Eorling Mead Hall - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Celuien · 10-22-2006, 03:57 PM

Garmund ran down the stairs, almost ready to shout for joy. Lefun and Ritun had been seen as they were, and they were to stay. The Eorl had been as kind to them as Garmund had hoped, and the look of wonder and happiness the twins wore at their welcome left no doubt that bringing them here had been wise.

Garmund tore into the great hall and scanned the room in search of his father. Not finding him there, he went on to the kitchen, nearly running headlong into several of the household.

He found his father there, seated in a corner near the stove, slowly turning the pages of a small book.

After speaking with Marenil, Garstan had asked to keep the small book for a time. Marenil had given him a knowing glance before nodding and leaving the book with Garstan, asking that it should be returned for lessons in the morning. It had spent the rest of the day in Garstan's tool bag until, as the sun dropped behind the edge of the land, he found a quiet corner in the kitchen and held it again. He been studying the letters in the book by the low firelight in the kitchen, and trying his best to stay out of Cook's way, for the last few hours.

Letters and figures. Garstan knew little of them. He had never needed to know more than he did. But now, with both his children about to learn, a thirst for that knowledge awoke in him. He could not join the children's lessons. A grown man among a group of children who had not seen ten winters could only look foolish. And he had the task of teaching his own children apart from lessons in reading. How could he be their teacher if he joined them as a pupil? And so he quietly claimed the book for the evenings, hoping that he could piece together the puzzle on its pages through the use of his own small knowledge.

"Father! Come! Hurry!"

"What?" The book was closed hurriedly and hidden away under Garstan's tunic. "Garmund?"

The boy was already pulling at his father's arm. "Hurry. Upstairs. The Eorl wants you."

Garstan rose. His first thought had been that there was something amiss, but Garmund's excited voice ended that fear. Curious, he followed Garmund up the stairs and through a door near the end of the hallway.

He first saw Eodwine and Falco. Then he noticed another man in the room. He looked again. There were two - no one, but yet two, and he took a step backward, looking from one face to the other in confusion, and not knowing what to say next.

littlemanpoet · 10-23-2006, 07:27 PM

Garstan looked surprised. Well he might, thought Eodwine.

"Garstan," said Falco, "these are Ritun and Lefun, twins that your son and I found in the ruins off east of here. They have become our friends." Falco turned to the twins. "Ritun, Lefun, this is Garstan, the stoneshaper of this hall, and father of Garmund. He is a good man (as men go) and can keep our secret."

"Thanks, Falco, for making introductions," said Eodwine. "I have told them that they may stay here and be safe. For now only we know they are here, and I would have it stay that way until we have made plans."

"Pardon, lord," Falco coughed, "but Thornden and Trystan also know they are here, but not that they be two."

"I see."

"Lefun, Ritun, show the Eorl and the stoneshaper how you make like you are but one."

The twins nodded and performed the transformation before them, complete with rough tunic covering Ritun. It was a most unique transformation to say the least, to Eodwine's mind. He was racking his brain to figure out how to introduce this pair to the rest of the household in a way that would not be overly upsetting to either, and was coming to no answer.

"That is enough, Lefun and Ritun," he said. "Please be at your ease." As they unraveled from their contrived knot, Eodwine turned to Garstan. "Have you any suggestions how we might best make these two known to the others and the others to this pair without overmuch trouble?

~ * ~

Garreth and Harreld hold forth in the hall

"Women, now," said Garreth loudly as he set down his ale cup with a loud report on the board, "there's a way about them that it takes a wise man to figger out!" He looked around the table conspiratorially, including the women of which he spoke, "an' I know the secret!"

"Garreth," Harreld chided, "if you know a secret about women I for one don't know how you learnt it, not having been near any in the last five years!"

"Little you know!" Garreth retorted amid the laughter of the others. "You're not always a-by me! Most times when you've drunk yourself under the table and art snoring to scare away the rats, I leave you and use my born charms to good ef- ef- ef- er, to the good."

"You're dreaming while you snore under the table yourself!" Harreld said.

"Don't listen to him, friends! Who of you wants to know the secret?"

