Harald the Mayor
Halimath’s cool breezes blew across the market square. How different it looked under the wavering light of the torches, Harald thought. How different was the crowd. The busy, merry marketers of the day were gone and in their places stood dark shapes shouting contention and distrust.
The mayor leaned close to his friend, Bree’s Captain of Guards. “We must get some order here,” he said. Then he got his first unpleasant surprise of the evening. Telien smelled of beer. And he laughed as if at a jest.
“What do you mean, ‘we’?” he said. “You are the mayor.”
Was Telien not taking this seriously? Then a powerful realization hit Harald. It was stronger than the sure knowledge of his mother’s death. The past was past; the times when Telien’s sporting could be accepted were gone; the job that was supposed to be a lark had responsibilities; and he himself might not be up to them.
He stood there in the middle of the crowd, really looking this time. The small number of Hobbit men and women could hardly be seen – they were near the back. The Hobbit Ranger, Berilac, was with them. Most of the Big Folk were crowded round a table that served as the podium. He saw Elmerith, Telien’s stalwart guardsman looking disgruntled as usual, but not drunk. He saw the miller and huge Uther, and the other Big townsfolk. He knew them all, and yet tonight he did not know them, or else he did not know himself.
The door of the Prancing Pony Inn banged open. Its proprietor, Andreth, dashed out and - another surprise - joined the Hobbits’ side of the crowd, near that Hobbit-seamstress, and Berilac. As she did, he saw Berilac and the other Ranger, Minastan, watching him with interest.
Harald spent one more moment trying to decide if it was fear or fascination that he felt. Then he decided it didn’t matter, and he leaped to the top of the table.
“Breelanders all!” he roared, now surprising himself. “Calm yourselves and listen to the Rangers! Then you shall be heard too.”
He motioned to Minastan and then to Berilac. Berilac looked up expectantly but did not move. Harald waited to see if the crowd would let Minastan, or anyone, talk.
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