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"I’m Brand, from Wulfham", Sythric heard Brand introducing himself just after he walked out from the situation. From Wulfham? Wasn’t old Griawan at the riders from Wulfham? A good man he was indeed. Raedwald would surely remember him. But why this oldtimer and the girl? Are these the only survivors of Wulfham? Wulfham burned down with only six survivors!
He had been angry. He had had justification to it. They had been over-jumpy and attacked clearly innocent people – with possibly disasterous results, if Fion could not continue. Where could we leave him? We couldn’t wait anyhow... And the bloody blanket there at the grass just had kicked him into the belly with a force of ten bulls. Now this Brand was clearly offended by him. That should have to be repaired, and hopefully soon. We are all in this same mess, all thrown asunder by these rough times, and would have to co-operate. Maybe we should take the swift riders of them with those of us able to ride fast, to tell also the story of Wulfham, and the slower ones would try to join the next refugee village together?
He heard Brand inviting them to eat and overnight with them. It sounded promising to his ears. But still he was faced with the old man – and the other young man and the girl. They had said nothing – they were all listening to Brand making the invitations.
Sythric addressed Leod: “So you are from Wulfham? Are there any other survivors? These surely are dark times! I knew a Wulfhamer back in the riders, Griawan was his name. He was a good man, and so I trust you others to be as well. Forgive me my anger. It’s not so much us who talk and act like that, it’s the times and the disstress, that talk and act through us with that impatience. I think we all will have to talk about this, maybe at the fireside, with some roast deer to go with it?”
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