Dear Olly,

If my observation of the stars is correct, then yesterday was winter solstice. That would explain all the jovial people and the jubilation and decoration in Myrskattnholm. I left the city last night and camped on a forested island within a small lake. I left a letter to my teacher back in town. Sadly, I could not send any to you, the prices are too high. I had to steal some food and drink, but it played well into my plan to make my teacher aware of my situation. Hopefully, the authorities will send the letter I dropped on purpose; I wrote my teacher’s name seal on it. On the upside, I have plenty of food now.

The town is beautiful from the outside. It’s mostly built of wood and on stone fundaments protruding from the marshy waters of the river delta here. The arches of shaped stone bridges leap from one tiny island to the next, towards the city. The ferrymen of the flat boats duck beneath them to get their wares to the market. In the twilight, I see wisps above the waters and foxfires in the forests, shy and fleeting, but still beautiful for those short moments. Chilling winds blow over the rivers and lakes. I still wear the huge fur coat I stole from one of my captors, it keeps me warm enough for now. The banner I made is gone, my flute is gone, my flux flask is gone, almost everything else I ever owned and took with me.

I miss you.

I made my own things again. A fishing spear from rabbit’s bone, half a fur cap from a rabbit’s pelt. I managed to find a piece of flint stone. I learned that shattering them just right produces a sharp edge. I used it to scrape meat off bone and fur. If I find a large enough animal, I can make a bone flute, hopefully. Speaking to the spirits this far away from home is hard. The runic languages are very similar to each other, not much different from the primordial one, but even the runes I know start to show less and less effect.

I don’t think I'm in entirely healthy condition. I thought the pain I felt in my right shoulder was just the healing wound, but now I have lost a great deal of feeling and mobility in that area. I think the healers might have stitched me back up wrong. Figures, considering my abnormal body. I might have to do a complete flesh-transmutation on my right shoulder. It will be bloody dangerous, but if it keeps getting worse or I tear a not properly healed tendon, it will be over for me. I already got to constructing the spell, it will probably take me a dozen days to finish and check all the calculations. I’ll have to write the spell on my own body and with my own blood. Wish me luck.

I am on my way further north, there is someone who beckons me and Ssil keeps pushing me in their direction. I plan on finding out what is there. I know I'll have to wander a great distance, but that’s not something I haven’t done before.

I hope you are well.

In love,

Nannade.