‘No,’ she said, truthfully, ‘I know only what little I am able to overhear. But Rowf is closer to such knowledge and has told me all he knows.’
Elgar was silent for a long time. Finally, raising his eyes to where the refugees waited, he said, ‘Send the one named Birin to me. I have felt the Evil to which you refer. I would know the truth of it.’
Ralph could hardly contain his sense of relief when he saw Malina returning. He and his companions had seen that she was speaking with someone but could see only two, and hints of others in the shadows. Instead of coming directly to him, though, she came to stand before Birin.
‘Their leader is an Outcast, half-Pixie, half-Elf, who wishes to speak with you. His name is Elgar. You cannot see from here, but they are many, and I think they may be dangerous. I told him why we are here; about the King and Prince Cir, and what your Elven Loremasters have done.’
Birin raised an eyebrow. ‘Why do you think they may present any danger to us? We have a fair number of well-armed Elf soldiers here.’
‘They have soldiers too,’ Malina told him, ‘and not merely unarmed Pixies with a little mischief in their hearts!’