The younger Sylvan's name had carried. Although the Temple was battered in the eyes of many, and the question loomed large in gray minds, Leironuoth was both Sylvan and Champion of the Lion. Soldiers on the whole were less likely to care about such things when it came time to wonder about who was fighting beside you. Divinely named or not, the stories of his battle prowess were already legend before he was born. What came after made those legends seem downright foolish. The duel against the Five Brothers, which ended when the last brother refused to yield. Tales of a dragon that had refused to face him in combat and fled to the mountains in its shame. Entire battles that were turned by his mere presence - including his savage and single-handed attack on the Perubs' flank that drove them off, not but weeks after his father died.
Ilúvatar believed it because he'd been there. The charge had not been single-handed, but Leironuoth had acquitted himself well.
He believed in the boy because Eibhear had, somewhere, believed in the boy. One of the last favors the old paladin had asked of the wild elf was this. To look after Leironuoth. To see that no harm came to him. Ilúvatar thought it ironic, then, that Leironuoth - having already saved Ilúvatar's life once in the past weeks - would be here, today, ensuring that the soldiers did not lose heart.
In essence, saving Ilúvatar again.
The emotion was one of pride, and one of camaraderie. There were no tears. Yet the sudden rush of it left him unable to speak, for an instant. He clapped his hand on Leironuoth's shoulder and laughed along with the others, but his eyes were on the streaming banners clutched in small hands which flowed toward them. Yes, the children knew, and they were on their way to hear of the great Leironuoth's exploits. Soldiers were turning away from their posts to see this battle champion for themselves. Tall and fit, they would think to themselves, but hardly the towering giant of legends.
It would take seeing him in combat to make believers, but at the very least, they seemed thankful that he was here.
"Yes, well," Ceevis grinned again, but there was no humor in it. "Just remember who you're making trophies of today, Lion."