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Coen joined his men at table in the hall. They were all beginning to seem like his men, but he was afraid that would soon change. With Eodwine’s return, how would they feel about a Captain loyal to the ‘new’ lord? It would be as if Athanar had just arrived, all over again. The way people had carried on when Eodwine was sick so many leagues away in Gondor…how much worse would they be now that their golden man was back?
It didn’t matter what kind of man Eodwine was. Obviously he was the kind who encouraged loyalty from his people. And did he have a loyalty to them and this hall that he would feel he had to be lord? Would he see Athanar as a usurper, a strong-handed new lord who was abusing his dear people? Coen could see Thornden telling Eodwine his story of what had happened since Lord Athanar’s arrival. He would spin the tale of poor Erbrand and Lithor who suffered injustice at Athanar’s hands.
Coen looked over the soldiers, eyeing them all for whatever he could observe about their thoughts. There was a strange feel about the Hall in general. “Where’s Hilderinc?” he asked, noticing him missing.
“Chasing after the Lady Saeryn at the lord’s order. She apparently rode out, with child and all.”
Coen’s brow creased in a combination of confusion and consternation. He looked around the hall, looking toward Lord Athanar’s seat at the high table, but he was not there. Was he preparing to greet Eodwine? Perhaps he should have sought his lord out to help prepare whatever welcome Athanar thought was suitable; or he should get the men looking more presentable… But he wanted nothing to do with this.
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