[Alcarillo]

"I don't need an audience," Léof snapped at Gárwine and Thornden, "I'm not going anywhere." Gárwine gave a glance at Thornden, who took a pace or so away from the cranky Léof, and Gárwine did the same. "I'm serious," said Léof, glaring at them, "In fact, I'd be much happier if you just left right now." Gárwine shrugged, Thornden sighed, and with long, slow paces they began to stride out of the stables, with occasional glances back to Léof where they could see him smoldering on the bench like dying coals.

Gárwine and Thornden came to the entrance of the stables, facing into the courtyard. Gárwine was a bit disappointed not to see Léof's wound, but Léof was surprisingly grumpy. "He sure put up a fight," Gárwine said, "A horse stepped on his toes, you know, and what with stomping around in that boot all day, his foot can't be in good shape. He'll probably miss a lot of work, kept off his feet." They came into the courtyard, where they loitered for a bit while Æðel inspected Léof's foot. The morning's rain clouds were vanishing and the weather was sunnier. The sun was creeping out of the clouds, and the weather was finally looking more like spring. "Léof was rather grumpy, wasn't he? I didn't expect him to resist us so much."

"I suppose he's just proud, and doesn't want to show that he's hurt," said Thornden, "He wants this job, you know, and it wouldn't help him by hurting himself while working."
Thornden paused to take in the fresh air, and continued, "I myself don't doubt that he'll get the job when the month is over."

Gárwine nodded. His eyes scanned across the yard, and it looked as though another cart had arrived. He also saw Linduial, in a yellow dress, seated and drawing something. "Oh!" Gárwine said out loud. He would have to tell Linduial that Léof's injury might not let him help her decorate her room today. "I've got to tell Linduial that Léof can't help her hang tapestries today," he told Thornden, "Or at least I doubt it; I couldn't imagine him standing on tip toe on that foot of his." He smirked at the thought of Léof standing on his toes, reaching high up a wall in typical defiance of his pain.

"She seems occupied at the moment," said Thornden. And it was true. One of the new young boys had approached her, and sat down close enough to distract her from her drawing. The boy, much younger than Gárwine, carried a tiny brown bag. He emptied this into his palm, and Gárwine could see the dull white faces of dice and knucklebones. "I've seen my uncle play with those before," Gárwine commented, remembering the many days Uncle Wilfrid and his friends would gather together in the evenings around the old round table and gamble. Now the boy was arranging his own dice on the back of his hand, and with one quick movement flicked them into the air, and caught them in his palm when they fell back toward earth. Gárwine leaned nonchalantly against the stable wall to watch.