My dearest Linda
I don't know if the dead can read but I wish to talk to you, I miss you so. Not a day goes by where you are not in my thoughts. I can see your smile still and the twinkle in your beautiful eyes when you would greet me at the door after my day's work. I can still remember the warmth of your embrace and the soft touch of your lips.
Every night I go to bed I think you will be there waiting for me and every morning I wake I turn only to see an empty spot beside me. It has been months but still my heart aches every time I see you are not there.
Why did the world take you from me, my beautiful Linda? [There is a blob of ink on the parchment as if the pen had stopped for too long]
I still go to work but I can't say I'm happy about it lately. They've taken me out of the jailhouse to watch the tavern. It isn't good for my knees to stand there so long and my back has been aching.
I know why I was taken from the desk. Adalbart, bless his heart, is helping me get more coin in to the home but he can't justify higher pay while I sit at the desk, I must work in the street. Elyssa is still here and that lazy husband of hers, still refuses to find any decent work.
Tomorrow, father. She will tell me. Tomorrow he will have work.
I still wait for this tomorrow to come. I don't know how long my body can hold up to this work or caring for her and the children. If that good for nothing poet would just find some work. [The paper is slightly torn with another ink blob]
Linda what am I to do? How I wish you were here so I could seek your guidance and wisdom in this matter. You were always the smart one. Why did that illrotten disease find you? You were a kind soul, a wonderful mother and the best wife any man could ask for. Why you? Something so rotten should have taken its own, such as Gary Whittle.
I am sorry, Linda. My emotions got to me. I can almost hear your scolding words right now. Forgive me.
Why don't I tell you about the fool that came to the jailhouse? At least it made me laugh a little when Adalbart and Radcliffe told me about it. Maybe it will lighten the mood here between us.
There is a man here in town who dresses in all red. I call him a walking tomato but it seems his name is Aallan. Some young bloke who thinks highly of himself so much so that it blocks his thinking.
We learned the man is a thief but he claimed that he only stole from brigands. Noble gesture but theft be theft, brigands or not they are still citizens of Bree-land.
He was let off with a simple fine for his theft after he offered us some information so we naturally thought we were done with him then. But listen to this.
Barely a day after he comes up with the gold coin, some talk about a bear and payment form a man named Lard Raven. A silly name, isn't it?
It seemed strange and so of course we wanted to know why someone would give the man a whole gold penny as if it was nothing. Adalbart went looking around for either this Lard fellow or the tomato but people didn't seem to have any idea of where either of them where.
When Adalbart did find the tomato at last he shot off like a stung piglet. We guessed that he must have been up to something so continued searching then finally he ended up coming to the jailhouse, as Adalbart told me and with a fair foreign woman on his arm.
I was a bit surprised since this is the same woman that I'm told fancies the older gentlemen. Had a man on her arm the evening the rogue ran off, told me that he could well be the woman's father.
Maybe I should try my luck with foreign lasses? No, sorry. It was just a joke, my dear. There is no woman that could ever replace you in my heart. You, my dear Linda, are my everything.
But I digress. Adalbart explained how running from the law was never something that was smiled on and even if he wasn't in any trouble it was clear that if he had been the tomato man would try to flee so he thought to teach him a small lesson in what such means.
Three light lashes just to teach the boy not to run from the law, always better to be straight up. Poor Adalbart thought this would be over quickly but instead the boy decides to try and run while inside the jailhouse. It still surprises me how foolish some people can be. Of course they ran to stop the boy and then he broke a window to try and climb out only to figure out that we bar our windows. Surprised he didn't even realize.
I still can't understand why he tried to do this, why he made it so much worse for himself. Three light lashes to teach him a small lesson is nothing compared to the twenty-five he was given after his attempt.
My heart breaks for the boy but it was his own fault. He didn't really think we'd just give him a slap on the wrist for such an attempt, did he? No, men must learn.
Maybe he is another one of those vigilante characters that I see cropping up all over. Breaking the law and taking it into their own hands and then are surprised when they get punished?
I know their intentions are often good, Linda, but I can't justify letting those vigilante types just walk off without understanding that his town has laws. If they want to help the people and do good by them then I welcome them to sign up for the Watch. We need good blood.
But I have gone on too long now Linda, my dear. I have already written three pages and almost at the fourth.
I promise I will talk to you again soon but for now I have to help Elyssa with the children and then get my own rest. I have a long day of standing to do tomorrow.
I love you, Linda. Please come visit me tonight when I lay my head down to sleep. I want to see you again.
