# "Healing Moments" with Alyra Kyne



## Brimshack (Apr 8, 2008)

Okay, I’ve been meaning to write up the campaign I am running while we experiment with our own RPG for Crunch-Waffle, but I’ve been too busy writing and rewriting the rules for the game to get anything about the individual games written up. It’s been a lot of fun, but I’ll refrain from describing the system and see what comes through the narrative. Anyway, with a new (relatively complete) draft of the game, and a new group of characters, now isn’t a bad time to try and do a litte story-telling. 

I’ll use post # 2 here as a Table of Contents. I’ll be doing this in the first person, using one of the characters to tell the story. Comments and Questions are welcome.


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## Brimshack (Apr 8, 2008)

Table of Contents

Post # 1: Intro.
Post # 2: Table of Contents.
Post # 3: Alyra’s Introduction.
Post # 4: A Meeting with Lord Methgar and Carla has Issues.
Post # 5: …in which several people die.
Post # 6: Requiem for Sir Hockinslots.
Post # 7: Carla's Blade and My Bloody Dress.
Post # 8: A Heartfelt Confession.
Post # 9: An Icky Place.
Post # 10: Auguring the Grapevine.
Post # 11: Louie the Mog.
Post # 12: The Price.
Post # 13: Michael Asks for Seconds (The Brothel, Part I).
Post # 14: Over-Friendly with Axes (The Brothel, Part II).
Post # 15: My Name Was August (The Brothel, Part III).
Post # 16: Dressed as a Schoolboy (The Brothel, Part IV).
Post # 17: Losing My Joy.
Post # 18: Our Inner Selfish.
Post # 19: Seamus Stands Outside.
Post # 20: Hope Left the Room.
Post # 21: Ugly Curtains.
Post # 22: Gable One-Eye.
Post # 23: My Inner Miffed.


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## Brimshack (Apr 8, 2008)

Hey there!

My name is Alyra Kyne, and I am so really, really pleased that you’re reading my journal. I hope you find it to be a nourishing experience and a genuine opportunity for growth and healing. With your help and support, I know I'll become a better person for writing it, and I sure hope you feel the same about reading it.

This is so wonderful!

Okay, I wish I could tell you that the whole thing was all apples and puppies, but I’m afraid there are some real sad moments in this story. But you just hang in there with me and we’ll make the sun smile bright all over everything. …kay? So, you just pour yourself something healthy and wholesome to drink and let’s get started on our healthy-learning kinda journey now.

It’ll be fun!

Alright, we have to start with kind of a frown, but just hang in there we’ll find some puppy-dogs and sunshine moments soon enough. Just remember, you are my reader and I love you. …kay?

It all started with stories of a major brawl up on the north side of town. There is a dingy little inn about a half mile up the coast from the docks. Word was that a group of monsters stomped into town and fought it out with Gable One-Eyes gang. Word has it that the Gable One Eyes boys didn’t do very well at all, and a whole bunch of them weren’t around to lick their wounds when it was all over, if you know what I mean. So, the monsters are supposedly down from the city of Kaenesdovl and they ended up sleeping the night at the dingy inn.

…okay, I would tell you the name of the Inn, but it’s really gross, and I just don’t like to think about things like that. It’s not healthy.

So, anyway the whole city (it’s called “Pflorendrine," by the way) is wondering why a bunch of monsters from a rival city are having a fight with the biggest gang in the dock area on the North side of town, but when it turns out the monsters are allowed to sleep it off in town that really set the rumor mill to churning. Now I don’t normally engage in such things, but sometimes gossip is important work. It’s what everyone wanted to know about, all day and all night for a whole day people were just talking about the big iron creature and the giant and all the other bad things in there. Some folks even said the monsters had been pillaging the whole countryside for weeks. This one guard said there were no farmers left in the hinterlands to the north side of town. They were all killed. So, people were really shocked to learn the guards didn’t try and get rid of these bad creatures. Oh heckles! The guards even protected them. That was waaaaay strange, and everyone in the whole city wanted to know what was up. Were we on the verge of an invasion? Was the rest of the army on its way? And …all of my gosh! What if our own nobility had conspired to surrender. I’m telling you everyone was worried we might be sold into slavery, the whole town. Oh, oh, oh! This whole situation was really for the birds.

Not that I have anything against birds, I mean. We really shouldn’t wish bad things on birds like that, but, you know what I mean. May the gods forgive me, …and the birds! I really was scared when I heard about these events. 

So, then there was this huge battle in the center of town the next night, and I know the big monsters were involved, and like at least two nobles from inside the city were in it too. We all heard the fighting, but I didn’t get a chance to learn who was mean to whom and how bad. I did hear something about a little girl… No, you don’t need to read that. That’s awful! I still hope it isn’t true, and I won’t make it happen on the paper, not while there is still hope!

And I do hope! Please gods, please, PLEASE don’t let it be true.

…well, anyway, I warned you that there was a lot of badness and frowning in this story. Sometimes there are even tears. I’m crying right now, my dear reader, and I hope you are with me. That poor girl!

Well anyway, the next day I was summoned to the house of my sponsor, Lord Methgar. Now Methie, …that’s what I call him, Methie isn’t real big on swords and bows and other mean stuff. He’s mostly a merchant. He makes money trading all sorts of fun stuff to other ports and things. He sends balsa wood up North and wheat from the hinterlands out to the islands. He’s a great guy, really, and he helps a lot of us to adjust to this terrible place.

Because you know, this whole world is a really, REALLY, terrible place. Almost nobody is born here. We all just show up sometime, because of some awful magic that brings us from our home worlds. The sun here never gets real bright; it just kinda stays a little off the horizon. Big monsters hunt people in the outer areas and it’s all just one big mean place that everyone wants to leave. Only no-one ever gets anywhere, cause no-one knows why we’re here or how to get back, so we all just make do and live here till something really bad happens and we die.

I miss my Daddy.

Well anyway, Methie is one of the people that tries to help. He says, what the heckles, if we’re gonna live in this dump we might as well try to live large. Okay, he doesn’t say it quite like that, but you get the idea. So, he makes money and then he uses the money to help those of us really-really new to this bad place adjust and get along. He’s been paying my room and board for a couple months now while I learn how to find my smile again. Let me tell you, the transition was really rough, but I’ve been working on the whole vision thing. I’ve been trying to vision my happy place here. Usually, I think my happy place is home where I used to be, but that’s just stinky to think about, so I find this nice little tree that grows in the main park, and it’s even got a couple flowers near it sometimes, and I think about that being my happy place, and I’m a little better. I’ve even been learning to share my happy thoughts with others.

Just like you!

So, anyway, Methie summoned me and, it turns out, a few other people to his big house. I guess he figured I was ready to help others. You know how you start with yourself and then you learn to be a bright light shining rays of warmth on everyone about you. Well, I guess I was starting to flicker a bit, and he wanted to see if I could help.

Big smile!

Okay, it’s more of a hope than a happy ending, but you take your happy places where you find them. I’ll write more when I have time. Till then,

Warmth in your soul and health in your heart!
Love
- Alyra.


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## Brimshack (Apr 8, 2008)

All of my Goshes! Did she just take that candle stick? Right in front of Lord Methgar, she did this. She tried to take the candle stick without him seeing it. Only, like EVERYONE saw it, including Lord Methgar. He’s sitting there trying to explain to us why we have all been summoned, and giving us an important save-the-world-or-at-least-the-city kind of mission. And this woman that I have never met before decides to steal a candle stick from him. Can you imagine! …and I have to work with her now. I couldn’t even figure out what to say. Neither can Methie. He just stares all blank for a minute and then tells us all good luck. You could tell he was still thinking about it as we left. And the crazy girl walks out with the candle tucked in her pants and shirt, like she actually managed to get it there without anyone noticing. Most of us were in shock, except thankfully, the two knights, neither of whom seemed to know what had happened. And we file out into the street with all 6 of us, and a gosh-be-frowned candle stick. I mean, WOW! The nerve of some people.

…okay, so fine. We all have our issues. And my new friend obviously has hers. We’ll just have to work with her a little I guess. Her name is Carla Dane. Carla is a really beautiful woman. She has the most spectacular body. She carries some light weapons, doesn't wear armor, and her dress is just a little revealing, but I mean why not. "Bless others with what's been blessed of you!" That's what I always say. Such a beautiful body, and such a wounded spirit! To want a candle stick that badly. It's just sad.

I think there is hope for her yet. Carla just has to find her inner niceness just as I had to find my inner strength. We’ll just have to give her time, and I’ll be sure and help her with it. And when we get done dealing with her whole stealing thing, then maybe we can work on her fear of dirt, because let me tell you it was tiresome. We go into a bar and first she cleans the chair, then she cleans the table, then she cleans herself, and then the chair again, because something fell on it when she cleaned the table. And then she cleans herself again before sitting down. Do you know, she made the waitress bring her four dinner plates so she could select one? Then she told the poor dear to clean that one anyway. And all this before she tries to steal something from the place and gets us kicked out before we can eat our dinner. Oh My Rumbling Tummy! That woman is going to be a handful.

But first we have to work with the gnome. The gnome is beautiful inside and out I tell you. It's just amazing what that little body can pack. Between her and Carla I have to say, and yes I'm a little ashamed of this, I was double checking myself in the mirror this morning. I mean thay are just so awesome, and me a plane jane in a 2-year old dress. I mean, I clean up nice, but I don't look anything like these women. They are just soooo beautiful. Especially the gome. Did I tell you, her name is Patty?

Anyway, I tell you Patty is REALLY terrified of water. When we went to the docks, Patty couldn’t even go near the water. She didn’t even want to look at it. But at least Patty has some signs of spirit. She’s a vegetarian, you know. She doesn't even like to look at meat, and she certainly doesn't eat it. I admire that. I mean, I really, really, REALLY admire that about her. I think she is onto something. Why burden your spirit with dead animals? It has got to be a healthier way of living. I just may have to follow in her footsteps one day. Short girl but a big soul. I hardly know Patty, and already I am so proud of her.

I hope you are too.

But I am getting ahead of the story. You probably want to know what Methie told us don’t you? Well, he said that there was a great evil coming to the city and he wanted us to look into it. There were 6 people in that room (including the Carla and her new candle-stick, myself, and Patty, the veggie-Gnome). There were also two fledgling knights (Seamus O’Seue and Sir Leugenteufel den Hockinshlots, IV) and a little furry guy. We asked the furry guy his name and it just stuttered a bit, and didn’t say anything at all. So, like all 6 of us are kind of new and not very powerful, so you might wonder why they chose us, you know, because like somebody more powerful might be more effective than a bunch of young upstarts. 

And actually, I am wondering that too.

Well, anyway, for the moment were just supposed to be investigating. We were told that a ship that had come into the harbor recently was carrying something evil on it, so we were sent to the docks to check up on the whole thing. …and to work with the Gnome on overcoming her fears. The poor thing! Bless her little pointy-eared heart, she really did try to go to the water, but I’m afraid she just couldn’t do it. Well, save that victory for another day. With all the love I’m going to give her, she’ll do just fine.

…and I know, you love her too. Don’t you? 

I mean, with all of us in her corner, how can she fail!?! I see her swimming one day. Really I do. I’m already proud of that.

So, anyway, we head over to the docks and the gnome starts to sweat, poor little sweet-heart. We see the boat out there; it’s called the Slolem, and it looks pretty harmless. But Methie said he knows there is something evil on board. So, we talked a bit, and no-one wanted to row on out to visit them, least of all our sweet little gnome. So, Carla decides to talk to the Harbor Master and she goes over and tells him we’re here to investigate the boat, because it’s bringing evil into the city. She asks if they have been trying to unload anything bad on the docks.

The Harbor Master says; “You mean like cotton?”

“…because they were unloading cotton all day yesterday. If only I’d known the cotton was evil, I’d have called out the city defenses.” Carla asked if he had noticed anything unusual, and he told her aside from nefarious thread fiber, he hadn’t noticed anything particularly alarming, but he did suggest that we take our investigation inland and be on the lookout for any malicious textiles that could result from the cotton of terror. As we were leaving, he called out something about needing help protecting the harbor from the Bananas of Chaos on the ship next over. 

I don’t think Carla wanted to talk to him anymore.

So, we ended up at an Inn for the night. I paid for the lot of us, because Methie was uncharacteristically tight fisted and didn’t give us a budget, and because my new companions need to work on visioning their generosity a bit more. So be it. 

I don’t mind.

Well anyway, so we come down the next morning and order breakfast, and that’s when Carla decides to try and take home a souveneir and we end up out on the street. She tried it at the next place too, but I caught her before anyone else did, and (thankfully) I was able to smooth it over without having to leave early. I was hungry, and the furry thing was beginning to gnaw at my dress and chew at Sir Hockinslots boot. It just makes me so mad that she couldn’t at least wait until after the little yarn boy had eaten before she decides to get creative with her cutlery placement. I was going to say something to her, but I just couldn’t find the words. So, I spent the lunch visioning myself as a courageous and forthright person. Hopefully, I can one day find the right words to reach my new friend’s inner respectfulness.

