" I see that you made the journey successfully, Leah," Eowyn said, her voice as cold as the pre-dawn air. "You did not encounter any difficulties?"
"Leah,," Rade said gruffly. "What were you thinking to make such a journey in the darkness… in your condition?"
"There many things more terrifying than darkness, Rade," the girl said. Hearing her voice reminded Grima of the previous winter's festival, when she had sung a duet with Theodred, her long reddish hair catching the firelight.
"Yes, and many of them dwell in it." Rade was disapproving, but Leah laughed, silver and gold, and Grima saw Eowyn raise her eyebrows and give a small nod.
"We are all driven to take risks at times, Rade," she said, almost too softly for Grima to hear.
"Yes, but… your… condition," Rade attempted. Grima saw Leah turn away and take up her mount's rein.
"I'm with child, Rade, not made of fragile blossoms, liable to collapse and shatter at the slightest touch. Women have done much more with bigger bellies than I have." Her tone was reproving, but Grima caught something. Anger? Desperation?
Again Eowyn said something softly, and took the rein from Leah's hand, and tethered the shaggy pony. Leah did not respond. Grima gave a tiny smile. This expedition was more informative than he could have hoped.
"You have returned only briefly, Leah," Rade said, his voice sombre. "A body has been discovered beneath the ice in Bakra's Cauldron. It is generally thought that it is yours."
After a moment of hesitation, Leah laughed, her voice silver and gold, genuinely amused. Grima saw Rade and Eowyn exchange glances.
"How droll! Truly?"
Eowyn cleared her throat. "It is a serious business, Leah. Your uncle Hama is stricken and grieving for you, although you still live."
There was no response from Leah, although Grima supposed she looked serious now indeed.
Eowyn's voice was grave. "I have protected you until now because you are a friend, and because you assured me that you were not acting from ill intent. Now is the time for honesty. You must return to the Hall with me and cease to injure those who love you, suffering in your absence."
Rade watched warily, glancing between the two women. "That includes me, love," he said, his voice almost lost to a sudden chill wind that sprang up on the Mark and raced toward the town. Grima smelled snow not too far off.
"Come back, reveal yourself. I don't care whose child you carry. I will sue for your hand, and we can be married."
Leah, who was close enough to touch him, moved closer and laid a hand on his chest.
"What I do, I do from necessity. Rade, I thought you understood that. My Lady, I thank you for your support and bless you for it. I cannot return yet, although I assure you that I will return soon. When the babe is born."
There was a moment of silence, and Grima felt a snowflake tangle in his sparse eyelashes, then another. He peered past the crates and saw all three glance up at the sky.
"Well," Rade said roughly. "Come into the guard house. We have a short time until Derge reports to join me."
Leah gave him a smile that Grima saw reflected in the way his face lit, and knew that the argument was over.
Eowyn gave a curt nod and, with another glance at the lightening horizon and the dark snow bearing clouds, pulled her hood back over her head.
Rade and Leah turned to watch her leave and walk away toward the town, and as they did so, Grima caught a good glimpse of the girl's belly. He would guess her to be at least three to five months along, although he did not claim any insight into women's bodies, and mares were certainly different creatures altogether. However, she was certainly swollen. The couple disappeared into the guard house and closed the door. After a moment, Grima, moving quietly, approached the guard house and listened intently. He heard nothing but muffled sounds suggesting conversation. He could not make it out. Frowning slightly, he moved on to the pony, which moved nervously to the end of its rein as he approached, snorting great clouds of condensation at him. He waited a moment for it to calm, and stroked its nose briefly. He ran a hand down its neck and flank, keeping a wary ear on the guard house. Derge still had a few minutes to report, and was not notoriously punctual, despite repeated cautions. The pony was warm, as if it had been ridden for many hours, but not distressed as it would have been after many hours of hard riding. The saddle was light, and there were minimal supplies in the saddlebag – a flagon of water and a little bread. As well as the supplies, Grima found a small sharp dagger, which he carefully replaced. So, the girl had ridden through the night, not too hard. Riding the Mark in darkness was foolhardy, and only done by those able to defend themselves, or those desperate enough to go anyway. Grima knew that Leah suffered no lack of confidence in herself, but rather supposed that a kind of desperation must be driving her movements. Particularly for her to risk the life of her unborn child. That fact raised another set of questions that could be addressed later. He checked for any more indicators to her purpose, but found nothing. Where could she have come from? If she rode through the night, there were only two villages that she might have originated from – Drustan to the north, and Deeping to the northeast, both a relatively easy day's (or night's) ride from Edoras. Grima thinned his lips in thought, then glanced at the lightening horizon. A few stray snowflakes continued to fall, but he sensed that the real snow fall would not come for a few hands of time. Absently, he stroked the pony's nose once more and it nuzzled his robes. There was a purposeful noise from the guard house, a fumbling at the door, and Grima shrank around to the external wall, hoping that whoever exited would not immediately go to the pony. Heavy footsteps exited the structure and moved around the opposite direction to where Grima was hiding, toward the rail where a few mounts were tethered by the guard house. Rade, for Grima guessed that that was who was currently preparing a horse for departure, had closed the guard house door behind him. With a quick glance at the structure, Grima slipped past the pony and back to the road that ran to the gates. He could clearly see Rade slipping a bridle onto a horse. If Grima was quiet, he could slip past unobserved back to his original hiding space. Fate, however, had other plans. As Grima moved onto the road, Rade turned, and the two men regarded each other for a moment.
"Good morning," Grima said pleasantly, and walked toward Rade, who stood with what Grima thought was a remarkable degree of composure.
"Good morning," Rade returned, and turned his attention once more to the harness.
"It is a pleasant morning, for this time of year, I believe," Grima remarked as he drew even with the other man. Rade looked askance at him.
"I would have thought it too cold for your tastes."
Grima clucked his tongue. "It is true that I find the long cold of winter discomforting. We cannot all protect ourselves from the chill as well as this fellow here," he said, indicating the saddled horse. "However, I find the early mornings bracing for a stroll about the town. So quiet." He met Rade's eyes. "And absolutely nobody around."
Rade regarded him warily. Grima gave a tiny smile.
"Good day, Rade," Grima said, and walked on, slowly, enjoying a stroll in the cold, awakening city.
***
When he returned to the Hall, he entered via the front doors. It had always been a private pleasure of his, as most of his pleasures were, to enter the Hall thus. He allowed himself, just for a moment, to believe that he truly did belong here as the trusted adviser to the king. As he approached, he saw Hama in guard position before the doors. Although Doorwarden, Hama most often left the early morning duty to a younger warrior. This morning, however, he stood duty alone, and sombre faced. As he passed, Grima paused and regarded the large man carefully, head tilted in his customary gesture of attention.
"Good morning, Doorwarden," he said with a nod. Hama returned the gesture. Grima moved past him, and entered the chill darkness of the Hall
A/N: Many big furry thanks to Elderberry, without whose nagging you may not have gotten this chapter! Sorry Elderberry, I'll try to be a little more prompt in future. The next chapter shouldn't be more than a few days away. That's when it starts to get interesting!
~Tal.