Pacing, she waited for an update. When a familiar-looking bird was spotted, Scarlet steadied herself, taking a deep breath as she moved with purpose. Untying the message from its leg, she carefully unrolled it and set it aside. She knew she had to provide food and water for the exhausted messenger; his journey had been long. Once the bird was situated, she returned to the scroll and began to read. It took her several minutes to decipher the missive.
Her face fell; it was not the person she had hoped would contact her. Judging by the markings, she knew who had responded. Although her mentor was unavailable, the reports had been received by one of the other 'heads'. Sitting down heavily, she sighed. This was meant to be an official update. "Steady goes it," she muttered dishearteningly as she tossed the scrap into the fire, watching to ensure the entire message burned. Afterward, she filed away the rest of her drafts and new information. It would be several months before her mentor would be available again, and she hoped her message would be passed along. "Surely, Mother would believe me..." Sighing again, she sat in front of the fire, stirring the embers as she watched the flames slowly die.