Letter Home: Vanera to his mother, Fall/Winter 451 TE

My Dearest Mother,

I shall acquaint you with the events of the last few weeks. A plague has broken out here, and there has seemed to be no cure in the village for it. We were told that there is an herb, Dead Man’s Kiss, that could possibly remedy it. We were also told that the left eye of a hyena could cure it as well. I personally, not wanting to have to bother with hunting a beast down for its eye, proposed that we go after the herb.

On our first day searching, we found some growing in a thicket. The only problem we faced being a Lesser Horned Beast and her litter of cubs living in said thicket. They were newly born, by my estimation. Tengelbur thought he would befriend her by feeding her every apple we had with us. I told him not to, for it would surely make the beast lose its fear of man and wander into the village to eat children. He did not seem to think it was an issue and continued to feed our apples to the beast. Reiana and I tried our best to get some cuttings of the herb, but unfortunately scared the beast, and she attacked Tengelbur. After that, we all started in on the attack, and I must say, it turned out to be a tough fight.

In this beast I saw a motherly instinct that I have often seen in you. She would do anything to protect her cubs, just as you would do anything for your children. How I ever became so fortunate to have you as my mother, I can never tell. For you are one of the most virtuous, most loving, most tender women that has ever walked the earth.

After we had defeated this beast, we discovered that the beast' boiling blood had destroyed the herb. We then spent several days searching for more of the herb with no success. We took what we had back to the village, then set out to find the hyena’s eye. Thankfully, before we had gone very far, we were approached by someone who knew of a cure. To keep a long story short, we were able to help her attain the cure.

I now come to the part I know will make you dance for joy. Anaris and I are planning on coming home for the winter. I will come baring my many sketches I have made of the North with much information, that I am sure you will wish me back there at once so you will no longer have to listen to my talking of it.

Sencankarr… It holds that which is dearest to me in the world. I wonder even now how I have survived without it. Pray, don’t plan too many social engagements for me. I should like to spend the winter quietly at the Royal Library reading. Though, I would like to host a dinner for my fellow adventurers. Perhaps we could host all of Tengelbur’s family for dinner one night. Tengelbur has grown to feel like a brother to me. He has his weaknesses, but really a good man when it comes to his heart.

I have talked to Anaris about Neras Garini. I think it is safe to say there is yet hope. At least on her side. I fear there could be some possible resistance on Neras side. But I am sure that if Anaris spends enough time in front of a looking glass with your help, he will overlook the imperfections in her personality and be mesmerized by her beauty.

I have many other things I could write in this letter, but why waste my ink when you can hear it straight from your son’s mouth. I shall be with you shortly, dear Mother. Give my love to my sisters and to Father.

Your son,

Vanera

Letter Home: Vanera, Fall 451

My darling Mother,

I can not tell you how much your letter has grieved me. It has almost convinced me to return home. It pains me to think what you and others must suffer in my absence. But Mother, think of what it would mean if I were to discover a Tomb of the Stone-kings. The fame alone would secure me any position I wanted. Not to mention what it would do for the family name. What I do, I do for you and father as well as my sisters.

I will speak to Anaris about giving up her frivolous pursuits and coming home. I think having introductions made to this Neras Garini is an excellent idea. In fact, you should do everything in your power to make the match come about. You are so cunning that it will not prove difficult for you. I shall do everything in my power to persuade Anaris that a marriage with Neras Garini is most desirable. One would think she will have no objections when she hears that he is the heir to two large fortunes.

I pray you would hold off on making any arrangements as to my getting married. I believe it would only prove to be a distraction for me to be engaged. To know that there was some young woman hanging all her hopes on my returning would pain me. In fact, the thought sends a pang through my heart at this very moment. It is best I remain as I am. I am still young, and there is still plenty of time to marry and give you grandchildren.

As to what you have to say about Vitherai, I am glad to hear she will do her part to raise our house and carry on some young man’s line and help him spend his large fortune. She is a sweet girl and deserves all the best in life.

Anaris is doing well and seems to have improved in temperament for the moment. I on the other hand have not been well. I had a run in with a Nashbori arrow. I hesitate to tell you about it for fear it will only deepen your disapproval of my journey out North. I was shot in my back between my shoulder blades while fighting off a horde of Nashbori. My fellow adventurer, Tanurendal, stood there by my side fighting with all the courage of a lion. It is him who you have to thank for the life of your son, for there were at least four times I would have been cut down had it not been for his throwing himself in the way to stop the blow. I was able to return the favor though when he was hit by a poisonous arrow. I was able to, with my profound knowledge, make a spicy broth that brought him back from the brink of death.

It happened in this manner. In my last letter I told you of the adventure we had been sent on by a man who had lost four of his amber miners. Well, we set off to find them, and our first stop was in a village called Kor-Ikush. We had been told that some of the family of the lost miners lived there. Though we did not meet any we did meet some interesting people. One of which was a wash-woman whose eyes were set far apart, almost in the sides of her head. Her hands were altered as well, for they were webbed like frog feet. This woman seemed to know everything about all of us, which I found unnerving. She knew all about what we were doing there and where to find who we were looking for.

