did you hear something?" he interrupted.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0
"You're going to have to lift me up," Haleth said.
"No," Orolondë insisted. "Are they still talking?"
"I can't tell," Haleth snapped. "My ears are ringing too much and I'm getting light headed. Pull me up before I pass out."
"Not yet," Orolondë protested.
"Now," she ordered. "I'll go back once I've recovered."
"Here! Who're you and what're you doing?" The night watchman had returned.
Orolondë spun around guiltily. Haleth's ankles slipped out of his fingers. There was a quiet splash as she disappeared beneath the dark water's surface.
Author's notes. I always wondered why Inglor was so perpetually distracted. I think I now know part of the reason.
And yes, Ethirwen's story is indeed the tale of Tam Lin.
