Talkale looked down at the white parchment stretched upon the teak desk in front of him, wondering to himself if he was following the proper course of action. His intentions were good and he had already raised the matter once. No action had occurred, so further steps were needed. Such were the burdens he shouldered and at times they could become wearyingly heavy. Rolling his head from one side to the other to stretch his neck, he dipped his quill into lavender ink and began to write in his usual beautiful script.
***
Lord of Bar-En-Vanimar Anglachelm,
My Lord, before I start I must first beg your forgiveness for two crimes I shall commit. Firstly, I take your most precious of time by reporting to you and although my intentions are true, I fear that they may be misconstrued. Secondly, I shall highlight a shortcoming of one whose position far exceeds my own and has placed his trust in none other than myself. Please consider what I now report ere your ire is roused.
Lord Parnard, Ambassador, is blinded by his affections and has lost sight of the importance of his Office. To many he is seen as the representative of our House and as such must be held to the highest standards. He is to be found lacking in none of his duties, save one; the care of his own reputation. I am sure that your Lordship is only all-too-aware of how quickly news or rumours spread through the Valley and beyond, and how reputations can be tarnished when rumours have no more than the ring of truth to them. Imagine then the damage that could be done when the rumours are true – not just to Lord Parnard, but to the reputation of our great House. I speak of course of his long-running association with Estarfin of the Hammer. I shall not repeat the multitude of sins that have been laid at his door, for many of them stand within the public record.
To my mind, such a member of our House is to be viewed with suspicion at every turn, else further outbreaks of madness or violence may be possible. So my Lord will surely be able to appreciate the gladness of my heart when he departed from this Valley without so much as a farewell. I can only imagine that he felt the deep shame of bringing our House, and by extension, you, into a negative light. Yet it appears as though such truths are not evident to all. Why, it was only this very morning that a filthy smith named Ruineth begged an audience with the Ambassador to discuss the whereabouts of this scoundrel and what the House planned to do to find him. Needless to say I dismissed her swiftly, but if news of his absence is now common knowledge, the problem is more pressing then even I feared.
Lord Parnard must sever his ties with Estarfin for the good of his office, for the good of the House. For some reason he is still loyal to his former companion, despite what has passed between them. There are whisperings that he may have something to do with Estarfin’s departure, that perhaps he has set him some dark task to occupy him, to take him away from the decent folk that otherwise inhabit this Valley. Of course I have raised this with Parnard himself, but my attempts to help him were met with anger and denial. I fear that he is blind to the truth and so have no further recourse but to raise the matter with your great self. Please understand that I have nothing but admiration for Parnard, and wish only to protect him from further harm.
Your most humble servant,
Talkale
***
“He will understand, in time. He must.” Talkale reasoned with himself before folding the parchment and walking from the library, a serious expression upon his face.
