[Written on off-white writing paper with a smooth but lightly textured hand, in golden yellow-brown ink, in cursive. Letter was folded into its own rectangular envelope, and sealed with a wax seal depicting a cat surrounded by moons, mountains, and window-like arch frame. The wax seal is silver, pale green, and gold swirled together]
Elowen Vance, A.Mg.
Corgate Village Post Office
May 3rd, 624
Eris Mirrows, A.Mg.
87 Lancedragon Street
Avalon
Mx. Mirrows:
We have arrived safely at Corgate. The [scratch-out] villagers have been, on the whole, extremely [scratch-out] welcoming to Mg. Hawkins & myself. For once, Mg. Hawkins country manners are serving him far better than my own, as the locals see him as one of their own come home again. I know Mg. Equlee is bitterly disappointed by the council’s decision (and if it were in my power I [scratch-out] would have [scratch-out, “recom”] recommended to send both, [scratch-out, appears to have been a closed parenthesis] as irritable as they can be to [scratch-out, “the”] each other) but I do not believe he would enjoy this section of the trip. Please do express my condolences & apologies if you feel it
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would be in his best interest.
The train journey was fine, & the tracks in this area are in good repair. Should you ever have cause to visit, it is about one day’s journey via the train from the city to the station in Corgate, which is very small but well kept. I am told from here it is another two hours’ [scratch-out, “tra”] travel to the ruins. As such, I am intending to make the journey to the station for mail & supplies once weekly, and will consider it a morning’s work.
While I am away from Avalon, would you please keep me abreast of the latest happenings with the council? And of course the general public knowledge of our colleagues & their doings. I know you find it a little trivial, however [scratch-out, “evew”] even you must recognize the importance of good information before some other magician drags yours into some risky scheme. We have a duty to ensure that they do not blow themselves up, after all. I ask only because Mg. Hawkins (and I, in my less charitable moments) is convinced that this posting, far from the city & the university, is intended as a quiet exile as punishment for Mg. Hawkins’ lack of interest
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in pursuing more formalized proofs & magical education. I am sure you can hear in your mind his perennial exclamation that he is “getting along just fine as I am!” I know I can even though I can hear him snoring quite plainly through the inn walls.
Such walls! The buildings in Corgate seem made [scratch-out, “of”, but written poorly] of tissue paper to my eye - all frame, wattle, & daub and no bricks to be seen. I am not so sure I will be truly suited to agent’s work in the field, but I can certainly see that Mg. Hawkins is quite in his element. He seems quite at peace with himself here in a way he has [scratch-out, “nev”] never seemed back home. Like a bird let loose from a cage, I suppose. I am ever so glad he is happy, but I will have to learn his trick of avoiding the country mud before I go mad.
On an unrelated note, however, would you please stop by Vimes Place and look for my brown satchel? In the scramble to get Mg. Hawkins (and all his supplies) out the door, I believe I left it
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on the front table. It [scratch-out, “on”] only has a few novels & my copy of the notes on the ruins, which I could copy over again if needed, but I do not want to, AND you have the key. I would trust it to you & to the post office [scratch-out, at the bottom of “office”] here in Corgate, but ask Mg. Equlee to put a little locking on it first.
I will look [scratch-out, “y”] for [scratch-out] your letter when I come down to Corgate next. [scratch-out, “Stay we”] Stay well!
Ms. Elowen Vance, A.Mg.
P.S. Please let me know if any of my plants start looking sorrowful. And do forward a newspaper [scratch-out] or two from time to time if you can