I can heal her, I know it.

We tried to listen to the grape vine for info on the Slolem and its crew. We even tried shaking the grape vine, and all I can say is that our gossip gathering skills were most certainly lacking that morning. Not that gossip is ever anything to brag about, but my goshes, it sure would have been handy at the time.

We tried, but we just couldn’t learn ANYTHING.

Till we got our tip.

Oh, I will tell you all about it next time.

Warmth in your soul and health in your heart!
Love,
Alyra.


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## Brimshack (Apr 9, 2008)

Okay, I really really, really, truly believe that we make our own worlds. Whatever you think, fear, imagine, or hope for, those are the things that will eventually happen to you. It’s true. You create your own reality, just by imagining it. I know it’s hard to accept, but once you grasp this very important fact, everything is just so much more clear.

That’s how I know that someone in our party must have been afraid of an ambush. That’s right. Someone hadn't been keeping it positive in the noggative, if you know what I mean. When the guy we met on the street told us to come to the abandoned warehouse off pier 3, we thought maybe we’d gotten a big break, but, well you know what happens when you let fear rule your thoughts. I mean I suppose it might seem gullible just walking in there like that, but hey, I believe in giving people the benefit of the doubt, you know. Sometimes you just have to give people a chance and hope for the best.

I’m not angry about this; I’m just disappointed.

First they let the Gnome inside the warehouse. So, Patty slides through the door and then they opened the door just wide enough for all of us to slide on in. You could only see just enough because of a couple torches ensconced in the wall. What the light revealed was a dusty dingy building. It had a dank fishy smell, which was all the worse because the windows had been recently boarded up for some reason. Hoestly, you could almost see the stink it was so bad, just hanging in the air like that. The only other way in or out of the building was a door at the opposite end. And there are these two guys just standing there, asking us if we’re the ones who want to know about the Slolem. One of them had a sword and the other just had this big cudgel.

The place stank so badly. It was aweful!

After the door closed, the two guys started getting kinda rude, and I could hear someone rustling just outside the door behind us. There was this soft kinda sound like a ‘clunk’ near the door you know, and my heart just decided to visit the bottom of my feet. It was a really bad feeling, you know. I tried to force the thoughts from my mind, but I’m afraid I already knew in my heart it was too late. Oh, I hope that moment of fear didn’t bring it about! Honestly, I think it was already happening. A bunch more people started to come though the door on the other end of the warehouse. One of them was an archer and the rest were thugs with various edges, points, and heavy things. One was a gnome, but not like ours. This one was mean, and he had a spear. I mean, why would they need all those guys just to talk to us about a merchant vessel? This was not a happy moment. It was a fishy-dust-and-a-mean-guy-kinda-feeling- claustrophobic moment.

I really don’t like moments like that.

We talked a bit more, but everything was so negative from that point foreword. The main guy wanted to know why we were asking questions about the Slolem, and I tried to envision a happy peaceful ending, but I just couldn’t make it happen. In the end, the main thug-leader said a bad word and told his people to kill us all. So, everyone drew weapons real quick.

I was so scared. I’m just standing there wondering if I really heard what I think I heard and everyone else is pulling out all these weapons and things. I wanted to cry. And I wanted to wake up sooooo badly.

The leader of thugs was a little slow getting his own weapon out and our stuttering stringy creature got to him before anything else could happen. Man that little muppet-guy can move. We have to work on visioning his words a bit, but he was really, really, REALLY fast, and got the drop on the mean man with the potty mouth right quick. The little furball scratched him up a little, and then Carla knicked the same guy with her own blade. Then one of the knights, Sir Hockinslots, hit him real hard with a sword. The bad guy was weaving and holding his side. There was blood everywhere. I knew big boss thug wouldn’t be much danger at that point, but all his other guys were like getting big in their boots and coming for us.

And then the bad guys closed in. One of them got to me before I could react. I tried to prepare some healing magic, but the man was swinging an axe at me and all I could do was try to keep my staff in the way of that thing. He hit me several times. The first strike was really nasty. He opened up a wound in my hand completely splitting it from between the middle and index finders half way back to my wrist. I have never felt anything like it in my life. Honstly, it hurt all the way to my little toes. Really. I am getting tears in my eyes just thinking about it. I would have screamed if I could, but I had no breath. All I could do was to try and block his next attack with my staff, but now I was doing that one handed. I thought about casting healing magic, but that would have given him a chance to hurt me again. Besides, I couldn’t concentrate at all just then. So, I just tried to fight him through my tears. By ‘fight’ I mean ‘block’ of course. That’s about all I could do at that point.

I remember seeing the gnome casting tricky spells out of the corner of my eye and I’m told they worked. She convinced some of the enemy to attack each other, if only for a moment. And I remember the little stuttering fur-ball chasing the enemy archer around. That was actually kind of funny. I was in so much pain and danger, and I still couldn’t help but laugh watching our angry bundle of lint chase that poor guy around the battlefield. It’s ironic that anything could be funny in a situation like that, but I guess you just had to be there. Not that I would wish that on you, but, well you know what I mean. The Archer shot at me once when he had a chance, but it got stuck in my spell pouch and only cut me a little. Next to my hand, the arrow wound made little impression. Carla fought hard, as did the two knights.

Sir Hockenslots was in trouble, I remember that. He had about 3 guys all over him (a swordsman on either side and an axe-guy in the middle), and they just kept cutting him a little at a time. Finally, one of them opened a great slash wound in his right side. He could barely defend himself. I noticed this as I tried to fend off my own attacker. But Sir Hocklinlsots only had a great big sword; he didn’t have any Armor (I did say that he was a fledgling knight), and now he could barely swing the blade around around. Poor guy, I just loved him so much, fighting bravely like that through all that pain.

The axe man cut me again, you know. This time, he got his axe into my shoulder. It cut really deep and I could feel my bones breaking apart, and it hurt SO bad. Fortunately, it was the same arm as the hand that he already maimed, so I could still use my one hand for defense, but I could hardly move at this point and there was blood everywhere. This time I screamed. I screamed so loud the man hitting me actually winced. I think I hurt his ears. I didn’t mean to, it just hurt so much (…not that he didn’t deserve it. I mean, it really was his fault). Goshes, it just hurt so bad! I couldn’t even see for a moment, just stars, and when my vision was back in its proper place I could see that all my companions were off helping the gnome. 

Can you believe it?

I really like Patty, which is why I’m a little ashamed to say that I resented her for a moment there. But honestly! I was about to die, and everyone was over there making sure not one enemy got anywhere near little miss short and curvy. I thought for just a moment that they were going to let that basta... guy with the axe (I’m sorry, I will watch my words better in the future) ...kill me. I mean, he was really really really going to kill me. I could hardly defend myself now, and nobody was helping me. I just, I felt all somehow!

…anyway, the guy with the axe, it seemed like they were just going to let him kill me while everyone took care of Patty. You can understand, I’m still feeling just a little negative about this. It’s not nice, I know, but sometimes you just have to own up to your bad places. I have them too. Yes, I do.

So, anyway, they were all helping Patty.

Everyone except Hockinslots, I mean. He still had 3 enemies, and they kept chipping away at him. I saw it all, because he was just a couple feet in front of me. The swordsman on his left was hurt from the first part of the battle, but the one on his right decided to finish him off with one big shot. I saw him wind up for a big nasty blow, and I just knew that was the end. The swordsman reared back just a little too much, I guess he wanted to hit really hard and Sir Hockinslots managed to get his sword around just in time. Hockinslots didn’t just block the strike though, he jabbed his sword right into the man’s chest. He didn’t penetrate too far, not enough to kill the man, but it completely stopped the attack, and you could tell the swordsman was badly hurt. He wouldn’t be quite so effective in the future. Unfortunately, the Axe wielding thug was perfectly healthy. He managed to take a chunk out of Hockinslots thigh, and that looked really bad. Poor Hockinslots, he cried out for just a moment there. I felt so bad for him. But there he was, actually faint from loss of his own blood, facing three terrible bad guys, one of whom was perfectly healthy. I just knew Sir Hockinslots wouldn’t last long.

And all our friends were busy hacking away at the single opponent who almost got a little near Patty. I just couldn’t believe it. It looked like our companions were going to let Hocky and I just die. I was so mad at them!

So, a couple enemy were already down, and that included the really rude leader-guy, but apparently he wasn’t that important, because the rest of the bad guys didn’t blink an eye when he went down. They just kept coming. I thought maybe we were going to win, but I didn’t think ‘we’ would include Hocky and I by the time it was all over. I was just on the verge of giving up when suddenly a bunch of my friends rushed over and joined me against the guy with the axe. I saw Patty trick one of the fighters into finishing the swordsman on the left side of Hockinslots, so he had a better chance. And within just a moment, the axe guy (the one on me) was in so much trouble he stopped attacking me and just tried to defend himself. It took a moment for me to realize this, but I actually had a chance of seeing the sunset for myself that evening. I felt so ashamed of my earlier thoughts.

They care about me. They really care! Oh things were looking up all of a sudden and I felt like things might actually come out alright. 

I looked up and saw the axe wielding thug directly in front of Hockinslots take a big wind up swing. The thug was healthy and Hockinslots was suffering a lot of pain. Still the axe wielder couldn’t quite handle the weight of his weapon all that well, not like a skilled fighter. So, he moved a little too slow, and Sir Hockinslots actually managed to block it. Can you believe that!?! Our beautiful young knight, hanging on by a thread, actually managed to fend off that attack. I thought surely, he was done for, but my beautiful new friend just had too much heart to go down like that. “Hang on Hockinslots,” I thought, “Little Patty will save you if you can just manage another minute.” 

So, I saw the last swordsman lunge at Sir Hockinslots. Now Hocky was pretty hurt to be sure, but he had pulled out some real miracles, so I just thought maybe, just maybe, he’ll pick this one up, just one last time and then everyone can help him like they were helping me. The only problem was I could see Hockinslots was still tied up with the axe man, and I wasn’t sure he could block this one in time. But our noble knight was so brave and so strong, I just knew if anyone could pull it off Sir Hockinslots could.

I just closed my eyes a moment and sent him all the good thoughts I could.

Parry that sword, Hockinslots. PARRY!!!


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## Brimshack (Apr 10, 2008)

Sometimes bunnies don't hop and kittens don't play. 

That's all I have to say, I don't think I can write anymore about it. Thinking about this has me in a very dark place right now.


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## Brimshack (Apr 14, 2008)

Alright, I think I can do this again. I’m sorry, I just felt all somehow. I can’t dwell on what happened to my friend right now. Some day I will have something to say about that, but right now let’s just concentrate on getting through the rest of this fight okay?

So, after…

…well, anyway, after, you know, the axe-man in front of me was still trying to defend himself and the remaining Knight, Seamus stabbed him once in the chest. And Karla descended upon him with a vengeance. I saw her look at the wound a moment, then she switched hands with her short sword. She looked so focused, and I wondered what she had in mind. What she did next took me by surprise. More importantly, it took the axe wielding thug by surprise. She actually reached out and grabbed the top of his shield with her free hand, forcing it down. She then jabbed straight over the top of his shield with her blade. Her face was so close to him and so vulnerable. Her opponent immediately moved to bring his axe blade up and across his body. He meant to sweep her up and off him, probably doing damage in the process – she was so exposed to that blade. But the man’s body would not cooperate. He got his arm about half way there and then something stopped him. I saw the man’s chin dip slightly toward the wound on his chest as he flinched in pain. His grip loosened on the axe for just a moment, and he just stood there. It was only a moment, but you could see the man’s death in his own eyes.

Karla’s blade traveled unopposed to the man’s throat. He stood there for a moment, adding his own blood to the stains rapidly accumulating on my own dress. Then, his knees buckled. His axe bounced a bit as it struck the ground at our feet.

As I looked around I could see the remaining foes trying to run out of the building. Some made it and some did not, because a few of us need to work on visioning our compassion. I think it’s safe to say that, yes I do.

And that was the end of the fight. I was standing there in a pool of blood, mostly mine, some from the axe man. As the spirit of battle subsided, I suddenly realized the extent of my own injuries. My left limb hung useless at my side and the broken bones were exposed in both my shoulder and my hand. I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. I was till crying like a small child, but I did have the power to help myself. …somewhere deep down I knew I had the power.  I had to lean on my staff as I summoned the healing powers. Several companions with smaller injuries gathered around me. Taking my time, I deliberately spread the healing magic about us all. In one spell, I quickly had the others up and running, but for myself it took two more spells to finally heal up.

I could do nothing about my dress of course. It was completely ruined.

And then the city guard showed up, and let me tell you some people just really have to focus on the negatives. They wanted to know who swung first and who hit whom with what weapon, when and where and why. They asked all the questions over and over again. And when you’d satisfied one of them, the other would walk up and ask you all the same things over and over again. 

