Scarburg Meadhall

[Lhunardawen]

Ginna made her way into the crowd surrounding the winners of the dagger throwing contest, her eyes fixed on Harreld. The smith was otherwise occupied with returning congratulatory handshakes, but his gaze on the approaching woman never wavered. Soon those who were near him took the unspoken hint and stepped away, giving Ginna an unhindered path towards him.

The smile on Ginna's face was pleased, yet a little mischievous.

"I seem to be your good luck charm, indeed! Perhaps I should start placing more profitable wagers on you, other than those of mere kitchen chores."

Harreld laughed heartily; Ginna had told him of the gamble she and Kara had had earlier.

[Thinlómien]

Cnebba

After the archery competition, Cnebba was literally jumping up and down in excitement. He had not managed to hit the target on the third round, but I did not matter. He had shot extremely well on the first round and beaten both Garmund and Javan easily. The other boys did not look particularily disappointed, Javan even congratulated Cnebba. "But that doesn't still mean you can shoot on horseback," he reminded in a teasing tone. Cnebba didn't mind - he was on a good mood, and the words were not meant to sting.

"Well done, Cnebba!" a voice called from the distance. Cnebba turned and saw Matrim approaching him and his friends. The young Gondorian seemed cheerful despite his rather poor faring in the competition. "If my friend Balvir there is to be believed," he said, waving a hand at his captain's direction, "we are even now." He gave the boy a grin and patted his shoulder. Cnebba returned the smile. Surely it was much better to beat a soldier in archery than to beat him in mere stone-throwing!

Matrim eyed all the three boys. "I think I have to admit that although Gondorians beat Rohanians in anything easily, you Rohanian archers would beat your Gondorian counterparts any day." All the three boys stared at Matrim unsure how to react, whether to be glad of the offered compliment, or be insulted of the words claiming their people to be inferior to their southern neighbours. Matrim looked at them with equal seriousness until he could not keep the faked expression any longer and started howling with laughter. A little baffled, the boys joined in the laughter too.

"Now, now, that is enough laughing, boys," Matrim concluded after a while, still a bit out of breath after his own burst of laughter. "Next is dagger-throwing. Come and cheer for me. Truth be told, I'm lousy at it, but I will try to put up a proper fight."

~*~

Modtryth

"Cnebba was quite good, wasn't he?" Léoðern asked from her bug.

Modtryth was beaming with a proud smile, but did not say anything. She left it up to the bug to answer. She saw the younger one of the Gondorians approach the boys and seemingly congratulate them and the boys follow him to watch the dagger-throwing. Modtryth suspected there was still stuff to do in the kitchen, and she had seen both Kara and Ginna running around the festive area. She suspected that Frodides would have a sharp remark or two if she was doing something alone in the kitchen. Better check that now that neither Cnebba nor Stigend is competing, she concluded.

"Come, Léoðern, let's go to see what's happening in the kitchen. You may take your bug there, but then you have to wait outside. Frodides doesn't enjoy having bugs in her realm."

Modtryth reached the kitchen, the little girl walking slowly at her wake and carefully holding the bug on her palm. As Modtryth had suspected, Frodides was there and working.

"What's going on there?" she asked as Modtryth arrived.

"Dagger-throwing at the moment, and it's sack-fighting next. Do you need help?"

[Nogrod]

With the help of a few men at arms Stigend and Garstan had produced a decent sack-fight arena while the others were having the dagger-throwing contest. The ridgepole of the earlier hall had been hoisted up about five feet high laying there supported by a stack of some heavy barrels laid on top and beside each other on both ends. And just to be on the safe side they had also put two barrels right in the middle to support the ridgepole. Also fair amounts of hay had been spread under the pole so that the one falling from up there would not hurt himself if he happened to fall in a bad stance.

“So my friends! It’s time for the sackfight! Both contestants have a sack of hay as their weapon and they meet each other up on the pole. The first one to fall is the loser – and there are no rules but that… except no biting!” Lithor called and the crowd gathering around laughed approvingly to the joke.

