|
Thornden stood without understanding Eodwine for a moment, but then the eorl stepped aside and allowed Thornden to enter the room. He had hardly passed the door post when he stopped abruptly to stare. Eodwine’s words made sense instantly. ‘There is no such man as Rilef, except at grave need. . .’ There sat the twins, looking back at him quietly, two separate men who were not really separate.
Thornden didn’t know what to think, how to react, or what to say. His eyes left Lefun and Ritun and he glanced at Garstan, Garmund, and lastly at Falco. Their earlier disagreement over the stranger came back to him. He wondered if Falco had known there were two of them. Possibly. It was impossible to tell. He turned and looked then at Eodwine. He had accepted the twins, apparently, and now stood waiting for Thornden to either do the same or make some objection. Thornden decided to make no objection. The responsibility was not his to accept or refuse any man that Eodwine thought fit to be part of the inhabitants of the mead hall.
“Lefun, Ritun,” he said, turning and looking again at the twins. “Thornden, at your service.” He bowed slightly and when he lifted his head again, a small smile formed on his face. “When we met earlier, I had no idea there were two of you. Your disguise worked quite well to fool me.”
|