Adressed to Yorinde Shine, a letter smelling of seasalt, salted fish and chalk.
Dear Yorinde,
we finally made it to Orkos, after two long weeks on that wretched ship. I cant believe I left it all behind for what amounts to be a castle in the sky, some sea sickness and no leads. I know you said I should go. It was exciting at first, I do admit. But I longed for land the moment the first storm hit and I could do nothing but hide. The ocean is very different to the streets of Fern. Its sheer vastness felt like... I dont really know. Apparently Im terrified of it. No people, no buildings. Remember when we ran away from Morays crew? Stuck in that alleyway with nowhere to go but directly into their blades? Thats what the ocean feels like all the time. I watched a ship go down after lightning struck it, flames eating away at wood and bone. We did help the survivors, but there werent many to begin with. The image of the firey sails againt the waves is probably burned - ha. - into my mind. We could see and hear them, but we couldnt help.
Obviously not everything is this dreadful. When we finally set foot on the Dawncoast, a lovely little town named Driftwood Landing swallowed us. You would like it, I think. If it were dirtier, bigger and had more scoundrels, it would be just like home. So really, it isnt like home at all. Quainter, smaller and less muddy. I took Osrick to a tavern away from the ports - too many ears. If Im going to throw my life away to prove myself, I might as well do it shamefully in the corner. Unlike the last few weeks, we actually got lucky. The tavern owner - a Filburg Lady named Catherine, with more scrap than brain to her name - had seen the carvings before. I might still have gotten my face beaten in by a fired up Mob and Osricks finest shirt is basically scrap, but at least we have a lead. Its not unlike our family to meet new people fist first (or in my case: spell first) after all. Im just holding up tradition.
... Maybe thats what you should tell Ma. "Zeres is out there, upholding our family tradition of getting beaten up in a square and somehow getting out of it alive, with a lead and a newfound connection to an underground boss." Because Catherine definitely has some smuggling going on. I dont judge and I dont think Osrick noticed. Hes weirdly... middleclass. I forget sometimes.
Point is, apparently there is a place east of Driftwood, somewhere in the Brinewood. A forest village thats been abandoned many years ago, but whose buildings used similar slabs to the one we found.
I cant believe how lucky I am - broken nose not counting - but its also worrying. Maybe it wasnt so rare a discovery after all? Maybe we are following a silly rumor into nothing besides death. But i cant go back empty handed. Whatever ratlike pride I have, it wont allow it.
So Im dragging Osrick to the Brinewood, right into that treacherous forest everybodys warned me of. And hopefully back out again.
With love Your idiot sibling Zeres
