[Envinyatar]

‘Niniel, isn’t it?’

He looked up at her from the rocking chair where he’d sat down. Ruby and Buttercup had grabbed the quilts and pictures and bustled off with them. He could hear them chattering in the main bedroom about the placement of one of the pictures even as he asked his question. Silence followed, and he heaved himself from the chair, taking Niniel by the elbow and ushering her quickly out door and down the stairs.

‘If we stay, they’ll be finding more for us to do!’ he said hurrying her to a table out of sight of both the kitchen and the stairway.

One of the servers came by and he asked for some soup and bread and a pint of midsummer’s ale. ‘And what would the lady like,’ he asked, smiling at Niniel.

She made her order and they both made small talk until the drinks came. Through the open window he could see Uien and one of the other patrons making their way to the stables. The horses would be seen to that night, but what of the coming ones. Uien seem preoccupied and he had gathered from Falco’s talk that a number of the Inn’s guests would be leaving on the search party for Eodwine. ‘Uien will be among them,’ he thought to himself.

‘Tell me, Niniel’ he said leaning on the table, to look at her closely. ‘What sort of skills and experience do you have with horses?’ He was thinking he would need to replace his assistant, and soon if she left on the search party. And just how long might your services be available, if there were to be a position open up? he wondered to himself as he sized her up . . .