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"Léoðern! What have you been doing?" Garstan's face took on a expression of alarm as Linduial plopped the child into his arms. "Invisible? What sort of mischief have you been in?"
Léoðern cast a puzzled glance at her father. "I've been playing with Linduial. What's mischief?"
"Mischief is trouble. Which is what I'm sure you've been in." Turning to Linduial, Garstan said, "I hope Léoðern hasn't caused you any inconvience. Thank you for bringing her back to me." He sighed. "Léoðern, Léoðern. Whatever am I going to do with you?" Garstan's free hand went to his chin as he braced himself for the scolding he feared was coming from Linduial. He had heard it so many times before. Lectures on letting his children run wild. Speeches about lack of discipline. It had been so difficult caring for Léoðern and Garmund alone for these past years. For Léoðern in particular. She was so high-spirited, forever in some scrape or another, and Garstan didn't know what to do about it. The problems she caused were never the result of meanness, and for that reason he found it impossible to scold her. Garmund, at least, was more sedate, more easily directed. Already, he had started to teach his son the ways of stonecraft. But Léoðern was so hard to manage. Garstan couldn't look at her without calling up the image of sunlight on a brook, but the sunbeams could easily turn to shadows at the slightest harsh word. And he couldn't bear to see her unhappy. Or worse, risk suppressing her irrepressible joyousness permanently. More than once, the sound of her laughter had banished the aching weariness of a too-long day's work, and Garstan had given thanks for her cheerful ways.
The clouds were already forming. Léoðern's blue eyes began to tear. "I wasn't in any trouble. I was only playing." Her lip quivered dangerously, and she began to sniffle.
Garstan gently stroked her curls. "There, child. Don't cry. I know you didn't mean to do anything wrong. But you should act more like a big girl now. How old are you?"
"Five and a..a...a...a half." Léoðern was still on the verge of sobs.
"Well then, you have to be ever so much bigger than you were when you were five, don't you?"
"Y..yes."
"So you see, you should try not to run off into trouble all the time."
Linduial began to feel sorry for the little girl. "Léoðern wasn't that much trouble. In fact, I'd say that we had a good time together." She directed a conspiratorial wink at the child, who smiled faintly and began to wipe the tears from her eyes.
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