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Old 06-09-2006, 07:49 AM   #40
Firefoot
Illusionary Holbytla
 
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Join Date: Dec 2003
Posts: 7,646
Firefoot has been trapped in the Barrow!
Scyld

“Scyld?” A woman’s voice drifted down to the cellar from the top of the stairs. Before responding, he gave Linduial a sharp look that glanced from her to the glass of wine-water and back. The meaning was clear: If anyone finds out, you will pay.

“Yes?” he replied, walking to the bottom of the stairs to see who it was, since she didn’t seem to have any intention of coming down. Then he recognized Osfrid’s lady friend – Muriel, he recalled. She was looking down into the dark cellar with a peculiar expression on her face – a mixture, perhaps, of fear and distaste.

“Osfrid said to get you to hook up the cart. I don’t know how,” she explained.

“Very well,” he answered, contrary to his thoughts: Too good to hook up his own wagon, is Osfrid? He ascended the stairs and led Muriel out to the stable without attempting to strike up a conversation. He noticed that Muriel’s nose wrinkled as they entered the stable, confirming his opinion of her. Osfrid did have rather poor choice in women – there wasn’t any fight in this one at all – simple-minded, liking her comforts… Scyld thought of how very dull his job of jailer would be if Linduial were like Muriel. In fact, he realized, if Linduial wasn’t the pampered noble she was, she might actually be a rather nice sort.

Scyld went about hooking the horses up to the cart wordlessly and efficiently. He had no particular love for horses in themselves, but he had done enough stable work in his years here to know his way around the stable and be comfortable with the horses… unlike Muriel, he noticed, who appeared to be half-expecting one of the horses to tread on her foot or take a bite out of her any minute. When the cart was ready, he decided it would not be a good idea to leave her with the horses and settled himself in to wait for Osfrid to appear.
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