[Folwren]

Quin moved with all the other soldiers into the shelter of the hall where food and some mead was brought to them. Quin sat at the end of one table with his back to his companions, looking back towards the door. He watched for Leof, hoping that he would come soon, but the minutes ticked away and he didn’t show.

With a backwards glance over his shoulder at the others, Quin stood up and walked out. He went to the stables and entered. No one was within, and none of the horses there were familiar. Of course. They wouldn’t put the Scarburg horses in the stables. He exited again and looked about. There at the end of the stables was the beginning of the paddock, and he could see several horses tied to the rail already. He hurried across. He spotted Leof and Faramund’s stablehand, walking side by side, each with two horses in hand.

Quin stood for a moment, irresolute. Should he go over to Leof and speak with him? Would it be his business to interrupt their conversation? The closer he looked, though, the more he realized the two weren’t speaking anyway. But what if he distracted him from his work? That was unlikely. Leof seemed like the straightforward sort of fellow who would keep working even if Quin approached him. But then the question presented itself of how it would look for one of Athanar’s soldiers to go talk to the stablemaster while he proceeded with his job? Well, it didn’t matter.

Quin walked towards Leof. “Can I be of help?” he asked.