{{NavChap|[[Open letter to the patriots]]|[[The Great Journey#Table of contents|Table of contents]]|[[Second folio]]}}

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<center><span style="color:purple;font-weight:bold"><big><big>'''First folio'''</big></big></span></center>

{{Quotation|'''Azazor Eridlo Mirihus''', on Winderly 18, 2617-1|It is decided, Eeri and I will leave for the Old Lands in a few cycles. The announcement in front of the friends of the CEK<ref>''Collectif d'Étude des Kitins'', a group of homin(a)s dedicated to the study of kitin movements and the exploration of kitins' nests</ref> was not easy. The reproachful look of Wixarika especially. Yet you should have known better, my ardent fyrossa girl. If I trained you, it was so that you could take my place. The Empire needs an akenak with fresh ideas, not an undisciplined old gruff one like me. Of course, they tried to stop me. But what I didn't foresee was that Eeri would have born a kid in the meantime. A kid, Eeri?! ramèch<ref>''Damn'' (to keep it civil)</ref>! Of course, she should stay to bring him up. But that's like trying to stop the advance of the sawdust dunes. More stubborn than a bodoc that girl. And so much the better. I like better her coming with me, but I'd never tell her.

The ranger Dorothée has elaborated a map a little more detailed than the one I gave to the Imperial Academy. Most importantly, it is more solid, so it is less likely to get damaged during our journey. I don't completely agree with some things, especially about the location of Baldos Reef. But overall, it looks good to me.By the way, on next June 8th, we have an appointment with Barmie Dingles so that he can tell us a little more about the geography of the Old Lands. He will probably make some changes to the map and maybe give us some advice on how to avoid the kitins. I just hope he won't try to talk us out of our trip. Not that I'd give in. But that would make me angry pretty quickly. At 63, one's past the age of being mothered. Even, I have never been mothered, my poor mother died in childbirth.

[[File:Carte des anciennes terres v2.png|thumb|600px|center|Map of the Old Lands drawn by the ranger Dorothée]]

Je m’égare, comme toujours. Bref, après cette rencontre, ce sera le départ. Il nous faudra peut-être encore quelques semaines pour fignoler les préparatifs. Avec Eeri, on essaie de se voir régulièrement pour cela. Bientôt, nous passerons des années ensemble, alors que cela fait des mois que nous ne nous sommes pas vus. Elle a changé d’ailleurs. Plus fatiguée. Sûrement son gosse. Je me fous de qui est le père. J’espère juste qu’elle n’a pas perdu de sa combativité. Je compte un peu sur elle. Ces dix dernières années, je les ai plus passées dans les couloirs de l’Académie Impériale que sur les champs de bataille. Eeri, c’est un peu mon bras armé. Moi la tête, elle les jambes. Ramèch, si elle lit ça, elle me tue. T’en fais pas Eeri, je sais que t’es pas qu’une paire de muscles. On survit pas à ce que t’as pu endurer sans un minimum d’esprit. Et de l’esprit il en faudra là-bas. Sûrement plus que des muscles.}}

{{NavChap|[[Open letter to the patriots]]|[[The Great Journey#Table of contents|Table of contents]]|[[Second folio]]}}