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Coen rose the next day feeling nearly as much dread as he had when he first learned of Scyrr's near death. There had been a moment yesterday that had felt almost as if this Hall were one unit, and not two butting heads over imagined and purposeful insults and encroachments. He also woke with a headache.
He had not slept much. His mind was on Erbrand and Lithor, two men who he thought the Hall was surely better off without. The one was young and hot-blooded, and with the course he had set himself on, he was likely never to return to a straight path. Lithor was well old enough to have cooled his blood and become accustomed to using his head. So he was truly just a bad sort.
The meetings with the local lords were on Coen's mind, as well, but not nearly as much. He would be there to do as Athanar ordered and to support his lord as was needed. But that all the bad blood and misfortunes that had taken place since they arrived, several of them could have easily been avoided had he been more attentive. He had let Scyrr be dragged into this confrontation, as he had let him out of his --, when all the others were at drills. Except Lithor, whom he had simply assumed, foolishly, was still detained by his lord for his foolishness.
He knew that man was dangerous, and he had done nothing about it. But it had not been his place. It was not his place. It was his place to find him, to find him and Erbrand both, for justice and to restore the insult to his lord, but...his place was wherever his lord told him to be. And he told him to be here. Tomorrow he would be at his lord's service for the necessary politicking, which needed a show of force if not actual force.
Coen rose and made his way through the barracks, waking those men who were not already up and tending to their horses or themselves...as Athanar had ordered, he smiled to himself. He had sent Aforglaed to serve as one of the king's messengers to Edoras, and Scyrr was still laid up. But he had no complaints so far regarding any of the other soldiers now that Lithor was gone, except perhaps for that one who was quite young...though so many of them looked so young... And he still had Hilderinc to help hold them together. Perhaps things were not as steeped in chaos as he thought.
He went to the stables to see to his horse, give him some feed and tack him. Coen felt bad putting him through another rough day after yesterday's search, but he did not doubt he was strong enough to do so. He had not ridden with full equipment yesterday, at least.
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