That night Madelynn found out first hand the night schedule of a baby. Not much of it was sleep. She woke the next morning sore and out of sorts. She did not know quite what to do so she walked slowly down the stairs and stumbled into the main hall with baby in hand.
The man sat behind the bar, polishing large glasses with a rag.
She sat down timidly, an emotion she had little to no experience with.
The man did not speak to her until her baby began to squirm and cry.
"What is his name?" he inquired and looked at the baby with cool blue eyes.
She thought for a moment. "I suppose it is Colt." she said.
"You suppose?" he asked with a laugh.
She looked up at him. She had not been laughed at before. She didn't like it. "I didn't name him." she said. It was the only thing that she could think of saying but it did not put the man down nearly as much as she wished it would.
"Well if you are anything like Balta than I will not ask questions. You learn not to ask anything around that woman. The answers are either too unbelievable or 'to dangerous for my own good'" he made a mocking tone of Balta's voice. It was good. She had to try very hard not to smile.
"You are not what you seem to be." he said after a long pause.
"And what do I seem to be?" she asked.
"What you try to be, I should say. What you try to make the men of the village perceive you as. You are not as haughty and careless as I thought you were."
"You are a quick observer." Madelynn snapped.
The man laughed low again.
"You make quick assumptions I think." Madelynn said. She did not like this man at all. Perhaps the old rivalries between themselves were well earned. She left without a word and walked until she found a barn. It was not what she wanted but it was solitude and that was what she wanted. She sat down and tried to calm the baby. She looked at him and he seemed bigger. But that was impossible, and yet his eyes were open and he looked around intently with wisdom much larger than himself. Perhaps like a colt he would mature faster.
She couldn't help but smile at his helplessness. She hadn't thought this would be much of a punishment, and indeed it wasn't. Balta was not as clever as she thought she was.
Madelynn nursed the infant until it was quiet and then the man entered the barn.
Madelynn sighed. The man did not say anything but sat down on a stool next to a white cow and began to milk it softly.
"I never told you my name." he said.
Madelynn cared not to reply but she did so anyway. "No."
"It's Stanter." he whispered.
"I am Madelynn."
"Yes. I know."