Eight, your presence is requested

[Gallows]

I do so love bullet points, don't you? I mean, a lack of opposable thumbs or any discernible digits at all does make it hard for me to take notes, but I don't let that stop me. Brains can be useful for storage, after all. And I have quite a few queries stored up for the Valley's resident magician. One, what the hell did you do to Shiya because I am dying to know. Two, fix the wall. fix the wall. fix the wall. (okay, not a question. sue me) Three, what is your stance on unprovoked violence? It's strange to me. I am older by far than anyone in the Valley but I always view Eight as being the youngest. I know he isn't, but because I knew him as a child it's hard to reconcile the stallion he has become with the colt he was. He has bloomed into a ridiculous amount of potential but I still catch myself thinking he's a baby. And gods am I glad he can't read my mind because I don't think one's queen thinking of you as a child is considered particularly flattering. I flit through the minds of the Valley inhabitants, searching for a particular one. When I find Eight I send a shortly worded request for his presence. I'm not irritated; I'm just short on time. Ascending a throne and starting a war in the same year takes a lot of effort. Efficiency, apparently, is key. G A L L O W S We must all hang together or, assuredly, we shall all hang separately.