Scarburg Meadhall

[Folwren]

Eodwine had originally placed Thornden in charge of the labor of building the shelter and kitchen. So the young eorlinga listened carefully as Stigend, with a few words added by Garstan, explained the process of making a baker. Javan ambled close to him, his arms folded moodily and his lower lip protruding a fraction. It had been an insult to hear Eodwine dealing out jobs to the others and then get assigned, not to work, but to Rowenna’s apron strings.

As Stigend came to a close of his explanation, he glanced upwards towards Thornden, and his eye fell almost immediately on Javan.

“You’re brother can help us,” he said. “He’s small and nimble enough to climb up and lash the cross beams in place more easily than a man.”

“That should be alright, hey, Javan? Better than being stuck with a woman,” Thornden teased. Javan gave him a hateful look and turned away. He didn’t answer Stigend. Thornden looked at him disapprovingly a moment. “He will be glad to help,” he said, turning to the carpenter. “Just tell him what you need when you need it. For now, how do we get started?”

Stigend, always polite and never overstepping his place, began to make suggestive sounding orders. Thornden very quickly turned them into direct orders and before long, everyone was at their proper work, gathering and preparing the materials to build the baker. The wagons had to be unloaded, the horses eased of their burdens. Stones could be gathered and proper trees for the baker located and cut down. The canvas and ropes were unpacked. The place was as busy as a beehive, just as it should be.

Javan wandered halfheartedly along with everybody else, filling his hands with whatever work came conveniently with no real spirit in it. His expression was angry and fierce thoughts flew about in his mind. He had been insulted and humiliated twice before everybody. Well. He’d show them. They’d be sorry. He didn’t deserve this sort of treatment.

He paused on the edge of the active group. His eyes swept the landscape, barren and mostly wild. Before him he could see the scar of rock that the eorl had spoken about. It looked intriguing and dangerous, somehow.

It took Javan less than ten seconds to decide to go explore it. Eodwine had said he wanted the new lands explored, had he not? There were helpers taking care of the other jobs that needed to be done. Javan, with a quick look behind him, started off at a run and concealed himself behind the burnt ruins. Then, keeping them between himself and the others, he started off for the scar.