10-23-2006, 07:27 PM	#2
littlemanpoet Itinerant Songster Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: The Edge of Faerie Posts: 7,066	In the room upstairs Garstan looked surprised. Well he might, thought Eodwine. "Garstan," said Falco, "these are Ritun and Lefun, twins that your son and I found in the ruins off east of here. They have become our friends." Falco turned to the twins. "Ritun, Lefun, this is Garstan, the stoneshaper of this hall, and father of Garmund. He is a good man (as men go) and can keep our secret." "Thanks, Falco, for making introductions," said Eodwine. "I have told them that they may stay here and be safe. For now only we know they are here, and I would have it stay that way until we have made plans." "Pardon, lord," Falco coughed, "but Thornden and Trystan also know they are here, but not that they be two." "I see." "Lefun, Ritun, show the Eorl and the stoneshaper how you make like you are but one." The twins nodded and performed the transformation before them, complete with rough tunic covering Ritun. It was a most unique transformation to say the least, to Eodwine's mind. He was racking his brain to figure out how to introduce this pair to the rest of the household in a way that would not be overly upsetting to either, and was coming to no answer. "That is enough, Lefun and Ritun," he said. "Please be at your ease." As they unraveled from their contrived knot, Eodwine turned to Garstan. "Have you any suggestions how we might best make these two known to the others and the others to this pair without overmuch trouble? ~ * ~ Garreth and Harreld hold forth in the hall "Women, now," said Garreth loudly as he set down his ale cup with a loud report on the board, "there's a way about them that it takes a wise man to figger out!" He looked around the table conspiratorially, including the women of which he spoke, "an' I know the secret!" "Garreth," Harreld chided, "if you know a secret about women I for one don't know how you learnt it, not having been near any in the last five years!" "Little you know!" Garreth retorted amid the laughter of the others. "You're not always a-by me! Most times when you've drunk yourself under the table and art snoring to scare away the rats, I leave you and use my born charms to good ef- ef- ef- er, to the good." "You're dreaming while you snore under the table yourself!" Harreld said. "Don't listen to him, friends! Who of you wants to know the secret?"

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10-22-2006, 03:57 PM	#1
Celuien Riveting Ribbiter Join Date: May 2005 Location: Assigned to Mordor Posts: 1,767	Garmund ran down the stairs, almost ready to shout for joy. Lefun and Ritun had been seen as they were, and they were to stay. The Eorl had been as kind to them as Garmund had hoped, and the look of wonder and happiness the twins wore at their welcome left no doubt that bringing them here had been wise. Garmund tore into the great hall and scanned the room in search of his father. Not finding him there, he went on to the kitchen, nearly running headlong into several of the household. He found his father there, seated in a corner near the stove, slowly turning the pages of a small book. After speaking with Marenil, Garstan had asked to keep the small book for a time. Marenil had given him a knowing glance before nodding and leaving the book with Garstan, asking that it should be returned for lessons in the morning. It had spent the rest of the day in Garstan's tool bag until, as the sun dropped behind the edge of the land, he found a quiet corner in the kitchen and held it again. He been studying the letters in the book by the low firelight in the kitchen, and trying his best to stay out of Cook's way, for the last few hours. Letters and figures. Garstan knew little of them. He had never needed to know more than he did. But now, with both his children about to learn, a thirst for that knowledge awoke in him. He could not join the children's lessons. A grown man among a group of children who had not seen ten winters could only look foolish. And he had the task of teaching his own children apart from lessons in reading. How could he be their teacher if he joined them as a pupil? And so he quietly claimed the book for the evenings, hoping that he could piece together the puzzle on its pages through the use of his own small knowledge. "Father! Come! Hurry!" "What?" The book was closed hurriedly and hidden away under Garstan's tunic. "Garmund?" The boy was already pulling at his father's arm. "Hurry. Upstairs. The Eorl wants you." Garstan rose. His first thought had been that there was something amiss, but Garmund's excited voice ended that fear. Curious, he followed Garmund up the stairs and through a door near the end of the hallway. He first saw Eodwine and Falco. Then he noticed another man in the room. He looked again. There were two - no one, but yet two, and he took a step backward, looking from one face to the other in confusion, and not knowing what to say next.