The word moot is an archaic term meaning "argue, debate, discuss." In early English history, a moot was a meeting to discuss local affairs. Moot comes from the Old English gemot, meaning "meeting."
Thank you, thank you to Confessions of a Bibliovore for finding this. I love hearing the LOTR music in one part. I saw the Bayeux Tapestry as a child and it has fascinated me ever since.
Related: The King's Shadow by Elizabeth Alder, 1995