Dear Father,

  Thank you for supplying a tutor. I can read and write in Orlut now, and I read the Estfold Herald every week. I can understand most of the news, except for the political parts. I've begun the difficult challenge of learning Arcaic. It's a strange, inconsistent language, but also beautiful.

  Winter has settled in, and we're under a deep snow. Blake says the freeze will last several more days, and then we'll have a warm spell before the next one. I spent yesterday afternoon sliding down the snowy hills behind our house and trying not to crash into the garden wall. I'm sure you did the same thing at my age.

  Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

  They tell me it's warm, up north where you are, and the growing season is almost year-round. Do they grow the same crops, or something different?

  Hope you and the family are safe. Say hello to everyone for me.

  Bilius