[Galadriel55]

Theolain

The lad laughed and laughed as he felt the air rush against him and saw the ground come higher and lower in exhilarating spins. He wished this would never end. He was not for a moment afraid of falling; he felt the strength and confidence of those big hands that held him, and he knew that the man would never let him fall.

Ledwyn

Ledwyn wondered about the Lady Saeryn. She spoke as if she was accustomed to the wide halls of Meduseld, but while talking she was washing the trenchers like any kitchen wench. She sat next to the lords when she ate breakfast, and she spoke with authority; yet this stature did not stop her from doing servants' work.

“Tell me about your home, Ledwyn, and about your family,” Lady Saeryn asked.

Ledwyn thought for some time. "It is small, much smaller than Scarburg," she finally said. "A few hovels sitting next to each other. The men raised horses, and the womenfolk raised children. Just a village." Ledwyn paused again. "My husband was a woodworker by craft. Whenever someone needed a new chair or shed or wanted a toy for their child, they would go to him. But in a village like mine, if someone needs a new shed, it is a big event. My husband spent most of his time with horses, just like the other men. One day he rode to a neighbouring village to do some business, and his horse returned without him, limping. The men who went to search for him told me that the horse must have had a rock stuck in her hoof, so my husband tried to take it out, but the horse kicked him. The farmers from the other village said that he left it cheerful and in good health. The men checked the horse, and she indeed had a sharp pebble cutting into her hoof, which agitated her."

Ledwyn was surprised at how even her voice was. She felt like she was telling someone else's story, a tale from long ago, a forgotten person in a forgotten place. Maybe she was just weary. Weary of living with it.