Pages in a Notebook.

[Cattery]

Today was a terrible day.  No one seemed to want to listen at the last tavern I was at - I could feel the misery oozing from the crowd as they hurled tankards and got into a fist fight even as I sang.  They were so wrapped up in their pain that not even a song could lighten their hearts.

Thank goodness for the innkeeper who snuck me out of there before it became even more ugly.  Pressing a little gold into my hand he told me that things had been bad since the dark times came on them, and it was probably best if I left now, before they 'busted the place up' again.

Oh if only he'd gone into more detail on the dark times - my song still isn't complete.

So here I am, sleeping beneath a hedgerow yet again.  That tavern was the only one for miles around and well, I don't think I could sleep there, given the hullaballoo that was going on there when I left!

I just wish it wasn't raining.

[Cattery]

I suddenly have found myself in the middle of a bard's tale!  If it wasn't happening to me, I'd have laughed and passed the story along to another by a fireside somewhere... but no, it's happening to me.

The dragon looked down at me and told me that he needs my help to defeat a dire enemy named Blood.  Such a sinister name; it would have been that which confirmed this was just a dream borne of sleeping in the open with too many bardic notions floating through my head except that the dream didn't end.

And so I came to Hlint, determined to make a dent.  If the dragon can believe in Ambryn Signe, why can't Ambryn Signe believe in the dragon?

[Cattery]

I've never sung in a band or show together... I wonder what it'll be like?

I met a fellow bard today - Ash Windsong.  Quite an amiable fellow, though he keeps refering to the audience as 'marks' which I've heard before from other denizens of the open roads, but it does depress me so.  I just want to make them happier; bring a little light into their lives.  The gold is secondary, really.

Anyway, I was singing 'Long Dusty Highway' in the local tavern - poor things looked like they needed a spot of entertainment - when he came up and sang the last verses.  I'd given up as my throat was rather dry, then he came and joined me.  He was abandoned by his last group; they left him in the night and took all their instruments.  What a horrible thing to happen to the poor fellow!  I determined then and there that if I could find a local vendor, I'd get him something new to play.  Poor fellow; I mean, I miss playing the violin, but at least I can say that I've never had such a thing happen to me before!

At any rate, he spoke of creating a big show, and of course I expressed an interest in such.  Oh, it's going to be wonderful!

[Cattery]

There was a woman in town - Florah, I think she said her name was - who had a problem.  You see, a dirty werecreature known only as the "Ratman of Hlint" had somehow stolen the tax records for the town and taken them deep into the sewers.  NOT a place I'd prefer to go, but the poor thing was so desperate, my heart just went out to her and so before I knew myself I was promising that I'd find them for her.

Such a dank and nasty place I've not seen in quite some time.  Rats were everywhere, threatening to overwhelm me with their sheer number.  And the smell!  Oh!  If it hadn't been for the small patches of perfect white mushrooms, that place would have been totally without any merit.

Needless to say the rats overcame me before I got anywhere near the so-called rat man.  If it hadn't been for a kindly mage agreeing to help me, I'd never have got anywhere.

Back into the sewers we went, and this time we encountered a pair of fellow travellers seeking the same goal - a human being accompanied by a dwarf.  Such an unlikely pairing was worthy of a song!  But unfortunately the human had been bitten by some spider in the depths, and the venom was coursing through his veins, slowing his movement.  The poor thing!

Well, the dwarf had to leave and was glad, I think, to be able to pass the human to us, and so all together we ventured into the depths.

A locked door stood between us and our goal, but the noble thief that had accompanied us made light work of that!  With a snick the lock fell open, and the worst of the horrors below was laid bare.  A combination of rat and human - a fell beast of loathing - and bravely did the corvine companion of the mage set forth to do battle.

A song on my lips, stirring the others into fighting longer and harder, and we sprang into the fray!  Arrows flew and the blood ran across the floor, bright and red in the so dim light.  And we emerged victorious!

Triumphantly we emerged into the daylight, and proudly bore our prize to the thankful Florah.

What a day!  Will I ever get this smell out of my clothes?

