Communication by Mail {Kanny}

[Jenny Night]

Gem
I wandered about in my neater yard, glad that all the work had been done for now. there was not all that much left to do. Later on, some one from the pool fencing company was coming out to fix my fence. They had been surprised I'd brought the place knowing the fence was broken.

There was a clatter out the front and i knew it was the mail man. By the time I got out the front he was five doors down. I carried the mail inside and flicked through it, setting the bills aside until I found the one with his writing on it.

[Kanchana]

Auraka

My beautiful Gem, It read.

I hope you are well and that your ankle has stopped aching. I hope that there has been no more snakes in your now clean yard and that the pool fence has been fixed.

All is well here at the base, none of my men have been injured nor had we been attacked yet. We are being sent out to the field tomorrow, but do not worry for we shall be fine. I promise.

I hope you are well, and awaiting my return.

With love

Auraka

[Jenny Night]

Gem
I read what he had written and knew that there would be a lot to tell him about.

Dear Auraka,
Everything here is well and good. Though there is so much more that still needs work around the house. At least all of that it keeping me busy and not giving time for me to worry about you too much. I only really worry about you when its after dark and I have nothing I can do at the time.
My ankle has healed now and I am back out in the forest jogging and things. I've been going to one of the local archery clubs from time to time but I dont think I'm getting any better at hitting those targets.
The pool fence though is being fixed later today, since 've managed to get the lawn shorter and am able to see what I am doing.
I met someone a few days ago, who seems to be very close to one of the other men where you are, if your in the same camp. Sahar is her name and she is very close to Drannor. I hope your keeping him safe as well.
I miss you,
Gem

[Kanchana]

Auraka

The hands hurried to open her letter, it seemed thicker than the others. He whitfully, wishing he was home with her. He didn't want to tell her anything that was happening...but the news had already told her.

My dearest Gem,

Somedays I wish we never met, for that way you would not have to wait for me, worry day after day when I will return home. I know of this Drannor you speak of, he is one of the many under my lead.

Our numbers..have lowered, but we have lowered theres as well. The morals are still high, and many cannot wait to return home.
I am still counting down the days...each one coming closer to returning to you.

Remember the day we met? I still laugh at the memories...always remember these days. Promise me that.

Stay safe, stay well.

Auraka.

[Jenny Night]

Gem
I sighed as I read that.

Dear Auraka,
I know that you want to return here, but in a ways the worry is something I am getting used to. I do miss you indeed, but I am glad we met when we did.
I am glad to hear that Drannor is alright as well, Sahar will be glad when I tell her that you said that if she has not heard from him in a while.
I miss you,
Gem

[Kanchana]

Auraka. Lamya.

The pen waited, unable to write what it must but finally he continued.

My dearest Gem,

I have made a promise to one of my dearest soldiers, Drannor, that I will write to you to tell Sahar something for him...for he cannot write it himself. Yesterday, he was shot in the wrist and is being deported home for treatment.
I need you to tell her for me, make sure she understands he is fine...just unable to fight.

I, myself, am fine. The fighting is getting lighter and less often. If all ends well, I will be home before christmas!

Love Auraka

[Jenny Night]

Gem Hawksong
It took me a few attempts to read the words written on the page in Auraka's hand writing. What could have caused Drannor to be hurt in such a way? Nevertheless, I would do as he had asked and tell Sahar about what had happened. She would be worried, I knew that, but at least I understood the worry she was in at the moment. If I was the one in her shoes at the moment I would feel the same. We were both worried about the men we loved so much. Well, I certainly had to reply to his letter. I sighed and reached for a pen once more.

My love,
Though it is hard for me to beleive that Drannor is hurt, I had to read that part more than once to believe what I was actually reading on the page which seems strange for me, I know that you would never dare to lie to me. I will tell Sahar, and please tell Drannor that I have done so, for I will go and see her as soon as I have sent this.

Hearing of what happened to Drannor makes me even more worried that you may not return to me. I need you to come home, Christmas seems so far away at the moment to me. Its hard not seeing you in person, face to face. Nothing can hide the fact you may not return to me alive and unhurt. No matter how many of those fond memories of better time working in my backyard with you I revisit, none of them can remove the knowledge that you may die out there.

It is good to hear though that you are as yet unhurt, every day that goes by I fear for the worst. Sahar and I spend a lot of time with each other and though she is a lot more outgoing than I am, as you are well aware of how not so outgoing I am, I am starting to enjoy her company. She has a dig called Janie, a beautiful young Border Collie. It's fun when she whows me some new trick that Janie has learnt.

Sometimes while you are away, I think about getting a dog of my own. Maybe not a Border Collie like Janie, but maybe a Golden Retriever/Poodle cross. I have heard that they are lovely dogs, though they drop a lot of hair and need a lot of grooming. They apparently dont bark as much as the Poodle does though which is a good thing. Can't stand those dogs that constantly bark their heads off, if you know what I mean. One lives next door to me at the moment. How annoying for me.

