Sir,
We have secured the village as per our orders, but to our surprise, it appears to have only recently been abandoned completely. We searched all the buildings extensively. Alas, we have been unable to locate the artifact. I found the enclosed sheet of parchment in one of the houses – it might be of importance, quite possibly related to whoever was here recently.
- was tending the herb garden when I received the news. I am hardly what one might call an accomplished gardener, but it has been many months since Winterdawn vanished in the frozen wastes of Northrend and, all things considered, I do not expect to meet him in this world again. I was enjoying the patter of the rain on the top of my skull when I heard Cael's boots squelching in the mud behind me.
'Master?' He spoke hesitantly.
'If you've come to help with the gardening, those weeds need to go to the compost heap.'
Far too flippant a remark, I soon realised. If I had a heart it would have sunk by then, for if Cael was in a nervous frame of mind, whatever matter he wished to discuss must be of some dire import.
'No. I bring a message from the girl.'
'She has a name, Cael. Your half-sister deserves to be referred to by her name, surely?'
And the tense silence that followed stretched out for many long seconds. That the poor child has drawn a better lot in life than most of her siblings is no-one's fault, least of all mine, but not everyone can see the way it is. Cael's weary, exaggerated sigh broke the silence.
'Aveline brought to me news of some significance. Here.'
He reached out from the depths of the musty cloak that shrouded his form, holding a battered envelope. I took it, pointedly neglecting to mention that it appeared to have been opened and resealed before reaching me.
Opening the envelope – again – and finding within a single sheet of parchment, in the neat hand of my dear daughter, I read through the letter with a growing sense of foreboding. If she had gone to the risk of writing to me, something was most certainly amiss. Reaching the end of the missive, I steadied my hand and forced myself to carefully fold it up and replace it in the envelope. She had thought to inform me of the death of the man who was one of my greatest enemies and one of my greatest friends. His remains burned like rubbish, a great man whom I would have gifted with undeath in the blink of an eye is gone from this world forever. The foolishness of mortals astounds me.
I am glad that Aveline wrote to me, rather than bringing her message in person. Her time is not yet, oh no. One day she, too, will be saved from the fate of all living things, but that day has yet to come. Though she may struggle and plead and fight against it, she will thank me for it in the end. Had she come to me directly, I may have been tempted to turn her there and then, to prevent any further...regrettable incidents. As it happens, I-
The remaining papers that presumably accompanied this are nowhere to be found. By your leave, I wish to extend our mission in these cursed lands. The artifact is evidently not here and, worse, I fear we have a necromancer at large. I pray this message and its bearer reach you safely. Light be with you.
- Bartimaeus Dawnbringer.
Postscript: Sending some of those herbs back with this message for analysis.