Alaric starts with the library. What he knows about the curse is from the time that it first consumed Barrowmere. Back then, he was too lost in his grief to think much about what the mages told him, and the information that did get through to him made it seem like the curse was all but impossible to lift. So, how is it that life is returning to Barrowmere after Lenore's arrival?
There are a few possible explanations that come to Alaric's mind, but the problem is that he has no idea which one is the most likely to be the answer. As such, he turns to the trove of information stored in his library, hoping that he can find at least a place to start. With that goal set, he chooses books on a wide variety of subjects, any that he thinks could help him understand both the curse on his land and the reasons it reacts to Lenore.
When the curse first took effect, it drew the curiosity of all sorts of people. Mages wanted to inspect the land and flow of natural energy on it, seeking answers through their expertise. Likewise, the priests came from the Temple and used their divinity to listen to the land's wounds and examine the taint of the curse that was rapidly spreading. Of course, the conclusion both groups came to was essentially the same.
Elyria's death caused the curse. She was a soul loved by nature in the eyes of the priests and a descendant of the ancient elves carrying the magic of nature in her veins in the eyes of the mages. Spilling her blood with the intention of benefiting from her sacrifice caused the opposite effect. The very soul of the land revolted, and the curse started at the spot of her death and then spread throughout Barrowmere.
Of course, it remained at its strongest around Alaric's estate, as the nearby forest served as the point of the curse's origin. It's a punishment that Alaric accepted. He failed to protect his wife, so it was only right that his land bear the stain of her death. Besides, there were countless people in the duchy's territory that weren't involved in that plot. They didn't deserve the punishment they received, and Alaric is simply glad that the curse beyond his estate has weakened over the decades.
The fact that the edges of the curse weakened over time leaves Alaric wondering if the reason that it's weakening around his estate as well is simply due to time. Has nature forgiven this land for the sin that was committed in the past?
Well, he hasn't heard of the spirits of the world being known for forgiveness. Still, he doesn't have the sense of nature that a mage does, so maybe he should request that a mage visit his property from the Tower. He'll have Corwin send the request later. If he includes the reason that he wants a mage to come, he's certain that the Tower won't waste time playing politics.
He knows that they've had an interest in the situation from the beginning, even if visiting to check it out had grown meaningless over the years. But if the curse is changing, then the mages will no doubt be useful when it comes to helping him figure out the reason why.
For now, he'll wait on contacting the Temple. The nature of the curse has always been better suited to the talents of the mages, even if the priests had some unique insight to offer in the beginning. Alaric isn't sure that they have more to offer now, even if the situation is changing. Still, he won't eliminate the possibility that he may need to send a message to the Temple and request that they send a priest for an investigation.
With that plan in mind, he pulls books from shelves in the sections of his library dedicated to the inherent magic of the land, elves, and curses. He's sure that he's read them at some point in the past, but maybe he missed something. It won't hurt to take another look.
However, he knows these books won't answer one particular question. Why did the curse weaken after Lenore arrived in Barrowmere? There's a chance that it's simply a coincidence, but leaving it at that doesn't sit right with Alaric.
He returns to his study with his stack of books, setting them on top of the documents he's neglected to go over today. The needs of his people are important—of course—but he knows that he won't be able to properly concentrate on those issues at the moment. He'll stay up into the late hours of the night to finish his work if he needs to, but first he wants to glance through just one of the books. Only far enough that he has more fuel to feed his racing mind as it tries to find answers.
Pulling a blank sheet of parchment out, he jots down a quick letter meant for the Tower, sealing it with wax and setting it aside to be handed off to a courier later. It'll take at least a few days to receive a reply, so he'd like it to be sent out soon.
From there, he's tempted to start with one of the books about elves. Elyria's distant ancestors on her mother's side had been elves, which connected her to nature in a way that humans could never hope to achieve. But that was a long time ago, and even by that point, full-blooded elves hadn't been seen in years. As far as Alaric remembers, Elyria was the only child of the imperial concubine.
However, he'll need to look into her mother's lineage to trace the elven blood she inherited to the present, since her line ended with Elyria. The idea alone leaves him wondering if Lenore is related to them. It won't be easy to dig into the history of that imperial concubine, but it's a strong starting point. After all, if Lenore is related to them, then she's likely to carry elven blood. In that case, the land reacting to her makes sense. Maybe that's the way that the spirits of nature show their love for the descendants of elves, who were once the greatest friends and defenders of nature.
It's a sound theory, but Alaric can't ignore the voice in the back of his head that tells him it would be too simple of an answer.