Tragedy at sea

A final lateral thinking puzzle.

…

There was a light tap at the door.

“That will be Haldir,” said Legolas. “Come in!”

The March Warden entered. “I was told you wanted to see me immediately—” He stared at the festive scene.

“Yes,” said Legolas. “Come and join us!”

“Get some mulled ale inside you, laddie,” said Gimli. “You look famished.”

The mellow atmosphere was so infectious that Haldir, for once, did not point out to the dwarf that elves were not troubled by the cold as other races were.

“Come sit by me,” said Eowyn. “We are telling stories.”

Haldir took the seat she was offering and, when she began to pile food upon his plate, thanked her with a smile. “Stories?” he asked.

“Of doom and gloom,” said Gimli. “Stories with a macabre twist.”

“Like the story of Guilin,” said Legolas.

“Ah.”

“Do you know one?” asked Eowyn. She poured him a goblet of wine.

Haldir picked up his knife. “I did hear a strange story once. But it is not, perhaps, appropriate to tell it here.”

“Why ever not?” she asked.

Haldir glanced at Legolas. “It concerns the Straight Road.”

Legolas smiled. “Tell it, March Warden. It is Yuletide.”

“Very well.” Haldir thought for a moment. “A grey ship set sail from Mithlond. Its crew—all of them young Silvan elves who had never before seen the sea—were filled with joy at the sight of the wide green ocean—the white-capped waves, the shadows of great sea-fish beneath its surface, and the clouds of wheeling gulls above…” From the corner of his eye the March Warden saw Eowyn reach for Legolas’ hand and he smiled, gratefully. “Three days later, delayed by a violent storm, another grey ship set sail—this one carrying a party of older, wiser elves, venerable scholars from Imladris.”

Haldir took a sip of wine. “Less than a day into their journey, the second ship came upon the first, hove to, and surrounded by the bodies of its young crew, floating in the sea. Every one of them had drowned.”

“Oh…” Eomer shook his head. “How? Why?”

“The elves in the second ship lowered a small boat and sent two of their number to investigate. They threw a line up to the deck, climbed aboard, and found the vessel perfectly seaworthy. They could think of no reason why the youngsters should have abandoned ship and perished…”

“So why did they?” asked the dwarf.

“Because the sea had seduced them, Gimli,” said Eowyn, darkly.