[Nogrod]

“... But, then, I am not a member of your party, and it is not I that must decide this....", Leod turned to look at Sythric. Is he waiting for me to agree on this? He’s right in a way, and then not: we are in this mess all of us, together.

“I thank you for your being quite outspoken, considering Fion, but I still think I have to disagree with you.” Sythric looked at Leod firmly, but also respectingly. He had learned to honour the elders, and he sure did, but now he really had to disagree. “I guess, we have lots of decisions, possibly some grave ones to make, all of us. I don’t think we can any more talk of us as separate parties. We are Rohanians in trouble, again all of us. I can’t see any outsiders here any more. The land is insecure, and there are a host of messages to the King waiting for delivery – messages, that seem to be gaining in importance day after day. Wulfham and Bregoware are abandoned, as is Aernanaes. Scyffold is burnt down... We have to think about these things as one now, as Rohanians with a common end: how to balance between the effectiveness of our delivery and the safety of all of us individually?” He paused for a while, checking Leod’s reactions. He seemed not to disagree, at least not outright, as his expressions revealed not a thought behind them.

“But that’s something we should discuss together, all of us, with a roast deer to go with it... Which kind of reminds me of...”, he looked to his left where Dorran and Athwen were sitting besides Fion and talking something. He turned his face back to Leod. “It seems, that our master chef has more important things at hand just now?”, with that he winked an eye to Leod and smiled jokingly. “Maybe we should continue preparing this deer, so that we would all have a good dinner before it gets dark?” Leod nodded in agreement. They rose up and took themselves to where Dorran had left the half-carved deer. Together they were pretty fast with it, both knowing the trade well enough. The deer was skinned in just a moment.

“I have some seasoning at my packages, and I could also go and make us a spit of sorts, if you would wash the blood from the deer and see to the fire so that it burns nicely? I quess we should roast this at that bigger fire where Fion and others are, as this has been used to smoking, and would take quite a time to generate enough heat? I could then take care of the internal organs – if Dorran won’t be rushing to it before I have a chance.” As Leod agreed to this division of labour, Sythric took to the nearby trees, and noticed Eostre standing alone, just having fun by herself. Eostre, so you are alone again... How do we get you out from your private jail you’ve created?

It was only now, as Sythric walked towards Eostre, that he paid attention to Nay’s private show that clearly seemed to be the thing amusing her. It sure seemed funny – although Vaenosa seemed pretty frustrated with it. Has that girl ever trained her horse? How has she dared to take that kind of a horse to a mission like this? They both watched it a couple of moments silently, but then Sytric addressed Eostre. “Would you like to do something? Kind of joining us others? We would have to make a spit, needing two strong young trees with boughs at the top, about a yard long, and one two-yarder, thinner but thick and straight. Could you get them? I could then go and unpack all our horses for their comfort, and get the seasoning. Leod, the old man there, is preparing the deer to the bigger fire. Or we could change the jobs: I’ll get the spit and you’ll unpack the horses? My seasoning is in a small box, in the backbag at Thydrë’s left side.”