Sent: May 13th
Lovely Kokóly,
It’s hard to imagine that I just saw you ten days ago; it already feels like it’s been a month to me. Not much has happened since I saw you last. Gomena is in my unit. I’ll send you another letter the next time the messenger visits our outpost.
Tell Salene I love him,
Maros
Received: May 29th
Sent: May 29th
My Maros,
Salene and I miss you already. He’s gotten used to you coming and going, but I can still see it in his eyes that he misses his father.
I told Yaní that Gomena is in your unit. She was happy to hear that. He hasn’t written her yet.
I’ve been sewing to keep myself busy, and selling what I make in the market to try and save up for something special on the King’s Day.
I send my love with this letter,
Kokóly
Received: June 30th
Sent: July 1st
My Kokóly,
I got your letter yesterday when we arrived in Shytas City. Apparently it has been waiting for me here for some time, so I apologize that I’m writing you late. I sat down to begin writing this letter the night that I received yours, but sleep overtook me.
Since we’ve arrived at Shytas, they’ve divided us into legions to begin training. I’ve never been very good with a sword, but at least I haven’t lost a finger or a hand yet like some of my group.
I thought I was physically fit from all the times I’d travelled the kingdom trading, but this is different. Although we’ve only been training one day, I’ve never felt so tired.
I send my love to you and my son,
Maros
Received: July 24th
Sent: July 21st
My sweet Maros,
I hope my last letter found you well. I’d expected to hear back from you before sending another letter, but my heart wouldn’t let me wait a moment longer. I hope you or your company haven’t perished just as your journey is beginning!
Salene’s so excited that you’ve gone off to war. He’s so proud, and goes around telling his little friends about it. Of course, their fathers have gone with you, but he’s still proud of you.
It’s strange here with all of the men gone. I helped Sorona plant squash a week ago, because her husband is no longer here either.
I admit that I am concerned that we no longer have your income. I’ve been selling as much of my sewing as I can to buy flour and some shoes for Salene, but if your pay doesn’t arrive soon, I’m afraid I may have to sell some of our furniture. Sorona has been kind enough to share some of her produce with us, which has helped greatly.
With your wife’s and your son’s love,
Kokóly
Received: August 5th
Sent: July 25th
Dearest Maros,
I just received your letter yesterday. I’m sorry that I was not patient enough to hold off from writing you again, though not even a week has passed since I sent my last letter. I was just so ecstatic to hear from you.
I’m afraid I already sold the small dresser from our room in this short period of time. I got 12 gold pieces for it, of which I’ve already used 5 to buy food. I’ve also begun selling the eggs from the chickens that Salene and I don’t eat, which has helped a bit.
Yesterday, Salene found a stick and went parading around pretending to be you with a sword, off to put down the rebellion. He was such a cute sight to watch!
I look forward to your next letter!
Love,
Kokólys
Received: August 5th
Sent: August 8th
Beautiful Kokólys,
I received both of your letters yesterday. Since so few of us out here ever receive letters, they wait until they have a bunch to bring us them all at once.
It’s okay that you sold the dresser. Do whatever you need. I just want to find you happy and well when I return. I’ve sent as much money as I can with this letter. I hope none of it got stolen along the way. You never know how honest the messengers are.
The training here is brutal, but I’m surviving.
You know that soldiers have a thing for foreign women, and there are quite a few who hang around the camp volunteering to spend the night with anyone for a few gold pieces. But my love for you is strong enough to keep me safe. Gomena, however, is not safe. I’ve seen him sneak one or two of these women into his tent on three occasions. I don’t know if you should let Yaní know, or let him admit when we get home. You be the judge; you know her better than I.
They plan to have us here a few more months to finish training, and then send us to Fovun City to protect it from the rebels. It saddens me that there I will have to wait even longer there to receive your letters.
They say that time is the soil of love, and I’ve found that’s true even with hundreds of miles between us.
Love,
Maros
Received: August 26th
Sent: August 28th
My lovely Maros,
My heart skipped when I received your last letter! I don’t know why, but I was very anxious to hear from you again.
The coins you sent arrived, and have helped tremendously. I was able to buy food and replace our cart’s broken wheel. I even bought Salene a new little shirt for him to wear at the King’s Day celebration, though perhaps I shouldn’t have.
