The following day started late for me and my stepsisters. After last night's ball, all three of us slept the morning away. They woke before me and their puttering about getting ready for their day is what woke me from my sleep. Victoria and Giselle kept tromping between their rooms in various states of undress. It seemed the laundress had gotten their clothes all mixed up and they were sorting it all out. Of course they were both complaining endlessly about the foolish woman and how she needed to learn how to do her job properly. In between their complaints, they talked of the ball. Victoria had spent nearly the entire night with Prince Hector, Sir Brockton, and their friends. She spoke incessantly about the prince and what they talked about when they danced. Giselle had spent the night flirting with attractive courtiers and Prince Christian. It seemed she had gotten to see the prince more than I had. Between spending time with the princes, my stepsisters had found time to find other girls to form a clique with. They had made fast friends with a group of about five others and were now all bosom companions, according to Giselle. They were such good friends that they would be spending the day with the girls and thus the reason they were sorting their clothes so meticulously. Giselle and Victoria had to look perfect for their friends. It was good that they had found people to get along with, and it was even better that they planned to spend the day with them where I didn't have to hear about how much I was 'hurting' Giselle. They left and then I was free to get dressed without interruption.

I left our room and went downstairs to the entrance hall. The woman who sat at the front desk saw me and motioned for me to approach the desk. Two letters had been delivered this morning and she was not able to catch Giselle and Victoria on their way out. One of the letters was addressed to only me while the other was addressed to Giselle and Victoria as well. Immediately I recognized the handwriting on mine and the stationary the other was printed on. I would recognize my brother's slanted script anywhere and the other was in a gold colored envelope and could only be from someone in the royal family. I guessed that the one in the gold envelop was an invitation of some sort. There was no need to send a letter if it were anything else, but an invitation to what? I was torn on which one to open first. I would go back up to the Crocodile Room and sit outside on the balcony. I was excited to know what my brother had been up to so I would read his first. I sat on the end of the thick railing and leaned back against the building before opening the letter. Andrew must have gotten my letter very quickly to have responded so quickly, or he had sent this before I had sent mine. I discovered it was the latter when I saw he had dated his letter for more than a week ago.

Dear little sister,

I have been moving about the kingdom and so have you. I hope my letter finds you, for Pharyss is a very large city. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did on my last trip through there. Last time I was in Pharyss was near four months ago and they were just sending out the announcements. As a matter of fact, my patrol got to deliver the news to towns on our way to the northern forests. There have been reports of a group of ogres terrorizing some farms out there and we have been assigned to see to it. This will be my first task in command and I hope I don't do something foolish like get run through with an ogre spear.

That is right, sister, I have moved up in the ranks and am now in command of my small group. Captain Gradley decided that I was officer material after our bout with a dragon. It was a dreadful business. Next time you see me I will be sporting a new scar across my face. I think it makes me look quite roguish and when I tell the women where I got it, they near fall at my feet. Girls love a good tale of bravery, you know. I suppose you would also like to hear how your brave brother selflessly threw himself into battle with a dragon and saved his company from the beast. I do not own up to it to the men, but the entire fight I was terrified. I hope you never meet a dragon, they are very dangerous. This particular dragon had been terrorizing the countryside when we arrived.

Anyway, my patrol was tracking the beast's destruction along the western border and we came across caves near the base of the mountains. Dragons are known to frequent caves, as you know, so we decided to search them. We had hoped to catch the dragon while it was asleep so we could kill it easier. We found the dragon's lair, but it was empty except for the bones of livestock and the smell of fire. That was when the dragon was upon us. It was a pine drake. They have a heavy covering of needle-like scales and are smaller than most dragons, which was lucky for us. It came in behind us so we were trapped in its cave. We quickly grouped into defense formation and raised our shields as it spit its thick flames at us and roared. It only stood a bit taller than a horse and still it filled the entrance to the cave by rearing up on its hind legs. Our backs were against the cave wall as the beast snapped at us. Gradley and I distracted the beast so the others could escape. They all made it out but in our efforts to divert the dragon, it had cornered us even further into the back of the cave.

