[littlemanpoet]

All of Eodwine's household had gathered and found their places. He looked from one to the other, greeting each with a kind look, but a searching one as well. What were they thinking?

Garstan and his children smiled back openly. Garstan was now a friend as well as retainer, after the affair with Linduial. Eodwine had sworn to protect Garstan with his life, but it had been Garstan who had thrown himself in the way of an errant, or perhaps not so errant, dagger, and had taken the wound meant for Eodwine's heart, in his own arm. A good man, Garstan.

There was Léof. Eodwine smiled and greeted him silently. The boy gave him back a fitful smile that fled as quickly as it had come, as if he was fearful. Eodwine hoped that he did not fear for his role as ostler.

Saeryn smiled at him when their eyes met. He smiled quickly back. She was lovely as ever, calm and cool now, seeming happy with the return of her brother. He wondered how she would react to the words he planned for her this day.

Garwine looked stolid as ever, and greeted Eodwine with a respectful nod of his head. Garwine's eyes kept slipping outside to the courtyard. Eodwine followed his glance, and saw the two Meduseld guards between whom was held Manawyth, who had been recaptured after his foolish attempt to escape prison. He had been alone in a dungeon deep beneath Meduseld for two weeks now. Eodwine didn't want dungeons beneath his mead hall. But that was beside the point. He had never had a chance to properly question Manawyth, and wished that he had. He hoped things would not go ill.

Thornden, by his side, seemed a little nervous. Linduial, Farahil, and Marenil had come as well, to see no doubt how such things were done in Rohan. There was Æðelhild, hard to read these days. Eodwine missed that horse dealer and his son and nephew, and wondered what had become of them. Falco Boffin and Naín had managed to sit next to each other, and had seemed to fall into a rather buoyant friendship while Eodwine had been away. Just as well, and no doubt it had just as much to do with the ale cup and pipe as with that statue.

Eodwine nodded to Thornden, who nodded in turn to Garwine, who opened the doors. The crowd that had been waiting in the courtyard, came into the mead hall, filling the place quickly; Eodwine feared that maybe he had designed it big enough after all! The crowd was not silent. Folk talked with each other, gawking at the mead hall's interior, pointing and commenting about this and that. One thing that seemed to draw much attention was the old sign of the White Horse Inn that he had had mounted just below the rafters of the mead hall, off toward the eastern wall. He had wanted that kept, in order for one to honor Bethberry, for another because it was after all a white horse, and the symbol of Rohan was no bad thing. I really must give thought to an insignia for myself, Eodwine thought. He rose. The crowd quieted.

"Good morning to you all! Welcome to the Eorling Mead Hall. I am Eorl Eodwine of the Middle Emnet, and you have come to my first court-holding. I thank you for coming. What first just be done is that those who have sought places in my household will be told their fate after a month's trial.

"The first such one is Garwine."

Eodwine sat down.

"Garwine, come forward," said Thornden.

Garwine walked into the clearing before Eodwine's raised seat and nodded to his lord.

"Garwine, what think you of service to me? How have you fared?"