[Cattery]

There's a number of creatures I wouldn't normally associate with here in Hlint.  Creatures that, given that the guards and townsfolk don't kill them on sight that they too must have been brought here by that dragon to help with this Blood character.

Oh, Mother would be furious to see what I've been keeping company with!

Just today I was telling the story of Rakarin the kitchen wench to what appeared to be a half orc fellow.  Oh, he made my skin shiver to look at him, but he enjoyed the tales I spun for him, and that's enough.

Ash wandered by as I was finishing the tale, and he stood by and watched as an appreciative audience.  He was due to go out with a group of others, but when they mentioned going off by sea, he paled quite considerably and flew to the top of the highest point in Hlint - moaning about the coming flood and protesting that he hated water.

Such a show!

I cannot recall now how it happened, but somehow the half orc, Ash and myself got swept away in a party to explore the goblin caves not too far from Hlint.  How do I end up in these dirty places?  But they were evil, and so we did much smiting upon them.  Pure, uncomplicated smiting.

Somehow Ash and I became seperated from our group, and in the dark, huddled together for comfort, we waited, fearing what lay beyond the pale light we had.  The half orc disappeared, and neither of us liking to abandon him, we waited.

Never trust a half orc.  Though he did come back looking for us, the fellow had travelled back to Hlint alone, and had all but abandoned us to our fate.  We only found him again as we determined that we had waited too long, that we would fight our ways back to the surface, if need be.

Fresh air had never been so sweet.

[Cattery]

Walks through the town can have you encounter the most interesting people.  Many seem to gather around the well; a kind of central hub or nexus for the town to gather and greet one another.

It was there I was swept into another party - at least this time it was going to remain in the outside air!

Better than the abortive attempt at the ogres that ended so tragically (the pain is too fresh, I cannot write of it, even now), at least the gnolls in the outskirts of Haven were relatively close by.  Yet they were a definite reminder of how dangerous it is in these days to travel alone.  I couldn't imagine sleeping under a hedgerow now!

A daring party, though I have to question the tactics they used.  It wasn't fair that they lured the poor stupid creatures out one by one, over and over.  But these tactics were at great cost to us anyway.  It also underscored the futility of revenge.  One would fall, and return to exact revenge on those that had so badly wounded him, then would fall again.

I too was badly wounded, but with the thanks of a cleric travelling with us, I survived to tell the tale.

[Cattery]

The flames licked all around me,
And the smoke rose ever higher.
Forward on my face I fell,
To make my funeral pyre.

There was a man on fire in Hlint today!  The poor thing!  I stumbled across him when I was walking through Hlint as is my wont, when I came across a group either trying to put the poor thing out or praising Corath, the Foul.

I stayed well to the back of the gathering, thinking I could perhaps pour my canteen over him, wishing I had a bucket to fill.  But when I said that he was a poor man, I suddenly found the flames erupting around me!

My travelling robes are a mess, though of course little damage was done to me except to my pride.  I dove forward onto my face, meaning to roll to douse the fire, but someone poured a canteen over my body (making my robe so soggy, but I was grateful to them).  Quite a frightful experience, and I was quite tremourous for a time afterwards.

Not even a rinsing of the scorch marks in the pond has done much.  What a pity.  I liked this outfit.

I'm very glad they found the culprit, I have to say.  I never heard who it was.  So the poem above is all I can write based on this experience for now.  With some liberties taken for now - who wants to hear the heroine wasn't harmed, but her dress was a mess?  Come to think of it:

Standing tall, she stood and gazed,
Her eyes reflecting flame,
Her dress was all but kindling,
Her virtue was unstained.

Within the fires tall,
Her form revealed to the world,
But clothed in her own goodness,
In modesty she remained.

Quite nice.  I'll have to work on the cadence of that.

[Cattery]

I should really learn how to be more forthright I suppose, for the sake of the person I'm instructing and for the ears of the world!

I met up with Ash again today; such a silver tongued fellow, but amiable enough (though his attitude towards the "marks" is quite disturbing at times.  Though at least he wants to entertain as well as garner any reward he might have, as opposed to others...).  Strange the places I find people - this was within the cryptyard in Hlint!

