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Message: <blockquote data-quote="hewligan" data-source="post: 4982482" data-attributes="member: 19688">JovikJovik wakes late. It is ... what ... 10 days since they defeated Xanesha? He rubs his eyes. They are a bit sore. No, not his eyes, his head. Too much armagnac. He loves the stuff - 32 year old Taladorian Blue. Amazing, and very, very expensive. But he wasn't paying, and the nobleman who was dining them last night seemed very pleased to share a bottle with the heroes. God, he had drunk too much, again.Jovik rolled over. Another hour in bed wouldn't hurt. But there was something on his bedside table - a letter. Someone must have left it for him. He pulled himself up, reached for it, slipped it open with his knife (ALWAYS sleep with a knife!), and creased his eyes as he tried to read the letters in the dull light.Dearest Jovik,I hope this letter finds you well. I travelled to Sandpoint, hoping to find you there, but I heard of your exploits, and the dangers you have marched south to defeat. I would join you, but I have some errands to run for the elves, north of here, and then will return to Sandpoint.I trust you are well. I miss you terribly. Things have not gone well since you left Fort Rannick.I have resigned as a Black Arrow, leaving the fort and my old life. I am not sure what to do now, but I cannot be there anymore. I wish you were here now. I want to talk to you about this, but ...Please, when your work is done in Magnimar, and where ever your travels take you after that, please find your way back to me at Sandpoint. I will check in every couple of weeks over the spring and summer. If I do not see you before the end of the summer I will assume that you are either dead, or do not wish to see me.My love, take every care. I hope to see you soon.Shalelu.Jovik suddenly feels sober. Shalelu was incredibly loyal to the Black Arrows, the band of rangers that guard Fort Rannick. It was her life, or at least had been her life until he had turned up and confused things. But still, for her to resign her position with the Black Arrows meant something very bad must have happened.There was no question about it. Jovik was going home to Sandpoint. Now!-----It was a dull trip. He had made his excuses and left, but Jokad had been really adamant that he would go too, but Jovik had finally convinced his friend to stay in Magnimar. Heck, the big dolt needed to get his armour fitted, and refitted, and (if he kept on eating all that rich food), probably refitted once again. Anyway, he needed a break and most definitely did not want to get messed up in Jovik's personal problems. Instead, Jokad promised that he would follow his friend north in a week or two, when his final fitting had taken place and the armourer no longer needed Jokad until the final item was ready.-----When he arrived back in town, paying a few gold coins to the merchant that had let him hitch a ride on his carts, and let him use his fine halfling tobacco, Jovik was met with a heroes welcome all over again. The people of Sandpoint already considered him a hero for his part in saving the town from the goblins, and the skin-eating monsters from below, but now he had fought off the ghouls, and delivered the town from a hideous mass murderer.He was in no mood for the celebratory atmosphere, but he soon found out Shalelu was not in town, and this he allowed himself to be swept along with some of the atmosphere.His family were ecstatic to see him. He feasted with them that night, buying suckling pig from a local farmer, some honey, figs, and fine (for Sandpoint) wine, and let his mother cook them up a storm. He really enjoyed that. The family meal, the gentle ribbing from his brothers, the contented silence from his father which he KNEW meant that he was proud of his son, and the constant fussing of his mother.He slept better that night than he had done in weeks.-----It was four days later when Shalelu turned up. She looked exhausted, just back from an eight day excursion to the nearest elven tribe where she had grown up, passing on news and finding out what was stirring to the north and east.When she saw Jovik she leapt at him, threw her arms around him, and sobbed.It took a while for the full story to come out, but eventually Jovik managed to piece it all together. Her father, a human who had lived briefly with her mother among the elves, had left her as an infant, after her mother had died. She had never heard from him since then, but she knew of him. She had contacts among the elves, the traders, the trappers, the gnomes, the rangers and druids of the lands. She knew he served Magnimar's army, but had always been positioned far to the south. But then he had been assigned control of Fort Rannick, and that was it. She had resigned as soon as she heard the news. Her life - the job she had done for so many years, had been thrown away because she could not bear to serve under the man who had abandoned her.Jovik didn't quite understand how to respond, but she didn't seem to care. She just held him and sobbed.Later, when they were both a bit drunk, she admitted to him that she just didn't know what to do with her life now.-----And then two days later she had left. A message had arrived for her from the elves, and she had told him that there were stirring to the east. That was it. Stirrings to the east, and she was off, with a long kiss goodbye.Jovik stayed another few days, until his friend Jokad arrived.</blockquote>

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