Realms of the Arcane - Brian M. Thomsen [6]
Torreb,
If this reaches you before you depart, so be it, but I am aware of your scheme. You accuse me of plotting against you so many years ago, only to justify your trickery today. Just as before, you are determined to deprive me of the glory and rewards I justly deserve. I suffered through years of that at the Academy before I finally was able to cast you out.
There's no point in my denying it anymore. Of course your suspicions are correct. Your instincts were always keen. It was a good plan-I became 1st initiate, I rose to the master's wand, and now I serve the court. Only Marriana escaped my grasp, and that, most of all, I will not forgive you for.
There is no point in waving this letter as proof to anyone. I will deny it all, and who would believe you-a cheat and outcast who was not content to destroy himself but also had to drag down the name of a fine woman of a noble house.
Of course I want the staff for myself. The governor's desires are meaningless once I have the artifact. Already I know much of its operations-words and commands gleaned from Greenwinter's notes. Even if you do find it before me, it would be useless in your hands. Only I understand the power it contains and the secrets of wielding it.
What will I do with it? I haven't decided. There are so many choices-enemies who've stood in my way, wrongs to right, titles to claim. Why, I might even assume the imperial mantle, if Greenwinter's artifact is as powerful as I believe.
Did you really think your little parable about lost cantos and strange disappearances would put me off, that I would be so easily outflanked? You are not the only one who saw that scroll. Some of us, however, do not leap to rash conclusions. It was clearly an amateur's hand, no more than a poor attempt by some scribe to immortalize himself in the pages of a great work and quite rightfully excised from future transcriptions. Do not take me for such a fool. I did not become a perfect master of the imperial court without learning the duplicitous ways of others.
It is you who have been the fool, all this time answering my letters, helping my research, aiding me-the one who destroyed you. I know you head for the mountains hoping to beat me to the prize, but what good will one piece of the puzzle do you? You do not know how to interpret the snake-bound pattern or read the map it hides. I do. Because of your careless clues, I am confident I will find the pattern myself.
I no longer need you, Torreb. I will be in the mountains before you, and I will find the staff. There is no prayer that will protect you if we meet.
Your Nemesis,
Perfect and Absolute Magister Pavish
PS. Your last gift reveals your true treachery and your lack of imagination. A bottled and spiteful imp would hardly defeat me, even if it was a nuisance to destroy.
My gift to you this time is more than apt. Do not worry about collecting it. It will find you.
Silverpeak Mountains, entrusted to shepherd
My loving Marriana,
I do not know if this letter will reach you, just as I never know when I post these on my travels. I have given this to a local boy with a promise of payment if it should reach you, so be generous if you read this.
First I must tell you the gods guided Pavish's letter to me up here. From it you know now I did not come to hunt wolves, at least those with four legs. You had foresight to send it on to me, and I had luck that it found me. While it told me little I did not suspect, it has confirmed my fears and warned me of his coming.
Things are as I feared but did not tell you. I did not want you to worry. Pavish, I think, has gone completely mad. Either that or his soul is more corrupt than any ever suspected. He was always arrogant and false-you said once he made women glad they were not men- but now it is clear it was only the mask for a darker immorality. That is why I had to come up here.
I fear what will happen if he lays his hands on Green-winter's artifact. I am not certain why, my love, but I feel it is my duty to stop him. Ever since the Academy, the gods have woven