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May 16, 2002
Ennis - Letter 1
Armsday, the 15th of Phoenix, 214 T.R.
Dear Kit,
Mum says I should call you Kit, because you hate your real name. She won't tell me what it is. Will you tell me? I promise not to make fun of it. After all, when you're named Ennis, you learn pretty quickly how bad names can be.
We've been here at the Chevik home for a few days now. The trip took longer than Mum or Dad expected, because of a side-trip they wouldn't tell me about. Just asked the innkeepers along the Great Road to keep an eye on me for a few days, they'd be back soon.
When an Aes Sedai and his warder ask for a favor, not many north of Telart refuse, you know? But when it was nearly two weeks before they came back. I think the innkeepers were starting to wonder if they'd died. But they came back fine, if Mum was a little bit singed around the edges, no one commented.
Lady Natalya and Lord Constantine have been very nice to me. They don't want to be called Aunt and Uncle, but Natalya and Con, and Mum's fine with that. I haven't met Grandpa Chevik yet. Mum gets a face every time his name is mentioned. She won't tell me why, and Dad is no help there either. I think they had a fight at some time. I'll have to ask Grandpa when I see him. He spends a lot of time away.
The holdings are nice, but very remote. Very unlike Suthgard, but that's okay. As long as my parents aren't being all upset by whatever the Tower's doing, I'm fine with it. Things had gotten really strained at home. Not between the two of them, though they can have their fights. But the Tower kept asking Dad to do things, when he had asked for some months off to spend at home.
They've gone off again. This time, it was Kalen calling Mum for something. They were really not happy about it, but it gives me some time to get used to this place. They've stayed here before, and I think I may have been conceived here. They won't say, but they get all quiet when I talk to them about the last time they were visiting Natalya and Con. And it's not that "someone mentioned Grandpa Chevik" quiet that Mum gets.
I'm planning on doing some fighting practice with Con while Mum and Dad are away. He seems to think that they haven't shown me how to fight 'properly." I think that's because Dad uses his maul and Mum prefers the axe, while Con uses a sword. Con may not know that Mum is a "weapon-slut." I heard Dad teasing call her once when he thought I wasn't listening. She knows how to use just about every weapon around, and even some wierd ones. I'm not tall enough yet to use her Greatbow, but she said I could learn when I got big enough. I hope he'll be surprised.
I haven't been Called yet (thank the Gods!), and I'm hoping not to. I don't want to be a paladin or a priest, but I do like magic. Uncle Collwyn showed me some of his spells when I was little, and I think I'd like to learn how to do that. So Natalya is going to start giving me a few lessons. I hope Mum and Dad don't get too upset if I don't follow in their footsteps. But at least they won't argue about religion.
Anyway, this is probably long enough for a first letter. Please write me back and tell me all about the Pirate Isles. That sounds like a fun place!
Yours,
Ennis
Posted by Julia at May 16, 2002 3:57 PM