Eorling Mead Hall

[Folwren]

Thornden and Eodwine met unexpectedly just inside the door and at the bottom of the stairs. Thornden stepped back and looked at Eodwine apologetically.

“What ails you, Thornden?” the eorl asked at once.

Thornden’s frown deepened by the slightest degree. “Nothing, really,” he said. “Nothing of significance, that is.” Then his expression cleared almost entirely, and though he did not really smile, he was no longer frowning. “You may be interested to know that Falco is staying for a few days yet. I may have actually unwittingly talked him into staying for good...so that he could continue bothering me, as he put it.”

[Kath]

Kara had spent much of her morning since Eodwine's impromptu council had broken up in the kitchen with Cnebba, who had proved to be a most amusing companion. He'd sat himself on a stool and had been regaling her with tales of the adventures he'd had shearing the sheep in return for morsels of food, for he always seemed to be hungry. It was a worthwhile trade though, and Kara couldn't recall a more pleasant morning.

It was with good will then that she had begun to laugh after conversation between Leodern and Cnebba, in which Leodern clearly had the upper hand if Cnebba's face was anything to judge by. His confusion made him angry though, and as his little face began to turn red Kara quickly tamed her mirth and a meaningful look at Modtryth had her hiding her smile as well.

"What's wrong Cnebba?" She asked, facing the boy and passing him another chunk of cheese as a peace offering.

"Nothing." He replied moodily, kicking his feet against the stool.

"Oh? But you were so happy a minute ago and now you've gone quiet on me. Was it something that Leodern said?"

Cnebba shrugged, his eyes still resolutely fixed on the floor.

"Because if it was maybe you should think about what she said for a minute. I don't know what brought it on but it seemed to be that what she said was a good thing. She wants to be your friend! Isn't that right Leodern?"

Cnebba looked up for long enough to see the little girl nodding earnestly at him, her eyes wide and innocent, and some of the tension went from his shoulders.

"And if it was because we laughed, well, that was just because we were as confused as you! We weren't laughing at you Cnebba, do you know that? When people are in a good mood a strange thing can make them laugh, it doesn't mean anything."

There was silence for a few seconds as Cnebba seemed to work that through in his head. Finally his head came up and again he looked at Leodern.

"Well, I don't mind that you're a girl, you can still be my friend." The words were said in a challenging tone but they weren't cruel, and Leodern apparently gathered that as she broke out into one of her beaming smiles and clapped her hands.

"Come on then!" She cried. "Let's go play."

Cnebba looked at his mother who nodded her assent and the two children ran off together into the yard, with all the worries of the past few minutes forgotten.

Once they'd gone Kara and Modtryth glanced at each other and broke into laughter again.

"Poor thing." Kara said. "What a thing to say to someone. Though I suppose to Leodern it made sense. Where did she get the idea from?"

Modtryth explained what had happened in the market place as she began to put away her purchases from that morning, finding a good listener in Kara who joined in in all the right places. She had just finished when Rowenna walked in and had Kara so incensed by hearing of the rudeness of the man Modtryth had met that it took her a few moments to calm down enough to answer the girl's question.

"I can continue to wash the floor if you wish, or is there something else you would rather have done?"

"Something else? I don't know if there is anything else. There are few guests at the moment and oh! But there's something you could do. The rooms that aren't in use will need cleaning and airing before new guests arrive to use them. If you have finished washing the floor then that would be a good thing for you to do."

[littlemanpoet]

Rowenna thanked Kara for her orders, put away her bucket and brush, and went up to the guest quarters. On her way she passed Eodwine and Thornden talking just inside the Hall. She continued up the stairs and was soon out of earshot of the two.

"Bothering you?" Eodwine asked Thornden. "He said he wants to stay so that he can bother you? Maybe I need to have a long overdue talk with him. But it can wait until after lunch. Come! Let's sit and eat! And here comes Harreld!"

"Good day to you!" cried Harreld from the far door.

"And to you, Harreld! I didn't expect you until the evening meal! But surely you're welcome now too!"

Harreld looked bashful. "Well I don't usually eat here except at night, but the work is light and I wanted to have some peace from that brother of mine, don't you know!"

Eodwine smiled as Harreld joined them. He could think of another reason why Harreld might have decided to come to the Mead Hall more often than had been his wont. He looked to the corridor from which Ginna would eventually come with food and ale. A glance at Harreld indicated that the smith was looking in the same direction with the same expectation; although in the smith's case, maybe there was more to it. Eodwine shook his head. It would come to no good if Randvér didn't approve. He could put a stop to it, but he hated to ruin Harreld's hope, or at least the enjoyment he had in his friendship with Ginna. Eodwine feared the worst, but could not bring himself to save the two the trouble he foresaw.