[Writer of The Mark]

Flashbacks from the very beginning and until now, made Madi roll out of his bed. He breathed heavily, trying to sort his thoughts out. “You’re a queer one," he remembered Bethberry saying the very first time she had seen him. He had been sitting at her doorstep, waiting and trying to forget his past. He remembered how she had lowered her lantern and wiped the annoyed look out of her face. It had seemed to him that Bethberry wasn't at all very annoyed by having a little man at her doorstep, whose jaws were in a terrible order. The first time her blear-eyed look had scared him, but when she had stated that he was a ‘queer one’, he knew that she was perfectly normal and nothing to really be afraid of, and so she had said herself as well. After this, he had staid at the Inn, enjoying Bethberry and everyone else's company who had been either stopping by the Inn or lived there for a long period of time. He sighed when thinking of the Market day, when he had a very important errand to take care of; a bolt of blue satin cloth for Bethberry. Madi shrugged, not being able to think straight. Why were all these memories coming back? He didn’t mind, but something was at hand… something he couldn’t set his finger on.

Graciously he rose up, heading for the chair where his clothes lay neatly from the day before. He remembered going down to Berry’s, wanting to tell her about his plans. But being afraid of waking her up, he had left in a hurry not knowing that she was indeed awake.

He dressed, opened the bedroom window; to let some fresh air in, and headed for the door. With determination he left the room, eager to find Bethberry and let her know about what he had been planning for the last couple of weeks. As he thought about it, running down the staircases, suddenly a feeling of guilt swelled up in him. He took a firm hold of the banister, halfway stopping. What would she say? He thought at first. Seconds later, he realized that she couldn’t really say anything at all. It had nothing to do with Berry. No, she wouldn’t say anything, Madi thought, shaking his head.

As the end of the staircase drew near, the fear, of disappointing her grew even though as he had stated to himself before, was unnecessary. She would understand. She was kind. Yes, she didn’t think of him as ugly, as many did. No, she was different. With these encouraging thoughts in mind, he decided to tell her. It was about high time.

Sooner than expected, considering Madi's tendency of helplessness, he found the assistant Innkeeper Aylwen. He grinned at her, but her attention was turned elsewhere. Talan, one of the volunteers and the woman talked silently together and Madi could only just, by eavesdropping, catch the name 'Bethberry'. He opened his eyes wide open, but apparently, this didn't help at all. Having eyes widely open didn't exactly help for hearing. He bent down, as if picking something up from the floor, in order to get closer, but the conversation quickly ended. Talan walked away, as if going on some urgent mission. And so, a certain Ædegard came almost running towards the woman, just in front of Madi's nose. Was he being ignored? He felt anger suddenly creep up in him, a scary thought really; considering the fact that he had nothing to really be angry about. He calmed down, meanwhile waiting impatiently for the woman to turn to him. He realized soon enough though, that this kind of anonymity wouldn't be at any help and decided to go and get some food at the kitchen, before asking Aylwen where Berry was, since Berry obviously wasn't around just now.

****

Aylwen, who had been upstairs at the same time as Madi had eaten breakfast, came hurrying down the staircase.

"Ehm," Madi started, hoping to finally get Aylwen's attention. She turned at once, staring into the little man's eyes. With, what seemed like, an annoyed look she asked what she could do for him. "Ehm," he started. "I actually forgot," he said innocently. By the look of the assistant’s eyes, narrowing, he understood that today couldn't possibly be a very good day to tell something like this, something like he was about to. Still, it was Berry, not Aylwen.

"You forgot?" she asked, as if being intrigued by how people could forget and stand still, like Madi did now.

"Well actually, when you mention it, I didn't forget. It's right here," he said lowering his voice, pointing at his head. "I need to talk to Berry. It's urgent. Or at least I think it is," he said, finishing.

The woman shook her head.

"How can you shake your head?" Madi asked, eyes wide open, being just slightly annoyed by the speed of this conversation and how oddly it had developed. He didn't quite understand this. He frowned. "I'm a bit confused. I said it was urgent, and you shake your head?" he said, starting with a rather rough tune, but changing it in the middle of his question to something milder. She didn't answer at once, only looked into the air.

"She is gone for now, and left me in charge in the meantime," she said, hesitating.

This came as a shock to Madi. Only the firm grip he held of himself stopped him from fainting and falling down onto the floor. With his jaws open, he tried to digest this news. Gone? Berry,gone? He couldn't believe it. The feeling of responsibility to stay at the Inn however, and help in the best way he possibly could, struck him at the same time and by this he decided to let go of his so called 'plans' and stay until the bleary-eyed Bethberry returned, if she ever…