[Regin Hardhammer]

Azarmanô opened the door for a second time. Now, however, he expected to find Lady Inzillomi on the other side and flashed her a warm smile. Her request required a long time to consider, but under the circumstances two hours of contemplation was all he had. He hesitated allowing the Lady to join the party because of the grave danger they would certainly encounter on their expedition into the Temple at Armenelos, layer of Sauron himself. The group was shattered, a mere fragment of the expedition that had set out some weeks before. After Thoronmir’s sudden departure, the only men remaining to accompany the lady were Abarzadan, in whom Azarmanô did not invest complete confidence, and himself. She would be an easy target to single out if they were ever engaged in combat, which he feared would be likely. With her husband close to being sacrificed and her daughter hiding from the royal guards, Azarmanô felt guilty about launching Inzillomi into yet another perilous situation. He could not bear to envision her being arrested by the king’s men and brought to a cell next to the one she loved, awaiting her blood to be spilt on the altar. If a tragedy should befall both husband and daughter, someone must remain to carry on the family name.

He could not plan for the future with great conviction, however, for his concerns were focused on the immediate. It was certainly true that Thoronmir’s departure could not have come at a worse time, but he was certainly glad that he had decided to rejoin the party in Romenna. His departure, however, had given Azarmanô pause to tust him, perhaps even less so than Abarzadan. What kind of fickle companion leaves a group on a whim only to rejoin them later? He did not know Thoronmir's motivation behind his actions, but he was certainly suspicious of them.

Azarmanô had occasionally heard from Abârpânarú that his wife preformed missions for the Faithful when another man was unavailable or ill. In fact, he had employed her aid on his exploits several times and used her as a contact and benefactor. This experience as an operative, he felt sure, would be extremely useful in their journey. She knew both how to conduct herself in the critical missions that they would encounter so as not to attract attention and how to escape from dangerous situations. He had even heard tales that she had wielded a sword once in combat and killed a man, although he questioned their validity.

But the one factor that motivated him in making his decision more than any other was not experience in battle, but trust. The sense of confidence he shared with her grew from their extensive service for the Faithful. The pair had to share a strong bond of confidence to work together, for death lurked in the vacuous shadows waiting for them. The only thing that saved the members of the Faithful in such treacherous times was their ability to find strength in and depend on one another. If he brought her along, he could count on her as a fellow Faithful to be devoted to the task until the end, regardless of what dangers they encountered along the way.

Not only could he depend upon her loyalty, but he knew that she had a stronger impetus to rescue Abârpânarú than even he had. It was her husband who was locked in the dungeon, about to be sacrificed at any moment. The bond of love is a stronger one than any other in the world, and those who have it will never let go until their spirits have left them. Such is how Azarmanô felt about his own wife and son whom he still vowed to see no matter what he must endure to reach them. Inzillomi must feel the same towards her husband who sat enslaved in the dank dungeon and only daughter who remained with Marsillion and Tiru somewhere near Armenelos. Azarmanô only hoped that he could reach the two before something horrible happened to either of them.

He now addressed Lady Inzillomi confidently, “My Lady, we would be honored if you could join our group to rescue Abârpânarú from Armenelos. It is not an easy request you make of me, for there shall be more danger now than ever. The group is split and our number is not as large as it was when we departed from your house at the beginning of the journey. However, I feel compelled to agree to your request because I place a trust in you that I am sure is not misguided. I know that in your prior missions for the Faithful you have displayed your bravely in the face of evil, and you shall do so again in this one. Now that I have warned you, it is best for us to be off. We must make haste, for precious lives hang delicately in the balance. You and Abarzadan will ride together and I shall ride the other Karibor. I have told Thoronmir to rejoin us outside the gates of the city.” Without waiting for a response, if indeed one was forthcoming, Azarmanô mounted his horse and motioned for Abarzadan and Inzillomi to do likewise. “Away,” he shouted before galloping with speed out of Romenna and towards Armenelos and the temple of Sauron.