After leaving Celine's house, William was about to return to the Ainsworth Residence when he heard the loud cry of a crane coming from the sky.
Ella raised her head and saw a large crane with a wingspan of at least five to six meters. The Angorian goat bleated a greeting, and the crane let out another cry in response. William rarely saw cranes in Lont, and this particular crane was bigger than the ones he had seen in the past.
Its white and pristine feathers glistened in the sunlight, and the golden marking on its head gave it a majestic and regal appearance. It gazed down at William with warm and gentle eyes, as if it was looking at an old time friend.
The white crane circled above William's and Ella's heads twice before landing a few meters away from them.
After giving the crane a closer look, William estimated that it was at least two meters tall. Ella's ears perked up as the white crane started to walk towards them. It was not giving off any hostile vibes, but Ella raised her guard just in case.
When it was only two meters away from William and Ella it stopped. A soft cry escaped its beak, as if trying to converse with them. William had only communicated with goats, so he was surprised when he actually understood what the crane had just said to him.
"My name is Skyla."
That was the message William received from the white crane. It looked at him with a gentle gaze as if waiting for him to give his reply.
"W-William. My name is William Von Ainsworth," William replied. "This is my Mama Ella."
"Meeeeh."
"Kroooooo." Skyla let out another soft cry as she raised her leg.
With a glance, William noticed a cylindrical tube tied on its leg. It was similar to the tubes carried by the messenger hawks in their estate.
"For me?" William asked.
Skyla nodded her head in acknowledgement.
William dismounted Ella's back and slowly approached the white crane. Skyla didn't move and simply waited for William to untie the object she was carrying.
"Can I open it?"
"Krooooo."
Ella walked close to William as she tried to take a peek. William's body stiffened when he read the first few sentences of the letter that seemed to be really addressed to him.
-----
To my beloved son, William,
I greet you from the Holy City of Nytfe Aethel. I do not know where to begin, because no matter what I say, it will not be enough to tell you how much I love and miss you, my son. However, know that not a single day has passed when I, Arwen Aenarion Ainsworth, didn't think of you.
If possible, I didn't want to let you go, but circumstances forced me to make that choice. I know that you may not believe me, but it was one of the hardest decisions that I have made in my life.
I pray that you will find it in your heart to forgive me for not being able to stay by your side for these past few years.
Words are not enough to tell you how much I've wanted to hold you in my arms, and kiss you, before you close your eyes to sleep.
----
William paused in reading the letter, because his vision started to blur. Although the handwriting was beautiful, he could see the dried up tear stains that had merged with the ink of the letter. His heart ached for the sadness of the mother that he hadn't seen since he was born in this world.
Only after he wiped away the tears in his eyes, did he continue to read the rest of the message that his mother wanted to impart to him.
The white crane, Skyla, looked at William silently from the side. She could feel Arwen's bloodline flowing through William's body. It was the bloodline of a High-Elf that had the power to communicate with beasts at a deeper level.
Although it was diluted, it still allowed William to communicate with Ella, and the members of his herd. When she saw William's tears, the white crane remembered her Master, Arwen, crying as she wrote the letter that she had delivered.
"Both of them are crybabies." This was the thought that appeared in Skyla's head as she continued to observe Arwen's only child, William.
-----
Again, I would like to ask for your forgiveness because it took me ten years to write a letter to you. I was afraid that you would not be old enough to understand my words, so I delayed sending my letters for a few years.
However, after seeing the smiles of the children here in Nytfe Aethel, I wasn't able to hold back my feelings and decided to put them on paper.
I want to know everything about you. The food you like to eat, your hobbies, the environment you grew up in, and whether your father's family is taking good care of you. Please, tell me everything. Even if it's just about the weather or the things you ate for breakfast.
From this moment onwards, I will write to you at regular intervals. Since the Silvermoon Continent is quite far from the Southern Continent, I could only send you two letters every month.
