Eorling Mead Hall

[Kath]

Frodides had left Ginna to her own thoughts while she swept up the mess on the floor. After all, a little bit of peace and quiet would do the girl good after the shock she'd just had. Even so, she had kept a close eye on her as she'd bustled around the kitchen making just enough noise that her presence would remain obvious. Frodides had seen the look on Ginna's face as she had met her father's disapproving eyes, and she didn't think anyone who looked as devastated as Ginna had at that moment should be left to their own devices. But it was at a moment when Frodides had her back to her newest charge that Ginna finally seemed to come back to reality.

"Thank you." Came the soft voice, and Frodides turned to see Ginna lazily stirring her hand around in the bowl. 'Perhaps not quite back with us yet.' The cook thought with a small smile, as Ginna wasn't even looking at her.

"You're welcome." She said aloud, and allowed the smile to grow as the girl jumped and shot a startled look in her direction, a blush spreading over her face as she realised that she had been heard. "Now let's take a look at that hand."

Ginna had lifted her hand carefully from the water and allowed Frodides to inspect it, salve it and bandage it with little more than a wince. Carefully she experimented with it, wiggling her fingers and making a fist, smiling as she found that she could do both without it hurting too badly.

"Better?" Frodides had asked, receiving an enthusiastic nod in return. "Good. Then shall we get on with what we were doing before? It's getting closer to suppertime now and I could still use some help."

"Are you sure you want me to help?" The girl had replied, fidgeting nervously as she spoke. "I - I made such a mess last time."

"And no doubt you will again. You're learning, and you're not yet used to the strange happenings that go on here. Just wait though, and you'll soon find that a Hobbit with three feet attached to his head could wander through this kitchen and you'd not bat an eyelid."

Ginna had smiled at the image even as she shook her head in disbelief, and the apparent confidence that Frodides was showing in her soon had her following orders and helping with preparations as best she could. The two had worked quietly but comfortably until suppertime had arrived, and were just preparing to begin taking the evening meal out to the Hall when Ginna spoke up again.

"Frodides, am I to serve all this by myself? I don't yet know what I am doing, and I don't know how much I can carry at once."

A sigh escaped Frodides' lips as she considered her answer. Of course the girl shouldn't be working alone. With an injured hand on top of inexperience there was no telling what kind of mishaps would occur. But what was she to do? Kara was gone, Saeryn who had so kindly helped when needed was gone, and even Modtryth ...

"Another new arrival? Frodides your kitchen will soon be overflowing with workers!"

Eyes moving toward the door Frodides saw the welcome figure of the woman she had just been thinking about. Quickly relieving her of cloak and basket she explained the situation and received a promise of help in answer.

"Alright Ginna, Modtryth shall be your guide for this evening. Let her help you and learn as you go."

Putting a tray of bowls of soup into Ginna's hands and plates of bread into Modtryth's she sent them on their way before a reply could come from either and went back to work, praying that there wouldn't be another disaster before the day was through.

[Nogrod]

Stigend was relieved to hear Garstan’s words. “I do agree with you on this”, he said and nodded to him. Then he turned his gaze to towards the boys again.

“You seem to be still hungry lads?”

Both boys nodded after they had first checked quickly each others intentions. Neither seemed to wish to be the only one admitting the hunger.

“I still can’t believe you wasted your whole day shearing that one sheep, even if you had to give it a good chase...” He studied the boys trying to find clues from their expressions. Both boys were trying to pull a stone face.

“So how about this? You tell us the rest of the day’s adventures and then you’ll get something more to eat? And we'll skip your studying today.” He glanced hastily at Garstan and he seemed to agree.

Garmund and Cnebba exchanged suspicious looks.

“Cnebba couldn’t hold the sheep still. That’s why I couldn’t shear them!”, Garmund exclaimed.

“That was because you were nicking them all the time! It was all your own fault.” Cnebba snapped back.

