044 - Dashing through the snow

... with a 900 lbs crystal ball!

Act 44, Scene 1 - Dashing through the snow

After cleaving the Palantirs from the altar, the two living members of the company set on foot to reach the Raven before nightfall. Sir Galdor was weighted down by his armor. Halin offered to carry his hauberk to lighten his load. To maximize their speed, they decide to travel on the hard ice of the fjord, which should put them on sight of Mulkan at some point. Finbert, as a wraith, decided to follow the two and scout ahead. 

The snow was falling with increased intensity. By the time that the pair was passing east of Mulkan, the visibility was less than the width of the fjord. Finbert flew over to the village to take stock. The Lossoth of Mulkan were picking up the pieces after the wave of destruction of the afternoon. Halin and Sir Galdor never realized that they had passed the village.

The Ravens of Erebor

The ravens of Erebor have once enjoyed a special relationship with the dwarves under the mountain. First of all, they can speak Westron at the accented level. They live freely, but are strongly motivated by the promise of getting rewards from their dwarven mate. They will pay close attention to what their mate tells them, and make the best possible effort to find bits of information that will get them a shiny reward. Once trained, however, they are treated as free agents: they will cater to the most generous and consistent dwarven mate with no particular sense of loyalty.