Letter to Versi (#3)
Versi, my love,
We’ve a little time before the sacrifice and thought I might use it to talk to you. Well, as close to it as I can get at least.
It took us a long time to come up with a plan. We went to enlist Volkan’s help, thinking a trap might provide us some time, or that we could attack the Basilisks in their lair. But, constrained by both the full moon and our desire to get out to the Oldwoods to find those children, we ended up choosing to fight the beasts on the rock. After getting the Order to agree to our terms. And a mirrored shield made.
We visited Anora before making our way to the camp. She is very different from her father. Intelligent, level-headed, poised… and not drunk. Preventing her sacrifice is definitely the right decision; not that I think any of us doubted that in the first place.
We put on a bit of a show during the negotiations with the Order, and everyone did fantastically well. Hippofillius took the lead in negotiating, offering himself for sacrifice, while Helikaon accidentally suggested that all of us should be on the rock. Theo proceeded to respond belligerently to the whole situation and Alke, playing her own part beautifully, threw the gnome under the proverbial cart in return.
I’m not sure how good our acting really was, and how much of it was just greed on Gaius’ part, but it worked. They accepted our offer and we now have them thinking, for the time being at least, that our little group is struggling to work together. Which, Fates be thanked, is wholly untrue.
Well, maybe that isn’t quite right. I don’t think Theo likes me. He has spent all day needling me over not being able to fly. And once again he ignored my explanations in favour of treating me like some kind of exceptionally slow nestling! I’m convinced his ignorance is willful at this point, though I don’t know what it is about me that upsets him so much.
I’ve decided to ignore him the best I can. If he needs someone to belittle, better me than one of the others who might actually do something about his incessant ridicule. That isn’t to say I think they have a temper or anything like that; they seem remarkably level-headed (though I am not sure we have been travelling long enough to get a proper measure of that sort of thing.) But I think I am probably the least likely to punch him. Or accidentally hit him with a firebolt.
Anyway, my love, I really need to go: we still have a few things to sort before sundown. First things first, we need to fetch Braz and let him know what we’ve done. Gods, I feel bad that his life was dragged into this without his knowledge. But we had to act quickly if the sacrifice was to happen today. Hopefully he can forgive us for acting so unilaterally.
We also need to pick up the shield for Helikaon. Honestly, I feel bad about that too. Being the first defence against these creatures that could literally kill us with just a glance is... an unfair weight on his shoulders. And I think he recognises that: it was written all over his face when we were planning with Volkan. He still went along with it though. I must say I’m rather glad to have someone so brave on our side.
I’m sorry. I have really prattled on a little in this letter, and got nowhere near saying the one thing that matters most: no matter what happens today, know that I love you. And please do not think that I take these risks without thought of you. I am taking them so that I am one step closer to Sydon; one step closer to saving Thylea; and, most importantly, one step closer to coming home to you.
With a faithful and hopeful heart,
Calliope