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Rowenna was on her knees with scrub brush in hand, cleaning the hallway floor just outside the kitchen. Cnebba and Kara were keeping up a lively banter, and Rowenna doubted that they knew she was there. This suited her.
Two others came into the kitchen through the alder court door, Modtryth and Léodern as it turned out.
”Cnebba”, said the girl with sudden seriousness, ”I know you're a Dunlending, but you're still my friend.”
Rowenna stopped scrubbing. It was a curious thing to have said; surely there was a story behind it. Modtryth was dark of skin and brown of eye, which was of course unusual in an Eorling. She was Dunlending? It must be! But that was a small matter set beside other considerations. The outlaws she had been forced to live with were an odd mix of many folk, and all of them barbaric whether Eorling, Dunlending, or Gondorian.
Suddenly the two women broke into laughter. How odd, Rowenna thought.
”Why are you laughing, mum? What's so funny?" That had to be Cnebba. He sounded very unsettled.
”Never mind, my dear, never mind.”
But the boy would mind, especially if it was adults who were laughing at him. Even if they weren't laughing at him, how was he to know better?
Rowenna filed the moment away in her mind and went back to her scrubbing.
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