Mellia — The Letter D
????, Fire Season, Season/Illusion Week
Context
1626 Fire Season/Illusion Week/Fireday/late afternoon, at the White Grape Inn. [[[s01:session-44|Session 44]]]
Events
Someone is knocking on Xenofos’ door.
“Enter” when door opens you can see Xenofos sitting by his table with rapier sheath in left hand.
Mellia enters the room. “Good afternoon, cousin. How are you?”
“A bit sombre, but otherwise fine.”
“I’m glad to hear you’re doing relatively well,” Mellia says. “Would you mind doing me a favor?”
Raised eyebrow. “I would not mind, what would you need done? “
“Pretty please, would you write some letters for me? I need to write to Silor Cracks-Rock, my mother and Venlar. I know just what I want to say, so I can dictate them if you want.”
“Mother is easy, Silor and Venlar a bit challenging with my Heortling being less than perfect, but I can surely try.”
“Thank you,” says Mellia. “Which one do you want first?”
“Lets go with the one in Esrolian – that would be the easiest for me to write.”
Mellia briskly dictates a letter to her mother, Kirse. The letter quietly suggests Kirse talk to Grandmother about Sartar, mentions Venlar and also asks her to extend hospitality to Silor Cracks-Rock, Venlar’s father.
Quill flies on parchment. Handwriting is fluent, perhaps not clearest in the world, but quick and looks effortless.
“That looks wonderful,” Mellia comments.
“To Silor? What do You want to write to him?”
“Respectful greetings,” Mellia replies. “Tell him to take that donation to the Great Hospital in Nochet. He has my permission to take a boat there. Also tell him that I asked my kin in Nochet to offer him hospitality while he is there. Tell him I’m sure he and my mother will find things to talk about.”
Xenofos raised an eyebrow at comment on mother.
Mellia begins to laugh. “With luck, this will be the start of marriage negotiations. I just hope they don’t hate each other.”
“Venlar? Congratulations, he seems like an outstanding fellow.”
Mellia confirms, beaming, “Venlar and thank you. It’ll be a long road. I don’t have formal permission to court him yet, even.”
” I wish you all luck with that endeavor. “
“Thank you! I want to send Venlar a letter too.”
“That will be more cheery to write than some other documents I’ve been asked to draft lately- carry on? “
Mellia nods and starts it with “Dearest Venlar”. Predictably, the letter is almost entirely about how much she misses him.
Letter gets written with all due care.
Mellia gazes off into the distance for a moment when that letter’s done. “I didn’t think it wise to mention where we are going.” She sighs. “Thank you. Odd what one remembers at times like these. I’m remembering the Dragonrise. I was there, just way at the back of the armies.”
Mention of Dragonrise is met with silence. Xenofos is carefully sealing the letters.
“I’m told that dragons can kill by fear alone,” Mellia muses. “I was afraid, but it was like seeing lightning. The dragon was beautiful and terrifying all at once.”
“Unleashing that power against people was deeply wrong. Glowline expanding would have been a catastrophe, but this was no better than summoning the Bat.”
“Did we summon the dragon? I thought all the uproar in the temple summoned it. If we did call it, yes, that was wrong.”
“The way it was explained to me as great victory was that our brave priests and mages altered the ritual to wake it…”
“Ah. No one tells a junior healer much of anything.”
“Cavalry scouts – and hears things, not necessarily always true…”
Mellia nods. “If it was true, those responsible paid with their lives. That doesn’t make it right, of course.”
“No, it does not. Purpose does not sanctify just any means.”
“A lesson a certain Humakti could stand to learn,” says Mellia.
“But that is past – and we just have to live with it. Varanis left some instructions should she die…” pause ” which is prudent under the circumstances. “
Mellia pauses for thought. “I have so little and I have no heir. There’s my little statue of the Goddess and the land. I suppose if I die, everything should go to building the Blue Tree temple.”
“Your body?” Xenofos is making notes as you speak.
“Should be burned,” Mellia answers. “Send the ashes home to my mother if you can, please.”
Nod. “I’ll leave written instructions. I deem it possible that I cannot personally attend to business after this quest, should something go awry.” It is a bit scary how practical Xenofos sounds.
“Thank you, Xenofos. Be sure to get some rest, these next few days.”
“It will be lots of meditation, prayer and study, I think. And I hope negotiations will proceed to happy end.”
“Thank you! I’ll let you get to it, Xenofos.”
