[littlemanpoet]

Rowenna was helping Ginna and the others serving the food. This had been her charge before she had left, and she fell back into it with ease; Ginna and the others appreciated the extra hands, especially as she knew her way around the pantries, not to mention the habits of Frodides. Eodwine and Saeryn had not come in yet. She supposed Athanar had special plans. He did seem to be one for the grand gesture, as if he were especially aware of how his actions affected how his folk viewed him.

She watched the men come in the Hall from their work. They brought the cold in with them, and visibly relaxed into the warmth of the room. The fire in the hearth had been built high this night, for the air was even colder than most nights. There was Garreth, and even Harreld who had apparently been pressed to join them though it was not his way of late, she was told. Poor Ginna. Rowenna had not heard too much, but things were not as they should be between them, and Harreld needed a good talking to. But Rowenna knew better than to charge in where not asked.

There was Nydfara. She schooled herself not to change her manner even if her heart would not behave. Why did it start beating faster just because she noticed him in the room? How frustrating. She suffered him not a glance as she brought out a large tray with a half dozen tankards of mead. What was this? One of the men sauntered up the aisle toward her, a haughty half grin on his face, looking directly at her. Oh. One of these. Yes, he was coming toward her with an air as if he believed himself to be the answer in man's form for all the questions a woman had. She forced herself not to roll her eyes. He stopped right in front of her, his eyes half closed, with the confident smile of a rogue. She raised an eyebrow.

"I am Aldric. Are you offering drinks?" he asked.

"I bring them to table," she replied.

"Why thank you, I'll take one. How could I resist the offer of such a pretty little thing as you?" He took one of the six off her tray, winking at his double meaning as if he were the cleverest womanizer in all Rohan. She caught the tray with her other hand before the other five drinks could do more than slosh in their tankards.

"I made you no offer."

"Ah, but you wanted to. I could see it in your eyes."

Rowenna groaned inside. He was not bad looking, but his manner grated and bespoke a character beneath her. "You misread my eyes."

"Oho! You play hard to get. I know how it goes. I am not so easily put off. Come sit at my table tonight so we can get acquainted, and," he paused meaningfully, "see how things go from there."

"They'll not go anywhere. Not with the likes of you."

He raised his brow. "You do not know me. I am the best horseman in Scarburg, and am among the best with a sword or spear. My aim never fails of its target." He lifted his free hand to the hair on her shoulder and played it between his fingers. "Once I set my eye on a target, I will hit the bullseye. Maybe not the first time, but I always do, with practice, if you know what I mean." He winked.

She forced her lip not to curl in disgust. "Your prowess in marksmanship may be all that you say, but you miss the mark with me." With a twitch of her head she yanked her hair out of his grasp. "And always will. Let me by, please."

"Are you spoken for then?"

"No, I am not. But I speak for myself, and I say that you do not interest me. Let me by. I have tables to serve."

He frowned a moment but recovered and smiled. "Now now, that is no way to talk. You are the prettiest lass here. Sit with me at table."

"I'd sooner sit at table with a toad than you. Out of my way."

He stepped partly out of her path and she brushed by him, glad the conversation was over. She did not see Aldric's evil look at her back. She did look involuntarily at Nydfara, who appeared to be watching Aldric with a smirk. He glanced toward her. The smirk left his face, and he looked away almost as quickly as she did. She found a table far from him, set the tray down, and returned to the kitchen for more. The evening had better start going better, she thought to herself, or she would be returning to the Folde as soon as was possible.