November 14th, Afternoon

After her work was done at The Stitch, Carley left to take care of a couple errands. First, she scoured various areas of the market in search of some proper stationary. Too often she had to resort to using rather unfortunate colors and designs for sending messages and letters. Or the stationary she'd pilfer from Erin's desk smelled of tea.. paper wasn't supposed to smell like tea! She found all sorts of stationary she really liked, of various color and design, but they were rather informal. In the end, she picked out some rather plain stationary. Envelope and paper were both an off white; ivory almost. The paper used was thicker than usual, and lightly textured like parchment. After purchasing that, she headed to a little cafe on the far northern end of the market.

No one ever came to this cafe for the tea they served, but rather for the cakes. They were in a way 'famous' amongst certain people who frequented the market, just a little pricier than the average cake. Sometime there's a cafe near here I wanna take ya to- Carley couldn't help but feel a little sad recalling the words she had written to Glenn last week. Such a thing would be out of the question now, since they weren't exactly talking- or really, she just wasn't talking to him. There was an endless assortment of flavors to choose from with the cakes. The cafe specialized in them much in the same way Eddie specialized in his drinks. Carley opted for an orange cake; a pretty thing, white and orange, neatly decorated with dried orange wedges along the top.

After the purchase of cake, Carley meandered to a little out of the way table in the cafe, setting the small white box the orange cake was in down. Taking a seat, she dug out a pen and her new stationary from her bag and unwrapped it, setting a blank sheet on the table in front of her. Tapping her pen lightly against it she frowned as she tried to think of something to write, but nothing was coming easily to her. She hadn't spoken to Glenn since Saturday, simply picking up from before then as if nothing had happened just wasn't going to happen. She hung her head a bit recalling Ivy's words to her about being... childish. Something her cousin always told her, how childish she acted about everything. Now that childishness could cost her one of her best friends.

That thought caused her eyes to tear up a little but she shook her head, blinking them back away. They weren't going to help anything. Pulling paper closer, she hesitantly pressed the pen to it, words appearing rather slowly, neatly, entirely too controlled.


Dear Glenny,

First and foremost, Lle naa mellonamin. Aside from that, I don't really know what else to tell ya. I'm really really sorry I just left ya in the glen like that, and I'm even sorrier I haven't spoken to ya since you told me yer secret. I was just really sad about the fact I don't age like everyone else I know. I get like that sometimes, but it wasn't fair for me to act like that to you. Yer one of my best friends, and I should have been there for ya, but instead I was worried about my own problems. Too busy bein' selfish and childish.

I spoke to Ivy, but not about yer secret, so don't worry about that. I'm not gonna tell anyone unless you tell me it's okay. But- she told me that anyone could die at any time. She told me that it's best to make the most of the time ya have. I don't want to be sad about losin' people anymore Glenn. If I only have another day, week, month, or whatever left with you, I'd rather enjoy that time instead of being sad about it ending. In Rhydin, everything, especially the future, is so uncertain. The only thing we can be sure of is the 'now' that we have.

I just hope you can forgive me for not bein' a good friend when ya needed it.

Amin hiraetha

Carley

PS. One day, I hope you'll walk around with your real face and be yerself without worry. You should never worry about how others see ya, because you're just fine the way you are.


After reading and re-reading her letter Carley frowned at it. Speaking to him in person would be best, but she just couldn't muster up the strength to do that just yet. So letter was carefully folded up and settled into the envelope. Outside on the front she carefully wrote out his name. With a sigh she moved to her feet, and with letter and cake in tow, she started onwards towards the inn.

***

As she looked at the door leading into Room 18, Carley fidgeted a little where she stood. Nervous and frightened over what would come of all this. Part of her really wanted to knock on the door, just talk to him face to face, but her courage didn't win out in the end. Kneeling down, she set the box holding the cake down on the ground in front of the door, her letter to Glenn on top. Straightening, her hand extended towards the door to give a knock, but she hesitated, biting at her lip momentarily. Rolling around nervously on the balls of her feet she looked back down towards the box and letter before her eyes closed. And finally? She knocked quickly and loudly upon the door. As soon as she had done that though, she spun around and ran for the stairs as fast as she could, retreating down them and away from the inn.

November 15, evening
RhyDin Public Library

Glenn headed to the RhyDin Public Library just as the city's lights started to turn on. The gas lamps, electric lamps, and magic lamps all flickered to life as he walked from the Stitch to the south side of the city, where the library was located. Once inside, he tracked down a copy of an Elvish-Common dictionary and rented a study carrel to compose his letter in.

He chose a small room, with little more than a simple desk, chair, and small window that looked out on the street, although the blinds were partially closed. Glenn flicked on the magic lamp, opened his knapsack, and pulled out several sheets of stationary, an envelope, his green fountain pen, and a slice of orange cake he had wrapped up in butcher's paper. The cake was unwrapped and a bite was taken, before he started to write his letter.

A couple of hours later, a librarian, tall and thin and severely dressed in a grey pantsuit, knocked at the door to Glenn's carrel. ?You've got a half hour left before we close,? the woman said, looking down at him from behind a pair of thick, black cat's eye glasses. Glenn nodded, then sighed when the woman was out of sight. The remains of the first two drafts rested in the trash can by his feet. He was almost out of time, and almost out of paper too. He would either get it right this time, or have to try again tomorrow. He couldn't help but shake Haleigh's words, half-teasing, out of his head. ?You know, Glenn, you're not very good at writing letters. There's no romance in your words. You write the way you speak.? She was right, of course, but that he couldn't let that stop him now. He put the nib to the last piece of stationary, and started writing.

Dear Carley,

First of all, Amin hiraetha. I'm sorry too. You should know, the last thing I ever wanted to do was hurt you, and I'm afraid that I hurt you badly. I wish I had told you sooner, and I wish I had done something, anything, before you ran off. I'm as much to blame as you are for what happened in the glen. Please forgive me, if you can. I forgive you for leaving, and I understand why you did.

I know that I probably won't live as long as you do, and I wish there was something I could do about that, but I think the only answers to that would be bad. I think I would have to give up everything that I was, and I don't want to do that, and I think you wouldn't want to be friends with me after that either. All I can offer you is what I am, no more and no less. Whatever you want, I'll give it to you. If you don't want to ever see me again, I'll be hurt, but I won't bother you again. If you still want to be friends or whatever, I'll gladly accept that. I'm trying to be more open with people now, and I'd hate to think I completely closed you off.

There's a lot I have to learn about what being an elf is, and I'd be honored if you would teach me what you know. About the culture, about the history, about magic. Whatever you know. I want to know what it's like to be you, as much as you're willing to tell me. I hope that chance hasn't passed me by.

In closing, I miss talking to you and hanging out with you, and I hope to see you and talk to you again sometime soon. Lle naa mellonamin.

Sincerely,

Glenn

P.S. Thank you for the cake. It was very good. Was this from the cafe you were telling me about? We should stop by there after everything's done Friday, and have a little celebration for completing all the work on the Stitch.

***

Glenn couldn't wait until the next day to deliver the letter. Instead, he practically ran from the library to the West End, to the Econ-Omni apartment complex where Carley lived. He slipped inside the building and made his way up to Carley's apartment. Treading as softly as he could in the hallway, he slipped the unsealed letter under her door and, silently and swiftly as he could, he left. Once he had exited, he started walking towards the Red Dragon Inn. He really, really needed an ale...