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Dearest Raina,

My dear, darling girl! I do so wish I could rush home to you and protect you from every mean hearted wretch! Those horrid M'iller boys! If they had the smallest bit of courage they would leave off harassing you and try for something more dangerous, like Kaun's old bulldog.
Oh, sorry. I suppose that is not the most flattering comment to yourself. Beg pardon, I only meant to focus on their lack of spine, rather than your lack of... edge.
I cannot say that I am sorry for the curse you bestowed on them, they deserved every bit of it. But you certainly must be more careful in your cursing. Remember the time Aunt Kalesa got mad at Old Bessie and started to beat the poor thing and you were so mad that you cursed her that she would have a great big mole on the tip of her nose and the next morning she had the most gargantuam mole this world has known. You have an uncanny knack for curses.
How amazing that you should meet Master Sotur'i! Of all things! And that you should treat him the way you did. Oh, I apologize, I am certain you were very gracious, if not perfect in your manners. But it seems a very strange coincidence that you should meet him so shortly after I did. I am very grateful to you for your faith in me and conveying that to Master Sotur'i. It would have been a terrible disaster if you had said anything to the effect of me not fulfilling my "punishment" of becoming the best.
Are you going to keep your appointment with him? As a Master, he has a high standard of chivalry and I should not think that should have anything to fear from him and how fascinating that he should want to teach you! I haven't the faintest idea what he would wish to teach you, as I cannot think that he would view you as any sort of apprentice Warrior, but whatever it is, you should be grateful for the honor. Be certain to always put in a good word for me! I have no wish to disappoint such an illustrious Master.
I fear I did an injustice in my descriptions of my dear friends, especially Benk. To be sure, Benk is a bit mysterious at times, but it is terribly unfair of you to place him as a King's Spy. I did mention that Master Gann was anxious to start him training as a Spy, but there is no possiblity of his already being one. He is from the village of Hylanth and he is just recently finished an apprenticeship under a Warrior Master there and this is his first time in the Capitol. And I can vouch for him as to his feelings. I have not been idle in furthering the cause of freedom and Benk is behind the cause more than anyone else. His loyalties lie with the people. He would never stoop so low as to employ himself as a King's Spy. The morning Master Sotur'i showed up, Benk was on the Battlefield. He had stayed behind at training to work with a young Warrior who was having a bit of trouble with the Double Routine. There is no reason why you should be suspicious of him not always being with us.
Your questions are... imaginative, as always. You have the silly habit of jumping to conclusions. I dare say my male friends do not lack in the good looks department, but you are an odd one to think I would do something as silly as take a fancy to one of my fellow training Warriors. We are good friends, too good to care for the silliness of silent fancies. But I dare say you wouldn't hesitate in taking a fancy to one of them. Many of the city girls have already done so. It can be quite annoying to venture anywhere with them. These city girls have no pride and stoop so low as to make the first move and flirt up a storm. And the boys don't necessarily mind it, so I find myself wandering off on my own, anxious to leave behind the gaggle of girls.
Kira and Terk had a bit of a "thing" going on for a bit, but they both soon realized their foolishness and have dropped the whole thing. But I dare say they still don't mind that circumstances throw them together so often. But they take their training seriously and don't cause trouble.
You really should be nice to the farm hand. It is not like you to be cruel to anyone. I am ashamed of you for taking the silent role. You have told me time and again that everyone needs a friend and you should never stoop so low as to ignore someone entirely. They might well disappear. Although I guess that is the point in ignoring them, but I rather think they would find disappearing an entirely unsatifactory thing.
I am so glad that you have been able to teach. The children love you so much! It is just like a child to come to you for a blessing. You always have the right words to say and things to do for the small ones. You are an angel to them!
I only tease you about the king! It is a habit of mine to recall the time he came to Tayna and asked for a kiss from the "Tayna Angel". You must have been just over six and he was near to sixteen. And you were so embarassed that you ran away and wouldn't come back until that last horse disappeared from the horizon. I am truly grateful for you always considering the King in our scheming and planning. If it weren't for you I would dismiss him entirely and that would likely be the death of me. It is wise of you to consider him.
Well, now to my life. I am grateful for your recommending that I learn from my friends, but Benk thought of it before I received your letter. Every S'aturday we have a few hours rest while the older trainees have their mock tournaments and my friends and I go down to the Old Battlefield and train. It is amazing what I can learn from them and I am progressing more rapidly than I had dared to hope. I don't know what I would do without them.
Kira helps me with the Knife, Terk with Hand to Hand, Abe with the Sword and Benk with everything and anything. The only thing lacking has been Cavalry, or fighting on a horse. Benk is a wonderful rider, but a really bad fighter on the horse. And besides that, the horses are off limits to us first year Trainees. We have our weekly lessons on them, but other than that, they are reserved for the older Trainees. The older Trainees have always beat the younger at Cavalry. It is their "thing" and they intend to keep it that way, thus limiting our use of the horses. And because we don't do any tournaments with Cavalry until our second year, the Masters don't think we need to focus on that. But Master Sotur'i told me to be the best and I intend to include Cavalry in that.
As you know, Warrior Training takes two years. But Master Gann has told me that it is possible to finish in one. I intend to. Not only will I be the best, but I will be the youngest!
Forgive my zeal, these thoughts stir my soul and I tend to get carried away.
Life goes on, I have taken to going to Town Square on M'ondays and hanging about. I don't yet know how I will use that extra time. Training is so strict that it throws me off balance to have time to do nothing.
I may sound to you as if I am in heaven, but I am merely trying to leave out the hardships of life. I find that if I focus on the good things, the bad things don't bother me as much. But training is difficult and I admit that there are days I would give anything to come home to you and give up this dream. But a new day is a new hope and somehow I always find a way to keep going. I don't think my pride would let me stop anyway.
Now you be safe, dear, little, sister. Don't go around cursing the world, but curse all you want if those M'iller boys so much as lay a finger on you. Tell Aunt and Uncle that my threat is still in force.
Oh, dear girl, be safe! I wish you well with your appointment with Sotur'i. Be nice!

Missing you more every day,
I'taira