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Dear Zeph,
How're you? How's life in Clearbrook been? How's Nina faring? Hope y'all are doing great! I know I am.
Me and the group are heading towards Saintsbridge. We helped solve a murder mystery in Farshore, and everyone is feeling pretty good about it. Therion—the guy I've been telling you about—has been smiling more and more. He's so dang cute when he smiles. He even laughed once when he was talking to Cyrus and it was the cutest dang thing I've ever heard. It made my heart skip a beat. Heck, everything he does lately makes my heart skip.
I know. I know. I sound like a sap. A sap that's thinking of confessing soon. Thing is, he spends so much time around Cyrus and then around Primrose. I barely get time with him! We do spend night watch together though, and lately he's been sitting real near. He talks so quiet when we sit like that, and we both lean in real close.
I want to kiss him so bad.
Anyways, you don't need to hear more about that! But about the Glowworm Moss: it's only found in the Caves of Azure. I checked. I arranged a shipment to be sent to you, and I hope you can cultivate it. Tell me how it goes!
Your best friend,
Alfyn
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Dear Zeph,
I thought I met the worst apothecary ever when I was in Goldshore, but I found another one. This one wouldn't treat a dying man! Examined him and got up and walked away!
"Some lives aren't worth saving," he says and walks away. A complete jackass! Thought he was a sham, but then he treated a kid who fell into a paroxysm. He's real good at his work, just won't treat everyone!
He makes me so mad!!!
I helped the wounded man into a logging lodge and treated him. Heard he was a thief, so I confronted him about it. He admitted it, so I wrung a promise out of him to stop thieving and turn over a new leaf. Turns out he was doing it to feed his family. Poor man. He had to sink a lot to care for the people he loves. I'm glad we never had to go through that.
Therion stayed with me the entire time, and he's the one who's gonna be delivering the letter to the courier. I'm gonna stay with Miguel for the night and make sure he'll be alright.
He's kinda cute, if I'm being honest with myself. But Therion was looking at me with a real sweet look in his eyes. I think if I save Miguel, my confession will go real great! Wish me luck!!
I hope you and Nina are doing good! I'm glad you got the moss. Tell me how managing it goes!
Yours,
Alfyn
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Zeph,
Everything's gone to shit, Zeph. First thing Miguel did was kidnap a kid and run off in the woods. Me and Therion were staying in the lodge with him, so we ran after him real quick, and.
He'd stabbed the kid, Zeph. The boy was bleeding to death. There was no family to feed or anything, even. And he was so damn fast and tough. He couldn't stand yesterday and today he could kick both our asses. Therion's fast but he had nothing on this guy!
And then. Shit. Zeph, I told him to take me and give Therion the kid. I'd make a good hostage. Not bleeding, able to walk. More cooperative. You know? But Miguel refused, saying I'd poison him instead of heal him—which, honestly, it was the plan. Mix a little poison in the medicine, or poke him with slumberweed during bandage redressing. But he had me pegged, so he refused to take me hostage, and said he'd be willing to take Therion hostage instead.
Zeph, I didn't even think. I pushed Therion hard towards Miguel. Therion tripped and fell, not expecting what I did, and I took his weapons when he dropped them. Miguel stepped on him and I ran off around them and grabbed the kid and ran.
Zeph, I left Therion to die. He's never gonna forgive me.
The jackass apothecary was waiting for us at the edge of town, along with the rest of our buds. He took the kid, and I'm getting a quick break before we go back in.
I lied, Zeph. I lied to them. I told them that Therion stayed behind to hold Miguel off. I'd dropped the weapons when I picked the kid up, so they don't suspect me. They don't know me.
I'm a traitor, Zeph. A rotten, no good viper. I should be drawn and quartered and hanged.
We're going back in now. I'm giving this letter to the guard to give to a courier. If you don't hear back from me, well. Don't worry. I'll probably be showing up in Clearbrook all beaten and bloody, and I'd deserve it.
