BEFORE THE COUNCIL
April 19, 3020
All of Ceolwulf and Vardamir's party were exhausted after their long, arduous journey. Even though they were housed in cells in the Dunharrow guardhouse, they were relieved that at last they were placed where they could sleep safely. Vardamir and Ceolwulf were both put in shackles and chained to the wall of the guardhouse, but the chains had been slack enough to allow them to sit fairly comfortably. Food and water had been placed nearby, so that they had had their fill of food and drink during the night. Debanni, Adibe and Candon were housed in an adjacent cell and were allowed to walk about freely. Food and water had been given to them; the straw on the floor was clean and smelled fresh, and they were given adequate blankets.
Now the day of April 19th has dawned, and Ceolwulf and Vardamir hear a key being turned in the heavy lock on their cell door. Guards step inside to take them before Wulfhelm and the Council. The shackles upon Ceolwulf and Vardamir are unfastened, but manacles are placed upon their hands and fastened behind them. The guards are gruff and stern and will brook no insolence but do not make a move to harm them in any way if they agree to go peacefully. Other guards release Adibe and Debanni and march them behind Ceolwulf and Vardamir.
Soon they are in the hall, a structure newly built out of wood which serves as a poor replica as Medusled wich once adorned Edoras, and are escorted before Wulfhelm and the counsel. The table in the hall had been taken away for the session of court, and a group of elders, prominent men of Rohan, sit on chairs and benches. Wulfhelm sits on a chair near the king's throne, for Eomer King is away, inspecting a new watchtower that is being built upon the mountains. The Lady Eowyn sits beside him. A large wolfhound lies panting by Wulfhelm's side and his hand keeps straying down to pat the dog on the head. When the hound sees Ceolwulf and the company enter the hall, he rises to his feet and growls menacingly. Wulfhelm silences him with a word and the dog lies back down, eying those newly arrived.
Greatly upset at their fate of capture again, Adibe and Debanni had still been relieved that they were not tied the whole night and were given food and water. Debanni had fallen quickly into an exhausted slumber while Adibe hadwatched her for a while and smoothed the hair back from her daughter's face. Then she had fallen asleep next to her after eating. They are led now into the hall with their first captors, whom strangely they had now relied on for safety and felt more comfort in than with the new pack of strangers. They look around the hall and take in all the fine details. Silently, they stand next to each other..glancing with sympathetic stares from time to time.
"Let the accused be brought forth," Wulfhelm says, and the guards look to Ceolwulf and his company. Wulfhelm rises to his feet as do Lady Eowyn and all the elders. "This court will now be called in session. Let our doom be swift but just. Now all except the accused and the guards may take seats." All present do the same. Several of the elders, suffering from stiffness due to arthritic joints, grimace as they sit.
"Now," Wulfhelm says after he resumes his seat, "who is the leader of you Southrons?"
Lady Eowyn portrayed by Eowyn
Debanni portrayed by Madurz
Vardamir and Candon portrayed by Hobbitness
Narrator, Ceolwulf and Wulfhelm portrayed by Angmar
Ceolwulf: *Ceolwulf stands, his
hands shackled behind him, feeling guilty at what he has done*
I am "Blodenhand," their leader, but we are not Southrons.
Vardamir: *Vardamir casts his glance around the wooden
hall, the golden color of its sunlit walls bringing to mind vague
images of the woods that were once his home. His eyes stop to
light on the woman whose golden hair and white dress shine like
a beacon. This must be the Lady Eowyn, for Ceolwulf has told Vardamir
of her. For a moment, admiration of her beauty banishes his nervousness.
But then he hears fast breathing that hints at a high, boyish
voice. Vardamir looks down to find Candon, who is trying to hide
his trembling, wide-eyed and pale, his mouth set in a thin line.
*
Vardamir: *"I wish I had stayed with my grandfather,"
the boy whispers, ruefully looking up at Vardamir. The man's
encouraging smile fades.*
Vardamir: *"I am sorry," he whispers back, "but
it will be all right, you will see." Vardamir wishes he
could believe his own words. Confronted with the stern faces of
the Rohirrim, he is much less sure of their safety than he was
last night.*
Wulfhelm: My men have told me that you called yourself
Ceolwulf when you were captured. Now you tell me still another
name. Who are you? *he says and peers at Ceolwulf* Now you tell
me still another name. Who are you? *he says and peers at Ceolwulf*
Ceolwulf: I will answer to no other name than "Blodenhand,"
for that is what I am, the "Bloody Hand."
Vardamir: *Vardamir clears his throat*
Wulfhelm: *He turns to Lady Eowyn* What do you make of
this, my lady?