“Our first match will be between Garmund and Cnebba!” There were loud cheers as the boys seemed to arouse quite a lot of goodwill around the Mead Hall. “And in the next pair we’ll be having Javan and… Kara! And the winners of these two matches will proceed to fight each other on the next round!”

The crowd cheered once again but now with more of a surprise that Kara had joined the game. But it took them a second or two to understand the full effect of what Lithor had just said actually meant – and some claimed afterwards that they had surely seen Lithor to wink an eye at lord Eodwine after that announcement. But no one knows if that was just Lithor’s idea or something planned by lord Eodwine. And anyway, the crowds had more interesting things to see.

Garmund and Cnebba were facing each other on the pole about three yards apart in the starting position when Lithor finally whistled them to start. The two boys eyed each other, both waiting for the other one to make the first move. At one point Cnebba started rolling the sack over his head but soon laid it down again. On another Garmund took a few steps forwards raising the sack up in readiness only to retreat one back. There were some calls from the crowd for action but neither dared to move first.

“C’mon guys! This is no standing contest!” Aethelstan shouted from the crowd and people were laughing. “Should I come and bounce you both off the pole?” Matrim added winking an eye to those around him, producing even more laughter. Stigend and Garstan eyed each other in anguish. They knew how much those both wished to win this one and why they were so careful. It only seemed that some adults didn’t get it that small boys could have a “champion of the titans” -match as well and for them it was that serious as neither dared to lose this one.

“Don’t be such a bore!” shouted Javan in the end igniting the action. Garmund just couldn’t take any more of the laughing – even if it was not ill-natured as such. It still felt bad to be laughed at.

So Garmund charged waving the sack around and yelling as he went. Cnebba had no idea how to defend and took a few steps backwards just to get his own sack some momentum waving it to and fro as he backed away. But Cnebba had no chance of gaining the same energy Garmund was gathering and even if he managed to partly hit Garmund’s sack that was coming right towards his head, deflecting it from a direct hit, he fell back and landed on the log with his legs straddled wide apart. There was a symapthetic “Oohhhh…” from the crowd.

But Cnebba’s sack was in front of him so he ended in a forward-leaning position and managed to grasp Garmund’s leg with his left hand pulling as hard as he could. And Garmund fell down as well, landing on the log as painfully as Cnebba had done. And the crowd went with an “Uuhhh…” even louder as before.

And being the more nimble of the two and already having had time to come to his senses Cnebba was indeed the first back on his feet and waved a blow to Garmund who was just trying to get real with the situation. Garmund fell down. And Cnebba – taken with the force of the blow and the weight of the sack - fell just after him.

“Cnebba is the winner!” Lithor announced and the crowd cheered for the unexpectedly dramatic match after so much indetermination. And the boys seemed not to have been hurt but were indeed shaking hands as they stood up. There were more cheers.


As Javan climbed up to the pole he realised he should be a man worth his words. So after calling for Garmund and cnebba to do something he should be the active one as well. It was a bit awkward to fight a woman but he just couldn’t afford to lose this one. So right after Lithor gave them the go he charged on Kara rolling the sack above his head to give it force but Kara just stood there her eyes piercing Javan’s.

When close enough Javan let his now fast-rolling sack fall on Kara – and had it made a direct hit the resistance of her body would have dampened the effect of the force the sack was going to the left. But Kara hopped backwards just in time to avoid the hit and Javan went falling down with the momentum of his sack and the ensuing imbalance with nothing to stop it.

The crowd burst into laughter and cheers. “Kara is the winner!” Lithor announced. But before Javan had managed to rise up from the hays, Garmund and Cnebba were there to help him up. A few eyes followed that incident keenly… and approvingly.

[Nogrod]

As the crowds had settled a bit Lithor’s loud voice was heard once again. “The next pair to find out who’s the one to go forwards is Stigend and Dan! Give them a big hand!” The crowd cheered again but Lithor interrupted the cheers soon enough: “And to end the first round we’ll have a thriller between Erbrand and Harreld!”

The crowds exploded with this one.

“And the winners will meet in the semifinal…” Lithor continued. The truth was hammered into the people at this point. There was some murmur but also some delighted laughs and overall chatter.

