He had been carrying it for four months in the inside pocket of whatever coat he was wearing, because he was not going to put it in a box somewhere and he was not going to give it to a courier.
He had thought about giving it to Cael to hold. He had thought about that for about one day and then decided no. The letter was his responsibility. He had found it and understood what it was and it was going to stay with him until he could give it to her directly and watch her read it. That was the only version of this that made sense to him.
It had been in four coats, two overnight bags, and one very cold saddlebag during the two-day ride from the Citadel. He had checked for it three times a day the way he checked for things that mattered and could not be replaced.
— — —
In the morning the camp organized itself the way Cael's unit organized everything, which was efficiently and without anyone needing to be told twice. People moved. Food happened. Packs were checked.
