17th February

Dear Rowan,

            I miss you too. I don’t know if I love you though. Sorry.

But if you keep in mind that I do not know what my emotions are towards you, then I am more than happy to write to you. It would be nice to have some-one to talk to other than Senkrad, as although he is a brilliant teacher, he is a little like a father to me and the respect I have for him can make it a little awkward for general conversation.

I am so glad that you managed to find Isaac’s brother. I am very thankful that he had his family there for his funeral. It seems ‘right’.

It’s taken time and a lot of guidance from Senkrad but, yes, I am happy with who I am and the fact that I am an elf. I finally feel at peace. My training is progressing quite well I think. I have managed to perform the Tingure dance to a standard that Senkrad is happy with and am now using the sword with it. That only happened for the first time today but it was very exciting. I am quite proficient with a bow and arrow now too.

How are things in Elmira? I do miss the city even though the views from Mount Cadavain are breath-taking.

Yours, Ilea

Xxxxx

13th March

Dear Ilea,

            Don’t worry, I understand about how you feel. I’m happy to write if you are.

I’m impressed that you’re already using the sword in the Tingure after so little months – that took me over a year to just master the dance, let alone with a sword. And when we meet next I will have to challenge you to an archery competition as I’ll have you know I am a very fine archer myself; everyone says so.

Things here are alright. There’s rumour of a powerful weapon that the Elmiran Council is hiding and there have been a few riots from people that are wondering who we would be using it on; they always shout abuse at soldiers but I don’t think they realise that we know as little as they do. I have to admit though; I am suspicious that this ‘weapon’ is you my little elf. It’s just, having seen your powers for myself I know what a huge advantage you would give to us all. What do you think?

I know I haven’t written in a month, but carrier birds are hard to come by. However, I will send letters to you as often as I can. You mentioned that your physical fighting abilities are coming along well, but how is your training with your powers going?

Yours with love, Rowan

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

16th March

Dear Rowan,

            I think you are incredibly vain by talking about your archery skills in that manner, I, the All-Important Elf will happily challenge you in a competition and thoroughly trounce you.

And I do not know about me being the weapon. I do have a lot of power, and Orion did say I would be needed to protect the city, but surely they do not expect me to fight a battle where I know nothing about the opponent. It seems very odd.

And I would love to tell you that training my powers is progressing well, but the only training I have done to control them is make shapes out of water. I can understand that this takes a lot of concentration and focussed application of magic, but I have only once experimented properly with my powers and I did not reach my full capacity at all. I do not understand why Senkrad will not allow or encourage me to seek the best of my abilities.

On a positive note however I managed to complete the sixteenth stance of the Tingure today with a sword. Senkrad is full of praise at the moment for how far my physical fighting skills have progressed. However, between you and I, I wish he would praise me for my magical aptitude as well, all he seems to do is frown when I use my powers.

Yours, Ilea

Xxxxxxxx

29th March

Dear Ilea,

            I’m sorry that Senkrad isn’t teaching you the way you want in terms of your magic, but I’m sure he has a reason. Have you asked him about it at all?

Also I know that your magic abilities are already really strong so it might be that he wants to try and get your physical abilities to as close of a match as possible. Whatever way you look at it, if your physical abilities are you ‘Achilles heel’ then any opponent will attempt to take advantage of that in a battle.

I have to congratulate you again on the way you’re storming through the Tingure; you’re almost as good as I am. And on that note ‘All-Important Elf’ there isn’t a chance that you will beat me in an archery competition. I am the Infinite Ruler of the Bow.

By the way I feel awful for having to ask you this, but when is your birthday? I know it’s been seven months since you changed but I don’t want to miss it.

Yours with love, Rowan

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

1st April

Dear Rowan,

            You have already missed my birthday; I turned seventeen in October of last year. It does not matter though as I know you were on a mission. To be perfectly honest with you, I did not tell Senkrad it was my birthday either.

I took your advice and asked Senkrad why he was not really encouraging me in magic and his reply was the same as yours. I had not even considered it was an attempt to level put my physical and magical abilities. I suppose that was a show of how I need to improve my reasoning and logic skills.

‘Infinite Ruler of the Bow’ vs. ‘All-Important Elf’ does sound like a very good challenge to me; I am thoroughly looking forward to it.

I love the views from this mountain but I have to admit I really am starting to

miss Elmira now.

Yours, Ilea

xxxxxxxxxxx

25th April

Dear Ilea,

I cannot believe you didn’t celebrate your birthday, I’m sorry for missing it, but it isn’t right that you didn’t do anything. When I see you next I’m going to make it up to you.

I know you didn’t want me to tell you these things but I have resisted for months. I love you Ilea. I wish you were here so that I could say this to you in person but I miss you and I hate that I can’t see you. I don’t know how you’re going to react to this letter but I can’t go on pretending as if I don’t feel more for you than the simple affections of a friend.