Your news about Gomena’s unfaithfulness was painful for me to read. He and Yaní have only been married a year, and I know that she still hasn’t received a single letter from him. Nevertheless, I thought it best to share the information with her, instead of hiding the truth. She was heartbroken. Kaleny and I comforted her the remainder of the day, and she has been staying at Kaleny’s house since.
Sorona and I have begun working together on her farm, and we split the money between us. If we had land closer to our home in the city, I’d start a garden here. But it has worked well. With the money we earn, we can buy necessities, and then we can eat what we don’t sell. Even Salene enjoys jumping at bunches of berries to pluck them from the trees.
With love,
Kokóly
Received: September 17th
Sent: September 2nd
Kokóly, my wife,
I have not received your next letter yet, and I don’t expect to for some time after the news we just received. We have just been informed that tomorrow we are marching for Fovun City. The rebellion has begun it’s march Northward, and we have been tasked with cutting them off at Desísas. The march will probably last 10 to 15 days. I’ve never felt so unprepared and scared in my life.
I send my love in this quick letter,
Maros
Received: September 18th
Sent: September 18th
My dearest Maros,
I don’t know if this letter will find you in Shytas, Desísas, or somewhere in between. I just pray that it finds you alive.
The whole town knows of your battalion’s departure to Desísas, and every wife is worried for her husband. Somberness overshadowed the usual King’s Day celebrations greatly, though the city still tried to enjoy the day. Please, please be safe.
Salene is very proud of you still. He has great faith in his father, and misses you. He’s so carefree despite the war that is unfolding.
Harvesting with Sorona is still going well, and we are making good money that way.
It’s so hard for me to write about happy things knowing the peril that you will soon find yourself in, if you haven’t found it already. So for now, I will end.
I love you deeper than ever today,
Kokóly
Received:
Sent: October 29th
Dearest husband Maros,
I have patiently been waiting your next letter, and am beginning to worry that it may never arrive.
Salene has begun asking when we will hear next from you, and I tell him to be a little more patient. If I don’t receive a letter from you soon, I don’t know what I’ll tell him. I don’t know what I’d do.
Please, send word if you can. I’m crying as I write this, and I don’t think I can write anymore.
Your loving and hopeful wife,
Kokóly
Returned: November 27th
Lovely Kokóly,
It’s hard to imagine that I just saw you ten days ago; it already feels like it’s been a month to me. Not much has happened since I saw you last. Gomena is in my unit. I’ll send you another letter the next time the messenger visits our outpost.
Tell Salene I love him,
Maros
Received: May 29th
Sent: May 29th
My Maros,
Salene and I miss you already. He’s gotten used to you coming and going, but I can still see it in his eyes that he misses his father.
I told Yaní that Gomena is in your unit. She was happy to hear that. He hasn’t written her yet.
I’ve been sewing to keep myself busy, and selling what I make in the market to try and save up for something special on the King’s Day.
I send my love with this letter,
Kokóly
Received: June 30th
Sent: July 1st
My Kokóly,
I got your letter yesterday when we arrived in Shytas City. Apparently it has been waiting for me here for some time, so I apologize that I’m writing you late. I sat down to begin writing this letter the night that I received yours, but sleep overtook me.
Since we’ve arrived at Shytas, they’ve divided us into legions to begin training. I’ve never been very good with a sword, but at least I haven’t lost a finger or a hand yet like some of my group.
I thought I was physically fit from all the times I’d travelled the kingdom trading, but this is different. Although we’ve only been training one day, I’ve never felt so tired.
I send my love to you and my son,
Maros
Received: July 24th
Sent: July 21st
My sweet Maros,
I hope my last letter found you well. I’d expected to hear back from you before sending another letter, but my heart wouldn’t let me wait a moment longer. I hope you or your company haven’t perished just as your journey is beginning!
Salene’s so excited that you’ve gone off to war. He’s so proud, and goes around telling his little friends about it. Of course, their fathers have gone with you, but he’s still proud of you.
It’s strange here with all of the men gone. I helped Sorona plant squash a week ago, because her husband is no longer here either.
I admit that I am concerned that we no longer have your income. I’ve been selling as much of my sewing as I can to buy flour and some shoes for Salene, but if your pay doesn’t arrive soon, I’m afraid I may have to sell some of our furniture. Sorona has been kind enough to share some of her produce with us, which has helped greatly.
