I relaxed and Christof released the grip on my head.

“Tami leaves, Damien?" the General said sounding surprised.

I smiled and stole a glance up. The bundle of thick brown leaves was tied in a tight bundle. It was a generous gift and one the men would appreciate.

“What is this?" the General asked.

I looked up again and saw the flat folded item he held. It looked like a really thick piece of wood folded. It was a letter. There was no way to tell Damien that.

“I do not know, sir," Damien said. "We are very surprised by this." The General inspected the item and realized it unfolded.

The yard was full of Warriors now. Everyone was watching the General intently. I prayed Hannah had enough sense not to put something damning in that letter.

I watched the General's feet and thought of my daughter. She was well enough to collect tami leaves to send her family and smart enough to have someone deliver it. I imagined she anticipated the men would have too much honor to take something of Damien's; they would just bring it to him. Smiling I thought about what a bright girl she was. Shame she hadn't realized the General would take her gift.

The General‘s feet turned to face the gathered Warriors and he called out to them.

"Tonight we eat our meat roasted with the tami leaf!"

The men roared and cheered, but the sound died quickly.

The General's voice boomed out again, “Damien met many men while training," he said. "This is a letter, a written communication, from one of them, Uncleddy.”

I stifled a Laugh. She was using a name from Earth, Uncle Eddy. Not my favorite relative to be sure, but the most remembered. It was a hint for me, like I would not have known it came from her.

The General continued to speak, "Uncleddy wishes Damien's family well. He thought of them while passing a great tami tree and wished to send their compound a good meal. He has travelled much and states he is doing well. Uncleddy asks Damien's family to put this letter by the fire in their rooms. It is a way of wishing the gift giver safety and comfort."

The assembled Warriors murmured. The crowd wanted Damien to take the letter upstairs and put it by the fire straightaway. It would be rude to do anything else with the missive. The instructions had been very clear, even if the custom was odd.

Damien and his Brothers retrieved the box and letter from the General and we walked upstairs. The tami leaves were taken to the compound's kitchen by a young Warrior

Once we were in our apartment the men started to curse. I had no idea why at first, so I asked.

“You spoke in the village, Ciara!" Christof exclaimed.

“It will get back to the General. A slave that speaks in the village must be punished. It upsets the shopkeepers."

Damien cursed viciously. "How we discipline her is not their business. They should have no say in this."

I didn't care about punishment or discipline. The only thing I wanted was to see Hannah‘s letter. It was the only contact I had gotten with her in many moons and it fascinated me. I wanted to see it and touch it!

Evan let me hold the letter and I ran my fingers lovingly over the carefully written message. It was a short message in Large letters. It said she was fine and traveling, if I was to assume she was Uncle Eddy.