I tried to work with some of them on understanding why they felt the need to go over all of this disgusting filth in such detail, but they just weren’t in a therapeutic mood it seems. My friend Karla tells me that we were actually in danger of going to the local prison for a bit there. I couldn’t imagine it myself. I mean it must have been obvious. We were ambushed. All of my goshes, how could anyone not realize it wasn’t our fault. Cheese and crackers, some of these people need to work on visioning their own common sense, I tell you!

Foo! 

I mean, I’m just standing there drenched in my own blood, and someone else’s too, and I have a river of tears flowing down my cheeks and these men have a hundred questions to ask a hundred times each. It’s just not right. 

Priorities people!

Well, anyway, theguards did let us go eventually. So, we limped back to Lord Methgar’s place. All we had of my friend was his sword. The guards took his body off along with those of our enemies. Something about that didn't seem right, but so be it. The rest of us had made it. We were a little frazzled but essentially intact. I’ll tell you all about our visit with Methie later. For right now, let me wish you well as I should have all along.

I am so sorry for my rudeness in the previous entries.

Warmth in your Soul my dear friends and Happiness in your Heart.
Love
Alyra.


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## Brimshack (May 13, 2008)

Oh my!

It has been awhile since I shared any Healing Moments with my journal. That is wrong of me. Honestly though, we have been just so busy, what with the assassins, and the random ambushes, and then the whole trouble at the whorehouse, I mean the bad place. It's no excuse, I know, but we really have been busy. Plus, I have been having such a hard time with the death of my friend, Lord Hockinslockits. I know, I didn't know him that well, and people die all the time, especially in this place, but I think the whole thing just had me thinking all somehow. 

So, I am going to take a minute to sort a few things out, before I resume the day to day events.

First, let me make one thing very clear, and on this I am absolutely unequivcal. The death of Sir Hockinslots was absolutely my fault. That's right. It was me. I'm the one that got him killed. I know that, and I accept that. I wish I could change it now, but I just can't. So, the only way that I can begin to heal the hurt is to at least admit it to myself. 

You see, all my life I have tried to be kind and gracious, and the truth be told it comes naturally to me. When my brother put those kittens down way back when we were children I cried and cried and cried. For weeks, I cried. I just couldn't imagine doing anything so horrible, even if Daddy did say that they have to go. And finally my beloved brother just said I should get it over with and hit him, but you know I never did. I even felt awful that my poor brother must have had that terrible memory of those dying kittens in his mind, and it had to be tearing his soul apart, even if he didn't seem to feel any regret himself. I knew the dying kittens must have been a load on his...

Well, the point is that I never in all my life ever wanted to hurt anyone, even when most people would say it was understandable. So, when I came to this strange place and found that magical powers were really effective here, I thought to myself that much at least is wonderful. I can set myself to do what I've always wanted to do and that is to learn how to heal people. I studied really hard and I learned how to make the magic work for that purpose, and I was even getting real good at it. 

And I guess, ...I guess, that's all I thought I needed to do, but it wasn't. It hurts me to say that, I mean it really hurts, but healing isn't all there is to know, even if you just want to help people. You see, I never learned how to fight. I didn't exercise, and I didn't once learn how to strike at people with my quarterstaff. I thought it was for spell casting and that was all. And that's why I was so useless in the fight down by the wharf. I moved so slow, I couldn't even get anything done once that bad man came down on me with his axe, and I wasn't getting anywhere defending myself. Everyone had to help me. And I was so glad they did, I just didn't think.

Because no-one helped Sir Hockinslots. He was up there fighting all those bad men, all by themselves with no-one to help him. They were all helping me. 

And that's why he died.

It was my fault.


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## Brimshack (May 13, 2008)

Okay, I know that was a heavy thought to lay on you, and I'm sorry. Sometimes you just have to own up to things like that though. It's part of healing. I can't bring Sir Hockinslots back, but maybe, just maybe if I can get myself in a smarter place, then I can make sure it never happens again. And maybe, just maybe, I can help others after all.

Since the incident at the Wharf I have been doing a little exercisesize, and I had Seamus teach me a bit about how to handle my staff. Just defensive moves mind you; I'm not about hitting people. But next time, hopefully, it won't take an army of my friends to save me from a simple grunt with an axe.

Okay, so when we left the whole scene by the warehouse, we could see the Slolem sailing out of the harbor. It was strange. ...and frustrating.

...

You know, before we take this any further, I think I should tell you a little more about this world and how I got here. Maybe you're new to this strange place, or maybe you live somewhere else. Either way, I think you deserve to know a few things about where all this is taking place.

How did I get here?

Well, you see where I come from magic is hard to see work. Sure there are stories, and everyone knows a pink flower makes the bad spirits stay away. But you don't usually see it happen so fast like that, ...you know, like a big energy bolt, or when someone heals a broken bone in seconds by casting a powerful spell. I've heard of trolls and dragons, but I'd never seen any beforecoming here. I Still haven't really, but I know lots of people who have now, and I hear tell if we leave the bounds of the city we will most certainly see such things. Anyway, the point is that one day I was walking home from the county fair and instead of getting home I ended up in this strange place where all the magic and all the monsters are so much more real than I ever imagined.

I didn't realize it at first. It just seemed strange. My home village should have been just around the bend, and if I hurried I should get there before the sun finished setting. But I didn't. The sun never quite set, and I never quite made it home. I just kept walking along the same path I had walked a hundred times before, only it got stranger and stranger, and I was tired, and I tore my dress, ...and then I started crying. 

And then I heard screams in the forest arund me. I saw a man running across the road, and he was chased by some horrible demon. So, I thought I must be dreaming and I just stood there rubbing my eyes. But when I opened them, I was looking down at the ground, and there was blood all over the place I was standing, and I could see someone had been dragged off the road. I followed the trail with my eyes and then I saw...

It was horrible. I mean it was really horrible. And there were still people screaming in the forest around me, and I could hear horses charging down the road towards me. I was so scared. I am crying again, just thinking about it. 

So, I fainted. Honestly, I just fell over right then and there. I know, some save-the-world-or-at-least-the-city kind of hero I turned out to be! But I need to tell you this so you'll understand. I'm not supposed to be here. I'm not supposed to cast magic (thought I'd like to think I might havd learned some good herbal remedies in my home town), and I am certainly not supposed to be involved in any of this violence, because you see I really am not cut out for it. I should be courting Robin Cawmistiger from down the way and planning out my own garden for this coming Spring. I should be learning to make plum pies and sewing my future wedding dress, not fighting angry axe-wielding thugs in the bad side of a big city. I should be at home for cricket's sake! But instead I am here, and if I don't always do the right thing, well then people will just have to understand.

But of course, no-one is really supposed to be here, except for the monsters of course. The monsters were usually born in this place, but the rest of the people in this land got here just like I did. They come from all sorts of places, usually ending up on a road or out on the sea when they were travelling themselves.

It is a dark place. The sun never quite sets and it never quite rises either. The brightest day in this strange land is just a little less sunny than it should be. And the darkest night is just a little brighter than it should be. How the crops grow is a mystery. ...maybe, the magic.

Anyway, when I came to, it turned out the riders I had heard down the way were some men from the city of Pflorendrine come out to save people. They said the monsters call it a jubilee. It's a strange event that occurs sometimes, when dozens or even hundreds of people all show up at once in about the same area. So, you can just imagine the lost souls, all wandering and tired like me. Most of them are unarmed. And almost all of them are unfamiliar with the ways of a world like this. They have never seen an orc or an ogre before. Most will see one and that will be the end of them. I was lucky. Very lucky, fainting like that. If one of the orcs had found me, I would have been stew. ...or worse.

There are all sorts of theories about the nature of this place. Some people say it is the land of the dead. We have all already died, so these people say, and this is the afterlife. Gosh, I hope those guys are wrong, because I spent a lot of time praying to the Lord, and I was a good girl, and if this is all I get for trying to be righteous and kind, well then I want a second chance to go out behind the barn with little Robin. ...oh, I miss him so much. I know, that's a petty thought, but sometimes I just get so depressed.

You know some people who say that this is the land of the dead figure we just stay here until our souls are eaten by the monsters. Others figure we are reborn when we are eaten, but most of us don't want to try that. And then there are these people who live out on the plains, and they all say that we should simply find our way North and go to the real final resting place. That might be, but North is a really scary place (I'll get to that later).

Others say that this world is some kind of alternate uni-place or something, which to me just means they know how to make up funny words. "...alternate uniplace"? Saying silly stuff like that has no healing power at all!

Now, I hear there is a dark lady that lives in the Northeast, and she says that we're all just crazy. She says, we've all been tricked by a spell (kind of like the spells the gnome does, but a really big one), so it's all a big illusion. According to her, her name is Adisa, we just need a great big healing spell, and we'll all be better. Because we just share a common sickness, kind of like a fever, but only caused by bad magic. I'm guessing this Adisa lady is onto something. I don't even know this lady, and already I love her. Well anyway, if that's the real source of the problem, then hopsefully I can learn to help. One day maybe, I'll meet Adisa and I can help her make the big healing circle that we all need. 

Oh well. There are all sorts of other theories, and people have different ideas about what to do about it. Lord Methgar figires it just doesn't matter. He says if we can live here, then we can just make the best of it. He has actually lived his whole life here, so he doesn't know what a bright sun is. I guess that's why he doesn't want to go back so much, and he doesn't have a back to go to. That's how nobles happen in this land, you know, they are the ones who are actually born here. It's so rare for humans anyway, because people don't survive. So, many die right after they get here. Others go mad. And so many others are killed, because there is so much war. There isn't enough food or lumber or anything really, and the monsters just hunt us.

That's why a city like Pflorendrine is so important. I know it's a terrible name, really, but it's the only safe place I've known since the jubilee. In the city, you are almost safe, at least from the monsters. To the North and West, there is the city of Kaenesdovl, and to the North East there are fishing villages. I guess you could say that we are at the end of a kind ...pointy thing, I forget what the geo-sage called it. It's a kind of thing where the land points out into the see like a finger out at the ocean. ...anyway, and there is a forest directly North, that used to belong to Elves, at least until it was overrun by orcs, and something else. Now they say that the forest is cruel. I'm told there are also mountains to the Northwest. Unfortunately, I am also told that a great army of bad things is travelling south from those mountains toward Pflorendrine. I wonder why they don't attack Kaenesdovl. ...unless, they are in league with the city of Kaenesdovl.

Okay, well that's all I have to say about this world. Funny thing is now that I have written all this, I'm not sure I want to help save this world. I mean it is a rather icky place. Still, if we breathe life, we breathe it here I suppose, so it is best to keep it safe.

Oh well, so much for my thinking. I have lots of events to tell you about next.

Warmth in your Soul my dear friends and Happiness in your Heart.
Love
Alyra.


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## Brimshack (May 13, 2008)

Okay, so the meeting with Lord Methie was uneventful, but honestly, I think he was busy. Both the hallway and the room that we were shown into had been stripped bare without so much as a carpet. I think maybe, he was planning on moving or something.

But we had a long talk and eventually we decided to try to learn more about the ship. We figured that we would just go hang out in the bars and work the rumour mill, you know, just to see what people had to say about things. So, we left. Again, Methie didn’t give us any money for some reason. It was very unlike him.

Lord Methgar did promise to see if he could find a replacement for Lord Hockinslots. He seemed to know where we were staying, and he said he’d send someone by. We mentioned that we could use someone handy with a bow. And off we went for a well-earned night of rest.

We took two rooms, one for the boys and one for Carla, Patty and myself. I cried myself to sleep. I don’t think Carla was very happy with me for the noise. Patty went right out, bless her tiny little heart.

I was awake and trying to get the blood out of my dress from the day before, when we heard someone pounding at the boys door. Both Carla and Patty were sound asleep, but they rolled over a little and we all listened. There were voices, and then the door closed, so I went back to my dress. Then there was a really loud knock on our door. Carla got up and answer it. 

I could see when Carla opened the door, there was a man standing in the hallway. He was dressed in chain mail, and he was carrying a great big club. That’s pretty much all there was to the guy, and he says; “Guten Tag! (Whatever that means?) I am August. August Schnell. I am sent here to be your archer.”

Carla closed the door, and patty rolled over to go back to sleep.

About a minute later, the silly guy with the strange accent began knocking again, so we answered and just told him to meet us downstairs for breakfast.

I stretched a bit and told myself it was going to be a happy day.

...and I believed me!

Carla and Patty aren’t really morning people, I don't think. They didn’t like it when I told them it was going to be a happy day.

On my way down I knocked on the boys room, because they were still asleep. I told them too it was going to be a happy day, and someone threw something against the door. I think it was a shoe. Oh well. So I went downstairs and joined August at the breakfast table. Well, it was going to be a breakfast table, just as soon as someone came and joined us.

