Scarburg Meadhall - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Thinlómien · 04-21-2009, 03:22 PM

"Well someone has got to do some explaining."

Garmund, who had not managed to hide at all, shifted his weight from one foot to the other rather awkwardly. Cnebba evaluated the situation for a while, but decided Ginna was looking at him just as much as at Garmund, and crawled out from under an old saddle the stirrups of which Harreld had been fixing. The boys exchanged glances.

"We were just having a look around, that's all," Garmund said after a while and shrugged. He avoided meeting Ginna's eyes.
"Is that so?" she asked. "Then why those two swords were on the floor?"
"They..." Garmund started but couldn't finish the sentence.
"We just wanted to be cool," Cnebba cut in. He hung his head shamedly. "Cool like you."

Lhunardawen · 04-22-2009, 10:45 AM

That was certainly not an explanation Ginna expected. Her eyes strayed towards Harreld, who had stopped what he was doing to look at her with a highly amused expression. She struggled to keep herself from laughing in response, lest Cnebba and Garmund not take her seriously. There was still a lesson for them to learn here, and she must not spoil it for them. Still, she could not contain her curiosity.

"What exactly do you mean by that, Cnebba?" she finally said, straight-faced. "And how does that make it acceptable for you to play with the swords which, first, are not toys, and second, you used without asking?" She turned her gaze to Garmund, the older of the two.

Thinlómien · 04-22-2009, 01:57 PM

Ginna was eyeing them both rather seriously, but Cnebba thought he had seen a glint of merriment in her eyes earlier. So maybe she's not that angry after all... Cnebba gave the maid a rather smug smile.

"What I mean is that... that we saw you with the sword and thought it looked cool," he said simply, grinning a bit conspirationally to Ginna. "You know, we thought we'd love to be like that too."

Garmund looked rather horrified at Cnebba's relaxed attitude. He was far more nervous. Cnebba wondered if Garmund had missed Ginna's amusement, or if he had realised something Cnebba hadn't. Like, maybe Ginna wasn't going to be so nice after all... Cnebba gulped and waited for Garmund to speak up.

"We do know swords are no toys," Garmund said. In fact, he sounded a bit offended. "There are blunt wooden swords for playing."
"My dad can make them," Cnebba put in. Garmund scowled at him and he shut up, narrowing his eyes angrily though.

"And as for the permission..." Garmund suddenly run out of words. He was trying to catch a glimpse of Harreld's face to see if he was angry, but he did not succeed because he didn't actually dare to look at the smith.

"...we have nothing to say in our defense," Cnebba finished. This time Garmund didn't scowl at him, just looked rather surprised. Cnebba resisted the urge to grin at his friend, or to let a smug smile creep to his face once again. Still, he couldn't help feeling content with his reply: it sounded terribly adult to him.

littlemanpoet · 04-22-2009, 06:22 PM

Harreld hid the smirk on his face by staying busy with setting things straight. The boys were clever talkers, that much was sure. But Ginna, he trusted, would not be fooled.

"...we have nothing to say in our defense," Cnebba said.

Well and good, Harreld thought. He set his face to grimness, turned and raised himself to his full height, and looked down his broad nose at the two boys who stared at him in a mix of fear and admiration. He was sure they wanted to be big like him some day. He remembered being a boy looking up at a man twice his height, and wishing.

"You are guilty of tresspassing," Harreld said. "Is that not so, Ginna?"

"Aye, 'tis so." She was playing along as he knew she would.

"The guilty must pay for their crime. What, Ginna, do you think would be a reasonable payment?"

Lhunardawen · 04-23-2009, 10:38 AM

Ginna had not quite actually thought of a fitting punishment, and the look she gave Harreld told him so. He responded with a slight shrug and a quick wink, expressing his confidence that she can come up with something. What is this, some form of foresighted play on how we shall be as parents? She could not help shuddering at the thought of raising two mischievous boys, yet all the same the idea amused her. When she finally spoke, her tone was conspiratorial.

"Do you think you'll have use for a couple of helpers here? Show them how hard you must work to keep these things in order?"

littlemanpoet · 04-24-2009, 08:27 AM

"Now that is a good thought!" Harreld said, looking down at the boys appraisingly. He reached out one big hand. "Give me your arm," he commanded Garmund. The boy raised his right arm with not a little worry on his face, and Harreld felt for the muscle.

"Hum! Needs work! Here, grab this hammer and strike that anvil."

Garmund picked up the man-sized hammer in both hands and swung it down; it bounced off the anvil, out of his control, and Garmund began to tip over from the motion; but Harreld caught him.

"Hmm! That was a mighty swing for a little boy."

"I'm not little!" Garmund protested.

"Not little, you say?"

"I'm bigger than he is!" Garmund pointed at Cnebba.

"That is true, but maybe he is quicker than you for his age. I remember seeing some of today's games and one did better at one thing and the other at another time. Even so, you could take turs working my bellows for me, see what it takes to be a good smith. I will talk to your parents, see if we might not arrange a game of sorts between the two of you, see which of you might make a better smith. What do you say to that?"

