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Come if you like. Léof worked that over in his mind for a couple moments as Thornden left the stables, trying to figure out if that really was all there was to it. Finally Léof decided that Thornden usually said pretty much what he meant, but that if Thornden had made the assumption that he was coming along in the first place, maybe he ought to go.
Then he needed to hurry. Several soldiers had already led their horses out of the stables. He knew better than to run in the stables but he strode as quickly as he could down to the tack room where he fetched his saddle and bridle. He returned to the stall, nearly colliding with one of the soldiers as he rounded the corner, and in almost no time at all had Æthel tacked up. He looked her over with a critical eye and decided that she, at least, looked more than presentable.
“Come on, then,” he said to her, and led her out into the courtyard where the soldiers were gathering, half-wondering what he was getting into.
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