Erdom and Hunting
The hunting pelisse is to be worn over one shoulder, hanging loose. Favoured by the Erdi aristocracy, it is a mandatory wear during Great Hunts as well as duels.
“A hunting pelisse that falls in the dirt shall not be worn again.”
–
[The beginning of this letter is ruined by old mud and blood.]
…and was unlucky enough to participate in one of their fabled Great Hunts. I should have listened to you, but Mother insisted, and you know how hard it is to go against her wishes. She said it would be a great opportunity for me to forge new alliances and know which family to avoid in the future.
As if I would ever want to come back here!
Hunting has always been a sport of domination and violence; I am no fool, I knew this ordeal would be bloody. Yet, I was unprepared for the sheer indecency present between every uttered word, every movement, and veiled glances. The masked innuendos and threats, the lowly battles between prideful minds, acting as if wisdom and not arrogance guided their lips – oh, the profanity of it all! I do not understand how anything gets done here. And what is the point of such hunts if everybody uses it as an opportunity to show off their teeth? Ada would be disgusted.
You see, a good hunter picks its prey carefully and stops at nothing to see it submit to their will; such is the way of the Erdi aristocracy. Of course, one could say every nation has their hunting traditions. A true statement, undoubtedly, but it veils the sheer brutality upon which the noble seeds of Erdom have built their homes, it seems. I have been to many courts and seen injustice aplenty. Yet, the level of poorly disguised cruelty present in the Vaida’s court was a surprise even to my learned eyes. And they call us vulgar! Hah!
I wish for nothing but to be home again and breathe in the salty air once more. May Sela guide my winds home.
Yours in trust, Fereng
– ruined letter from Fereng, secondborn of House Helim, presumably written before his fatal hunting accident