After all sack-fight was fun and not like a serious test of manhood like a sword-fight would be – and through ages women and children had partaken in it in the markets and other festivities. So a general feeling of acceptance ran through the crowd as they started anticipating the match between Stigend and Dan.

It was an interesting pair: the other was short but looked powerful, the other was much taller and leaner but in his skinny way muscular as well… and they both were masters in balance. It was the longest match there was that day as it took almost ten minutes. And the people were really living along the fight hit by hit and manouver by manouver.

There was no anticipation period or things like that but both men went on after each other from the moment Lithor whistled them free to start. A mighty blow followed each other and the way they both managed to balance themselves to hit back just raised a series of accepting and admiring “Oohh’s”, “Eehhsss” and “Wooow’s” from the crowd. Both men managed to balance themselves from downright impossible situations to swing the sack at the other making the other to struggle with balance and gaining time to reach his own. It was pure acrobatics!

But finally it came to an end. Stigend was turning around imbalanced by a blow by Dan with only one foot on the log and managed to give a blow to Dan, but this time it didn’t hit as well as he would have wished. Dan wavered and had to correct his standing but he was quick enough to give a blow back when Stigend was just reaching balance and trying to deal Dan a second blow. The sacks met in the mid-air and with both contestants both tired and already somewhat imbalanced they both fell down.

Stigend hit the ground first followed immediately by Dan.

“Rematch! Rematch!” Garstan and Harreld howled and the crowds cheered to the suggestion and the performance they had just witnessed.

“Sorry, the first to hit the ground loses. Plain rules talk. And I don’t think these two wish to have a rematch for some time… Let them rest now. Dan is the winner!” Lithor announced. The crowds were partly murmuring but Lithor’s next call changed the attitude in a wink of an eye. “The last round one match is between Harreld and Erbrand! Please welcome the heroes!” A huge cheer followed as the last pair climbed up to their starting positions on the ridgepole.


That match was much anticipated. So much indeed that after Lithor gave them a go the crowd fell silent just waiting for what was to come. Looking at the earlier performances this was in a way the moral final after all, or so many people felt it was.

Garstan and Stigend remembered the last meters of the task-race and were filled with pride of their fellow-craftsman. “You won him once already! Make it two!”, Garstan shouted when the two were just eyeing each other and the crowd was silent. “Soldiers fight the war, craftsmen stay on board!” Stigend added half aloud, gaining a few short-lived laughs. It was tense not only on the ridgepole where the two were feverishly thinking how to proceed but everyone was waiting for the first move.

Finally Erbrand moved. He raised his sack up and rolled it over his head a few times leaning forwards as if to gather force making a charge. And then he dashed towards Harreld.

That bold move got Harreld by surprise as he hadn’t anticipated that someone would charge on him that determinately. Sure they knew he was bigger and stronger? But he had to react immediately, and he did so with waving his sack from left to right and rushing forwards with full speed to meet Erbrand in the middle of the pole.

But Erbrand had bluffed it all the way. As soon as Harreld got into motion and charged forwards Erbrand he let the sack loose and dived forwards as fast as he could.

Harreld had no chance to stop his movement and his sack only met with thin air while he stumbled on Erbrand laying low and keeping a tight grasp of the pole. Harreld tumbled over Erbrand and fell down while Erbrand tried to keep his grip of the log after the impact with both his arms and legs. He managed it just as long as it took for Harreld to fall down but then also his grip loosened and he fell as well.

“Erbrand is the winner!” Lithor called and the crowds cheered once again even if they were a bit disappointed that the match had ended so soon. Stigend and Garstan were not too happy about the outcome as they were close friends of Harreld, but they acknowledged the sheer cunning of Erbrand’s plan and gave it it’s due cheer as well. This was entertaining after all.

"So the semifinals will be Kara against Cnebba and Dan against Erbrand!" Lithor called and the crowd seemed to be happy about that... even if a bit confused still.

[Kath]

Frodides was keeping herself well out of the way of all the noise and fuss outside ... but was keeping herself well informed all the same. Kara was under orders to report back to the kitchen with every new piece of information and it seemed that she had just found herself a new helper.

