It was a sombre Innkeeper who sat down in the quiet after the unimaginable events of the last night and day. Never before had horse thieves struck so close to Edoras. Nor had they ever taken so many at once. Perhaps it was Ćlfritha's horses which had attracted attention; they were the finest stock in Rohan after the mearas. It would be near financial ruin for the horsebreeder to lose all four. And it was ruin to the sense of peaceful community. Already whispers were flowing around Edoras and people were taking harsh second glances at faces which weren't immediately familiar. An edge had crept into the community on sly cat feet and it had cut into the easy familiarity which all had known.
Yet Bethberry sat eating the stew which Culoth had prepared with a calm patience. The effort and earnest desire to serve which had motivated Culoth must have touched Fróma also, for to her surprise there had been no swift quelling of the culinary insurrection. Culoth had been allowed to prepare the dish in peace. With effort, Bethberry turned her attention to the patrons sitting near her, trying to divert her mind from the troubles at hand.
[ January 13, 2003: Message edited by: Bethberry ]
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I’ll sing his roots off. I’ll sing a wind up and blow leaf and branch away.
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