Dear Callum

**Dear Callum** is a side story published through the official website of *The Dragon Prince*. It revolves around the content of the letter Rayla left behind for Callum when leaving him behind on his 15th birthday to search for Viren. It is part of a short story series called "Reflections", and is a direct follow-up to "Through the Moon".

## Summary

Rayla writes a letter in the deepest part of night to say her goodbyes to Callum once he had fallen asleep. Feeling guilty for forcing him to save her once again, she confesses to have watched him sleep while trying not to cry. With a pained heart, she states that it is the hour Runaan would call the "Assassin's Warning", when the protection of night is ending, marking her time to leave. Insisting that she has to go, she knows Callum would try to change her mind if she allowed him to wake up and become aware of her plans.

Hoping for him to have a wonderful birthday once he would wake up in the morning, Rayla expresses her love for his smile, and shares her hopes for all the great gifts he may receive from their friends at the Moon Nexus. Saddened by the fact that she will be missing out, her tears eventually break through and drip onto the letter's paper. Rayla describes that her birthday gift to Callum is to keep him safe from harm, and she once again confirms that she loves him dearly. She knows that Viren is alive, and fears she has no other choice.

Despite knowing how her decision will hurt Callum, she believes for white lies to serve their role in protecting those she loves, and begs for him not to hate her for her decision. She recalls how desperate she had felt when her parents had left to serve the Dragonguard, now realizing that the missing piece of her heart had become a sweet aching over time. She also remembers the words of Runaan and Ethari, who told her that sometimes sacrifices were necessary to secure the happiness of a loved one. Asking Callum not to try and find her, she asks to let her gift this protection to him.

As Callum begins to stir, Rayla wraps up her letter and prepares to leave into the night as a storm is building within the sunrise's light. Despite wanting to kiss him one more time, she finally wraps up her letter. Hoping to one day share a birthday cake with him, she promises to carry the piece of his heart that holds her with her, and to think of him under every full moon. She repeats that she loves him two more times until the letter comes to an end.

## Trivia

* The story is a direct tie-in with the graphic novel "Through the Moon", in which Rayla left this letter behind before leaving, having witnessed Viren's body inside a cocoon in a world between life and death. The white lies mentioned were brought up in a conversation she had with Lujanne prior to this decision.
* The story draws a direct reference to a scene from the graphic novel "Bloodmoon Huntress", in which Runaan and Ethari explain that Rayla's parents left to protect her.
* The story reveals that Katolis celebrates birthdays with a local birthday song, while the Moonshadow Elves perform a "Moonshadow Birthday Dance".

## References

1. ↑ Through the Moon
2. ↑ The Dragon Prince Official Twitter - Dear Callum
3. ↑ Bloodmoon Huntress (Novel)