Earlier in the afternoon Delioron had descended many sets of crumbling stone stairs on the slopes of the hill until he came to the grassy glade bordered by rowan-trees and a wide flat stone in the middle. It started to rain then – cold, biting rain. There was a tall, big-boned man wearing a black winter cloak with fur lining sitting on the stone. It was Tarîkbên. He raised his head and saw Delioron. He smiled.
”You took your time”, he said in his heavily accented Westron. ”For a while I was worried you had left after all.”
”Do you have the prisoner?”
”Well now. So he does matter to you after all.”
”Do you have him with you?”
”He is safe.”
Delioron stared at the man coldly. He could not shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong.
”It’s no time to play games”, Delioron said.
”It has been no game to me”, Tarîkbên said with disdain. ”It has been a long winter.”
”Where is he?”
”Safe.”
”That could mean Mordor for all I know.”
Tarîkbên shook his head. ”He is here. Close by in a safe location. We are ready to leave.”
That’s right, Delioron thought. You are ready. You have had ample time to weave your webs and you are not afraid, Tarîkbên. I am the one who is scared.
”Only the dwarf will go to Minas Tirith”, Delioron said slowly. ”I will take him…”
”No!”
”Yes”, Delioron said in his flat, calm voice as he was trying to probe Tarîkbên’s reactions with his eyes. ”There is no other way. I have no authority to bring a Black Númenórean from Mordor inside Gondor’s borders, let alone Minas Tirith. You must wait here in Rohan. If the dwarf is as important as you say, you will get your reward later. Someone from Gondor will come with the gold and give it to you in a place of your choosing. It’s the best deal I can offer you.”
”No!” Tarîkbên objected again, jumping up on his feet. He seemed alarmed. Things were not going according to his plan. ”That is not what we talked about. This does not suit me!”
”Doesn’t it?” Delioron stroked the hilt of his sword with his fingers.
”No. The servants of Sauron are after us, they are already here! I would not survive long enough for you and Thráin to get to Minas Tirith before they hunted me down and killed me. There is no place safe for me in Rohan, or anywhere! Minas Tirith is the only place I can think of where Sauron cannot reach me!”
”Take me to the dwarf!”
”You do know how important he is?”
”Not really.”
Tarîkbên looked surprised. Delioron smiled.
”I am just a messenger after all.”
