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[Jarem Toron]

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Jarem stared at the piece of paper intensely. The single question "Why am I the one doing this?" floated through his mind, along with the occasional "Why me?"

The day had started out strangely enough with him simply arriving at Blackmarsh. Why was his first ad hoc task to be determining if one of the citizenry was pregnant? How the crap does a male "just check" that? Obviously there were empirical ways...those ways just also happened to be the kind that would get him labeled as a pervert and conceivably run out of town.

He'd just have to find a mid-wife to do it. Evidently there was the expectation that he knew what the hell he was doing, so why not?

But still, he sat at the desk he had acquired and Minoc and stared at the paper. Slowly, ever so slowly, he began to inscribe the message to be passed along to those with the knowledge he required.

Greetings free travelers of Sosoria.

I recently had the pleasure of attending the wedding of several of your people and am glad to see that some level of joy and peace is returning to Minoc, or at least its people. You all have suffered some difficult times, and these moments are always a pleasure.

However, I write for a different reason. A member of my cohorts believes she may be pregnant and while I am of the capacity to determine whether or not this is true it strikes me as... improper... that I should take the steps to confirm this myself. I have worked and met with the free walkers of Minoc several times in good faith, and believe you to be an honest people. Furthermore, I know the knowledge and talents required to work with these situations is required as a part of your way of life.

I was hoping that I might meet with on of yours, a woman of course, who has some knowledge of child bearing and healing, that may assist as a midwife. I can presently be contacted by sending a letter to Blackmarsh. My residence there is recent but I believe I should be able to receive any notice you send me.

Thank you for your presence,

Jarem Toron.
_________________
"Every woman in my life, no matter in what our relationship is, seems to existed purely to cause me insufferable levels of agony."

-Jarem Toron in a random tavern night lament

[gypsy_merrique]

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Merrique thanked the traveler who brought the letter from Minoc to the caravan outside of Mistas, and offered a token amount of gold for their effort. Before returning to what she now thought of as the sick-camp, she read the contents of the message. Hastily she penned a reply and forwarded it to Blackmarsh via the same Minoc relation.

Dear Sir,

Your letter was received and passed along to me. Though I do not call myself a midwife, I am quite experienced in the entire birth cycle. Likewise, I have access to family members who have immense talents in herbalism and other facets of healing. I would be more than happy to assist you in determining if there is a viable pregnancy among one of the Blackmarsh ladies should it be her wish.

For future reference, delivering any correspondence to any gypsy bank in Ilshenar would provide a greater guarantee of delivery than going through Minoc. I realize that may be slightly inconvenient, considering the limitations of travel into these lands, and it cannot be helped. For the foreseeable future I will be in Ilshenar tending to an ongoing bit of family business.

Thank you for your confidence in the gypsy people. We pride ourselves in doing the things we do well.

Best regards,
~Merrique
_________________


. . . But the dark is very trustworthy.
It's always as dark as you thought it was.
And you don't have to work at staying there.
All you have to do is survive it.
And I've been doing that forever.
from the novel "Dark Debts" by Karen Hall

[Jarem Toron]

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A return letter soon arrives via Jarem himself. Handing it off to a nearby gypsy with a nod at the Gypsy Bank near the Ilshenar Compassion shrine, he then turns his horse back towards whence it came.

Geetings Ms. Merrique,

I am glad you were able to get in contact with me on this matter as it is something i'd like to get underway as soon as possible. The actual experience as a "mid-wife" isn't necessary so long as you know the particulars of childbearing, child birth and so on. From the content of your letter to me, it seems to me that you have this knowledge and I would most like to put it to use in this matter, if you would allow it.

I am available anytime tonight or tomorrow, around 9 by the Eastern Setting Sun, and would appreciate the chance to meet with you. Either in Blackmarsh itself or a different location if you desire an escort. If neither of these times can work for you, then perhaps you can write a letter to the prospective mother herself, Camilla. She is located in Blackmarsh as well and I am certain she could arrange an escort for you if need be.

I admit I do not know much about the use of herbalism and its use in the process of childbearing, so I will leave that matter to the prospective mother and your discretion.

May Virtue guide your path.

-Jarem Toron
_________________
"Every woman in my life, no matter in what our relationship is, seems to existed purely to cause me insufferable levels of agony."

-Jarem Toron in a random tavern night lament