the_lioness | (no subject)

*Although most Tortallan mail travels via messengers, the King frequently relies on a widespread network of carrier pigeons and border outposts. Thus, when he sends Alanna on border patrol following the black box incident, she insists on bringing one along for her personal use. She arranges to have the pigeon fly to Olau.

She has no idea if it will even work, but she intends to try. Thus, on her first night huddled around a camp fire, she composes her first letter to Adam. Messily.*

Dear Adam,

~~Hullo~~. ~~Greetings!~~ Hi. I am freezing, so pardon my shaky hand. ~~I want you here, as I am freezing.~~ I miss you.

I shot a rabbit today. With an arrow, obviously. It didn't taste very good. The rabbit, that is, although I imagine the arrow wouldn't either.

~~Goddess, it's really cold.~~ I hope all is well. Sadly, I have nothing much to report to either you OR Jon. He's probably ~~smug~~ sitting in front of his warm fireplace eating caramels or some such thing.

I am a loyal subject. I shall not begrudge my King his caramels. ~~I might long to shove them up his...~~ I will write more later.

Love, Alanna

*Unfortunately, the pigeon had an accident on the scroll mid-flight.*

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*The letter gets to Adam through the bar, but by the time he receives it, it's crumpled, messy and torn. There are a few words he can make out, and Alanna's signature. He takes it to their room, sighing, and writes out a response.*

Alanna,

What's going on with Jon and Camels? A rabbit stole your arrow? I'm not sure what you were trying to say, but it didn't come across very well.

I miss you, I hope you're okay.

I hope you don't smell like this letter does. Ugh.

Did I mention I miss you? I think the animals do, too. Don't worry about the carpet, it'll be fine.

Love, Adam.

PS. I don't know if it'll work, but you should be able to send me letters by putting them back in this envelope. I hope you didn't throw it in the fire or anything. Um. Love you, miss you, bye.

*Alanna meets up with her pigeon again near the Golden Lake outpost. The guard insists on asking her what felt like a thousand questions before finally handing her the waiting letter and taking Moonlight to be stabled. Biting her lip, Alanna carefully opens the seal and reads.

Camels?

How much Atlantean had Adam consumed?*

Adam,

Camels? Oh! Did Jon sneak off to an oasis while I am up here FREEZING to death? He had best hope he is still there when I return to Corus.

Of course a rabbit didn't steal my arrow. How would a rabbit even carry an arrow? No thumbs. Honestly. My script isn't that hard to decipher, is it? And no, I smell perfectly fine thank you. Well, a bit like a wet horse, but otherwise fine.

I miss indoor plumbing.

I am okay. I miss you fiercely, however, and keep thinking about things I want to tell you. Then I'll hear something in the woods and get distracted, only to forget said detail later. I'm getting very bored of my own company. In fact, I think I had an entire argument with myself earlier, and I'm not sure who won.

Border patrol can be ever so boring. At least there will be a warm bed tonight.

What happened to the carpet? Is Thea shedding? She does that when I am not around for long periods of time.

I love you.

Love (again), Alanna

P.S. In this envelope? Okay, I'll give it a try. Once I'm done writing, obviously. Say hello to everyone.

Again, P.S. These guards are boring me rotten with their tales of frostbite. It's a shame I can't introduce them to Mario Kart.

*Adam's quite pleased when the letter shows up on the bedside table, right where-

Okay, not exactly where he'd planned, but close enough.*

Alanna-

I don't know about any oasis, you're the one who was talking about camels. Perhaps they were your camels and not his? I thought you'd said the King's camels, though. Should I be concerned that you're having illicit relations with a camel?

You'll have to take a long shower when you get home, so as to aleviate the smell ~~because I don't want to smell it~~ ~~because I've thought up some new inventive~~; I'm sure it'll feel great after all that time.

Thea's not shedding ~~yet~~. Don't worry about it! It's fine.

Whose warm bed?

Love only, Adam

Dear Adam,

Imagine that I am ruffling your hair right now. Or, better yet, tickling you. Do you have a good mental image? Grand.

The warm bed belongs to the keep. It's in the tiny room just like all the other tiny rooms that are kept at outposts for Knights of the Realm lucky enough to land themselves on border patrol in the middle of winter. Near Tusaine. In the cold. I digress. Anyway, it's quite cozy, if a bit like a monk's cell.

Now, imagine that I am kissing you in apology for the hair ruffling and the tickling.

Hmmm.

CARAMELS. Not camels, caramels. Never mind, it is irrelevant.

Oh, I fully intend to take a long shower. Several, in fact. Possibly a hot bath as well. ~~You may join me, if you wish. I wish. Want. Gods, this room is musty.~~

I'm very skittishly awaiting the Goddess. She tends to appear when I'm traveling.

Oh, you might not want to let Myles near apples. They make him sick to his stomach. So strange.

Love always, Alanna

Alanna,

Caramels make so much more sense than camels. Why didn't you just say so in the first place?

I'm glad to hear that you'll have a warm place to spend the night, even if it's not here at the bar. Meanwhile, I'm shocked to hear that there's somebody ~~in our family~~ here that doesn't like apples. I don't know if I'll allow him to stay, then.

It might, however, explain the stains.

Don't worry about the stains! Really.

Did you ever think of what it was you wanted to talk to me about?

Love,

Adam

PS. I have not hit Thom. I thought you'd like to know.

Adam,

I did. And while caramels might make more sense, the mental picture of Jon sitting by his fire trying to ingest a camel is infinitely more amusing.

Myles stays.

Do you honestly think I'll mind about a stain? It's only the rug, correct? Just... put a boot over it or something.

How big is it?

No, I don't mind.

Many, many things. In particular, I must confess I have an alterior motive for picking border patrol near Tusaine. Remember the pages Delia translated? I'm asking about Alienor in villages and larger keeps. Fascinating stuff. It's almost as if the common folk are afraid to speak of her. Maybe it's just me.

I was mistaken for a boy earlier. That hasn't happened in a while.

Love and miss you, Alanna

P.S. Thank you. Could you leave the following note with Bar?

P.P.S. How is Liam?

---

~~Brother~~ Thom,

~~I miss you.~~

~~I love you.~~

I forgot how bloody cold it is in Tortall at this time of year.

-Alanna

I'll leave it.

Going to bed now. I love you.

Adam.