Gradley was shouting for me to save myself when a spurt of dragon fire got his arm and he dropped his sword. The dragon lunged at him and I swiped my sword at its neck as it tried to kill the captain. My sword barely made it through the sharp scales. It was enough of a distraction to make me the beast's new target. The dragon hissed and turned on me. I backed up against the wall and raised my shield as the dragon blew flames at me. The heat almost made me drop my shield. Somehow I managed to hold my sword and shield and when the flames stopped I struck out at the dragon. I slashed one of the beast's eyes and it screeched and reared back. The men had circled around the back of the beast and were trying to surround the dragon, but its sweeping tail was keeping them at a distance while it focused on me. I lowered my shield to attack again, but the dragon was faster. Its claws swiped out at my face and tore down the right side. I am lucky I did not lose an eye, or my life.

I cried out when I felt my skin tear and struck out blindly at the dragon. It was reckless, but miraculously I was able to drive my sword into the softer skin under the dragon's neck. As the dragon gurgled and fell down before me I didn't even retrieve my sword from the body. Instead I clutched my face and went to check on the captain. The men reached the captain at the same time I did and started tending to our wounds. Fallon, our healer, is amazed that the dragon did not cut me deeper than he did; he could have taken my head off. I assume he did not because I had disoriented it with my blow to its eye. Either way I thank the spirits for my luck.

It took absolutely ages for my wounds to heal. For weeks I had to have half my face wrapped in bandages and was forced to stay at the castle in Eroban for that time. The captain also stayed there along with the entire patrol group. He said we deserved some rest. His burns were so severe that he can no longer wield a sword properly, that is why he decided to appoint me to command. 'Andrew,' he says. 'I have been watching you. You are a good soldier. You follow orders and are brave in the face of danger. You stayed to protect me and risked your life for the men to escape. I want you to become leader in my stead. With this lame arm, I will need someone I can trust to lead the men in my place.' I asked him what he meant and he told me that he was going to stay in Eroban after we had left. He gave me written instructions for where I would need to lead the men on patrol.

That brings me to a bit of exciting news. Since I cannot properly be in command without informing Commander Mordris and properly being made a captain, I will have to journey to Pharyss. After my men and I clear up the ogre situation in the north, we will be riding quickly for the king's city. We should arrive before the celebration's end, and I will search the city until I find you so we can see some of it together. I may even introduce you to my men, but I want to be careful or they will all fall madly in love with you. It has been far too long since we have been able to spend a day together like we used to. When I arrive in Pharyss I will make sure my men and I can at least stay until the royal wedding. Others in my patrol have family in the king's city as well and will enjoy the days with their families. Watch for my arrival, little sister.

I love you more than the tallest tree.

Andrew Valix

I smiled at our old saying. He always closed his letters with it, 'I love you more than the tallest tree.' When I was little I would always say that I loved tall trees because I could climb all the way to the top and look out over the world. One day when we had climbed one of the tall trees, Andrew asked me if I loved the tallest tree more than I loved him. I love you more than the tallest tree was my response and since then it has been our saying. I was exceeding glad that Andrew had not been hurt more seriously. I live in fear that one day I will receive a letter from someone other than my brother with the news of his death. The kingdom is at peace now, but that does not mean that what my brother does is not without its dangers. His fight with the dragon proved that.

I looked out over the buildings beyond the back gardens of the Gilded Leopard. Maybe Andrew was in Pharyss right now and was coming to see me. I hoped my previous letter has reached him and he knows to come to the Gilded Leopard. I do not want him to waste a moment more than needed finding me in this large city.

So there you have it, Ebony's brother is coming to Pharyss and will meet up with his sister when he arrives. I know some of you wanted him to be a full character in the story and he will be. He has a big part to play before this story is done.

I would like to thank all my readers who stuck with me over the weeks in which I did not write at all. You all are lovely and I couldn't ask for better readers. And a big HELLO! to all the new readers I have picked up now that I am back.