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Norjm smiled at the eorl’s words to his daughter. “I fear that if you came your father might not get to speak for himself.” From pure experience with his daughter, Norjm knew she would have a reply to that, if only to promise that she wouldn’t speak at all, but she said nothing. Eodwine had probably stopped her, for he continued a brief moment later. “Surely you would say only the best and truest of you father, but I must hear it from his own lips. My friends here will keep you company. Shall we go?”
Norjm stood up, knowing, rather than seeing, that the last had been addressed to him. “Yes, lord.” He picked up his cane and moved about the table. Eodwine turned and led him away.
Fliede sat back down and picked up her fork again. “I would not have said much,” she told Thornden and Harreld with a pitiful and extremely innocent look on her face. “I really would not have.” Thornden struggled hard to keep his face straight. Fliede looked at him and looked mildly taken aback at his expression of humor. “You don’t believe me, do you?”
“I would hardly know, miss,” Thornden said. “I just met you.”
“But so has lord Eodwine and yet he already seems to know I chatter like a magpie.”
“Well, if you say so yourself-”
“But it’s not entirely true! And I would have not said too much if the eorl had asked me to be quiet.”
Fliede would likely have gone on, but at that moment, Ginna reappeared in the Hall. She asked for Harreld’s assistance and the young smith rose immediately. They left Thornden and Fliede alone with a few added words and for a minute, there was a silence in the hall.
“She said pleased to meet me and I do not even know her name therefore...it could not have been a real meeting,” Fliede commented to her lunch and this time, Thornden couldn’t help but laugh.
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