The sun had slowly set, and the three of us still sat there chatting and gossiping like little chatter bugs unable to stop their mouth from opening. At least, Misha was. She was such a sweet lady with her sweet voice. I couldn't help but extend my ears to her ever honey-like voice that seemed irresistible to my ears. Flidhais continued to sit their eyes gazing around, one ear listening, the other as if making sure there was no threat around us.

Unexpectedly, a loud bang had echoed through the room. The three of us instantly turned our heads to see a someone hooded under a very worn gray cloak that watered the wooden flooring. An instant later when the stranger had seated, Setalle Anan rushed up towards the cloaked stranger with an unsettled air. Immediatly, she lectured the lady, who seemed quite lost, for bringing in the dampness of the outside village into the tavern.

I could not help but feel a slight sympathy for her. If Setalle Anan was displeased with you, she would be displeased with you for a long while until you could prove yourself to be an admirable person. Maybe if I could just bargain around Mrs. Anan....Would she approve? I could not dare to approach an answer in fear of what I was about to do. Oh yes! I was going to see if I could change the wind in the air and get a free drink for this kind-looking yet weary traveler!

So I excused myself from our table of three and grabbed a stool to sit beside the stranger. After all, she made the population of ladies in the tavern to reach a number of four. As I tried to think of something to say, she abruptly sat up straighter.

"Oh, hello, ummm....," she bit her lip with a dash of shyness.

"Shi mei Xie, miss. I'm also known as Artie Maximus but you'll me more often in this guise than the other." At least I tried to sound encouraging. But what was with that encouraging voice and what was it for? I could not help, but sneak out a smile onto my face. What was the world coming to? I did not know. Maybe it was me that the world was coming too. The smile leaked out to become a larger one.

It was not funny.