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Old 09-11-2015, 09:22 PM   #110
Folwren
Messenger of Hope
 
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: In a tiny, insignificant little town in one of the many States.
Posts: 5,228
Folwren is battling Black Riders on Weathertop.Folwren is battling Black Riders on Weathertop.
Ruari and Eoghan

The twins made their presence known before they had been awake for five minutes. They had barely tumbled out of bed before they were quarreling. Ruari came out of the room screaming, with Eoghan hot on her heels, silent and intent on his prey. They made a direct path towards the kitchen, and Ruari had almost reached it and the protection she knew she would find within when Eoghan caught her. He tackled her to the floor (the momentum of their run was mostly the culprit in his violent act) and began to wrestle her for the wooden sword she held clutched in her hands.

Their loud disturbance brought their mother out from the kitchen. She picked Eoghan off Ruari with a practiced hand and set him down on one side of her before helping Ruari to her feet on the other side.

“What are you about, making all this noise this early in the morning?” she asked, frowning down at the two of them.

“She took the sword Elfthain made me yesterday!” Eoghan cried, still too riled to moderate his voice, even while speaking to Saeryn.

“You broked mine!” Ruari shouted passionately.

“I did not!” Eoghan retorted.

“Give him the sword back,” Saeryn commanded, knowing such an argument could continue indefinitely if allowed. “Go outside, Eoghan. Ruari, come into the kitchen.”

“But I don’t have a sword now!” Ruari cried, holding it back. Eoghan made a snatch for it, and Saeryn held him back.

“Now, Ruari,” she said. Ruari reluctantly handed the sword over and Eoghan took it hastily. “Go outside,” Saeryn said. The boy ran off, and Saeryn turned back to the kitchen, Ruari close behind her, sulking. “Sit there,” Saeryn said, pointing to the bench by the table. “You’ll have your breakfast soon.”

Ruari climbed up on the bench and knelt on it, her elbow on the table top. She sat glowering straight ahead, pretending to ignore all the women working around her. Out of the corner of her eye, though, she watched her mother, and as soon as she left, she turned her head to take proper stock of her surroundings. She slid off her bench and padded across the floor to Ledwyn. She tugged her skirt.

“Put honey in my porridge,” she said, her eyes bright with eagerness. “What Elfthain broughted.”

--

While Ruari attempted to swindle the sweets out of the ladies in the kitchen, Eoghan made his way to the stables. It was too cold outside to play in the courtyard, and he enjoyed going out and finding Léof or Javan and watching them work. Eoghan, like most boys his age in the Mark, had already grown to love horses. He was not yet allowed to be in the stalls or yard with any horse alone, but he had been promised that very soon he would begin to learn to ride alone. Many times he had sat astride Flithaf, his father’s now old war horse, usually with Eodwine behind him, but he looked forward someday to having a smaller horse more to his size and ability.

Until that day came, he assuaged his eagerness by visiting the stables often and asking Léof and Javan whatever questions he could think of. Sometimes they let him help groom some of the gentler horses. There were days he spent most of his hours in the stable, and Saeryn had long since learned that if she ever lost him, she could usually find him there.

This morning he entered the stables and walked quietly down the aisle, peeking under each stall door in search of Léof or Javan. After a time, he found Léof inside one. Bending down with his hands on his knees and his head nearly upside down, he peered within and hailed the stable master.

“Hi, Léof!”

Last edited by Folwren; 09-11-2015 at 09:31 PM.
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