October 3, 1722
My Dearest Camille,
We have arrived safely. What an exhausting journey it was! My party arrived just in time to see the sun rise over the beautiful Romanian countryside. I fear that during this voyage I have become accustomed to watching the rising and setting of the sun without the fogs of London. I may not hold the same reverence for them when I return.
Rest assured my dear Mille, your beauty surpasses the movements of the heavens, and is all the incentive that I require to conduct my business with haste, so that I may return to you.
We have acquired suitable lodging in a most picturesque manor, and will begin commercing with the local craftsmen upon the morn.
As always Mille, thoughts of you keep
me.
All is going well as planned. The translator I hired just before my departure from you has proved most valuable. Indeed, he has a wonderful repoire with the local merchants. I am quite impressed and perhaps I should consider a permanent position for him. He could be quite an asset when one takes the trade strains of the last few years into account.
He has taken the liberty of learning some of the local stories and legends, and shares them with us each night. Again, this has proved to be quite valuable. There is a terrible shortage of entertainment here! The tales are somewhat fascinating, although quite gruesome in nature. What vivid imaginations these Romanians have!
One tale in particular that interests me concerns the actions of a man who could not live in the light of the sun. I regret that I cannot tell you more, but as I have stated, they are rather gruesome, and it would not be proper of me to convey such tellings to a lady.
My thoughts are of you.
I regret that my stay here will be longer than expected. We have received word that a large shipment of goods is to arrive from a neighboring town during the latter of next week. I cannot refuse such an opportunity. Imagine the surprise of my employers should I return with double the expected freight!
It saddens me to lengthen our departure, but I am optimistic that this will ensure my advancement, and allow me to better provide for you when we marry.
In better news, we have been invited to attend a festival which is to take place at a local nobleman's manor. The morale of my men is in need of improvement. I am sure that they miss their loved ones as I miss you. I believe the festival may be just the order to brighten our spirits.
I pray God keep you safe til my
return.
What a splendid night it was! I have never witnessed such lavish surroundings! Everywhere there was fine crystal and silver and brass! I would not have believed it had I not seen it with my own eyes.
How I wish you had been there to share it with me! I could imagine your delight.
There was whole banquets of food that I found most delectable.
All of this, and an orchestra that would rival any in Europe, In all my years I have never heard a score such as that which they performed.
All of my men had a fabulous time. I feel some shame in saying that the ladies in attendance were very open to English men, and some were very open to the ladies as well. Be assured that I am not in that number dear Mille. I am still yours.
The festivities passed well into the small hours, and I have given the day to my men, which is just as well since a few of them have not returned as of yet. It cheers me to know they are enjoying themselves. I almost regret to have them return to work tomorrow.
I count the days until I may hold you
in my arms again. Absence, indeed, makes
the heart grow fonder!
I have disturbing news. My men have not returned and no one has seen them since the night of the banquet. I fear that they have become betrothed with the ladies they have met, and have decided not to return. The weather has been utterly horrible since I last wrote you. It has prevented me from going to the nobleman's manor and confronting my men about this.
The total of men who have failed to return is four.
I assure you, I will be most stern when I see them.
There is little else to say, except
that I miss you as always, and look
forward to my return.
I am afraid you may think me insane upon completing this letter. The events I am to tell you of seem to be the ramblings of a madman, and I would question my sanity as well, had I not been accompanied by what remains of my men.
My party is now twelve, which as you know, is less than half of its original number.
During the third night of the recent storms, my men and I awoke to strange noises. Exactly what the noises were, I cannot say, except that they sounded like men laughing. That in itself is not very strange. The strange part is that no one would be out on such a awful night. Stranger still, the laughing sounded as if it were above us.
At one point I swear I heard my name amongst the laughter. It went on for hours.
When at last it ended, we somehow returned to our slumber.
When I awoke the next morning, three more of my men were missing. I tried to entertain thoughts that they had decided to join the others at the manor, but I could not imagine that they would attempt to leave in such harsh conditions.
The storms continued their assault on the land for two more nights, but the sounds we heard did not return. Although, with each dawn, I had less men than the night before.
If I said that the gruesome stories of the local inhabitabts had not crossed my mind, I would surely by a liar.
Despite protests from what men I had left, I decided we should investigate the matter as soon as the storms receded, and yesterday, they did.
We left at dawn this morning enroute to the manor where the banquet was held. It seemed like the most practical place to begin since that is where we were all together last.
Upon our arrival, the building was deserted. No servant came to the door at our knock, so we showed ourselves in.
Camille, the entire manor looked as if no one had been there for years! There was no fancy crystal, or brass ornamentals. There was a thick coating of dust on the floors and railings.
I thought surely we were lost, and at the wrong manor, but there was no mistaking the stonework of the court-yard, or the serpentine designs carved into the door. This was where we had been.
A thorough inspection of the building revealed more of the same. What majick was at work here?
Thinking of the local legends, I made sure that the return to our manor was well before sunset.
We hold plans to leave with what cargo we have acquired in the morn. I can only pray that the families of the men who have vanished will bear me no ill will.
Godspeed to us all!
I am enroute to you now. It was quite a task for our limited number to load the freight we had amassed. Along the way we have found a wagon loaded with even more cargo. It was abandoned. I presume this is the shipment we were expecting to arrive this week. Perhaps something good has come of this horrible ordeal.
After posting my most recent letter to you, I lost all but five of my men.
Whatever demons are at work in that town, we are glad to be rid of them. Nonetheless, we are taking no chances, and are placing ourselves as far as possible from there before the sun sets.
For that reason, we have elected to open the abandoned freight on the morrow. I am curious as to what may be in those crates. I suspect it will not be of much value, since it appeared to be abandoned with out any showings of a struggle. That is of no matter though, since we acquired it at no cost!
I can't possibly tell you how
happy I will be to see the foggy
sunrises of England! Even so, I will be
ever so much more happy to behold you.
This shall be the last letter I write to you on this voyage, as I will soon be boarding the ship. When next you hear from me, it will be in person! I can hardly wait for that moment.
We have loaded all the cargo onto the ship, and we sail at dawn. I have always disliked sailing. I prefer to be on solid ground.
Perhaps my fear of sailing is having a new affect on me. I had an awful dream last night. In it, I was at the very dock on which I now sit, and suddenly, there was a quick sharp pain in my neck. In the next instant of the dream, I was drowning, and the sea was as crimson as any blood I have ever seen. When I awoke this morning, I realized that I had rolled over in my sleep on the wagon, and slept the remainder of the night with my neck in a very uncomfortable position. That at least explains part of dream. ha!
There is more odd news to share with you in this final letter. We opened the crates we found deserted on the road. Aside from a few pounds of dirt, there was nothing in them! Its no wonder they were left! I have heard that some of the people of these parts package their fruits and vegetables in such a manner to preserve them. That would certainly explain the boxes being empty save for the dirt, and being abandoned, but I do wonder why anyone would bother to re-seal them after they were empty.
I will certainly never forget this most peculiar journey!
At least it has ended on a good note. The day is positively gorgeous. There is not a cloud in sight. The sun seems exceptionally bright today, perhaps because it is reflected on the water. At any rate, it has given me a dreadful headache to match the neck pain I awoke with.
The air here must be extremely salty today. It has given me a thirst that I cannot seem to quench with any amount of water.
Again, I have no love for the open sea.
I must close for now dearest Mille, so that I may see to my cargo.
I cannot wait to have you in my
arms.
Table Of Contents
Submit Your Work!
Comments
Guestbook
