15 Kythorn 1479

What a day. I'm so tired I can barely hold the pen. We arrived early, outside of Redspring and dismounted and all when I realized that the ah...nobility I was pretending too would almost certainly tip Estelle and I had NO idea how much or if I even had enough gold - and I seriously doubted it and I stood there dithering, feeling my beautiful bluff dissolving into goo. Finally Estelle took pity on me (great, I'm reduced to the fool boy being pitied) and suggested I write a song for her. I know it must've shown in my face before I recovered my composure and thanked her gravely. I've already got some ideas though - words are still tricky, but I bet I can do some nice stuff with wind sounds and maybe the 'griffs.

Anyway, Redspring isn't so much a town as a logging camp with delusions of grandeur. Got a stockade around it and a huge smithy bellowing smoke and running seemingly non-stop. I slipped the ring on, but spun it inside so no one would notice the seal and we headed in. The inn is the second biggest place in town - beaten only by the smithy. Named the Double Crescent and run by a dwarf named Frodi Nibbleheim - I suppose I shouldn't be that surprised to find a dwarf that follows Selune and yet it seems oddly un-dwarfish. Made Max feel more comfortable I'd guess. Frodi is a rat-faced man with BIG mustaches and an amazingly easy hand with a knife. Big inn, as I say, handling more custom by putting up a big pavilion tent over the innyard and setting out tables. Nice day, nice place to sit. More visible too. Especially there did seem to be a large orc-like looking fellow off to one side. We took a table near him and his lady friends. Pretty lady friends, my luck may be turning. Frodi asked what we'd eat and after 5 days Gnf just swore that it NOT be rat-bars. Made the serving girl - mouse-like maid called Lita - flinch. I wonder if she doesn't like coarse (although that was awful mild) language or if we should wonder what we ARE eating. We decided on stew and she and Urd - the serving MAN, who I'd swear to be her brother - brought it out. I started spinning the signet about so it was visible while watching the orc - once we got close, full-blood, no question - and his friends. The one was a shifter - never seen one face to face, but once you do, you know it. Pretty in a sort of graceful...I almost wanna say...slinky? kinda way. Cat-like? Though that impression might be from the periodic appearance of the bobcat - the ghostly see-through bobcat - at her feet. The other was human, dressed in the usual leathers of a forester - given the bow, I'd guess hunter - but she kept getting up and wandering the edges of the innyard and town. Nervous, running from something maybe - sure hadn't cleaned up recently, so on the run in a real hurry? Shied away from me pretty hard, but only to a certain distance, something going on there.

He was indeed our cargo, called himself Ugrun and introduced his companions - in a way that said they were going with him - as Lyra (the shifter) and Aprilane (the human). They mentioned that there's some trouble in these parts with a woman styles herself "Queen of the Beasts" who is proclaiming Redspring anathema and that they need to return to the "old ways". Right. I'm guessing this "queen" wouldn't know an old way if it bit her on the ass. "How dare they mine or cut down the trees?!" Hells, looks like they're keeping it within acceptable limits, not great, but not horrific and it's not like you don't cut down any, ever - how else would you clear out for new growth? Anyway, she's been stirring up the town, folks are kinda torn - they are sailing awfully close to the edge of overrunning the wild here, so.... Lyra mentioned that Queenie was a lycanthrope and definitely one of the bad ones, because she (Lyra) had seen her spell-plague some wolves - she gave 'em something, a bowl of blood maybe? and they changed some and there were these flickers of blue light about 'em, arcane seeming and they got more aggressive. More? It'd have to be more, wolves aren't much for aggression, but these were. Ugrun's friend who'd accompanied him from...wherever was set running and they chased him down and killed him. According to Lyra, this sort of thing isn't really an uncommon punishment, she was just appalled that he'd gotten no kind of trial or defense and with the spell-plague and all, the rules were broken. Who knows?

We'd gotten this far in the story when Aprilane sorta whisper-swore and ducked down behind Lyra and Ugrun's chairs, just as a largish fellow, blond and handsome in a kinda...well, useless way - the kind what trades on his looks, but can't count past 10 with his boots on - walked in. Aprilane murmured that this was Lenz, a consort of sorts for Queenie and she'd (Aprilane) shot him a few days back and well, there was grudge holding involved. Apparently her hiding wasn't good enough because Lenz glowered and took on that "I'm about to start wrecking the bar" look when Frodi shouted out that EVERYONE was welcome here, so long as they behaved - and after a pause (lovely dramatic timing too, Mom'd be impressed) - and EVERYONE could behave. Lenz took a seat and glowered into his ale - after ale, after ale.

Our discussion taking a while, I ended up going through ale after ale after...well, ok 2 is enough to send me privy-ward anyhow so I legged it through the dark taproom and noticed...well, my dream. Same taproom, same corner, same couple - I sorta staggered into the doorframe and leaned heavily against it while I eavesdropped. He wanted her to go away, something about the Queen, I guess and the old ways maybe? And she protested that she didn't want to sleep in the dirt and get leaves in her hair and so forth. He muttered something back and I skittered out to do what I came for and rush back, not to miss anything - damn near injured myself trying to run and button at the same time. I got back in time for him to give some "well, fine, if you don't love me I'll go eat worms" kinda nonsense and shove off - like my dream and there she was, as before.

Had to help her, didn't I? I figured amiable and mildly drunk was most like to get past her defenses and staggered over and plopped down by her with an open smile - and outstretched arms, which she neatly evaded, saying she was done with men. She was all but crying so I suggested she come on out and sit in the sunshine, let me buy her a drink. She pointed out that as a serving maid she couldn't do that (oops, shoulda noticed that) and that she meant it, she wanted nothing more to do with men. Ok, flirting wasn't the right way to go, so more amiable, less...uh, lusty. I suggested she could still enjoy the sunshine, linger at our table - when she frowned I promised her it was safe - my sister'd keep me in line. That drew the faint confused and amused look I expected and she relaxed, so I let it go and staggered off with a friendly smile and wave. I could only hope.

