Lightweight Windows XP text editor with markdown support?

I need a text editor that knows UTF8, is very light (after all a text editor should start once you click the icon) and does markdown – highlight (not conversion to HTML). So far I keep bumping into $30 options which I have no idea if they really work or GPL junk that can do anything once you’re ready to spend some time tweaking the code. So far I’m very happy with TED Notepad which does everything but this highlight.