Hard Winters RPG

[Firefoot]

Léof had spent most of the morning inside the Hall cleaning leather, as planned, and had just a few things to take back to the stables before Eodwine held court. He stowed them in the tack room, but as he was coming out he noticed a strange lad standing in the aisle, facing Æthel’s stall.

“Can I help you?” he asked, frowning and walking toward him.

The stranger turned toward him and laughed, a shockingly feminine sound. “It seems that Æthel has recognized me quicker than you have,” she said.

For a moment, Léof did not understand. Then: “Cerwyn? What are you doing here?” But he did not wait for an answer before sweeping her up in a hug. For a moment, Cerwyn felt years younger, remembering a time when her older brother’s hug had reassured that somehow everything would turn out alright.

“You’re soaking wet!” Léof laughed, stepping back and taking another look at her. “Are you wearing my clothes?”

“Yes,” she admitted.

Léof laughed again. He could still hardly believe she was here. “But what are you doing here?” he repeated. “And how?”

“I came to find you, of course,” she said. “You said you’d come back for me. I was tired of waiting.”

Léof flushed. “I never forgot about you.”

“So when were you planning to do something about it?” It came out more angrily than Cerwyn had meant, but in that moment she felt justified.

“I didn’t know how!” said Léof. “And I still don’t know what you think I can do.”

“Come home,” she said.

“You know I can’t do that,” he said.

“Maybe you can! Father is changing, I think. He’s going to remarry.”

“What! To whom?” If anything could startle Léof more than Cerwyn’s mere presence here, it was this piece of news: that his drunkard father could find someone to marry him.

“Everild – her husband died, a few years back,” she said. Léof recalled her – she had been kind to them, after their mother died.

“So he managed to put aside his drink long enough to go courting, did he?” asked Léof bitterly.

“At least a bit,” said Cerwyn. “She’s good for him, I think. He let me go to Edoras with her and her daughter and son-in-law, for tools and goods we could not buy nearby, which is more freedom than I’ve had in years.”

“And then you ran off from Edoras?” asked Léof incredulously. “He’ll never let you out of sight again.”

“It would be worth it, if you would just come home with me.”

“No.” Léof did not hesitate. “This is my home now.”

“But…” It had not occurred to her that Léof would not want to return with her. What about your family, she wanted to say. What about me?

“Father made it quite clear I was no longer welcome in his household. If he wants me back, he can come and tell me himself. Maybe then I would come to the wedding – but I would not stay. I belong here.”

“You’d rather play stableboy for some lord than be with your own family?” said Cerwyn, hurt creeping into her voice.

“Is that what you think I’m doing? Look around, Cerwyn! I run these stables, and I’m good at it! I don’t want to farm. I don’t want to work for Father. At least here I give my loyalty and service freely to a man who is worthy of it.”

“You’d send me back alone?”

“If Father’s changed so much, I don’t see why that would be such a problem.”

“Don’t you see? Now that he’s taking a wife, he won’t need me to keep house. He’ll marry me off, and he’s estranged so many of the men nearby with his tempers. He’s had a few men come by – possible suitors, I think. And they are all so old, or poor, wanting me only for my dowry and my housekeeping skills.”

“And what do you think I could do for you, by coming back?” asked Léof. “Just because Father might let me come home does not mean he would suddenly listen to me.” He held up a hand to cut off her angry retort. “Let me think, alright? Come on, you should change into some dry clothes. You can use my room for now.”

He led her to his small room in the stables. She went inside and closed the door behind her, looking around curiously. It was a simple, functional space, without much to decorate or personalize it. It did not look like the sort of home that her brother would claim to be so attached to. She would have to think of another way to convince him to come home.

She quickly stripped off her wet clothes and hung them to dry. There was a small towel beside a wash basin that she helped herself to, drying herself and rubbing away the worst of the mud and grime. Then she dug into her pack for a dress, relatively clean and dry.

Outside the room in the aisle of the stables, Léof paced anxiously. He was thrilled to see Cerwyn, of course; he and his sister had always been close. Nevertheless, her appearance complicated his life rather thoroughly. He would not leave Scarburg, but his sister could not be sent to make the journey home alone. She would have many people worried and angry with her; it would be best to at least send word quickly, if the roads were at all passable. Of course, he did not wish to force her to leave, if she would rather stay with him, but then they would have to speak with Eodwine…

Suddenly he remembered the court, which he was almost certainly now late to. Which it now seemed he had business to bring to. He nearly called in to Cerwyn to hurry, when the door opened and she came out, looking much more like herself in her own clothing – but also much more like a woman than the girl he remembered. She’s changed, he realized, and in more ways than one. He would never had dreamed she would have run off like she did; once, she had been the obedient one of the pair.

