When I was reading the Iklital, (the recorded correspondence between the Bards) I found several letters, written by and to important people. Sometimes, they were even written by common people to the more important Bards in Edil-Amarandh, or vice-versa. While much of the correspondence which exists is between the First Bards; about the edicts of Light; between Maerad and Hem; Hem and Saliman and Cadvan and Maerad, there is also a letter by Dernhil of Gent, addressed to his brother Anhil of Gent, who was, like his elder brother, a member of the Circle. I've translated the letter from Annaren to English, and the following text is my own translation. This letter approximates back to a little before Dernhil of Gent's tragic and cruel death.

To Anhil, greetings!

I send this letter to you enclosing my love, best wishes and blessings of the Light apart from the news I exchange with you. I hope you're all fine at Gent. How are Gahal and Rena and their children? And the rest of the Circle? May it be that my hopes and wishes for the stability and prosperity of Gent outshine the Light itself!

I'm happy here at Innail – yes, I mention this in every single letter I write, only for the fun I get imagining that look of irritation and amusement on your face – and things are to my satisfaction. I miss Gent too, and my studies here at Innail about Maninaë and Lanorgrim draw to an end, but my stay here is prolonged by the troves of documents about Pellinor. Innail is not far from Pellinor, and maybe I can educate myself a bit more on its sacking, and, well, I just wish to engulf myself in Pellinor lore. It might take me another year, maybe two, before I could return to Gent, but what is a year or so to a Bard? We are fortunate to be so closely aged according to the Barding cycle, after all. And maybe after a year at Gent, I will leave for Norloch - I think I could easily be a member of the Second or the Third Circle, don't you agree, eh?

How was your Springturn? I, of course, attended the Innail Meet - it was lovely, that. The Springturn came to Innail by blessing the early-risers with an exceptionally radiant Osidh Annova – never, in my five years here at Innail, did I see the Annova in such spelndour. It shone like that every day from Springturn till a week or so. The radiance kept diminishing slightly after each passing day, till one day, when I thought that the shine that day wouldn't be even a sixteenth of that on the first day, when it returned, this time, with radiance surpassing the one on Springturn. It made my heart very warm and light; it felt as if the Light itself was coming to me.

The next day was the Meet. I anticipated it as I anticipate each Meet – not very enthusiastically, but not very dully either. During the day, I played several games of Gis with my friends, particularly Kelia. I even went riding, once or twice alone but mostly with friends. Even though it more than exhilarated me, it reminded me a lot of Clavila, and the times when we rode together with another friend or so, when I used to frequently visit the northern Schools.

Now that I think of it, I can make a fairly accurate surmise why the Annova were so resplendent for these past few days. The day before the Meet (the day when the Annova was at its glorious best) brought me my dear friend, Cadvan of Lirigon, to Innail. To say that I was overjoyed to see him and talk to him after such a long time shall be an understatement! He is still almost the same person I knew from my early days - still the person who wanders from tower to dungeon, from land to sea, from city to village in intangible quests of the Light. He confided much to me, contrary to what I'd expected, but I shall refrain from detailing our conversation here: not only to maintain the sanctity of our friendship, but to also avoid news falling to stray ears.

Cadvan has changed by but a tiniest fraction, though. He's not new to company during his expeditions, but knows what even a single addition as company can mean - a burden, an uncertainty and (his favourite theme of course) a danger. He has even begun remembering again what the companionship of a woman means, perhaps because of his rather charming and startling friend he introduced to me - Maerad.

Maerad... Well, how should I begin to describe her? She is a charismatic and beautiful girl, yet damaged at the same time. From beyond the Annova, Cadvan says, he brought her with him when he found her in the valleys alone. I yearn to describe her to you, but news can go stray, as I've mentioned before. I think it shall not be long before we meet, though. I first saw her with Cadvan at the Meet. They played the lay of Andomian and Beruldh, and their melody was truer and sweeter than I've ever heard before. Maerad's contralto still haunts me, and this is not all: she has turned out to be an extraordinary pupil as well.

I offered to Cadvan that besides whatever woes he had yet to inflict upon the girl, I would appreciate it if she went out of Innail with at least a faint idea of how to make out words and sentences. He accepted more readily than I'd anticipated from such a stubborn person, though he still held his doubts and for the voiced them for the millionth time when he was introducing me and Maerad personally...

