Grey sunlight seeped through the window. It was a chilly morning. Heavy fog obscured the view to the street. Radawen opened her eyes and shivered. She was cold. She had fallen asleep on the chair blocking the door. She stretched and ached. She remembered the men from last night. She stood up, picked up a blanket from the floor, sat on the chair again and wrapped the blanket around her.
Then she heard a knock on the door. She stood up quickly and pushed the chair away from the door. She stopped and hesitated.
It was not Delioron. There were men from Tham Pethgyl out on the street guarding the apartment even now. Delioron would know that. He would not come here.
Radawen sneaked over to the window and took a peak. She saw a distorted image of a woman standing in front of the door through the stained glass window.
Radawen went to the door, removed the wooden bar and cracked the door open slightly.
”Yes?”
”My name is Elwil”, the woman said. She was older than Radawen, tall and stylishly dressed. Her confidence came more from her presence than her clothes.
”May I come in?”
Radawen frowned, feeling like a peasant. She grazed her hair, gave up and opened the door fully.
Curse it! She was well-dressed! She even smelled refined. Radawen was wearing only a white chemise. She crossed her arms over her bosom and waited.
The woman wore a light grey surcoat over a deep blue wool gown. She had black hair and blue eyes. She glanced around quickly as if she was used to making quick assessments. She looked at Radawen oddly, stepped inside and closed the door behind her. Then she did something very peculiar. She lifted a finger to her lips and winked at Radawen.
Winked at her!
Radawen blinked and stared at her.
”Who are you?”
”I have been trying to reach you”, Elwil said. ”You were out.”
”I was out?”
She lifted a finger to her lips again. She walked past Radawen to the opposite wall of the small apartment. She pressed her ear against the wall, then knocked on it slightly. It made a hollow sound. She looked at Radawen and nodded.
”I knew him once, a long time ago”, Elwil whispered. ”Before you met him. He explained everything to me. He could trust me, you see?”
”No.” Radawen was silent for a while. ”Where is he? What has happened to him? Is he alright?”
”He thinks you are in grave danger, and so is he. He wants to see you. Now.”
”But where is he? Is he hurt?”
”No. He is fine.” She threw a weird glance at Radawen.
”What danger?” Radawen was scared all of a sudden. For half a year she had lived in fear, reliving the nightmare in Delioron’s house in the Cape of Belfalas, trying to tell herself it would never happen again. And now it was happening again.
Elwil spoke quietly, away from the walls. ”There are two men loitering down the street outside. There could be more. They do not seem to be too concerned whether anyone spots them or not. Perhaps they are only supposed to guard you. But we need to shake them off our trail.”
”Who are you?”
She frowned. ”I told you already. I knew him. I used to… serve the throne. A long time ago.”
”But not anymore?”
”Do I look like a servant?” The words were said in jest, but a tinge of bitterness shone through. ”We met in Eriador, a town called Bree. Maybe four or five years ago. I owed him, and he knew it. He always knows which strings to pull. Last night Ârchanar – my husband – was away. He came to our home…”
”Where?”
”Up in the Master’s Tier. He told me…”
”What? Where is he?”
”Here. In Minas Tirith.”
”Why are you doing this?”
”Because he asked me to.”
She said it just as simply as Radawen would have said it herself in Elwil’s place. Radawen understood and suddenly felt terrible. Had Delioron used Elwil too? Does he use everyone?
Suddenly she saw him standing in front of her. He looked at her with his grey eyes and said: Yes. When I have to.
”What do I have to do?”
Elwil looked at her with an almost wistful expression in her eyes. ”I will get you out of here and shake off the tails. And you get to see him.”
”You don’t have to risk yourself for me. I will go alone.”
”You would never be able to shake them, Radawen. But I can.”
And Radawen believed her.
