[littlemanpoet]

Eodwine's dreams kept him in a fitful slumber all night long. He was walking on the main road in Edoras, and King Eomer and Queen Lothiriel passed him on horses, saying "Catch up!" "I can't! My feet are stuck in this mud!" he called back. Mud? He looked down, and sure enough he was knee deep in the stuff. Marenil walked right by him, on solid ground. Lefun and Ritun came by and stopped, offering a hand up. Eodwine reached for his hand, but Lefun and Ritun were suddenly Saeryn and Kara, and he recoiled from them. "Go your way! I'll struggle through!" Saeryn began weeping. "I won't be your broom handle, nor your shoes!" As they ran off on one pair of legs, Kara looked back reproachfully. Then he was in bed, his covers all mussed up. Falco was his nurse, trying to force a milky Hobbitish concoction down his throat. "Drink your Old Toby!" he said. Eodwine spit the white pipeweed out of his mouth. "Leave me be!" "Fine!" cried the Hobbit, "I'll go look for monsters instead!" He stomped from the room and slammed the door, the sound of which was suddenly Garreth's tankard slammed against the Mead Hall board. "More mead! More lasses! More more more!" There was Marenil at his shoulder. "You really need to make him pay for his food and drink, Eodwine." Then the Mead Hall melted away and they were at Sorn's old landholding, and Linduial was scolding him for not coming sooner. "But the mud held me up!" he insisted. "That's no excuse! With all of your servants you should have had the mud brought along with you!"

A cock crowed. Eodwine lifted his bleary eyes. His bed covers were indeed thoroughly mussed up. He struggled out of the knotty mess and went to the window. The sun was bright and he had to squint. Nasty sun. Who was that in the courtyard, horse already packed, ready to leave before breaking fast? Saeryn. What is she doing up so early, and where is she going?

Then he recalled: after he had left Kath in the kitchen, he had gone to Saeryn's room, his way lit by a single candle, and knocked on her door. She had come out in the corridor and they had spoken. Their words could not be heard farther than a few yards distant, but Eodwine's face was serious and he was calm as he spoke his peace. Saeryn did not meet his eyes, but listened, her eyes steadily staring at the floor a few paces away. Finally she sighed and nodded. They bid each other a good night's sleep, and Saeryn went into her room. Eodwine had gone to bed and quickly fell into his fitful slumber.

She was going to the Queen, to live under her tutelage for the time being. Though his intention was to be as a father to her, they had finally agreed that for the time being it would be best to stay with Lothiriel. She would be at peace and free from rumors; at least those of a certain variety.

"Saeryn!" he yelled. She looked over her shoulder once, to reveal a face not altogher happy. He waved from the window. She lifted her hand in a half-hearted gesture, then quickened her actions with the horse.

Eodwine sat on his bed glumly. All in all, things had not gone very well at all in regard to Saeryn, for he felt that he had forced her away by his ill-handled warrings of wants. He considered going back to bed, but decided to get up. He did so, but in an ill-humored mood.