04-22-2009, 10:45 AM	#2
Lhunardawen Hauntress of the Havens Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: IN it, but not OF it Posts: 2,538	That was certainly not an explanation Ginna expected. Her eyes strayed towards Harreld, who had stopped what he was doing to look at her with a highly amused expression. She struggled to keep herself from laughing in response, lest Cnebba and Garmund not take her seriously. There was still a lesson for them to learn here, and she must not spoil it for them. Still, she could not contain her curiosity. "What exactly do you mean by that, Cnebba?" she finally said, straight-faced. "And how does that make it acceptable for you to play with the swords which, first, are not toys, and second, you used without asking?" She turned her gaze to Garmund, the older of the two. Last edited by Lhunardawen; 04-22-2009 at 07:41 PM.

04-22-2009, 06:22 PM	#4
littlemanpoet Itinerant Songster Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: The Edge of Faerie Posts: 7,066	Harreld Harreld hid the smirk on his face by staying busy with setting things straight. The boys were clever talkers, that much was sure. But Ginna, he trusted, would not be fooled. "...we have nothing to say in our defense," Cnebba said. Well and good, Harreld thought. He set his face to grimness, turned and raised himself to his full height, and looked down his broad nose at the two boys who stared at him in a mix of fear and admiration. He was sure they wanted to be big like him some day. He remembered being a boy looking up at a man twice his height, and wishing. "You are guilty of tresspassing," Harreld said. "Is that not so, Ginna?" "Aye, 'tis so." She was playing along as he knew she would. "The guilty must pay for their crime. What, Ginna, do you think would be a reasonable payment?"

04-23-2009, 10:38 AM	#5
Lhunardawen Hauntress of the Havens Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: IN it, but not OF it Posts: 2,538	Ginna had not quite actually thought of a fitting punishment, and the look she gave Harreld told him so. He responded with a slight shrug and a quick wink, expressing his confidence that she can come up with something. What is this, some form of foresighted play on how we shall be as parents? She could not help shuddering at the thought of raising two mischievous boys, yet all the same the idea amused her. When she finally spoke, her tone was conspiratorial. "Do you think you'll have use for a couple of helpers here? Show them how hard you must work to keep these things in order?" Last edited by Lhunardawen; 04-23-2009 at 10:42 AM.

04-24-2009, 08:27 AM	#6
littlemanpoet Itinerant Songster Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: The Edge of Faerie Posts: 7,066	Harreld "Now that is a good thought!" Harreld said, looking down at the boys appraisingly. He reached out one big hand. "Give me your arm," he commanded Garmund. The boy raised his right arm with not a little worry on his face, and Harreld felt for the muscle. "Hum! Needs work! Here, grab this hammer and strike that anvil." Garmund picked up the man-sized hammer in both hands and swung it down; it bounced off the anvil, out of his control, and Garmund began to tip over from the motion; but Harreld caught him. "Hmm! That was a mighty swing for a little boy." "I'm not little!" Garmund protested. "Not little, you say?" "I'm bigger than he is!" Garmund pointed at Cnebba. "That is true, but maybe he is quicker than you for his age. I remember seeing some of today's games and one did better at one thing and the other at another time. Even so, you could take turs working my bellows for me, see what it takes to be a good smith. I will talk to your parents, see if we might not arrange a game of sorts between the two of you, see which of you might make a better smith. What do you say to that?"

04-21-2009, 03:22 PM	#1
Thinlómien Shady She-Penguin Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: In a far land beyond the Sea Posts: 8,093	"Well someone has got to do some explaining." Garmund, who had not managed to hide at all, shifted his weight from one foot to the other rather awkwardly. Cnebba evaluated the situation for a while, but decided Ginna was looking at him just as much as at Garmund, and crawled out from under an old saddle the stirrups of which Harreld had been fixing. The boys exchanged glances. "We were just having a look around, that's all," Garmund said after a while and shrugged. He avoided meeting Ginna's eyes. "Is that so?" she asked. "Then why those two swords were on the floor?" "They..." Garmund started but couldn't finish the sentence. "We just wanted to be cool," Cnebba cut in. He hung his head shamedly. "Cool like you."

04-22-2009, 01:57 PM	#3
Thinlómien Shady She-Penguin Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: In a far land beyond the Sea Posts: 8,093	Ginna was eyeing them both rather seriously, but Cnebba thought he had seen a glint of merriment in her eyes earlier. So maybe she's not that angry after all... Cnebba gave the maid a rather smug smile. "What I mean is that... that we saw you with the sword and thought it looked cool," he said simply, grinning a bit conspirationally to Ginna. "You know, we thought we'd love to be like that too." Garmund looked rather horrified at Cnebba's relaxed attitude. He was far more nervous. Cnebba wondered if Garmund had missed Ginna's amusement, or if he had realised something Cnebba hadn't. Like, maybe Ginna wasn't going to be so nice after all... Cnebba gulped and waited for Garmund to speak up. "We do know swords are no toys," Garmund said. In fact, he sounded a bit offended. "There are blunt wooden swords for playing." "My dad can make them," Cnebba put in. Garmund scowled at him and he shut up, narrowing his eyes angrily though. "And as for the permission..." Garmund suddenly run out of words. He was trying to catch a glimpse of Harreld's face to see if he was angry, but he did not succeed because he didn't actually dare to look at the smith. "...we have nothing to say in our defense," Cnebba finished. This time Garmund didn't scowl at him, just looked rather surprised. Cnebba resisted the urge to grin at his friend, or to let a smug smile creep to his face once again. Still, he couldn't help feeling content with his reply: it sounded terribly adult to him.