We were joined by more people than you would have thought. In addition to all my former companions, there were two elven brothers, named Michael and Tom. Both of them used bows, and they were ever so polite, ...to each other anyway. There was a definite chill in some of their responses to others. And then were was Kristen. She was another elf, and she had a bow, plus she used magic. That was way wonderful!  And then there was a human guy who didn’t give his name, but he too cast spells. So, between the five new people Lord Methie sent to help us, we suddenly had 4 new archers and 2 new spell casters. That was really great! I was a little worried about that guy, August, though. He had a quiver and about a dozen arrows, but we couldn’t see any signs of a bow, none at all. He just kept telling us he was an archer, but it didn't make sense at all.

So, Michael asked August if he can actually use a bow and he says yes, so Michael went and bought him one. Micahel also bought me a brand new dress! Can you imagine that? That was really nice of Michael. I like Tom and Michael, really I do.

But then of course Carla has to try and take something, and once again she gets caught! So we end up paying the innkeeper a whole bunch of extra stuff to keep from being thrown out. I mean it was really strange. We finally just made an arrangement where we could pay for anything that turned up missing, so we figured we were finally okay with Carla’s whole issue.

And that’s when we headed out for the morning, just to ask around and see what we could learn. We split into two groups; one went down to the docks to see if anyone had seen anything, and the other went around talking to merchants (to see who was buying loads of cotton from the Slolem). So, what did we find out?

Well, it took a couple of days working the rumour mill, but we found out three things.

1) All the normal guards were mysteriously sent away from the docks when the Slolem unloaded its cargo. At least one dock guard had been blabbering all about the mysterious gap in the nightly rotation.

2) There were some beggars on the shore when it happened. At least someone actually saw the crew of the Slolem unload something one night, presumably during the gap in the guard rotation.

3) There was no cotton. It’s a strange fibre in these parts, and people would have noticed if a load of cotton had been taken off a ship recently. But odlly enough, No-one had purchased any cotton in the last week or so.

So, finally we had something to go on. Now that’s progress!

We split up again. About half of us started looking around the docks for the beggars, and the other half started looking around the seedy side of town to see if we could locate the guard that was talking about strange dealings on his shift.

Someone else found the beggars, and apparently those guys wouldn’t say much, except that a recluse named Louie the Mog had been watching the whole time. Louie was supposed to be a spell caster of sorts, and the beggar said maybe we could talk to him. 

Okay.

So, then we found the guard drinking at a dingy inn on the North side of the dock area. I was with that group, as was Carla, and Patty, and the strange human spell caster who never did give us his name (yeah, that’s kinda creepy, I know). Eventually, I guess the whole party gathered around outside aways to protect us if anything went wrong. But inside we were just focused on trying to talk to the man. Carla and the strange human - (I’m just going to call him Bob, okay?) So, Carla and Bob stayed at a table of their own and kinda laid low while Patty and I went over and tried to get the guard’s attention. He had someone with him. So, it was two guys and two gals. 

Neat huh?

Well, we walked up and Patty did the talking; “Hey boys, they gave us a couple extra cups of ale at the bar. Do you think you can help us drink them?”

That was so silly. I almost rolled my eyes, but do you know it worked? I mean, the guard we wanted to talk to, his name was Aelred, he invited us to sit down. His friend, Ardest, looked at us a little suspicious, but he took a drink and nodded at a chair for me to sit in. After a couple rounds, everyone but me was getting tipsy (I was deliberately taking it slow), and Patty finally starts moving in for the kill, ...so to speak.

“I’ll bet you guys have some great stories to tell.” She put her hand on his thigh. And that’s when I realised for the first time that my little friend is kind of a hussy. I mean, who knows what she would have done if I wasn’t there?

Oh cheese!

Well anyway, he didn’t get the hint at first, and his friend Ardest was suddenly very suspicious, but Patty just keep trying; “guarding the docks of the city; that’s such important work. I’ll bet you see all sorts of excitement.”

She was practically sitting on his lap!

“Well, odd things do happen down there. Just a few nights ago, for example, we were ordered off the docks before our shift was over, and a couple bells before the replacements showed up. It’s not the first time, but I tell you there is strange business down there.”

“Really?”

Oh my gosh! I am not even going to tell you what she was doing with Aelred at this point. And Patty was too drunk even to remember what he was telling her. I had to stay sober, just so we could actually use the information!

“Who ordered you off the dock?”

“It was the Harbour Master, not the first time either.” Aelred ordered another round of ale. By now I was drinking water. I told them it was so I could find our way home safely.

“And what about you, Ardest? Have you seen any big goings on?” (...I really didn’t like the way she emphasised the word big. Apparently, neither did Ardest.)

“No.”

“Are you sure?” Patty started scooting over Aelred’s lap to get to Ardest.

“Not a thing. Nothing ever happens down there.” Ardest scooted just a little closer to the table, so there was no space on his lap for the little gnome. Patty sat back down on Aelred's lap and continued working him.

At this point, Carla walked over and tried to join us. Ardest was really irritated, but Aelred was ready to take all of us up to a room if he could manage it.

“Well, we have a room” Patty was on Aelred’s lap again. “ Would you like to come with us?”

Aelred was about to answer, when Ardest said flatly, “No!”

So, Carla suddenly grabs Ardest’s bag of coins and runs out of the Inn. I mean it; she just suddenly takes the bag and runs!

Now, I have to admit, that I thought she was just showing her issues again, but I learned later on that she was hoping the two of them would charge out of the building to go after her. Then apparently, she hoped all the rest of our friends would converge on them and we could question them more directly. It's a little heavy-handed, I know, but at least it isn't as silly as just stealing something for the sake of stealing it. ...again! The problem is that Carla was just so fast, and they were so fat and slow. They both just gave up at the door and came back in shouting and saying bad things. They called for the city guard and the whole place was in an uproar.

Bob (remember that’s what I’m calling the mysterious spell caster who wouldn’t give us his name). Well Bob just sat there like he didn’t know anything. And we were all going to leave while the two of them explained to some other city guards what happened. But the new guards came over and started asking us questions. I honestly thought we were going to get out okay, when suddenly the innkeeper says something.

“That girl was with You.”

He was pointing right at Bob.

“...and since she obviously knew the two of you (Patty and I), that means all four of you were in this together, whatever this is.”

Sometimes Inkeepers can be a little too perceptive.


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## Brimshack (May 13, 2008)

So, we tried a little fast talking, but it just didn’t work. All of us (Patty, Bob, and I) were forced to stay the night at the Inn with a guard outside our door. I guess they were ging to decide what to do with us the next day. The Inn itself was locked for the night and a guard was stationed on that door too. I had no idea what had become of Carla, or for that matter, what was happening with the rest of my friends. I could only hope that those sweet nice elves, Michael and Tom were okay.

And when the door closed, we just kind of sat there for awhile trying to figure out what to do with ourselves. Patty decided to try and charm the guard outside our door, and frankly that worked like a... well, you know. We tied him up and got ready to go downstairs. Then suddenly Kristen was at the top of the stairs and said we should hurry. So, we quick ran down the stairs with her to find the other guard trying desperately to climb out a window in fear.

I thought we should just run away at this point, but someone suggested we needed to kill the guards or at least knock them out. Kristen hadn’t made her spell last very long, so the one guard would begin shouting any moment. Then, we were going to just knock the one out before he escaped through the window, and then suddenly it didn’t matter. He came to his senses and turned to face us. He was still a little scared, but not like when he was under her spell. So, now I was worried someone would get all blood-happy on this poor guy when Kristen did something really impressive.

She talked to him.

She just told him that we were going to tie him up, and that we weren’t going to harm him at all. She also said that if he told the other guards we were headed out of the city, that there would be some coins in it for him. I don’t think she expected him to believe her, much less to tell the story she wanted, but I guess she had to try. The most interesting thing was the fact that it worked though. I guess, it was either that or die, so he co-operated. We tied him up and simply walked out of the inn.

Can you believe that!

So, the next morning we all woke wondering what kind of trouble we would be in with the city guard. And we started the usual talk about what to do. At this point, there was talking of kidnapping the harbour master.

Instead we decided to ask around for Louie the Mog. We found out, he lived on the Southeast side of town, so we headed over there, at least some of us did. 

When Louie answered his door, we could see a great symbol of Goodness on the wall just inside. But there he was, a middle aged man with dark hair and great beard. He was a little dingy for someone who had his own home in a nice part of town, but I guess that’s what you get when you are good with the magic. Louis asked us what we wanted, and we asked to speak with him. I don’t think he was going to let us in until we told him that we worked for Lord Methgar. Tom did most of the talking. He let Louis know what we wanted to know and why. Louis actually cast a few spells to verify the truth of Tom’s words.  Then after a long pause...

“I can tell you three things, but I want something in return.”

“Do we get to know what it is?” Tom was ever so cool about this. I just have such high hopes for him!

“No.”

After a pause, Louie continued, “I know who you work for, and I know roughly what you’re interests are. I am taking it into account as I ask you for this favour. But you may not know what it is until you are committed.”

“Very well.”

(Did I mention that all of us were watching Carla very closely this time?)

Louie just nodded and went straight to business. 

“First, only one crate was unloaded from the Slolem. About a half a dozen humans came on land with it that night, and its contents were taken out of the crate a few blocks inside the city.” (He nodded to the shards of an empty crate sitting in his study.) They certainly did not unload any cotton.”

“Second, I can tell you that three people left aboard the Slolem, three people from this city. They were in fact, the individuals responsible for dropping Lord Keradin’s little girl off the tower. ...Yes, that did actually happen.  I do not know the source of that conflict, but when the Slolem left, Lord Keradin’s enemies were aboard her. The Slolem also left one person behind. Who that person is, and what he or she looks like I do not know.

“Third, and most importantly. The Slolem came from a real world.”

He paused a moment to let that piece of information sink in.

“What?”

“I mean that she sailed out of a normal world, the kind we all came from. Manned by a normal crew, she sailed right out of a normal harbour located in a normal kingdom and came directly here, ...apparently on purpose.

“...I can also tell you she sailed right back to where she came from.”


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## Brimshack (May 14, 2008)

Okay, so you may or may not get the point of my last entry at this stage of the story. But this is really important, so I will spell it out for you dear reader. That sort of thing, what Louie just described, is not supposed to happen, or rather it just doesn’t. I mean if people could just sail home on a ship, this land would be empty, believe me. We would all be fighting tooth and nail to be aboard that first ship, let me tell you, and I might even swing a dirty hit myself if that’s what it took to get home. So, the prospect that someone could actually enter this land and leave at will, well I don’t know how to describe the feelings I had on learning about that one. 

A part of me was infused with hope. I mean, if the Slolem could do it, then maybe we all could. Maybe I could!... Maybe I could go home and find Robin and tell him ‘yes’ before he even asks for my hand, and just settle down to a nice life on a small farm, and forget about all this stuff.

...Maybe?

Another part of me was scared out of my wits. Lord Methgar had asked us to help thwart a great evil, not just a kinda-bad. And if this ship was that evil, then it was that much worse that it could do what we could not, which was to go back and forth between this Twilight world and a real home. That had to be really really REALLY bad, not just for us here, but maybe for people from home. Could this awful place take over a real world? Could the ship somehow tie the evil of this place to the real world? To say nothing of what evil they could do hear if they had such power. Oh my gosh! My heart sank and my feet tingled. I almost collapsed right there in the room.

So, that was a long term stress that chilled my very soul. But of course we had just earned ourselves a new short term problem as well. What did Louie want from us?

“There is an establishment on the North side, a whorehouse if you will. Most of the women there are not working by choice. They were harvested from a jubilee, just as the monsters do. They were simply taken while still disoriented from coming through the veil betwixt this world and theirs and put to work in that terrible place. They are slaves to the owner. I want this establishment destroyed.”

At last, someone with real values! I could have hugged Louie right then and there, even if he was a little on the ugly side.

“What do you mean by destroyed? Do you want it burned down, or do...” Such important questions! Tom was sharp as ever.

“I want it to cease operations. Were you to slay the upper management that would be sufficient to make this happen.”

“Does this house have backers in the powers that be? How is it allowed to operate?”

“Yes” Louie continued, “There are some people who want it destroyed and some who will defend it, after the fact if need be. No-one can move against it without disrupting the balance of political power and bringing grief upon themselves. You are below the eyes of scrutiny thus far. A rash action from you will take awhile for the powers that be to digest, and it may be possible to sweep it all under the rug before serious retaliation occurs.”

“But will we get new enemies if we do this?”

“Yes.” Louis was dead serious. “If you are not attacked immediately, then some will at least begin looking for the opportunity to do so.”

And you know what, we actually agreed to do it! Well, I mean we had already agreed beforehand, but I mean we decided to go through with it after all. I was so happy to be on a mission with a little value for a change, I mean one where I could really see some direct results. 

...assuming of course that Louie was telling the truth.

Our next task was to look into the matter on our own. The group pooled its money and sent Michael to visit the house. I’m a little disappointed, he didn’t find any other way, but apparently Michael actually purchase the services of one of the poor girls and then asked her to tell him all about the place. Apparently, she was very forthcoming. 

