[littlemanpoet]

Eodwine was quiet, his mind still churning from Gudryn's answer to his question as to what kind of life she hoped for with him as her father. He was not ready to divulge the information to anyone yet, however. They ate breakfast together, Gudryn silently waiting for him to think over her reply. Falco was taking a morning stroll through the town.

Garreth and Harreld, the twin blacksmiths, joined Eodwine and Gudryn at their breakfast table. They were trading their usual barbs and double-wit-backs (no such thing as entendrés here) when a woman walked through the Great Room door carrying a stack of cloth.

Garreth and Harreld did not bother to be discreet, but watched her eagerly as she walked through to the kitchen, then back out into the Great Room again, to sit at a table in the corner with a mug of some strong smelling, dark steaming brew that she sipped at daintily.

"Who's that?" Garreth asked Ruthven, who sat at a nearby table.

"What's it to you what 'er name is?" Ruthven the rag lady challenged.

Garreth frowned. "You know well enough. I - um -" Garreth glanced at Eodwine, who watched him with growing amusement. "Eodwine here has declared he's seeking a wife."

"Oh come now, brother!" Harreld cuffed him on the shoulder. "Admit you're looking for your own hopes."

Garreth turned on his brother. "Admit it yourself first and maybe I will!" Harreld threw up his hands in a gesture of peace, and warding off a potential blow. Garreth turned back to Ruthven. "So what's her name?"

"Ask 'er yerself, you bumpkin."

Garreth went all red in the face. "Well," he stammered, "I'd prefer to be introduced."

"Maybe I'll go introduce you to her," Eodwine said, smiling. He stood up, as if ready to do the deed.

Garreth looked at him, startled. "You mean you're just going to walk over and introduce yourself?"

"Well, yes. To ask her name for the sake of my friends."

Garreth raised an eyebrow. "Oh. Well, while you're at it, how about asking her to join us?"

"I can do that," Eodwine said. "But what has suddenly made you the bashful one?"

"I'm not bashing nobody," Garreth said. "What are you talking about?"

Eodwine chuckled. "I'll go make the invitation." With that, he walked over to the table of the cloth woman.