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Thornden sat quietly a few moments, busying himself with both his fodder and his thoughts. Not that Thornden ate like a horse, except perhaps in quantity. Eodwine thought to himself that he could hardly expect to have a quiet breakfast alone, sitting in the mead hall. Pah! Mere selfishness mixed with self pity. Enough of that! If Saeryn needs to go rousting about like a vagabond instead of a lady of the court who knows better, that is her business and not yours. His mind growled nonetheless.
Thornden spoke up with his typical earnestness. Eodwine forced himself to keep irritation at bay, and not wish that the young man would come to his point - it would just be more grumpy self-pity - so he listened in silence.
Javan as Léofric's helper. Eodwine barely knew the boy. Thornden's brother he was. Which meant that he was just as earnest, or just as likely the flip side of that coin. Oldest brothers had a way of being responsible, and their young brothers tended not to be. But it would not be fair to base judgement on mere likelihood.
"If Léof will have him, then Javan may work with him. He shall be answerable to Léof for all that he does in the stables, and Léof will report to both you and me in a week's time as to Javan's fittedness to be ostler's helper. Does that suit your wish?"
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