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”Let’s settle down then”, Modtryth said taking the harness off the horse. The mare, Snowstreak, glanced at her. Modtryth patted her head and gave her a pear. The horse ate it with delight. Modtryth stroked her and spoke gentle words to her, thanking her for the morning’s work.
The horse looked at her mistress with a pleading look. Even if the horse would have been able to talk, the message couldn’t have been clearer. “I know, Snowstreak, you love those”, Modtryth sighed, smiling. “Here you are, old lassie”, she said, giving the old mare another pear.
”You say I’m spoiling the boy, but you’re evidently spoiling the horse”, Stigend remarked, grinning. He was sitting on the lawn and the sun played on his straw-coloured hair. A true forgoil, Modtryth thought, amused, remebering the name her mother had used of some rohir lords that had made her angry.
”She’s old. She needs some reward for her work”, Modtryth answered and sat down beside her husband. Stigend gave her a “that’s no excuse” -look, but said nothing. He smiled at his wife. Modtryth returned the smile.
For a while they just sat on the grass, enjoying the day. Modtryth looked around. Something was missing: “Where’s Cnebba? He has left the tree.” She wasn’t very worried; she knew the boy could look after himself, but she didn’t like the fact the boy never learned to do what he was told to.
“Should we go after him?” Stigend asked, getting up and looking around. His voice was calm and conversational, but Modtryth, having known him for several years, caught a nervous trace in his voice.
“I don’t think so. He’s probably just making some new acquintances”, Modtryth said. They glanced at each other. They both knew it wasn’t always a good thing when Cnebba made new acquintances.
“Look, there he is!” Stigend finally spotted the boy. He was talking with a girl and a boy. “See, they aren’t fighting”, Modtryth smiled with an edge of sarcasm in her voice. Stigend rolled his eyes as he watched Cnebba run away from his new friends, waving his hand. The boy’s parents sit down, relieved. The old mare took a few steps and placed her big head on Stigend’s shoulder.
“How long you think the court proceedings will still take?” Modtryth asked her husband. “I don’t know. Depends on how many issues there are to be solved”, Stigend replied absent-mindedly, stroking the horse.
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