These were Lord Anglachelm's judgments: that Estarfin should be honored, and not be cast out as some of us feared; he shall be ably employed, and not lose his place and station in the House. And, to show his favour, he gave Estarfin his great winged shield, set with a giant ruby brought from over the Sea, and said he shall go forth and march with us to the mountains.
I almost groaned! It cannot be, I wanted to cry out. Estarfin is not fit to march, unless he is marching himself back to bed!
But Lord Anglachelm loves his people very much. Instead of meting punishment, he rewards them. I wonder how our lordship thinks Estarfin will carry both sword and shield, having only one good arm?
I held my tongue and said nothing - who am I to question his authority? I must not know my lordship's mind as well as I thought.
When a horse is frightened, the best thing for a rider to do is dismount and calm him, lest the rider is thrown. It is most unwise to stay in the saddle. I thought that the best decision for Estarfin would be for him to remain safe in the Valley and continue healing. Lord Anglachelm must not think it is needed. Perhaps he does not desire safety for him. I cannot begin to understand such benevolence.
He treats his people always as friends and is kind and forgiving in his dealings with them. So he has earned their trust and their love. And Lord Anglachelm is always careful and select in his decisions. He chose me, did he not, to be his Ambassador?
He is the ship and we are the water. It is the water that bears the ship up, but the water can also drown the ship.
I do not see how it will be of any benefit to send out a wounded soldier from the Valley, but I admit that I am not a soldier. Lord Anglachelm must know better than all of us. He has lived an age of warfare, and fought against the armies of Morgoth Bauglir. He listened to Estarfin's words, and saw him unbent, unruffled, cool, collected, unmarked by such accidents as had befallen him, although he was wearing his black hauberk of the Hammers, which hides a lot, and, perhaps, Lord Anglachelm might have looked a little closer.
So he sent Estarfin forth to battle, even if he cannot lift his arm to swing his sword.
These are Lord Anglachelm's judgments.
This is what it is, to be leader.
And these are his laws.
