Dear Ollie,

I made the flesh-transmutation today. I was afraid the entire time, but it turned out fine in the end. I didn’t have to write on my own body after all, turns out I can write it on a fresh skin of an animal that I then wrap around my shoulder, as long as I write it in my own blood. Luckily, a goose I caught in a trap provided me with supper, a hide and quills.

It took me almost fifteen days of calculations to construct this spell properly. Some days I barely walked at all. These are the shortest days of the year, even shorter this far up north, and I hate that I have to write by daylight. Magic could solve the problem, but without infused ink, I need to use my blood, and that is very valuable right now. I used my left shoulder as a reference and charted down every detail I could scry with my spells. Luckily, the food I stole was wrapped in wax paper, so that’s no longer an issue, coal and soot take to it very well, but blood just rolls off so I can’t use it for spells. But I made it work. After writing everything on the skin and wrapping it around my shoulder correctly, I stitched the leather onto my skin so it would not shift out of alignment with the bones, muscles and tendons.

I also had to ask Ssil to constrict me for the duration of the transmutation, since it would hurt like damnation. When all was done and I cast the spell, I tried to pay attention. The pain was excruciating, but I could not stop myself from watching my own skin, muscles, arteries, tendons, filaments and even bones slowly separate and re-arrange themselves. I accidentally dropped the piece of wood I was clenching down on.

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I don’t know how I did not pass out from the pain, but all the surroundings now know I’m here. It doesn’t matter, I can move much better without this painful injury. I’ll probably will make my way through this land soon and arrive on drier ground, I can see the land rising up ahead. My shoulder is still hurting a bit, I could not reattach every artery, so I have a huge bruise along the lines of the surgery.

I make decent distance at night, I can see well in the dark and ever since my pact, certain things are revealed to me. I need no vials, torches or lamps to travel at night. I still prefer proper light nonetheless.

I have also found out from fishers in the area that the place I’m heading to is called Stormeithslgigr. At first I thought that’s just the name of the place, but I realized it is actually the wound of the north. I can’t wait to see yet another mark of the Great Sundering. It makes sense that someone there answered Ssil’s calls. There I will probably find a way to pass through the veil once more. I have to admit that this prospect scares me. The land up here is wild, barely anyone interested in the land enough to get land-sculptors and architects to stitch it back together. What untapped riches may lie here for all these centuries? What pained spirits haunt that valley? What deep places of power have formed?

I still think of you each night. I miss you.

In love,

Nannade