[Nurumaiel]

Leofan walked up and down the stable aisle, inspecting each stall carefully. His eyes, sharp in this business, caught even the darkest corners. At last he nodded and gave a grunt of satisfaction. All the stalls were cleaned and were, for the moment, perfect. Now came the next task of grooming the horses... all of them. But for Leofan this was an easy task. A complete and thorough grooming of four horses would take him no more than an hour.

The stable door opened, and Frodides walked in, Mærcwen at her side. "I just wanted to tell you, Leofan, that Mærcwen and I will be going to the market. Almost everyone has left, and though I didn't intend to go, I can't keep Mærcwen locked up in the inn."

Her husband nodded with a little sigh. No, there wasn't much point in going to the market. Almost everything sold there was too expensive for them to buy. He looked down at Mærcwen, who was beaming up at him happily, excited at the idea of going to the market. Coming to a decision, he reached into his pocket and withdrew a few coins, putting them into Frodides' hand. "Buy Mærcwen a little treat," he said with a smile. "Buy something for yourself as well."

Frodides eyes opened wide and she stared in bewilderment at Leofan. "But... but..."

"It doesn't matter, Frodides," he said. "If we were back home, it would be something I couldn't possibly afford to do. But now it will be made up for. We'll regain what I just gave you, because now I have work that pays."

"I keep forgetting," said Frodides in a wondering voice. "It is true though."

"Have a good time at the market," said Leofan. "Don't stay too long (Bethberry may need you), and avoid pickpockets... we're not rich, even if we can spend a little money."

Frodides and Mærcwen left the stable, and Leofan picked up a box of grooming tools and entered the first stall to continue with his work. As he began running the brush down the horse's coat, the door to the stable opened again, and he glanced over his shoulder, expecting it be Frodides with a question for him. But it wasn't. Aleia, if he recalled the name correctly, came into the stable, a thin, weary-looking boy at her side.

"Well, well," said Leofan, leaving the stall and approaching the two of them. "What's this?"

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Frodides made her way through the crowd, clutching Mærcwen's hand tightly. The last thing she wanted was for her daughter to become lost. She kept a close eye out for any suspicious looking people, as well as for a stall that Mærcwen would enjoy. A turn of the corner and she found it. Different little trinkets for sale: fake rings and necklaces, pretty little things that flashed in the sunlight.

"Here, Mærcwen, what would you like?" Frodides asked, leading her daughter to the stall. The little girl picked up a necklace and a ring, and looked at them both, considering carefully. "Mummy," she said with a little sigh, "I don?t know which one I want."

Frodides hesitated, then she took all the coins her husband had given her and put them in the seller's hand. "Then take them both, love." After all, the happiness of her daughter was worth more to her than any cheap trinket she could buy for herself.