In the Heart of Anvard (My Kingdom For a Horse): Free RP

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Flower though seems sudenly distracted by something. She watches the people wandering in the street, some seem to be families or sibblings. She is reminded again of her brother.

'Where is she? Is he ok?' her hunger disapears instantly at thoughts of her brother. She feels like hiding.

"Are we going to be off soon?" she asked Retaw quietly.
 
Retaw

"As soon as we see Larto on the pier, and pick up Squire Spalik's return letter to his associate."

Once the two messengers had finished their snack, they went to Split Rock Pier. A foreman pointed out the worker Larto to them, helping to load crates onto a wagon. "Flower, would you go ask Larto to come here for a moment?" asked the Gryphon. "If I come near non-intelligent horses, they'll panic."
 
The longshoreman, seeming a bit slow on the uptake, marvelled: "From Narnia? Who in these bad times would be sendin' me a message from Narnia?"


{ For handy review: his sister is named Sweetpool; she said to tell him that his nephews are well, and they sold the prize ewe for a good price. }
 
The dawn broke for Larto. "Oh, so you're exiles! Well, I never got to speak with a Gryphon before, or with very many Talking Beasts, though I did converse with a Mer-Man once." He started with Flower back toward Retaw, doffing his cap in respect to the awe-inspiring creature. "A good day to you, Master Gryphon. This marvellous Cat says you've met my sister?"

"Indeed," Retaw confirmed. "She was kind enough to give us a drink while we were on our journey to the coast; and she asked us to tell you that your nephews are well--"

"That's a relief! They were both sick for awhile."

"They seemed fully recovered when Flower and I saw them: pleasant lads, about six and four years old. Also, Sweetpool says that she and your brother-in-law sold the prize breeding ewe for a good price."

Larto bowed bobbingly several times, as if to a great lord. "Oh, thank you, good sir! Always good to be hearin' some good news of kin. You won't hold it against me if I get back to work. I need the wages. Squire Spalik, Aslan bless him, bought the freedom of a Calormene slave girl, and bein' already married himself, he's lettin' ME marry her! A good-natured lass she is, name of Tazgara. Um, I don't s'pose you'll be passin' back by my sister's homestead so's you could tell her?"
 
Retaw

"Yes, and Larto's message will be easy to remember and repeat. Good success to you in your marriage, Son of Adam. Flower, shall we get back to Squire Spalik and see if he's finished his return letter?"
 
After bidding Larto farewell, the Gryphon and the Cat returned to the merchant's house. Dolzin the secretary told them that the reply letter was almost ready; and indeed, he had hardly finished speaking before Spalik brought it forth, a sealed scroll ribboned similarly to the one they had brought to Spalik.

"Please accept _four_ silver pieces," the merchant said, gesturing to his right-hand man to place the coins inside Retaw's mailpouch, "in token of my appreciation for the helpfulness of this rapid communication. Both my own family, and a hundred or more workers, will benefit by the efficiency this gives us in our operations."
 
Flower waited until the coins had been deposited into the pouch, then jumped up into it, leaving only her small head sticking out.

"Shall we be off then?" said Flower.
 
"Yes, we shall; goodbye, friends!"

Taking off, Retaw set a southerly course along the coast, as guided by Flower with the map. At the second fishing village they saw, they delivered a letter to the village headman from his brother, a blacksmith who did business with the north-side inn at Anvard. This recipient had nothing particular to report in return, but Retaw promised to convey his spoken thanks to the brother for the letter free of charge.

By now it was a bit past noon. "And now," Retaw told his assistant, "it's westward and inland, catching up with the fleeing Sun as we seek our next recipient."
 
Retaw

"Flower, I remember being told that the easternmost location other than those actually on the coast was a town on the nearest river, in between two tributary streams feeding that river. Do you see that on the map?"
 
Flower flipped the map around and stared at it for a moment before finding the location.

"Yeah, its there." she called, then looked downward for a moment then added, "If you follow that windy stream or river or whatever it is down there then you'll get to it eventually."
 
Retaw

"All right, I see it. Now hunker down: make sure you yourself, and all the letters, are secure inside the bag. I'm going to put on a burst of speed to cover the distance."
 
Flower layed down on top of the letters to make sure none of them flew out.

'Always wondered what my job would be when I got older. I never thought I'd be a postal cat though!' she thinks jokingly.
 
This next delivery was to a very old great-grandmother. When the reason for the remarkable visit by Narnian creatures was explained to her, she asked the messengers if they would like some cookies. Retaw, a tactful Gryphon, didn't mention that he was a carnivore, and he tossed two cookies into his mighty beak with every show of satisfaction.
 
Flower nibbled a corner of one of the cookies. She didn't really feel hungry though.

'Mid, where are you? Why can't you just come on and hurry up. Speed up the war or something...' she shakes her head, knowing her hopes for a quick war will not come true.

'Never hurt to hope though.' she thinks.
 
The little old lady wanted to send a reply to the grandson-in-law who had written to her from Anvard, but she did not trust her shaky old hands to write clearly. "I'll get one of my great-granddaughters to write it for me; can you dear Narnians wait?"

"What we'll do," Retaw told her, "is fly to our next delivery, which is due south from here, then come back up to collect your reply. Now, the man who arranged our service asks two silver pieces for each letter carried; but if you can't afford that, I can pass along a spoken message for free."

The old woman sighed. "Thank you, I'll settle for that;" and she said things to be told to her grandson-in-law, things which would have equalled less than one page of writing.

"We can remember that much with no difficulty," Retaw assured her. "And then we won't have to double back here." He finished the remainder of Flower's cookie.
 
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