“C’mon now children!” Garstan came in between. “Now surely Ordulf saw all this. Didn’t he make you try the other way around?”

The boys were quiet for a while looking away from their fathers and each other in some embarrassement. After a short silence it was Cnebba who began this time.

“Unlike him, I learned to use the shear blades!” He threw a face at Garmund.

“Oh, did you! That was just because I could hold them still!” Garmund protested and returned the face to Cnebba.

Garstan and Stigend exchanged looks in amusement.

“So how many sheep did you shear today?” Stigend asked the boys as they had frozen still after noticing their fathers’ amusement. They looked a bit confused and were seemingly both struggling to come up with a figure.

“It was fourteen we did”, Cnebba said eventually.

“Huh! Fourteen? It was fifteen!”, Garmund disagreed strongly.

“You can’t even count!” Cnebba called him back.

“Just wait and I’ll show you some counting!” Garmund shouted.

“Okay, listen now you two!” Stigend said loudly enough for the boys to stop their bickering. “It looks that you have not fared too bad after all, so what’s all the hassle now? If you learn to pull it together it will be an easy week for you two, and you’ll get the nice wintercoats for it. I’ll promise we will find someone who will turn your wool into coats. If you're worthy of the wool... So think about it.”

The boys looked at their fathers and then carefully at each other. Garmund especially had to check Garstan's expression and Garstan nodded to him in approval of Stigend's words.

“Now go and get some more bread and soup to yourselves before you starve to death”, Garstan said and gave a short laugh. Stigend had to really concentrate not to burst himself before the boys had left to get something more to eat.

After they had chuckled a moment Stigend turned towards his friend.

“They truly seem to be like fighting cocks, but I guess we may succeed in this. You saw their shuffling and shifting when it came to things where they had succeeded today?”

[littlemanpoet]

Eodwine was at table with Garreth and Harreld when Modtryth and Ginna came into the Mead Hall with trays of food and drink. Eodwine saw that Ginna had got her hand wrapped, which was good.

"Well looka there!" Garreth was half whispering behind him.

"I see her," Harreld said. "In fact, I saw her first."

"I spoke of her first," Garreth shot back.

Eodwine turned about and leveled his gaze at both of the black smithing twins. "She's the daughter of a friend of mine from the War. She's likely not marriagable to the likes of you, being a landholder's daughter. So don't get your hopes up or go about strutting and showing off by word or deed, do you hear?"

"Now Eodwine!" Garreth protested. "What do you think we are? Desperate?"

"Yes," he answered, "that's exactly what the two of you are."

Garreth pulled a face, not having expected to be pinned down so easily by his own words. Then he glanced at his brother, whose eyes were still glued to Ginna. He scowled and smacked Harreld aback of the head.

"Ow! What'd you do that for!" Harreld tried to return the slap but Garreth fended it off with an elbow.

"Didn't you hear the Eorl? None of that leering!"

"Leering! Leering!!" Harreld looked indignant. "I was doing no such thing." He resumed staring, his eyes going dovey. "She's a beauty."

"Ah, that trashes it!" said Garreth. "He's gone moony just like that."

Eodwine turned away and snickered, hoping the twins couldn't see him do it. He raised his hand and called to Modtryth for food and drink. Before long Modtryth, with Ginna in tow, was headed in their direction.

[Celuien]

"So I did, Stigend." Garstan's eyes still glinted merrily. "They know well that they spent their day better in work together than they would have in their bickering, but they would rather keep their fight than show it." Garstan laughed again, shaking his head. "What a pair of proud boys we have. But they cannot keep it forever if they have more good luck together."

"I think they're just silly," Lèoðern commented airily.

"Who's silly?" Garmund came around the table with a fresh bowl of soup and a small dish of bread.

"You are." Lèoðern made a face.

In better spirits after his first helping and with Cnebba still away from the table, Garmund pointed at his sister's bowl in mock gravity. "Ha. I say it's silly to not have finished your soup by now. Last one finished is the silliest."

The children began eating as fast as they could.

