**** BEGIN LOGGING AT Tue Apr 7 18:38:43 2026 Apr 07 18:38:43 * Morgan (~madisonst@192.168.1.129) has joined Apr 07 20:06:09 * Molly (~u931732@192.168.1.101) has joined Apr 07 20:06:56 “I miss you more than I thought possible, like my very blood calls for you. I left my shawl for you, I hope you have it... Apr 07 20:06:56 * Morgan glances at it Apr 07 20:06:56 *it’s tucked into his bed, but how long it’ll smell like her for is tough to guess* Apr 07 20:06:56 * Morgan takes it out, smelling it again Apr 07 20:06:56 *Again it smells so good, hitting his brain like the good whiskey she mentioned would, and travelling right through his veins. Her arms around him, her skin, her nipples in his mouth* Apr 07 20:06:59 * Morgan sighs, putting it away Apr 07 20:07:01 *the rest of the letter goes on “I think of you often, but the ways I think of you with my hands does make the hammock sway somewhat! I do not know how amorous sailors manage it for months at a time... Apr 07 20:07:04 * Morgan nods a little Apr 07 20:07:08 “I will write again when I arrive. I’ve added the address below. I miss you, I love you, my heart is yours. M xx” Apr 07 20:07:11 * Morgan sighs, scowling before hiding the letter Apr 07 20:07:13 *His room seems deeply quiet* Apr 07 20:07:15 * Disconnected (). Apr 07 20:07:18 * Morgan gets up, going back to work Apr 07 20:08:59 *The next letter he gets arrives a week later, this time brought to him by Mary as he’ll fixing the rope that pulls the bucket from the well* Apr 07 20:09:03 * Molly is now known as Mary Apr 07 20:09:15 There’s a letter for you, Master Hockridge... Apr 07 20:09:27 * Morgan takes it from her, thanking her Apr 07 20:10:48 * Mary seems to be hanging around nosily Apr 07 20:11:56 * Morgan watches her Apr 07 20:11:57 Yes? Apr 07 20:13:46 I wondered who it’s from Apr 07 20:13:59 * Morgan shrugs Apr 07 20:14:05 I'll find out when I read it Apr 07 20:16:37 * Mary nods, giving up on getting any gossip, and goes Apr 07 20:17:16 * Morgan finishes fixing the rope before opening the letter Apr 07 20:18:47 *it’s all in code again, but there’s a faint lipstick mark at the bottom that looks like a kiss Apr 07 20:19:18 * Morgan goes inside to find his crib sheet Apr 07 20:22:18 *it takes a little while, but he soon reads “Dear Morgan, I arrived the day before yesterday. The dock is so busy, and full of men from other countries too. The Vesten men have amazing beards! My aunt is lovely, and I have a cousin with hair just like mine. She’s getting married next year to the Estates Manager of Coleraine, which is half way between Durham and Catterick... Apr 07 20:22:39 * Morgan makes a mmhmm noise Apr 07 20:27:32 “It’s like a breath of fresh air here, and I feel like I am finally breathing again rather than just waiting and waiting. They are pleased to have me, and I’m pleased to be here. There’s only one thing missing, and that is you. I miss you, very much. I hope you will write to me. Yours, M xx” Apr 07 20:27:54 * Morgan sighs, hiding it away Apr 07 20:29:32 *it goes in neatly with the other one. The only other thing he has to link him to her is the shawl that he now sleeps with, though each day the scent seems to be a little less Apr 07 20:30:17 * Morgan writes a reply, telling her he misses her but is happy she is being welcomed and is much happier there Apr 07 20:31:15 *when the next letter comes a few days later, it’s much too quick to be a reply to his note, so it’s a surprise when the coachman hands it over Apr 07 20:31:26 * Morgan thanks him, going to read it Apr 07 20:35:59 *it’s much shorter this time “Dear Morgan, I lost the baby. My aunt said it was a few weeks ago that it stopped growing. I have very mixed feelings, but my physical recovery is going well. My love, M xx” Apr 07 20:36:12 Ah damn Apr 07 