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Old 04-09-2006, 08:10 PM   #204
littlemanpoet
Itinerant Songster
 
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Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: The Edge of Faerie
Posts: 7,072
littlemanpoet is battling Black Riders on Weathertop.littlemanpoet is battling Black Riders on Weathertop.
“Thank you, sir,” Léof said. “But if it’s all the same, I would prefer not to completely give up working. It wouldn’t feel quite right.”

Eodwine smiled. He had noted an expression on the young man's face that was not a part of the pain of the foot, nor the humiliation of having been injured by a horse in his own stables. He could not guess surely as to what Léof was thinking, but he sensed that pride of ownership in one who has taken to a job like wet to water.

"You're the ostler here, Léof my lad. We'll find a few others to be your back and arms and legs, but this stable is still yours to run. You've got a head for it, and you know these horses and their care. Whoever is sent to do the labor shall take his orders from you. What say you?"

Léof's eyes brightened in gratified surprise, but he quickly took control of himself and reined in his surprise. He became grave of face and nodded. "I think that is the best thing for this stable, sir."

"I'm sure of it!" Eodwine rose. "My thanks, Æðel, for all that you have been doing for those among us who have fallen ill or hurt. The healer from Meduseld has put in a good word for you, and thinks you would make an able student. Would you like to spend part of your days up at the Golden Hall, learning from his skills?"

Æðel's eyes gleamed. "I would like that much, lord."

"Then I will arrange it. Kara cooks our evening meal in the backyard. See to it that the both of you are there to take your fair share of it."

Much good had been done by many of Eodwine's new household. He thought that the evil of the fallen wall had been more than redressed by all that had come to pass since then. He spent the remainder of the day welcoming the new guests at the evening meal, as well as giving Garreth and Harreld the full story of the fallen wall over late evening drinks, with details of all kinds supplied by one storyteller after another. Falco took special joy in relating Linduial's prank of getting Frodides out of the kitchen before the men could free up the front door.

The stars had come out and the night was mild and calm. The guest rooms were filling up. Had he been a mere innkeeper, he would have looked upon that as a profitable thing. However, as mead hall lord, his guests got bed, board, and stabling free, and fees and fines from his landholders were his income. It was true that the landholders, as well as those who worked land in feof, would find their rents raised due to the new eorl, but Eodwine hoped that he would be able to make it worth it to them in some way. He would have to give thought to that.

At last all were abed and Eodwine thought of all those who had rooms. It was quite an assortment of folk, from the high to the lowly. Stories there were behind every last one of them, and most of those were still unknown to him. The Eorling Mead Hall looked to be a good place for him right now, and maybe for the rest of his life. New floor plans shimmered in his mind as he dozed.

Last edited by piosenniel; 04-10-2006 at 12:22 AM.
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