Thornden, watching the lad leave, turned back to Eodwine, who addressed him. “What think you, Thornden?”
“I should imagine, sir, that you’ve managed to find a good lad for your ostler. He seemed eager enough, and I doubt he’ll let you down, or let your stables get out of order.”
Quite personally, he had liked the looks of Léofric. A mite small, perhaps, but that was better than a great blundering idiot to work around horses. And then, also, he had seemed excited and hopeful to work with horses.
“Besides,” he added aloud, going half on his thoughts and half on what he had just said, “his cause seemed desperate and it would have been a pity to turn him away.” Thornden had not missed the anxious, worried look in the boys eyes for fear of his service being turned down, nor the hungry, thin shape of his face. "I'm glad you've given him a chance to try, at least."
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