Parnard turned away from the letter and glared out the window at the fading daylight. I cannot recommend her too highly, he thought. Although Limiriel had gained his confidence in this matter of Estarfin, what part she played in his rescue, he had no idea. Something about the spear-maiden unnerved him, and this letter she wrote him was bordering on rudeness. “I have seen cats give the same look to birds they are stalking,” he once observed to Sogadan. And the last time they spoke she had called him an 'albatross!'
Puzzling, the Lord Ambassador went to the library to look up the unfamiliar word.
Albatross – ‘Any of various wild seabirds of the vagrant sort, common in the Great Sea, with long, narrow wings and dirty white plumage. This is a thievish creature that principally feeds on the prey which other seabirds provide.‘
Hmpf!
He would lay all the facts before Lord Veryacano, he decided - if only he knew them. If Limiriel broke the Hammer Lord’s trust, Parnard would hear about it for certain: it would be seen as a mark of bad judgment, and he would not risk the confidence of Lord Anglachelm.
The quill turned over and over in his fingers. Limiriel did heed his command, and she did assist with bringing Estarfin back. And now she wanted a place. She had earned it, had she not? No one should expect or ask a letter of recommendation from someone who does not trust them entirely. Limiriel must think he trusts her. But he did not mistrust her, did he? The quill twirled faster. Albatross.
Lord Veryacano,
The bearer of this letter, Limiriel, wishes to lend aid to the House. She has proven her worth guarding the envoy of the Harp and Pillar, and again as part of the company which retrieved Lord Estarfin from near death. She runs swiftly, and, I hear, is very handy with a whittle-knife.
She is a faithful and reliable warrior, plump full of interesting turns of phrases, a bit plain-spoken and rough around the edges, but I expect you are used to that. I take pleasure in recommending her to you for help with such services as she can render. If you can aid in her finding a place amongst your soldiers, it will be a special favor to her as well as to me.
Very respectfully,
Parnard
Lord Ambassador
