The White Horse Inn, Act III

[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."

[peral]

For some reason, the thought that she was talking to two others that had also been present that fateful day upon the Pelennor seemed to comfort Ayeth somewhat. To care for my father, she thought, that is what I'm here for, he needs me just as much as I need him.

"My name? Ah, twas my mother's last wish to have me named after her grandmother." Her fingers began playing with the necklace around her neck. "This was my great-grandmother's. My father could hardly refuse my mother that, so that is how I received my name." Her she paused, thinking, "I am proud of my name although it is hardly a common one for a girl of Rohan to have." She looked absent-mindedly down at her food once more. "What about you two?" She laughed, "Here I am telling you all these things and I barely know anything about you both. You can start with telling me who your parents are."

[littlemanpoet]

"Ho!" laughed Garreth. "You've some spice in you, eh?" Our pa's Ambleth of Edoras and our ma's his wife, to be sure, and her name's Hilde. They live at our home, you see, for we take care of them now. They're not so young anymore."

"Leastways they both have their legs under 'em," said Harreld.

"More's the pity, always gettin' underfoot in the shop, the old man!" said Garreth.

Harreld waved a reproachful finger at his brother. "Now don't go talking that way about those who brought you into the world."

Garreth grinned and winked. "Trying to look the better of us for the wee lass, are you?"

"Ho! You think I'm a-courting! Ha!" Harreld lifted his big mug of tea and drank deeply, hiding his reddening face.

Ayeth snickered behind her little hand.

"Courting, aye." But Garreth was shaking his head. "You would think we could find us some lasses as wanted to be rich as smith's wives, but somehow we drive 'em off. Maybe they think they're expected to marry the both of us! Ha! That would be too much of a good thing." He peered at Ayeth. "How old are you, lass?"

[Esgallhugwen]

Gudryn

Strange visitors last night?

The Inn under attack?

Tracks outside, gouges at the door of the Kitchen?

The pain in her limbs came back with a vengence, even old wounds and scars seemed to burn, depression and horror struck her in the face like a torch being forced into water.

She looked to the corner to keep her eyes from welling up again, her teeth clenched and unclenched, she drove her canines into the tip of her tongue only enough to concentrate on the sting.

His name came screeching back into her head.

Rand

If he had come he would crush them all. He was a large man, much larger then Eodwine was tall. With such a husky muscular build he would tower over the people who said they would protect her.

He was like a bear in human form and he would rend these people limb from limb in his rage, he had nearly killed Gudryn more then once. No, Rand didn't take kindly to his possesions being taken away, especially when they were given to someone else.

But she was no longer anyone's, not Rand's most of all. He of course would never see it that way once he caught a glimpse of Eodwine.

I must warn him!

She stood shakingly, her bruised knees throbbing, she picked a loosened pebble from her knee and sneering at it, started to make her way to the door.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

At the back door they had broken their group, their attentions wandering to those things that brought a memory in their wake. Remembering the iron shoes of orcs and the stamping feet of the Dunlendings, Hama and Eodwine focused on the trampled earth before the doors. Too many marks for a decent tracking... A bewildered Falco examined the door.

"Now these kinds of marks... what kind of slip-shod, half-trained, molly-coddled fools would carry a blade dulled enough to gouge like these?" asked the hobbit. P'raps t'was sharp at the first, but dulled with the scraping? he thought to himself.

Further away, Saeryn walked, half bent, examining the ground. Was that blood? She saw the end of something, half buried in the dirt. Removing her belt knife, Saeryn pulled the dirt away with the tip.

"What in the world?" she asked herself quietly. Hearing the question, Hama walked over, carefully sidestepping any tracks. He knelt beside her and pulled the thing from the gound.

"Well I..." he laughed aloud. "Come, Eodwine, we have found the culprit!"

Spinning on his heel, Eodwine half ran to the two. Falco turn and sauntered over. Saeryn began to giggle helplessly. Eodwine looked at the more or less crescent shape Hama held in his palm. With a glance for permission, Saeryn took the claw from him, showing the other two.

