Eorling

Five gold coins was the price of my husband. Five gold coins for the slaying of Osgar son of Hincmar, a well-respected man in Aldburg. Five gold coins for a strong youth killing his weakened elder. Five gold coins for my beloved’s blood spilling out of his body. Five gold coins for the man I loved most to die in the darkest of nights, sputtering and gasping for breath. Five gold coins is a paltry sum. What fee can buy a husband’s love? A father’s care? A freeman’s fealty? That was no worthy trade.

The last words of Eorland the Bowman, sung to Audelwyn of Harwick in the alliterative style traditional to the Rohirrim. Along with his parting words, he leaves her the worldly possessions not buried with him, including his horse, hauberk, horn, and cloak.

It was dusk and Meadowyn could not find her red cloak that she enjoyed to gaze upon. Though it were an insignificant decoration she thought it to be something special, as it was a bit of her home and she grew to treasure such things more as the days passed. She grew frustrated and sought throughout the house to no avail, she doubted that she could have lost it, for she seldom wore it. Then a thought came to her mind.