The letter was neatly pressed in thick stock envelope. Quality. Erkard's small dark hand would hand @Rose Kuhn the first small stack of letters. Took this long to get round these parts to pick them up, despite his encouraging. But Fate had a plan and this is what it would be. The date would place it about nine months back. The hand writing script bold, with long curves and loops.
It wasn't her father's handwriting.
It was another's

A5WjJS.png
Rose,
Writing your name down is awfully odd to me. Don’t take it the wrong way, just that the name and I have been on bad terms as long as I can remember. Momma wanted something ladylike and that was as close as she was ever gonna get with me, I suppose. It was all well wishes, and knowing her, she’d be keen on looking right smug right about now at the thought that her choice of name has become its own sort of legacy.
I’ll be upfront, reckon that is as much of what is owed to you. I’ve no love for the name, although I reckon its due to folk wearing the line of ‘a Rose has its thorns’ from the Mara and back. With my temper fit to explode at the drop of a slug, I never was the sort to cling to such a name. Danger is as danger does, and that suited me just fine.
You’ve already dived headfirst into this ‘verse on fire with life and expectation. Reckon you wear it mighty well.
Truth be told, at first I’ve no inkling why your pa decided to grant you that name. Years come and go, and I reckon that perhaps it was his attempt at humor. Your pa had this thing of his to rile up folk just for amusement. Wouldn’t surprise me none if it had in part, been done with that, knowing my mind like he did.
Look at me, rambling on… Honestly not quite sure if I should be writing this to you or not, but considering how things are going, I figured it’s something. Granted, by now you’re likely confused as the Nine Hells on who the tarnation is writing to you. Or maybe you’ve caught on a bit seeing how your pa mentioned talking about me once or twice. No matter, it’s neither here nor there and frankly, you seem the sort of girl who can take things as they are.
So this is to tell you about your pa. I don’t know if you’re keen on knowing how he is, but one thing I’ve learned the past twenty years is that despite everything, love don’t fade. Can’t shut it off like a faucet. Just is. And along with that come the things that plague the mind.
Time might mend wounds, but knowing how things are can soothe the mind. This may help you. This may not. Ain’t no other I know who is as stubborn as me, and if you’ve lived up to your namesake, maybe some of that took and take things as they are. No veil, nor grime, no lie and do with it how you will.
Your pa ain’t doing so well; but give him time. Both of you need it. He’s doing what he can and I’m trying to get him out of his rut so that he don’t’ turn to some Whiphid faced hermit. I know what he did ain’t right. He knows what he did ain’t right and I won’t make no excuses for him. Some things you just gotta live out to realize the purpose of the matter.
Don’t mind my rambling, nerves get to me. I don’t know if I’m right at doing this or if I’m wrong. All I got is hope. Momma done said hope is a critical thing. Without it, we are nothing. Hope shapes the will. The will shapes the ‘Verse.
So while you are out in the black, if that’s all you take out of this, remember that.
5e22f435571e552d78e994e154198715.png