The small boy tugged at her shift. Exasperated she stopped kneading the bread and looked down at him.

"Well?", she barked.

"A stranger", he gasped.

She sighed and tried to answer with some semblance of patience. "We get many strangers here."

"But this one", he paused. "this one, this one."

"Yes", the look on her face told him all he needed to know. This had better be good.

"This one", he continued, "this one is buying a round for the WHOLE HOUSE!"

It was Amal's turn to gasp.

"The WHOLE HOUSE?????"

"He's buying drinks for THIS CROWD????"

The small boy nodded his head.

For the first time in a very long time, Amal felt sheer panic rising from her toes. "I don't think there's enough mead and ale in all of Germania for this crowd."

"and another man said that they've found Beowulf's and Hrothgar's marketplace." he added

"When did they lose it?" the puzzled look almost kept the rising panic in check......almost.