A week before the wedding Princess Lothíriel, daughter of Prince Imrahil of Dol Amroth, met with Captain Cirnaith of the Súlrohir to review the route they would sail to Mithlond, the harbour near Minas Tirith, the site of the wedding. With Lothíriel were the sisters Eregiel and Calentauriel of Lothlórien who would be accompanying the princess on the sea voyage.
Captain Cirnaith laid the map on a table so that they may see the path the ship would take.
'We will sail eastward along the coast, your highness,' said the captain, 'turning north when we reach the mouth of the River Anduin. We will follow the river until we reach Harlond on the western shore.'
'Do you have any questions, princess?' Captain Cirnaith asked. She shook her head 'no'.
'How long will the journey take?' asked the ever-inquisitive Calentauriel.
'If Uinen is able to calm her husband Ossë, the voyage will take four days,' the captain answered.
'The journey from Harlond to the White City will take another day,' added Lothíriel, who had visited Minas Tirith a handful of times in her twenty years.
'Aye,' said the captain.
~Captain Cirnaith aboard the Súlrohir~
A few days prior to departure the Súlrohir was examined from stem to stern to ensure its readiness. No small detail had been overlooked. Eregiel and Calentauriel met with Captain Cirnaith to review the names and qualifications of his crew. Seamanship was very important, of course, but so, too, was the character of the men. Prince Imrahil's only daughter would be onboard, and her safety would be of paramount importance. The captain personally vouched for every member of the ship's crew.
On the morning of the departure the crew of the Súlrohir greeted Princess Lothíriel and her two guests with a rousing song:
Come cheer up, my lads! 'tis to glory we steer,
To add something more to this wonderful year;
To honour we call you, as free men not slaves,
For who are so free as the sons of the waves?
Heart of oak are our ships, heart of oak are our men;
We always are ready, steady, boys, steady!
We'll fight and we'll conquer again and again.
Lothíriel, Eregiel, and Calentauriel politely applauded the sailors' spirited performance. Lothíriel even gave a small cheer. Eregiel hoped that the only "fighting" and "conquering" required would be of the waves upon which they sailed.
The sailors immediately began their labours once they had assumed their duty stations. The anchor was weighed, the sails were slowly unfurled, and the journey to Harlond had begun. At the helm of the Súlrohir was Captain Cirnaith, as fine a skipper as anyone could desire.
~The Súlrohir off the Cape of Belfalas~
~The End of Part Two~
(1) "Heart of Oak", words by David Garrick sung to a tune by William Boyce
