Doran stared at the closed door for several minutes after Andrew had left.  Never before had anyone told him he was wrong, and though he liked the young man, he wasn’t sure he liked being spoken to in that manner.  However, he did give the boy leave to speak plainly, so if he didn’t want to hear such honesty, perhaps he should not have asked for it.  Shaking off his final thoughts of their conversation like water on a hound, he thought again of his letter to the princess.  He would be sure to go to Andrew in the morning, to see if there were any changes in his behavior.  If there were, he could be sure the boy had read the letter, if not; perhaps he would make the young man apart of his inner circle.  Having made his decision, he wearily stood to amble to the desk where all his maps lay.

Anne couldn’t believe the captain was just as pigheaded as the rest of the men on the ship.  To think, she lit her lantern, she was surrounded by people with whom, if given a choice, she would never bother associating.  “Ah, surely you knew it would be like this,” she spoke to herself as she dipped the quill into the ink well to begin her first letter.

Dearest Ethana,

 Firstly, I would like to say that I hope this letter finds you in good health.  Next, I want you to be assured that I am well.  A dear friend informed me of the baron’s search on the day of my departure from Indira.  He told me to write as soon as possible, but not knowing what to say, as well as keeping up with my new duties, has kept me from doing so until now.  I also happened upon a newspaper and read how you had gone to the palace to ask for help.  I can’t believe you had it in you to be so bold and wish I could have been peering in from the wings.  Although, I am very proud of you for the courage you have demonstrated, there is no need to take up any more of the Royal Family’s time.  Thank you for caring about me, but I have no intentions of returning.

Ethana, please don’t think me selfish.  I need to do this.  I need to be on my own.  Perhaps, if past events had not occurred, I would still be home.  However, they did, and now I am going off to find the life that awaits me.  I will make a point of writing to you on occasion to let you know how I fare.  I am sorry, though, that I cannot bring myself to write to your parents.  The wounds on my heart are still tender, and until they have healed, or I have become numb, I shall not send word to them.  Wish me luck.

All My Love,

Anne

P.S. Ethana, never sell yourself short.  You are more than just a beautiful woman and deserve more than a loveless marriage that carries a cold title.  You know yourself.  Find what you desire and whom you desire.  ♥~A

Folding the letter in thirds before placing it in one of the envelopes, Anne tucked the flap inside and wrote Ethana de Ranger, Indira Manor on the reverse.  Then she began her next letter.

Dear Laveda,

I am writing you to say I shall be leaving town tomorrow morning.  I am not quite sure when I shall be able to write again, but I will do my best.  In the meantime, I would like you to see to your learning.  This week, when you have time, please go to the marketplace and find a florist by the name of Haru.  Give her the letter that follows as well as ten coppers.  She will help you find the person the next correspondence mentions, and together, I’m sure they will lend you a hand especially if you give them the enclosed gold coin to cover as many classes as it can afford.  Good luck and stay out of trouble.

~ Andrew

Anne was glad that when writing the last letter to Laveda she had decided to conceal her own hand.  It made what she was about to do now, much less complicated.

Dear Haru,

I am writing to ask you a favor.  I know I was a little less than kind the last time we met, and I do regret my behavior very much. I am sorry.

The young woman, who has just handed you this letter, is under the care of a friend of mine.  Since he has been helping me, I promised to do all I can to help him.  Laveda, the girl before you, is in need of educating.  My friend has given her some money to pay for all that you and perhaps Ms. Godwin can teach her.  Please, I beg of you, look out for her the way you did for me.  Thank you, Haru.

Sincerely,

Anne de Ranger

Taking a deep breath and letting out a whooshing sigh, Anne placed the last two letters and a gold coin into the remaining envelope.  She had one sheet of paper left, so she neatly folded it and placed it inside one of the inner pockets of her jacket and then put the quill and ink in her right outer pocket.  Finally, she picked up the letters, stood and then reached down to lift the lantern.  Although it was dark out, Anne guessed it could be no more than 10:30.  The usual message boy would have gone to home by now, but surly she could find someone else to deliver these letters tonight.  Deciding to walk the wharf until she found someone who looked trustworthy, she began to make her way to the dock.

