Chapter 26. Missions of Mercy

The King moved to Haldoron's side, supporting him as Balanurthon released the binding cord, and together King and Healer half-carried the Steward to the stone block, where Hunethon had already spread Haldoron's cloak. They laid him down on his face, and together Arthad and Elessar began, as gently as possible, to wipe away the blood, to smear salve over the broken skin, and finally to bind a large dressing over all.

By the time they were finished with the task, the crowd had nearly dispersed. Soon the news would be all over the city. The Steward--steward no longer, or so he'd said--had taken the punishment he'd handed out for Haleth and his men. He'd burned the death warrant against Gwill and his sons. Indeed, the King had pardoned them! And somehow the news had already got out, that Gwill was the mysterious rescuer, ten years before, of the young sons of the visiting Halflings. It was no wonder that he had earned the King's gratitude and pardon!

Actually, no one could believe Gwill or either of his sons had ever been law-breakers to begin with.

'Sergeant Haleth!' Elessar said, straightening.

'My Lord!' Haleth responded sharply, snapping to attention. He and his men had not yet been dismissed, and so they still stood in their razor-straight lines.

'Carry the Steward to the Houses of Healing,' Elessar said.

'Sir! Yes, Sir!' Haleth rapped out, and it was not long before they were easing Haldoron, face-down, onto a litter.

'Not Steward, not any longer,' Haldoron muttered. The draught they'd urged him to drink was taking effect. Dratted healers.

'I have not yet accepted your resignation,' Elessar bent to murmur. 'My Counsellors will accompany you, and be assured they will interfere if they find anything to object to along the way.'

'I have it on good authority that we are very interfering folk,' Pippin added, for the hobbits had crowded after the King, to observe Elessar's healing hands, and Arthad's, at work.

'Very kind of them, I'm sure,' Haldoron said faintly, and then his eyes closed and he spoke no more.

Haleth and three of his men bore the litter as gently as might be through the streets to the Houses of Healing, surrounded by an honour guard of hobbits, encircled by the rest of Haleth's men, forging their way and keeping back the curious and any onlookers. Truth be told, the guardsmen were on their best behaviour. After all, it was two of these same hobbits who had landed them in such terrible straits in the first place. They did not want to make any more missteps, for certain, even if the Steward had excused himself from his office and was drugged to sleep into the bargain.

***

Elessar, returning to the Citadel, found a small, nervous, but determined group of merchants standing at the Gates, waiting.

Curiosity moved him to inquire as to their business. 'Waiting to see the Steward, my Lord,' the gate guard said. 'I told them he'd gone out, but they insist on waiting.'

'Perhaps the King will do instead,' Elessar said, nodding in response to the merchants' bows.

'My Lord,' the tailor said, stammering over the words. He had spoken with the King in the marketplace, for certain, but that was business and this was... this was... 'It's a matter of justice, my Lord.'

'Justice?' Elessar said politely. 'Would you like to come in, sit down and tell me your story?'

'N-no need to bother you, my Lord,' the tailor said, but his wife beside him was wringing her apron in her hands, and their companions were clearly ill at ease.

'How many more will they take away?' a woman burst out, to be hushed by her husband.

'Take away?' Elessar said, while the woman blushed and blinked away tears. He swept the little delegation, returning to the tailor, who seemed to be their spokesman. 'Who has been taken away?'

'Turambor, the greengrocer,' the tailor ventured timidly. 'And... and his wife.'

'And they said that young Robin was arrested last night, even after the Ernil argued for his life,' the outspoken woman said, thrusting her way back into the conversation. 'Gwill,' she said, 'and Gwillam, taken away and hanged,' and the tears started from her eyes, and several of the other women stifled sobs while their husbands looked very sober indeed, 'and now they've taken Robin away, and Turambor and Eliniel, and Seledrith and even the baby...!'

'And Denny,' someone said. 'He never returned from the gallows last night.'

'There are no babies in the dungeon,' Elessar said, 'at least there weren't, the last time I looked.' But the merchants and their wives hardly looked reassured. 'Go back to your shops and stands,' he said. 'Gwillam was hanged yesterday, true, but somehow he was saved, and is now in the Houses of Healing, surrounded by his family, including old Gwill and young Robin, who were not hanged, nor are likely to be.'

'In the Houses of Healing?' the tailor said. It was almost too good to be true. But this was the King! The King had returned, and it seemed that justice had returned with him, to the North-kingdom.

'They are,' Elessar said with a firm nod. 'And when Gwillam is sufficiently healed, he will return with his wife and family to the linen shop, and Seledrith will undoubtedly pick up her needle once more and continue to stitch the finest handkerchiefs to be found in the kingdom, North, or South!'

'O thank you, my Lord! Thank you!' the tailor effused, echoed by his followers, and the tailor's wife seized the King's hand and laid a fervent kiss there. With a bubbling over of joy and gratitude, the merchants bowed themselves away.

It was not long before the good news was all over the marketplace, and spreading from there over the whole city.

***

There were two more floggings to be administered, held over from the previous day, and a branding as well, but all were soon quickly and efficiently dispatched, after which Balanurthon and his assistant left the square with a word to the healer as to their anticipated whereabouts for the rest of the day. A quick check at the gallows outside the Quarry Gate showed only the gallows guards, happily bored, and no condemned men awaiting their fate. The men and woman in the stocks would not need release until sunset, and in the meantime Arthad would be watching over them.

Balanurthon and his assistant took themselves off to a public house not far from the Quarry Gate and had an early nuncheon, accompanied by a good, stiff drink for each.

And then, as promised, Balanurthon worked Hunethon until the latter's arms threatened to fall from their sockets. But the assistant learned how to hang a sandbag that day, and with great effectiveness and a deadly snap of the rope.

He certainly hoped his hard-won skill would not be needed any time soon.

Balanurthon, of course, was in complete agreement.