Scarburg Meadhall

[Nogrod]

Lord Athanar looked at Faramund as he spoke and nodded occasionally to encourage him to continue. But as Faramund finished lord Athanar's face turned into solid and grey like a stone. He looked at him to the eyes relentlessly for a while, thinking.

Suddenly he turned back and called for Hilderinc who had still been standing at the door. He waved Hilderinc to bow towards him so that he could whisper to his ear without Faramund being able to hear what he said: "Go and find that man who was thrown out from this hall as we came here... and bring him here as soon as you find him."

Hilderinc nodded, bowed to both lord Athanar and lord Faramund, and left.

Lord Faramund was puzzled but managed to keep his calm, at least to an extent. But lord Athanar was not fooled that much. He knew the man was uncomfortable right now.

Athanar took a sip from his goblet and then queried Faramund, in an almost absent-minded tone: "So, small fees, without any interest to yourself?" He toyed again with the goblet.

"Well you sure have the proceedings and fines accounted for? Why don't you send someone to get me the documents. I'd like to eye them as your eorl..." He smiled now, not triumphantly or sneering, but self-assuredly enough for Faramund to realise what he was up to. And that was exactly what lord Athanar wished to convey.