[Imladris]

“Well,” Faran said, “this Idona certainly isn’t in the Inn. Outside, maybe?” Talan shrugged and nodded.

Heading for the door, they saw the ashes of the former stable: chunks of charred wood the only ruins. “Carpentry is relatively easy,” Faran said easily, “if you’re strong and patient. Of course, you always have to remember to measure correctly and get the angles and all that right, but after the first warped barn or building or whatever, you quickly learn the quirks. I remember the first cabinet that I made,” he added with a laugh to Talan, “It was a disaster…I think my master thought that I would be hopeless failure in the art of carpentry.”

People milled around the barn and Talan remarked, “I reckon it’ll be hard to find this Idona lass.”

Faran heaved a sigh. “Nigh impossible,” he agreed. “But since nothing is truly impossible and since it appears we have plenty of time for searching, it doesn’t really matter how hard it to find her. At least we’re not in a rush,” Faran continued. “It seems that whenever I am in a dreadful hurry, an object (say, my hammer) decides to loose itself. It’s almost as if that hammer has a mind of its own,” Faran said darkly, with sparkling eyes as he patted the hammer that hung innocently upon his belt.

“Why don’t we ask somebody?” Talan asked.

Well. That would be a start, Faran thought mentally. “Brilliant, Talan,” he agreed hastily. “Now who to ask?” he asked rhetorically. “We can’t ask one who is to busy,” he said, eyeing the people around him, “because they’d probably just wave us off. Hmmm.”

A boy seemed to be standing still, absently staring at the inn. Walking towards him, Faran knelt to his level and said, “Hello there, fellow. And what might your name there.”

Pulling his gaze from the Inn, the boy looked at him intently. Faran wiggled his eyebrows at him. “Madi,” the boy finally said.

“Well, Madi,” Faran said, “have you happened to see a woman named Idona anywhere perchance?”