Scarburg Meadhall

[Folwren]

“Oh dear,” Saeryn gasped. She didn’t know what else to say, and she hardly had the breath to say it with. She turned to watch Rowenna walk away. “Eodwine, I’m so sorry. I didn’t know she could hear me.” Not that that was much of an excuse.

Everything was so mixed up. She could not think what to say to Eodwine, and she could not begin to concentrate while Rowenna’s form was still in view. She watched her with fascinated attention as she stormed angrily away.

“She might do herself harm because of what I said! Or someone else,” she added, as Rowenna met someone outside the baker. She flinched as Rowenna struck Nydfara in pure rage before turning and striding out of view beyond the tents.

“I have to go after her,” she decided suddenly.

“Saeryn-” Eodwine began, but Saeryn had already rushed to her horse’s head and loosed his reins from the fence.

“She’s going away, just like I did!” she explained hurriedly as she made a swift, clean mount. “I saw that look, Eodwine! Unless someone goes after her, you’ll never see her again.”

[Firefoot]

Scyld had watched Rowenna approach with an indolent smirk on his face. Thought she’d had Eodwine wrapped around her little finger, did she? Well, apparently she wasn’t the only one with her eyes set on the Eorl, though he didn’t know where Saeryn’s interest had come from. And though from his distance he couldn’t hear the exact words, the raised female voices spoke for themselves, and clearly Rowenna had come out on bottom.

He did not understand at first why she was coming to him – to complain? Frankly, her plight amused him. But she wiped the smirk clear off his face when she stepped right up to him and slapped him across the face. Hard.

Of all the illogical - !

Utterly bewildered, he stared after her for a moment as she strode away. Anger sparked briefly before giving way to condescension. So she was leaving then? Not competing to go off and sulk because she could not have her way? And he’d thought she had tenacity.

“So that’s it, then?” he called after her. “You’re just giving up?” He laughed shortly, harshly. “And I thought you were made of tougher mettle than that.”

[littlemanpoet]

She stopped and turned. Did Nydfara not see what he had done to her? She hadn't realized it herself until now, but it was suddenly so clear. He had reminded her of the brigands, and so she had found him fascinating. And then they had talked, and had flirted, and the attention, such as it was, floated her out of her carefulness and she had become a young maiden once again instead of the plotting, careful, tenacious survivor she had learned to be. And look what it had gotten her!

"You're a man so you wouldn't understand. Worse yet, you have no feelings because you don't dare. I pity you. I hope someday you can come out of hiding behind that smirking mien. As for me, there's no place for me here anymore."

Eodwine was a strong man, and she would have done her best to be a good wife to him, and yes, she would have reveled in the high estate of such a role. But she realized now that she did not belong here. After all, she had come among them with a single goal, and that was to make this leader of men her new mate. That goal was not to be achieved, and therefore there was no reason to remain.

She turned and walked away, toward the front gate, toward the road, to lead her back to Edoras, then to the Folde where she had been raised, and she hoped, to a life that might be worth the living.

Eodwine

"And do you think, Saeryn, that she will listen to you? Do you really think that you understand her?"

She half turned and said over her shoulder, "I do not know, but I have to try!"

Eodwine threw up his hands, deciding to let these two women work things out between themselves, if it was possible. He led the replacement horse back into its stall, and went over to Flíthaf, and patted him on his strong haunch and back, and neck.

"Ah, my faithful steed, it will be good to ride again, will it not? At least you I can count on to know who and what you are, and do what you do best, and that is to run!"

Rowenna had done a good job with him, he saw, having been thoroughly groomed. Well, she was a maid of the Eorlings, and some skills were never forgotten even after years of no use. He climbed on Flíthaf's back. The horse pranced and muttered, eager to get out and run. It was grand high on Flíthaf's back, one could see so much farther and the world looked so much larger. And the might and girth moving beneath him passed into his own body. He was ready to race.

"Let's show them what 'fleet of hoof' means, my friend!"

[Groin Redbeard]

Every feature of his body slumped as Kara gracefully declined his offer. Erbrand’s heart was flying high, like a dove, on the wings of his hopes, but those hopes were broken and as a consequence his heart fell into the deep chasm of despair. Her refusal was not unexpected that terrible possibility of being shunned had haunted his thoughts ever since the idea came into his head to ask her, but he was not shunned, it was true that he had been refused his his desires but it was because Kara had already promised to race with Ginna, if only he had arrived sooner! It was useless to dwell on such thoughts, Kara made her choice and was gallant in her decline, the least he could do was to respect her choice.

"It, uh, it doesn't matter. I ... it was only a thought. Another time perhaps."

His words were not as graceful as Kara’s had been, Erbrand found himself almost forcing the words out of his mouth, his face grew red. No matter how he tried to accept the blow that fate had dealt him, he still found himself wanting to be with her. Erbrand forced a feeble smile to match Kara’s genuinely beautiful smile, he couldn’t hate her. His feet stumbled as he began to leave, finding himself still wanting to stay, but knowing that he must go.

“Erbrand, wait!” came a cry and he turned to see Ginna, he had barely noticed her standing next to Kara.

Ginna launched into an explanation, telling Kara and him that she would gladly give her place up to Erbrand. Kara tried to protest, but Ginna silenced her with assurances that she was happy to do it. Erbrand’s instinct was to decline Ginna’s noble gesture, but something held him back, he did not want to be pitied, his pride would not normally allow it, but this time he gladly cast it aside, he wanted desperately to have this chance with Kara and his luck had finally caught up with him. A smile slowly stretched across his face, his excitement and delight could barely be contained.

"Well then Erbrand," Kara spoke as she turned back to Erbrand with a beaming countenance, "if you still wish to race with me then I would be very glad to partner you."

“Wonderful,” he replied clapping his hands together in joy, every nerve in his body seemed to fidget with excitement, “I’m so happy.” He did his best to contain the rest of his words, fearing that he would make a fool of himself if spoke anything else. He rushed to Ginna and shook her hand gratefully and enthusiastically with a face that looked like it might explode with laughter.

“Thank you, thank you,” were the only words he found suitable for expressing himself, he rushed over to Kara hoping in someway to express the way that he felt, “I’m so glad!” were the only words that he could think of to say.

He was grinning from ear to ear, as he waved and joyfully ran back to the racing grounds, he felt as if a great burden had been lifted from his shoulders. Dan was walking to the racing grounds when Erbrand spotted him.

“Dan,” he hailed.

“There you are,” Dan replied smiling at Erbrand’s unusually mirthful attitude, “I’ve been looking for you.”

“Well you’ve found me now, come we can talk but first I need to warm up Traveller for the races.” He slapped Dan on the shoulder, “come on, I’ll race you to the horses!” He was off and running before Dan had a chance to reply, laughing all the way.