To cut a long story short, we ventured into the crypts with two others who simply weren't in the mood to stop and chat (how rude!), and when facing the room where that Darksoul habitually haunts they faltered.  Even though I told them I'd faced the darksoul and all its companions alone, they didn't have the heart for it.  Oh well, I don't blame them for their fear.

After the others had left, Ash and I continued our conversation, meeting a few others on their way into the crypts (why is a graveyard such a hub of activity?  Apart from the dead coming to life again, so many seem to go there to slay them.  How very odd, and disturbing, come to think of it!), or from them.  One just sat and meditated.  I still don't quite know why, but he turned out to be a most scholarly of chaps.  He even follows Aragen; wouldn't Mother be pleased?

Anyway, while we were standing there, Ash suddenly exclaimed aloud - he'd seen an old friend of his disappearing into the crypts.  Apparently he hadn't been himself of late, and Ash was worried for him.  Well of course we followed him in, and quite the fright he looked - black robes and a skull helmet...  When he saw Ash he said something like "I'm not anyone's servant anymore!" and ran from the chamber.

How odd.

We searched all over Hlint for him, Ash expressing a desire to "thwack" him.  I think that was his way to express his fears for his friend, for he never thwacked him when we finally caught up with him (that I saw at any rate).

His friend had changed clothes when I found them; he said that he'd been involved with a cult, but had left after Corath had wanted him to do something.  It was quite sinister, and I have to say that he was rather an odd personage.  I've never seen anyone chasing others around with their violin at the ready before today, and I've seen some very determined bards!  Yet that's exactly what Gale did; I can only wonder what Plen thought of such a thing!

Oh I only hope that Plen didn't take what I said about lies to heart.  It's a bard's calling to create illusion, and I've heard so many others - Mother in particular - calling it the peddling of lies that I guess the concept has stuck in my mind.  I have to say that I prefer the concept of it being an illustration to others of the opening of your spiritual and emotional heart, however.  What an enlightened way of looking at it.  Though I'd never thought of it that way before, now that it's been put in similar terms to me, it really aligns with what I always thought of it as.

As to my opening paragraph.  Well, Gale decided to regale us with a ditty, and I always love to hear new songs, or hear a new tale spun.

I suppose in the moment I applauded him I became a purveyor of lies - I cannot say it was enjoyable.  In fact, it was without flair or panache; he certainly needs to work on his rhythm!

Yet what really disturbs me is his ego.  Ash is also quite arrogant at times, but nothing like Gale's screaming for fame and glory.  It's almost as though he feels he's the best musician on Layonara, and I can already tell him, he isn't.  I guess I need to learn to tell people these things, for the greater good of Barddom in Hlint, if not the rest of Layonara!

At least now I have a handle on where I might get some wood from.  Kalan, the meditator from the crypts who later joined us within the Tavern (before Gale decided to harangue Plen) has turned out to be a craftsman, and has kindly offered to seek wood for me, so that I might make some instruments.  A violin, or even a mandolin would be so wonderful to practise on again.

Such a scholarly man; he does remind me of Mother in some ways, but at least he isn't trying to push his opinions down my throat.

[Cattery]

The Drow have come to Hlint!

They came at night, shifting shadow,
Our hope was all but gone.
But from the darkness came light then,
A hero brought the dawn.

Or at least we can hope that'll be the case!  I haven't actually seen them, though I have heard the rampaging and the death from outside my room in the Inn.  How awful!  If I do see them though, I'll rally the people fighting on with such stirring songs!  I'll help, I'll fight, even if it means my life!  I won't let the good people of Hlint fall!  I won't!

Especially when there's such bruised innocence about.  His name is Tom, the poor wee lamb.  Unwashed, ill fed and obviously ill used, the little mite has said that he was dumped.  He seems to respond well to me - at least he's not running away now when I talk to him.  I gave him a little gold the last time we spoke, and this time I sang him a song.  I don't think he's had much happiness in his life, and it was an honour to get him to smile, even if it was only faintly.

Well, off we go, it's off to sea,
With Ashley and Ambryn singing for me!
The boat went up, the boat went down,
And oh how my luncheon churned right around!

