Look, Tell Lords What You Need Before Asking

Look, I write the need first: “I need grain for two days,” “I need scouts on the eastern road,” or “I need a truce until sunset.” Name the thing, the place, and the time. A lord cannot send what he must guess at, unless he keeps a warehouse full of guesses.

Right, add what you can offer and what answer you need. Say, “I can send iron after the next caravan; can you spare grain now?” If you need silence, say so plainly. Do not bury the request beneath the history of your grandfather’s badger hunt.

Look, read your message once as the other lord would. Can that lord act without sending three ravens back for details? If not, mend it before posting. I have written enough vague letters to know that confusion is the only levy collected without complaint, and it feeds nobody.