Eorling Mead Hall

[littlemanpoet]

Eodwine and Saeryn took their seats again (it had been a most interesting discussion between the two of them regarding tenancy rights), and Thornden called the court to order with a thump on the floor of the staff Eodwine had procured for him recenlty. The two farmers stood before the Eorl.

The first freeholder, Edelfrid, who tenanted the disputed land, stood on Eodwine's and Saeryn's right; the second, Radweld, who had planted the crops, stood to their left.

"First," Eodwine said, "do each of you have someone to speak for you?"

"Aye, lord," they said.

"Let them stand forth, Radweld's man first, then Edelfrid's."

One freeholder joined each of the two opponents and after brief questioning from Eodwine, it was determined by the court that these two men were truth speakers and could be trusted with their word. Eodwine excused the two men, and regarded the two men in silence for a moment.

"Edelfrid," Eodwine began, "did you pay tenancy to the King for the field while it lay fallow the second year?"

"That I did, lord."

"Did you know that Radweld was planting crops in your field?"

"I knew, lord."

"Why did you not speak of it to your shire reave or bring a complaint to the king?"

Edelfrid's brow furrowed. "Lord, am I on trial, or this man's misdeed?"

"You are not on trial. But I must know as much as I can before I make a ruling. Answer the question."

"Lord, we have been unfriends for many years, and I admit that I hoped to win at his cost."

"That is ill-thought by you, Edelfrid."

"Yes, lord, I am sorry."

"Your unfriendship should be redressed, but the matter of the crops must be ruled on first. Why did you leave the land fallow the extra year, Edelfrid?"

"I plan to buy horses, lord, and I need a field for pasturing."

"That field is not big enough for horse pasturage!" Radweld scowled.

"You, neighbor," Edelfrid sneered, "have no right telling me what my land is good for!"

Thornden raised the staff and brought it down hard three times. The three knocks on the floor got the two opponents' attention. "There will be order in my lord's court," Thornden said smoothly.

"Thank you, Thornden," Eodwine smiled. "How many horses will you buy, Edelfrid?"

"Two, lord, a stallion and mare, to get foals to sell."

"Here is my thought on the matter. Radweld, you did wrongfully to plant on a field not in your tenancy. For that you must pay. Since Edelfrid was preparing his land for pasturage, you have stolen not only the use of his land for a crop year, but you have stolen time Edelfrid needed to turn the land to pasturage, and if Edelfrid is to hold to his plans to buy horses, he will have to pasture them elsewhere, paying rent."

"But-" Radweld interrupted.

"I am not finished, Radweld."

The freeholder subsided.

"On the other hand, Edelfrid allowed Radweld to do all the work on the field, with the hopes of gaining at Radweld's cost. This is wrongful. There is no law against it, but I would not have such things be the way things are done in my Emnet. Therefore, I rule first that Radweld must pay a fine to me of two tenths of the worth of the crop for his wrongful use of Edelfrid's land, due at the end of harvest. Second, Radweld must pay to Edelfrid double the yearly rate for rental of pasturage for two grown horses, due to be paid two full moons from now. Third, these fines covering Radweld's wrongdoing, he is ruled as tenant of Edelfrid for the planted field, and will pay to Edelfrid a normal tenant rate for one year's use of the field, due at the end of harvest, and may keep all that is left, for the sake of the work he has put into the land."

"Lord, if I may speak?" Radweld broached.

"Speak Radweld."

"To pay double yearly rent for two horses by a mere two full moons from now is hard, lord!"

"You did a wrongdoing, Radweld, and are paying for it. Besides, I will not see Edelfrid be in debt or forced to wait because of your misdeed; he will need the coin soon. That is all."

Neither Edelfrid nor Radweld looked completely happy, nor crestfallen. To Eodwine's mind, that was as it should be. The two men retired.

Assured by Thornden that these were the last freeholders, Eodwine opened the court to the needs and desires peasants and aliens.

[Celuien]

Cnebba ran off in search of the hiders, leaving Lèoðern with a clever grin on her face. She had learned strategy, at least, from her days with Linduial.

Garmund looked at his sister. "You told him where they hid, didn't you?"

"I didn't tell. It was just a hint. Telling and hinting aren't the same."

Garmund was unconvinced. "Just see that you don't do any hinting again."

Lèoðern giggled. She wouldn't. But she wanted to play with the new boy. And hinting was the quickest way to move the game along.

Both children looked eagerly for Cnebba's reappearance.

[Thinlómien]

”Let’s settle down then”, Modtryth said taking the harness off the horse. The mare, Snowstreak, glanced at her. Modtryth patted her head and gave her a pear. The horse ate it with delight. Modtryth stroked her and spoke gentle words to her, thanking her for the morning’s work.

The horse looked at her mistress with a pleading look. Even if the horse would have been able to talk, the message couldn’t have been clearer. “I know, Snowstreak, you love those”, Modtryth sighed, smiling. “Here you are, old lassie”, she said, giving the old mare another pear.

”You say I’m spoiling the boy, but you’re evidently spoiling the horse”, Stigend remarked, grinning. He was sitting on the lawn and the sun played on his straw-coloured hair. A true forgoil, Modtryth thought, amused, remebering the name her mother had used of some rohir lords that had made her angry.

