[Groin Redbeard]

Erbrand knelt over his possessions outside the flap his tent, and spread them on the grass about him. He stood still for a second surveying the objects closely before he brushed some tools aside and withdrew from the pile some thin rope. He thought that he had left it behind in Aldburg in his excitement to leave, but thank goodness he didn't a rope would prove invaluable in the days to come. He wasn't a good shot with the bow and most of the animal hides that he obtained were either from snaring animals or haggling the hides, for a small price, from the herdsman outside the city.

Erbrand placed the metal tools, needles, and such, back into his pouch so not to lose any of them. He tied the pouch shut and tossed it back into the tent. He then turned around and started tying a complicated knot at the end of the rope forming a loop. The Sun was now clearly visible in the eastern sky and the whole camp was aroused. Erbrand had seen lord Eodwine talking to a man, that he heard was called Stigend. Erbrand had picked up a couple names while listening to some of the people speak and gathered that Stigend was married to a women called Modtryth, who worked in the kitchen, and he also gathered that Stigend was a carpenter by trade.

Lord Eodwine and the carpenter were talking a ways off near the runes of the hall. Stigend was constantly glancing at the marshes and seemed very excited when he did so. However, Eodwine kept pointing to the scar, and Erbrand guessed that they were discussing the proper ways of building the new hall.

He saw Dan was walking about and surveying the camp. Their eyes made contact and Erbrand waved in acknowledgement and forced a crooked smile; Dan replied in the same fashion and went along minding his business. Two boys soon were running after the Drûg, as Dan described himself, and soon were talking to the man. Erbrand smiled and gave a quiet chuckle at the fearless curiosity of the boys, so unlike himself when he first saw the man.

The knot was finished and he held it up for him to get a closer look. It was tight, it would be strong enough to trap a small animal such as a stoat, and Erbrand was anxious to find out what lived in the marshes. He hesitated for a minute and then proceeded cut the rope into to two unequal lengths and began making a similar knot on the longer end: one rope to catch small animals one rope for larger animals.

He stopped for a second and hugged his stomach with his left arm. Erbrand was not accustomed to waiting so long for a morning meal and his stomach ached, but he would get use to the procedure within a couple days. He coiled the ropes into two coils and hung them on the door of his tent. There would be little time for setting snares up during the day, nighttime would be the best time for him to set them up.

A delicious aroma was in the wind and he glanced over at the kitchen where the women were hard at work preparing breakfast for the men. He tried to figure out which one would be Modtryth, and who the others might be.