[Airerûthiel]

Etheldreda had been awake since before dawn, but she had been reluctant to leave her room. She had always been afraid of new people, preferring to stay out of everybody's way. The smell of breakfast wafted up the stairs, seeping through the gap under her door. She had spent the last few minutes being driven wild by the scent, and knew she could resist no longer. Her empty stomach suddenly rumbled so loudly the whole of Edoras could hear it. She quickly dressed in a pair of slightly too-big trousers that had once been her brother's and a faded brown long-sleeved tunic, pulled on her boots and hurried downstairs.

In the dining room there was already a hububb of chatter as the other half-awake guests of the inn worked their way through breakfast. Etheldreda never usually ate much in the mornings - she was far too busy tending to the horses - but she felt strangely ravenous that day. It was unlikely that she would be able to eat again until she returned to the Horse that evening. Today was to be her first day of seeking work in Rohan's capital city.

Aylwen smiled a kind greeting at Etheldreda as the young woman walked over to the bar and placed her order for a bowl of porridge and a cup of hot water. When Etheldreda's mother had been alive, she had professed that drinking hot water was the cure for all ills, starting every day with a cup of the stuff. The girl smiled at the memory of her fair-haired mother - the fair hair that had marked her as not being a blood relation to Etheldreda.

She ate slowly, thinking of where she could seek work as she did so. Maybe she could hire herself out, running odd jobs for people in exchange for a few coins. Or perhaps there would be a peasant family somewhere in the city, looking for a girl to care for young children or look after horses. For a moment Etheldreda's face softened as she thought of her father's stables and the gentle doe-eyed beasts that he was famed for breeding. The warm sweet smell of straw wafted to her nose and she wished with all her heart that she could be back there now.

No. Those days were over; she must put them behind her, for her own good. But at the same time, a doubt was nagging at her. It was more than likely that she would be forced to return to the inn with less and less money for some evenings yet. Although she had taken one of the cheapest rooms, the silver she had left wouldn't last her much more than five days or so. She doubted the innkeepers would let her stay rent-free; it was tough to eke a living in these times, even in such a traveller-frequented city as Edoras.

Of course, that was it! The innkeepers would know of any jobs going. No doubt they would hear plenty of news, both from locals and strangers, and some of that might concern a vacant position somewhere. She drained the last of her water and walked over to Aylwen.

"Excuse me...Aylwen, isn't it?"

Aylwen turned to see a young woman with short-cut black hair and blue-grey eyes standing behind her. The girl was dressed in dark peasant's boys clothes, and her face and hands were like those of one who has worked hard and lived an outdoor life.

"Yes?" said Aylwen, not unkindly. "How can I help you?"

"My name is Etheldreda," the girl said, only glancing up from the floor once or twice. "I was wondering...well, that is to say...do you know of any work going in Edoras? I can clean, cook a little, run any odd jobs that want doing, look after children, and I have lots of experience with horses."

Aylwen thought for a moment. She liked this girl, even if she did seem a little shy. "I might," she said. "But I think I can do better than that. There's been word that a scullery maid has been wanted up at Meduseld for some time now. It's not much, but there's plenty of opportunity there. So what do you say?"

Etheldreda's heart felt as though it was going to burst with joy. It was all she could do not to hug the innkeeper.

"Thank you," she said, and she meant it. She turned on her heel and hurried out into the streets of Edoras, making her way up to the Golden Hall.

[ October 11, 2003: Message edited by: Airerûthiel ]