Anne hadn’t walked for more than ten minutes when she saw an older man with a small tin cup in hand swaying lightly back and forth.  Strangely drawn to him, Anne decided to approach.  When she was approximately two feet away, the old man snapped his attention in her direction.  “Sir, I do apologize if I have startled you.”

Looking her up and down for a moment or two, Anne could see relief come over him.  “Yer not one of them young thieves that come by these parts,” he stated pointedly.

“No, sir.”

“Well, suppose dat’s good,” he looked down at his cup.

Then abruptly he raised his left eyebrow and grumbled, “Lessen ya be one of dem cut throats.  And if ya are, I ain’t got nothin’ worth slicin’ a throat over.”

Anne smiled at the older man.  He was dressed in old, ragged clothes.  His hair was a dull grey, nappy and much too long, just as his beard.  She couldn’t see his eyes very well because he squinted quite a bit and the lighting along the dock could scarcely be called just that.  Wondering if he would like to have something worth stealing and thinking she would like to return to the ship now rather than later, Anne decided to employ the ragged and wrinkled man.  “Sir, can you walk?”

He eyed her wearily.  “Course I can walk.  I can just ‘bout do anythin’ you can, boy, hell; I can even waltz.  But if ya came to see me polka, yer in fer some disappointment.  Dat there’s one dance dat rattles my bones and makes my teeth hurt.”

Anne nearly laughed outright.  He was quite a feisty old man; she shook her head.  “Good.  Now can you tell me whether you know the way to the palace?”

“Yah, I can tell ya.”

He was closing his eyes and swaying again, Anne waited.  However, when he made no move to speak again, Anne asked once more.  “Well, do you?”

“Yah, I know where it is,” he eyeballed her.  “Ya gotta be real thick not to know that.  ‘Sides, I use to be in the royal navy!  Betcha didna know that, eh?”

“No.  I didn’t.”  Anne wondered what might be the best way to approach her request.  She was probably daft to think this old man could complete such an important task on her behalf.  He seemed very tired, and it would indeed take all night to do.  Then again, she could always ask.  “Sir, I am in need of someone who can deliver a few letters; one to the palace, one to Indira, and another up the dock to Swinfen’s.  Have you any knowledge of anyone looking for employment? I am willing to pay the person handsomely.”

That certainly got his attention.  “How handsomely?”

“A silver to start and a gold upon return.”  Then thinking that anyone can say they delivered them and not actually have done so, she decided to add an extra task.  “Upon returning the person would have to prove he delivered these letters as well.”  Taking the spare sheet of paper from one pocket and the quill and ink from another, she sat on the ground, smoothed the paper flat, and began to write.  At the top left she wrote Laveda at Swinfen’s and drew a long line after it, then folded it over.  Beneath the fold she wrote Ethana at Indira; another line followed.  Yet again she folded it over.  Then finally she wrote The Seal of Moonreign and put a colon afterward before making another fold in the sheet.  “Now,” she spoke as she unfolded the sheet, “the proof will be the signatures of the receivers.”  She was showing him the paper.

“Well, dat’d be easy enough,” he rubbed his beard with his left hand.

“Do you know anyone who could complete this task for me by dawn tomorrow?”

To her surprise, the old man merely continued to rub his beard.  In fact, he did not speak for more than two minutes.  Anne truly believed he might like to do the task himself, but now she was wondering if she needed to continue to search for someone else.  Refolding the sheet, she placed it back within her inner pocket and returned the quill and ink comfortably into the outer one before standing.

“Where ya goin’?”

“Excuse me, sir, my trespass in your space.  It appears to me you haven’t any idea who I might be able to employ and seeing as I must find someone in great haste, I need to be on my way.”

Shaking his head and raising a calloused and wrinkled hand, he stopped Anne from leaving.  “Jus ‘cause I was thinkin’ don’t mean I don’t wanna help.  Fact is,” he lowered his hand, “there’s a young lad with an ass jus up the dock a bit.  He don’t talk but he’s not dumb.  I wish I could help ya meself but as ya can see I’m busy.”

Anne gave the man quizzical look as he went back to his swaying.  Then feeling as though she had been dismissed, she walked up the dock in the direction he had gestured.