[Cattery]

I cannot believe the way the people in this town are using that poor little boy!

I know, I know - Ashley has told me to calm down, that it might be the same sort of thing as when I saw that woman "using" him for his opinions on fashion - it turned out she was modelling some new clothes for him, and attempting to find out his likes and dislikes, so that what was made was good for him.

I know, I should be reasonable.  But I look at that poor little fellow and ... well, I just see red when I think that he's being mistreated.  And for me to hear that such a small boy came back into town, burned and bleeding after these fools, these imbeciles I keep hearing say "He needs to learn how to fight!  He needs to learn how to survive!" took him out on a fight ... somewhere!

NO I say to them!  He needs to learn how to live!  Survival he's already mastered!  What's wrong with knowing how to love, and be loved?  He needs warmth and succour, to undo the hurts of the past.

I remember how small Mikaean was in my arms.  I remember his warmth, his smile, the way he reached up to touch my face.  Oh how I miss him, but he's gone.  He's gone into a fate I know nothing about.

But Tom... his fate I can help.

I have to try.

[Cattery]

Ashley has humbled me tonight.

He's told me his life story - a drunken father, an unknown mother, a sweet mentor and a betraying lover.

I know the power of words, how well they can be twisted into sweet nothings meant to ensnare and capture the unwary heart - how well I do know that!  But there was something of Ashley's story that was raw, powerful; it was truth I heard, or at least as truthful as a bard can be without embellishment.

No one here knows my story, and though I do intend to keep it that way, I have to wonder at times whether I could tell it in less covert ways as I do now.  My heart is heavy within me at times as I think of all I gave up, all I lost, but then I think of what I've gained and I'm happy.

I should write a song about Ashley.  With his permission, of course.  This pond above Haven is a most beautiful place.  And I thought I saw the strangest thing in it... a smiling old man with blue hair.  Ambryn, taken away by story once again, I think!

[Cattery]

A Perfect Silver Circle

Chorus:
A perfect circle of silver  *a note here reads "perfect silver circle?"*
Hope within an eternal ring.
Looking through this circle of silver
Past and future; equal seen, still might be.  *pencilled beside this, "The future captured in this thing?"*

Verse 1:
The stars above so clear and bright,
The sky of love was clear.
By the dark pond we lay there,
Taking comfort each was near.

Verse 2:
The question was so simple,
I knew it must be said,
For my heart was aching,
Without her I was dead.

~Chorus.~

Verse 3:
But the breeze it was so gentle
And sleep, it came so soon.
I dreamed of her, such beauty,
So pale beneath the moon.

Bridge:
But oh my love you do me wrong.
My heart it lies asunder
For in dark night you took all I was,
And left me here in ruins.

Verse 4:
All I had is gone now,
My heart, my life, my muse.
She's taken all I had but just...

Coda.
One perfect silver circle,
A symbol of lost love,
A hollow piece of metallic hope
All crumbled into dust.


I've not written about this before. I find it hard. My hands have gone numb as I think about writing these lyrics - such a strange feeling. My heart judders in my chest, but I guess I have to face it sometime. The music would be dischordant, I know. I hear it in my head; I'll write it in manuscript, but I think the lyrics are going to be the most important thing here. For me, at any rate.

The Emptiness Inside *a small scrawled note asks "Change title?"*

New life, new hope
The bud upon dead tree
The life in strangler vine
Born out of fire, of rage
Hatred spawned, love redeemed
The heartbeat beneath mine.

The void inside aches so slow
A hole in spirit, in mind.
Torn apart; a life in twain
Always missing, never whole again.

Terror spawned, born of pain,
The night penetrates dark spaces.
But light burns away darkness
And love can reclaim all.
Innocence lost and innocence found
Sweet loving in blue eyes.

*a small note at the bottom reads "Change order of verses"*

[Cattery]

Well!  Such a day of meetings and greetings I've seldom had in these latter days in Hlint!

First of all there was Remiel.  Such a nice man, and able to wear his Celestial heritage in pride.  I wish that I could, but after Mother all but cast me from the Signes, I know that to admit to any of them what I really am would set them against me as well.  I am what I am, I know I'm not what they would consider worthy of the appellation "Aasimar" - "Too chaotic for her own good", that's what Mother used to call me, before she called me all those other names.

