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Although there was much for Saeryn and Eodwine to talk about, they did not speak at great length at that time. Eodwine was weary and Saeryn knew it. Now that they had come to understand one another in the issue of eorlship, her womanly instinct to care for him came to bear. She put him to bed, assuring him that there was nothing for him to do, and that any greetings he had failed to make this morning would be able to be made this evening at the feast that they were giving in his honor.
Once she had seen that all his needs had been cared for, she returned to the kitchen, and then she and the other ladies set to work to prepare the feast she had mentioned to Eodwine.
When the letter had arrived announcing his coming, Athanar had said that his coming would be a celebration. He ordered that one of the cattle be slaughtered and fresh meet served on the day of his return. Breads were baked, and fruits and vegetables stored in the cellar below were hauled up and prepared in all sorts of dishes. There was never an idle moment for the people in the kitchen, and the day passed more quickly than they desired.
When the early dusk fell, and the men came to shake the descending cold from their limbs, all was prepared. The hall blazed with firelight from torches, candles, and the blazing fireplace, and the tables were laid and prepared for a heavy burden of food.
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