After leaving the old man’s side, Anne had been walking for so long she was beginning to wonder if she would ever find the mute young lad the older gentleman had spoken of.  She was also becoming very annoyed with all the immoral soliciting she was receiving in this seedy part of town.  All she wanted to do was return to the Survivor.  Thinking she might do just that and approach the regular message boy in the morning, Anne was suddenly knocked to the ground.  Winded and instantly frightened, she began to shove off whatever was on top of her.  As she hit and shoved; however, the lump pinning her to the ground grunted and moaned stilling her hands.

Slowly, a young man covered in rags and several torn jackets pulled himself up.  Oddly enough, the first thing she noticed was his eyes… they were deep cautious pools.  He looked over his shoulder as if he was trying to determine whether the furies had followed him.  Looking more closely as she too stood, Anne could see he was shaking.

“Excuse me.  Are you all right?”

The man jumped as if Anne had startled him.  He didn’t say a word but regarded her carefully.  At first Anne thought he was a rather large man, but looking him over now, she could tell it was merely the illusion of the numerous jackets he was wearing.  His hair seemed to be plastered to his head, but for someone who lived on the docks he was incredibly clean.  Wondering if this was the man with the donkey, since he had yet to speak; Anne thought it best to just ask.  “Sir, I was wondering if you might be the person for whom I’ve been searching.”

He didn’t speak.

She cleared her throat and continued.  “An older gentleman sitting just north of here, told me I could find a young man who didn’t speak somewhere in this vicinity.  Would you happen to be this man?”

To that the man pulled out an old, tattered sheet of paper which was covered with writing.  He showed her one side.  It read, what do you want?

“So, you are he.”

He nodded.

Anne then told him what she was needed, and how much she was willing to pay.  The man nodded several times as she spoke.  When she finished, he smiled and pointed to his chest.  “You want the job then?”  He went back to the sheet of paper, yes, it said.  “Do you think you can get back to me on the ship Survivor by dawn?”  Anne wanted to be sure she would be able to prove to the captain that his letter had been delivered.  He showed her the yes side of the paper once more.  Smiling, Anne couldn’t help but think something was missing.  She knew she had told him everything, so what could possibly be wrong?  “Your donkey,” she remembered with a start.  “The old man said you had a donkey.”

Again, the yes side of the tattered sheet was raised.  Then, as if feeling her apprehension, he took her hand and began to drag her up the dock.  They only stopped when they reached a ship called the Stalwart.  “Is this your ship?”

Shaking his head, he walked around to the other side of the miniature vessel, where its large ropes helped to keep it moored.  In the Stalwart’s shadow lay a worn little donkey with a small rope about his neck; quite diminutive in comparison to the ship’s mooring, the donkey’s rope looked like a thread wrapped around the Stalwart’s lead.  Anne walked over to the animal to see if she felt it could handle a night of riding.  To her surprise, as the donkey stood, she could tell, although it looked ancient, there was a quiet determination in its large dark eyes.

Inwardly smiling, Anne handed the signature sheet and the letters over to her companion.  Then, reaching into her inner jacket pocket, she pulled out a silver coin and handed it too to the young man.  “Have you a name,” she asked.

He nodded and for the last time that night the old sheet of paper forth.  Scribbled lightly on the upper end of the sheet as if it were wearing away was the name Lindsey.

“Well, hello, Lindsey,” Anne extended her hand.  “My name is Andrew.”

Lindsey gave Anne a wry look, and then went into a deep bow.  When he came back up, he smiled at her, a glint of knowing in his eyes.

Uncertain what to say, Anne cleared her throat and decided to stick to the job at hand.  “Um, okay.  Uh, please deliver the letter to the palace first.  Although, the others are every bit as important, I need to be assured that particular piece of correspondence makes it to its destination.”  Then, wanting to get back to the Survivor as soon as possible, she wrapped things up.  “Remember, I need to have the signature page by dawn tomorrow.”

With that, Lindsey untied his donkey, hopped atop it, and moved toward her.  Anne’s heart was beating tremendously with a great amount of nervous energy, as Lindsey reached for her and lifted her hand to his lips.  Shock made her mouth drop slightly and her heart stop.  When Lindsey finally made his slow way away from the water, Anne let out her emotions with a warm wavering breath before heading back to her ship.