My Dearest Friend,
I have finally arrived in Glavendell. It's a beautiful village, full of greenery, clean wind, and a simple life that, I must admit, has taken me by surprise. The people here are kind in a way that feels almost unfamiliar to me. Eunid's family, the village chief, welcomed me with unexpected warmth. We wizards are not always welcome everywhere, you know that well... but here, I am just the stranger from the capital. And curiously, that is a relief.
I didn't want to abuse Eunid's hospitality, so I settled in the house that Edictus had built on the outskirts of the village, by the river. Can you imagine? I still struggle to understand how my master could hide so many fragments of his life, even from me. This house, half-built amidst brambles and old stone, is another of his silences. And yet, there is something profoundly his about the place, as if his shadow still roamed the incomplete walls.
Sleeping under the open sky, with the sound of the river as my only companion... it was a new experience. At my age. I suppose that's also part of the journey: learning that there are always things we haven't experienced. I resist sometimes. But here I have no choice but to yield.
I have decided to stay. For now. I plan to rebuild the house. Not as it was, but as I can, as I need. Perhaps it's just a way to keep my hands busy while my soul settles, but it's a start. What comes next, I don't know yet.
I won't lie to you, Silvania. Many doubts assail me. The path was long, not just in distance. There were moments when I wished to retrace my steps, when the idea of leaving without closing certain matters gnawed at me. But I also know that, had I waited to resolve everything, I would never have left the Tower. The perfect moment doesn't exist, and the present is the only thing fate grants us.
Your silence weighs on me more than I expected. I miss your serene voice, your warnings disguised as advice, and your gaze always sharper than you let on. I pray you are taking care of yourself, that you take your medicine with the stubbornness you promised me. And please, watch over Eleanor. I know you don't need me to tell you... but do it anyway, for me.
P.S.: I'm keeping my promise to write to you as soon as I arrived. And I confess: I eagerly await your reply. Hearing from you would make this new beginning lighter for me.
Receive a strong embrace, my dear queen.
With all my affection, Dyan Halvest