[Lhunardawen]

Ginna followed Modtryth into the Hall cautiously; one accident was more than enough for her first day. But for the most part she was looking out for her father, because she was not sure she was ready to see him together with the lord.

Eodwine, seated with two men Ginna had not yet met (twins, and normal-looking ones, she was marvelled and relieved to observe), called to Modtryth, and a glance at him told Ginna what she wanted to know: her father had gone. And without even saying goodbye. She felt an unexpected pang of sadness but bitterly shrugged it off. It was better that way, she told herself, they had embarrassed each other enough.

The lord noticed her searching gaze. "Your father had left, Ginna," he said aloud. "He wished to be home not too late, and did not want to bother you and Frodides." Ginna suppressed a grunt, nodding instead. Glancing at the two unfamiliar men, she made to put the tray she carried down in front of them, beside the plates of bread Modtryth had brought.

As she did so, her arms brushed against the outstretched ones of the twins, both of whom chose that moment to reach for the bread. She instinctively drew back, blushing a little at the blunder, and smiled to indicate that no harm had been done.

The men looked up at her. "I don't think I quite caught your name," one of them said. "Where are your manners, Lord Eodwine?"

"My name is Ginna," she responded before Eodwine could say a word. "I came here just this morning, and I will be your new serving wench. Which reminds me...if you will excuse us."

She bowed slightly, and turned to walk back to the kitchen with Modtryth. She felt a flutter in her chest, and an awkward sensation of being watched. Those looks - Ginna knew them. Indeed they were all too familiar, and it worried her to see them there. There, of all places.

[littlemanpoet]

"Oh no," mumbled Garreth into his ale cup. "Look who's coming."

Harreld and Eodwine craned their necks as circumspectly as the occasion allowed, except that it was Falco with Ritun and Lefun stumping behind, coming from the back door that led to the Alder Court.

"Time for first supper!" cried Falco as he took the chair right next to Eodwine. "Here you go, Rilef!" he said slapping the seat beside him while the blacksmith twins shifted uncomfortably in their chairs.

"Falco," said Eodwine, "call them by their right names out of courtesy!"

"Nay but they don't mind it a wit!" Falco rejoined. "It's easier!"

"I'm sure it is, but I'm not so sure they don't mind." Eodwine turned to the conjoined twins. "Would you not rather be called by your own names?"

"Rilef calls us both," Ritun said, shrugging his shoulders, while Lefun nodded.

Eodwine sighed. "Very well."

Modtryth came by, and Eodwine asked her for food for the three newly at the board.

"Where is Ginna?" Garreth asked Modtryth.

"In the kitchen," Modtryth replied evenly.

Harreld cuffed Garreth on the shoulder. "You leave the new wench be, brother. She's work to do. This here good wife can serve us well enough."

"And since when are you all of a care about who serves us?" Garreth asked pointedly.

Harreld's head sunk and he stared into his ale cup, muttering something unintelligible.

"You're all moony," Garreth declared.

[Thinlómien]

There was too much going on. There was this new serving wench Ginna who Modtryth had hardly even met and with who she really ought to talk with. Then there was little Cnebba, just returned from day's work. Modtryth was curious to hear what he had to say about his first day at the shepherd's (and what would be Garmund's version of it). And of course there was work to do.

Modtryth hurried to the kitchen to fetch food for the newly arrived. Frodides was there, as always, looking after the food. As soon as the old cook saw Modtryth approaching she started to ladle food out from the pot to bowls. "How many?" she asked. "Rilef and Falco, that makes two, no, three", Modtryth replied. Putting the bowls on a tray Modtryth asked: "Where's the newcomer girl? Didn't she come here? I'd like to have a few words with her." "Oh, I sent her to fetch water from the well", Frodides replied. "And don't you girls start your nice little chit-chats after the meal's over, for I can't surely look after the food and do all the serving!" "Of course not", Modtryth replied, smiling and left the kitchen with the tray.