“It was far more difficult to receive news from anywhere but your immediate vicinity in the past. Nowadays we possess well-established road networks that enable us to deliver a letter from Levain all the way to Alfheim in the east or Horststadt in the west within a week, less if you splurge on the services of flying couriers.

In the past these conveniences did not exist, and even for kings and other rulers, messages from abroad were unlikely to reach them until weeks if not months after the fact, as people not only traveled less often but also did so more slowly.

Back in those days, if you wanted to discover news in a reasonable timeframe, you had to either get very lucky or be there yourself.” - From a lecture by Garth Wainwrought, Professor of Sociology for the Levain Institute of Higher Learning, circa 641 FP.

After some more pleasantries Aideen left Erik’s longhouse together with Aida and the rest. Old Erik himself, together with Niklas, insisted on sending them back as a show of gratitude. The old man still looked as if he was unsure whether he dreamed everything that happened a while ago or not, the sudden boon one he never even dared to hope for.

On their way back to Aida’s place they naturally crossed the town center, and it was there that the group noticed that there was a group of elves standing outside the Mayor’s place. The three siblings naturally looked at them with some curiosity – they had yet to ever meet an elf from the east other than some who lived in Ptolodecca – and Aida noticed that curiosity.

“They’re one of our neighbors from the hills, the Everfrosts,” explained Aida as she mentioned the elven tribe by name. The snow elves – as they were commonly called – of the east lived mostly in small, scattered tribes, often in rather secluded locations. This tribe clearly was used to working together with the town, though, given how much of the equipment they carried were not the usual sort Aideen associated with elven-made ones. “Let me introduce you to them.”

The siblings nodded with enthusiasm, and the group changed directions to visit the Mayor’s house. As they got closer, however, Aideen noticed something unusual with one of the elves. One of them carried a two-handed greatsword on their back, which was something extremely uncommon. Elves typically preferred longer polearms or shorter one-handed weapons instead.

Stolen novel; please report.

What’s more, the greatsword itself was of a style that she had seen before. She had seen a similar weapon twice. Once in Elmaiya, and once again in Alcidea. Both times, the wielders were related to a certain family, and Aideen wondered if this would be the case with the elf in question as well, because she thought of a person who would have slipped seamlessly into the relations of the people she knew of.

Sure enough, when the elves noticed their approach and some of them – including the greatsword wielder – turned to face them, Aideen saw a face that had some familial resemblance to one of her acquaintances. Despite the obvious differences, Aideen saw a shade of Adelheid’s face in the features of the middle-aged female elf that carried the greatsword, which pretty much confirmed her guess so far.

While Áine, Rhys, and Eilonwy went over and chatted up some of the younger Everfrosts, Aideen approached the middle-aged woman and directly asked her a question to confirm her guesses.

“If I may ask, did you happen to receive that sword from a late spouse of yours?” she asked the elf.

“How did you know of that?” asked the elf in return with some confusion in her eyes. Surprise was clearly etched on the elf’s features, as she had clearly not expected to meet someone not from her tribe who was privy to her personal circumstances when she was merely bringing some youngsters to pick up their share of items from Anlef. “I have indeed inherited this from my late partner, but that was a tale from centuries ago.”

“I guess it’s partially a coincidence,” replied Aideen as she started to explain herself. “I happened to encounter a half-goblin girl who uses a very similar sword in Elmaiya and learned a bit of her family history. Also, that style of sword isn’t exactly common here in Ur-Teros,” she said. “I also met with another who wielded such a sword in Alcidea, and he told me of a relative of his that left for Ur-Teros around the right time to meet and fall in love with an elf then sire a half-elven son, who would then go on to sire a child with a goblin from the desert.”

“Ahh, I see, so you have met with my dear grandchild Adelheid? She was the only one of my descendants who met with my late partner and learned his style of fighting,” said the elf as she understood how Aideen had identified her. “Pray tell how she is doing? I have not seen the girl since she left for the west centuries ago, and it is not exactly easy to get news here, as you can likely guess.”

“I’m unaware of how she is doing now, but last I heard of her, she followed the former First Empress of Elmaiya into seclusion after her abdication ten years ago,” answered Aideen. Lucea had recently abdicated in favor of her eldest son, and chose to withdraw into seclusion to live the rest of her life in peace. Adelheid had chosen to follow her, which was not unexpected, given their relationship. “Adelheid was bodyguard, confidant, and lover to the First Empress for a long time already, if you wonder, so she definitely made that choice on her own.”

“I thank you, then, for having bore good news from so far away,” replied the elf with a thankful nod of her head. “It soothes my heart to hear that the child has found someone she cares for and lives her life without regrets,” she added. “I am Iqualea of the Hrinsfjord, though your kind usually calls us the Everfrost. Either is fine with us.”