Preparation, by Starlight (Éomer)

[starli-ght.livejournal.com]

B2MeM Challenge: b4 Forth Eorlingas: Horse breeder
Format: Double Drabble
Genre: Character exploration
Rating: K+
Warnings: None
Characters: Éomer
Pairings: None
Summary: Keeping the peace is a hard job.

Éomer's first act as Lord of Aldburg was to kill a man.

His grandfather had just died, so they called him to leave the éored, return and judge a murderer. The reason? Failure to supply a stallion for breeding, which the victim had sworn to do. Last-minute regrets for breeding blacks to the enemy were to blame on one side; on the other, the sudden loss of livelihood, for pricey mares don't mate lesser stallions and diluted bloodlines interest no one. Those, and other such petty excuses were given, meant only to show contrition without real feeling, to prove oneself on the right without suffering consequences. Powerless, enraged, he had to sit through it all, wondering if it was for people like these that he risked his neck every day.

He knew others thought his people simple and, for once, he had to agree.

How much was a man's life worth? Not much, apparently, and they were making him as bad as they. Wergild laws demand compensation; for Ælfgar's family, compensation had but one form... and his word would make it happen.

Curse them all! They had enough problems from outside without making their own darkness too.

~the end

Comments

[lindahoyland.livejournal.com]

This was very dark and not something you often see in Rohan.

[blslarner.livejournal.com]

A most distasteful manner in which to begin his time as Lord of Aldburg. No wonder he's disgruntled!