Yes, I think that I might go and get a dog personally, and I am sure that he or she will love you when they meet you. I need the company for the times when you have to go out of the country for the things you do.

I've had some interesting things to get people's DNA off for work. Hairbrushers, bullet casings, cars, toothpicks, even a mintie wrapper. Plus some of the normal things such as wallets, guns and knifes splattered with blood. Those knives were easy enough but some of the other things can take days to get a print off that I can use to identify the murderor.

The case I'm working on on is rather personal at the moment, it involves someone who was a close freind to me, for a long time, who moved over here a week ago from Rom Italy. She was stabbed and is in hospital at the moment. It doesnt look like she's going to recov..
[/b]
I stopped as tears splattered the page. I had to go away from the table for a moment, until I could calm down. Going back I finished the letter.

er but I am sure that no matter what she will not want me to mourn her for a long time. I think I am getting close to finding a match as to who did this to her.

Come back soon, Christmas seems too far a way, I miss you now more than ever,

Gem

I sighed as I read the tear splattered words. He'd know something was wrong from them.

OOC: wow, 741 words?? OMG

[Kanchana]

General Morris.

The large man paused before the door, small crisp envelope in hand. His nearty pressed uniform sounded withe every stride. Why was he always the one giving bad news?
Hand posied, he took and deep breath and knocked on the door.
"Miss Hawksong?" he called, sucking in a deep breath and waited.

The letter in his hand burned, it has been his final letter though it was only half written.

My dearest Gem,

Life gets harder, for all of us. I know I could never lie to you, not even hide part of the truth but you do not want to know the things we see. No one should have to.

I belive getting a dog is a good idea, maybe a little girl? I love dogs, cute little things they are.

I m-


General Morris shifted waiting, he would explain what had happened and where they were at now. Auraka might die, he might never wake up. But he had done it in a hero's way.

[Jenny Night]

Gem
Three days maybe had gone by and there was nothing in the mail for me. I'd just checked and had started to work on training Pippa a bit. She barked and ran around towards the front of the house as I heard someone call my name.

It was not Auraka, he was still over in Iraq I knew that. Though I was clearly worried about him.

I sighed and walked around, opening the back gate. "Stay, Pippa!" I told the puppy and she sat there.

"You were looking for me?" I asked.

[Kanchana]

General Morris.

He shifted once more as the door opened, pulling his hat from his head and holding it over hjavascript:add("","")is heart.
It was her, the girl he had described all those weeks ago. It was hard not to remember her beautiful face.
"Yes miss, I have...some news for you," he said and sighed "may I come in?
The rounded man mopped the sweat from his brow, not wanting to give the beautiful wonder such news.
"I come to speak of Major General Auraka," he added after a moment.

[Jenny Night]

Gem
I shuddered as he spoke to me, and mentioned Auraka's name. I sighed and opened the front door. "Sure, come on in."

Pippa barked and ran inside. I knew that she could tell that hearing that this man had news of Auraka, that I feared was not good. She would sit with me though, I knew that much.

I led the way into the lounge room and sat down. "have a seat," i replied.

Pippa whined and I picked her up gently letting her sit on my lap. I knew that she wanted to comfort me.

[Kanchana]

General Morris.

He sat on the very edge of the couch, very much not wanting to be there.
Without a word, he handed her the small white envolope but decided she desvered to know why.
"He wrote that for you...in reply to your last letter I guess," he said and sighed.
"Read it...and I shall tell you what happened. Also, please know that he is not...dead...but in a coma at the hospital.." he said quietly.

[Jenny Night]

Gem
I sighed and opened the envelope. There was not all that much for me to read and it seemed that he had been cut off in the middle of the word. What had that word been?

My eyes raised from the paper, and I knew that he would not leave me this easily.

"What happened?"

I needed to know, and almost smiled as Pippa reached up and licked my cheek.

[Kanchana]

General Morris.

"We are all very fond of our general miss, but he seems to be so selfless it is hard to belive sometimes. There was a child..." he paused and sighed "he always helps other..but this child held something. A granade...Majour General saw, and rushed to save the boy, which he did...but he didn't have enough time to throw it away proberly..."
He shifted again, letting the silence grow.
"The building came down on him and he recieved most of the blast. We got him out of the rubble quick smart, but he was knocked unconcious...we are still waiting for him to awake." he sighed once more, wringing his hat.
"I thought it best I told you personally."

[Jenny Night]

Gem Hawksong
Yes that sounded like him, he was pretty selfless, and i knew him not as well as the other army people did. Yet well enough did I know him to agree about that part of what the man said.

My eyes though prickled with tears though as I heard what he'd done. It sounded worse than it probably was to me. Though that could be because I had been working so hard to find the killer of one of my ferinds at the moment.

This was too much for me at the moment. Too much agony.