[Kenderfriend]

*dips the quill in the green ink and starts writing, the writing looks rushed and written in a shaking hand*

Written -Wedlar, Augra 11, 1437

I'm sorry... this is late in writing, Thistle, but I've been a bit shaken lately. I'll try my best to recite this tale, which I have already spoken twice, so it has probably spread all round by now.
It was one day, like any other, and I decided to help Tod gather some things for Tegan... he had to get lot of stuff, even Rocky agreed people pushed him too hard. Anyways, he kept saying it could get me some money, but I wasn't bothered about that. Friendship is always above that.
We were picking raspberries outside of Krandor. Tod bent down to pick them, when suddenly I saw something, coming towards us. It looked like a gobin, but it was hard to see through the rain. I told him to look out, but when he turned, it ran. We walked back to the path and looked about. Suddenly, this darkness, like the blackest fog, spreads in front of us....
... and out runs two women! They had bright red eyes, black clothing and big swords dripping with horrible acid. I think.. thier hair was white, but I can't remember.
I could see the hatred in their eyes, and we ran across the bridge! They were too big for us. I looked back, and they were gone! I told Tod and he turned round and said he'd go look for them. There was no need...
We saw the darkness spread across the bridge. That's what chilled me... that you just saw this darkness, but not anything inside, but you knew they followed..
We ran on, past Zainge River and into Ft. Llast, desperate to get some help.
I dashed in and closed the gates. I thought they might turn back, but no. After hardly any rest, we saw the darkness floating outside the gate!
We shouted to Lieutenant Jursen, telling him they were right out there! He ignored us.. saying it was just the mischief us halflings were making.
He was a guard! It was job to protect! He wouldn't even check... how could he do that? I looked across and I think Tod was thinking the same.
We were in some luck then... Q ran up to us and asked what was going on. Lavender was there too. (Quantum Windword, that is, of The Shining Hand.)
At least they helped us talk sense into Jursen, and he posted some guards round the walls. Q walked out the gate.. and looked around carefully. Tod said he knew a lot about deaders, so if any of us could find them, he could.
Q was taking awhile... and I felt I had to help, not just cower behind the gates!
I walked out, Tod shouted for me to come back, but I carried on.. I think he followed then. Q was looking round Llast, but I thought they could be back near the river...
I stopped at two blood pools that were on the ground. I thought.. maybe thats those two women... I was mistaken. The darkness was creeping along the path..
Tod and Q had caught up to me by then. My eyes widened fearfully.
Deaders ran out of the darkness toward us! More than two... nearer to twenty!
Q hacked at them with a sword, and I fired some arrows to try and keep them away from Tod and Q. They were both getting battered, and I fired at the ones getting Tod. I shouted to him, to get behind me, but I'm not sure he heard. They were surrounding Q then... I wasn't sure how long he'd last.

I stopped breathing for a moment...
a skeleton it looked like... but glowing green, and holding what looked like a glowing green falchion, was running at me. I pulled out my sword and went to stab it desperately.
I gasped and my sword never reached. I looked down...
and saw the falchion had gone through my stomach and blood dripped on the floor...
Darkness clouded my eyes and I fell to the ground..

Suddenly my eyes were opened and I gasped in some air, looking about startled. What was happening? I saw the guards, too late they came.
They'd raised me back to life. I put a hand to my stomach.. the hole had healed.
I got up and saw Tod standing on the path in front of me. I glanced about. All the deaders were gone... but Q was gone too.
I walked across and we saw a bag... sitting in a pool of blood. Tod said he would check it for traps.. there weren't any because he reached into it and pulled out some gauntlets, he glanced to the guards and they gasped.
They were gauntlets of the Shining Hand.... Q's gloves!
I called across to Tod. I told him, that I thought maybe Q was kidnapped. He said that he probably would have been killed outright, but then he thought I might have been right after some thinking. He thinks that they've been taken by followers of Corath... as they would hate Q for being a Toranite. So, maybe they took him to a temple of Corath, or the crypts in Krandor.
I felt useless, he fought off so many, and I fell to one.
I decided that the two of us have to find him! It's the least I owe him...
Unfortunately, Krandor Crypts have been searched more than once.. and no success... Where is he? Is he even still alive? So many questions bother me.
Tod says he still has nightmares... and I would be lying if I said I didn't too...

-Keppli

*pockets the quill and closes the journal once more*