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Eodwine came back into Edoras after a good long ride, though not long enough apparently for Flíthaf, who fretted and threw up his head repeatedly as Eodwine held him to a trot. When he arrived at the market place, he dismounted and led Flíthaf to one of the water troughs kept ready for the mounts of the many Eorlingas who came to market each day.
He went from booth to booth and from tent to tent and let it be known that a new innkeeper was wanted at the White Horse Inn. Word spread quickly, as it is wont to do, not only what the Eorl of the Middle Emnet wanted, but that he was calling it by its old name, the White Horse Inn. Questions were bandied back and forth as to what it could mean, and by noon it was the talk of the town. In this, Humans are no different from Hobbits.
Finished with this first part of the work of finding a new innkeeper, Eodwine returned to Flíthaf, patted him lovingly, mounted, and returned to the Hall. Leaving Flíthaf with Léof, who had returned to the stables before him, Eodwine retired to his room for the morning, washed and changed, and waited until noon.
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