...no, I did NOT mean that as a double entendre!

I will tell you what we learned, ...well, what Michael learned when I describe the assault on the brothel a little later. For now, let us just say that we felt Louie had been straight with us and we had a chance of taking this place. So, we resolved to go through with the attack.

Unfortunately, the next morning the Innkeeper told us that we absolutely had to leave. We tried to ask him what happened, and he refused to explain himself. It was really strange, because we all thought it was worked out. We even had a deal to pay for Carla’s issues, and we thought he understood, but he just suddenly said that we had to be out of there.

It was all very suspicious.

And sure enough, we were ambushed on our way through town to find another place to stay. There were about 20 thugs including several spell casters who thankfully turned out to be novice level. It looked like the final frown of a lifetime for a moment there, but we actually handled it really well. I will not go into detail about the fight. I will want to do that when I tell you about the brothel, but honestly I just can’t keep dwelling on those things. It’s awful to see people die.

I will tell you a few things though. Let’s see:

1) August is not a bad archer.

2) Michael and Tom are an amazing team. Each helps the other to aim and load, and they have such a strong affinity for one another, it just makes them so much more deadly. Together, they are an extremely effective combination. ...oh, and so polite; “Mighty fine shot, Michael.” “Why thank you, Tom.” It is just a pleasure to be nearby as they are working together with such courtesy. To see them fight together is like watching an island of tranquility in the middle of a sea of chaos.

3) Patty is getting even better with the tricky magic.

4) I am very pleased with my own contributions. I was able to heal several of my companions a couple times. I held my own in melee, and even put a little knot on someone’s head myself. I know that sounds a little mean, but I can assure you he intended much greater harm to me and mine.

5) It hurts to heal Seamus O-Seue. I mean it actually hurt me when I healed him, just a little, but it was enough. He looked at me strangely, and shivers went up and down my spine. There is something very odd about that man.

Seamus was, by the way, a very effective front line. Almost by himself he held off a host of enemy, just as Sir Hockinslots had tried to do. Only with Seamus, the enemy were unable to hurt him. Those that tried did little but open themselves up to attack. He was very impressive this time.

I just don’t understand why it hurts to cast healing spells on that man.

6) The fur-ball - oh, I have learned, it’s called a ‘Waggamaeph’ - anyway, it seems to be suffering from some sort of illness. The poor thing was feeling so badly, it mostly avoided the fight, except to make hit and run attacks on a certain spell caster. It didn’t do much harm to the enemy, but the cute little rug-bunny was so fast, it could come and go as it pleased. The enemy couldn’t do a thing to it.

7) Carla is really wicked with that short sword of hers. I saw her, ...oh, this is awful, but I will tell you this much. ...I have to.

Well, she killed somebody with it. I know, that is sort of the point of fighting with a sword, but the way she did it. She looked around her and just ripped though the man’s heart. One of the thugs that was engaged with her was so intimidated by this, he broke and ran. But she was watching him. The poor fellow, just an ordinary thug you know, he dropped his guard when he turned, and Carla just opened his throat from ear to ear. You could see her watching him as he turned. She just knew. The man was dead even before she struck; he just didn’t know it.

She is really wicked with that sword.

8) “Bob” does tricky healing spells. What sort of spells Kristen casts, I do not know.

Well anyway, so much for the ugliness. The city guards let us question some of the prisoners, and of course Patty used her special magic to make sure they were truly helpful. This gave us one last little bit of information we thought was interesting. It turns out they all worked for Gable One-Eye, the very gang leader that had tangled with monsters a day or two before my story began. For some reason he was trying to have us killed, and (here is the kicker!) the Harbour Master had apparently allowed it to happen. At least the thugs we talked to were under the impression that he had cleared the way, so to speak.

We all felt pretty sure the old innkeeper had been told to get rid of us, maybe even threatened. So, now we had a real enemy, even before we took on the brothel. And we were just barely beginning to  get a handle on the real issues. Oh my, it was a strange plot we found ourselves unravelling.

But so be it! 

Until next time.

Warmth in your Soul and Happiness in your Heart.
Love
Alyra.


----------



## Brimshack (May 15, 2008)

The little fur-ball was getting dumber, I was sure of it. Granted, I hadn’t known him very long, and he didn’t seem too bright to begin with. But his illness was very noticeable in the last battle; it had made him weak and ineffective. It wasn’t just that he was a lethargic little bundle of ratted yarn. He was having real trouble concentrating on just about anything. Whenever he seemed to have to make a decision, the little fellow would just sit and stare all glassy-eyed, and then he would do the dumbest thing poss, …let’s just say that he would make a less than optimal decision.

So, there we are lining up against a wall outside the brothel, and Blizzard (that’s his name as it turns out) is just staring at the ground, like he is trying to hide in his own shadow. To make matters worse, both Carla and Kristen are starting to get that same glassy look in their eyes. They had been watching the Waggamaeph and asking a lot of questions about his behavior. Now they were starting to act just like him. Here we were about to storm the brothel, and we had 3 sick people with us. I knew they were sick; I just didn’t know how to heal them. All I could do now is hope that they would do what needed to be done.

I gently took the Waggie by the shoulder and pulled him back up against the wall. He responded first by sniffing and then licking my fingers. It was so cute.

The building was 2 stories high, and it had a basement. There were no windows anywhere, and there was just one door, which was always guarded. There were always a couple archers watching through a window in the building directly across the street from the doorway. It was a simple layout, but an effective one, limiting the exits for their women and forcing people such as the lot of us to come through a single avenue of attack.

Appropriately enough, we had a simple plan to penetrate this simple layout. Seamus and Michael would walk up together and ask to be let in. Once the door was open, they would attack the door guards and keep the doorway open while the rest of us charged around the corner. We felt pretty confident that we could handle the archers across the street with our own missile specialists, or bring them down with spells if nothing else. Our biggest worry was that the front door might be closed and then the whole attack would be over (not to mention that anyone stuck on the inside of the door would be as good as dead). So, the key to the plan was moving fast around the corner. That, and Seamus and Michael had to survive for a little while on their own.

But would the sick members of our party even act in time? I have to admit my dear reader; I was very very VERY worried.

I could hear Michael’s voice at the doorway around the corner. He was explaining that he liked the girl from the night before and wanted to “…have another go.” (OH! I am SO disappointed in him. Did I mention this? A man of his stature! …and with normally impeccable etiquette, standing there slobbering over the pleasures of a woman of ill repute. Never mind that! …a slave who had no choice but to serve his desires. It’s just not right. I expected better of Michael. I really did. I mean, I know that was the whole plan, and it gave us a chance to learn the layout of the building, but Cheese&crackers! Couldn’t he have just said he really only wanted to talk or something? ...Men!) I could also hear Seamus’ footsteps actually. And I could hear someone else’s voice…

Then I looked down and saw the little waggamaeph. He had a bug cupped in his paws and he was listening to it buzz. I had to pull him back into the shadow a bit. He just looked up at me and grinned. I don't think he remembered at all why we were there at that moment. All of my goshes! I thought, we are doomed. Just doomed! I looked back to see how Carla was doing and she had her sword out, which was good, but she was just staring off into space. And for the first time since the door closed behind us in that warehouse, I really thought I was going to die. I wanted so badly to call the whole thing off. I thought, what do I say? How do I get Seamus and Michael away without warning the bad guys that something was up.

And then I heard someone draw a sword. I don’t even remember hearing the code words to begin the attack. I just heard the sword. So, I gripped my staff hard and looked down as I began moving foreword. There was a small bug flittering about where the waggamaeph had been a moment ago. A little dust wafted up off the ground at the corner of the building, and someone was screaming around the corner; I didn’t recognize the voice behind the screams. It wasn’t one of my friends though, that much at least I was happy to know.

I ran around the corner as fast as I could. Stepping over a dead guard, I found the waggamaeph, Michael, and Seamus beating up on a second who was struggling to get out of its chair and fend off all the blades and claws whirling about the area. A small table with a ledger had been pushed over just in front of the door, and a couple slips of paper lay strewn about the entrance. Down past the frakus was a hall way. A row of doors stretched along it’s right hand side. At the very end the hall, it took a sharp left hand turn. A large double doorway could be found at the end of the hall. I knew in advance that the double doors at the end of the hallway led to an open barroom and general entertainment area. The hall would make a full horseshoe turn in front of that doorway running back along the other side of the wall to our left. There would be more doors along the far side of that hallway, and a spiral staircase leading up to the second floor would be at its end (putting it just on the other side of the wall left of the entrance). I wasn’t exactly sure where the entrance lay to the basement, but I was eventually to learn that a narrow hall proceeded out of the open barroom straight down aways and into a dingy unfinished basement.

I saw no-one in need of healing, so I simply strode foreword and added my quarterstaff to the hazards facing the remaining door guard. I can’t say that I had much hope of harming him, but the distraction would leave him open to attack from people more effective in combat than I. It was kind of mean to gang up on him like that, but I just thought about those poor helpless women. If it took this man's death to free them, then I would shoulder my share of the burden to make that happen.

Counting myself, there were now four people inside the front door. Well, three people and one angry bundle of lint, one that had thankfully remembered to attack the enemy when it was supposed to. I could see arrows begin to pepper the window on the far side of the street behind me as others turned their fire on the archers behind it. None hit their mark, but I felt certain it was just a matter of time. Most of the hallway lay open before us, and the rest of my friends were not at all far behind.

We were in.


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## Brimshack (May 16, 2008)

Suddenly a door opened in the building across the street and three men charged out. One carried a shield and a sword, a second waved a great scimitar about, and the third wielded an axe. A Crossbowman began firing at us through the window and an archer from the doorway.

I did not see him, but it was about the same time that August rounded the corner and fired two arrows in rapid order straight into one of the charging men. I did see the effect of August’s arrows. The poor fellow tried to duck the first arrow, and he almost succeeded. Unfortunately ‘almost’ means very little when one’s head is the last thing out of harm's way. The shaft struck him in the forehead, glanced off the bone and ricocheted up over the building behind him. The man stumbled foreword a moment, reeling from the pain. It was then the second arrow struck him. This one went straight through his eye and out the back of his head, almost without causing any immediate effect upon the man’s body. He staggered foreword another step and collapsed in the middle of the street.

I could see the arrow that slew the man lodged in the open door behind him.

Carla charged into a second warrior and the two quickly paired off into a little one-on-one duel. This left the archer and the crossbowman free to continue firing at us while a third melee fighter was free to cross the street and engage anyone of his choice. He chose instead to converge on Carla, turning her one-on-one duel into a dangerous play against two separate enemies in the firing arc of a third.

Honestly, I think that is the first time I have ever feared for Carla’s safety. She can be so strong, but I must admit, this time I thought she had bit off more gristle than her teeth could manage. 

The remaining door-guard began retreating down the hallway with blizzard harassing him the whole way. Tom loosed an arrow into the fellow, but it proved insufficient to take him down. Seamus charged on down the hall to the very end where he was met by several guards coming out of the open bar area. A few women appeared in various parts of the hallway. One, accompanied by her client, simply shut herself back in the room while two others ran screaming around the bend in the hallway.

So, I stood there in the middle of the hallway, watching the women run past me. Seamus and the Waggie were to the front of me fighting an ever growing number of enemies. Tom and Michael were right behind me, firing as they could in support of Blizzard and Seamus. August, Kristen, Patty, and Bob all stood somewhere near the mouth of the hallway, and Carla could be found across the street, taking on a whole flank almost by herself. 

It was around this time that I attempted a healing upon Seamus and the Waggie, both of whom had taken some damage. It was close, but I did not succeed. Had I taken but another moment or two to concentrate on my actions, I think I might have succeeded. I just didn’t think I had the time as there were doors on either side of me, any one of which could have birthed an enemy at a moment’s notice. To say nothing of the possibility that one of the women might turn out to be loyal to the brothel, and perhaps confident with a dagger. So, I attempted a quick healing, and I failed.

Argh! It was like the battle in the warehouse all over again, I was so angry with myself. Still, there was no time to fret. I simply prepared myself to try again.

Carla soon paid for her courage. She took not one, but two arrows in her torso. I could not see the extent of her injuries, but I heard her squeal in pain both times, and I could see it hampered her movements. If her prospects against two opponents were poor, they were that much more dubious in view of her new injuries. I could send healing her way, but in the short time it would take her enemies to finish her, just how much could power could I generate? 

It is not easy to heal at such a distance. I did what I could, and I could see that she felt better. Still, I found myself thinking we would finish the day without her.

By now several arrows had lodged themselves in the wall near the window occupied by the crossbowman across the street. Everyone from August to Kristen had attempted to harm the fellow, but none had come close. He leaned out the window and fired towards our party. It was a strange thing to me, because I could not see all my companions. For all I knew, someone I loved had just been killed. And yet the bolt might as easily have missed its target. 

I tried to study his reaction as our enemy pulled himself back from the window. Was he satisfied with the results? I just couldn’t tell. Things were happening too fast.

