[Rimbaud]

“How…,” began Estelyn. Rimbaud folded the parchment abruptly, the noise stopping her. He handed the Princess the re-folded message and smiled faintly in the darkness. The sparse light accorded his face gave him a slightly malevolent air, all shaded cheekbones and deep-set eyes.

“We are being pushed and prodded,” he said. “I am half of a mind to go back and either inform who we should in Minas Tirith or at least some of the Star’s more…potent allies.”

Estelyn shook her head. “I don’t think we can let this out yet,” she said. Or ever, she thought. “People would panic if they knew what we do, and moreover, from this,” and she patted the pouch at her waist, where the paper was stashed, “it appears that we cannot trust the Guard overmuch.” Yet she knew of whom else he referred to but she would prefer that route remain unused, for now.

“According to this note only,” said Rimbaud, but they both heard the hollowness of his words. For the observant such as they, the note only went towards confirming some long held suspicions. He lifted the lantern up higher to more clearly perceive her face. “We are being led, perhaps, to our doom.”

“That possibility I cannot deny,” said the Princess calmly.

Rimbaud sighed. “Whoever wrote this – I presume it to be our helper – was disturbed in the writing. What action would he have advised, do you think?”

“There was to be a choice.”

“Aye, true enough.” He fell silent. The tunnel was quiet and chill about them. “If we emerge with this information, and Mordor has a hold on some in Minas Tirith, then we would be in immediate danger.”

“To my mind the Guard has at least one pair of eyes in the Star,” she said quietly, and to her surprise, he simply nodded a casual affirmation.

“Your mind is as mine, I think,” he ventured. “To seek the final pieces to this jigsaw and its solution.”

“With as few people in the know as possible,” she confirmed. They shared a small smile, and both turned to face the maw of the tunnel that carved beneath the Anduin.

They took a few steps forward, the tunnel wide enough for them to walk abreast. At the same time, they became aware of the smell of death.