[Folwren]

The smile and flush of pleasure that had risen to Thornden’s face when Eodwine made his answer quickly faded again as Eodwine asked to be told of the final matter. Thornden paused a long moment in answering. He felt reluctant to even begin - he hated the idea of being an informer. Yet it had to be done.

“It is concerning Trystan, my lord,” Thornden said. “I am aware that you do not think the most highly of him. Before I being, I must beg you to not make any hasty judgement against him and do not be angry.”

Thornden then commenced telling Eodwine of what had happened that morning at the ruins. Of arriving, seeing the strange man, Falco following him, bringing Falco back, and Trystan having joined Garmund in their absense. Then he told him about Falco sending Trystan and Thornden off together in search of the stranger.

“I did not want to follow him, Eodwine. I had no wish to meet him again, and I didn’t think he wanted us hunting him down. After a little while, I told Trsytan so. It was then that I first noticed that he seemed afraid. I don’t know what about. I can not guess what he was thinking. But he was afraid. And then, he nearly told me something, but stopped, and then admitted that we shouldn’t be following the man and that he had no reason, and he was going to leave it at that, but I pressed him to speak.

“Perhaps it was wrong of me, but I can not tell. He became angry when I suggested that he might have something he should tell me, or you. Before I was aware of what I had said wrong, he drew a knife on me. This one.” He produced the small knife, the blade of which was only a couple inches long. He extended it, with the hilt towards Eodwine, as he continued. “He said that we suspected him upon no grounds. He seemed to think that we had heard of some crime that took place and immediately thought of him. I never accused him of a thing, but he told me - Eodwine, he was furious, but I think it was from fear, he yelled at me - that he hadn’t done anything wrong. A moment later, he dropped the knife and stepped back away from it, and then he said to me - ‘you’ve heard, have you?’ That startled me nearly as much as being threatened with the knife. He would say nothing after that. I asked him if he did anything wrong, he said he hadn’t, but he made no defense of himself.

“I do not know what to make of it. I am sorry to have to tell it to you. Something is bothering him, Eodwine, and he’s afraid to speak.”