Eorling Mead Hall

[Kath]

The unintended cross-talk had Náin spluttering again and trying to keep from talking for fear of embarrassment, but the silence had been slowly needling at Kara until she was desperate for conversation and she wasn't about to let him withdraw again. Thankfully she had managed to find a topic the Dwarf was obviously immensely interested in as he informed her about it during their entire walk around the town.

The conversation had begun with leatherwork, but each stall they passed had Náin expounding on the virtues, faults and difficulties of dealing with whatever material lay upon it. Kara had soon learnt more about craftsmanship in an hour than she thought she'd ever need in a lifetime, and it didn't seem as though Náin planned to stop. She wondered at the difference between his uncomfortable silence earlier and this sudden outpouring of words, and though she was pleased at the change she only wished there were some middle ground.

Eventually, as they left the town and Náin began to tell her how the paths they were walking on had been made, Kara felt that it was time for a change of subject. She was well aware that the path they were now on had been laid by Gondorians for they were heading out to the ruins that civilisation had left behind. The history behind that was something she was greatly interested in and hoped that Náin knew as much about it as he did about stonework for she was more than willing to learn about it. For now though she wanted merely to talk.

"Of course the skill of those who made it can barely be seen now since so many people have walked all over it."

Having been listening to Náin still with one ear Kara noted the natural stopping point in his speech and jumped in before he could continue.

"Well that is a shame, but I suppose that is the way with the world. Old things must go for new ones to arrive. Just like at the Hall. It seems that Eodwine changed a lot of things when he took the place over, both inside and out"

Náin nodded slowly, unsure where Kara was heading with this, but tried to join in anyway.

"Indeed. The new building work is extensive, and it is fortunate that those with the necessary skills are staying with us."

Silently Kara cheered. A good gossip about the Hall and it's residents was perfect for occupying them on the walk.

"Do you know many of the others well? I haven't taken the opportunity to really talk to a lot of them yet though being in the kitchen I do hear what goes on. I suppose I ought to make more of an effort but there has been so much going on recently! The only ones I really see are the children who love to tell Frodides of their day, and they are very sweet, especially little Leodern - have you seen much of them?"

[Formendacil]

"Indeed. The new building work is extensive, and it is fortunate that those with the necessary skills are staying with us," said Náin slowly.

As his mouth slowed down, and his mind began to think rather than just spew forth on the craftsmanship around him, Náin found that he had calmed down during the comfortable discourse on the skills of the Rohirric artisans, and that he was able to assess the conversation without getting too nervous.

He had been boring Kara. A lot. He began to mentally fidget again.

At least, Kara had heard enough about craftsmanship. Náin began to get agitated again, concerned that he was ruining Kara's day off. It was all very well for him to spend the day in agitated agony, but he was a Dwarf of aristocratic lineage and his own master. Kara's days off were less regular, and she was nobly spending this one in his company. It was a trait, he noted in one of the calmer parts of his mind, that was more typical of Men than of Dwarves. It was the trait of generosity.

But Kara did not seem to have wanted him to stop speaking entirely, for she went on.

"Do you know many of the others well? I haven't taken the opportunity to really talk to a lot of them yet though being in the kitchen I do hear what goes on. I suppose I ought to make more of an effort but there has been so much going on recently! The only ones I really see are the children who love to tell Frodides of their day, and they are very sweet, especially little Léoðern - have you seen much of them?"

"I have seen them about," said Náin slowly. Here was a field Dwarves early learned to avoid. It was better to say nothing than to say something offensive, and Dwarves did not compliment if the compliment was not honest. "To be truthful, though, they avoid me, and I would rather have it so. I am older than their grandsires, and I am a serious man. I prefer the company of their elders, and I think they sense this of me."

To Náin's amazement, Kara laughed.

"Náin," she said, "you're old enough to be my grandsire, nearly!"

This, thought Náin was precisely why Dwarves said little in the way of gossip. Kara did not seem offended, but it was well that she was a daughter of Men and not of Dwarves.

"I am afraid I did not think of that," admitted Náin, no longer so nervous of what he was saying as he was wary. "Our races age differently. In Dwarven terms I am considered as much grown up as you are."

"But I am not really considered grown at all," said Kara. "At least, not by everyone."

"I am merely 53," said Náin, at which Kara made a stifled noise of amusement. "Which is young indeed. The famed Gimli son of Glóin was over sixty when he wished to join his father and Thorin Oakenshield on the quest for Erebor, but his father said he was too young, and most Dwarves would have agreed. I am a talented sculptor, and the lands are safe since the War, so my father did not object to my coming to Edoras, but as we Dwarves go, I am young and barely tried."

