3006, Aerwald and Geol

They had come back from an uneventful autumn-patrol. Nothing had stirred the lands east and north of them but one robber fled from the south whom they’d caught quickly. Yet Geol had been brooding all day until Aerwald thought it was time to find out why.
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"Hey, Geol. What are you looking at?"
„Hey, Geol. What are you looking at?“
He turned to his cousin with a puzzled look. "Isn't that obvious?"
He turned to his cousin with a puzzled look. „Isn’t that obvious?“
"Aldor the old. How long has it been since he drove all the dunlendings well away over the fords? About fivehundred years, and still they haven't forgotten. For hundreds of years they've been back with a vengeance. How long does it take for a people to become the rightful inhabitants of a land? Shouldn't we be by now?"
„Aldor the old. How long has it been since he drove all the dunlendings well away over the fords? About fivehundred years, and still they haven’t forgotten. For hundreds of years they’ve been back with a vengeance. How long does it take for a people to become the rightful inhabitants of a land? Shouldn’t we be by now?“
"We are. They just don't like it, I guess. They never stood a real chance against our weaponry and horses, except for that one time when Wulf sat in Edoras." Aerwald shook his head.  "I'm still not sure wether the dark hair I inherited like a few others of our family did now and then stems from that time or has just always been a family-trait.  Once, there might have been more than enmity between our two peoples."
„We are. They just don’t like it, I guess. They never stood a real chance against our weaponry and horses, except for that one time when Wulf sat in Edoras.“ Aerwald shook his head. „I’m still not sure wether the dark hair I inherited like a few others of our family did now and then stems from that time or has just always been a family-trait. Once, there might have been more than enmity between our two peoples.“
"Once," said Geol. "But then 'that' happened. I will not let them enter Rohan, if I can prevent it, for now there hardly seems to be another way. But sometimes I wonder if we chose the right approach back then."
„Once,“ said Geol. „But then ‚that‘ happened. I will not let them enter Rohan, if I can prevent it, for now there hardly seems to be another way. But sometimes I wonder if we chose the right approach back then.“
"There has been intermarriage. So was there really no chance we could have lived at peace with them?  Had they driven us out instead those 500 years past, do you think we'd have forgotten? No. I fight them, but I understand them, too."
„There has been intermarriage. So was there really no chance we could have lived at peace with them? Had they driven us out instead those 500 years past, do you think we’d have forgotten? No. I fight them, but I understand them, too.“
"Sometimes I wonder how things would have turned out if Aldor had made them his vassals instead of riding them down." Then he shook his head at himself. "But I know others have tried since and always failed. The Dunlendings are too wild, it seems."  "Well", mused Aerwald. "You've got it right, Aldor's victory surely increased the hatred. I'm not sure what would have happened without it. I'm not sure it would have come to the desaster at Helm's table. But it did. It's in the past, Geol. We cannot change it. And you were never one to spent time on things that might have been."
„Sometimes I wonder how things would have turned out if Aldor had made them his vassals instead of riding them down.“ Then he shook his head at himself. „But I know others have tried since and always failed. The Dunlendings are too wild, it seems.“
„Well“, mused Aerwald. „You’ve got it right, Aldor’s victory surely increased the hatred. I’m not sure what would have happened without it. I’m not sure it would have come to the desaster at Helm’s table. But it did. It’s in the past, Geol. We cannot change it. And you were never one to spend time on things that might have been.“
"You didn't come here to discuss Aldor's actions or the fate of the Dunlendings. Tell me what really bothers you."
„You didn’t come here to discuss Aldor’s actions or the fate of the Dunlendings. Tell me what really bothers you.“
Geol hesitated to answer.  "Lorron was strangely quiet yesterday", he said then.  "He didn't want to train with me or Rulavan but went to Aswig and disappeared with him into the woods and stayed there till late that night. Went straight to bed and sought to get out before me this morning. I'm back from patrol and he avoids me? Something was wrong, and when I guessed the reason he confirmed it. Arnim has made it clear to him he wasn't born into our family while we were away. Of course Lorron has always known that, but he's only eight years old, Aerwald, and he's never known another family! He didn't understand before that others might have a different view on that than he and I. He understood allright when Arnim didn't let him partake in their games, didn't stop to speak with him more than was required and outright refused to let him pet his horse, telling him that he wanted only family-members to touch the stallion. Real family members."
Geol hesitated to answer. „Lorron was strangely quiet yesterday“, he said then. „He didn’t want to train with me or Rulavan but went to Aswig and disappeared with him into the woods and stayed there till late that night. Went straight to bed and sought to get out before me this morning. I’m back from patrol and he avoids me? Something was wrong, and when I guessed the reason he confirmed it. Arnim has made it clear to him he wasn’t born into our family while we were away. Of course Lorron has always known that, but he’s only eight years old, Aerwald, and he’s never known another family! He didn’t understand before that others might have a different view on that than he and I. He understood allright when Arnim didn’t let him partake in their games, didn’t stop to speak with him more than was required and outright refused to let him pet his horse, telling him that he wanted only family-members to touch the stallion. Real family members.“
Aerwald sighed as he heard that. His eldest child had never liked the younger boy, but when Lorron had been smaller he'd suffered his presence quietly. "I'm sorry, Geol.  I'll talk to Arnim. He thinks of himself as grown up now that he's turned twelve, and he's outright difficult at times these days. Gerhild tells me that's only natural in boys that age and he'll get over it... in a few years. I know teenagers are a pest... I just wasn't prepared for it in my own son."
