[Nogrod]

Thornden left the kitchen with an air of bewilderment and frustration about him. He knew not what he had done to deserve such rejection and anger at the hand of Saeryn, and it rather stung. He tried not to feel anger at her unreasonableness, but he was only human, and tired at that. He was deep in thought when Captain Coenred caught his arm.

Thornden turned at once, his face clearing of his thoughts. He saw Hilderinc quietly excuse himself from conversation with Coenred, nod to Thornden, and go back to his seat. Thornden waited for Coenred to speak.

“Athanar asked me to tell you that whenever you had a moment, he wished to speak with you,” Coenred said.

“Very well, thank you,” Thornden said. Coenred nodded and turned and went off. Thornden sighed and stood irresolute a moment. With a sigh he decided to go and speak with Athanar now. He felt he could eat no more, there was too much turmoil still within the hall and its members to feel completely at ease, despite the warm mead in him.

“My lord, you called for me,” he said, coming to Athanar’s side. Athanar turned partially in his chair to face Thornden showing with his hand for Thornden to sit down beside him.

“Thornden,” Athanar said in a low voice, quickly checking no one, especially the hobbit, was listening. “Is it possible that you had some knowledge of those two who fled and you did not come open about it with me?”

Thornden felt his stomach sink heavily. He looked at Athanar and saw that his lord’s face was serious and even stern. It was just possible that he did not know and was guessing. Thornden sincerely hoped this was the case and decided to test the water.

“My lord asked me if I knew aught yesterday, before we sent search parties out,” Thornden responded quietly.

Thornden detected a hint of disappointment in lord Athanar's expression. Lord Athanar leaned back in his chair and seemed to be thinking. Then he leaned back forwards looking at Thornden straight in the eyes.

"Do you wish the men you lead are open and frank to you? Do you trust people who are not willing or courageous to come open with you?" He made a pause but Thornden could read from his expression he was not quite finished yet.

"Which one is the worse to your eyes, that you can't trust someone, or that there is something in between you in the open so that you can then try to work your way forwards?"

"It would be worse if I could not trust a man," Thornden responded. It was clear now that Athanar somehow knew that Thornden had held something back. His words partially shamed him, but more strongly was the feeling that he had not done complete wrong, and he roused his pride to answer Athanar. "But I would strive to be such a leader to my men that they would trust me enough to not be afraid of telling me everything. And if a man held back something, I would seek to find what I had done to deserve such distrust or disloyalty in him." He looked Athanar squarey in the eye as he spoke so boldly.

Lord Athanar leaned back and smiled. The reaction took Thornden by surprise. Slowly Athanar raised the goblet into his mouth and took a heavy draught from it. After wiping his beard he set the goblet back to the table and turned his eyes on Thornden, now piercing his eyes with his gaze.

"So my good Thornden, how would you have done that which you call for in just one day, in a situation where you'd be commandend by your superiors to take charge of everything in a place where people still mourned for the previous lord... If you know the answer you do have something to teach me my friend." Athanar made a fleeting smile, raised his eyebrows and leaned forwards. "I do love your straightforwardness Thornden, but I'd also counsel you to think before you talk. If you had reason to say what you did just now after a month or two, I would really need to consider, but now you're trying to avoid things, now aren't you?"

Lord Athanar looked at Thornden quizzically and called for more wine.