<div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">squarefold for the letter</div><div class="spoiler_body"><div class="floatright">(http://www.ghh.com/media/elf_media/1st33_SquareLF.GIF)</div></div></div><br/>Tehr smiled twice in rapid succession.  Once at the pastries, which he began eating before he had even finished rubbing the sleep from his eyes.   Then again as the news of the urchin boys down stairs.  Tehr had half expected there to be bad news on that front.  Londinium wasn't the safest place for a young boy.   Taking the cup of coffee he pulled on his robe and slid out of bed, "Excellent, I was hoping that they'd show up, and am pleased that they are here so quickly."<br/><br/>Tehr moved to the small desk in his bedroom and quickly snatched up some paper, a pen and ink, his house seal, a block of wax, and a few silver coins.   Rolling the paper carefully he tucked all of the items save the ink into the pockets of his robe.  The ink, while capped, was not something to be trusted in his robe.  He'd carry that just to be safe.   Finishing a second pastry quickly he took the coffee from Angelique with his free hand and went down stairs.   He recognized the urchin that he'd come to trust whispering to another boy, the one he'd spoken to in the street earlier.<br/><br/>Turning first to the newer boy, he thanked the boy and said, "as much as I hate to turn a child out in the rain, I must thank you for your excellent service, and send you on your way."  He turned to Heidi and said, "Could you please wrap up a meal for the boy to take with him?  Something that will keep of course, bread, cheese, fruit, maybe a strip of some dried smoked meat if we have any?  Wax paper if we have it, don't want the lad's meal to get soaked."   Then turning back to the boy he smiled, "I thank you very much for fetching this young lad, and as promised, a silver coin to you."  Tehr juggled the coffee and the ink in one hand long enough to fish out a silver coin and press it to the boy's hand.   Then he'd wait for Heidi to return with the lad's meal and then asked Heidi to show the boy out.<br/><br/>Then turning to the urchin who's face he was familiar with he smiled broadly.  "Tell me son, what's your name?"<br/><br/>"Liam sir if it pleases you," the urchin answered nodding to the other boy who looking carefully on his way out.   It wasn't a surprise, there were rumors that some of the noblemen engaged in buggery with young boys, and homeless street urchins were an easy target.  But Liam trusted Tehr apparently, and was nodding the other boy off.<br/><br/>Tehr sipped at his coffee, still standing in front of the boy's chair.  The boy was damp, but not soaked.  He'd likely only gotten wet as he ran from wherever he'd been hiding to here.  He was grubby, but not dirty.  Tehr sniffed, "No family name Liam?"   The young boy shook his head no.  An orphan then.  He couldn't be older then seven years old and he was running the streets of Londinium.  But his manners, while crude, were at least evident in some regard.  It was likely he had either an aunt or the head of an orphanage who had drilled the basics of manners into him.  That or he was a recent orphan, Tehr hated to think that to be the case, but it was of course possible.   But the boy wasn't volunteering the information and Tehr wouldn't press it.   Instead he asked, "You've got good manners for a orphan then Liam.  In addition you've proven yourself to be useful, bright, and quick to me.  In addition you've managed to keep fingers polite in my home and nothing has gone missing in the times you've been here.  This shows honesty."<br/><br/>Liam nodded, "My da, before he went off to war, used to beat me something awful if I ever broke any of the commandments sir.  He said I must respect my elders, lessen I was to burn in hades for all time."<br/><br/>Tehr frowned, so his father at least followed the Church.  Well, no matter at least.  Tehr asked, "So Liam, if I were to say that I might get you a chance to apprentice to a butcher, would you swear to me that you'd serve your master loyally, truthfully, and dutifully?"   Tehr knew that for a child like Liam this was like being offered a golden opportunity.  Apprenticeships simply didn't go to orphans.  They went to friends or family or used as repayment of debt.  Of course, Ironna had her own issues with being a Dwarf in a human city, but Liam would likely never get an opportunity like this any other way.   In fact the boy's mouth dropped open in shock.  It was no doubt why too, the boy was scrawny, underfed of course.  Being apprenticed to a butcher was possibly the second best job a hungry boy could ever dream of, second only to that of a baker.<br/><br/>"Master ir'Wynt,"  The boy gasped through a strangled throat, "I'd ... of course...  Yes sir."<br/><br/>Tehr nodded and then moved to a table.  There setting out some paper wrote a quick note to Ironna.  He described the physical description of Liam, a quick note of the boy's past, and a note that she should test him for herself and not simply take his word on the lad.  Finally, remembering the story of the drow spy that she'd caught, he added that the boy should only be trusted if the seal on this letter was unbroken, and if the boy said the word "Bath" to her.  He added a post scriptum that she actually may want to make sure he takes a bath before he handles any meat.   He sprinkled some sand on the ink to dry it, then shook it off.  Then folding it into a squarefold, he sealed it with a blob of heated wax, then pressed the Wynt seal into it.<br/><br/>He handed the letter to Liam and said, "Now Liam, there's a very nice butcher, a dwarven woman by the name of Ironna.  Her shop is up towards the north west section of town, within sight of the Oak gate that leads out of town.  She's in need of an apprentice.  But you must listen closely.  You must not open this letter, if you do, she'll know she can't trust you to follow directions.  In addition make sure you tell her that you need to wash up and maybe she can give you a few copper for the public bath.   That or maybe she has a tub that you can take a bath in.   Do you understand what I've told you?  You must tell her that you need a bath."<br/><br/>Liam nodded and took the envelope from Tehr and tucked it inside his shirt, knowing that such a letter was likely more valuable then a gold coin for him.  "I'll follow your directions exactly sir."  The boy said with a serious look.<br/><br/>Tehr nodded, "Well, I hate to turn you out in the rain, but you'll want to get over there before she closes her shop for the day.  So take this and be off."  Tehr pressed a silver coin into Liam's hand and then had Angelique escort him out.<br/><br/>It was with a wide smile on his face that he went up to the bathroom, he should bathe and begin dressing for the ball himself.   He told Heidi to please make sure that there was a carriage ready to take him to the House Ravos compound in an hour.   The ball would be starting in less than two hours, and Tehr was determined to be there on time.