Wish me luck,
Alfyn
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Hey Zeph,
We got Therion back! Miguel had taken him really far out into the forest, but we caught up to them, because as fast as Miguel was, Therion was not cooperating with him. Not that he was actively fighting him, but Therion knows how to play dead weight, and Miguel was still injured. Couldn't carry him.
So we caught up and Miguel held a knife to Therion's throat, so we couldn't get close. Primrose played distraction, lots! She talked and purred and flirted and Miguel was super into it. It was a really good distraction! And Cyrus was hiding behind me and Olberic, and I realized he was doing something with magic. Ice magic, turns out! He used it to make Miguel slip and fall. Miguel almost saw him, but then Primrose did the darnest thing!!! She pulled her top down!! I didn't get to see anything—I don't think any of us saw anything. But Miguel was GAWKING!!! Therion's eye widened too, but he used the surprise to shove the knife away from him and run to us. Miguel slipped on the ice and lost his balance, and we all jumped in.
Miguel's dead. I wound up landing the last blow. It was awful. I wanted to help people but instead got so many people hurt. Therion's been avoiding me and won't even look at me. He's probably still real angry with me, I bet.
I have to make it up to him. No idea how, but I got to.
Maybe Ogen had a point. Maybe I should pick and choose who to treat. Be more careful. I don't know.
Oh, Ogen is the jackass apothecary's name. You'd think I wouldn't listen to a jackass, but with what happened with Miguel and Therion, I don't know anymore.
Take care, Zeph. Give my hellos to Nina.
Alfyn
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Zeph,
Woke up this morning and Therion was gone. We're heading to Bolderfall as soon as we finish packing. Keeping you updated, just in case you see him first.
Alfyn
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Zeph,
Things're bad. Real bad. Awful, more like.
Therion's definitely been in Bolderfall. Turns out, he went there then headed down to the sunlands. We headed right for the Ravus Manor, and Primrose got talking all high and proper to Lady Cordelia, and we got some details.
Therion told Lady Cordelia that we abandoned him. Primrose and Cyrus explained to her and her butler what happened, and the butler just looked at me. He just looked at me and figured out what happened right quick.
Then everyone was looking at me and I told them all what really happened.
See, I told them all that Therion had stayed back, but the truth is, I pushed him. I pushed him and disarmed him and handed him to the enemy so I could save the kid. Timothy, his name was. One of my own victims.
They all froze for a second, then so much happened real quick. Ophilia started crying, and it was awful knowing that I was the one who made her do that. Primrose came at me with her dagger! Olberic caught her, but H'aanit walked right past him and punched me real hard. I dropped to the floor like a sack of bricks. It still hurts, and I don't know if I wanna heal it or not. I deserve it. The punch, the pain, all of it.
Cyrus just stood there, frozen. He looked devastated. And Tressa pointed at the door and yelled at me to leave. Told me she hates me and that she never wants to see me again. She was screaming and hollering and crying and I don't know, Zeph. I just got up and walked out of there.
I'm heading to a tavern after I write this. I need a strong drink. A bunch of them.
Take care,
Alfyn
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Hey Zeph,
How've you been? Hope you and Nina are doing okay. It's been a few weeks and I know it.
I've been on a bender. Only left the tavern a few days ago. Took forever to sober up. It was painful as all hells.
Got found by this old man before I could wake up and shamble back into the bar. Turns out he used to be a traveler too. I've been staying with him. He has a kid working with him? For him? I don't know what their relationship is, but the kid stays here in the shack with us.
Anyways he got this kid to find my satchel. It was awful nice of them. And the good news is that my satchel still has almost everything in it. I've been using it to treat the kid and the old man and some more few people around. I'm almost out of supplies though, so maybe I'll take my sorry self to the uptown area and see if I can find someone who'd pay for some healing. I can resupply and figure out what to do next.
Take care, and sorry for worrying you,
Alfyn