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Any optimism Léof might have felt about the first visit had dissipated as soon as he saw the old man bodily thrown from the hall. From his position at the back of the column, he had a difficult time seeing and hearing everything that was going on, though he did not think that all the armed men at Faramund’s back were meant to be welcoming. And once Athanar and Faramund started raising their voices, Léof knew for sure the meeting was beginning poorly.
Suddenly the party was breaking up, and Léof heard the commands given to Faramund’s men: "Crowhair! You're responsible for the horses! And Mallorhan, see to the wine for the men!" Well, now he had a choice. Ought he to go with the soldiers? Or make sure the horses were seen to rightly? He chose easily – the horses were his care, and he supposed he fit in better amongst them than with the soldiers. Besides, one man would have difficulty seeing to all of these horses at once – Léof supposed he might appreciate an extra hand.
He spotted Crowhair almost immediately – the man’s distinctive hair color made him hard to miss. He had already taken the horses of Athanar, Thornden, and Hilderinc in hand, for they had already followed Faramund inside. He was directing the rest of the men to tie their horses at the fence of a nearby paddock. Léof could see that some of the men looked uneasy leaving their horses to the care of a man who was so obviously at least part Dundlendish – another good reason to help see to the horses himself.
Léof dismounted and made his way over to Crowhair. “Horses by the paddock, I’ve got my hands full enough already,” Crowhair said as Léof approached.
“Yes, I heard, but I’m Athanar’s stablemaster, and -”
“Then take one of these,” said Crowhair, pushing the reins of Thornden’s horse at him. “Don’t know what I’m supposed to do with three of them.” And he walked off with the other two horses, leaving Léof standing there. He supposed that meant he ought to walk his and Thornden’s horses out, and followed after Crowhair.
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