Chapter 15: Goodbye to You
Joren was sitting on the bed in the ship, clutching a piece of parchment in his hands. It was the letter Neal had given him, before sneaking in a quick kiss and leaving abruptly. Joren was almost afraid to open it. The ship lurched and his stomach went along with it. Joren fought down the nausea and finally opened the letter, trying to read it in the dim light of the lamp. It might take his mind off the fierce storm that raged around him.
Dear Joren,
I would love to hear about your new job and home, so don't forget to write. The palace will be more quiet without you. Before all this, I would have been glad to see you go, but I think I'll miss you an awful lot. Take care of yourself over there. Don't worry about Kel's parents. I think she already wrote to them, and I'm sure they will be friendly. Lady Alanna told me that you felt unqualified to be a diplomat, but I think if you believe in yourself, and don't fall back into your bad habits, then you will surely do well. Kel also promises to write. Thank you.
Mithros Bless,
Nealan
There were no mushy I-love-yous, nothing that referred to the kisses. But Joren felt a warm glow inside him. Maybe he's trying to be my friend first. Right now, with all that has happened, he thinks he needs a friend more than anything. The emptiness inside him was slowly being replaced, by Kel and Neal, and by the idea of something to work for.
Joren carefully placed the letter back into the envelope, and tuck it inside his bedroll. Then he took out Kel's gift. With the chaos that preceded his departure, he had almost forgotten to open it. He ripped the blue wrapper in feral glee, excited to know what his former enemy and current friend had given him, only to smile tearfully at what he found inside.
It contained a short white kimono edged in pale blue, with a design of geometric waves in the same color, and a matching obi. Pinned to it was a note.
Lalasa made it for you. I explained everything, and she told me she believes you.
Take care! And don't let my parents bully you!
Keladry of Mindelan
Joren took the kimono, and discovered something else in the box beneath it. There was a small book, with a cover made of the same blue silk. The pages were blank. Joren shrugged inwardly. It had been awhile since he had kept a diary. At a young age, he had already realized how dangerous it was to leave any evidence of one's actions on print. But why not? Especially now that he was turning away from everything that made up the Joren he pretended to be. Maybe a little introspection would do him some good.
The rolling of the ship became more gentle as the storm settled into rain, and Joren was soon lulled to sleep, clutching the journal to his chest. Outside, the sun slowly rose. It was going to be a beautiful day. He hoped.