A Letter Arriving in Late Spring

My Dearest Sister, I have tried to write this letter several times. Silevren has grown quite tired of the paper waste, and has insisted that this must be the last time and I have never been one to disappoint my wife. Do you remember when we were children and father would come up from his lab with ‘toys’ he had made, how mother would argue they were shrapnel bombs waiting to happen? The little music box he made Desi still sits on my mantle. I miss hearing them play, I miss life before our burdens settled so firmly on our shoulders. The stars and all their wisdom have never told me if I made a mistake by not going with them, if the fires of hell held some comfort Lazwish had denied me. I wish you had not been forced to stay. Naliya made the journey to see me. She was only supposed to stay until spring, but it is almost summer now and she is still with us. I think she is afraid that I will be gone before she can visit again. She wanted to call for you, to bring you into The Wilds and be with us, but I knew I could not bear it. I know you will live a long time, soon those who carry your blood will be nothing more than strangers with the same last name. Your face--so untouched by time, a memory of a place we can never go back to--would only wound me. So let me imagine that you are waiting for me in hell, that when I arrive in those infernal lands Desi will play music for us both again and you can imagine that I am always waiting for you in The Wilds, that there is a small house with warm smiles and familiar faces. I love you, Until I see you again, Cassiopeia Zar'ath 4350 AGE A small slip of paper tucked behind the letter: Mother, I am afraid this letter was not able to be sent before Aunt Cassie's passing. I am not sure precisely what happened that day, Cassi and Silevren both got up early one morning with the desire to see the sun rise. By dusk I had not seen either of them, but footsteps could be found going into the deep forest. I walked the path as far as I could before the fae told me to turn back. When I asked them what happened they told me Aunt Cassie and Silver had gone on a trip and that I should not expect them back. I think that was their plan from the start, so I will not press further into the matter. I only hope their next adventure is all that they desire. - Naliya Zar'ath