Suddenly the Waggamaeph left the front lines and ran back to Carla. Adding himself to the general melee, little Blizzard struck out at a couple opponents and then I lost sight of him in the blur of battle.

I turned back to see Seamus facing at least three formidable enemies. The remaining door guard lay dead a ways down the hall, though I knew not how he had been finished. One of Seamus’ opponents, a dwarf reared back with a great axe, hoping to deliver a decisive attack on our great knight. The dwarf paid for his overconfidence by receiving the point of a sword straight into his face. Honestly, I cringed, just to see this terrible blow. The fellow dropped his axe and fell to the ground with both hands to his face. 

In death, sometimes great warriors are indistinguishable from small girls.

For all I know, the dwarf was a good fellow, albeit one who had clearly made some terrible decisions in his life. And there he lay kicking and crying for a few seconds. Then he was just kicking silently. His screams had taken the final breath of his life into the halls about us, leaving a body still trying to move about, as if to effect the behavior of the living.

To see such things is terrible.

I saw Michael shoot one of Seamus’ enemies. Tom complimented him on his fine marksmanship. When Tom added an arrow to the same foe’s injuries, Michael too expressed his moral support. And I took courage from their manners. If they could retain a sense of propriety amongst all this carnage, then surely I could muster the strength to play my part.

Preparing to cast another spell, I leaned back to see if I would need to send the power back towards Carla. Strangely, I could see that both of her opponents were now dead and she was in the face of the bowman. Her injuries still hampering her as she bent over slightly with every move. And yet she proved more than a match for the unfortunate fellow. He seemed to be completely on the defensive and unable to draw his own sword. I thought for a moment to find Blizzard somewhere in melee across the street, but he ran right past me and back down the hallway to rejoin Seamus. I knew not whether he was healthy or harmed.

I still do not know who killed Carla’s enemies. The Waggie? Carla? Perhaps Kristen or August. Spells from Bob or Patty might have played a role. I do not know.

Tom now fired at one of Seamus’ foes, striking him full in the face and pinning him to the doorway. It was an amazingly precise shot made under difficult circumstances, not the least of which being the need to shoot around Seamus and myself. The poor fellow did not even fall. He just slumped against the doorway and his hands slowly released their strength. Anyone looking that way might easily have counted him as a running concern, for Seamus, especially. And yet, the life had left him well enough, most likely before he knew himself to be hurt.

“Stop showing off, Tom.” Michael fired at another enemy, striking him in the gut. That fellow ran past the waggamaeph and down the second hallway towards the stairs. The waggamaeph ran again back through the hallway and across the street to rejoin Carla.

I tried once again to see if my furry friend needed healing, but he moved past me with such speed that I had no sense of the matter.

And then suddenly a half naked man burst through a door beside me and swung at me with an axe. 

Honestly what is it about me and axe wielding men? I seem to connect with them far more often than I would real prefer. More to the point, the converse is also quite true.  

My new opponent swung wildly, opening a small gash in my arm. I swung back at him and then moved down the hall. Seeing an opening, I tried to pass by the battle between Seamus and his remaining foes to place myself at the bend in the hallway. One of those enemy in question was a powerful warrior, clad in chain male. ...again wielding an axe. 

I should have known!

But I can tell you this fellow scored a very good hit straight into my ribcage. I could feel bones breaking and the air left the right side of my body. The sound that left my lips was in part a scream, in part a squeal, and in part a strange noise which I am not normally capable of making. I stood at the bend in the hallway nursing my wound and keening a moment. I was in trouble and I knew it. 

I took the healing power I had meant to use on my friends and cast it directly upon myself. It was not enough to fully heal my wounds, but I could feel breath fill my lungs again. I would use my next spell as originally intended for others.

In a few moments, Carla and the Waggie had finished the remaining archer and the crossbowman. The waggie would of course charge across the street and down the hallway again, entering the common barroom in the same time it took Carla to simply cross the street. Honestly, I could not tell if he needed healing or not. When Carla entered the hallway, she had been healed (Bob, perhaps?), but I could tell that she was still in need of help. Lucky to be alive, she was, but not so lucky as to be smiling about it. 

Seamus finished his remaining foe, leaving the first hallway in our possession. With no enemies remaining to the rear and none in the first hallway, our opposition could now be found in the open bar and dining area.

...and around the bend to the other hallway.


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## Brimshack (May 16, 2008)

By now I must confess that I and the others had used many of our spells up. Patty alone seemed confident in her ability to continue at pace, and I for one one contemplated the prospect of just leaving. We had done some serious damage by now. If we could exit without losing anyone, then perhaps we could secure any remaining goals by negotiation. We could even secure the freedom of many of the women as they were then under our control. 

Alternatively, if we could just capture the second hallway and the open area, then we could evacuate the bulk of the women, leaving the villains to hide at the top of the stairs. I thought surely an attempt to actually take the upper floor of the building would see us run aground, our good loock spent along with the last of our abilities. We had to make an early exit, I grew quite sure of this.

But like my second thoughts on approaching the brothel, the course of events stampeded past anything I might have said or done to effect the idea.

With the first hallway clear, Tom entered the common area, passing behind my sight in pursuit of Blizzard. 

Then August charged past me behind Tom and fired an arrow at a target hidden from my sight. I turned to look down the second hallway, and a moment later, August screamed out. Leaning back, I could see that August had gained a new foe, another axe wielding dwarf as it  happens, one with an arrow lodged harmlessly amidst the chain links of its armor. Most importantly, August had gained a terrible wound. A great vertical gash could be found in his chest. His chain mail hanging to either side of the opening. I could see that a great many of August's ribs must have been smashed in its making. Blood flowed freely from the wound, then splatterd wildly as August’s own bow smashed into his chest, it being knocked backward by another swing of the dwarven axe. 

So, there August stood, bow in hand, facing an opponent with far more appropriate weaponry and far superior melee skills; all of this while struggling simply to breath. He clearly would not withstand another attack.

Michael took careful aim and fired at the dwarf. He missed. I could see that Michael was concentrating on getting another shot in, but the look on his face betrayed a decided lack of confidence. Twisting his face in frustration, or perhaps in resignation, Michale pronounced his verdict on the situation, “You’re ****ed Fred!” 

“My name was August!” 

Then, a blur of fur, teeth, and claws pounce upon the dwarf, splashing some quantity of blood from it’s armor (I know not from what part of the dwarf’s body). I breathed a sigh of relief. Blizzard would keep August alive long enough for me to complete a healing spell. And then Blizzard was gone again having disappeared somewhere into the open room. I sighed, knowing the poor little fellow did not have the mind to understand its error. In its haste to explore new parts of the battlefield, the waggamaeph had left August vulnerable to another attack. 

Bilzzard had simply forgotten to save our friend. 

Tom fired at the dwarf and missed. 

Then Seamus entered the room. Charging directly into the dwarf, Seamus pushed him backwards all the way to the bar and well away from August. Unfortunately, this took the foe within striking range of Tom, but of course Tom was at least healthy enough to fend for himself. And he wound have the benefit of a flanking ally. I breathed a sigh of relief.

August might live.

As Carla entered the open barroom, the dwarf gave up entirely. Seamus knocked him out with the hilt of his sword, and Carla emerged from the room tucking a wine bottle into her possessions. Seamus passed by the doorway to the opposite side of the open barroom. 

I healed August, and we all began to turn our attention to the second hallway.

“He’s Twitching!” Tom’s voice echoed from the open barrom. It was followed shortly after by the sound of an arrow loosed, followed immediately with the sound of an arrow finding a home in loose flesh. 

I cringed.

But the battle would not wait for moral quandaries. The bulk of the women and customers from the second hallway had either retreated to their own rooms by now or fled up the spiral stairs at the  end of the second hall. At the bottom of the stairs, two defenders stood their ground. One of them fired arrows down the hall at us, and the second carried a sword and shield. He too wore armor, a sure sign that he was one of the more powerful guards in the establishment.

Around this time (I learned this later), Seamus and the waggamaeph chased a crowd down a second staircase in the open barroom and into the basement. Blizzard attacked a single opponent without killing him and ran back up the stairs. For his own part, Seamus would eventually slay two enemies in the basement, then teke the time to escort the remaining crowd (consisting of customers and prostitutes) up through the front hallway and out the front door. This was his contribution to the remaining battle, an honorable one to be sure.

But for the present...

A flurry of arrows flew about the hallway, one of them striking me, several striking the chest of the archer down the hallway. He collapsed at the foot of the stairs, spilling the contents of his quiver in front of the first step. The swordsmen quickly retreated up the staircase, leaving the rest of us entirely in control of the bottom floor.

For a moment, the only sound in the hallway was that of the dying archer struggling to draw one last breath without the benefit of working lungs.

All the wounded in our party gathered in a circle about me as I took extra time with a healing spell. As my own wounds hampered my efforts, I needed the extra time to compensate, but I took still more time than that giving us all a great healing boost.

...all but the waggamaeph, I should say. While I was still in the midst of my spell, he ran straight up the staircase, I thought surely to his own death. From the looks passed about the party as I continued the spell, I gather that others must have had similar expectations. 

Blizzard returned a moment later, blinked at us from the bottom of the stair case, and went right back up. This time we could hear fighting break out somewhere upstairs.

And then my spell was complete.  It was a powerful moment of healing. Open wounds closed about me, bones reset, and bruises faded. Many of us breathed a sigh of relief, and gathered ourselves to finish the day's work.

As I cast a second healing spell, Patty quickened us and with my aid gave us all magical armor. Casting spells so quickly is is very taxing, even with the aid of a friend. Clearly Patty has a tremendous magical reserve. 

Before either Patty or myself could finish our last spells, August ran up the stairs (we all assumed to his own death). The Waggamaeph was fast enough to pull that sort of thing off, but our clumsy archer friend would surely be at a disadvantage. ...even if he had taken the spells we were preparing, which he did not.

Our final spells completed, Carla was next up the stairs. A moment later, the swordsman’s body came rolling down, his eyes still  registering the last traces of conscious thought. He died at my feet, looking up at me as if to pleading for help.

Lord forgive me, I stepped over the man.

I stepped over him as I rushed up the stairs myself along with the rest of my friends. It was well past time for the final assault.

As I emerged at the top of the stairs, I found Blizzard fighting a lone enemy in the room opposite the staircase. August stood at the top of the staircase and back against a wall. He was wounded again, though not quite so badly as before. The rest of my friends swarmed about the place, each seeking out an enemy of his own.

A hall travelled the length of the upstairs floor, ending in a room guarded by two archers and one or two more melee fighters. Behind them I could see a spell caster and a couple of the women who had fled the hallways earlier. Two doorways stood opposite each other at the mid section of the hallway, and I could hear the sounds of combat in the one to my left.

Realising that I had but one spell left for the day, I thought to save it for a great healing spell at the end of the battle. In the meantime, the best I could do was to aid someone by flanking an enemy. So, I charged into the room on the left side of the hallway.

I wish that I had not that.


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## Brimshack (May 17, 2008)

Inside the room to the left side of the hallway stood a powerful knight in full armor. He carried  a great sword. Opposite him, stood Tom, a dagger in one hand and a bow in the other. Between them and a little to the side stood a halfling.

It was the halfling that provided the source of my concern. You see, he was dressed in the uniform of a school boy, or rather in a manner disturbingly similar to that of a school boy. In truth the outfit was a little too tight and a little too skimpy to find on any real school boy, at least one whose parents were not destined for the stockade.

The head cloth of a learned teacher had been tucked half way into a pouch carried by the knight. A small book lay face up on the floor of the doorway. It’s pages fluttered about, as if trying to find their point of balance just after coming to rest on the floor.

You don’t have to tell me that it's creepy. I was there.

I tell you this, so that you will appreciate my reasons for distress. It should not take much thought to know what must have occurred between the knight and the halfling. But you see, and this is the thing which has haunted me ever since, the halfling was staring at Tom. With all of those reasons to dread the knight, it was Tom who had the halfling scared out of his wits.

I do not know what happened in that room before I got there, and I have not dared to ask.

For the present, I had only to add myself to the fray. Neither Tom nor I had much chance against such a foe, especially in direct hand to hand fighting. But we were shortly joined by others, not the least of them being Carla.

The knight attacked Tom, and I assisted him as I could. I have always shared some sense of affinity with elves, even those that are starting to frighten me a bit. Using this, I was able to aniticpate Tom's moment of greatest weakness. With my aid and his own wits, Tom escaped serious injury.

Patty then caused the knight great fear with a spell, and as his guard lowered, Carla did what she does best; which is to finish an already ailing opponent. Ducking low she somehow squeezed her dagger into the weak spot between his leg armor and his torso and ripped back towards herself in one violent motion. The sound of metal  scraping hard upon metal mixed with that of flesh and cloth tearing.

The knight swung wildly in response, missing a whole room full of vulnerable bodies and stumbling to the side. Catching himself on a table, the man looked down towards his wound. For just a moment, his eyes focused on the book which lay at his feet. 

