[Amanaduial the archer]

"I'll take one of those, if you don't mind, Mistress Aman."

Aman turned to see the red faced Shirriff cum postman standing behind her. She handed him a pint and smiled as he gulped away half of it immediately. "All is well, Halfred?"

The Shirriff put down his tankard for a moment to take a breath of air, smacking his lips contentedly. "Ah! I should say so, Aman, and it just got better with the intervention of this ale! Top it off, if you please!"

Aman smiled and inclined her head. It was an unwritten rule that the postman was given as much ale as he wished for when he came, so long as he was still able to stand upright and deliver whatever messages were needed. As she turned back to the barrels, Halfred cleared his throat importantly and addressed the denizens of the Inn, who looked up expectantly.

"Mail call! Now gather round, I've got a score of letters here, see..."

Holding out the first, a dusty parchment, elegantly tied with black string or cord, he announced the name. "Cygnus!"

A young man who Aman had noticed but had not been able to spend much time turned to look in the direction of the mailman from where he stood on the stairs, coming down from his room apparently, a small cat perched on his shoulders. He looked surprised, but crossed the room and, smiling, albeit a little puzzledly, he took the scroll, but didnt immediately unwravel it.

Aman's nosy nature got the better of her and she couldn't help peering into Halfred's bag as he took out the next letter as she put down the ale on the table beside him. He shut the satchel top, but not before Aman got a glimpse of her own name, written in a familiar hand. Halfred placed a finger to his nose, grinning boyishly. "Not yet, mistress, 'tis only polite to give your guests a chance first."

Aman rolled her eyes, feigning impatiency although she was smiling as well, and, deprived of her letter for the meantime, she began to busy herself with collecting cups from around the common room as Halfred 'announced' the name on the next letter...