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Javan thought he could hardly believe his senses when he heard Thornden ask Léof if Javan could help him. He did not speak a word during their short discussion, for fear that he might somehow make Léof say no, or Thornden change his mind. But when Léof had said that he would be willing to try Javan out, and Thornden had thanked him, Javan still found he couldn’t speak.
Léof turned from Thornden almost at once. “And it looks like we may already have a couple of horses to tend to. Eat fast, Javan, and get used to being interrupted.”
Javan didn’t need to be told twice. He was so excited that no one could have kept him at the table longer than two minutes, anyway. He ate his food so quick that Thornden almost took the place of his mother in telling him to slow down or he’d choke. But Thornden stopped the words and instead of telling Javan to slow down, he stood up and went out of the hall, chuckling at his little brother’s excitement.
When Javan had finished a little more than half of this plateful, he leaped up to his feet. “I’m ready,” he said. Léof glanced at him and then at the food on Javan’s plate, but he said nothing and merely shrugged. He stood up, still holding his plate, and while they took the dishes back to the kitchen, he scraped up the last of his eggs, and before putting the plate on the counter, took the remaining bit of his bread.
“Come on,” he said with a nod to Javan, and they turned and went back out.
Outside the stables, with the reins looped quickly through the rings, stood two tall and finely bred horses. Léof took the reins of one and led him in through the stable door. Javan quickly went to the second and took its reins and followed Léof.
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