"What's going on there?" she asked as Modtryth arrived.

"Dagger-throwing at the moment, and it's sack-fighting next. Do you need help?" Modtryth replied.

"You can chop these." Frodides answered, thrusting a board of rolls toward Modtryth. "How is the throwing going along? Not a very interesting game I suppose."

"Oh but it is!" Modtryth replied, and Frodides was pleased to find a captivating storyteller in her friend as the woman proceeded to tell the tale of the event so far. Even as she listened Frodides made a note of that, Kara was good at getting the information across but she had no real understanding of how to make it into a good story. Modtryth on the other hand, now there was a woman with the gift.

~ ~ ~

Having made her way back into the crowd after winning her own heat Kara cheered and hollered almost alone as Erbrand threw caution to the wind and displayed some brilliant tactics that threw Harreld off completely. Even as he picked himself up off the ground she was heading towards him, trailing Ginna who wished to comiserate with Harreld in her wake.

"Well done!" She called out as she approached the slightly dishevelled Erbrand, who had just shaken hands with Harreld who was shaking his head in baffled resignation. "Where did you think of a move like that?"

"Oh I just ... well, I'm not sure." Erbrand replied, seeming a little flustered, though it could well have been that he was simply disorientated from his tumble off the log. "It just seemed like a good idea at the time!"

"It was a good idea." Kara cried, still buoyed by the excitement in the air. "You should have seen Harreld's face when he realised what was going to happen," she continued, trying to lower her voice so as not to embarrass the poor smith, "I hope your next opponent doesn't underestimate you!"

"I'm not sure how much of a chance I'm going to have against Dan." Erbrand said. "That fight between him and Stigend was tough, and I can hardly try the same trick again."

"You'll be alright." Kara said smiling. "You're tough too remember? Now wish me luck!" She gestured to Cnebba and laughed. "I was lucky with Javan, young Cnebba there is a fighter."

"Well good luck." Erbrand said. "I'll be cheering for you."

[littlemanpoet]

In the dagger throwing contest Harreld placed second twice. He was pleased. He had more experience fixing daggers than throwing them, but it seemed that his talents and trade lent themselves to being a fair shot at dagger throwing. Harreld was enjoying himself. He went over to Scyld and congratulated him on his victory. Scyld hesitated before replying in a gentelmanly fashion. Harreld regarded him briefly with a slightly raised eyebrow and a small smile on his face: this Scyld's mind seemed to work maybe somewhat as his own did, hearing possible words to be said in his mind first before choosing to release them for hearing.

"Only by my luck was it close at all, my friend," Harreld replied. "I hope you join us in one or more of the games yet remaining."

Scyld was considering a reply but then Ginna sauntered up to him with that mischievous glint in her eye, and the crowd parted as if she were royalty making her way to her claim. He melted inside all over again. He fought down a strong hunger to take her in his arms right then and there and plant a victory kiss on her smiling lips.

Then came the kitchen wager quip, and he laughed hard. It was a relief to laugh, a place to safely put his passion.

The only response that flitted through his mind should not be said, so he kept it to himself. Would you wager your hand in marriage? Make that bet and I would stop at nothing to win you. Instead of saying this, he offered his arm to her with a "my lady" on his lips, and her hand in the crook of his elbow, he ushered her along with the rest of the exuberant crowd to the next venue, the sack fight.

After he was bested by Erbrand in a moment, he humbly went over to stand by Ginna and said, "It appears that I need more than your good luck at these games. I must keep my head about me, my lady."

[Lhunardawen]

Harreld seemed so dejected at his loss that Ginna wanted to wrap her arms around him amidst all the onlookers, but something told her this was probably not a good thing to do. Instead she took one of his large hands and gave him a small smile of sympathy.

"There will always be some battles you can't win." Keeping her tone light, she added, "Perhaps aside from being your good luck charm, I'm also a cause for your distraction? Just give me the word, Harreld, and I'll keep out of your sight."

Still with a bit of a smile, she looked into his eyes and raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly, wondering which one he would choose her to be.