If this letter has shocked you or made you uncomfortable than I’ll apologise in advance, but I’m begging you, please reply.

Yours with love, Rowan

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

8th May

Dear Rowan,

            I am sorry that I have not replied for some time, but I have been trying to figure out how I feel towards you and could not reply with any sort of answer until I had done so.

I do love you Rowan, I cannot help but love you. I do not know if this love between us is a good or bad thing, or what will happen to either of us because of it, but I have reached the point where I do not care.

I also miss you, I have missed you since you had to leave eight long months ago and I cannot wait until we can see each other again.

I want to be with you in person to tell you everything that has happened to me and how I have felt these last months, but I was worried about telling too much in case I brought you too close. Now I know we feel the same way I will write and tell you everything.

I have no secrets from you

Yours with love, Ilea

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

19th May

Dear Ilea,

            You don’t know how happy you’ve made me, I feel like having you love could make me soar to the heavens.

I want to know everything about your days and nights, even events that seem insignificant, tell me your secrets you deepest fears and I’ll keep them close to my heart, the same way I will do with you.

This is only a short note as I have not got the time to write a longer one. I am about to be sent on a mission that should only last a month but write back swiftly my Beautiful Creature so that as soon as I arrive home I will hear of you.

Yours with love always, Rowan

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

21st May

Dear Rowan,

            How can I begin to tell you everything about me? I think I will start with the things that have happened recently and go on from there. I hope hearing of me will have made your mission worthwhile when you return.

I have finally managed to complete all of the Tingure with my sword, Senkrad surprised me by presenting me with a sword of my own in congratulations and told me he was proud of me. The sword is beautiful; it has a blue blade that seems to shine like the very stars and a jet black hilt which fits my hand perfectly. I have never been more delighted with a possession of my own.

I have also started train in magic properly with Senkrad, he says he is weary of it as he does not know what I am capable of, and I feel the same way but I still find it enthralling.

I am growing increasingly fond of Senkrad, to the point where I honestly wish he were my father. I could not think of any man who would be better suited to have children of his own. I do not know anyone I respect or trust as much as I do him, sorry if that offends you, but after living with him as my mentor for this long I cannot fault him or his morals in the slightest.

I spend most of my evenings reading in the house on my own, occasionally it can be eerie but I appreciate that it is a small sacrifice to make when considering how much good Senkrad can do while he is off on his own.

I still think of you constantly, although I am growing increasingly worried about Jacob and Johanna. When I am on my own I miss them so much it makes my heart ache and I pour over the atlas at night wondering where they could be.

I have been having odd dreams lately too. I keep seeing blue eyes staring at me in a dark place, I am surrounded by smoke and I can hear people screaming in the background, but I cannot see them. Then the eyes turn blood red and I wake up. I do not know what the dreams mean but I cannot seem to get rid of them.

I hope that your mission went well and that you will be back in Elmira reading this letter safely. I love you Rowan, write back soon.

Yours with love, Ilea

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

2nd July

Dear Ilea,

            I apologise for not replying sooner but the mission took longer than we had expected. How I loved reading your letter when I returned. It was like a breath of fresh air just reading the words on the page and imagining you saying them.

I’m also proud of you for your accomplishments, but extremely jealous that you trust Senkrad so much. When I see you I’ll do everything in my power to show you that I’m as worthy of your trust as he is.

I’m sure that the dream doesn’t mean anything it’s probably just a general nightmare, but I hope they stop soon.

And I miss you too, I wish you were here.

I have bad news though, they’re sending me on another mission in the next week and I won’t be back until mid-August. I will write to you as soon as I’m home again. Train hard my Beautiful Creature.

I love you

Yours with love, Rowan

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

8th July

Dear Rowan,

            I will be honest, I truly dislike that you are being sent on so many missions, I wish you could be safe within the city walls. I suppose that is selfish of me but I want you to always be safe.

Write to me when you get home. I love you.

Yours with love, Ilea

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

20th August

Dear Ilea,

I’m sorry for my rushed replies and I guess that your last reply was as sparse as you’re annoyed at me which I can understand. I promise this letter will make up for my useless replies over the last two months.

My missions are not that dangerous, the only problem with them is clearly that whilst I’m on them I can’t write to you as a carrier bird would give away our position.

I don’t know if any letters have come to you from Orion but there is soon to be a Ball in Elmira to celebrate the birthday of Orion himself. I hope that this means I will be seeing you soon my Beautiful Creature and that I can finally wrap my arms around you.

I miss you so much it makes my heart ache constantly, I am infinitely jealous of Senkrad as he gets to spend so much or his time with you, but the promise of the Ball has brought light to my world.

I love you Ilea

Yours with love, Rowan

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx