[Folwren]

Bror choked suddenly on his last mouthful of ale. He swallowed desperately and fell to coughing, turning bright red in the effort to get the liquid out of his wind pipe. His brothers laughed and Skald bent towards him to slap him on the back. In another minute, Bror was recovered and he turned with furious indignation towards Skald.

‘Of course I’ll be up!’ he exclaimed, gasping for breath at the same time. ‘By heaven, I’ll warrant I’ll be up before you when morning comes!’ A quick and rather stern warning and check from both Riv and Orin halted the words that might have followed and Bror shut his mouth with a snap. Skald continued to laugh.

Bror got up, still scowling, and with his harp in one hand and his other on the back of his chair, he addressed Orin and Riv.

‘I had better go to bed, too, seeing as...someone-’ a quick, darting glance towards Skald ‘-doubts my ability to get up in the morning. I’ll leave what I need brought with his stuff. I don’t know if we’ll be off before seeing you in the morning or what. You, I won’t see, Uncle Orin, but Riv might be up. Goodnight, then!’ He turned to go, but half way to the door, he turned back around. ‘What time do you want to be off?’ he asked Skald.