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My beloved Martha.

How long have I been away from you, my beloved? After all these years, the war has seemingly come to an end. I have come to realise that this war has brought nothing but misery to me, I should’ve listened to you when you wrote all those letters to me.

The war was cruel to me, I have faced death many times but I managed to escape him. My comrades… They were not so lucky. My brother Davidson died in a siege, but his death wasn’t in vain as they secured the river and won the war.

My love, I have been feeling down lately. I’ve been having thoughts that I shouldn’t be having. Was this war really worth it? Was the blood of my enemies worth it? Did they deserve to die? I've been pondering about this every night. I feel like a dead man walking, not knowing what to do next. I was close to pulling my flintlock, but my beacon of light shines bright every night as I look towards the West. I know that I must continue on.

I am writing to let you know that I am returning home. However, I cannot say for certain when I will return. But I hope to return as soon as possible.

I hope the wait was worth it because I am coming home with a ring in my hand, a ring for us to finally be together. 

That is all from me, see you soon, my beloved.

With love,

Daniel.

                                                                              ;;           

I walked into the post office building with the envelope in hand. I waited for a while before I handed my envelope to the officer who was manning the front desk. As I was waiting for him to process my envelope, the officer a conversation with me.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

“Let me guess, you have a lady back home?” The officer asked with a smirk on his face.

I was surprised by his sudden comment and a deep shade of red filled my face. I wasn’t expecting him to suddenly ask me this question.

“Heh, I would be lying if I said it wasn’t.” I chuckled slightly.

“Must be nice to have someone you love dearly waiting for you to return home. I know my wife doesn't!” He sarcastically said to me. 

I chuckled slightly, feeling a bit flustered by his words. The officer looks up at me again and inspects my attire before commenting.

“You must be part of the military. What was war like for you?” The officer asked.

The question made me take a few steps back as my mind began filling with horrifying images of the war. I began slightly panicking until the officer noticed me frozen still and muttered to me. 

“War was hell right? That was what a few soldiers has told me when they came in here.” The officer said to me with a serious expression.

I regained my composure and I looked at him with a straight face.

“War is hell. There was only blood, death and gunpowder that filled the air. I lost my friends and brethren in that war. The only thing keeping me sane is my fiancé at home, that is all I care for.” I told him.

The officer looked at me as if I was a crazy person, but he soon calmed me down.

“At least there is still one thing to look forward to. I hope you find peace, my friend.” He told me.

I nod slightly, my mind clearing up for a bit. He soon processed my letter and placed it in a box, piled with other letters inside it.

“Your envelope has been processed, that will be a few cents, sir.” The officer told me.

I placed a few cents on the counter and the officer took it. I nodded slightly and made my way out of the post office. I looked around the street and began making my way to my horse where I pet her mane.

“We will have a long journey ahead of us, I hope you’re ready.” I said while petting the horse.

I mounted my horse and began making my way out of the city. As I got to the outskirts of town, I looked behind one more time to capture the scenery of the town I protected before slowly moving westwards. I knew the journey ahead would be a grueling 7 months but it will be all worth it once I get to see my Martha. I reached into my pockets and pulled out a golden ring.

“I will be there soon, my love. Please wait for me.” I muttered to myself, smiling as I held the ring in my hand.

I began heading West on a road that led to West Virginia, the first state that I’d have to get through for my journey towards Kansas. The sun was shining over me as I rode my horse, hoping to see my beloved as soon as possible.