[littlemanpoet]

"No," Eodwine agreed, "the kitchen cannot be built aback the guest rooms; that is sure, and for that I need no 'yes you may' from our excellent cook." He grinned up at her, and she raised one brow, her arms crossed in front of her, looking most lordly as long as the topic was her domain. Eodwine chuckled inside, but kept it there.

"I do like better a kitchen at a remove from the Hall and guest rooms, maybe ten paces. I would have the alder courtyard untouched, so all the more weight bears to having the kitchen away. Frodides, one thing that Garstan has not said in his own defense (if I may borrow a word from Gondor), is that the hallway between kitchen and Great Hall would be of need built to hold in heat. So it is done in other Mead Halls.

"So I give my yes to a larger kitchen, away from the Great Hall, a bigger oven, and a hallway between that holds in the heat. What say you to that, Frodides?" The head cook opened her mouth to speak, but Eodwine interrupted before she could start; he turned to Kara who had been trying to look inconspicuous. "What think you, Kara?"