[Nogrod]

Group A at Himring

The Ever-Cold Arena is built on top of the flat summit of Maedhros’ old stronghold on the hill of Himring. It is said that those who are unlucky to book their tickets too late and are forced to sit on the highest rows have a special compensation in the breath-taking views over Taur-Nu-Fuin, over the plains of Himlad up to the forests of Doriath, and over the narrow beginnings of Little Gelion meeting the Greater Gelion and forming the great river Gelion itself running into Thargelion. Some even say certain people only pay for tickets up there for the view and not so much for the sports. But that of course can’t be true.

After The Himring Herald called group A “The group of the Great Noldor” the usage has spread to most East Beleriand elven magazines which has understandably annoyed not only the core of team Doriath’s fans but has actually caused a kind of protest wave in Shire and Bree. Outside, the press has been more observant as to the dynamics of the group.

The very same rift can be felt in the stronghold at the eve of the games. Even if the Noldorian elves have shown why they are renowned for their lavish hospitality and cordial behavior, the tensions between the different groups has not been left unnoticed by anyone sitting in the tavernas or walking down the streets of Himring filled with tourists and locals the last couple of days. That of course is not the whole picture as there are both bonds and rifts stretching over the team lines and cutting into them; both with the teams and among their fans. So it is no wonder the guard of Maedhros has been called to full alert just in case.

But no one anticipates any real confrontations; some bragging, foul words thrown out or insignificant fist-fights between the drunkards are the mainstay of any larger city or venue hosting major tournaments on any sports and not only tolerable but plain unavoidable.

But it must be confessed that if the hobbit fans of Shire-Bree Utd. have felt themselves more or less a bit lost or forgotten in between the tall elves and relatives and friends of great heroes of early men, the fans of the treacherous easterlings and Carcaroth have had quite hard times in the dark and drunken streets of Himring at night.

But there has been many happy reunions like Fingon the Valiant meeting his sister, uncle and cousins; or the reunion of the sons of Fëanor. And if you want to guess how many pages the yellow press has made out of Aredhel meeting the sons of Fëanor on the one hand and Eöl on the other, you can easily multiply that with ten.

The home-fans look forwards to a tight contest between Himring and their friends Tirion for the other qualification spot as most everyone accepts Doriath is the sole favourite to win the group – and the number of visitors from the neighbouring forest quarantees that Doriath may feel they’re playing almost in front of home audiences.

No one seems to pay attention to the Shire-Bree Utd. A headline in the Four Farthing Daily thus read a day before the tournament beginning: “The small ones have been underestimated earlier as well!” Sadly the big news agencies never noticed even that.