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Wynflaed wanted to see everything, so Saeryn showed her all that she could think of. They went from the women’s quarters to the great hall and then into the guard’s room. The place was overcrowded with the guard’s belongings and it was evident on first glance that something would have to be done to provide the men with more room, now that Athanar’s men-at-arms had come. They looked into the armory. The racks and walls were nearly bare of weapons, now that all the men had ridden away. Wynflaed glanced about, took note of the strategic way the room had been built to ensure that the weapons were easily accessible, and then turned and followed Saeryn out again.
They went out into the courtyard and across to the stables. Saeryn saw Javan at the door of one of the stalls, shoveling out the soiled bedding. “Where is Léof, Javan?” Saeryn asked walking towards him.
Javan leaned on his pitch fork. “He went with the men to the lords,” Javan said. “Can I be of service?”
“No, thank you,” Saeryn said. “I am going to show lady Wynflaed the stables.” Javan nodded and returned to work, and Saeryn led the way through the stables. She showed Wynflaed where they planned to build additional stalls and then where the paddocks were and explained what she understood of Léof’s method of rotation.
Next they visited the few animals they had – the swine that came with Athanar, the Mead Hall’s lone cow that soon needed to be bred else she go dry, the chickens – then went to the smithy where Harreld was hard at work at his forge. They stood silently in the door watching, unnoticed for the time being. Afterwards, they went together to where the building materials were stored. They surveyed the piles of lumber and stones and talked some of how long it would take to complete everything they wished to complete. They surveyed the land beyond the settled area of the hall and considered the land, rocky and marshy as it was. Then they turned and went back towards the hall.
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