[Folwren]

When Leof had left Thornden to take action on his words, Thornden decided that it was high time he found Eodwine and greeted him home again. He went first to the kitchen, and found that Eodwine had just left with Ginna not five minutes ago. On his way out, he ran into Ginna, who told him that Eodwine had probably gone to the smithy to speak with Harreld. That caused Thornden to pause a minute, wondering if Eodwine had just spoken with Ginna and was going to go speak with Harreld now, perhaps he had better not interrupt, as he guessed what topic would be spoken of. It was no secret (and especially no secret to him) that Ginna's and Harreld's relationship had never been the same since that letter arrived from her father. Although he had never found out anything more about it since Saeryn told him not to pursue it, he had noticed a distinct separation of the two and he did not like it. He hoped that Eodwine would be able to solve this problem.

He decided that he would risk interrupting him, as he did not need to speak to Eodwine long in order to greet him, and as Eodwine could be hours speaking with Harreld, Thornden did not feel he had hours to wait. So he went at once to the smithy and knocked on the doorpost.

He was hailed to come in and did so, finding both smiths and Eodwine - and Falco - talking a lot and smithying not at all.

"Thornden! I have not had a chance to greet you yet!" cried Eodwine. "Well met indeed!" He came over and offered his hand.

"Welcome back, sir," Thornden said, grinning and grasping his arm firmly. "I am glad to see you back again, when none of us really thought you'd ever. . ." he paused a moment, still smiling. "You look better than you did when you came in. Are you happy with things as they are?"

Eodwine laughed. "That's subtly put, Thornden. Maybe it's too early to tell. That may be the best answer I can give, for now. However, there may be a thing or two that could use some looking into, but that's neither here nor there. How have you been faring?"

"Not badly at all, my lord." He did not even realize he had said it, and went on. "For myself, not much was changed. I am in much the same position as I was when you left. Honestly, it has been hardest watching out for Saeryn."

"That I can believe!" Eodwine allowed himself to think but not say, 'the little trouble maker'. He would have to deal with that soon enough. "But I am telling you, as often as my friends are calling me 'my lord' by mistake, I'm going to have to come up with something suitably demeaning to be lord of!"

"You can be lord of dung!" Falco said helpfully.

"Or lord of broken ladels!" offered Garreth.

"How about lord of kitchen messes?" Harreld laughed, not realizing how close he'd come to accurately describing how things had gone between himself and Saeryn.

"Lord of the three oafs, I should say!" Eodwine gave back lightly. "But seriously, Thornden, is there something I should know in regard to my wife?"

Thornden, who had stood by looking quite bewildered during the flury of jesting, immediately came back to seriousness. "I don't know if there is anything in particular, I just know that she took Athanar's coming very hard. I was concerned for her reaction and emotions as well as the men's respect of her, for, being the woman of the house without her husband who used to be lord, she was made the brunt of many demeaning words. She had your child to think of, and I believe some sort of arrangement was come to in regard to that."

Eodwine grew serious. "I wish I had known of this sooner. It may explain some things. This has been harder on her than I had allowed myself to think. But you said arrangement regarding the child. Of this I have not heard. What does it mean?"

"Athanar took Saeryn under his guardianship, as a daughter, and he intends to give the title to her child, if he is male. That, at least, is how I understood the agreement."

"Oh. I see." Eodwine frowned. "I must give that some thought."

"Well, lor - I mean my friend - we can talk at length later. I will not keep you from the three oafs you lord over any longer." Thornden grinned and waved before leaving them.