"Friends, your unwanted visitor was but a bear." Hama laughed. "P'raps two, but look towards the rubbish, and at the claw marks in the door. An attack indeed."

Eodwine's face paled before flushing. "That... that woman!" he cried. "Taking advantage of our good will to... to... to play a prank and make us look the fool. 'Tis like... 'tis as good as crying wolf and... why that old crone... an' before breakfast as well!"

"Ah Eodwine, we see where your heart lies. Come, let us eat and make merry. We've been played the fools and must now think of a suitable vengeance. I smelled a berry concoction on my way in... P'raps 'tis not too late." Leading his friend by the arm, Hama led the way to the Great Hall.

[Bêthberry]

Looking out the back window, but hidden behind the curtain, Ruthven watched the intrepid heroes search the tracks and marks on the door. She was able to stifle an outright guffaw, but her shoulders shook, and her sides, and her belly. She hadn't had sucha good laught in some time.

She observed that 'twas the lass Saeryn who solved the puzzle. "A sharp lass," she said to herself. One who will give Eodwine and Falco a good run for their shenanigans. But it was time to look occupied and otherwise very busy. It wouldn't do to be seen watching the hand play out. Ruthven withdrew to the Great Hall, where the morning's activities could be subjected to any number and manner of discussion.

Meanwhile, Bethberry had been quietly observing the other young lass, this one truly a young lass, timorously enter the Horse. She sat quietly, but gave away her nervousness by fingering a necklace whick was far too fancy to be shown in the likes of an Inn, however good that Inn's reputation might be. She walked over to the girl in time to overhear the twins, Garreth and Harreld. Harmless enough they were, yet perhaps the girl could use a steadying hand of the Innkeeper in keeping these two at bay?

'Now my fine lads, what's this to be asking a lady her age?"

"It is a perfectly innocent question, Innkeeper," retorted Harreld.

"Nay, it is not so," replied Bethberry.

"It was, it was!" seconded Garreth. "As Pa is our witness."

"Now don't be going to invoke your Pa as a witness, for his roving eye and merry cheeks were legend here in his day."

The young girl looked up at Bethberry, eyes wide, her hand dropping the necklace back to remain hidden int he folds of her shawl.

"Why, they were flirting with me!" she said.

"Well, there's flirting and then there's chatting. And then there's the proper decorum to a place like The White Horse, where a young girl can come to enjoy some company without being sounded out as if the very machinations of a matchmaker were involved."

The girl gasped. "Oh, they weren't!" she began.

"Nothing at all of the sort," sputtered Harreld.

'Not our doing," chimed in Garreth.

"I see," intoned Bethberry. "Well, let's let the lass enjoy her breakfast afore she needs to fend you two off."

"Breakfast," called out Ruthven. 'I'm hungry and I smell taters and 'shrooms and berry cakes on the grill. Must an old lady be up all night watching for villien and not be fed come the morrow?"

With those words the old bag lady slid into a seat beside the young lass "I've no qualms about telling my age. Shall you ask it, Harreld?" she said with a twinkle in her eye. Bethhberry merely laughed aloud and turned towards the commotion that was arising from the back. It appeared that Eowdwin and Falco were approaching, with Saeryn at their side.

"And who is minding our other lass," asked Bethberry. "We should be called the Inn of the Lost Lasses, I am thinking."

[littlemanpoet]

"Lasses lost or not, women, crones, you're all a great danger to an honest man!" cried Eodwine, but turned to Saeryn. "Present company excepted, of course!"

"And for how long?" Saeryn retorted, grinning.

"Ah me! And a lady up at Bywater in the Shire told me I have a silver tongue! I cannot win a point or a wager, let alone a free breakfast here in my home town's best inn!"

The four of them sat down at the table just over from Ruthven, Garreth, Harreld, and another young lass whose eyes seemed large with taking in all that was going on about her. "I am hungrier than ever and ready to race that old Ruthven to the bottom of my plate, and then some!"

"Aye!" put in Falco. "'Tis past time for first breakfast!"

"How is the young lass?" Hama asked.

"Why, there she is at the door!" Falco announced, his eyes wide.