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“Of course,” she said, her lips twitching at his stammering (which she suddenly thought was adorable), “Something hot would be welcome—I’m hungry enough to eat five breakfasts!—and I’ve been wondering about your friend.”

“I’m feeling better this morning-“ the ranger put in, accepting the breakfast gladly, “I hate being cooped up down here, Gareth- you have a lovely ship and comfortable cabins, but I’m sorely unused to being in a place this small for long bouts of time. Any chance that I could get some help up to the deck?” he ate while he spoke, proving that his appetite had returned in full- and he winced from time to time because of the ribs, but didn’t slow down eating. “I think I could walk mostly by myself- if I just have someone to lean on. I hate asking, you know- after I’ve already been nothing but trouble since Umbar—and I’m still sore from your mighty steering last night- but if I only see the sky through this little porthole for much longer, I’ll go mad.”

“Maybe it wouldn’t hurt for you to go topside and find a comfortable place to sit,” she put in, “I can go fetch Dauron to help- and I can take the wheel again.” She gave Gareth’s shoulder a squeeze.

as soon as Nell had gone to inform the red-headed half-elf, Naden set aside the empty plate and raised an eyebrow at Gareth.
“Now, I’ve never been one to ‘understand’ women, Gareth,” he started, and grinned, “but I can pick up on a thing or two—have I missed so much away here in my hiding-hole?.”

Avoiding Gareth's eyes, he looked over Naden from head to foot. "I understand you are tiring of your elegant quarters and wish to go aboveboard. Well, let's see if we can get you on your feet first."

Dauron nodded, commenting, "Yes, I have sailed it many times. I do a lot of business upriver, more there than anywhere else. I know the shoals well, though the last storm will have filled in channels in some places and opened new ones in others. The sailors who regularly travel that route though tend to mark the open channels if one knows what to look for." He glanced at Nell who at that point was looking at all three men questioningly. He continued, "Your charts will be of little use, Gareth."

“What’s happened?” she asked at last, “I can see your feathers are ruffled- why the sudden change in course?”

Dauron glanced at Nell, then directly at Gareth, waiting for him to respond.

“Are they always this friendly?” she said as they went down to the galley.

"My friends, I think it is time to raise a glass in honor of our Captain, who managed to make our escape from the Corsairs possible, who rescued an abused boy from a tavern in Umbar and turned her into a lovely woman and then managed to fall in love with her. Quite a feat, as Bernor here said." He nodded to the happy couple and lifted his mug. "To Gareth and Nell, may they have all our blessings and a happy life."

"Sir! Captain! There's a bow just showing beyond the point behind the trees. I think it's a Corsair ship, sir."

"Nell!" he called, and as she came to meet him, "Go tell Howel to douse the Galley-fire, would you? - Have him wake anyone below who's asleep and tell them to go through the cargo holds - anything we don't need - I want thrown overboard!"

As she started to dash off, however, Gareth caught the young woman's arm. "I love you!" and though his smile was grim, and determined, he felt she'd understand, and gave her a quick kiss. "And, on your way back - fetch my sword - and yours... and tell the others too - if we don't 'beat' them - they're not getting the Elanor without a fight!" and then sent his beloved on her way.

"Gareth!," Dauron yelled. "Have your men hang on. I'm going to make a sharp turn." Holding the wheel tightly in his hands, his shoulders stiff from the strain, he waited for the call from Bernor.

Dauron spun the wheel, tipping the ship almost on it's side as he pulled it into the deep channel, scraping the keel on the bit of shoal remaining on his starboard side. The ship glided away at full speed and he looked over his shoulder at the oncoming Corsair vessel. He heard, as well as saw, the Corsairs grind over the sandy bottom, slamming to a stop as they became grounded. Several of the Corsair sailors that had been close to the edge went sailing over the bow of the ship, landing in the water, where they were actually able to stand on the shoal only chest deep. They stood staring at the Elanor V as she sailed away up the river, then back at their own ship as it sat on the sand, slightly tilted and obviously going nowhere.

"Captain, you can come down from your hiding place now. The bad men can't catch you now," he said, laughing at his tease of his friend. His relief was overwhelming and he was in a mood to celebrate.

