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“No, you are right,” Thornden said. “We do need to come up with a unified front, if we are to have the people follow us as we wish them to. If we do not work together, the entire populace of this hall will be set one against the other, and that is not lady Saeryn’s wish.”
Searyn finally spoke up. Her voice was held in careful check as she responded. “Of course you are right.” She looked from Athanar to Wynflaed and back. “And of course your wife must take my place, as long as you are eorl here.” The simple fact was that she had no will power to continue arguing her side. Fair or not, she had come up against a hard wall of authority and she could do nothing about it. Athanar, so far as she knew, was in his rights. But it did not lessen the fact that she felt passionately angry and very wronged. She kept her storming emotions in check only with great difficulty and immense use of control.
“I will not interfere when I need not,” she said. “But at least grant me the right to mention to you and expect your attention when I see a problem that needs to be addressed. I will not be brushed aside in my own home.”
Thornden turned his eyes from Saeryn to Athanar, admiring her strength and wondering, at the same time, what Athanar’s answer would be.
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Javan, in the courtyard
Javan was one of those organized to help with the unloading of the wagons. He attended to the maid’s orders to be careful, but he found them soon becoming tiresome, as it did not seem to matter how carefully they placed the trunks on the ground and she still complained. His attention was hardly drawn to the fight, until he saw Lilige shrink against the wagon.
“Is brawling a common pastime here?” she asked. Her voice was tense and frightened. Javan straightened and looked over the wagon to what appeared to be Harreld breaking up a fight.
He shook his head. “No.” He looked again. It had been Matrim in the fight. “No, the men never fight. Sometimes the boys fight.” He didn’t include the fact that he was one of the said boys. “But the men don’t.” And he bent again to his work.
“How did the fight start?” she asked.
Javan once more straightened to look. The two soldiers who had been fighting were standing before the officer in charge. He shrugged. “I don’t know. Your man probably said something or did something not quite acceptable.”
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