“We need to get inside,” he said. “Lord Eodwine – the Eorl – is holding court.”

Cerwyn didn’t fully understand what this meant, but she hurried to keep pace beside her brother.

“Look,” Léof said, thinking aloud. “I won’t move back home, but maybe you might come here. If it’s marriage father wants for you, there are many promising young men here of good standing.”

“I do not need you to marry me off, either,” said Cerwyn sullenly.

Léof smiled at her. “Sister, I do not care if you choose to stay unwed until you die, if that pleases you. You still need a good reason for Father to let you stay here, though, and I’m afraid you made it all the harder by running off from Edoras.”

Cerwyn nodded slowly. Yes, Father might see the sense in this plan, if she had not over-estimated his willingness to reconcile with Léof. But did she want to live here? She’d known one home all her life, and she did not know if she wished to leave it. “I will consider it.”

“Well, then,” said Léof. “I guess you ought to meet the rest of the Hall.” And they slipped quietly inside, not wishing to interrupt if court had already begun.

[Mithalwen]

Elfthain waited with an unexpected sense of mild anxiety. He fiddled with the numbered stone, passing it from hand to hand or shaking it like a die in his closed fist. He wasn't sure why he was nervous. Either he would be allowed to remain he would be sent back and he wasn't sure that wouldn't be a relief. Certainly Scarburg and it's environs compared unfavourably with Edoras and the Harrowdale.

This had been brought home to him on his ride. Thornden's words of discouragement had reminded him that his time might very soon be at another's disposal and having been raised that his horse's welfare was more important than his own comfort, he had decided to venture forth. He had reasoned that after a certain point it you couldn't be any wetter and there was no way he was going to turn Safran out in to the mudbath created by the heavy rain. It had taken the combined efforts of himself and Javan ages just to get her clean enough to saddle and she was a long way off the standard of grooming expected in his Eored.

Safran had been pleased to escape her confinement but even she found the conditions dismal, despite her master's cloak probably affording her as much protection as it did him. They sploshed their way to some woods a couple of miles East of Scarburg which Elfthain hoped would provide some shelter for him to school the mare but many trees had clearly been sacrificed during the Winter and the cover was inadequate. So after some perfunctory exercises and a very short canter on a drier stretch of track they had sploshed back.

It had been more an airing than a ride and Elfthain had been hard pushed to do all he needed to before the court. Safran had been rubbed down and reunited with her hay net. His tack was not too bad having been well cleaned the day before but his own cleanliness was a different matter. He had swilled as much dirt as he could off in the yard and then begged some warm water from the ladies in the kitchen and was again grateful for his mother's considerate gifts that may have induced them to grant this favour in the midst of their other tasks. Washed and dressed in his cleanest garments he was at least presentable. It might not be the level of dress or grooming he would have chosen for such a formal occasion before the king's representative but it was the best he could muster.

A slight creak from the door drew his attention and he turned to see Leof enter with a girl. A faint smile quirked Elfthain's lips as he wondered where the ostler had been hiding her up until now. Not that he blamed him for so doing: she really was very pretty.

[Folwren]

The people were gathering for court. The hall was filled with a polite buzz of conversation. Eodwine sat at the head table, patiently waiting until everyone was present. Thornden approached and leaned on the table, bending towards him.

"The lad Elfthain is here, as you wished, Eodwine. I told him you would hear him here at court. I watched him, as you bid me, and he was a little surprised, though not unduly so." He turned and looked behind him at the gathering people. "That is him, sitting there by Javan."

For a moment he considered him, and then turned back to Eodwine. "It looks as though he rode his horse today after all," he observed. "In truth, when I spoke to him of court, he seemed more concerned about whether it would interfere with his exercising than about appearing before you here."

[littlemanpoet]

Eodwine nodded, spotting Elfthain.

He gazed around the hall. The folk were huddled for warmth, even with the hearth fire happily roaring; it did not drown out the rumbling of the rains on the roof. Eodwine shook his head. He hoped the rain what stop soon, or else there would be hard days.

"Let us get started. Who has the number one stone?"

Eodwine heard some matters of minor disagreements; news from near and far. There was a case of a couple who had lost their children, and a child who had lost his parents; they had already found each other; it was Eodwine's happy duty to 'say them yea' for a year and a day.

