[Bêthberry]

And so, with the late afternoon sun shining hotly, Bethberry and Madi had made their way out of the Inn and towards the vegetable garden at the back. Madi's gleeful shouts of "Botato trees! Botato trees!", however, were halted suddenly as who should appear unexpectedly from the back of the Inn but the very girl who had bowled him over near the Market, Aiyanna.

"Rainbow girl," hissed Madi, as he pulled furiously on Bethberry's hand, trying to drag her back towards the safety of the Inn. "Come away with Madi," he pleaded, especially when Aiyanna herself tried to approach Madi with profuse apologies.

"No, Madi, stop," chided the Landlady gently. "Aiyanna will not hurt us, at least, not intentionally. She has her own worries now. Come, listen to them, for she and I spoke earlier before I found you. I know why she ran into you at the Market this afternoon. She had no intention of pushing you over; she was terribly upset about some news at home and wasn't watching where she was going."

Madi glared at the girl. "Leave Berry alone," he growled, still holding furiously onto the Innkeeper's arm but now holding his ground.

"I, I, I'm sorry, little man," spoke up the girl, taken aback by the stubborn challenge in Madi's eyes, his entire face looking really quite menacing now, with his jaw pushed defiantly forward, teeth protruding from curled lips. Aiyanna even stepped back a pace or two.

"Perhaps, Bethberry, I should talk to you later."

"Yes, later," said Madi. "Berry's busy now."

Bethberry looked down at Madi with much surprise at the change which had come over him. She knelt beside him, picking up his other hand and holding both together, in hers.

"Madi, you and I will have our time for planting, I promise you. Right now let's listen to Aiyanna. She faces a frightening situation. She was running away from something she didn't like, from a situation where she thought she might be hurt. Can you understand that, Madi?"

Bethberry placed one hand on Madi's face, cupping his cheek and jaw in her hand, gently stroking it with her thumb. Madi did not move. He had never felt a hand on his face that gentle before, at least, not that he could remember. He didn't nod, but he didn't argue any more either. He let out a loud puff of air, more a snort than a breath.

"Come, let's the three of us go sit in the garden. There are benches and old stumps to sit upon. Tell me, Aiyanna, do you feel better about this arranged marriage now that you have had a few calm hours to sit quietly and think? No one will find you here if you do not wish."

"I can see it better in perspective, now, Bethberry. I have nothing more to say except I guess I can understand why my father wants this now. I never thought of it, you know? I just want to be a falconer."

"Perhaps that can still come to pass. It can be discussed as part of the arrangements, no?"

"I never thought about that."

Just at that moment, Wyrd flew down over the garden. He tried to pick at some of the apple pips which Madi had dropped, but Madi shooed the falcon up into the air. "Madi's pips," he shouted adamantly.

"Hey," said Aiyanna. "Let me take him away from those for you." She whistled slightly and nodded her head twice. Wyrd flew towards her outstretched hand. At a sign from Bethberry, the falcon spread his wings and circled up to roost on the lower roof of backroom kitchen. Aiyanna's face broke into a large, broad smile.

"Can I take him out to practice, Bethberry?" The Innkeeper nodded, gave Aiyanna a reassuring smile and quick hug, and the girl ran off, Wyrd following after her in the sky. Bethberry laughed.

"I'm not sure it's Wyrd who will be getting the practice, Madi," she chuckled. Then she turned back to the little man.

"Shall we find a good place to plant those pips, Madi?" With a bit of a curt sniff, he nodded yes.

They walked over to the east side of the garden, near Froma's heap of vegetable peelings. Madi bent low and tasted the earth. It was warm and soft; it had been well tended in the spring when the Inn's Landlady had had time for raking, hoeing, digging and seeding. Now it broke open easily with trowel and spade. Bethberry's and Madi's skin took on a sheen with a light sweat from the mild heat of the sun as they dug. At first, neither spoke as they developed a rhythm for digging a small hole, placing a pip or two carefully into it, and then mounding the earth lightly over it. Finally Bethberry said something.

"See, Aiyanna turned out all right in the end, didn't she?"

Madi frowned up at her. "This time lucky," he retorted.

Bethberry chuckled. "She saved your pips for you, didn't she? All she needed was someone to listen to her tell her fears and she was able to calm down. A hug for hug's sake."

Madi wrinkled his face as he looked up at her. He said nothing but busied himself with the digging.

"But what were you so scared about Madi? What made you so angry back there?"

Madi looked over at Berry, who was kneeling on the ground, her brown tunic covering her knees which were partially buried in the soft brown earth.

"Berry's not mad at Madi?" he asked.

"No, why should I be?" She smiled and then bent over the earth, placing more pips into the small holes Madi had just made and covering them over. A small, slight noise made her look up.

Madi moved hesitantly towards her. Then, swiftly, his arms outstretched. He caught hold of Bethberry around her shoulders and unexpectedly cradled his large head beside her neck on her left shoulder. Surprised, Bethberry let her trowel fall to the earth. She took up and cradled his shoulders and head softly with her arms. Just then, Ruthven's worried voice came back into her ears.

And as Madi hugged Bethberry, she noticed over his shoulder the row of small dirt mounds which marked the seed beds of his apple pip collection. And in her mind she saw a long row of apple trees, their blossoms shimmering in the same moonlight which had shone over Madi's arrival at The White Horse Inn. For some reason, the image made her ineluctably sad. She looked upon Madi with worry and tried to return his hug.

[ November 07, 2003: Message edited by: Bêthberry ]