Letters to a Friend III

[Lani Stranger]

16th of Fall, 518AV

”Oh,” Lani’s sighed out loud as she read Madeira’s letter. Although she only cached two notes from the woman prior to this, both had come in more or less ten days, but this one had taken longer. The mixed blood had been prone to more worry in this city than she was used to, and so had obsessed over the late letter for days until its arrival. She did not suspect that Madeira had simply not given the scroll back to the Wind Eagle tradesmen before they departed from Lhavit, but rather than the Wind Eagles had not made it back through the storm. If her letter was lost forever, then any communication with Madeira would be severed. Surely she could send another letter with the suspected demise of the last one, but for the sake of manners she would be forced to wait nearly a season to do so, and Lani expected to be off again come Spring, losing the trade routes of Wind Reach that allowed for the letter sharing.

Something in the back of Lani’s mind reminded her that she should be more concerned about the safety of the Eagles and their riders than of the return of her letter. A letter could be rewritten, a lost life was surrendered to the afterlife, and a greater reason to grieve and worry.

When it finally came, leaning against her door frame as it had before, Lani was immediately ecstatic. She pulled the letter from the stony floor, swinging into her chambers, and setting the scroll on her table beside her other writing utensils. Lani was quick to slip out of her work pants, tired of the constricting things. She flung them against the wall, picking up her candle to light it, and set them on the center of the table. All too eager, she folded into her usual chair and broke the seal on the scroll, unrolling it to begin reading her friend’s thoughts.

The words that had made her speak aloud, was the offer of hearth and home from her dear friend. They had known one another as children, where their carefree lives were more concerned with discovering what they were not allowed to learn, than with the strains of adulthood. She considered Madeira one of her closest friends, the only one she had found worth reaching out to once again, but it still touched the half-Chaktawe to read that she was thought of in the same or similar regard. She had little doubt they both held the fantasy of their effortless friendship of childhood in high regard, trusting the foundation from which they had met one another to carry their relationship through the years of absence. It was a high hope, and Lani was content to hope it.

The transparency of Madeira’s discontent with the outside world saddened Lani. If she could be certain her written words could not be construed as criticism of the woman, Lani would have told her directly that she was too much a part of the city of illusion to face the stone world outside Ionu’s comforting bubble.

[Lani Stranger]

Lani knew nothing of Riverfall, but that it existed and she had once lived there, and Madeira’s review of the foreign city did not appeal to Lani in the least. And the encounters that Madeira had experienced in the city of the Akalaks had quickly turned Lani’s bias against the city. She knew why someone would kill a Kelvic, she knew the greed of man to be great, and the personal trophy of a Kelvic skin would have immeasurable value. It was a value that ceased to exist outside of the vengeful hands who had wanted the pelt, a pelt that Madeira now held. The curiosity of the mysteries in Riverfall burned through the wanderer now as she read, and she could understand her friend’s fear and disappointment with not finishing her task in the city.

Lani snorted at the concept of an indentured ghost. Of course Madeira would have done so. Even as a child her need to control things was evident, and Lani was not surprised to find her Spiritism had become a tool in that journey. She paused her reading, growing curious about the benefits of ghost servant to a living one. If there were none, at least it made sense that the mage would surround herself with death, she was a daughter of the notorious Cravens. It saddened Lani to hear of the loss of a lover, and intrigued her that there was an overlap between this Ssanya and this Allister. There was no such thing as tradition in Alvadas, but Lani had only been introduced to the non-monogamous lifestyle for the first time here in Wind Reach. It was a trait of the Inarta that she was happy to take advantage of, but had confused and angered her when she first discovered it. Had Madeira taken two lovers at some point? And this Allister had remained? Or was she mistaken on the meaning of these words once again? Perhaps that was the magic of a Kelvic bond, immeasurable loyalty. But Lani had to wonder how that had worked, if it was as she thought it was. What did it mean?

It was then that the traveler realized she had spent enough time away from Alvadas that she did not think the same as Madeira. Lani had the adaptability of an Alvad, but still had influences of rigidity from the outside world, unlike Madeira who flowed with the universe, taking it in stride, even in the worst of situations. Lani set the scroll down, straightening out the parchment so the stiff paper held while she pulled a new sheet and ink well. She uncorked the inkwell and dipped her quill to begin writing.

Dear Madeira,

Thank you for the wishes for my mother, and I am genuinely sorry to hear of the loss of your past lover. Alas, it is better to remember one than to be remembered; you did the right thing to flee.

The words flowed from her hands quicker than she could think them, and Lani frowned at her own words. She had not written drafts for Madeira before, preferring to communicate openly and honestly with the woman, and even though her words were colder than was likely acceptable, Lani did not think that now was the time to change them.

[Lani Stranger]

Oh, and what a story you tell of Riverfall, it is not hard for me to see why you would detest such a city, even if not for the tragic mystery you were attempting to aide and solve there. You stain no memories of the place, for I have none. That poor trapped soul that you carry with you, can you not exorcise her where you are?

In recent days I find myself dreaming and reminiscing of our time together as children. I do miss you, Madeira, and I am overjoyed that we were able to reconnect so truly. Time is linear and passing, and we cannot stop or slow it, no matter how hard we may try. Surely if neither of us had lived so long without experiencing struggle and hardship, then are we truly alive? Is there any other option in this world but survival? It does cause me to wonder if they day comes when we are given the opportunity to see one another’s face in the flesh if we would recognize each other. Not that I would not know your lithe pale features, and sad sky-eyes anywhere, but that the life which had been lived beneath those eyes would be stronger and more grown than the little girl who built sandcastles in the streets of Alvadas. I wonder if I will recognize this powerful spiritist who seeks answers for the death of little girls and surrounds herself with those she finds useful, living or otherwise. Although I do recall being hired to protect your sandcastle for the price of a pretty red leaf, so the latter may not be so foreign to me. Yes, let’s hope the Gods smile at our futures, and that Leth favors these transformations that we’ve achieved.