"Who is next? Who has the number five stone?"

[littlemanpoet]

Scyld stood up from his seat. "I do," he said, stepping forward to stand before the Eorl.

Eodwine had thought somewhat about how best to do what was needed about Scyld. He had settled his thought on two things. First, his own friendship to Scyld, so that others would see that his own choice was already that of welcome. Second, surprise to make sure that all were heeding. Eodwine stood; this was itself unusual, and it garnered the heeding he wanted.

"First, welcome back. You have my friendship already." Eodwine paused, glancing here and there among those gathered, gauging their hearing, how open or closed they seemed. He did not see anyone appearing ill disposed to Scyld.

"Now, name yourself ... and tell us somewhat of your story, both of your time away from us, and also, somewhat ... of times before." Eodwine sat.

Scyld had hoped not to speak much, that Eodwine might say what needed to be said and that he would be spared the necessity of telling aloud his story once more. There was nothing to be done for it though, and he began: "Many of those here know me as Nydfara, but this is only a name I took for myself. My right name is Scyld."

For her part, Rowenna had sat up straighter the moment Nydfara stood. Upon hearing his right name, her eyes opened wide and she looked upon someone whom she had not known. To her he was both a stranger, and familiar; perhaps more than familiar.

Scyld continued steadily, "I came to you as Nydfara, thinking myself a fugitive of the law, for I acted as Sorn's servant and jailor during the kidnapping of the Lady Linduial. In the end, Sorn would have killed her, but I helped her escape. I did not wish to also be party to murder. For my help, the Lady Linduial in turn did not lay a charge against me, though I did not trust her word at the time. I also wished first to know the people she had spoken of so highly. I came to you then full of doubt and mistrust, but in time found that Lady Linduial had spoken truly. I stayed longer than I planned. I left when I felt my secret was no longer safe."

So this, thought Rowenna, is what he had kept hidden all this time. This was how they were alike. Her heart beat fast and she listened for more.

"Two things have I done in my time away. First, I sought out the Lady Linduial, and gained from her a letter in support of my story. Second, I have gained some skill as a leatherworker, and I now offer my services as such."

"My thanks, Scyld. Before all these folk, I honor my word given earlier. You shall serve as one of our folk, as leatherworker, for a year and a day. At that time we shall meet again, and all those who would speak yea or nay at that time, will be given their chance. Is there anyone in this Hall who wishes to speak before I set my bond for a year and a day upon the man called Scyld?"

[littlemanpoet]

Having slipped in at the last moment as they had, the number on Léof's stone was quite high - they would be near or at the end. He was glad of it; he'd thought it would give him time to plan out what he meant to say. As it turned out, his thoughts seemed to run in muddled circles. He spoke so rarely of his life before; he wondered if Eodwine even knew he had a sister. How to explain - and how much?

Cerwyn was oblivious to her brother's turmoil. At first she was interested in the proceedings, but she quickly realized that the Eorl's court was the most boring possible event she could have arrived in time for. Even the kidnapper's story, which she thought might have been perfectly thrilling if he'd told it the right way, had been too flat and factual. Just as she was thinking it could go on no longer, Lord Eodwine called yet another number and Léof stood up.

"We are next," he said and gestured for Cerwyn to stand with him.

"Wait, what?" she hissed at him, but he just gave her a look and guided her forward.

"Lord Eodwine, this is my sister Cerwyn," he said. "She has... just arrived. I've not spoken to her long yet, but I wanted to ask if there might be a place for her here, if she wishes it."

Eodwine's brow rose, but with a smile said, "I greet you, Cerwyn." He paused. It seemed that Léof was unsure whether she wished to stay or not. "Did you come here, hoping to stay, or was there another reason?"

"I came to find Léof," Cerwyn said. "I thought he might come home with me. I did not know he would not want to."

Léof held his tongue. The less said, the better, it seemed to him, but he could not now tell Cerwyn what not to say without raising more questions.

Eodwine glanced at Léof, who's expression was as middling as he could make it. Eodwine could tell that he was ill at ease, stepping from foot to foot like a horse in the stall wanting to run in the fields. "Is Léof needed at home?"

It briefly occurred to Cerwyn to lie, that maybe then the Eorl would insist Léof go home with her. But no - too many ways for such a scheme to go wrong. "No," she said. "Just missed."

