okay but do we have to leave so soon

[liakoura]

The Ardelay twins loiter in the palace for a few days, then fall back to the Chialto house, in plenty of time to receive any prompt reply to the correspondence Kiri sent out when they arrived in the city.

Comments

[free_flowing]

A letter from Loel arrives, promptly enough to suggest that he waited at most a day before replying.

Under the seal is a drop of blood that is still fresh, and only begins drying when the letter is opened. The inside of the envelope is also covered in a complex swirling pattern of thin red-brown lines, which are very likely to be blood that has been coaxed into soaking into the paper just so and then allowed to dry afterward.

Kiri,

Still working on watermarks, but I managed this. If the blood under the seal is fresh, nobody's messed with it.

I wouldn't mind meeting Ekador and Sarelle and Patience. They can bring assistants if they really want to. I'd rather you were there, but I can handle it if you're not.

I finished my moat! I love it to pieces. It is my favourite moat. Come by and admire it sometime, with or without extra visitors.

Loel