Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters, they belong to Cornelia Funke.
Later that week...
Dustfinger walked into a tavern on the side of the road. It had been there as long as he could remember. He loved that place, for it was almost always filled to the brim with the Motley Folk in their brightly colored outfits and upbeat atitudes. When he walked through, he was surprised to see that there weren't as many people as usual, but it was still quite busy. He breathed in the scent of the inn; it was an odd combination of butterscotch and pine. Dustfinger's eyes lingered across the room, looking for the Prince. Then he remembered. Of course he's not here, you fool! He's at home with his little girl. She was born just yesterday, with pitch black hair and skin nearly as dark as her father's.
But then Dustfinger caught sight of another familiar face; Farid. He was toward the back of the dimly lit tavern with his feet propped up on the table. He must have just been performing with the motley folk, for his chest was bare and he smelled like fire. Farid had his arms crossed over his stomach and was staring blankly at the wall opposite him, his face downcast. There was a bowl of untouched chicken soup in front of him. Dustfinger wandered over to him and sat down in the booth so he could face his son.
Farid glanced up and stared coldly in his direction. Then he quickley looked away, still keeping his feet on the table. "Did I do something?" asked Dustfinger, inocently confused. Farid sighed.
"You told Silvertongue, didn't you? About me and Meggie." Farid failed to meet his father in the eye.
Dustfinger raised his eyebrows. "Oh that," he muttered blandly and pushed Farid's boots off the wooden table. "Well I ran into him a few days ago and mentioned that I saw you 'making out' as they would say in the other world. But I believe I may have left out the fact that the two of you were half naked, if that's what you mean. But seriously, what were you guys thinking, messing around like that?"
Farid couldn't help his face from turning red. "You know I would never hurt Meggie," he muttered. "And besides, it's not like it was our first..." his voice trailed off into some incomprehensible mumbleing.
"What?" asked Dustfinger, raising his eyebrows.
Farid crossed his arms tighter. "My love life is none of your business," he replied stubbornly, pushing his soup away.
"It is when I end up with a grandchild that you don't know how to care for!" snapped Dustfinger.
-more coming tomorow
Kemberlin
