[Nogrod]

The crowds were milling about the Mead Hall. The proceedings had clearly started already as the main entrance was packed with people, all trying to get their peak inside. Stigend was wondering whether even Meduseld could have housed such a host of friends, relatives and wellwishers to anyone addressing their case in front of the Eorl – not to talk of all the traders and dealers who always appeared when a large enough gathering took place somewhere.

“Hey, you there! Move along, move along! We don’t have the whole day!”. A man called them from behind. Stigend turned to meet the caller. There was a a big wagon, pulled by two horses behind them, trying to make way towards the Mead Hall. Stigend greeted the driver by waving his hand and turned back to Modtryth.

“Ok, we are blocking the road and need to move. We’ll turn ourselves over there.”, Stigend said to her, pointing to their left. There were some small shrubberies on a grassy area that was not so crowded as the immediate surroundings of the main entrance.

“And you lad, you’ll stay right there where you are!”, he turned to Cnebba, pushing him gently but firmly back to the cart from where he was already on his way out of. “No tricks this time”, he added, smiling lightly to the boy. “But why can’t I go and play with the others?”, Cnebba protested. In return Stigend only patted his head, “You just wait...”, he said and took the reins. The man behind them with the wagon looked impatient enough and Stigend wanted no trouble now with anyone.

“Mummy, you let me go? Pleea-se, Mummy? I won’t go far.” Cnebba pleaded her mother in turn as his father seemed busy steering the horse amidst groups of people who had settled on the lawn, waiting for their familymembers or friends cases to be brought up in the court. “You heard your father dear”, Modryth answered him patiently. “And if your father gets work from here, you may play here everyday! Just wait now”, she said to her son, smiling openly and quickly glancing at her husband. Stigend had heard what she had said, but didn’t show any reaction to it.

“But that’s different, Mummy! It’s those other days then, they are not today!”, Cnebba tried to argue, but to no avail. “This is unfair”, he muttered.

Stigend reached a spot he thought good enough for waiting the whole long day for the proceedings to be over and halted the horse. Then he turned towards the sulking boy and raised him from the cart. Holding Cnebba high in the air he told him: “That the rich man has everything and the poor has nothing. That’s unfair. That a good man may die young and a bad man may live a long life. That’s unfair. There is nothing unfair in you not being allowed to get in trouble here with all these people.” With that he released his grip on Cnebba and let him fall, catching him just before his feet touched the ground. Even though Cnebba was already eight, this was still one of his favourites. “One more Daddy!”, Cnebba begged still laughing. And the laughter went up as he was hurled into the air again.

After two more throws and more laughter Stigend let Cnebba down and crouched to meet his eyes. “Do you see that big elm there?”, he said, pointing to a large elm some thirty yards away from them. “If you promise, you won’t go anywhere else, you may go and play in it”. Cnebba’s eyes shined from eagerness and Stigend really had to hold him firmly from the shoulders to make him listen the last thing he wanted to say: “And remember, if there is someone who teases you, you just come back. No scuffles, remember!”. As he loosend his hold Cnebba was already running towards the elm. “You promise!”, Stigend shouted after him. “Ye-ye!”, he answered, not even turning his head back as he ran.

“Now, whose the one again spoiling our son?”, Modryth asked prankingly. Stigend rolled his head and smiled back: “Well, less questions for a while. And this will be a long day anyhow.”