Eodwine smiled, and his heart went out to the girl. He leaned over the table and folded his hands, meeting her eyes. "I think it is too soon for you to bond yourself to Scarburg, surely not for a year or more. You are welcome to stay as a guest as long as you wish, and should you choose to bond yourself here, we can speak of that later. I am sure a place can be found for you. Is there anything else you wish to say?"

"Thank you," said Cerwyn, but Léof interjected.

"One other thing," he said, suddenly remembering. "Maybe I should have brought this up sooner. It seems that Cerwyn... neglected to tell anyone where she was headed. I think the roads will be impassable for several days, but perhaps it could be arranged to send word to our father when the caravan leaves? Or, if she prefers, to be accompanied home?"

Eodwine nodded. "Once the roads can be used again, we can arrange either to send word or see Cerwyn home safely."

“Thank you, lord,” said Léof, and they returned to their seats.

[Folwren]

This day of court was turning out to be more interesting than Thornden had anticipated. Everyone had known the outcome of certain questions – as the parentless child and the childless couple that were joined – and other small, predictable troubles of the Hall, but Nydfara’s confession was surprising.

Thornden watched him with mild interest as he first stood before the eorl. His eyes became a little steely, perhaps, when Nydfara told his story and revealed his true name and identity. He couldn’t help feeling Scyld had played upon all of them – had taken advantage of their good will and trust.

He glanced quickly at Eodwine. It was clear Eodwine had heard Scyld’s story already, and was having the man repeat it for the sake of the men there. He had already made his decision. When Eodwine asked if any wished to speak, Thornden held his tongue. He would give the man a chance, if Eodwine deemed him worthy.

He paid little heed to the next case as he recalled to mind the entire incident involving the Lady Linduial. He did not remember Scyld from that time.

He lifted his head again when the next number was called and Léof stepped forward with a strange young lady. He listened with interest and watched her keenly as Léof and Eodwine spoke. As Léof finished, Thornden smiled, amused at the girl’s apparent strong will. She was truly a girl of spirit of she left home without permission from her father and without his knowledge. He looked forward to knowing her better.

[Folwren]

Saeryn looked closely at Cerwyn. Over the years, Léof had not spoken much of his family, but Saeryn had heard enough, and read enough between the lines, to know that his father was not a kind man. Her own experience under the hard tutelage of her eldest brother gave her the ability to see behind some of the words said, or in many cases, to guess at what was unsaid.

“So Léof was serious when he said you left without telling anyone. I thought perhaps he was heightening the tale to add urgency to his request. Your father does not know where you have gone? What do you think he will say when you go back?”

[Firefoot]

Cerwyn shrugged again. “There’s not much he can do to make things worse than they already are,” she said. “I was rarely allowed to leave the house, and he already seems to have plans to marry me off. He keeps parading suitors through the house, each one poorer or uglier or older than the last.”

She hesitated, and seeing nothing but kindness and compassion in Saeryn’s face she asked the question that had been bothering her. “Was your marriage to the Eorl arranged?”

[Folwren]

Saeryn laughed, surprised at the question. "Heavens, no!" she said. "There was no one to arrange a marriage between us!" She laughed again, and her expression grew a little distant as she recalled to mind the time before their marriage. "We loved each other," she said. She looked back at Cerwyn. "That's why we married."

Saeryn looked at her, wondering what her thoughts were. "Is that really why you came here, Cerwyn?" she asked. "To get away from your father? Were you afraid he would decide for you one day and force you into a marriage?"

[Folwren]

Immediately, the knot of worry in her stomach relaxed slightly. Her face softened into a small smile. “I think she would be relieved to stay here, at least for a while,” she said. “I fear that she is going to be disappointed: I don't think that Leof will go home with her. Maybe when he makes that decision, she will want to stay.

“If that is her choice, Eodwine, I think she would do well here. If she is anything like Leof, she will be kind and hard working, and we will not be sorry for her presence here. Now that the winter is passed, and we have had supplies from Edoras, we can take on another member of the household.”

She did not feel the need to mention that their company was much depleted after the winter, and Cerwyn would fill in at least one of the vacant places. She knew Eodwine felt the loss of his people more keenly than anyone. She only hoped he would agree that Cerwyn would fit well there.

--

Ruari and Eoghan

Ruari beamed with perceived victory in the situation, and Eoghan squirmed, but he kept his mouth firmly shut, having the sense that it would be impolite to contradict the lady. He was not so sure at all that his father would allow Ruari to join him in his lessons to ride. He did not want her to join him. He wanted to learn on his own.

They stood for a moment in unbroken silence, and then Ruari turned and ran off, the first, as always, to move impetuously.

