The White Horse Inn, Act III

[Hama Of The Riddermark]

Hama raised an eyebrow, this was what happened when you didn't hang around after you got made a general. He murmered softly into Saeryn's ear,

"Miss, Eodwine and I fought many battles together. We both fought at Helm's Deep, both fought at Pelennor Fields and both at the Black Gate itself. It's a wonder we're both still alive. After the war, I came home with Eodwine, to find that both our families had been burnt and destroyed by the dunlendings in our absence. I lost a mother, a father, a wife, two sons and a daughter. I fled, in grief, to the Shire, where I met the daughter of general Dorian Heart, we soon received news of Dorian Hearts death, and I rode back here to Edoras. Eomer bestowed upon me Dorian's place as general of the West Fold, and you don't know who I am?"

Saeryn blushed, she was amazed that he could talk about his family's deaths so dispassionately, but she assumed that it was simply Rohan stoicism.

"I...didn't know..." she managed to say quietly,

"I know, lass." Said Hama, patting her shoulder gently...

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

The general patted Saeryn's shoulder gently, almost condescendingly. She looked up at him. He'd lost his family in a worse way than Saeryn had. How brave he had been, fighting to protect his family, only to return with them lost. My own family is simply... strewn.

"I am so sorry, m'lord. Had I known--" she whispered.

"But you didn't, and so you need beg no pardon." Hama's hand found her's and squeezed it gently, releasing quickly. "No harm, no foul, m'dear."

"Aha!" cried Falco. "The ruffians have been here!" They had reached the doors. About the handles were rough scratches, as though gouged with a dagger. The earth before the doors was pounded flat.

[peral]

Her footfalls were light and were barely heard, even in the relatively empty Common Room. It was still early she considered, probably why there weren't many people sitting at the tables eating. It was rare that she found an opportunity to come to the inn and have a breakfast alone with her thoughts. With an ailing father who was unable to do most things for herself, most people would call her thoughtless and uncaring to leave him so she could pamper herself with a breakfast that she hadn't cooked for herself. However, he had assured her that he had been feeling find that morning and that she should go out and treat herself to an already cooked meal. She had had her doubts and misgivings about leaving him alone, but the prospect of an hour or two of freedom was too tempting and beautiful for her to have turned down. So, now here she was, in the White Horse Inn for the first time in about half a year.

As she sat down she called for some ham and eggs. It was unbelievable to her that someone actually heard her, for she was usually very soft-spoken and hated to raise her voice even to call for some much-needed sustenance. When the breakfast was finally set down before her, she dug into it with such enthusiasm and vigour that even the two huge men sitting beside her - who had ignored her until then - stared at her with great amazement and slight bewilderment. However, the food was so delicious to her lips that even the stares didn't stop her from digging into the breakfast and eating it with relish. But even as she leant over her food, the necklace around her neck slipped out from underneath her dress. On the sparkling blue surface of the pendant was engraved a name in the most stunning silver - Ayeth.

[littlemanpoet]

"Ayeth? Is that your name, lass?" asked one of the two big men at the girl's table. "What be you a doing out alone?"

The girl chewed and swallowed her mouthful before answering in a quiet voice. "My pa bade me go and break my fast with a meal cooked by other hands."

"Ah, is that the way of it?" Said the second one. "And who's your pa?"

"I am sorry, sirs," she said meekly, "but may I know your names?"

"Harreld, you lout," said the first man. "You don't go asking about others' folks before you give your own name."

"I haven't heard you give yours yet, Garreth!"

Garreth turned to the girl. "Well, there you have it, lass. I am called Garreth, and this here is Harreld. We are brothers and we are smiths here in town. Perhaps you've heard of us?" Ayeth shook her head, and noticed for the first time that they were a rather burnished pair of men. "No? Ah well, no matter. So who's your pa?"

[peral]

"So who's your pa?"

Ayeth had been startled by that question. Not many people asked that, did they? Or was it just that she was unused to social interaction especially with men?

"Hlothere Hwaindere, but he is old now although in his youth he used to be part of King Éomer's éored. He was a great fighter, until that day on the Pelennor Fields," here she looked up into the faces of the two men. "He fell and was among the ones gathered and thought to be dead. It was lucky that someone actually realised that his heart was still beating." She could feel a familiar wetness forming in her eyes. "I was lucky that he was found. My mother died in childbirth, he was all I had remaining."

She looked down at the table having completely lost her appetite in these reminiscences. She hated herself for having no control over her emotions. This was years ago yet she still felt the pain and fear of almost having lost a father. She hoped she wouldn't lose all composure and break down in front of these two men and tried to prevent this from happening by suddenly becoming completely engrossed in pushing the food still on her plate into a little heap in the centre.

[littlemanpoet]

The twins, Harreld and Garreth, glanced at each other with softening eyes, and raised blonde eyebrows at each other. Burly they were, but kindly. Thirty-five years together had made it so they knew each other's minds before a word passed their lips.

"There there, lassie," said Garreth, the more quick to speech. "The two of us were at Pelennor too, but with Théoden's eored, may he sleep in peace. Many a good man was lost that day, and many lost a leg or an eye. 'Tis the weregild of those who live on with all their parts in place to see to the wellbeing of those not so lucky."

"Aye," Harreld said, "'tis no bad thing to mourn those we've lost."

"Ayeth!" Garreth put in, "Why that is a pretty name." He pushed her plate back closer to her again. "How did you come by it?"

"But don't let us keep you from breaking your fast!" Harreld said. "We can wait."

[Nurumaiel]

"Now," said Frodides, observing the rather dirty tabletops, the empty shelves wherein should have sat clean plates, and the dusty and mussy floor. Baby Drihten was crawling across that floor, his cheeks flushed and his eyes bright, pursuing a spider eagerly. Mereflod and Motan were tying bunches of flowers together with long stems of grass. Deman and Fierlan were sitting with their arms about each other and quarreling. Middaeg and Beorht, the second pair of twins, were exchanging the words they had just learned that day, delighting that they could speak. Giefu had his head against the wall and was looking dreamy, no doubt imagining great adventures with himself as the hero. Maercwen and Gomen were in earnest conversation about music. Frodides felt her heart swell up and quicken its beat with a fierce pain of pride and love.

"Maercwen, Gomen," she said, "will you help me get the children out of the kitchen?" So saying, she lifted Drihten from off the floor, where he was bitterly weeping because the spider had crept into a crack in the wall.

Maercwen and Gomen, never ceasing in their conversation, hustled their younger brothers and sisters away. They had all finished their breakfast, and Frodides didn't like to have the children in the kitchen just after a meal. She needed some space to sweep and scrub. She went to the kitchen door with them, and gave Leofan a parting kiss as he went out to work in the stables. Then she stood and watched as the group of children paraded through the Common Room, talking and laughing and, for Motan's part, singing.

"Oh," said Frodides, with a flush coming to her cheek, "I love my family."