Prologue - Athan
Some time ago
Dear Alicia,
The house is excessively quiet without you and the boys.
My nephews’ curiosity made the rooms of this place come alive and I wish they were still here, peering into my bookshelves, asking every question under the sun and making plenty of noise.
Father’s health is up and down at present.
Some days he is his old self, ruling the roost and bossing us all around.
Other days he is very quiet and absorbed in his books, and it’s clear he must be in pain.
I think I will take another trip up to the top of the mountain and see if I can find something to help him.
Mother is keeping him comfortable but his condition is deteriorating.
My studies have alerted me to the existence of a small town called Snowflake Falls which is over the mountains to the west. There is some lore in a book about folk spells that talks of the town’s water having magical properties.
It’s worth a try - at this point, I’m not discounting anything that might work.
I will update you with another letter once I have decided the best way forward.
Love to all of you from your devoted brother,
Athan