Family from Magdalena

Heiassa,   The things in your last letter, I've kept your words carefully in the fires of my heart. Some things, I want to discuss more in the warm darkness of your homeland, or at least beneath the trees of your grove.   For now, I should tell you about things that are happier. As much as there is deep misalignment between the magic of my hosts and our own organic nature, the magic they have for treating injuries to wings is truly first rate. I should be able to fly again within another week. Honestly, as hearty as we Treeborn are, we're also unique enough that a good number of healing spells can't handle the uniqueness of our physiology. If things hadn't worked out here, I was starting to worry that I'd need to walk home - or get you to track down an Elder Troll for an appropriate potion.   Speaking of wings, it sounds like Kaide is starting to stretch her own. If she's made it this far, then I can let go of the old grievance and at the very least, reclaim her as my lost pupil. I've enclosed something specific for her, but since I don't know whether or not she'll share it, then I want you to know this: I won't apologize for the way I've been cold to her. I felt it necessary to force her to either completely seal the guilt she clung to and the memories that go with it, or to fail entirely here at the beginning. Your Empress and I have long reconciled over this matter. Since Kaide has succeeded in locking it away, you're right, it no longer concerns us. Putting that behind us is easy - the next bit, accepting her back and letting her into the space in my withered heart that you and Andstella occupy, that's harder, but it's effort I'm trying to make. She's unique in that respect - it's not an effort I'd make for someone like Amytri.   Thank you, by the way, for both forwarding Kaide's letter and Andstella's. I'm pround of Andstella too. I'm glad she had you for the winter - she's taking on so much and trying so hard to be worthy of her big sister. I don't know if you realize how large your existence is in her heart. She's been alone for a very long time and this is her first year truly putting into practice everything she's gained from all her cycles to date. I have faith in her, as I do in you. I'm sorry to have sent you away from her right now, but I also feel that if you were too close to her, her wings wouldn't grow as quickly as they must, and that they'd be too delicate for the winds to come.   I owe all three of you - when the time comes, I promise, we'll travel together. All of us.   Be safe, fly far, and keep learning and dreaming