[Nogrod]

Lord Athar had listened to the sergeant making his show first with curiosity, then with growing disdain and finally he felt his veins were exploding...

And then there was this guy seemingly trying to save the situation... whoever he was. Actually lord Athanar was puzzled as the intruder clearly was not a Rohanian soldier, but he didn't look like a craftsman either, but a soldier from... he was not sure from where. There seemed to be people he would have to learn who they were in this Mead Hall indeed... little had he been told in Edoras...

But enough was enough. Lord Athanar stood up violently, looking stern and dead serious. His commanding voice ran through the Hall.

"Quit disgracing yourself any more sergeant Lithor! And that is right now!"

Everyone held their breath as Lithor turned to face lord Athanar. All the eyes were glued into the two men.

Athanar glanced at Thornden. It was clear what his eyes indicated.

"Tom-foolery is for the jesters. Soldiers have other duties. Looking at your years you should know that Lithor. Now thread yourself carefully sergeant..." He paused and eyed Lithor carefully.

"Me and my soldiers - and my household - are not your quests in here! And I mean especially you sergeant Lithor! You are not in a position to call anyone a quest here! Take your place soldier! The king decides who is the lord, who is the subject and who is a quest. You should understand that, soldier? The order of command and decision making is taught in the boot-camp and you should know it!"

Lord Athanar was clearly enraged. "It's not you, or even me, but the king who decides on these issues!" He let his words to sink in before continuing in a bit softer tone, but firmly showing he would continue, barring Lithor from any explanations.

"And don't think of me as a fool Lithor... that's almost the worst of what you do. I can hear from your tone that you're not liking the way things have gone... Let me bring you some news Lithor, neither am I. Had king Eomer given me a Hall where everything was to be built from scratch to my liking... and without all this stuff of needing to face lord Tancred and his allies... had I loved that? Yes I would have changed this to it any moment, just belive me! Being not forced to hear that lord Eodwine's condition is beyond cure... would I have liked that? Sure. He was a good man, a good leader and a fine soldier - and a great loss to Rohan!"

Lord Athanar paused for a moment to look around, glancing at the table with Saeryn, Thornden and Degas the last and nodding to them in passing.

"But quessing and seeing your feelings - and combining them with the disgrace you uttered them - I am quite sure you were not ready to give away your "treasures" just like that to show goodwill... Your words do contradict themselves. So you had something up to your sleeve, didn't you? As I said, I am no fool people like you may try their luck with..."

The thought was unnerving and quite new to all but Erbrand who decided to look downwards not to meet the eyes of other people.

"I offer you two choices Lithor."

There was a total silence as everyone held their breath with the new turn of events.

"You either make a full confession to master Thornden and he will then suggest me a suitable punishment for you I will either accept or change tomorrow... or you will be taken into custody right now and will face in the worst case a court marshall for treason in Edoras as without other motives for your actions I can only infer you were trying to cause harm to people the king had ordered into their duties..."

Lord Athanar looked at Lithor with a piercing gaze.

"Your choice soldier..."