22 Mirtul 1479

Today was much more interesting. Straightaway we woke up Kargil was really ill. Gwyneth has some skill in healing and took a look at him and said he'd need some special herbal potion and could we go gather some? I noted that she looked a bit askance at the party, though she hid it well. Makes a fellow wonder, doesn't it? Though Kargil didn't eat anything different than anyone else, such as I can tell...

Anyway we headed off to gather the herbs - just us paid types, Cedric bowed out - it was a hell of a trek, too - up and down hills. We saw some signs of flying creatures with claws and such - not stirges and too big to be eagles. We did eventually find what made those marks - drakes. They swarm you over and that's pretty nasty, but we made it through. Makes me wish I could tap into the healing magicks better. Got the herbs and brought 'em back to Gwyneth and she started making up the potion. I managed to get her aside and ask her what had happened and after a long moment and a good sharp look-over she admitted it looked like poison, but she couldn't tell how he got it. We kept Gnf watching over Kargil, just in case. The potion worked a treat, though and we were back on the road (oh joy) by midday - with Kargil riding, but upright and alert.

Got to an ambush, trees down across the road that clearly WEREN'T deadfall. Oddly, where it stopped us put us in between a row of cages - which reminded me a bit of those chutes for our try-out and for good reason. Some fire beetles started coming out of them and about the same time a few smudge pots went off, filling the areas with smoke. Under cover of all this a few bandits started sneaking up to lift the bags out of the wagons. We took 'em all down - Kargil was able to manage his crossbow - and deal with the smudge pots without any of the trees or grass catching fire.

At camp tonight I noted that Merrill was studying some scroll or such that he was trying to tuck away - not to mention not look like he was even studying something. I call that very suspicious - especially given Kargil's poisoning. Then again, maybe I just don't like Merrill.