Aerwald sighed as he heard that. His eldest child had never liked the younger boy, but when Lorron had been smaller he’d suffered his presence quietly. „I’m sorry, Geol. I’ll talk to Arnim. He thinks of himself as grown up now that he’s turned twelve, and he’s outright difficult at times these days. Gerhild tells me that’s only natural in boys that age and he’ll get over it… in a few years. I know teenagers are a pest… I just wasn’t prepared for it in my own son.“
"I understand that", answered Geol. "And I wouldn't have brought it up if you hadn't asked. Lorron surely wouldn't have brought it up if I hadn't pressed him. Did you know he banded together with little Larynje, who chose him  over her brother to follow him everywhere?"   Aerwald raised his eyebrows. "Larynje? Surely not 'everywhere', I hope. If Gerhild finds her wielding an axe..." Geol laughed. "She's much too small for that." Then he turned earnest again. "Maybe Arnim was jealous because she prefers Lorron?" "No." Aerwald sighed again. "And that's not what you believe, either." Both looked at the tapestry with Aldor a short moment. "He hates it that there might be dunlandish  blood running in our family. He's ever and always hated it, since he was old enough to realise that most people have blond hair. He can tolerate your mother coming from Bree, but he can't tolerate some remote ancestor of our's having been in love with the enemy.  I don't know where this came from, but he actually feels tainted. And now that he's got the age to start looking at women he fears that one of his children might sprout dark hair one day and remind him of that ancient shame. You've got no idea what kind of talks I've been through with that boy. May yours prove less difficult when the time comes." Geol laid his head to one side. "We didn't want to add to your sorrows."  Aerwald coughed. "I asked, I know. That attitude in Arnim is a problem I've no clue how to solve, to be honest."
„I understand that“, answered Geol. „And I wouldn’t have brought it up if you hadn’t asked. Lorron surely wouldn’t have brought it up if I hadn’t pressed him. Did you know he banded together with little Larynje, who chose him over her brother to follow him everywhere?“ Aerwald raised his eyebrows. „Larynje? Surely not ‚everywhere‘, I hope. If Gerhild finds her wielding an axe…“ Geol laughed. „She’s much too small for that.“ Then he turned earnest again. „Maybe Arnim was jealous because she prefers Lorron?“
„No.“ Aerwald sighed again. „And that’s not what you believe, either.“
Both looked at the tapestry with Aldor a short moment. „He hates it that there might be dunlandish blood running in our family. He’s ever and always hated it, since he was old enough to realise that most people have blond hair. He can tolerate your mother coming from Bree, but he can’t tolerate some remote ancestor of our’s having been in love with the enemy. I don’t know where this came from, but he actually feels tainted. And now that he’s got the age to start looking at women he fears that one of his children might sprout dark hair one day and remind him of that ancient shame. You’ve got no idea what kind of talks I’ve been through with that boy. May yours prove less difficult when the time comes.“
Geol laid his head to one side. „We didn’t want to add to your sorrows.“ Aerwald coughed. „I asked, I know. That attitude in Arnim is a problem I’ve no clue how to solve, to be honest.“
"I can command him to stop talking like that to your son, but I cannot command him to like him. Lorron... I fear he represents all Arnim would want for himself, being the perfect young warrior. Already he's better at riding and fighting than many older boys. I'm as proud of him as you are. And I love him. - Maybe it's my fault Arnim felt neglected. I should spent some more time with him, to make him understand that he's not worth less to me." "Do that", Geol nodded. "You got all winter, we won't ride out again anytime soon and Lorron's got all the others to train with. Let's hope Gerhild is right and Arnim is just searching for his place in life at the moment. Let's hope he beats that jealousy down, it's a hard foe , for everyone, but more so for a child who's still learning to control his feelings."  "I'm just glad the others are girls", Aerwald said. "Waltrud is such a sweet thing, she'd never get loud or unruly. She's taken to weaving tapestries like these and shows much talent in any craft she tries. One day, the boys will come flocking round her."
„I can command him to stop talking like that to your son, but I cannot command him to like him. Lorron… I fear he represents all Arnim would want for himself, being the perfect young warrior. Already he’s better at riding and fighting than many older boys. I’m as proud of him as you are. And I love him. – Maybe it’s my fault Arnim felt neglected. I should spend some more time with him, to make him understand that he’s not worth less to me.“
„Do that“, Geol nodded. „You got all winter, we won’t ride out again anytime soon and Lorron’s got all the others to train with. Let’s hope Gerhild is right and Arnim is just searching for his place in life at the moment. Let’s hope he beats that jealousy down, it’s a hard foe , for everyone, but more so for a child who’s still learning to control his feelings.“
„I’m just glad the others are girls“, Aerwald said. „Waltrud is such a sweet thing, she’d never get loud or unruly. She’s taken to weaving tapestries like these and shows much talent in any craft she tries. One day, the boys will come flocking round her.“
"And then they'll fight... because that's what boys do." Geol smiled. "You think you're out of trouble with the girls? Not until they're savely married and out of your hands, old friend."
„And then they’ll fight… because that’s what boys do.“ Geol smiled. „You think you’re out of trouble with the girls? Not until they’re savely married and out of your hands, old friend.“

aus den Ländern von Mittelerde und darüber hinaus