“A boar's head,” said Eowyn.

Legolas said nothing—but continued doodling on his piece of parchment.

“It is traditional,” Eowyn insisted. “Eomer, Gimli, Aragorn—they will all expect it.”

“It upset you last year,” said Legolas. “With the apple in its mouth.”

“Well, it looked sad.”

“I know.” He smiled at her. “Meat is flesh, melmenya. If we serve it, a creature must die. But we could give them Master Elros’s savoury loaf—he could mould it in the shape of a boar.”

“Eomer and Gimli will not eat nuts!”

“Give them enough ale, melmenya, and they will eat anything.”