The news guard ran quickly to Valen huffing hard, "Sir Valen, you have a reply," he said while trying to catch his breath.
Valen stood still for a moment, her hand hovering before collecting the letter as though she needed a brief second to steady herself before breaking the seal, her thoughts already shifting, preparing for whatever answer awaited her inside.
"Let it not be nothing," she murmured quietly, then she faced the guard, "you may go now," her voice low as her fingers finally closed around the parchment.
Valen moved toward the window as she broke the seal, the early morning light spilling into the room as she unfolded the letter with careful precision, her gaze scanning the familiar handwriting quickly.
Valen,
Your instincts were not misplaced, though I wish they had been.
Her jaw tightened slightly.
The Ashenclaw pack has indeed fallen, and their current state aligns with what you described, though their fall was not without cause.
Valen's eyes narrowed.
