Letter to Gideon 3

Dear brother,
 
It's been quite a few days. We saved Robert Talespinner, who formally introduced himself as a bard who tells tales.
He was going to Tarn but got held up and was too late, then he came across the Reinards that wanted a toll which he couldn't pay. So luckily Gael was there to prevent Robert from being killed.
 
Robert spent the evening telling us plenty of tales. But after some time the public demanded music, which Robert couldn't provide. Lil and I jumped at the occassion to make some music, luckily Liliana's beautiful voice masked my mediocre performance on the violin. I really should get a violin of my own and stop using Lil's, might help with my performance dips.
 
Anyhow we ended up going to sleep under that starry sky. The Colline carriage can apparently flip their couches into beds.
Gael was offered a sleep in Robert's carriage but he prefers the outside.
 
The next day Edward was joining us at the front, telling us Elsa would still be sleeping. This prompted some questions from me but apparently she's just a late sleeper. Hayley then proposed to stay with her, assume she saw that the day would give horrible weather and take the morning in a cozy carriage. In the afternoon Luke greedily volunteered to take seat in the carriage, I would like to join Elsa as well but the thought of sitting still in a carriage makes my legs itch just thinking about it. During the day some of us noticed a menacing presence emanating from the forest.
 
Now the day was extremely cold and extremely damp, having to twist some clothes to get the water out. Though by the end of the day the temperature was going up as we approached Rosebloom. The extremely small town is apparently built on some fissures that heat up the valley to a very temperate temperature for the whole year, which means the trees are in constant bloom. The brand new shiny white castle on the hill overlooking it made the whole thing look like something out of a fairy tale. We waited on the rest of the caravan and Onvyr told us we should go into the village and contact Hector, the owner of a large shop who he made extra dealings with for food while the rest of the caravan set up outside the village.
 
At Hector's store we were first met with his shy granddaughter, named Anna. Who went and got her grandfather, Hector. We brought the supplies he gathered to the caravan which was already turning into quite a party, as the villagers had gone to look at the caravan and everyone hit it off and it turned into a spontaneous party. Or as I like to call it, my kind of party. Spent most of the time drinking, dancing and playing games with the villagers. I was armwrestling a guard when a hunter named Anton and his group showed up to challenge me to an armwrestling match, wanting to see if I had what it takes to be a knight. He was a huge man, and even though I am barely 16 I am still a man in the eyes of the people of Tarn. So we locked our hands and went at it, and I think he underestimated me since I won quite fast. While Anton was congratulating me his friends accussed me of cheating. I felt the blood rushing to my head as my honesty was being questioned but I managed to barely hold myself back as Anton still seemed nice about it. The villagers told me their group were hunters that kept the village safe, but also had some fragile egos among them, the kind of ego that hates seeing one of their own lose to a "kid from Tarn" it seems. But the other villagers/caraveneers around me got me out of my state rather quick and we ended up partying until late into the night.
 
Meanwhile Lil' was talking to Anna, she's apparently a bit shunned by the villagers for reading books. At least, that's what Lil told me that's what is going on. Her grandfather seemed quite popular at least since he was jovially talking to just about everyone at the party. Lil thought to cheer the little girl up and, according to her, wanted to find Hayley who she thought would know more about her experience. But as Hayley was gone she went for her brother Luke. Luke, as usual, was found hanging onto Elsa like a mosquito on your arms on a warm summer's day. Robert Talespinner apparently saw his chance and asked Elsa to dance. Luke and Liliana then spent the evening talking to Anna about what books she was reading, which were very arcane in nature. I might give him some shit sometimes, but Luke is a good guy and it's clear he cheered the girl up and made her feel less alone in her bookish ways. Apparently as she's only had her grandfather as her parents died years ago.
 
Hayley, Dadroz and Gael apparently went out into the town and visited the Bloompool, a boiling body of water housing some elemental creatures. From there they visited the keep on the top of the hill and spent the evening talking to Lord Flinn, a young knight who gained this fiefdom and castle very recently. Apparently he gained it by doing some favors for the King and some brave questing. And he's a member of the Rose Garden. A real knight! And I missed out on meeting him. But then again, I would've missed out on the party.
 