Anyway, Remiel is a good man, and singing him that little song about Great-great-great Grandmother made me feel a bit better.  Maybe I didn't tell such an overt lie to him; I know he was realising what I was.  Mother always told me to be careful in letting people know how 'far above them' I was; I don't think a crowded tavern would have been the best place for such an overt revelation!

It's strange how things turn.  Not a long time after Remiel had told me to look out for the great bard Ozymandias, then the man...? elf...?  came up to me in the bar, and firstly congratulated me on my performance (I hadn't even noticed he was there), and then that he would be gratified if I would perform for him one evening.  Listening to the conversation about him before he arrived makes me inclined to think he isn't the most good person on Layonara, but if performing for him will bring a little happiness to himself and everyone around, I don't mind that.  Though I do know what other kinds of 'performing' women bards are sometimes asked to do.  But I'm raving now; I doubt the great Ozymandias would want that!

And then Quin, myself and the elf Anadelonbrin went for an explorative walk around about the local towns.  Anadelonbrin is a rather sweet person; he doesn't speak common much at all, and I gave him a gift of a translative tome a few weeks back that he seems to have taken to rather well!  His common is coming along rather well, though at times it's difficult to understand what the poor fellow means.

And Quin.  Such a noble spirit.  He does definitely embody the old tales of those who would throw away their lives to help others.  He threw himself at those orcs to give us time to get away, and I know he would do so again to ensure our safety.  He showed us hospitality and such kindness; such a noble man.

I do feel rather guilty though.  I wonder how young Tom is going along.  It feels like forever since I saw him last.

[Cattery]

Entry:

After my last misadventures with Quin and his new beaux Mirren (well, they seem so good together, I wouldn't be surprised if the fellow has become smitten with her.  I don't know her well enough to be able to speak similarly, though Ash has mentioned she seems rather sad.  Perhaps they can make each other happy?  Oh, I hope so!), I have made a new purchase - a rather smelly, yet quite functional chain shirt.  If any spider bites me now, it can blunt its fangs on that!

So I'll have to go get it altered so I can wear it over the top of my travelling robes.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Entry:

Oh, the drawing of the House in Krandor lottery was so exciting!  I stayed with Quin for most of it, though he did wander off through part of it - I wonder if he was actually going for a secret tryst with his beaux?  If so, it wasn't long before he was back.

Well, I didn't win anything, but I think I'll have to have a word with Plen the next time I see him.  It didn't look like he's taken the money from my account!  And well, I didn't mind not winning.  After all, it was to help that I did it, not for the gain.  What would I do with the majority of the things they were giving away?

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Entry:

Oh, poor Tom!

I was in the guild house, having my armour adjusted (Why does everyone recommend I wear red these days?  Mother would take it as a mark of me being a scarlet woman.) when I saw the poor thing, scratched, bleeding, and naked as the day he was born.  My heart just went out to him - he barely knew what was going on, where he was, and he was back to being so scared.

He barely recognised me, but he did allow me to hug him before he scurried off, the sweet child.  He told me that bad people had come and taken him away again - the same people who hurt him in the first place?  That makes me so angry - if I meet these people they'll know what the wrath of a Signe is like!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Entry:

Anadelonbrin seems to be taken in by my constant bleating about bugs.  I despise the creatures, of course - they're horrid! - but it's true what Ash said - it does make for a more receptive audience.  And I'm not lying.  Ugh!  I hate them!

[Cattery]

Why I wandered away from the party I'll perhaps never know.  Perhaps it was the utter sense of being overwhelmed by falling to those giants that caused me to wander.

You see, I was standing in the middle of Hlint, pondering on what to do once I'd finished my business in the bank when a halfling named Sago ran past, stopped and asked me if I wanted to go help them find a missing woman - and something about deer.  I said of course, though I did wonder how he knew me; I mean, I don't think we've been introduced!

So I went, and such a jolly party it was!  Even though there were a few members who joined us that were a bit odd, it was quite a jouvial bunch who set out on the road to Fort Hope.

