Unsent letter to Gideon 4

Dear Brother,
 
Today has been a... difficult day. I am writing this, sitting in my old room's windowsill, looking over our family's garden, contemplating on our esteemed family. I need to process this day a bit and writing to you always helps. And you deserve to know what is happening, or maybe you already do?
 
It started out well enough, the road to Hillfield welcoming us back after being away in Tarn for a few years. There were groups of guards and hunters working on what we later learned were Menhirs, and they were removing them on orders of our mom.
 
When we got to the gate and we were waiting on Onvyr, Lil and I proposed that everyone could stay over at our place, we got plenty of rooms. Most were enthousiastic but Gael and Hayley decided to stay at the inn, Onvyr arranged some rooms there for everyone who wanted. Couldn't help but feel a bit offended that they turned it down so fast, we could've had a great sleepover if other things didn't happen. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
 
Onvyr mentioned we had a few days to sit back and enjoy Hillfield while he got some more wagons for the caravan, quite a few that travelled from Tarn weren't going on. They told us to already go on ahead and while we passed through well enough the guards had to leave their post to go control the Colline carriage. I didn't expect too much trouble but I stuck around, hoping I didn't have to use the De la Roost name to smooth things over if guards started acting up over nothing.
 
But the guards leaving their post left the gate site open to an ambush by the Satyr and their blink dog. They started harassing people, killing animals and destroying property. We immediately jumped in and captured most of them before the guards came back. I tried to calm down some of the civilians and think my calls succeeded at that. The guards immediately wanted us to drop our weapons, me not wanting to damage the blade sheated it first before throwing it on the ground and moving next to Ileas. Our satyr friend might need protection after an attack done primarily by satyr. Luckily we quickly cleared things up with Officer Berris and even got some info on what was going on. The Satyr clans have been paid off by some merchant claiming to be a Baron and they have illegally laid claim to some land south east of Hillfield. They are also being joined by Reinards and Humans.
 
After the rest of the caravan passed inspection we guided them to the Iron Shield Inn, waiting for Gael and Hayley to settle in before going to our house on the other side of the road. Our usual hospitality seemed to be replaced with a closed gate and guards, it was a bit awkward to have to explain that we were the children of the current head of the house but again, we were gone for a few years. It was already very late as we rang the door and mom came out in her evening robes, she immediately pulled us into a big hug, oh how I have missed mom's hugs. She welcomed us in and offered to make us some coffee and tea. Ileas managed to revert about 5 years and immediately went in to play servant. And mom then made him prepare the rooms for our friends, luckily Liliana went to help. Feeling a bit embarassed I asked her to treat Ileas with a bit more standing, which was of course met with the same old speech of duty and service belonging 'both sides' of nobles and peasants. Now, brother, I'm all for duty and serving those that serve me, but Ileas deserves more than being a run-of-the-mill servant. He has helped me and Lil more times than I can count, like all my companions I owe my life to him. How is it fair that he also changes my sheets?
 
We asked mom about the Satyr situation and the Menhirs. She told us dad is out with a contingent of soldiers to strike back at the raids from this 'Baron' while Keralon sends reinforcements to deal with this in a more permanent way. I'd ride to him and help but he's apparently a few days out and I don't want to miss the caravan's departure. And dad's pretty badass, he can handle it. The satyr attacks also got all the way up to the house, probably trying to take vengeance for our family's role in taking out the Satyr clans in the past. So no wonder security is so tight now. About the menhirs, mom pointed to some old tomes and explained she figured they were part of some ritual curse that was used in an old war between the Immerglade and Neverhold Kingdoms, and while they were inert they should be removed before someone reactivates them. Hayley started studying some of the books while we talked but we learned mom was being dishonest. But more on that later
 
After some time, Elsa and Edward joined us, they had to do some family business of their own and so could only join us later in the evening. And after the small talk died down mom went to bed, claiming she was tired. And Hayley and Gael went back to the inn. I took this moment to propose a walk in our garden to Elsa to wind the day down. Hoping for some private time with her. But clearly she misinterpreted my request as she asked others to join. Luke, being about as easy to separate from Elsa as a Dragon from their hoard, jumped at this request. And I just realized that, fuck it, let's just bring everyone along. While not the ideal walk I had envisioned, reminiscing about the times I fought Lil with sticks (and how much that ended with her hunting me down around the house) was still enjoyable. At least until Lil saw a Menhir in our garden, or at least she found tracks going off the path ( a big no-no as you very well know ). This Menhir was glowing, so while Lil tried knocking it over and Luke was preparing to cast magic to help identify the object I called Hayley with our immerglade stone, since I knew she was reading one of the books on them. When everyone joined up Hayley mentioned how the menhirs on the path to Hillfield were border stones that designated the old border of Immerglade, and now that that kingdom is gone the stones were inert. Which makes this Menhir that was glowing quite brightly all the more suspicious, especially since they have different runes on them. So I took the moment to get mom so we can get her input. At this point I arrived at her door and after knocking a few times and realizing it was locked I was slightly panicked when there was no response. The news of the Satyr attacks and the ominous Menhir made me break down her door to see if she was still safe. Here I was met with an empty bed, but the standing mirror was shifted revealing a passage. Realizing I couldn't use my stone to contact anyone anymore I yelled through the window everyone should come up since I was afraid mom was kidnapped.
 
