[Manardariel]

“Deor, can you please move your feet? Yes, Fianna, that´s a very nice butterfly- no, don´t go catch it! Come back! For heaven´s sake, Briga, can´t you tie that knot yourself?”

Mialynn sighed, looking down at her siblings. She grabbed the end of Fianna´s dress, holding her back; helped Briga with her laces, and yelled a bit at her dawdling brother. “Everybody, move! Today´s that big party in the White Horse, Mistress Bêthberry is going to roast me and serve me for dinner if I´m late!” Fianna giggled at the idea of a roasted sister, but said sister silenched her with a deadly look. Mia grabbed Baby Dierna, and shooed the kids out of the door.

When they arrived at the Horse ten minutes later, they were already greeted by a bunch of people that had gathered outside of the large building. Deor, Fianna and Briga immediatly recognized a few of their friends, and with a blink of an eye, had dissapaered into the throng. Knowing they´d be fine, Mia turned her steps towards the kitchen doors of the Inn.

“Hello!” she called. “Am I...late?”

“Late?!” Dramatically, Froma rolled his eyes. “On a day like this, she dares ask! On a day like this! Now, I need you for baking. Five loafs of normal bread, three with herbs and two with bacon; and I want them done before noon! Is that clear?”

Mia nodded. Quickly, she sat Dierna down in a wooden vat to her feet and gave her a rag doll. The babygirl happily started playing, from time to time uttering a “dah!” or “Toooo”. Mia put on her apron and went to work.

It was a truly brilliant day. Sunlight flooded the kitchen, leaving golden spots on Frona´s back and blinding Mia whenever she looked in direction of the pots. Through the open window, she heard people bustling in front of the Inn, heard big wagons thunder by; heard children laugh and birds sing. She worked quickly, mixing her doughs, forming the loafs of bread, adding the special ingredients only she knew. As she was just sprinkeling the last two loafes with poppy seeds to add some flavour, someone appeared at her side. It was the Mistress Bêthberry.

“Mialynn? Can you please look after the front desk for a moment?” She grimaced. “And can you tell that brother of yours that my stables aren´t a place to play hide-and-seek?”

Mia blushed. “Of course, ma´am, and I´m so sorry about Deor, did he break anything?” she asked, scooping up Dierna and hanging her head at the same time. Cursing silently, she followed Bêthberry into the Inn´s hall. “You wait, Deor...”she thought. She´s told him again and again to be careful around the Inn, told him countless times it could cost her her job if he broke anything... but he hadn´t so far, and Mialynn was far too busy to pull a “what if the sky falls down?”.