I will answer the rest, but while I've got the Leithian Script up:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Galadriel55
Is Edrahil ever stated to be a person of some rank or importance?
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A lovely thing about Philosopher@Large is that she made the effort to explain a lot of her decisions, at least down to somewhere in the ever-longer Act IV.
This is the afternotes file, and it points to the Lay of Leithian, which gives this version of Edrahil's plea:
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Lay: Canto VII
One stooped and lifted up his crown,
and said: 'Oh king, to leave this town
is now our fate, but not to lose
thy rightful lordship. Thou shalt choose
one to be steward in thy stead.'
Then Felagund upon the head
of Orodreth set it: 'Brother mine,
'till I return this crown is thine.'
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Her argument is that people tend to be concerned with the things familiar to them, and so if you see someone going "Hey, know we're going into exile and certain death and all, but have you considered appointing a steward?", it's probably someone associated with the government. Then there's the fact that
Orodreth's government is unable to prevent the imprisonment of a visiting allied princess, which implies that there wasn't just a change in who wore the crown, but also a gutting of the apparatus of leadership. To quote P@L again:
[The Ten] would not have been nonentities, random losers whose absence would make no difference to the life of the City, to be able alone of all the realm to disregard the danger, the Oath, and the overwhelming popular opinion against them — though not all, necessarily, of high political rank or standing (no more than a certain gardener in another Age)...
I think this is a good argument, and I've always been swayed by it: the people with the strength to follow Finrod would be the people most loyal to him, personally, and therefore are people he would have trusted in the city or the army. Given that Edrahil is not only comfortable handling the crown and correcting his just-now-exiled king in public, but also
immediately goes 'hey what about the government?', steward or other high-ranking official would be a good fit for him.
Herald is another possibility, a la Elrond to Gil-Galad - and indeed, she gives him that role too. ^_^
But is it
text? No. A reading where these are ten simple warriors, and Edrahil Enedrion their sergeant, is just as well-fitted to the text.
hS