[Thinlómien]

Unfortunately, all the men seemed to be doing something important. No bier-carriers for Wilheard, it seemed. If you want something to be done, do it yourself. Yes, yes. Uncle Fréathain's immortal piece of advice, something he and Wulf had always laughed at: his serious tone of voice when he kept repeating it and how he, a respected officer, lived by it himself. Will could remember him doing all kinds of funny stuff, like emptying containers in outhouses and fixing his own saddle.

Now it seemed like a useful piece of advice, and definitely not so funny anymore. He assessed the situation quickly: the Dunlending woman had just appeared with the bier. If he wanted to go somewhere to find a man to carry the bier with him, he would have to leave quick. But he should actually have left already. Now the serving woman and the healer - and worst of all, Scyrr - would think him a total idiot, after all he had just stood on the yard lazily for the past few minutes. He cursed in his head. Why didn't he ever learn? He functioned much better with animals than people.

"You, woman, help me lift Scyrr to this bier. Then we carry him to your healer's place. Healerwoman, see that we don't bump him into anything."

Now Wilheard felt even more stupid. That was probably the stupidest order he had even given, it even sounded so silly! He was grateful Wulfric wasn't here to see this - he was supposed to laugh at his brother, not the other way around. But there was no way taking back the order once it was given.

The women obeyed quickly and once Will and the dark woman left the bier Will was surprised - the sturdy woman was much stronger than she looked. Spent too little time with serving women, he thought sourly and then grinned at his own jest. Anyway, he hoped as few people as possible would pay attention to this humiliating operation. "Is it far?" he barked.

~*~

"Just around the corner, sir," Modtryth replied. She was surprised by the straightforward and down-to-earth manner of this young lord, carrying the bier with a womanservant. Not maybe as far from Lord Eodwine as I first thought... she mused.

She had figured the Lord's sons were just like so many other self-important young nobles and she had seen that side of them - all the carelessness and cruelty, but it amused her how much they actually reminded her of her own son and his two friends. Well, they are not that much older! she thought, and then wondered if she was becoming old herself. More a mother than a maid anyway, I should know that...

They arrived at Aedhel's temporary healer's quarters and lay Scyrr on one of the sickbeds.
"I shall look after him now, my lord," Aedhel said in her calm and pleasant voice.
"Good," the young man replied and with a quick glance at the wounded soldier, quit the room abruptly.

Helpless laughter rose in Modtryth and she sat down and let it all pour out. Aedhel gave her an odd look.
"What is it, Modtryth?" she asked quietly.
Modtryth shook her head. "Nothing. I mean... this day has been just absurd, everything is absurd. Everything has changed."
Aedhel nodded. "But hopefully not only for the worst."
"Yes," said Modtryth. She could not think of anything better to say. "Look for me if you need help with him. I will visit every now and then."
"Thank you."
"That's nothing. I'll go now. By the looks of it, there's a lot of stuff going on where I might be needed. And people tend to forget that the household has to be run even on days like this. Ginna and I were supposed to do the laundry today!"

With those words, she hurried off. Ginna would be at the kitchens, by Kara's side. Well, now Kara should be left for Frodides brusque words and warm heart, that would probably be for the best. Modtryth didn't make it to the kitchens yet when her keen eyes spotted Leodern sulking by Harreld's smithy. She had better find out what was going on.

"What's up, little one?" Modtryth asked and picked the girl in her arms. Leodern was no baby anymore, but Modtryth secretly liked treating her like one - she was such a sweet and pretty child.

Leodern his her small face in her hair. "Garmund and Cnebba didn't listen to me. And Javan called me ninny."
"I'll see to Javan hearing of it later. It was wrong of him to say that." Modtryth let out a small sigh - but of course a 13-year-old boy would think a 5-year-old girl a ninny. He just should have enough brains not to say it aloud. Modtryth was more concerned about the second part of Leodern's worries, though. "And what did you say when Garmund and Cnebba didn't listen to you?" she asked, although with a sinking feeling she thought she knew what it was about.
"They didn't listen to me when I said you..." she stopped abruptly.
"Told them to stay in sight of the house and out of trouble, yes," Modtryth finished. Don't the boys ever grow up... at all?

"Now you, my lady, shall come with me to the kitchen and you shall eat apples with Ginna while I find a few tricksters I'd gladly have a word with. Then later today you may come do laundry with us - but no splashing or dangerous experimenting with the hot water this time!"

Leodern's eyes lit up. If the months in Scarburg had made Modtryth her loving mother, Ginna, whom she still called "princess" every now and then, had become her much admired big sister and Modtryth knew the little girl just loved doing the laundry. She would make such a perfect maid some day, Modtryth thought wryly.