That girl! Her desire to learn; the effort she puts in; the sheer joy illuminating her form when she holds a parchment embroided with clear, beautiful words; her fierce concentration... all of these aspects match my own attitude towards learning and lore. It is a pleasure to teach her and you can't guess, for all your intution, dear brother, how deeply I wish that most of my students were also like her! She observes things very sharply, and has an eerie knack of delving deeper into the meanings of words. She's a very determined person, I grant that; maybe almost as determined as her now-sole-mentor, Cadvan. Yes, there were rumours, of course - scandalising ones.

I can't decipher why by the abyss did I have to ask her if she and Cadvan were lovers! Of course they wouldn't be, considering the girl's damaged, abusive past. How can she love, when she doesn't even know that closeness needn't be lust? How can she love, when she can't differ between a friend and a lover? How can she love, when she's seen so much death around her? And I guess she detests me - loathes me - now, because I was too hasty, too improper in my advances. And though I can see her capacity to befriend, to love, to be gracious, caring, strong and bearing - marks of a true and perfect woman - and though she has the greatness to be forgiving, I can only imagine how hurt she might truly be, despite her calling me her friend as a reply to my apology...

I'm a fine judge of character, even if I say so myself, and I can quite honestly declare that it feels as if Maerad's very soul is made of the Light. This is not a brief spell of attraction, nor a powerful infatuation; in these few days, it's as if her very soul has spoken to mine, causing it to jump awake, as if it lay in a deep slumber till now. She's pure and lofty and virtuous. I thank the Light, and the gods of the south, for having blessed me so as to get a chance to meet her, and bask in her beauty and greatness.

She leaves with Cadvan tomorrow, I think. I gave her a pen and a book of my poems to her. Cadvan talked with me in all the evenings during his visit. Sometimes it was about old times, sometimes about our present lives, about Maerad, about the Light, about our families, debates or about Innail. That demon of a man, that Cadvan, catches on every single thing. Can't there be a time when this man doesn't know something? He knew well about my signs of favour towards his pupil - he even cautioned me about being too rash. I had to tell him, of course, what happened, even though I'd been well aware of his warning. He was sad, because he had said that he hadn't wanted his new friend to be hurt in any way, but told me that it was nothing which couldn't be set right. He was equally pleased about his pupil's progress. They head to Norloch now, to meet Nelac, and to give other reportings. I shall miss him, more than before as always, and miss Maerad too.

This has been a great week. Though brother, I am more desperate than you may realise, to meet you. It's as if the ultimatum is approaching. I am sorry that Cadvan is leaving, and shockingly, a bit sorry that he had to come. Perhaps it's because of the almost physical agony it causes me to fare well a friend. I'm sad for my own forgetfulness with Maerad, and her reaction, but surprisingly glad too. Probably it's because I won't see her in a long time if Cadvan makes her his companion in his detours, which will mean that it's better if we don't get to feel too strongly about one another. Even if the opposite were the case, I still think that for all my love, we would never have walked upon the romantic paths of the Ways of the Heart. I'm glad for Silvia and Malgorn (it's as if they found Clavila again in Maerad) but a bit sorry too. I don't know. I just wish I get your reply back in time, though I don't understand myself what I mean by "in time".

Please, Anhil, reply as soon as you've read the entire letter. I miss you terribly, and hope I can meet you personally. I am hoping you are all well and love me as much as a brother could, even after years of neglect on my part. I deeply apologise for any hurt I may have caused you, and I'm assuring you that I'm going to meet you sometime in this month itself, even though my heart strangely tells me that the month might be a long time. A blessing on your house - our house!

With love, friendship and sincerity,
along with blessings of the Light,
your beloved brother'
Dernhil

Alright, I'm feeling like a Hull, about how I've used Alison's knack in the beginning of my little fic... So let me say, the characters aren't mine. Only the letter is (*sigh* why didn't you write this letter to me, Dernhil?) Anhil mentioned that Dernhil had written a letter to him before he'd died. There were two major points in the letter, the first being that Anhil said that he'd written a lot about Maerad and the second being that Cadvan mentions in The Singing about Dernhil having a bit of a foresight. I intend it to be a oneshot, but I may write a reply by Anhil as well.

*Reviews are MORE than welcome. Constructive criticism, bla bla blah... Thanks :D*