[Bêthberry]

Writer of The Mark's post for Madi


Still, the little man stood outside of the Inn, glancing over at the entrance constantly. He wasn't looking after the newly-arrived people, but he kept seeing Linnea being dragged out of the door and down the street. Madi shuddered. Fathers weren't that great after all then, he thought miserably. Nonetheless, who needed a father anyway? For a moment he waited for Linnea to appear again, but she didn't. She was gone and would likely, after today, never ever come back again.

"Hello there, fellow. And what might be your name there?"

Madi looked up and stared into a man?s deep eyes. He waited and stood sceptically to the man's question. "This fellow's name is Madi," he said proudly, perhaps a bit more proudly than intended. He grunted as if to excuse himself for his lack of humility. The man gave a short laugh before introducing himself as well.

Faran started with a new question, which to Madi's annoyance came out of the blue. "Have you happened to see a woman named Idona anywhere perchance?"

Madi gave a short smile, but thought through what he would answer before actually giving a reply. Idona was the lady with the drawing, the woman Linnea and himself had met behind their hiding tree. Madi turned his look towards this Faran again. He shook his head and put his arms to his waist. "You're not her father perchance?" he asked. After Madi's memory fathers were bad. If Idona had a father as well, her chance for helping construct a new stable was about zero. They couldn't have that, could they?

At first the man didn't say anything. He was obviously in deep thought, and couldn't really understand Madi?s question. "Father?" he asked. "Is this Idona?" Faran didn't get to complete his sentence before Madi was there again, snapping: "Well are you, or are you not?" His tune was harsh and over done, and Madi realized this, but could do nothing now. Faran looked both surprised and as if he had difficulties understanding this fellow's sudden eagerness to protect this woman.

"I am not anyone's father," he said, now laughing. Madi couldn't help feeling stupid after the reply from the man. Surely, Faran couldn't be the father of Idona, he realized that now. First, he was way too young and second, Faran wouldn't deny something like that, right? Madi grew red. "Then, let's get down to business," Madi muttered reluctantly, feeling slightly embarrassed by the fact he had been snapping at an adult, older than himself, and the fact that he was protecting a woman he hardly knew, a woman he had met once.

"Well, Madi, I was just wondering where I could find Idona. We're possibly going to work together construct a new stable," Faran stated, growing a bit impatient, which Madi understood very well.

Madi hurried telling about Idona, how he and his friend had found Idona, sitting by a tree, drawing. She was currently attending a birthday party, "but if she gave a note to the Innkeeper about this stable matter, I am sure she will come around very soon," Madi finished.

<font size=1 color=339966>[ 2:29 PM December 18, 2003: Message edited by: Bêthberry ]