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Javan woke only a little bit after first light. He rolled out of bed at once and as quietly as he could contrive, he slipped into his clothes and quietly exited the room. He hurried down the dim, silent corridor, down the stairs, and long that hall, and then out the side door. He went at once to the stables, knowing that there he would probably find Léof already up and at work.
As he entered the stables, though, he nearly ran into someone who he did not expect to see. He stepped back quickly. It was Saeryn, and she was leading her own horse out. Javan said nothing, but let her pass with only a look of wonder. Then he turned and went on to find Léof. He found him at work in the recently emptied stall.
“Good morning, Léof,” Javan said, looking in. “I thought I’d be the first one up and in here visiting you and the horses.”
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Thornen woke sometime later. He yawned and rubbed his eyes and then sighed a little as he saw his brother’s empty bed. He must have slept like a log in order to have remained asleep while Javan got up and dressed. As he washed his face and arms quickly and pulled on his shirt, he wondered absently how long Javan had been up, and what he had done with himself.
In a few minutes, Thornden made his appearance in the hall. There were a few people up already. Garstan with Garmund were just passing through. Garmund seemed to be eating his breakfast on the run, with a roll in each hand. Thornden looked after the two with curiosity. Garstan had a strange look of trapped merriment in his face, and Garmund looked grumpy, more so than a boy might usually look just roused out of bed. In a moment, they had left and Thornden was left to wonder.
Eodwine also was there. He sat alone, at the edge of the long table, eating his breakfast. Thornden went quickly to the kitchen to get a plateful, and then came back out and approached the eorl. He studied Eodwine as he approached. The man did not look altogether refreshed after his full night’s sleep, and a strangely sad expression hung about his face. Thornden placed his plate down on the table opposite him.
“Good morning, my lord,” he said. “May I join you?”
Eodwine looked up. “Of course, Thornden! Please, sit down.” Thornden did so at once. For a few moments there was silence between the two of them.
“Eodwine,” Thornden said, breaking the silence at last. “Last night I introduced my brother to you. I have been thinking, or I did last night before going to sleep, about what he should do while he is here. I was wondering if it would be at all possible for him to work with Léof in the stables? I know that he loves horses and always has. I am not certain, though, of how well he handles them or anything. But I thought…I thought that since Léof is always there, almost, Javan would have the chance to learn a lot about horses by working with them personally, but would also have someone with him to make sure that he did nothing detrimental to the horses. Would that be possible – for him to help Léof? I am not sure that Léof needs help, you understand. And I am also not certain that you had nothing else you wanted Javan to do instead. That is why I speak with you before I suggest it to either Javan or Léof.”
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