Maela's heart froze in her chest, and her stomach plummeted through the floor as she stared at the words on the page. Every loop and whorl of flowing script couldn't be more familiar if she'd drawn them herself, and she could all but see Ashlynn writing the letter with the blue-green quill that Jocelynn had given her years ago.
'Mother, it's Ashlynn. I'm alive…'
Maela drew a deep, shuddering breath as her heart began to beat so hard it felt ready to burst from her chest. Her vision swam as tears filled her eyes and she quickly scrubbed them away with the back of her sleeve, afraid to let a single drop fall on the precious piece of parchment.
'I know you have many questions,' the letter continued. 'And I wish I could write out all the answers. For now, the most important things, in order, and I'll entrust many of the details you need to Marcel when you meet with him.'