We made our ways there and found the woman in question - but it turned out that it wasn't the woman who was missing, it was actually her deer.  Pure white deer, that could teleport all across the continent!

And so we set out, and how those deer got into some of those places was just beyond me!  On a boat out to sea was the strangest one; how Eloril was thrown out to get it by Derrick, I think it was - quite amusing.

But it was in Shoufal in the Berhagen Mountains that the party came to grief.  First Sago fell, and after a time for prayer, we tried carrying his limp body from the mountains.  But then the giants came, and we were overwhelmed.  I awoke, dazed and confused, on a ridgetop overlooking the mountains, surrounded by the sorrowing party.

Yet how I came to end up alone in the town of Shoufal I cannot rightly say.  These blackouts seem to be happening more and more often; all I can say is that I'm glad that the giants didn't catch me when I was wandering heedlessly.

Quin had been a part of our party, and when he realised that I was no longer with them, he sent out a search party - he and Celgar came charging to my rescue, and wasn't I just the luckiest damsel in distress to have such a gallant pairing coming for me?

Celgar is a strange person.  I do need to write a song about he and his constructs sometime.

[Cattery]

There are whisperings in Hlint of strange things happening.  Liches and wraiths, red clouds erupting from the crypts, talk of who to trust and who not to.

A chance meeting in the crypts has earned me a potential job, though I still don't know the depths of it - information, she said; a honeyed word given in the right ear to find out things unknown.

Dark times are coming; I suppose all I can do is keep reminding people of the light.  Music is such a strong force.

Speaking of such, I've started teaching little Tom how to sing.  He's coming back again, less scared, though the gaps in his memory are frightful.  He has a most amazing young voice, like a little angel.  I hope that the music will give him a guide into light, and take the darkness away from him.

[Cattery]

There are times of joy and of wonder,
And other times of fear.
Storms are gathered on the pass,
The time of change is here.

The stormclouds gather over the south; dark times are coming.  I don't know what it is - I have this feeling that someone or something is coming with it; I don't know what it is.  Too many bardic fancies, or a deeper sense of what is happening?  I don't know; I can't rightly say anymore.

It started out innocently enough for me - a trip to Port Hampshire for some shopping, with a small detour to see if Quin was home in Krandor.  He was, though he was on his way to Point Harbour and so my visit was curtailed.  But he did accompany me to the Port, picking up Mirren along the way.  They make such a lovely couple; I do hope they do read what's in each other's hearts, I really do.

Anyway, after seeing Quin and Mirren off on their ship to Rilara, wandering around there, seeing what was on offer in the stores, I saw a group of people clustered in an area on the docks.  Celgar was there, as well as a number of people I didn't know.  But being the nosy bard I am, I wandered over to find that a book had washed up upon the shore, and was supposedly some kind of magical tome.

A tome of desires, a book of wishes...  How very strange.  A bardic fancy I was curious about, at the very least.  So when they were asking for a simple thing that couldn't get us into trouble as a testing wish, I wished for lunch.  Well, I was rather hungry by then and hadn't a gold coin to press against another!  However another there, Xia by name, asked for a purple lute.  What a novel idea - so I requested one as well, though not quite such an outlandish colour!

The wish was duly inscribed into the book, carefully worded by Celgar to ensure that no threat could be made of it.  Though somewhere along the line he changed it to make it that we met the author in a peaceful mood, and so a smilng older man appeared, introducing himself as Athul, and made the book fly into his hands!

Wishing to know his story and how these books (for there are many, he told us) came about, he bade us follow him and we were taken to what he called a 'pocket' - a ray of light in the darkest abyss.  There was nothing; no light, no sound, no matter; within that space except for our tiny eyot of illumination; and there we sat, listening to his tale of dealing with demigods and the strivings against one another they wage, in mischief and other means much more dire.

Milara, he said, was the one seeking greatest dominion, and as though to prove this, he sent "guests" - fiends from the darkest places which our merry companions set to.  With a song on my lips stirring them into battle, they showed their true bravery, and they slew the foul things.