“'bye,” Eoghan murmured, and turned to follow his sister.

They had not even opened the door again before Ruari began speaking as though Cerwyn were not there. “I am going to ask Papa right away,” she said.

“No, you're not!” Eoghan replied.

They struggled to get out the door first, and Ruari won, only because she had reached it first by the fraction of a second. She tore across the hall with Eoghan close behind. “Papa!” she cried, scrambling up the side of his chair opposite her mother. “Papa, can I learn to ride with Leof like Eoghan?”

Eoghan appeared at his other elbow, and he stood, glaring darkly at his sister. He even looked a little hurt, as though he knew what his father's answer would be, and he already felt disappointed.

[littlemanpoet]

Eodwine picked up his daughter with both hands, catching her under her arms, closing his hands behind her back; the he swung her round and round in the air, her little body straight as a flag in the wind. She started giggling with glee.

"Me next!" shouted Eoghan, jumping with excitement.

Eodwine put Ruari down and picked up his grinning son and had him up in the air, whooping with glee. After a while he put his son down.

"Again!" cried Ruari.

Instead, Eodwine fell to his knees (half dizzy) and looked his daughter in the eye. "When did you suddenly want to ride a horse? Was it not when you found out that your brother would? Do you really want to ride a horse, or is there something else that you want more? Choose with care, my lovely lass." He held her eyes with his own, hard glinting. He knew his daughter had a will like few he knew. It needed refining like a sword. This was a chance to do just that.

[Folwren]

Ruari looked at her father, her eyes glinting. A smile played around her lips. From behind Eodwine, Saeryn saw her look, and she raised her eyebrow. That expression always preceded trouble.

Ruari flashed Eoghan an look of triumph. She had her father in her pocket, and she knew it. Eoghan lifted his chin defensively, waiting for her reply.

"I want to ride," she confirmed. "If Eoghan gets to learn, then I want to, too."

"Papa, it is not fair!" Eoghan burst in before Eodwine could reply.

Saeryn opened her mouth to rebuke Eoghan for interrupting, but she shut it again. Eodwine was right there. He was the one who was interrupted. He could handle them. She watched, curious to see exactly how he was going to answer.

[littlemanpoet]

As Saeryn went to Cerwyn, Garreth Smith came into the Hall, dripping wet and baleful in the eyes.

"Ho Garreth!" said Eodwine. "How are things at the smithy?"

"Well enough, toasty and smelling of metal and sweat, as always. But it'll be smelling of dung and so will this place afore long. The dung pit's overrun its bounds. He lifted one muddy boot. Eodwine realized with a wrinkle of his nose that it wasn't just mud on that boot.

"Oh for the love of..." he muttered. "I had better go see."

"You won't have to travel far."

Eodwine sighed and followed Garreth out the door.

[Firefoot]

Having already refreshed herself briefly in Léof’s small room, Cerwyn did not need long to wash up. Further, the promise of something to eat kept her from dawdling. The swirl of events since she had arrived had driven the thought of food from her mind, but she now realized her last meal had been Balan’s bit of bread and the last of her dried meat on the road, and she was now ravenous.

So, once she had washed, she took her entire pack and placed it in the chest without unpacking anything. It did not fit quite right that way, and the lid did not shut by about a finger’s width, though she suspected that if she were to stow her possessions properly, they would scarcely fill half the chest.

Hunger won out; she would fix it later. She left the room and was just beginning to wonder which door might lead to the kitchens when she caught sight of Lady Saeryn. Cerwyn walked up to her and said, “I would gladly take your offer of something to eat now.”

[littlemanpoet]

Eodwine

It did not take long for Eodwine to survey the problem and the damage.

"How many spades do we have in Scarburg, Garreth?"

"Not enough I'll wager."

"Go and find all you can while I rouse the folk."

"I'll get Harreld's aid."

Garreth turned and jogged toward the smithy. Eodwine ran to the stables, where he found Léof. Did he smell mint? Odd. "Léof! Help me gather the folk, all able bodied men and women. The dung pit has overflowed and we need to get to work! You go to the Hall and I'll see who there is to round up elsewhere!"

Garreth

Garreth threw the door open. "Harreld! How many spades do we have?"

"What would you want to dig in this miserable rain?"

"The dung pit's overflowed. Probably trenches. What do we have?"

"No wonder you stink! About a half dozen if we're lucky."

"Bring them to the dung pit then check the armory. I'll check the Hall."

Garreth left the smithy, knowing his brother would do what needed to be done.