Problems at the Smithy, Coda

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Merla’s brow had drawn together in increasing concern as she had read Yinmaris’ letter. She was grateful to Wendy for finding a way to send the letter on. But now she has two things she must do.

The first was easy enough, a response was in order. The young eladrin had been busy it seemed, throwing himself into the adventuring community – much like she had when she first arrived in Kantas. But the contents of his first letter already providing such important and useful information meant that she could still have a part to play in this.

Grabbing her fluke of sweet tea and harp, the Queen of Virtue and Virtuosity sat down at her writing desk and began to draft out a response. Satisfied with what she needed to say, Merla picked up her harp and plucked a perfect C chord to Send her message across the planes.

“I received your letter. It’s wonderful to read of your adventures, Yin. Throwing yourself into the thick of things is how I did it too.-” “-I was concerned to learn of what happened at Samed’s Smithy. He is a great smith and a pillar of Daring. But what is more-” “-troubling is this tale of the modrons working for Jack and them taking the metal to Arcadia. Jack is not to be taken lightly, Yin.-” “-He and another fellow, Langston Farstep, are working together for some nefarious plot. If you can try to find out what, do so but not-” “-at the risk of your life.”

There is a pause as she gets to the end of her drafted message and Merla thinks she should add something else. Her tone had gotten progressively more serious with each message and she thought it might be better to end on a warmer and more genuine note.

“I hope you are enjoying life in Daring Heights. I look forward to hearing more from you again, soon.”

With the final word, the music carried her message across the planes to her vassal. Satisfied with that, Merla turned to writing two coded letters. That done, she summoned her aids.

“May, Cay. Would you come here for a moment?”

The small pixie and sprite zoom into her chambers, both with chests puffed up with saluting and bowing as they come to a stop, hovering just behind her chair.

“We are here Princess Merla!” Cay says in an overly loud voice.

“Queen Merla, you bog-brained-troll. She’s a Queen now!” May corrects him not so quietly.

“Ah! I knew I would mess it up on the first day!” the small sprite says, panic making him lose his boisterousness.

“I have to see these two letters get to their intended recipients, at once. It may be they already know of this information but better safe than sorry. May,” she holds out a tiny scroll to the pixie, “take this to my Queen Mother. Cay,” Merla holds out a second, tiny scroll to the sprite, “this one must reach the Queen of Ken and Cunning. Do not hand them off to anyone else, understood?”

The two nod, their expressions changing from silly grins to serious intensity in an instant. A proud smile creeps across Merla’s face as she looks at them, marvelling at how far they have come.

“I wish you swift wind in your wings. Now go, at once!”

And so they do, each carrying a coded, summarised message of what Merla had received from Yinmaris . She kept her source as her own – she did not want to see young Yin come into harm for any reason – though she knows that Queen Miandra would probably figure out before too long who it might be. Merla was due a visit to see her Mother soon too, but this news could not wait, not if she wanted to ensure what had happened in that alternate universe did not happen here too.