Apparently this pleased Athul, for he asked us to make a delivery for him - we were to go into the dark crypts of Storan and take a letter and pendant to him.  And so we found ourselves back on the docks in Port Hampshire - only the sky was dark now, and the weather vicious.  Yet we trudged on, and through valour, deed, and pluck, made our way to the crypt.

Things weren't quite as we expected when we arrived.  Though we had prepared for death, the scene was much more plain when we arrived.  A female sat behind a desk, her teeth pointed, her skin deathly pale, and she asked if we had an appointment to see Storan.  We said no, but we had a delivery to make.  I cannot speak for the party, but I know that this wasn't exactly what I'd been lead to believe it would be like!

However Storan arrived - dark, foul thing! - called out for by this female, but was surprisingly civil.  Indeed, he was quite colloquial in speech and form, and accepted our delivery with relative good grace.

And so, confused and one of our party more than upset by the atmosphere she found herself in - poor Xia, she needed the cleaner air and the memory of life and light to get over her shakes - we left, and there was Athul, waiting for us!  With a smile and a metaphorical pat on the head he sent us on our way, and so we trudged our weary way to the increasingly dark Hlint.

As I've stated, by this time I didn't have two coins to rub together, so I made do sitting in a nice warm nook in the bar, nodding off over a piece of bread Yastin gave me, knowing I'd be good for it as soon as I was flushed with funds again.

But tumult sounded outside my small bubble of warmth, and so I left my cozy haven of rest to see what the matter was.

Oh, trouble and strife has come to Hlint!  The red fog I saw with Brisbane so long back had spread, enveloping the graveyard and was boiling from the sewers!  Stormclouds lowered overhead while the red fog drew the life from any who approached it without the proper holy wards.

Yet like twin beacons of light did Celgar and Plenarius step forth, bringing the very sun from the heavens above to burn away the taint of evil from the land, making it safe for those of us of lesser brilliance to step forth and search.  Gathering in a group, we went into the dank sewers, searching for a cause, or an emination point.

Fog still swirled thickly in the dankest places; hints of foul deeds in the dark.  Ink and parchment left about indicated meeting places of the darkest covens, but Plen - beacon for Mother Katia - was able to clear the taint.

But woe!  In the cellars of this very tavern I write in, this place of comfort and haven for so long there have been meetings of a fell brood... and it was here that the taint tried to claim me.  Weakened, I fell, the faint that has taken me before reclaiming my mind, but never my spirit.  My light may have been dimmed a while, but never has it gone out.

I awoke here in the inn, my room and board paid for by some unknown benefactor - perhaps Plen, or Bris, given their kind hearts, but there was much more they had to think of in these dark days than the comfort of a giddy bard who strayed too close to her story.  I would thank them though, some day.

[Cattery]

This harp that Ashley gave me is just gorgeous!  I know he'll be expecting me to play it for him sometime, but I just can't let myself be seen in public until I have mastered it!

It's been so long since I've played, all my callouses have softened and my fingers are bleeding all the time.  But, I'll rehearse as much as I can until my callouses have redeveloped and I have some beautiful music to play for the good people of Hlint.  And the not so good ones too.

I wonder how I can repay him for this?  I know that ... wait, I remember Quin saying something once about instruments, asking if I played, then when I told him I didn't have anything to play he said something about "He hasn't given...?"  He quickly cut off what he was going to say, but I suppose I'll have to ask Ashley where he got this from.  I wonder this is linked, or if it's a bard's fancy again.

I know that he's grateful to me for listening to him.  I'm not sure why - I mean, he knows that's what bards do.

But writing in this isn't getting my rehearsing done!  I wonder if Yastin wonders sometimes at the noises coming from in here!

[Cattery]

It's been too long, journal, since I wrote in you.  Since I had the heart to even think about my old travels, since I remembered my old friends and the trials and tribulations in and around Hlint.

My heart dies within me here, journal.  Mother insists I remain now that I've returned, but I didn't come back to see her and "reclaim myself as an Aasimar" as she says.  I had to see him again, but of course Mother would use him as a trap for me.  You can justify anything in the name of Good, can't you, Mother?

The sweet whisper of wind in the trees
Call to me, ever call to me.
My life out beyond forever denied to me.
Calls ever out to me.