After long bargaining at the end of which Anaris made a deal with her that I had misgivings about, she told us where to find the lost miners. We set off at once and found everything just as the woman said. We arrived at a fort where we found all the belongings of the four miners, clothes and all, as well as signs of recent Nalshbori activity. But no miners. Oddly enough, there were four stone trees in the ruins of the fortress, and it’s been whispered among the group that those were the four miners turned to trees by some foul play. As we were searching the fort, I came across a bronze tablet that reads as follows:.

Ika-karhala Orrula, Weiksura anyalir ijilan kjanlases ika-amnoxam abla-serthatama abiyauv-inla.

Three of our group decided to go below the fortress and found a Nashbori alter. Anaris also found a silver bowl. Perhaps it will encourage her to set up house now that she has such a nice piece to be displayed.

Tanurendal and I stayed above to keep watch, and we employed our time in setting up a clever trap to alert us of any surprise attacks. Unfortunately, it did not work, for the Nalshbori attack came from the other side of the fortress. We both hid, but Tanurendal was spotted and instantly the object of their attacks. I tried to sneak off to alert the other that there was an attack up above but did not make it very far before I was spotted and shot in the back. I am afraid from that point on I was not much help in the fight. It is very painful to try and raise one’s sword when you have an arrow digging itself further in your back with every movement.

I will spare you the rest of the details of the affair. After the fight, Reiana - a Weixranbori leader, pulled the arrow from my back and did her best to tend to my wound. It was after that that I saved Tanurendal’s life by making the broth. After this, it was decided that the alter below the fortress needed to be destroyed and cleansed. Reiana and Tengelbur Sathneinor went below and disassembled the alter. Then they brought up all the burnable parts and set them ablaze while Tengelbur sang The Last of the Stone-kings. Once this had all been completed, we took the stones and ashes and set off with them to deposit them in a body of water. This was no easy task for me with my back wounded, especially once a Nalsbori warband started chasing us.

Through all that, we all managed to arrive safely at Galal-i-Yalir. There is not much to tell after this. Sir Ralus showed us great hospitality, and I had my wound tended to. The next day we returned to Karet Cheykor.

That is all I have to write for now. I do love you dearly, Mother. Know that I am trying very hard to keep safe and that the cloak you made me has kept me very warm. Do give my love to my three sisters and Father. Tell them I would welcome letters from them, as I am sure Anaris would as well.

Your ever-loving son,

Vanera

P.S. Do continue to send the latest gossip, for I am asked at least three times a day about what news I have from Sencankarr. But everyone here seems to be interested in particular about Neras Garini, so do send along a little more information on him.

[By Hope R.]

To Vanera, from his mother - Summer/Fall 451 TE

My Darling Vanera,

I do hope you are well and that you are not catching cold. They say it gets dreadful on the moors, even in the summer time. I must admit I still do not understand why you insisted on going off wandering through barbaric lands when there is a good position as a court scribe--and even an advantageous marriage, if I can arrange it--waiting for you back at home. But, if your sister is any indication, it's the purpose of one's children to disappoint one so, for they will go off and have their mad flings without any consideration to a mother's feelings. If you find Anaris a trial to bear, my darling son, you may know that it is but one tenth of the misery your absence has caused me. Won't you come home and marry?

There is certainly plenty to talk about. We went to stay at our house in Sencankarr this spring. Vitherai was danced with by many handsome young men at the king's fete, and I have every hope that when her time comes, she will be able to do our part to raise the fortunes of our house. Of course all of the great gossip was really around young Neras Garini, of whom you must assuredly have heard. He's the heir, mind you, not just of the Garini house, but also of the fabulous fortunes of the Amosbo family. I can still remember when the Amosbo line failed. I was still a young girl then, and it was only a few years after the War. Ralus Amosobo died young and without male heirs, and the fortune defaulted to the Garinis by right of two intermarriages with the Garini line which produced Tengelyan Garini, Ralus Amosbo's wife. There were rumors in those days that Tengelyan Garini denied her husband children so that the fortunes of their household would pass over to her father's estate. The Garinis were and are mad, it's said, though very beautiful, and there is a cunning streak that comes in from those perennial schemers the Eirukos. 

But all of this is, as we say in the Capitol, ancient history. Of great interest right now is the fate of Neras Garini. He is, as I have said, the heir to two fabulous fortunes, and is a great favorite of Onwae. I suspect that he will in time become one of the greatest men in the land. They say he has his eye on Talarja Sathneinor, though after her rogue of a brother killed her last suitor in a duel, I'm not sure how anyone can be expected to give that girl a second glance.

It would be greatly to your sister's advantage were she to set aside her frivolous pursuits and come to Sencankarr at once so that a proper introduction might be made. If not, Neras has three sisters who are all quite young and beautiful. I will speak to Engelyan Thianra, Neras' mother and the matriarch of the Garini clan, on your behalf should the opportunity arise. 

With love and many tears,

Your mother Ridenyan Kjavabo.