[littlemanpoet]

Rand saw that this Harreld held his daughter's hand possessively and that she allowed it. So the man was serious; whether she was or not had yet to be determined. Was she playing a game and he her witless pawn?

"Harreld Smith," Rand said. "what has my daughter done or said to you that you have such hopes?"

This was not the kind of question Harreld had been expecting. He thought rather to be asked if his purpose was honorable, and was it what it seemed. To which he had been ready to answer yes, he sought Ginna's hand in marriage. How to answer this? What did Ginna's father think of him, and of her, to ask a question like that? He was nonplussed. The momentary silence of his thought stretched painfully to more than a few seconds.

"Speak man, if you can find your tongue," Rand commanded.

"I - I do not know why you ask this question, sir. I would have your daugther to wife if you allow and she is willing, for I love her, and I believe that she has a right good character and would make a fine helpmeet and mother to my offspring.

"But what has she said and done?" he continued. "She has been kind to me, and spoken kindly. What else might be said?"

Rand did not seem pleased by his answer, and was now looking at his daughter full of suspicion.

"Ginna, have you led this man on?"

Drawing her courage from Harreld's, Ginna drew closer to the smith and held his hand more tightly, saying, "Led him on? I have done no such thing, Father. If this is what you wanted in bringing me to the Eorl, then you have succeeded. I am no longer the daughter you once knew."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Rand countered. "Do you really think that a mere two months away from home could change you?"

"Sir," Harreld interrupted, his voice hard, "I have only known your daughter since she has been in the Eorl's service, but it has been enough for me to know that she does not deserve the scorn of anyone, least of all her father."

Rand's head snapped back and his scowl grew stronger as he regarded Harreld.

"You have no right to speak of such things," he said curtly.

A sudden insight came to Harreld, for he remembered that Rand had no wife. Ginna had not spoken of her mother, which suggested to him that she had died long ago.

"Sir," he said more gently, "Ginna is not to blame for the loss of your own love, if I may make so bold."

Rand's eyes widened with surprise that this man dared to speak to him so. But a small chink of light entered through his wrath and the sorrow that lay behind it, and it occurred to him that this Harreld Smith was an unusual man to have found that small straw of truth in a haystack of possible ones. And this led him to see that Ginna was quite serious, and this was a change for the better.

"I will allow," he said slowly, "that Ginna has found herself a man of some courage who is at least no dolt. We will talk of this more, soon. But I will have words with the Eorl before anything else is said about it."

With that, Rand turned on his heel and went looking for Eodwine.

Ginna looked up at Harreld gratefully, tears brimming in her eyes. "You were everything I needed you to be just now, Harreld."

He smiled and drew her to him and wrapped his arms around her, pressing her to him. He kissed her brow. "I think he may yet give his approval," he said.