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Javan had been unable to shake the other children, and unequally unable to find either Raban or Ćdre. He was beginning to worry about what to do when shouts and running feet caught all four of the children’s attention. They hurried from the smithy where they had been standing idly watching Harreld at work to the courtyard. Javan rounded the corner of the kitchen first and he came to an abrupt halt. Garmund and Cnebba collided into him and Leođern stumbled to a halt behind them.
“What is it?” Garmund whispered. Javan herded them back with his arm.
“S-sh!” he hissed. He pushed his way back and stepped out of sight again. The three younger children looked at him with huge, round eyes and open mouths.
“What is it?”
“It’s one of the men.” He nodded his head in that direction. “He’s hurt and Athanar and one of his sons is with him, and they seem really worried.”
“Who is it?” Cnebba asked.
Javan shook his head. “I don’t know. I’ll see if I can find out.” He waved them back away from the edge of the building and then stealthily stuck his head out to look. The other three, despite his warning, crowded behind him to look, too.
“It’s not one of our men,” Cnebba observed.
“So it’s a new guard, who’s come with Athanar,” Garmund surmised.
“It’s the one who got into a fight yesterday with Matrim,” Javan announced. “He’s in a bad way, he might be dying. There’s blood coming out of his mouth.”
“Oh!” Leođern squeaked. Garmund half turned and put his hand ineffectively over her eyes. As he turned away to look again, she pulled his hand down and continued staring as well.
“What’s lord Athanar doing?” Javan wondered aloud. None of the children had any answer. “Shouldn’t the healer be with him yet? Why aren’t they doing anything for him?”
“Look!” Leođern said, pointing. “There she comes now.” The children all turned to look. Ćđel was hurrying behind Wulfric, one of the eorl’s sons. They watched her like hawks as she drew near Athanar and Scyrr and then they crouched once again against the stonework of the kitchen so they could observe the proceedings without being observed themselves. This day was turning out to be quite interesting.
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