My son, my dearest boy,
The long days and even longer nights give me too much time to think. But the rumors from home grow more and more and the missions we are assigned die off except that of your father. I have found your father's original orders and compared them to the new ones. The writing is not the same. The King signs his name with a wobbly X, not even a stamp from his ring most times. The original reason for Bry coming here was peaceful, not dangerous unless you take in the bigotry of the locals. But these orders written by someone else are not safe. They are dangerous. And they all started with that fateful trip in which a so-called noble and his assistant came to Bree and demanded Bry's return. He claims the town chose him for said position because of his bravery and not his birth. I have never heard of such a thing my son, and don't know if it is true.
Let me tell you about this trip so you can judge for yourself. I was not there, so my reports are second-hand. But I trust them. They got as far as the Trollshaws. Elves live there I hear. They camped outside the valley of giants. Once again I hear it is so named because there are giants there. These are rumors only, so I don't know if they are true or false. Six people went, a shield maiden named Wull, two friends of your father, this so-called noble and his assistant and your pappa. One of his friends, a dangerous man named Dem said he smelt orcs. They were attacked shortly after by an army of orcs. Wull said the battle was intense, and Bry said his friend Dem waded into the thick of the host. He has some warriors rage, I have heard of it in the songs and stories of our people. They feel no pain, and the only way to stop them is to kill them.
This so-called noble collapsed, and his assistant disappeared. And then the orcs just stopped. That is when this beast came. It was unstoppable. It focused on your father's friend Aeru, but that was not who it was after. Later it was described as a black shrouded figure, and the glimpses of its hands were those of black bones. The horse was black and not of any horse your father had ever seen. They say it was a rider out of the legends, but again I was not there. It nearly killed Wull, your father's friends and your pappa himself.
Not long after this noble disappeared and the orders changed. From gathering Eorlingas, supplies, and trade between our two kingdoms to dangerous missions. The Old Forest. The Barrow Downs. May you never see them. Nasty places best left alone by men. Then as suddenly as those came, they went. Now daily your father is sent alone and tells no one his missions or where he goes. What if he should die, my son? We will never find his body and lay him to rest in the proper way.
No. I have too much time to think my son. Much to much time.