He watched the water before him for a moment, then yelled out to the crew. "An extra mug of ale to all of you!! You did a great job, men!"

"Care to join me?" he inquired, and, with a slight tinge to his cheeks, "Since my ship's in the best of care, I thought we could spend some time getting to know each other just a bit better..."

“First, the wine is fine,” Nell said with a quiet smile, “I’ve never had wine before- and the taste is strong, but there’s nothing wrong with it. Secondly, you’re not boring- Certainly the most interesting person I’ve ever met. And thirdly, if you are boring, then I am much worse.”

Another sip of wine was in order, then she continued, not moving from her place nestled against him.
“We have something else in common- we’d both rather be sailing than doing anything else. And I have a temper as well… you haven’t seen it yet, but I promise you it’s there. I was often called ‘difficult’ by the women my father knew, and the wives of the crewmen- impossible might have been more like it. But I, too, can be patient.”

the sounds of singing and music were floating to meet them. It was a tune she recognized, and she hummed a little, deciding not to sing along, then spoke without lifting her head from Gareth’s shoulder.
“Do you sing, Captain?” she asked, as the random question entered her thoughts.

"Spare me from the vengeance of Rangers." Later, Naden expressed a wish for a 'proper smoke'. Dauron's eyes gleamed as he asked to be excused for a moment or two, returning with a small white cloth wrapped around something. Handing it to Naden, he chuckled. "A special treat, my friend, for all you have suffered. A bit of pipe weed that we did not end up selling to the Umbarians." He sat back and watched while Naden eyed him with surprise. Patting the ranger on the back, he excused himself to head back to the wheel as he had been gone from his duties long enough.

"You want me to sing something I wrote... don't you?" Gareth was quite certain she'd say yes... and (of course) she did.

"Don't tell... please?" he begged, "I'd never hear the 'end' of it from Dauron, you know..." quite forgetting (for the moment) that sitting where they were in the stern of the Elanor V, his red-haired best friend would quite likely hear Gareth's quiet voice borne on the wind - though not the actual word's he'd be singing.

Still red, Gareth then leaned closer, and gazing into Nell's eyes, he did as she asked...

Hard a-port!" the voice had snapped, and startled, Gareth could hear, and feel his beloved vessel's keel scraping the bottom of the river.

They weren't running aground... he could tell that, but giving Nell a very mischievous grin, Elanor's captain pulled her up with him, and leaned over the railing to shake his head at his very best friend.

"What are you doing to my ship, you red-headed rascal?" Gareth yelled, and sent a broad wink to Naden as he and Nell then went down to join the others on deck. "If you put us aground," he went on teasingly, "I'll make you tow the Elanor out - single handedly!!"

Yet, seeing the sun beginning to lower in the western sky, and knowing very well that his old friend knew exactly what he was doing, "Shall we drop anchor when the sun sets, Dauron?" Gareth inquired, glancing again at Naden. "I don't want to 'delay' us... but if it's safer, I'd rather wait until tomorrow morning to go on..."

"Bernor!" Dauron called to his mate. "What do you think? Do the channel markers seem to be increasing ahead?" His mate stood, pulling out a long tubelike piece of brass from his waist band which puzzled many of the sailors and held one end up to his eye for a long moment. Then he yelled back at Dauron, "I'm seeing several new markers within a hundred feet. The storm has changed much, Captain." "Thank you, Bernor, you can stand down for now," Dauron called back to him.

Turning to the rest of the sailors, he ordered, "Drop anchor!" Turning to Gareth, he said, "Your wish is my command, Captain." He saluted and grinned for a moment and then said seriously, "I do believe it would be better to stay the night right here. The tide is going out and with the changes that Bernor is seeing, it will make rough and very slow going anyway, as we would have to hang a man in front with a lanten to spot all the markers. It would be better to progress in the morning in full daylight and when the tide is running upriver with us rather than against us."

Looking at Naden, knowing how delays would disturb him, Dauron told him, "believe it or not, we will make better time running with the tide in daylight than against it in the pitch black of night. We will make Osgilliath by mid-afternoon at the latest provided the river opens up upriver as it usually does once away from the deltas at the confluence with the sea. Trust me, Naden, I know how hurried you are but better this way than running aground and losing two days."