[littlemanpoet]

Falco took note that Eodwine had chosen a different table to sit at with Marenil and Randvér. This was a fine how do you do! He took out his pipe, lit it, and puffed his a spleen's worth of smoke rings, angry wisps thickening the air of the Hall.

"Why make you this smoke?" asked Lefun with a cough, the two hands taking turns wiping Lefun's, then Ritun's eyes. Falco watched their cooperation with mild amazement.

"How do you decide who gets his eyes wiped first?"

"I first go," said Lefun, "as in front I be. Long ago we chose it."

"Ah."

"Why make smoke?"

"I like it."

Lefun made a face that looked like he'd tasted something bitter in his porridge. "How?"

"I know not and care not. It grows on you."

Ritun looked surprised, and watched with renewed interest.

"Too big it be for you now!" cried Lefun.

What? Then Falco laughed. "No! Not getting bigger! When I tried it as a teener I didn't like it much at all, but all the other hobbit lads swore by it, so I kept at it. Now I like it plenty."

"Tree bark I would eat before making such smoke!" Lefun said. Ritun whispered in his ear. "We need work to pay the lord."

"Let's wait until he's finished with those two. Let's you two and me go out and walk about for now."

Falco got up and the twins reluctantly followed him out of the Hall.

[Folwren]

Javan asked no more questions. He watched the horses as they led them back and forth across the courtyard. They did dry quickly, as Léof had said they would. They led them back into the stables and tied once more to the rings in the wall. Léof handed a brush to Javan and the two boys set to work grooming them.

Javan was thinking as he worked. He wondered what his duties would be. If there was too much work to be done, they wouldn’t be able to ride, and that would almost defeat the purpose of working in the stables (he thought). Léof probably did get to ride, though, Javan decided after a little more consideration. The horses needed exercise. But what if Léof was going to give him only the bad jobs and not let him help exercise? Maybe Léof would think he was too young, or too little, to help with that. He lifted himself onto his toes to peer over the back of the horse so that he could see Léof.

“Do you ever ride, Léof?” he asked.

[Firefoot]

“Well, sometimes,” answered Léof absently. Unused to having a companion while working, he had slipped into a reverie now broken by Javan’s question. Something seemed familiar about the question, if only he could remember what.

When Javan didn’t respond right away, Léof glanced over the horse’s back to see that Javan was not very satisfied with his answer, and Léof remembered. Before breakfast, hadn’t Javan mentioned something about coming down to the stables to exercise horses if he ever had some spare time? Javan didn’t really want to know if Léof ever rode the horses – he wanted to know if he would get to ride them.

“But now that there are two of us working here, the chores will take less time and there will be more time to exercise the horses,” he said, causing Javan’s face to light up.

Then Léof realized that he had never actually seen Javan ride, and that maybe it would be a good idea for him to see how Javan handled a horse while riding before he sent Javan off to exercise them on his own. If Javan had the same gaps in knowledge about riding as he had shown in grooming and walking the horses, Léof wasn’t sure that he’d be able to let Javan ride the horses for a while, however much this would disappoint Javan – not until Léof had time to teach him better habits. Léof wouldn’t tell Javan all this now, though; he might even be quite a good rider who just didn’t have much experience caring for horses. He said simply, “Sometime this week I’d like to take you out riding – just to see how you handle a horse. If that goes well, we can take it from there.”

[Kath]

"Frodides! You have help! Allow me to introduce Ginna daughter of Randvér, eorldorman from the north of the Middle Emnet."

Frodides turned round surprised, soapy hands dripping water onto the floor. Tutting in annoyance she grabbed Kara's still drying apron from where the girl had left it and dried herself off before crossing the kitchen to discover just what was going on. Help? She already had help, even if it had gone missing today.

A quick but hard glance at the newcomer told Frodides that this girl didn't have the same sweet naiveté that Kara did. No, this one was sharp and probably wasn't afraid to show it, a quality she liked in those young enough yet to be berated for it. Still, she wondered just what she was to do with her. There really was no room for a third cook and even if there had there was no need for one. Opening her mouth to inquire what this Ginna was for she found herself pre-empted by Eodwine.

"She is to be our serving wench. Kara can't continue to do everything alone and Ginna's father wishes her to learn some necessary skills. She'll be under your command so teach her well. I must attend to our guests, good day!"

