[littlemanpoet]

"I give you good greeting, Eomer King!" Eodwine bowed deeply.

"Greetings Eodwine, my new Eorl. I had hoped you would bring the Holbytlan with you, the one who claims to have saved your life, Master Folc- Folwi-"

"Master Falco Boffin."

"Ah! Those Shire names are passing strange!"

"He did as he claims, lord, and I did not think to bring him. Forgive me. He would have liked to come."

"Forgiven! Bring him next time. What brings you to Meduseld?"

"Fear that you would beggar yourself out of kindness to me, lord."

Eomer allowed a half grin as he eyed his Eorl. "I think I can guess what you will say next, but I wish to hear it from you."

"Lord, you have given me Edoras and land fifty miles long from north to south and fifty miles wide from west to east. All of it did pay tithe to the king. Now the tithe comes to me, and you get but a tithe of the tithe! You have cutt off your own wealth from your hand!"

"I keep the wealth from East and West in my own hand, Eodwine. You have a new weal from my hand that has not been done before among the Eorlingas. I am testing a new thing to see how it works, and you are my Woses Hog."

Eodwine blinked, tilted his head, and squinted from one eye. "So you are giving me your wealth to test me? Why? ....if I may be so bold?"

Eomer chuckled. "Not testing you, but a way of holding lands."

"What way is this?"

"It is to hold all one's lands in fief to local eorls, and to get tithes from all of them."

"But then you get only a tithe of a tithe and beggar yourself surely!"

"Yes and no. I do get a tithe of a tithe, and if the lands stay as they are it would be beggary to me. Tell me, Eodwine, how much of the Middle Emnet is farmed? And how much of it is fen, bog, marsh, unused, or horse pasture and paddock?"

"The numbers of our fold are not great for we have often been at war with Dunlending or orc, or even woses; much of the land that could be farmed is not."

"And much is pasturage for the steeds of the Eorlingas," said the king. "Some day our fold will learn that warring costs more than it gains, and that the land is enough to enrich us."

"Where has the king learned these new thoughts?" Eodwine ventured.

"From Elessar and Imrahil. And Lothiriel my wife."

Eodwine nodded. It was as he had thought. Marenil's newfangled ideas came back to mind, as things he would rather do without, and here was his king speaking of the very same thing. He swallowed and cleared his throat. "We are close to the land, lord."

"Close enough to turn fen, marsh, and paddock aplenty to cropland? I want you to understand these things so that you can see for yourself how they may be made to happen. I have land to give you so that you can put this to the test."

"Lord?"

"Sorn's land is forfeit to me because of his crime. I give it to you."

Eodwine was dumbfounded for a merest moment. "And I give it back to your forthwith, lord!"

"No, Eodwine, you shall not. Use the land. Move there with your household. That old inn is too cramped for the Eorl of the Middle Emnet, though you have done much with it already. Sorn's land will make a fine estate which, as it turns out, is in the very heart of the Middle Emnet, where you should be."

"But folk do not go there, lord."

"They will when you are there."

"Would you have me a day's ride away? Out of sight and mind to do as I please whether you like it or not?"

Eomer smiled. "Bold words. But I picked my first Eorl well. I trust you, for you are trustworthy."

"Are you commanding me?"

"I could. But I do not. Think on this. Return to me in a month and we will talk of it again. It is not something that must be done all in a rush. Now, is there anything else?"

"No, lord. You appear to have matters well in hand, far more than I credited you with, and much more well in hand than I."

Eomer laughed. "Ah, but I have means that you lack. Speaking of which, the queen wishes to speak with you when you leave my court."

"Oh? About what matter?"

"I know not, though I will learn soon enough, no doubt. There is another thing. Haleth!" The king's chief guard came forth holding a small pouch, which he gave to Eodwine. "Take it, Eodwine."

He opened it. Inside was a broad gold ring, etched around with galloping horses, nose to tail.

"In honor of your aid in winning back the queen's cousin."

"My thanks, lord. 'Tis doubtless a small fortune!"

"And well placed. Now tell me before you go, what is your ensign to be?"

"It is to bear a white horse, a white lyre, and a white alder tree on a green field, the horse to upper left, the lyre to upper right, and the alder tree beneath."

"You have made me curious. Tell me what these things mean."

The conversation whiled toward noon, and Eodwine had had a luncheon repast with the king before he went to see Lothiriel.