I could hear the sounds of battle subsiding all about the second floor.

Following the knight’s eyes, I saw that the pages had settled. Facing up lay a page containing a single illustration; it depicted an obscene act. And then it depicted nothing but the color red. 

And the knight simply collapsed.

Instinctively, I placed myself between the halfling and Tom. I said something to the effect that we should take care of all of the prisoners.

Thankfully, Tom seemed to accept this.

The fighting was over.


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## Brimshack (May 17, 2008)

My dear reader, the last few pages have been very hard on me. It has been some days since I began telling of the raid on the brothel, and I have had nightmares every night since. I keep seeing the dying men, over and over in my dreams. And I see myself acting as I never thought I would, walking past the suffering, even doing my best to add to it. I wake in tears.

It isn’t that I regret our decision to attack the brothel, or my own actions in the battle. I just can’t help wondering what kind of person I am becoming. If this is what it takes to survive...

Well, let me take that burden upon myself. For now I will tell you about the events following our raid.

There were two women at the top of the stairs, and a male spell caster. We had initially tied the spell caster up as we gathered the women remaining in the building (several had already run out). Saying that he too had been a prisoner, the spell caster offered to heal us. Carla looked at me and asked if he was lying. I spelled him on the matter and determined that he was indeed telling the truth. So, we released the man and asked him to heal us. 

This Healer too flinched upon healing Seamus. What happened before was not a fluke!

Seeing the waggamaeph now troubling itself with the best way to walk through an open doorway, we asked him if he could do anything about the little creature. He took his time with the spell and when he was done, Blizzard appeared a little healthier. Carla and Kristen were not around when the spell was cast upon Blizzard. We could only hope that increasing his health would end their own morbid fascination with his symptoms. With my fingers crossed, I considered that chapter closed.

Oh where has my joy gone!?! I have just told you of a wonderful thing, and I wrote it down with all the passion of a child doing hated chores. Dwelling on all this death! I am becoming numb to everything.

Let me try it again...

Blizzard was well again. He was really really REALLY well! Aren’t you happy for him? I am. We should all be happy for him. It’s so wonderful. I mean it really...

...okay, I need to go now. I should know better than to do anything this late at night. I just get so sad. The morning will bring warmth and strength to my pen.

Until then, warmth in your Soul and Happiness in your Heart.

Love
Alyra.


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## Brimshack (May 17, 2008)

Okay, I do feel better now. I have a cup of tea in front of me and I can hear a little bird outside. It’s really chirping, which is really wonderful.

Now. I’m not going to dwell on the bad stuff anymore for now, because we’ve been through all that. So, let’s focus on the one, really, really good thing. We saved a whole bunch of women from a terrible fate! Isn’t that wonderful?

Well, you know it is.

Now!

Now, we had a couple things to tie up here. For one thing, there was the basement. There was a puddle of water  at the far end of the one room basement, and Seamus felt pretty sure that something had been moving around inside it. Blizzard just said; “s-,s-,s-,s- ssssparkly!” I think that means that he agreed with Seamus.

So, anyway, were had a little discussion about maybe going down there and maybe not. I was pretty well on empty myself, but apparently Kristen had a spell left and Patty was good as gold, just as always. ...She is such a little trooper there. Sometimes, I just wan to grab those little pointy ears and give her such a hug!

Well anyway, we decided to go down there and see what we could find. A whole bunch of us grouped up and went downstairs. I’m going to skip some of the details here and just tell you that the source of the movement was a very powerful beast. I think someone called it a Naga. Thinking that we were part of the brothel, he/she/it demanded pure water. When we failed to produce any water, the Naga asked if we were prepared to pay the consequences, and that is when we told it that we were not part of the regular management. I really thought we were going to have to fight that thing. And I am quite certain that would have been fatal for quite a number of us.

Really, that is not just my fear talking. That thing could have taken us when we walked fresh through the door, I am betting. Sitting there tired and battered? If we were lucky the party members still upstairs might have survived.

But, the Naga allowed us to leave, and we did exactly that. 

Now you may be thinking that surely we missed out on something. ...some treasure perhaps? ...or maybe a secret worth knowing? And I agree with you. In fact, I am sure that there was something worth pursuing down there in that basement, but we just didn’t have it in us at the time. We learned that the Naga had made some sort of agreement with the brothel owners where they had to bring it pure water. What it did for them we had no idea. And well, that’s where we left it. 

Hey, one brothel down and a bunch of slaves freed! I was ready to call it a day and so were the others.

By now the city guards had begun to assemble down the street. They were apparently waiting for some re-enforcements before approaching us to see what was up. It was around that time that we sent the remaining women and the healer out to meet them. Then we headed out around the corner and went off down a back ally.

I know, that too was a little less than responsible, but once again, were were tired people! You know, tired! After a big battle like that, I can’t help thinking we were entitled to let our inner selfish out to play a bit.

We didn’t go back to the inn directly. No. We decided to go see Lord Methgar and tell him what we’d done. Everyone figured that might be important, being as he was our sponsor and the brothel was known to have powerful backers f some kind. He might want to know what people were after him if that turned out to be the case. So, we were definitely headed to see Lord Methgar.

But first we wanted to see Louie the Mog again.


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## Brimshack (May 18, 2008)

So, Louie opens the door and stands to the side. Once again, there is that great big symbol of goodness on the wall directly behind the door. I smiled, knowing that I was going into the best place I knew in this whole city. So, I stepped into the door and turned left to go into Loui’s study. Carla came too, and I started to watch her. The Waggie came in and promptly crawled under a couch. I was checking to make sure he didn’t eat anything valuable, when I heard Seamus tell the others he would stand outside.

After everyone came into the study, everyone but Seamus that is, Louie entered the room with a slight frown on his face. He was clearly thinking hard about something.

We told Louie that we had done what he asked.

“So, I am told. Congratulations.”

...mind you, this was less than an hour after the conclusion of the battle.

Louie continued, “I think you should be sure and tell Lord Methgar about this. he will need to know as soon as possible.”

“Oh yes, we were planning on going to see him next.” Tom was back to his old self. I studied him carefully, trying to discern what the halfling had seen in this seemingly wonderful man. Could this have been the man who shot a helpless dwarf in the last battle? I just don’t know.

“I have something for you.” Louie reached out to me with something small in his hand. I took it, and found myself looking at a small ceramic figure symbolizing the power of healing. When I looked up at him, he smiled and nodded. “You may one day need it for a special healing spell.”

Oh! This was wonderful. I knew exactly what he was talking about. You see, the item would serve in place of an assistant for the only spell that could save a fallen friend. It always takes two healers to bring someone back from the brink of death, you know. Well, with this, just once I could do it myself. This would one day save one of us. I could have kissed Louie right then and there.

He gave someone else something, I don’t remember what, because I was so busy studying my fetish familiar. 

Turning to Carla, he said; “Excuse me, that goes over here.” Seeing her produce a book with as slightly sheepish grin, we all got nervous for a moment there. Louie forwned a bit and placed the book carefully its proper place. He then began rifling through the books on his wall and selected a volume. “You may have this one as a gift.

It’s title read, “The Pleasures of a Virtuous Life.”

Carla tucked the book into her belongings, and Louie headed into another room for a moment.

And then he brought out a Great Sword, saying “Give this to someone good and honourable.”

My eyes lit up, knowing that Seamus would make good use of a magical sword. Surely, he had proven himself more than honourable in all of his dealings. The way he protected those women! The waggie looked up from the couch and blinked at it. I think August too nodded his head, knowing exactly where that sword was headed.

Michael and Tom looked uncomfortable, as did Carla. Kristen’s eyes darted back to the doorway, her lips pursed.

I looked out the window to see Seamus standing in the street. It dawned on me now that Seamus hadn’t been with us the first time we visited Louie. So, he had never walked through Louie’s door. 

My heart sank.

“No-one else in our party uses a great sword.” Carla was practical as usual. For myself, I brushed away a tear. Had Seamus not been the perfect gentlemen? Had he not looked after the helpless when he needed to? How could he be unworthy of the values attached to the sword? It made no sense.

...except perhaps for the problems in healing him.

“And if someone is not good or honourable...” Michael did not get a chance to finish the question.

“Then they get less value from the weapon.”

“I realize that, but what...”

“What if they are opposed to its values?” Louie appeared to be catching on.

Michael nodded, his eyebrows raised, almost as if to apologize. “Then they can’t use it , right?” He almost cringed as he said it.

“No, they can use it. ...I mean, he can use it.” Louie too cast his eyes toward the door. “If he shares some moral value with the weapon, he will even get full benefits from the magic, but if he is in some way opposed to the sword...”

“...then, he will have trouble in all other things.” Kristen sat down on the couch, her shoulders slouched in resignation. A faint squeek could be heard beneath her. “He would be powerful on the attack, but his defense could be weakened severely.”

“...and every task would become a chore.” Louie appeared quite displeased. “Is he really your only candidate for the sword? It is an extremely powerful weapon. Had I known...”

“I am afraid so.” My voice was weak as I wiped away another tear. I was NOT concerned about the loss of an opportunity here. “Seamus is the only one who could wield it effectively.”

“Have I misread your...” Louie was clearly beginnig to have second thoughts.

“This is the first we have heard of it...” Patty did her best to appear reassuring.

“But I can heal evil people. That’s not how it...” Oh Cheese! Did I say that out loud?

Everyone stared at me for a moment.

Carla strapped the sword to her back for the interim as the room grew a bit more quiet.

“I really don’t know what to tell you. You may come into trouble because of this raid, and I had thought to aid you with these gifts.” There was a long pause as Louie searched for something else to say. And finally, with a trace of resignation and a strong hint that it was time to say goodbye, “I wish you the best of luck.”

Seamus must have noticed that no-one looked him in the eye as we came out of the building.


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## Brimshack (May 19, 2008)

“So, I am told.” 

Lord Methgar looked a little bit like a disappointed father. I guess, he wasn’t exactly pleased to learn that we had just brought unwanted conflict on ourselves as well as him. Still, he wasn’t entirely angry, at least I didn’t think so.

But I don’t think that Methie is moving after all. It seems like we just get brought into the bare room these days. His place of residence isn't changing at all.

I looked at Carla. ...Of course.

Well anyway, the conversation continued a bit. We told him our reasons for attacking the brothel, and he asked a few questions about Louie. We answered Methie as honestly as we could, which for most of us anyway was pretty darned honest.

After thinking on it a moment, Methie just nodded his head. “I thank you for telling me of this.” He pursed his lips a moment and continued, “There are some other things you should know. A great battle is about to take place on the plains out to the Northeast. Several peoples have arrayed themselves to stop the army coming south from the mountains. The ones who dwell on the plains will be trying to stop them, as will a faction of orcs, groups of kobalds and lizardmen, some strange creatures from the meadows south of the forest. And also those that now rule the elven forest, whoever that is.”

I took great strength from these words. Across the room, August caught my eye. We both smiled. Perhaps...

And then Methie caught my eye. Shaking his head and looking right at me, “There is little hope these factions will be able to stop them.” Seeing disbelief, he continued; “It is a very powerful army.”

And hope left the room. “Most of the city does not know of this coming war. But when the other factions fail, the mountain army is expected to come here next.”

It was early evening by this time, and I grew very tired. It had been a log day, one which had begun with a great victory. But Methie was not on the happy wagon today, not with this little speech, and it was beginning to take away our good spirits.

An awkward silence filled the room. For a time, no-one knew what to say about much of anything. We just stood in silence.

“What will you do now?” Methie began searching through a small bag hanging from his belt.

“We thought we might look into the Harbour Master’s business.” Bob rarely spoke. Why this time, I wondered?

“Or maybe, try to handle this business with Gable One-Eye.” Michael spoke up with Tom nodding beside him.

“Do you know why he is trying to kill you?” Methie appeared happy to change the subject for a moment.

“That’s what we were looking to find out.” Tom continued almost as if he were finishing Michael’s sentence. It was Michael's turn to nod in agreement.

“I think either of those plans would be worth pursuing. Do not forget though, we must learn what it is that the Slolem left behind.”

And with that, Lord Methgar handed us a key to a private home and instructions for getting there. He said that we could stay in there for a month without charge, and then we would begin paying a small rent in subsequent months. ...assuming of course, everyone was still alive long enough for this to become a concern.

We left Methgar’s place and returned to the Inn where we gathered our stuff and then moved to the new residence.

Our new home was a nicely furnished little two story house. A nice kitchen lay on the bottom floor and a common dining area as well as a sort of study. The top floor consisted of sleeping quarters. There was a generous fireplace, cutlery, something akin to china, and even a book or two on the mostly empty shelves. I found myself thinking I could live here.

And I wondered what Robin from back home would have thought? Is this the sort of place we could have built for ourselves? Thoughts of children playing by the fire lasted but a moment. And then they were chased away by visions of foul beasts coming through the door...

Still it was a warm place, and one that might prove safe, if only for a short while.

