The man's heart seemed to shatter visibly; his posture collapsed, the tiny spark of hope in his eyes flickering toward extinction.
But then, Maddy stepped forward. She placed a firm, steady hand on the man's shoulder, her grip grounding him.
"Your daughter is a kind woman,"
Maddy said, her voice cutting through the gloom of the inn. The man looked up, startled.
"On my first day here, when I had nothing, she told me my stay was free because I was a new adventurer. Every morning since, she has been the first to welcome me, always slipping an extra portion of food onto my plate when she thought I wasn't looking."
Maddy leaned down, her eyes burning with a fierce, maternal resolve beneath the shadow of her hood.
"She didn't ask for a price then, and I'm not asking for a guarantee now. Whether that flower is a rumor or a reality, I am going into that forest. She saved me from the cold when I first arrived in this city—now, I am paying that debt. Your daughter will be saved."