Lady Eowyn: *Lady Eowyn looks to Lord Wulfhelm* We know
little about this man, nor even his true name, whether it truly
be Ceolwulf or Blodenhand. It does seem, however, that he led
a group of Southrons to the Paths of the Dead, and they tried
to encroach upon our southern border by dark and secret paths,
and, perhaps, catch us at unawares. He also killed one of our
men unjustly in cold blood.
Vardamir: *Vardamir discreetly clears his throat*
Wulfhelm: My lady, your words are true, for this is what
our scouts have reported. And following behind them was a large
party of Southrons, no doubt coming to attack us through the secret
way.
Ceolwulf: Sir, we did not come to attack you, for this
is the land of my birth, but we came seeking refuge. However,
I have slain a man amiss. I am guilty. If you do not already have
it in your position, I would offer the gold upon the sorrel packhorse
as weregild for his loss. I come to you empty handed, but put
a sword into my hands, and I will fall upon it. I have no more
to say. *he bows his head and stands silent*
Vardamir: *Vardamir discreetly clears his throat again*
Forgive me, my lord and lady, if I speak.
Wulfhelm: And who might you be?
Vardamir: *bows* I am Vardamir of Gondor, my lord. I
was taken captive at Pelennor and forced into slavery in Mordor.
My friend and I escaped, and we have been trying to get here for
a long time. Though he has taken the name Blodenhand because of
his fatal mistake, he is truly the Ceolwulf son of Elfwine who
was one of the King's Knights under Theoden King.
Wulfhelm: *Wulfhelm looks at the women* You, the elder
woman, what is your name? By your features and by your dress,
I take you both to be Southrons.
Debanni: *Adibe tenses as she and her daughter stand
as the enemy here, being from Harad. She lifts her head fully
and speaks* My name is Adibe
Wulfhelm: *He looks at her sternly* And why are you here?
Debanni: These two men have held us for ransom from my
husband.
Wulfhelm: What! *he exclaims* They are kidnappers too
and have stolen you from your husband!
Vardamir: *Vardamir looks down, shifts his feet, then
glances at Ceolwulf with a look that says, "I never wanted
any part in it in the first place."*
Wulfhelm: *He looks to the younger of the women* And what
is your name and why are you here? Have you been stolen too?
Debanni: *Debanni swallows hard and her voice is not
so loud and even as her mother's* My name is Debanni. Yes, I was
taken along with my mother. But I do not believe it was any idea
of these two men. They traveled with another whose idea it was
indeed for us to be taken. And he is no longer alive. *her face
is flushed and she wrings her hands together...so nervous with
every word she speaks*
Vardamir: *Vardamir looks to Debanni, astonishment and
gratitude written all over his face.*
Wulfhelm: *He looks at Vardamir and Ceolwulf skeptically
and then turns to the other elders who sit there with grim faces.*
What say you, men of the council?
Wulfhelm: "Spies!" they say. "Kidnappers!
Murderers!" One elderly man says, "Perhaps the women
are telling the truth and indeed they have been kidnapped by these
men."
Wulfhelm: Patience *Wulfhelm says* We will get to the
truth of this. *He looks to Candon* Boy, who is your mother here?
Candon: *Candon starts, taken aback by the question.
But no matter how scared he is, he is detemined to be brave in
front of all these men.* My mother is dead, sir. My Father, Bainion
son of Berenon, was killed at Pelennor. My name is Candon. I
lived with my grandfather, but he could not pay the taxes, and
we were forced to become serfs of Lord Ashtum. They would have
taken me away to be in the army of Mordor, but my grandfather
asked these men to take me here to Rohan instead. They have been
kind to me. *Blushing, he looks down and licks his lips, then
back up at Wulfhelm.*
Debanni: *Debanni looks to the boy and listens as he
answers questions she has had from the beginning when she first
saw him*
Wulfhelm: *Beginning to lose his temper, Wulfhelm exclaims*
You say your mother and father are dead, and your grandfather
is in Gondor! What manner of trickery is this! You are all from
Mordor, sent here as spies with a false and fanciful tale to beguile
us and deceive us! And you, boy, are a pawn in the hands of all
four of them, unless you have been trained as a thief by them
to steal from us!
Wulfhelm: *The elders of the council mutter more and some
shake their fists angerly*
Wulfhelm: You, Blodenhand, or whatever your name might
be, speak in on your behalf and upon the behalf of the others
with you! *Yet Ceolwulf says nothing and stands there with bowed
head*
Wulfhelm: You, Vardamir, may speak in behalf of your fellows,
but be quick about it. *The council mutters more*
Vardamir: *Vardamir shakes his head despairingly, at a
loss for words*...What can I say to you, my lord? Our story sounds
fanciful, but it is true! Ceolwulf and I were slaves in the same
household. We ran away together. He had suffered grievous torments
at the hands of our enemies, and he wanted to join the outlaws
only to take from the rich of Mordor and give to the wronged poor.
