Fire from the Sea (In Tharbad: Volume One)

15

Siriondil was forced to summon the memories of his youth as he followed Dorineth through the thick undergrowth along the south bank of the Gwathló. He had been quite the hunter in those days, long before he had become more civilized. He found that he was urging his body to remember the stealth he had once perfected, a skill that had earned him renown in Ossiriand. He kept the greatest distance required so that he did not lose her while maintaining the silence of a hunting spider.

The failing light was making his task all the more challenging but it wasn't long before Dorineth's destination loomed up through the thinning trees ahead: a small cottage, half hidden by fruit trees. His quarry was now lit by the lamps that hung from the lower branches. Dorineth turned quickly and Siriondil ducked. She scanned the forest before continuing round to the far side of the cottage.

As he approached the raised terrace a young Haladin woman emerged from the shadows. She seemed to have been sitting on a rocking chair but now she moved into the lamplight.

"Greetings. Are you lost?"

"Zha," he murmured. "Do not be alarmed. I understand that you may not be accustomed to strange Elves calling unannounced at your home at such hours." He touched his breast and started to bow his head. "I am -"

"I know who you are."

"That saves me a lot of time."

"Yávien has told me all about you, Siriondil of Mithlond. And do you know my name?"

"You must be Hiril."

"Come in."

He completed the formality of bowing then climbed the stairs. As with many of the Haladin buildings in and around Tharbad he found he had to crane his neck as he walked through the doorway. She led him through the house and the scent of elanor to the kitchen where a white cat jumped from a large oak table and ran through another door.

"Can I offer you some kind of refreshment?" she said, inviting him to take a seat.

"Thank you, Zha Hiril. Some water will be fine."

"Please, Siriondil. The Númenóreans brought civilisation to Minhiriath and the silly formalities that go with it."

He expressed his puzzlement with a slight raising of his eyebrows.

"Zha this and Din that," she said, exasperated. "Call me Hiril." She smiled and placed a beaker of water before him.

"I suppose you have come to talk to me about Lathron." She set a beaker of her own on the table and sat, hooking a lock of auburn hair behind her ear.

"Well, I –"

"He is doing well in spite of the beatings and the torture. Another mark of civilisation, that."

Siriondil in a rare exception, did not quite know how to respond. "I am glad to hear it," he said finally. "What do you think of the rumours that he might have forsaken his brother?"

"He would have said anything to make the pain stop. The question is, why did they want him to forsake his brother?"

"Amandil's reputation was at stake."

"It is no secret that Amandil was taking bribes. But he did so to expose Ostoher for what he truly is."

"How?"

She started to twist her wedding band. "I was here when Amandil last came to our house. He brought silver. Dozens of bars. Lathron hid it and even I do not know its whereabouts. That is why they are still torturing him. Amandil was planning to take it to the Square and denounce the Governor." She cupped her beaker with both hands and her eyes glazed. "Who knows if Cardavor loved Meleth."

"Meleth?"

Her eyes refocused and she fixed him with a defiant stare. "The girl you followed here." She looked away and scowled with disgust at what she was about to say. "Lathron knows what Cardavor did to her. What he might have done if Lathron had not found him there."

"Where?"

"At Amandil's house. They fought and Meleth intervened. There was a struggle. She broke a pot over his head; she was merely trying to knock him out. When he stopped breathing, Meleth ran into the forest. Lathron tried to get rid of the body but Amandil came home. He told us to leave, that he would take care of everything."

"Lathron told you this?"

She shook her head and the lock of hair became dislodged. "I was there. I saw Cardavor on top of Meleth, ripping her robes. Amandil rode into Tharbad. He brought the guards out to the house."

"What did he tell them?"

"That he and Cardavor had argued; that it was an accident."

"But Lathron spoke the truth when he was arrested."

"The truth was not good enough."

"It is said that Amandil and Cardavor were allies. What would they have to argue about?"

"Meleth. What else? It was a lie based on truth. I had often seen them arguing when Cardavor came to the house drunk. Lathron told the guards that things became heated. That Cardavor tried to strike Amandil but he dodged. Cardavor stumbled and fell into the hearth."

"But the guard did not believe him."

"Whether they believed him or not, it was more convenient for the men who run Tharbad for Amandil to remain free."

"But now they had something over him."

"Atheglim for one took it upon himself to ruin Amandil's reputation."

"I do not think he took it upon himself, Hiril. Is Meleth still here? In the house?"

"She does not stay in one place for very long, Siriondil."

"Hiril, you have been very helpful. And I feel I must be honest with you. You see, the Governor – Ostoher – tasked me with finding this – Meleth."

"These Númenóreans. If they get their way, everything you see, everything around us will be gone." Again Hiril's eyes glazed over. "He will never see her."