Dear Urlene

Writers: Estelle, Miriah
Date Posted: 8th November 2019

Characters: Lorican
Description: Lorican writes his first letter to Urlene
Location: Barrier Lake Weyr
Date: month 12, day 9 of Turn 9
Notes: Mentioned: Urlene, Bilpen, Jayzine, Dunrik, Lusilk

"Dear Urlene,

I hope you received my short note saying that I'd arrived safely. It's
taken until now to find a quiet moment alone, and I hope you haven't
minded, but I wanted to take the time to tell you all about what it's
like here and I didn't want it to be rushed. Now that I've settled into
a routine, I intend to write more frequently.

The new Weyrhold is being built into the cliffs above a small bay on a
lake. There was a mine here, in the old days, and docks for trader
vessels. Now they're hollowing out the caves for weyrs, and there's a
new dining hall and quarters for the staff. The healers' hall is going
up fast, too. I haven't been there yet - fortunately I am still in good
health - but I plan to visit when I can and will tell you more about it
later. I have enclosed a small sketch. The smithy is the building where
I have drawn a cross on the roof, and next to it is the master smith's
cot, where I have a room for the moment."

Lorican had no idea how to write a letter of courtship. So he wrote
about his arrival and his meeting with Master Bilpen and the Headwoman,
about Master Dunrik and the apprentices, the forge, how he'd shown the
boys the way to make tools to shape the small metal pipes and rings and
brackets for the technicians.

There was one omission, and it seemed to glare at him from the page
though he knew she couldn't possibly see it. Lusilk. For obvious
reasons, he couldn't tell Urlene about her and what they'd agreed. So he
wrote that he'd met the Headwoman's assistant, also, and she'd been very
helpful, and left it at that.

Finally, hoping he'd not bore her to tears with the details of his work
in the smithy, he turned the page and began to bring the narrative to a
close.

"This evening, I walked up the path to the cliff tops, past the Star
Stones and the watch heights, to look down at the lake and all the work
that's been done around the Weyrhold already. Even this late, people are
hard at work, but up here, there's a kind of peace. The sun is setting
at my back and a shadow is falling over the water, and there's glowlight
in some of the boats anchored in the bay.

I wish you were here at my side to see it. I miss your warmth, how we
talked, the way you felt when you leaned against me on the beach.
Urlene, you are in my heart and in my dreams, waking and sleeping, and
when I work in the forge, all I can think is that every piece I make, no
matter how small, every tap of the hammer brings me closer to the moment
when I can return to you."

Lorican stopped writing. With all that had
happened, the journey, the shock of seeing Lusilk again, the long days
of work and his secret training, the distance between them hadn't struck
him with such force until now. Longing rose up in him with almost
unbearable intensity. He just wanted to go back to Dolphin Cove, where
he had been safe.

But Lusilk knew where he'd been now. She knew about Urlene. If he left,
she'd know exactly where he'd gone and even if she really had retired as
she claimed, she might sell that information on. He wouldn't be safe for
certain until he'd got to the bottom of why someone wanted him silenced,
and more importantly, neither would Urlene. To protect her, he had to
stay away until he'd solved that mystery. And if he wanted to live long
enough to do that, he had to learn to defend himself.

All of which seemed impossible.

You never thought you could get the letters back, he told himself. You
didn't think you could travel alone in a Pass. In those first days at
the Hall, you thought you'd never be any good as a smith, not like all
those boys who'd grown up in the Craft. You can do this. You have to.

He signed his name to the letter and rolled it up along with his sketch.
The light was fading and he'd have to take care on the cliff path.
Lorican wondered for a moment whether he'd been foolish to come out here
alone and the back of his neck prickled, but all he heard was the soft
lapping of waves in the bay and the rustling of leaves and small animals
moving in the dark.

With no-one about to see him, he touched the letter gently to his lips,
then slowly made his way down the path to the lights of the Weyrhold below.

Last updated on the December 18th 2019

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Dear Urlene