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When they have arrived back to the camp, Áforglaed was the first to unsaddle his horse and as Thornden already gave them leave, he ran across the darkness-covered courtyard into the healer's room to see Scyrr. That way, he had missed the return of Coenred's party, and learned about their unsuccessful mission only later when he came down for dinner.
Scyrr seemed to be getting better, and at least the local healer took good care about him. When Áforgaled came, he was sleeping, probably the best thing he could do at his current condition anyway. The healer woman was just on the leave herself, going to join the rest for the evening meal. Áforglaed remembered seeing her before, she was a pretty young woman, about his age, and somehow it seemed to him that she did not really fit the place. She looked different from the fair-haired girls back home, and there was something in her bearing which made her look almost noble lady-like. Perhaps she is an Elf, Áforglaed thought, but then he dismissed the thought straightaway: he had never seen an Elf, but he assumed them to be different.
"Your friend will be all right," the healer told him, standing at the door, as if nudging him to leave too. "I will bring some food for him when we go back from the dinner."
"No... no, I will do that," Áforglaed said. He followed to the door, with one last turn back to resting Scyrr.
The healer woman nodded in approval. They left the healer's quarters and slowly walked towards the main hall. As they walked in silence, Áforglaed's grim thoughts were suddenly washed away in the presence of this fair lady, which was so unlike the loud yellow-haired maids and girls in Edoras. He almost forgot about the trouble of the day, until another man joined them, and to his dismay, Áforglaed recognised the man who got into fight with him just after their arrival yesterday. The man cast a sideway look at him and then spoke a few fast words to the healer-woman. She nodded and they continued their pace towards the hall. Áforglaed stopped and gazed after them darkly. His brief moment of relief was gone again. What does this man have to do with her anyway?
So his mood was still grim as he arrived to the hall. The warmth inside took the evening chill off his bones, but his mind remained troubled. He sat along the table with the rest of the soldiers just as lord Athanar had entered the hall.
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