[Airerûthiel]

Zohariel's request for honesty had set the young Gondorian thinking, and she knew that Khôrbar should not have to help her bear her burden. Honesty was vitally important to her, and for the last few hours the foreboding words had been drifting constantly across her mind in a streamy of mist: 'If you believe in honesty, tradition dictates you should follow.' The weight of her secret was one she needed to cast off, and it had to be discarded now, or she knew she would not be able to go on.

In the darkness, even though she could not see her companions, Airerûthiel spoke. "I have a confession I want to make," she said as quietly as she could, her voice echoing down the corridor nonetheless. "Only one other in this group knows my secret. But as I sense we may not all survive - call it half-Elf's intuition..." She paused briefly, and hearing nothing but her own breathing and the almost-silent footfalls of the company, allowed herself a small smile. "I pride myself on my honesty, but in order to protect myself I have lied since the deaths of my family. If I never see the light of day again, I want to leave this Middle-earth with a light conscience.

"My true name, the one I was given at birth, is Bragolhirwen. The ones who slew my family know me by that name, and they still seek me with intent to kill. I have always been told that I resemble my mother, and so I thought nothing of taking her name in order to stop the murderers discovering who I am. If that is how they know me, they will not wish to slay me; my hope was that they would be afeared of that name, thinking I was her vengeful ghost.

"But I have no reason to hide any more. I have foreseen that this quest may bring death to our group, but who will be among the fallen I cannot say; fate did not bless me with that foresight. If we go to our ends, then I say let us go without fear and with nothing to hide!" Her hand went to the hilt of her father's Elven blade, a wedding gift brought from her mother's people at Mirkwood, and as she drew it she, and everyone else in the group, heard a noise that sounded like echoing footsteps, coming closer and closer, quickening to keep time with every heartbeat in the passageway.