It was here that ol' Desiderius, bless his soul, came up and asked me what the ruckus was about. Since he had been sleeping this was the first time seeing him in years, and he immediately lapsed in fussing about how I'd grown and I shouldn't break down my parent's door. He also said we shouldn't bother with the passage since he knew mom used it more often and we should leave her be. But how could I? What could she possibly be hiding in there? And I was still worried. So I told ol' Desiderius to just leave it to me and Lil, who I might add just went in before me while I was saying this. Everyone else joined except for Edward and Elsa as they were worried about the danger. The passage led to a staircase that went down, down and down until we arrived at what I can only describe as 'what the fuck'. Mom was praying in the Sylvan language while wearing a creepy as hell mask, and was obviously surprised when we asked what the hell was going on. She just said she'd explain later and she wanted to finish what she was doing. Out of pure shock I obliged and asked everyone to go up, Hayley and Luke just rattling off questions they would hopefully see answered later.
 
So a bit later in the tearoom mom joined us and, reluctantly, answered the questions. It was kind of her to reveal this to our friends, as I didn't want to go behind her back too much on this (they deserve to know). She revealed that our family made a deal with a fey king called Ulther of the Neverhold Kingdom. This deal made it possible for our ancestor to help defeat the Leper revolt and in exchange the family prayed to him after generations and did small favors for this king. Now you might know this, as the first child, but this was news to me. So removing the menhirs was at the behest of this Ulther, what could he possibly want with removing inactive mehirs of a kingdom that doesn't exist anymore? *scratched out* Could this have anything to do with what Terrin told us? *Scratched out* And the menhir in the garden is part of her ritual too, moved up after we all moved out. Guess it's lucky that mom forgot about us swinging by or we wouldn't have learned about this. Did you know about this? Guess being the heir to the family it's hard to think you wouldn't.
 
Now this next part I did know, at the continued prodding of our friends Liliana revealed the other part of the deal we made. That the second born child of the head of the family must be sent to King Ulther to serve for a few years. Or to be more correct, I didn't know about this king Ulther. At this Hayley, Luke and Gael went into a shouting match with mom about how unfair this is to Lil. Mom held up that serving is part of our duty as nobles, and these actions have kept Keralon safe in the past. The others were quick to compare this to slavery and indoctrination.
 
I was being quiet, mostly to keep myself from revealing my feelings on this matter to mom. Only when Luke called me out did I respond that he should not be so hasty to know what I am thinking. Please don't tell mom but I feel like I need to tell you: I hate what this deal does to our family. You might remember but 15 minutes separate my birth and Lil's, 15 minutes determined that Liliana must serve and I am free. 15 minutes determined Lil must suffer the same fate as uncle Jayce and Great-Aunt Arlin, will her hair turn white as theirs did? Did 15 minutes doom her soul for something she never consented to? How could I ever tell her I want to drag her away kicking and screaming from serving King Ulther. I can't act only because she wants to, but does she need to? Mom might fear what we might lose if we don't honor the deal, but what about what we lose now? Mom talks about serving but isn't our allegiance to the people of the Hillfield, Keralon and the material plane? And not some Fey king. I dream of being a great knight, protecting the innocent. But I can't even protect my family from this.
 
Ever since we set out from Tarn I am worried this is the last time I'll travel with Liliana, my other half. I have made peace that while I can't prevent her from going I might be able to save others. Your children, Gideon, don't have to walk this road. And if I can end this deal, I will. We might lose some status and wealth, but these can be rebuilt. Luckily I don't stand alone: Gael, Hayley and Luke are aware of some of my feelings on the matter and that I can use their help. They proved to be the best companions I could wish for when they promised their help, starting with researching this King Ulther. I would be forever in their debt if they can help us out with this.
 
Oof, I just realized what I have written. Maybe I'll keep this letter to myself for a while before posting it, maybe mull over some more clever ways to say what I want to say without someone reading such sensitive information. But I'm happy I wrote it. And perhaps I'll hand it to you when we meet and we can talk about it. I like to think we are of the same mind on this.
 
Many things cloud my mind: the people and guards of Hillfield, even of our family seem adamant on hating satyrs, our family's ties to the Fey go even deeper than I suspected, and Elsa seems blind to my advances. But somehow, I can't help but think you could solve this. Sadly you're quite far away in Drybank. But by knowing you could it, it somehow inspires me to give it a go. And give it my all.
 
So thanks brother, and may we meet soon.
 
Alistan.