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Eodwine regarded Thornden with a smile. Those who knew him well in the hall saw on his face an expression mixed of amusement, liking, and beneficence, though they would not have used such words in their thought. Eodwine's own thought after Thornden's speech was, I'd forgotten he had such a quick tongue! So many words for such a simple question. All of which means, 'please let me be what I came here to be in the first place, and let Marenil be your steward'. Thornden liked talking and he liked people, and he was a man of his word. Such a man would make a very good steward, yet he did not wish to be one.
Eodwine had given this thought, and had already come to a conclusion, but had wanted to hear Thornden before he decided to follow through on that conclusion. And here it was. He spoke.
"Thornden, you are an honorable man; this I know, and all here should learn it if they don't yet. I have been thinking that I need the role of steward and almbudsman separated between two men in my Hall, and your words strenghten my thought. I deem you to be a good steward already, but I need a man as capable as you for almbudsman. So I will grant your request on one condition: if Marenil will agree to become my steward, then I will release you to be almbudsman and captain of the guard of the Eorling Mead Hall.
"Marenil, I bid you, please rise and stand beside Thornden."
The elderly man did so, slowly, and made his way to stand beside Thornden.
"Marenil, you have heard my thought, and that of Thornden. Please tell this court your own thought on the matter."
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