[Formendacil]

"You are men and women of the Mark. Be proud of your brotherhood with the people here. Let us put the strife behind us, and live now together in peace."

Saeryn resumed her seat, and Náin raised his goblet slightly and toasted, barely audibly, "Westu, Eodwine, hál"--an ironic toast of health to the far-departed eorl--and drank deeply of the mead. As he lowered the goblet back to the table, his eyes darted about the Hall. Náin didn't quite shake his head, but his nose twitched, and his lips twisted with mild concern. He wasn't even sure that Eodwine's recovery would be positive for the Hall. Though he wished Eodwine well as a friend, he knew that Athanar was now eorl and would remain so as long as the current situation with the other lords held.

Náin, from his unofficial status as the ambassador from Aglarond to the court in Edoras, knew King Éomer somewhat better than most in the Meadhall--perhaps better than Athanar, insofar as he knew Éomer somewhat as a man, while Athanar knew him as a superior--and he did not think Eodwine would be returned to Scarburg even if he recovered that night in full strength and rode back to Edoras. It was the role of the eorl to be the king's agent in the Emnet, and it was clear that quite apart from keeping the king's peace, Eodwine had become associated in minds of his followers with the bringer of Eodwine's peace.

It was unfortunate. If Eodwine recovered, Éomer would either have to return him to Scarburg--taking priority from crushing Lord Tancred and others, which Náin did not think he would do--or settling him on an estate elsewhere in Rohan, which was possible--maybe even in the Angle, across the Isen where there was talk of settlement. In either case, the anomalous situation of having both the new lord Athanar in Scarburg and the old lady, Saeryn, would be resolved. In Náin's mind, the retention of Saeryn was at the heart of the difficulty. Men, like Dwarves, did not have room in their hearts for two fealties.

The fact that Saeryn was a woman, Náin muttered to himself, was also not going to help things. Men were peculiar about their females, and Saeryn was young, pretty, and pregnant--everything Men were taught to protect. Among Dwarves, it would have been a simple matter: the lord is gone, we have a new lord, but among Men it was complicated.

Náin's perspective on this matter may have been somewhat biased by his observations of more intimate social interactions in Men. For example, as he cast his eye over the crowd, he frowned briefly at the sight of Erbrand. The Dwarf wasn't certain he liked the young man, but he was certain that the young man was thrice as dangerous if he thought Kara endangered. Having noted this jealous streak, Náin had mostly avoided Kara during his frequent visits to Scarburg since Eodwine's wedding, so as to provoke no confrontation. He wasn't sure if Kara had noticed, but what Men noted and what they failed to note had always been a mystery.

Draining his goblet completely, and glancing again at the head table, Náin shook his head--visibly, this time--and decided the whole thing was as bad a mess as dividing Smaug's treasure before the Battle of the Five Armies, and over something far less serious. He considered whether he could find an acceptable excuse in the morning to leave for Edoras or Aglarond, but having only returned to Scarburg the week before, there was too much to be done.

Náin sighed, and determined to himself that, if possible, he needed to get across to some of the more level-headed old Eodwiningas that Athanar was here to stay. Hope for Eodwine's recovery was good, but it was Elvishly impractical.