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Stigend was waiting for the accompanying smile or something but it never came. He was stunned by his lord's reaction, indeed he couldn't believe his ears. Now where from is the wind blowing today? The lord he had learned to love and respect as a well-mannered, polite and open had basically scorned him. But what he had just said was clearly no joke as he didn't smile. What have I done to deserve this?
Stigend couldn't answer his lord. The only thing he was able to say was an "erm..., well..., uhh..."
There was something he didn't quite get. Houses were built from wood to be sure. There were exceptions to that like the legendary Minas Tirith he had heard of, or the Great Hall in Edoras but even that had required a host of skilled craftsmen and even more manual labourers to finish. And there had not been any talk of the Mead Hall been made out of anything else than wood. And what about the trees here? "seeing as I refuse to let these few be felled that line this property". Now where did that come from? How could I "see" his refusal as this is the first time I hear of it? Stigend tried to remember everything from the day before but couldn't recall lord Eodwine saying anything of the sort to him or to anyone else around him that day for that matter.
Finally he braved himself to talk.
"Excuse me my lord... but I don't quite understand. My last day went by building the baker so I may not be as knowledgeable of any recent plans. And I don't need be, I admit. I'm sorry to have asked... erm... uhh... I just thought it would be a natural thing to make the Hall from wood... I mean from what would you make it with us... I mean with these people... us, well..." Stigend fell silent for a moment as he found himself babbling and facing a dead end. "Oh, I'm sorry. Please my lord, do not take my words as an offence as that's not what they were meant to be."
Stigend looked at lord Eodwine tentatively as to see what would follow. Or is he just having too much trouble? Those skeletons in the ruins seemed to move him a lot... Oh my, I should be somewhere else right now... The worries of the lords are not for the subjects to muse about...
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