It was still very early in the morning. The sun had not risen yet when somebody banged on Commander Wirlun’s door again.
”Enter!” he barked.
It was Frimron, Wirlun’s adjutant. Frimron was a small and feeble-looking runt for a dwarf. Even his beard was patchy and wispy.
”Yes, what is it?”
”C-commander Wirlun”, Frimron stuttered nervously in his thin voice. ”Y-you wanted t-t-to y-y-you wanted me to i-i-inform you at once if-if-if a-anyone leaves Zig-zig-zig-zigil-zig-zig-zigil…”
”Jâbal”, Wirlun completed the sentence. Frimron’s stuttering was tiresome, but it could not be helped. Frimron was also an insufferable duffer not suited for any other kind of position in the guard than being Wirlun’s adjutant. At least he did that job passably well. ”And someone has just left, I take it?”
”Y-y-yes, C-commander Wi-wi-wir-wi-wi-”
”Who?” Wirlun interrupted.
”G-g-g-gulim, C-commander Wirlun. The l-l-lore-master.”
”I see. And when did this happen?”
”J-j-j-j-just n-now, c-c-commander. L-l-less than an hour ago.”
Wirlun scratched his beard and stared at his adjutant sternly. ”And where did he say he was going?”
”H-h-he didn’t, c-commander. The g-g-guard on duty, Tumbon, said he w-was acting s-s-suspiciously. W-w-why would he travel at t-this hour unless he didn’t want a-a-anyone to ask questions? And-and-and h-he had a pony, and lots of b-b-b-bag-bag-bag-baggage. Like s-someone who expects t-to be a-a-away a-a-awhile.”
”I see. Was that all?”
”Y-y-y-y-ye-ye-ye-y-y-y…”
”Thank you, Frimron. Dismissed!”
Wirlun skimmed through his reports absent-mindedly for a quarter of an hour. Something about this business with advisor Glunri and lore-master Gulim seemed strange – very strange. Wirlun sighed and pushed the parchments aside. He had made a decision. Wirlun stood up, walked around his desk and exited the office.
”I will be away for an hour”, he told Frimron, who was sitting behind a smaller desk in the hallway. ”If anyone asks for me, just tell them to wait or come back later.”
”Y-y-y-y-y-y…”
But Wirlun had already left and did not hear the rest. Wirlun’s office was just above the outer gates. He descended the stairs and walked through a long subterranean tunnel and another set of guarded gates to the Great Hall. From there he took a sharp turn right and entered another tunnel leading to the residential district of Zigil-jâbal, where most of the inhabitants of the settlement had their dwellings. The tunnel opened into a long, narrow hall with sturdy oak doors on both sides of the hall. Wirlun stopped in front of one of the doors and thumped it forcefully with his fist.
There was a brief silence before a sleepy voice answered: ”Coming, coming!”
The door opened. Behind it there stood a stocky dwarf with straggly beard and groggy eyes in his underwear.
”Wirlun”, the sleepy dwarf growled and yawned. ”What time is it?”
”Still early”, Wirlun said. ”My apologies, cousin Kimrin. Can I come in?”
”Sure, make yourself at home”, Kimrin said and held the door open for Wirlun as he entered Kimrin’s humble abode.
Wirlun’s cousin Kimrin was a metalsmith and one of the messengers of Zigil-jâbal. The main duties of the messengers consisted of creating and maintaining relations and trade routes with certain farmsteads in Rohan. The dwarves of Zigil-jâbal did not grow their own food but relied on trade instead. Sometimes the messengers had other duties outside the settlement as well. Most of them were well-traveled and every one of them knew the maps of Rohan and Gondor by heart.
Wirlun sat on a stool by the kitchen table and looked Kimrin sternly in the eyes. ”Cousin, I need a favor from you”, he said. ”A big one.”
”Oh?” Kimrin raised a bushy eyebrow and leaned on the hearth, arms crossed around his barrel chest. ”Go on.”
”I want you to travel to Nen Hithoel to investigate a rumor I heard.”
”Nen Hithoel? That’s a long way from here!”
”I know, but I wouldn’t be asking if it wasn’t important.” Wirlun related the story Dwormur had told him last night to Kimrin. Kimrin scratched his beard and frowned.
”And you’re certain Glunri is scheming something behind Lord Naíf’s back?” he asked.
”I can’t be sure of that, but he sure is scheming something! Thráin is alive? Amon Hen? And Gulim traveled early this morning with a pony packed for a long journey. If Glunri is plotting a treason, it is our duty to find out and prevent it!”
”What if Glunri and Gulim are working under Lord Naíf’s orders? Perhaps Naíf has asked Glunri to investigate some important matter of the city? Something so important that it must be kept secret from the rest of us, even you?” Kimrin suggested.
”Perhaps”, Wirlun reluctantly admitted, ”but I would find it odd if Lord Naíf didn’t see fit to inform me of such clandestine matters. Me, the commander of the garrison! Nay, I cannot assume that, and I can’t go ask about it from Naíf either. It would sound like I was accusing Glunri of treason without any evidence! If Glunri is plotting a treason, we must find proof first. Can you do me this favor? I would prefer if you could leave as soon as possible – today, or tomorrow if you must. Can you do it?”
”Yes, cousin Wirlun. I’ll do it. I can leave today. I don’t have any unfinished business here at the moment. In truth I have been bored to tears lately, so the change of scenery is welcome.”
”Thank you, Kimrin! I owe you a big favor. Can we keep this matter between you and me for now?”
”Of course. My lips are sealed.”
Wirlun and Kimrin exchanged a few more words about the recent happenings in Zigil-jâbal before Wirlun excused himself, bowed to Kimrin and returned to his office. Adjutant Frimron looked at him nervously from across his desk.
”Yes, what is it, Frimron?”
”C-c-c-com-commander W-Wirlun, a-a-advisor G-g-g-glunri c-came to see you. I a-asked him to w-w-wait in your office.”
”All right. Thank you.”
Wirlun went into his office and closed the door behind him. Advisor Glunri was standing behind Wirlun’s desk, shuffling through his parchments. Wirlun became irritated.
”Advisor Glunri”, he said in a breezy voice. ”Is there something I can help you with?”
Glunri looked up from the parchments. He was an elderly dwarf, between 200 and 250 years by Wirlun’s estimation. He had a big, round head, blue eyes and bushy white eyebrows which grew straight outwards.
”I think one of your guards might have overheard a discussion I had with lore-master Gulim last night.” Glunri’s voice was as thick as gravel. ”Dwormur, I believe his name is. Did he come to see you last night?”
”No”, Wirlun lied. ”What was the discussion about?”
”Nothing important. Are you sure Dwormur didn’t come to see you last night?” Glunri stared at Wirlun suspiciously.
”Sure I’m sure. Lore-master Gulim traveled out of Zigil-jâbal this morning. With a pony packed for a long journey.”
”Did he now? How odd.”
”Would Gulim’s sudden trip happen to have anything to do with your discussion last night by any chance?” Wirlun pressed on.
”None whatsoever.”
”Then where is he going?”
”How should I know?” Glunri shrugged.
”If your discussion with Gulim was nothing important, then why does it worry you so much whether Dwormur overheard it or not? Why would he come to see me about it?”
Glunri walked around the table and went for the door. ”No reason. I made a mistake. Sorry to bother you. Good day, Commander!”
”But…”
”I made a mistake. Just forget I was ever here. My apologies again, Commander. Have a pleasant morning!”
Glunri exited the office and slammed the door shut behind him.
