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Eodwine was just starting into his tankard of ale and rashers of bacon with brown bread slathered with cream, listening to Garreth hold forth on his own well honed skills in reading women (much to the mirth of the others around the board), when Falco tapped him on the shoulder.
"I have somewhat for you to see in a room upstairs," said the Hobbit.
"Can it wait a bit? I'm half starved and just into my munching."
"This shan't wait. You'll see."
Mysterious! Eodwine stood and noisily backed his chair from the board by way of showing his pique at being forced to leave off
~ * ~
Falco led Eodwine into one of the rooms upstairs. Sitting next to Garmund on the bed was a monster. Get the boy away from that monster! was Eodwine's first thought. The boy and the monster were playing 'rock, leaf, sheers', and both were silly giggling. The monster stopped abruptly and looked, both heads, at Eodwine, all four blood shot eyes showing their whites.
"These are Lefun and Ritun," said Falco, "they're twins. We found 'em in the ruins off a ways down the road from Edoras."
The monsters stood. "Much bliged we be to ye lord," the one on the right mumbled.
Eodwine was at a loss for appropriate words, and so gave up on appropriateness. "Are you human?"
"We be Eorling but none will ha' us to home, lord," said the talkative one.
Eodwine cleared his throat. "Er, what can you do to earn your keep?"
"Anything, lord, so long as safe we be from men's hardness."
The pathetic look of suffering in their eyes melted Eodwine's heart. He could about imagine what the life of these two must have been like.
"Stay here and I'll see that food is brought up."
The two bowed. "Thanks to you, lord."
Falco and Garmund were grinning broadly.
"Can I go tell my pa now?" Garmund cried.
"Have him brought up to the room and sworn to silence for now," Eodwine said.
"You heard the Eorl, boy! Go get your pa!"
Garmund tore out of the room.
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