With your wife’s and your son’s love,
Kokóly
Received: August 5th
Sent: July 25th
Dearest Maros,
I just received your letter yesterday. I’m sorry that I was not patient enough to hold off from writing you again, though not even a week has passed since I sent my last letter. I was just so ecstatic to hear from you.
I’m afraid I already sold the small dresser from our room in this short period of time. I got 12 gold pieces for it, of which I’ve already used 5 to buy food. I’ve also begun selling the eggs from the chickens that Salene and I don’t eat, which has helped a bit.
Yesterday, Salene found a stick and went parading around pretending to be you with a sword, off to put down the rebellion. He was such a cute sight to watch!
I look forward to your next letter!
Love,
Kokólys
Received: August 5th
Sent: August 8th
Beautiful Kokólys,
I received both of your letters yesterday. Since so few of us out here ever receive letters, they wait until they have a bunch to bring us them all at once.
It’s okay that you sold the dresser. Do whatever you need. I just want to find you happy and well when I return. I’ve sent as much money as I can with this letter. I hope none of it got stolen along the way. You never know how honest the messengers are.
The training here is brutal, but I’m surviving.
You know that soldiers have a thing for foreign women, and there are quite a few who hang around the camp volunteering to spend the night with anyone for a few gold pieces. But my love for you is strong enough to keep me safe. Gomena, however, is not safe. I’ve seen him sneak one or two of these women into his tent on three occasions. I don’t know if you should let Yaní know, or let him admit when we get home. You be the judge; you know her better than I.
They plan to have us here a few more months to finish training, and then send us to Fovun City to protect it from the rebels. It saddens me that there I will have to wait even longer there to receive your letters.
They say that time is the soil of love, and I’ve found that’s true even with hundreds of miles between us.
Love,
Maros
Received: August 26th
Sent: August 28th
My lovely Maros,
My heart skipped when I received your last letter! I don’t know why, but I was very anxious to hear from you again.
The coins you sent arrived, and have helped tremendously. I was able to buy food and replace our cart’s broken wheel. I even bought Salene a new little shirt for him to wear at the King’s Day celebration, though perhaps I shouldn’t have.
Your news about Gomena’s unfaithfulness was painful for me to read. He and Yaní have only been married a year, and I know that she still hasn’t received a single letter from him. Nevertheless, I thought it best to share the information with her, instead of hiding the truth. She was heartbroken. Kaleny and I comforted her the remainder of the day, and she has been staying at Kaleny’s house since.
Sorona and I have begun working together on her farm, and we split the money between us. If we had land closer to our home in the city, I’d start a garden here. But it has worked well. With the money we earn, we can buy necessities, and then we can eat what we don’t sell. Even Salene enjoys jumping at bunches of berries to pluck them from the trees.
With love,
Kokóly
Received: September 17th
Sent: September 2nd
Kokóly, my wife,
I have not received your next letter yet, and I don’t expect to for some time after the news we just received. We have just been informed that tomorrow we are marching for Fovun City. The rebellion has begun it’s march Northward, and we have been tasked with cutting them off at Desísas. The march will probably last 10 to 15 days. I’ve never felt so unprepared and scared in my life.
I send my love in this quick letter,
Maros
Received: September 18th
Sent: September 18th
My dearest Maros,
I don’t know if this letter will find you in Shytas, Desísas, or somewhere in between. I just pray that it finds you alive.
The whole town knows of your battalion’s departure to Desísas, and every wife is worried for her husband. Somberness overshadowed the usual King’s Day celebrations greatly, though the city still tried to enjoy the day. Please, please be safe.
Salene is very proud of you still. He has great faith in his father, and misses you. He’s so carefree despite the war that is unfolding.
Harvesting with Sorona is still going well, and we are making good money that way.
It’s so hard for me to write about happy things knowing the peril that you will soon find yourself in, if you haven’t found it already. So for now, I will end.
I love you deeper than ever today,
Kokóly
Received:
Sent: October 29th
Dearest husband Maros,
I have patiently been waiting your next letter, and am beginning to worry that it may never arrive.
Salene has begun asking when we will hear next from you, and I tell him to be a little more patient. If I don’t receive a letter from you soon, I don’t know what I’ll tell him. I don’t know what I’d do.
Please, send word if you can. I’m crying as I write this, and I don’t think I can write anymore.
Your loving and hopeful wife,
Kokóly
Returned: November 27th