Eorling Mead Hall - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

littlemanpoet · 02-09-2006, 08:37 PM

Eodwine's eyes narrowed on the Dunlending. The upstart had answered Eodwine's question with one of his own! Thus, he was trying to take right-of-speech away from the Eorl of the mead hall! ...rash and overweening! The Gondorians had a word for it: insolent.

Long ago, when Eodwine had been a youth just called up to Théodred's war host, he had been taught that when fighting, he had the choice of meeting a blow with the sword or buckler, thus losing gain of the first blow, or taking the blow manfully upon breast armor or shield and swinging his sword into the foe's body, defenseless by dint of his outthrust sword arm. In so like, in a war of words, he had learned that one does not answer the question posed in a retort, but asks his own again until answer is given.

But was this a battle of words, or a truth seeking? Eodwine had spoken the truth plainly, hoping to be rewarded with trade in the same coin. But this overweening upstart wanted a battle of words! Eodwine opened his mouth to angrily speak his question again, ignoring the churl's baiting; but years of experience in service to the king had trained him to hold his tongue until the rash word dissolved on his tongue while a new and better thought grew in its place.

So he waited a moment, not taking his searching eyes from the Dunlending, who grew more ill at ease the longer the silence held.

And a new thought came.

"Thornden, how would you speak to this man were you in my place?"

02-09-2006, 08:37 PM	#11
littlemanpoet Itinerant Songster Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: The Edge of Faerie Posts: 7,066	Eodwine's eyes narrowed on the Dunlending. The upstart had answered Eodwine's question with one of his own! Thus, he was trying to take right-of-speech away from the Eorl of the mead hall! ...rash and overweening! The Gondorians had a word for it: insolent. Long ago, when Eodwine had been a youth just called up to Théodred's war host, he had been taught that when fighting, he had the choice of meeting a blow with the sword or buckler, thus losing gain of the first blow, or taking the blow manfully upon breast armor or shield and swinging his sword into the foe's body, defenseless by dint of his outthrust sword arm. In so like, in a war of words, he had learned that one does not answer the question posed in a retort, but asks his own again until answer is given. But was this a battle of words, or a truth seeking? Eodwine had spoken the truth plainly, hoping to be rewarded with trade in the same coin. But this overweening upstart wanted a battle of words! Eodwine opened his mouth to angrily speak his question again, ignoring the churl's baiting; but years of experience in service to the king had trained him to hold his tongue until the rash word dissolved on his tongue while a new and better thought grew in its place. So he waited a moment, not taking his searching eyes from the Dunlending, who grew more ill at ease the longer the silence held. And a new thought came. "Thornden, how would you speak to this man were you in my place?"