That night some of us had a weird dream, we were all gathered around the Bloompool while shades moved around and we heard a voice sing in the Sylvan language. The next day we learned we shared this dream and Gael was kind enough to tranlate
"In shadows cast by Twilight's Mourn
A town lies still, its fate forlorn
Whispers haunt its one dead street
Where sorrow and despair entreat
 
Hollow Windows, Shattered panes,
Reflect the echoes of past refrains.
Once bustling with life's vibrant hum,
Now silence reigns, a dirge begun"
I'm not sure what to make of this, but it at least doesn't sound any good. Gael decided to write a letter to warn the Lord of this omen.
 
So after discussing this dream over the morning we set out to leave the village, and from there we left the good temperatures as well though at least it wasn't so damp. The day wasn't quite so eventful and we were asked to take up guard duty that night. I sat out the first watch with Dadroz, but it was during the second watch that Gael and Lil saw a bright light moving through the trees. Gael called it out and it moved towards the camp, morphing into an elven lady beckoning us for help. Lil decided to wake us up and we had to discuss what to do. It seemed only Lil and myself were willing to go help this spectral lady, but everyone else was vehemently against it. They were worried it was dangerous and that we had a duty to guard the camp, the second one is easily fixed by waking someone up to take over and the first just seemed like the prerequisite of a good adventure. Though I was hesitant since I do think adventure is best shared by all, Lil's resoluteness steeled my own desire to go help this lady. Out of worry Gael went with us (somehow he thinks Lil and I can't speak Elvish) and Luke was also convinced to tag along. Luckily those two came with since when we arrived at some ruined shack near a pond an evil spirit decided to attack us while levitating over the lake, forcing some curse on Lil that would've made her drown. I admit I was useless in this fight, as I didn't have any way to reach her, I am ashamed to admit I wavered in my belief in swords as the ultimate weapon. But it seems clear I need a way to walk on water, evidently the fault was with me and not the sword. But Gael and Luke made easy work of the spectre as their magical weapons and spells found their purchase. From there we found out the spirit that led us there told us her husband's bones were buried here and she wished for her remains to be buried with them. During the digging Gael explained to us that the Sylvan singing we heard during the fight was about two women fighting for a man's love and one drowned the other in jealousy. I am not sure who of the two we buried but the spirit seemed pacified as we filled up the grave. And with that we found our way back to camp and relieved Hayley and Dadroz of their watch. I find it hard to put into words the gratitude I feel to Luke and Gael for helping us, Lil and I might've perished in a fight so unsuited to our abilities.
 
Next day's travel somehow ended up colder than the last, but we were overjoyed when it started snowing. Prompting Lil, Edward and myself to have a impromptu snowball fight. My sister and I were quickly confronted with our inability to aim any snowball, but we had fun regardless. Later that day the menacing presence we felt from the forest became even stronger, prompting some of us to huddle up or putting hands on our weapons. This presence manifested itself into a White Wolf, a giant hound that set upon us. He blasted Gael, Dadroz and myself with a cold breath, the others managed to avoid the worst but I took a full on burst. I felt my strength leaving me but right there Elsa came up behind me and kissed me on my cheek, with this a fire was lit inside me and I was stronger than ever, striking a fearsome blow at the wolf. Feeling attacks coming at it from all sides the wolf ran off and hid in the blaze of snow. Luke managed to strike the final blow by firing off darts of arcane magic.
 
As Gael and Liliana contemplated skinning or decapitating the beast to have a trophy I went to thank Elsa for her help, without her I might have perished and she managed to make me find strength I didn't know I had. Maybe I worded my gratitude too strongly as she blushed and quickly clarified it was magic she used, she apparently learned it in a summer retreat at a temple in Hillfield, but I find simple magic to be inadequate to explain the fire lit in my heart. And the internal struggle I felt before: standing aside for my friend Luke or follow my heart is raging ever stronger.
 
I was mulling this over well into the next day as we went over the final hill and laid our eyes upon Hillfield for the first time in years. Tarn has been my home for all this time but damn if it's not fun to say: I can see our house from here.
 
With Brotherly Love,
Alistan