Garedh hurried into the hall, quietly finding a bench in the back. Caygh scowled at him when he entered, but Garedh ignored the doughy steward and seated himself. To his dismay, he noticed too late that the hall was nigh empty, and he was sure that almost everybody had noticed him, but he avoided the glares and stared at the floor. The damsel Llynedh was due to present her case to the Cennegh today, and he wouldn't miss it for the world.
Borhce and Garedh had ridden with Llynedh directly back to Camm Ylladh, Llynedh sharing Borhce's horse. The young Rhydh was pleased by this - at the very least, he wouldn't have to have the damsel's complaints directly in his ear, and one of her most frequent complaints was that he smelled like wet dog. Garedh lost his patience by the end of the first day, but after four days of travel Borhce somehow found the strength to remain courteous to her. Admittedly, that might have been because of his developing fever, which struck him a day after they arrived.
The steward, Caygh, had been perfectly courteous to Llynedh once she had arrived, despite her complaints, but as soon as she was out of earshot he turned mean. "Back to your room," he sneered at Garedh, holding his hefty paunch, "Gods know we barely have enough Rhydhayre to see to our own needs, and you drag some wench to Camm Ylladh begging for help."
"She had requested the Cennegh's Peace," Borhce had interrupted, bluntly. "What were we to do, leave her for the bandits?"
That had been three days ago. Llynedh had apparently railed and complained about the wait, while Garedh had sat bored out of his mind in his tiny quarters near the kitchen. As a new Rhydh still in the service of the Cennegh, Garedh did not have a keep of his own or a hall yet, nor did his Lardh provide him one, and he was at the upkeep of the overstretched Cennegh, who most likely barely remembered his existence. When he had run into Llynedh in the Halls on the third day, she merely sneered that he had traded his smell of wet dog for the smell of a busy kitchen, and then promptly ignored him.
Still, Cennegh Fercille had promised to hear her today, which might have done something to assuage her sour mood. At the very least, the Court was more interesting than training in the yard with the pages and the other young Rhydhayre, most of whom were bigger than him and eager to take him down a peg. They failed, of course - few boys his age could beat Garedh on foot at swordplay - but their taunts stung worse than their blows.
The entire room rose as Fercille entered the hall, and bowed. Beside him walked several of his councillors, though the hall was almost empty of Rhydhayre. The Cennegh seated himself on the throne, and spoke in a loud, clear voice.
"I will hear the plaintiffs," he said. "Those who wish to bring suit to the Court of the Cennegh of Camm Ylladh, come forward." This was a formality, Garedh knew - as a general rule, those plaintiffs who came before the Cennegh were arranged beforehand.
Llynedh rose from her seat, elegantly. She was more beautiful now than in the mud in Ycwancee, and had found less muddy silks. Her expression was still haughty, however, though Garedh noticed that some of it faded when she came before Fercille.
"I, on behalf of the Lardha Llynnece of Ghillagh, wish to bring suit before you, your Grace," she said, formally, curtseying. "Not three years past, my Lardha swore fealty before you, and became part of your realm. When she did so, she imagined that she would be under protection of the Cennegh's Peace, and her and her lands would be safe from harm. But this is not the case. The wicked Red Rhydh, Yrhencaydh, has gathered many men of ill repute and laid siege to her hall. He seeks to marry her by force and seize her lands for himself. My lady is imprisoned within her tower, and she calls upon Cennegh to carry out his feudal obligations, and grant her men to sweep Yrhencaydh from Camm Ylladh."
Fercille blinked twice, slowly. He gazed over at Llynedh, stroking his whiskers. "My lady," he said evenly, "look around you at my court. Do you think I have the men at this moment to ride down this Yrhencaydh? Perhaps, in the next season, I may send an army to Ghillagh to help your Lardha, but at this moment, I cannot until my Rhydhayre return from Ycwancee or I can gather men from the Lardhayre."
"Your grace, by the start of the next season Ghillagh will have fallen and Lardha Llynnece will be a prisoner!" Llynedh cried, red in the face. One of the Cennegh's councillors began to say something, but Fercille cut him off with a wave of his hand.
"I understand your distress," he said. "But unfortunately, I lack the men. Unless some brave Rhydh will march to Gillagh and challenge this Red Rhydh to single combat, I cannot spare an army right now. You are welcome to our hospitality in the intervening-"
"Your hospitality will not help me," Llynedh interrupted. "It is men we need. The Red Rhydh has the strength of seven men, and no one man will strike him down. I have risked my life to come hear and beg your assistance. I have braved the weather, bandits, and almost been killed by an old man and his damnable page who brought me here, to hear of your hospitality?"
Garedh's face stung. He realised he was abominably tired, not only of Llynedh, but of the other pages, of Caygh's smug derision, of his tiny cell near the kitchens... of everything really. He could barely hear the Cennegh's next words.
"I am sorry, but unless a Rhydh volunteers there is nothing-"
"I will go," Garedh felt himself standing up, as if someone else was pulling his strings and he was speaking and moving like a puppet. He briefly wondered what he was doing, before remembering Llynedh's derision and his tiny rooms and the rain. At the very least, a quest would get him away from here. "I will fight the Red Rhydh, and I will rescue your Lardha and her lands."
Llynedh turned to him, as if noticing him for the first time. She blinked, and Garedh realised that she had tears in her eyes. His sympathy disappeared at her next words, directed at Fercille.
"Don't you have anyone else?"