"Please come in," Aldeus said as he guided the woman inside. "Wait right here." Aldeus left his visitor with Lysander as he ran through the Atrium to a courtyard with a well. He tied a rope to the handle of an old wooden bucket and threw it in. When he heard a slash he hoisted it back up. With water in hand he ran back to the woman as quickly as he could without spilling the water. When he returned she was sitting by the door, wheezing like someone who'd taken an arrow in the lung. Aldeus knelt at her side and set down the bucket. He realized he didn't have anything to drink from, but the woman instinctively put her whole head into the water. "Don't drink too fast or you'll get a stomach ache..."
While the woman quenched her thirst Aldeus looked at the letter she'd been waving. She'd set it down to drink, so he picked it up to take a look. It was one of dozens of missives he'd sent out to various wealthy lords who had donated to the Knights in the past. No one had ever gotten back to him. He'd assumed they didn't want to waste their influence or money on a defunct order.  The fact that this scruffy woman had one of the letters suggested the courier had run into some sort of complication. Â
When she finally took her head out of the bucket Aldeus tapped her shoulder. "Excuse me miss, but who are you and how did you come by this letter?"
While the woman quenched her thirst Aldeus looked at the letter she'd been waving. She'd set it down to drink, so he picked it up to take a look. It was one of dozens of missives he'd sent out to various wealthy lords who had donated to the Knights in the past. No one had ever gotten back to him. He'd assumed they didn't want to waste their influence or money on a defunct order.  The fact that this scruffy woman had one of the letters suggested the courier had run into some sort of complication. Â
When she finally took her head out of the bucket Aldeus tapped her shoulder. "Excuse me miss, but who are you and how did you come by this letter?"
