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.

~*~

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.

~*~

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."

~*~

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.

~*~

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.

~*~

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.