I am very thankful that Skyla had taken it upon herself to deliver my letter to you. She's my Spirit Beast and I trust her completely. Also, she told me that she would like you to address her as Big Sister Skyla.
It seems that she has the intention of treating you as her little brother. I hope you don't mind it.
I would like to write more, but I'm afraid that I won't be able to stop myself from pouring out all my frustrations in this letter. I don't want to do that.
Again, I pray that you will give me a letter in reply. Know that I will treasure your handwritten letters like a family heirloom.
I will patiently wait for your reply.
Forever loving you,
Arwen Aenarion Ainsworth
-----
William breathed heavily as he finished reading the letter. His heart ached inside his chest as he organized his jumbled thoughts.
This was the first time that his Birth Mother had reached out to him and it caught him by surprise. If someone were to ask him if he hated his mother, Arwen, the answer would be a big NO.
Although he didn't know the circumstances, his grandpa had told him that his mother was carrying a heavy responsibility. Her decision to send William to Lont was to ensure his safety.
William's feelings for Arwen were neither hot nor cold. Right now, Arwen was a stranger to him. Although she was the one that gave birth to him, he hadn't seen or interacted with her for these past ten years.
However, the moment he read his mother's letter, the feelings that had been dormant in his heart, suddenly burst forth. The sweetness, the bitterness, and the ache, all melded together and gave William a taste on what it was like to connect to someone that was miles away from Lont.
He carefully folded the letter and placed it inside his Ring of Conquest. William planned to read it again later after he had calmed down.
The white crane looked at him and let out a soft cry. It released William from his daze and made him realize that he was supposed to write a reply letter to his mother.
"B-Big Sister, Skyla?"
"Krooooo."
"What is my mother like? Can you tell me more about her?"
Skyla looked at William with a soft gaze. Her eyes were saying "This is going to take a while, so why don't we find a place to talk instead of standing here?"
William looked at his surroundings and gave an awkward cough. The two of them were standing near the road and it was not an appropriate place to have a lengthy talk about his mother.
"Let's go to the residence, I will also ask my Aunt Helen to prepare food for you."
"Kroooo."
-----
William, Ella, and Skyla rested in the garden. The white crane started her tale, and William gave her his undivided attention. The crane spoke of the Silvermoon Continent, the Holy City of Nytfe Aethel, and the Aenarion Family.
Skyla was a good storyteller. She didn't mention Arwen's hardships, and only talked about the fun and amusing things about her. Little by little, William started to weave a picture of his mother inside his head.
A beautiful elf, with long blonde hair, and light-green eyes that would melt the hearts of any man who gazed upon her. Skyla also had a mischievous side on her. She told William stories about his mother like an Auntie on the street that liked to gossip.
William chuckled from time to time as he pictured his noble mother being buried by stacks of papers. Ella, too, listened with a serious expression. She was very curious about the birth mother of her baby.
When Skyla finished her tale, the sun was already about to set.
William thanked her profusely for telling him about his mother. He then busied himself in writing a reply letter that Skyla would be carrying back to the Silvermoon Continent.
After writing his letter, William pestered James for a storage ring that he could use to store the gifts that he planned to give to his mother. James agreed to his request and even opened the storehouse in order to add some special products from Lont.
William wanted to give Arwen a special gift that belonged to him, but he couldn't think of any. In the end, he decided to give her the cloak that was made from the pelt of the Thunder Horned Wolf that he had personally slain in battle.
Helen had stitched William's name on the cloak, and the boy thought that it was a suitable gift for his mother.
He placed the storage ring inside the cylindrical tube, along with his letter. William personally tied the tube on Skyla's leg and ensured that it was firmly held in place.
Before taking off, Skyla nuzzled the side of William's face as if remembering his scent. With a soft cry to say her goodbye, she flew towards the moonlit sky bound for the Silvermoon Continent.
William watched her go as he placed a hand over his chest. He made an oath that someday in the future, he would personally go to the Holy City of Nytfe Aethel and reunite with his mother.
Whether their reunion would be filled with happiness or tears, only time would tell.
