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King Araphor of Arthedain had died. As other kings of the north he was buried in the Hills of Everdim. His son was crowned as king of Arnor under the name Argeleb II.

The Dunedain of the north were fewer in numbers, than they had been for centuries. For Elrond it resembled the first gathering of the Numenoreans after the downfall. There were no people from the south present.

The only humans attending the funeral who was not subjects to the king of Arthedain, was a group from the remnant of Cardolan living in Barrow-downs and Bree. Among them were two halflings, the people that once lived in Rhudaur.

"We are hunted by the shadow of Rhudaur," they said, "they will not find us, but what we build, they destroy. Thus, we live hidden and alone. Only around Bree, we can meet in public with our kinsmen, but Bree is a city for the big people, we wish to have a place ourselves."

The grey wizard was the only of the Istari who remained in Eriador, and he attended the funeral. He introduced the halflings to the new king.

"The friendship of this people is a rare gift to be offered. Most people of Middle Earth are unaware of their existence, but I sense the future of the Dunedain of the north will be closely connected with them," the wizard stated.

"Then you shall forever be the friends of the Dunedains, and we offer our protection should you need it" the king said.

The king returned to Fornost, which has become the residence of the king of the north since the fall of Amon Sul.

"The evil from Rhudaur still hunts the people living to the east of this place. We must be alert and offer our protection for people fleeing this evil and fortify this place so it will withstand an attack," the king told his people.

The dunedains kept the two Palantir hidden in the fort but let the elves from Lindon guard the third in Elostirion., and the king and his family did not use the stones to get news from the south.

In the south the stones were also unused. The stone of Angrenost was hidden by the young commander Minastan a grandson of the King of Gondor behind a secret door in the room of Ciryaher.

The wizard Curunir often came to visit the commander, but they never discussed the stone, and its hideaway was not revealed. He spent much time at the western banks of the great river from Dol Guldur to the Argonath. He failed to notice the black figure leaving the old castle alone only noticing the plants on the eastern bank would lose their flowers as if a disease spread among them.

King Hyarmendacil has searched the Anduin River from Osgiliath to Pelargir for the Palantir but in vain. He concluded that either the stone was washed into the great sea, or it did not want to be discovered haven't nearly fallen into the hands of the enemies of the Numenoreans.