We did not know they would kidnap anyone. And we certainly did
not intend to keep these women with us. We were in the process
of returning them when Lord Ashtum's men attacked us. We were
forced to flee with them. And his men are the Southrons who were
pursuing us, to kill us and take back Lord Ashtum's wife and daughter.
Wulfhelm: *Some of the elders of the council begin to
jeer Vardamir* Silence! *Wulfhelm demands and the elders' voices
hush. Wolfhelm demands* Does any man in this hall know any of
these five?
Wulfhelm: *The council, the guards and all shake their
heads* We do not know them *they say, for the council is composed
of elderly men and many of the guards are mere youths and none
know Ceolwulf*
Wulfhelm: Lady Eowyn *he looks to her* what say you of
this?
Lady Eowyn: Indeed, my lord, there was a Ceolwulf son of
Elfwine who was one of the King's Knights, but alas! most of that
band were slain at the Battle of Pelennor, or in the bloody strife
in the South. Perhaps this man's tale is indeed true, for many
who were wounded in the fighting were captured, and oft the tales
of captives are strange. Yet few escape from the trammels of the
Dark Land. Forsooth, some say that none escape from that dreadful
place, unless it is by leave of its Lord. *She swallows and lets
her gaze linger over the five prisoners before the council.*
Vardamir: Thank you, my lady. *he bows* We had no permission
to leave--we are runaway slaves. That is another reason why we
were hunted.
Wulfhelm: Lady, your words are true, but I must have proof
that the words of this man are indeed true, and that he has not
been given the name of Ceolwulf son of Elfwine so as to come amongst
us and trick us. In my reckoning, he has taken the name of a dead
man so to deceive us and he has led a large party of Southrons
to attack us. Without further proof that he is who he says he
is, I say that he should be strung from the gibbet and hanged!
Vardamir: Wait, my lord! *Vardamir cries despeartely*
Ceolwulf has a father and two brothers! May they not be brought
forward? Surely they will recognize him!
Candon: *Candon's head spins. He feels numb, and faint,
and terrified. Biting back tears, he slumps against Vardamir.*
Wulfhelm: Spy with golden tongue, I doubt your words as
much as I do all the others. *The council mutters more and shakes
their fists. "Hang them!" the elders cry. An elderly
man rises to his feet and says with a trembling voice, "I
say we wait for the king to hear this!"*
Vardamir: My lord, my lords, the men Elfwine, Leofen,
and Hereric can put your doubts to rest!
Aldor: Let the young man speak! *Aldor, one of elders,
says in a trembling voice* For sometimes youth can be wise in
their own way.
Aldor: *Aldor, an elderly widow, bereft of his wife
for many years, looks at Lady Eowyn, hoping stirring once again
in his heart. But how can he dare to dream, for she is a young
maiden and he is a man of many years? But still, her brother favors
a union.*
Vardamir: *Vardamir bows to Aldor* Thank you, my lord!
*He falls to his knees* I beg you, my lords, let justice be done,
let us have a fair hearing. Let the father and brothers of Ceolwulf
be brought to see this man and determine whether or not he is
Ceolwulf. He and I shall forever be in your debt, for you will
have helped your friends who have long been in savage lands, tormented
by enemies.
Aldor: Yes, let all things be done in order and not
be in such a haste *Aldor says, his chin trembling slightly* Let
Elfwine, Leofen, and Hereric be summoned from their positions
with the army and bid to come here, but I beg you, also let the
king be present before judgment is made. Let us not let our hands
be sullied by shedding innocent blood. *He sits back on his bench
and pulls his cloak over him, for he has taken a chill and is
trembling*
Vardamir: *Vardamir smiles brightly to Aldor*
Ceolwulf: *Ceolwulf hears nothing and sees nothing, but
is lost in his guilt and wishes now only to die*
Vardamir: *Vardamir nods vigorously at Aldor's words*
Yes! My lords, this man speaks true wisdom! I beg of you to take
his advice. Only this way can our case be truly settled. *he
bows his head to them*
Candon: *Candon leans in close to Vardamir and whispers*
What is going to happen? Are we going to die? Are you going
to die?
Vardamir: *Vardamir maintains eye contact with Wulfhelm,
but answers Candon under his breath* Certainly not, Candon. The
Valar will protect us. Tiro ven Elbereth!
Wulfhelm: *Wulfhelm looks kindly at Aldor* Esteemed elder
of Rohan, perhaps your words are wisest. *he sighs, eager to hang
the two spies* What is the judgment of the elders? Do we pass
doom upon them now or wait until the king comes back?
Wulfhelm: *Disappointed that some excitement is rapidly
leaving their hands but knowing that they should do nothing before
Eomer king arrives, the men say, "Aldor is wise, perhaps,
in this. Let us stay judgment."*
Wulfhelm: The council has ruled *Wulfhelm pronounces*
Take them all back to their cells and let them remain there until
the king returns!