20:36:38 * Morgan writes a reply telling her how sorry he is, and that he hopes she recovers quickly Apr 07 20:39:15 *he doesn’t hear anything for a week then, and each day he’s timed his work to intercept the mail coach only to get nothing. The shawl has definitely lost a lot of the scent by then, and as he’s falling asleep one night it occurs that now she’s no longer pregnant she may never smell quite the same again Apr 07 20:39:54 * Morgan sighs, trying to sleep Apr 07 20:42:26 *he dreams of her that night, making love to her with the intent of making her pregnant, and it’s passionate and deep, and she’s all his. Within the dream, he wakes up very hard, face pressed to the shawl* Apr 07 20:42:48 * Morgan groans, trying to calm down Apr 07 20:43:35 *it doesn’t help. It’s been weeks since they last made love the night before he left* Apr 07 20:45:48 * Morgan gets out of bed, going to splash cold water on his face Apr 07 20:48:19 *it doesn’t do much, but at least being out of bed makes it less practical to actually do it* Apr 07 20:49:13 * Morgan gets dressed, concentrating on getting calm before going to walk the house Apr 07 20:52:14 *it all seems empty, lonely. It’s a far cry from this happy new life she’d been starting, and now she’s experienced the loss of a child too. At least if she’d stayed he’d have been there to take care of her, rather than her being scared and in pain far away Apr 07 20:55:41 * Morgan goes up on to the roof, just standing quietly Apr 07 21:01:49 *the sun starts to come up, and he know that so far away and so much east of him it would have been a little earlier for her if she happened to be watching it and thinking of him too Apr 07 21:04:38 * Morgan watches it before going back to work Apr 07 21:09:02 *it’s several more nights of frustratingly erotic dreams before the coachman brings him a letter at last. But with those dreams, he’s no longer getting the nightmares of the fire or the schattenmann. This time it says” Dear Morgan, I loved hearing from you. You do not tell me how -you- are though? I am healed again and back to learning. On Saturday evening I’ve been invited to Coleraine for dinner along with my cousin. It’ll be strange not serving di Apr 07 21:10:29 * Morgan writes back, telling her he's managing, how things are at the estate and how much he misses her Apr 07 21:11:59 *he’s only just finished writing it when there’s a knock at the door* Apr 07 21:12:23 * Morgan folds it, putting it in his pocket before going to answer it Apr 07 21:16:22 *he wakes up* Apr 07 21:16:44 * Morgan stretches, checking the time Apr 07 21:17:04 *it’s about half an hour before he wanted to be up Apr 07 21:18:03 * Morgan gets dressed, checking the mirror Apr 07 21:20:09 *it is still blank* Apr 07 21:20:58 * Morgan writes a note "We're going to have breakfast then get moving. I miss you all. All my love" Apr 07 21:23:32 *it gives him a decent amount of time to train, and then breakfast is early. Mainz seems sad to say goodbye to Aachen and Lizzie, and both of them express their gratitude again before they ride out Apr 07 21:24:04 * Morgan looks around Apr 07 21:26:44 They were very nice Apr 07 21:26:53 * Mary is now known as Mainz Apr 07 21:27:02 I’ve always liked them Apr 07 21:27:22 I'm not surprised Apr 07 21:28:43 * Mainz nods, looking around “Hellbad is the best place to stop next, but we’ll be roughing it until then, there’s not much out this way” Apr 07 21:29:08 * Morgan nods Apr 07 21:29:11 It is what it is Apr 07 21:31:02 * Mainz nods. Xantha is fairly well-behaved, though the route is rough. It’s not until the sun is at the zenith that he gets privacy to check the mirror* Apr 07 21:32:47 * Morgan has quit (Quit: This computer has gone to sleep) Apr 07 21:53:24 * Mainz has quit (Read error: EOF from client)