Lani sighed, leaning back in her chair. Madeira had given her a substantial amount of information to digest and mull over. She had been busy in the time that Lani had done nearly nothing. It was possible their perceptions of what warranted a story and what did not were different. She could tell the mad woman of her love of languages, of her odd graces by the Gods. She could share her interest in the weaponry of the local culture, or of the odd communal eating habits which isolated Lani’s memory of the tea jellied eggs her mother used to make her, and how much she now craved such a simple thing that she could not achieve.

I cannot share stories of my travels with you, as I’ve not experienced anything unusual in my life worth the note of a story. There are mundane things in the rest of the world that does not entertain a child of a city such as Alvadas. I’m glad you remember R’yse as she was. R’yse was my mother that you knew, but Quett, the Jamoura, was my father. He guided me to The Spires when my mother was too far gone to continue, and then encouraged me to adulthood. I spent a fair amount of time in the peaceful environment in The Spires, just as I did in Lhavit and Alvadas. According to R’yse I was found on the streets of a desert city named Ahnatep, by an Akalak merchant who lived in Riverfall. That is where R’yse found me and took me back to Alvadas, but that is the most that I know of this history. Hence my curiosity for a city that I know only the name of.

I am healthy, although Morwen has not done her duty once again. Zulrav seems to be angered by this absence, and Wind Reach suffers at the whims of the Gods. Storms do now allow our Endal and Avora to hunt, which also provides reason for this very late reply, as our Wind Eagle traders are also unable to leave the safety of the Volcano. A phrase I thought no sane person would ever say. I live comfortably with only myself, although I am finding a few kind souls among these mad humans. There is an elderly man who teaches me languages, that I have found a semblance of a friend in.

[Lani Stranger]

Lani thought about mentioning Narth for a mere tick before her hand was flying across the parchment to tell of him. She felt the childishness of gossip and petty realization in the words. She understood the silly little details lacked any semblance of importance to Madeira. But to Lani, who had only ever been able to achieve what she wanted through others, she enjoyed the discoveries of the power of seduction. The mixed blood managed to keep from writing these words to her friend. It was perhaps considered the lesser of the better forms of persuasion, but Lani had never found issue with it. That information, however, was not for Madeira.

I’ve also captured the interest of a warrior for this city, but the Inarta do not share their hearts as we are used to. In fact, I do not see his heart at all, for I am not the only one with whom he shares his bed. Our difference in caste does not allow for an opinion on my part, but I find the relationship, if it is even that, easy. There is simplicity in a man being ruled by his carnal wants, and a power too. If the caste system shall not allow me the option of denial, then I will find a way to create what I want from what I am handed. It is one of the few things that entertain me in these days. It is my introduction to these odd ways of non-monogamy that drive me to wonder if you had an overlap in lovers between Ssayna and Allister? I’m curious on the happenings of that time, if you don’t mind my inquiry. I also suspect I may be gathering false information from your words once again. I recognize the petty topic as I start it, but I find a curiosity in understanding how your emotions and reactions work with the things that are given to you.

Other than these two Inarta, whose company I suspect is temporary and fleeting, like much in life, I am content to only belong to myself. The name I’ve chosen for myself is accurate, if nothing else. I am happy you have found family in those who surround you, both living, dead, and unborn. I am prone to wonder, given the line of work you dabble in, do you suspect any such sinister things in Lhavit as you have seen in Riverfall? I find interesting details brewing in Wind Reach, but I fear I am not yet at liberty to share what they may be. I suspect the language barrier makes it difficult for me to see everything, but the perfect society that these Inartans present is evidently not true, the longer I stay here. Perhaps I may have more information to give in time, but for now I can only tease you. If things continue with such uncertainty, there is a possibility we will meet in person once again.

Warm Regards
Lani Stranger

Lani tapped her pen on the inside of the ink well, to dislodge any extra ink, and then wiped in on her writing rag to clean it. The letters grew longer with each return, and she grinned at the thought of it. It was only after signing, as Lani wrote the address of Madeira’s dwelling that Lani found one last question for her friend. She etched it into the bottom seam of the paper before sealing it, unwilling to attach a second parchment to lengthen the scroll. Already reaching for her wax to prepare to seal the letter, Lani wondered when the next flight from the city would be possible, determined to have the scroll ready for whenever it did happen.

[Ssezzkero]

Observation +2, Philosophy +1, Writing +3, Composition +3, Rhetoric +2, Storytelling +2, Storms are making flying difficult, Wind Reach to Lhavit: Ten days by flight, Madeira: Still a friend, Time: Changes people, Madeira: Does not like Riverfall, Madeira: Uncovered a secret slave trade in Riverfall, Madeira: Acquired Emma in Riverfall, Raj: Emma’s bondmate, Lani: Does not remember Riverfall, Madeira: Has ‘Indentured Ghosts’, Jomi: Madeira’s Servant, Emma: Maderia’s Ghost, Ssanya: Madeira’s Ex-Lover, Ssanya: Disappeared
+1 Letter from Madeira