Arri-- April 4, 2004

April 4, 2004
Dear Keish,

I have both your letters. I’m sorry I haven’t written. Honestly, there isn’t much to say. Phyfe came twice and drilled me on geography one day and biology the next. I concentrated much better and did very well with the biology questions. He said that perhaps I ought to have time to think about what I want and he wouldn’t push me. He is thoughtful. We talked about Cletus and all the mischief he and his older sister got into when they were little. Cletus is a quiet town maybe twice the size of Odsreq and much, much smaller than Rousha. There are two other noble families there, but neither had children the same ages as Phyfe and Bianca. It sounds like a nice place to live.
Gretel wrote to warn me about the birthday/engagement ball. She says it will be all right with her if I “scandalize” the family by not attending, but I’m sure I’ll be able to go. Phyfe says he’ll come too and invite me to sit out as many dances as possible.
You’ve met Aegolius’s niece? She sounds like she’ll be a great science teacher! Aegolius will be so excited to hear that. Prince Tulson says we will all have dinner together when he returns. Perhaps Tish can come to visit some time and I can meet her.
It must be so much fun to pick out a horse! Have you decided on the breed yet? Phyfe says Bianca rides an Elcaran walking pony and loves it. Glory’s foal will be almost entirely Trakehner, which is a good endurance horse for long-distance riding. A lot of knights have Trakehners. Uncle W. says Imato ought to have promised to trade the foal for a Friesian or an Elcaran walking pony, but Imato said he will stand by his word. I’m glad of that. I want to train my foal and watch it grow up. The Lanus have a beautiful pair of black Morabs for pleasure riding. Oh, I love to go to the horse market and look at the different kinds of horses! But I’ve been too busy to go since we moved here. I haven’t actually been since the summer before Father disappeared. That was years ago. Uncle W. says he will take Liop and me to the horse show this summer. I hear that the Arellan quarter horse is an excellent breed, but I’ve never seen one. Maybe there will be one at the show.
Jace will be relieved to know that Taty and Jemond are not speaking. Something about mud and “complete insensitivity” that didn’t make any sense to me. Taty is very angry.

Do you really think I might be trying too hard to heal Father? How can I try less hard? I have to visit him everyday and he doesn’t even know who I am! I just want to walk in one day and have him look at me and smile the way he used to. I don’t know how to try less hard. I don’t know much of anything really.
I’m sorry I’m not answering very many of your questions. I can’t answer them, because I don’t know the answers.

The problem with Hermes and Clotho is that they’re starting to look for a place to build a nest, and once they lay eggs, they won’t be going anywhere for a couple of months at least. It will be fun to watch the babies grow up. I watched a nest of robins everyday the first summer I lived in Odsreq. It was amazing! Sometimes it seemed like I could actually see the babies growing. My opera glasses will come in real handy if they build the nest across the street in the park.

I’m so glad that you got to hear your mother’s voice again. It must have been wonderful and sad all at the same time. I asked Trena when I went to the cave this morning and she says that the missive my mother left me was the fairy book. She doesn’t know of any other.

I will leave on April 7th for Odsreq. The Westridges are sending a carriage for me. I’ll write you again when the foal is born (and Imato too, of course!)
I can’t think of anything else to write, Keish. I know it’s not a long letter. Maybe I can think about what to do next after the foal is born. There are less than four days left!

I hope your spring is warm and gentle.

Love,
Arri

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