We slept hard that night, at least I know I did.


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## Brimshack (May 19, 2008)

Those curtains are ugly. 

August drew aside the curtains to the window in the common area, and I just could not help thinking that they were the ugliest curtains I had noticed in a long time.

I chuckled to myself as I thought this. It was wonderful to think of such things again. The truth was I hadn’t noticed the colour of a drapery in ages. I smiled and drank my tea, just enjoying a morning of almost normal.

At the dining table, Patty, Michael, Carla, and “Bob” were discussing our plans. Should we attack the Harbour Master? Kill him perhaps? What about a raid on Gable One Eye? Could that succeed? Or perhaps, we could go talk to him. We knew what bar to approach and what to say to his henchmen. Getting an audience with the old gang leader would not be difficult, but leaving that audience alive could well be a challenge.

August unlatched the window and let the sun in. It was not the sun of home, but it was enough to warm the soul this morning.

And those ugly drapes were about the most beautiful thing that I had seen in ages. August too smiled as he looked out into a relatively bright day. And then hiss head jerked backwards with a violent motion. Blood splattered on the drapes. Some hit the ceiling, and a little even made it to the table where patty was buttering her bread. Instinctively, my hand covered my face and my chin tucked into my chest. I felt a sort of mist striking the back of my fingers, a few drops making it through to touch my face. Something solid struck my forehead, then fell to the floor.

It was part of a tooth.

As I pulled my hand down, I saw August’s knees first. They were buckling as he fell before the window. Lying face up, August tried to cough. Or rather, his lungs heaved convulsively, trying to expel air around the bolt lodged in his mouth. August’s entire body tensed up and his back arched up off the floor, the point of the missile digging into the wooden surface just below his neck. August began to convulse. More blood sputtered from his mouth as August’s lungs forced air out once again. The blood flew up into the air and fell onto his face and to the floor about him. I half expected August to draw another breath soon after, wondering if he could do so with the missile lodged in his mouth. but no such event would be forthcoming. His body already slain, August’s spirit would leave him in just another moment.

Moving before anyone else, Carla slid to the far side of the window and began searching the rooftops, then the street corners. Others moved to the door, seeming uncertain as to whether to charge through or simply prepare to strike an intruder. Patty looked to Carla, as if to ask whether or not she had seen the crossbowman. Carla simply continued searching.

Being furthest away from the body, Bob threw his toast to the floor and charged towards the August. He reached August before me and ducked below the window. We had but another moment to make his body right before the spirit left August forever.  Bob poised to help me as I strode quickly to a spot next to August and knelt down between the two of them. This was a difficult spell, one that I had never cast before. There was no time to build extra power, and I needed to be as close as possible to August. Even with Bob’s help, I was unsure that I could make this work. 

Taking but a moment to utter a simple incantation, I touched August upon the forehead, delivering the power of the healing spell to his body.

My eyes were closed. I could not bare to see this fail. I held them shut with all my strength, working at it as though someone had been prying them open from the outside. Truly, I could not bare to see August this way. Still less to see that I had failed him. And I wondered if I might somehow escape the need to open them soon. Could I turn to the side and walk the other way? Would my friends escort me away so that I would not have to see? 

Hearing a sword drawn beside me, I remembered our circumstance and the danger which was obviously still about us.  Resolving to open my eyes once again, I hesitated just another moment.

And I heard coughing before me, not just once, but several times, and then one great hack. I felt drops of some fluid strike my face again, and then I heard a deep breath on the ground just before me.

When I opened my eyes, I could see August spitting blood all over the place as he leaned foreword. The crossbow bolt rolled off of his chest and clattered upon the floor. Bob smiled at me. We had succeeded in pulling off a small miracle, and our friend would live.

Carla was still scanning the outside. Seamus now stood before of the doorway. Not yet wearing his armor, he braced himself for combat without it. 

August could barely move. He still struggled for air and failed all attempts at speech. Though his skull and spine appeared intact once again, the fact that I could look upon them directly bode rather poorly for the skin and muscles that should have been there. Blood still dripping on the floor behind him, August attempted to find his bow and return to his feet.

I began another Healing spell, this time a conventional healing, one that would not require Bob’s aid. Still, he helped me anyway. I took the time to build extra power this time, dimly aware of the preparations my friends made about me. Carla still hadn’t found the source of the missile, and others joined her in the search. No-one opened the door yet. There was nowhere to go.

...and I wondered if it would soon take another miracle to keep all my friends alive.


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## Brimshack (May 20, 2008)

...but nothing happened. The assassin was long gone. Some went out in search of him, but they found no signs at all. We never learned where the culprit had been when he fired the bolt.

That morning we carried a host of weapons we had taken from various foes to the market - yes we were watching our backs the whole time - and we sold them. Using the money to replace our own lost and damaged items, we then turned to the next task of the evening. 

***

Oh! Wait, before I go on, I have GOT to tell you about my brand new dress. You see, we were replacing things, right? Well, my new dress was all bloodied up again, so I bought a new one. Only this time, it means something. I mean, this time it really means something. A white dress can be a very powerful item, at least to someone who knows the essence of that particular colour. I am so pleased with this, I just had to tell you about it. Okay, so I'll go back to the regular story.

***

Walking into the bar, I almost slipped on a puddle of liquid. I told myself it was just a someone's drink, but I feared worse. As we settled into a dingey table, I couldn't help noticing the number of eyes on us. Several thugs shifted positions about the smokey room. Within moments, someone stood near every exit. The manuevering wasn't too obvious, but it wasn't really that discrete either.

Michael asked for a steak from a one horned steer and the waitress laughed out loud. She left nodding, chuckling to herself and nodding. A round of ale made its way to our table.

After a good while someone came by and told us that we would have to leave, because our table had been reserved. This was of course met with a certain degree of incredulity, but the waitress insisted. Kristen asked if there was some place else we could go, and the waitress said that they might have a place for us in the back room. If we could just follow her, she suggested, she nodded towards and open door at the far side of the bar. Two of the ugliest, meanest, sweatiest men I have ever seen stood by the open door, apparently waiting for us to enter.

We entered a small room without windows. Inside the room was a single table with enough chairs for each of us to have a seat, plus one more at the far end of the table. There was a single doorway on the opposite side of the room (making this a little too much like the old warehouse incident for my liking). One of the men gestured pulled a chair out for Kristen and gestured for all of us to take our seats. It seemed as much of an order as it was an invitation. 

When everyone was seated one of the thugs came by with several mugs of ale which he placed unceremoniously on the table. He then walked over to Carla and slapped a single gold coin on the table before walking out of the room.

We all just stared at each other. After a pause Carla took the coin and stuffed it into her blouse. We passed around the mugs of ale.

I should say that I was getting real thirsty, because I was not drinking any of this stuff. ...as much because of the dingy cups and mugs as a desire to stay sober. But seriously, ewe! This place was quite filthy.

So, in walked a dingy brute of a man from the far side of the room. Predictably enough, he wore a patch over his left eye. Two more thugs took up positions near the far door, and the two others stood just outside the one we had come through. They left the door open just a little.

"Ballsy move, I'll give you that much."

"Well, we were just in the neighborhood..." Carla was so cool, so non-challant. It occured to me that she would be quite at home in this very bar. ...probably happy to cut our throats if she had fallen in with Gable instead of us. I don't like to think such things about my friends, but sometimes you just see things. Well anyway, the conversation continued...

"So what do you want?" Gable cut in.

"We want to know why?" Tom pushed his mug aside and leaned foreword to look Gable in the eye.

"Don't know myself. Don't care."

I leaned foreword myself, and tried to phrase a question. Gable just looked exasperated. Speaking directly to me, he said, "the price was paid. That is all that matters." I leaned back in my chair. Looking around, I realized that I might have been the only one present who actually needed that one spelled out for me. Instinctively, I grabbed the mug and gulped down a swig of...

...gah! ...not water! 

It was really gross. I sat back and concentrated on keeping the contents of the drink down. I was now sure that wasn't a spilled drink I slipped on as we came through the doorway to the main bar. Fighting off a wave of revulsion, I resolved to let others do the talking from here on out.

"We can pay you to leave us alone." Patty winked.

"It doesn't work like that."

"Honour among thieves." Bob nodded as if to say he had heard of this.

"Huh! I'm hurt." Gable chuckled. "But yes, you have the right idea. The price is paid, and I will not go back on my word. That may seem quaint, but it's the reason you'll walk out of here alive tonight."

He took a moment to study me. I guess I was making a funny face, still trying to keep the drink down. Shaking his head, Gable turned to the others and continued, "Alright, you've already cost me more than the commission is worth, and as you may have heard we had a rough time on the North side of town a couple weeks back. That and crossbow bolts are becoming more expensive these days... (I didn't like the way Gable smiled as he said this part.) So, I'll tell you what. I'm going to see if you can pay off the original source. I don't know why he wants you killed, but if there is something you can do to make him call off the hit, then I will make the arrangements. No promises, but I will see what I can do."

"Well you know where we live." Carla finished her drink. She appeared to want another.

"That I do."

A moment of silence fell on the room as everyone took a moment to think. And to study one another.

"Very well, ladies and gentlemen, I wish you a good evening." Gable stood up and strode out of the room by the far doorway. One of the thugs opened the door to the main room and motioned us out. All eyes were upon us as we left the room and walked through the bar to the front door.

Walking out of the bar, I could see the puddle that had greeted me on my entrance was still there, albeit tracked around a bit more in the interim. 

It was definitely not a spilled drink.


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## Brimshack (May 20, 2008)

The next morning I thought to do August a kindness. He came downstairs to a nice cup of hot tea with bread and jam, all heated just right and perfectly timed for him to come down stairs. I set the cup of tea on the table in front of him as he sat down, gave him a little hug and told him it was going to be a bright shiny day.

Normally August would have thanked me. 

As we were eating breakfast, a loud thud struck against the wooden door shutters, the ones August had opened the day before. I couldn’t help noticing there was still blood on the ugly curtains. Still, the noise had everyone on edge. A couple daggers and sword made an appearance right quick as we carefully approached the door and headed outside.

We found a rock sitting outside the window, and that was all. It was very strange and we were about to go back inside when Carla took a moment to look around. She saw a piece of paper flittering off and away in the wind. Between it and the rock lay a piece of string. So, I guess the bad-guy messenger service is a little less than reliable these days. Harrumph!

Carla couldn’t catch the paper in time, but Blizzard ran ahead and brought it back. I was simply thankful the little guy hadn’t decided to eat it. The message read.

“The good we discussed is a dry on account of the client took it on the long.”

There was no signature.

We puzzled over the paper a bit. Most of the group figured the message wasn’t good, but we simply weren’t sure. We just kept tossing it back and forth. Finally, after studying the paper a bit, you could almost see the light go off over Carla’s head.

“Oh! It means the deal is off, because the client said ‘no go’.”

Bob shot her a questioning look and Carla just said, “Don’t ask.”

Listening to the conversation, I reached into the cupboards to get myself a cup. A new mug was resting beside the others. I could have sworn it was the kind served at Gable One-Eye’s place. I stared at it a minute and then back at Carla. Hm…

I took a different cup and got myself some water.

August was simply staring off into space during the conversation. I felt badly for him. Death always retains a small hold on someone who comes that close. He would recover his good spirits in time, but it would always be that much more difficult now to keep August in good health.

So, we decided to work the rumor mill a bit and see if we could learn a bit more about the Harbor Master. We set out about the city, this time keeping a bit further to the south and out of Gable’s territory.

This ambush was even more pathetic than the first one. I won’t bore you with the details, and I really need a break from writing with a bloody pen. Suffice to say that we came out on top of this one. Just another bunch of thugs getting all swarmy&mean on cue, and just another bunch to get their seats given as gifts to them for the effort. The only tricky part was a crossbow bolt, fired at Carla from an unknown location. She survived the wound, and her would-be assassin survived his failure. Not much came of this little event, really.

…except, it turns out we had a new enemy. My goshes! If only we had been blessed with half as many friends!

Once again, the city guard let us talk to the prisoners, and once again Patty made magic friends with them before doing the talking. We learned this bunch was working for one of Gable’s rivals, a man by the name of Cobblemight. Apparently, Gable had sub-contracted Cobblemight’s crew to carry out the hit while we were working his rival’s turf.

Awe!

It’s not often you see enemies bury the hatchet and work together like that. It makes my heart warm just thinking that maybe we had helped spread the love between two angry people.

…okay, I’m not real good at this sarcasm stuff, but just in case you weren’t sure, that’s what I was trying to say in that last line or two, because I’m really not happy about this! We’re trying to save the city, and everyone and her sister seems to want to kill us for it.

Hello? Don’t you people know we’re all going to be dead in a few weeks anyway? All these guys could just sit back and watch it happen for all it really matters.

UGH!

I’m sorry. Sometimes, I just have to let out my inner miffed. But I’ll work on the sarcasm thing, because I think I may have cause to use it again.


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