”She’s old. She needs some reward for her work”, Modtryth answered and sat down beside her husband. Stigend gave her a “that’s no excuse” -look, but said nothing. He smiled at his wife. Modtryth returned the smile.

For a while they just sat on the grass, enjoying the day. Modtryth looked around. Something was missing: “Where’s Cnebba? He has left the tree.” She wasn’t very worried; she knew the boy could look after himself, but she didn’t like the fact the boy never learned to do what he was told to.
“Should we go after him?” Stigend asked, getting up and looking around. His voice was calm and conversational, but Modtryth, having known him for several years, caught a nervous trace in his voice.

“I don’t think so. He’s probably just making some new acquintances”, Modtryth said. They glanced at each other. They both knew it wasn’t always a good thing when Cnebba made new acquintances.

“Look, there he is!” Stigend finally spotted the boy. He was talking with a girl and a boy. “See, they aren’t fighting”, Modtryth smiled with an edge of sarcasm in her voice. Stigend rolled his eyes as he watched Cnebba run away from his new friends, waving his hand. The boy’s parents sit down, relieved. The old mare took a few steps and placed her big head on Stigend’s shoulder.

“How long you think the court proceedings will still take?” Modtryth asked her husband. “I don’t know. Depends on how many issues there are to be solved”, Stigend replied absent-mindedly, stroking the horse.

[littlemanpoet]

"Is that the last of them?" Eodwine asked by way of formality. Saeryn, Thornden, and Garwine were the only others left in the Hall. Eodwine stood.

"Lord!" Garwine said from the doorway, for he was looking outside.

"Yes, Garwine?"

"There is one family sitting on the grass outside yet. I'll ask them if they have business with the Eorl." Garwine was through the door which had closed behind him while Eodwine's mouth opened, ready to say, Good. Eodwine smiled and sat back down.

Moments later, Garwine opened the door and in walked a Rohirric man and a Dunlending woman, followed by a boy who seemed half one and half the other. Hot on the boy's heels were Garstan's two children, seeming to have made friends with the boy already.

Eodwine's eyes narrowed. The boy was a half breed and this man had been unable to find better than a Dunlending wife. Such were his immediate thoughts, though he knew them to be somewhat harsh. It was hard not to speak that way, especially due to his dreams of Kéðra of late. Still, as Eorl he knew he had to give them a fair hearing, and was determined to.

"I greet you, goodman and goodwife. You have waited long, it seems. Now is the time to have your say." He had been about to ask them how he could serve them, but did not wish to imply service. Then he had thought of telling them to speak their piece, which would imply that he wanted them to be quick and done soon. That would not do either. He hoped the words he had chosen did not imply the wrong meaning, but feared they did. He waited for the man to speak.

[JennyHallu]

Lin left the barn late in the afternoon with a cheerful wave at Leof, so absorbed in his work and the horses she doubted he noticed her departure. She noted with relief that the riot of people, horses, and wagons filling the yard to capacity seemed to be nearly all gone, but still...she didn't feel like facing more strangers. While none had spoken to her, she couldn't help but notice the whispers and rumors that had followed her all day.

A low rumble from her stomach quickly helped her choose her path. She'd skipped lunch, choosing to stay with Leof in the stable instead, but she was sure there must be plenty of food left over. Almost silently she slipped across the courtyard, dimming slowly as the sun began to set, and crossed through the dormitories into the kitchen garden, intending to enter by the back door and avoid whatever strangers still sheltered under the tarp protecting the rapidly growing Great Hall. The kitchen garden seemed deserted, and Lin skirted the large tree quickly.

A cough from behind her made her screech and spin around, placing her back to the wall in her newly-learned paranoia, ready to run, peering into the shadows under the old aspen tree. A familiar face quickly took shape.

"Degas, is that you?"

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

"I am sorry, my lady. I did not mean to frighten you, but you didn't hear me call your name." Degas took a step closer; close enough that they could have a conversation without calling statements and responses across the distance, far enough that all propriety was preserved.

He looked her up and down, seeing her differently than before. She was more beautiful than ever, even with bruises, perhaps especially with them. He had liked her very much before when he had thought of her as a lovely, fiesty, and very desirable girl. Now he looked at a woman and he was not displeased.

"I meant... I meant to apologize..." He looked at her beseechingly, his words just loud enough for her to hear and no louder. He looked into her eyes, afraid to see what he suspected would lay there: she would blame him for her ordeal, and she had every right to do so. He did not know what to expect, but he braced himself for the worst.

[JennyHallu]

"Degas..." she paused, visibly relaxing, the look of a frightened beast disappearing from her eyes. "I saw you this morning, at court, and wanted to talk to you, but there were so many people." She paused, a shy and slightly embarassed blush creeping up her pale cheeks.

"I--um." The false start did not help her confidence. "I need to apologize."

"What?" Degas' face was a study in surprise, but Lin was inspecting her hands rather minutely and didn't notice.

"At the Fair...the day I was kidnapped. I--" Lin looked up suddenly. There was a wryly amused expression on her face, but her dark eyes were pleading. Don't laugh at me. "There was a dancing girl. On a corner. And I saw you watching her and I just got mad, I don't know why, you have every right to think she was pretty if you wished, but I got mad, and I walked off when you weren't looking, and I got lost, and kidnapped--" Lin stopped, aware she was talking too quickly.

"And I'm sorry. That you had to worry about me."