Both women eyed each other up, the Eorl leaving almost unnoticed. Frodides noted the keen interest in Ginna's eyes but either she was shy about speaking out or wasn't sure of the rules yet. She doubted it was shyness, even just a moment with the girl had given her the impression that gentleness would probably be met with contempt, so she settled on the blunt approach she was famous for in order to get her talking.

"So girl, what is it you've done to get yourself put in here? A serving wench is no bad job but I'll warrant you're of a position where work is hardly something you need."

The straightforward outburst confirmed the notions Ginna had formed regarding the woman before her. Her father seemed to have come to the right place. Frodides did not appear as one who would tolerate idleness and nonsense; perhaps she would even watch her with a tenacity to rival, if not outmatch, the lord's! But far from finding her intimidating, or at least not as welcoming as the young Lèoðern and the Lord Eodwine, Ginna felt oddly drawn to her.

But maybe that's just because I feel alone. Anyone in that blesséd place would be better company than the one she had left when Eodwine led her into the kitchen. Though she expected to be given the whole day to spend as she would like, and was disappointed in being told that she was to start right away, Ginna felt nothing but excitement. She had a new life ahead of her. A life that, because she would have to live with people other than herself in mind, was without a doubt more meaningful.

"I am hoping to bury the memory of it beneath the tasks you would have me do," she replied, the faintest hint of a grin playing on her lips. "Let us just say that in being here I hope to learn...how a proper woman should be."

"And what's got you thinking you're not already a proper woman?" Frodides replied, intrigued by the amusement in Ginna's answer.

That's a question best asked of my father, Ginna thought bitterly. She lightly shrugged.

"Perhaps that I seem to know but a little of serving, and too much of being served. That's one misfortune of being the sole child."

She looked around the kitchen with casual interest, hoping the thought of their duties would return to Frodides's mind. Ginna feared that their conversation was approaching a point she would rather it did not reach.

As Ginna glanced round the kitchen a little uncomfortably Frodides decided to let the subject go. No point in scaring the girl off now. One last question had to be asked though before they could move on as she needed to know whether there were more mouths to feed.

"And is the father that allowed you to be so unfortunate staying for lunch?"

"I honestly don't know for certain," replied Ginna. "I thought he was just to accompany me, and then go on his way, but he might want to stay a bit and get re-acquainted with the Lord Eodwine." Though I hope not, she added to herself.

"It would be good to teach me what I have to learn for now, anyway. I'm quite a quick learner, from experience."

"Indeed?" Frodides asked, pleased by Ginna's apparent eagerness and her confident manner. "We'll start with a simple lesson then just to check your aim. See those cups by the sink? Lay them out around this table ... that's it ... now fill that jug with water and use it to fill the cups."

The look Ginna gave her after being given the last instruction made Frodides laugh out loud.

"I know it seems silly but there are those who can't pour without spilling everywhere. Normally I would send you out to the great hall but we've had one accident out there already this morning, and guests don't take kindly to having water thrown over them. In any case, all those who want drinks have them at the moment. So start practising."

A bit reluctantly, irrationally thinking there must be a trap laid out to ensure her failure, Ginna retrieved the jug to which Frodides pointed. Once filled with water, it felt considerably heavy in her arms, but her training with the sword had strengthened her slender limbs enough to hold it steady. And then, slowly and carefully, she poured the water into the cups. It took her a while, but she did it without any spillage.

She put down the now only half-filled jug, exhaled lightly, and looked up expectantly at Frodides, unable to resist inwardly smiling at her success.

Frodides nodded in satisfaction. Ginna could follow instructions and pour a steady cup. Her speed would have to be worked on but that would improve with time and the experience of serving a table of thirsty guests all wanting drink at once. She had to admit to herself that she was mildly impressed with the girl, as that jug she'd been given to practise with was far heavier than anything Kara used and yet she'd managed the weight and borne it without complaint.

"Good." Was what she said aloud. "We might just make a serving wench of you yet. I'll need to try you with food next but there's no way of doing that until it's ready to be served, and I need your help with that."

Nodding toward the large array of unprepared goods laid out along one of the walls she continued.

"This isn't something you would usually be called on to do but I've had a fair number of interruptions today and the girl that works with me has taken the day off. It's a good thing to learn anyway."

"What do I do?" Ginna responded, and Frodides set her to work immediately, again impressed despite herself at the girl's obvious determination to succeed with this punishment. For that was definitely what this was. If a nobleman merely wanted his daughter to learn things that might prove useful to her later in life he would have her learn them as part of lessons rather than actually forcing her to change her entire way of living. Ginna might not be ready to give answers yet, but Frodides was sure that the departure of her father and a sympathetic ear might just persuade her otherwise.