She did come out with the next round and managed a faint smile and allowed as her name was May, when I pressed her - Allyson glowering all the while, naturally. She'd barely gone back inside when Lenz tipped over his table in that ridiculous way that the big dumb ones have that they think no one notices is staged and declared that Redspring was an abomination and by tomorrow the Queen would have dealt with it - and moreover that this ale was pisswater - he upended his tankard and started to unbutton to prove his point when Frodi appeared outta nowhere - and he had a different point, one that Lenz was in no position to ignore. I think I rather like that dwarf - he did tell Lenz he'd cut it off and Lenz just shrugged - trying to be nonchalant, but well, let's face it, it's hard in that situation - and said it didn't matter, only a matter of time and he stomped off. Frodi - who turns out is (well, was) the mayor of Redspring caught the edge on that and rang the big bell outside the inn and doubled up guards and all.

We were just trying to figure out where we'd be useful when part of the stockade started creaking. We were rushing out and May slipped up to me asking me not to hurt him - he "was a good boy, he just fell in with a bad lot", why do girls actually FALL for that? I said I'd do my best, and she brightened, but I couldn't promise, which brought her down. I guess I shoulda just lied to her and said yeah, no worries, but....well, that just didn't seem the time to lie at all, y'know? Outside there were 8 badgers...but this musta been what Lyra meant by spell-plagued 'cause they just looked WRONG and let's face it, I know from badgers. They were digging away at the posts, so naturally Allyson sailed right in - 'cause she knows from badgers and she's got a LOT of grudge built up - but they were tougher than normal and then they did this...well, their mouths opened like almost sideways and just way too damned big and there was all this blue flickering and some kinda roar or growl and it just rocked Allyson back a second. Dunno that I've ever seen her scared before - EVER and that's more than scary enough for me. I tried to pry them away from the posts - I do know how to taunt badgers too - but they were determined and it took more than I'dve thought but we got 'em before they got the posts down and some guards came and helped us fill in and re-plant 'em. So we headed in to town to see what next and we got to the inn and Frodi was fighting off Lita and Urd, saying he'd taken them in, given them a place and they paid by betraying him? That was when they changed - wererats apparently - and we sailed in to help Frodi. None of us know much about were-anything except they're hard to kill, you either gotta use silver or hit 'em real hard, real fast. Well, real hard, real fast worked on Urd, but not so much on Lita, she started chasing Frodi to the end of the tent and naturally Allyson and Ugrun and Max started off to help - which meant I had to follow. Aprilane murmured something about a good vantage for firing and Gnf was worried about the gates, so they headed off. Well, we get most of the way into (under) the tent when the bystanders turned out to be not so much in the innocent line and yanked the poles, bringing the tent down on us. Managed to dive under a bench so I wasn't totally caught up, but Lyra didn't QUITE make it, I had to sorta yank her in - good thing she's none too heavy. Not so good, she's no stronger than I am, so shoving the bench forward with us under it, so we could get out of the tent without being easy targets was...challenging. We managed it, but there were an awful lot of weres waiting - and sorta berserk - no talking my way outta THAT and crowded up so close that drawing on magic just sorta leaves me open - and then THEY left my side open and... I was starting to panic - I was hurting bad, didn't look like I could heal myself, nor Lyra do so before they could skewer me good and I didn't know where the hell Allyson was and if she was ok, did she need healing and... well, not my finest hour, when Max zings in and takes them down easy. Found Allyson and Ugrun, both more or less fine - rather less than more, but ok - and heard a cry of fire and way more smoke than oughta be coming outta the smithy. They had a bucket brigade going, but it didn't seem to be helping and what with the bystanders being on the wrong side.... I thought maybe all the buckets weren't going where they ought? Then I thought to look behind me and sure enough, smoke coming outta the inn - so I darted in to make sure no one was getting stuck in there. I was just leaning over the bartop to check behind, make sure no one had panicked enough to try and hide out the fire when May's young man rushed in calling for her. I said I hadn't seen her, try upstairs and he rushed right up. Seems the girl might not have chosen as bad as it looked. Found her in the kitchen with the cooks, trying to put out the fire Lita set when she escaped, but it was clear enough it wasn't gonna work and Frodi was calling for evacuation. Stubborn girl was determined not to let it go, I reckon this town's all she's got and I had to tell her that he was upstairs, the roof was about to give way and if she didn't leave now, he wouldn't and he'd DIE. Complete with melodramatic emphasis - sweet enough girl, but a bit...well, yeah. It worked anyway and they went to help evacuate.

We were set to one flank to protect the wagons going and good thing, Queenie was throwing the lot at us. First more of those berserker types, coupled with some nasty spell-plagued bears. Enough of them that it was a bit tricky to keep 'em away from the road. Then, when we were still breathing hard from THAT, Lenz showed up with 2 spell-plagued cougars and himself in full "I'm a big scary were, fear me" mode (ok, ok, it IS scary). The hit 'em real hard, real fast was...ineffective. We were down to the just keep hitting him hard and pray for a miracle. Well, we don't need miracles, we just need time. Aprilane got off some NICE shots, Gnf through all his ka-BOOMs all over the place - there's some of 'em I don't think he CAN miss with - and Allyson and Ugrun waded right in - and DAMN but Ugrun can take it. That is one tough orc - by ORC standards. Anyway, with all of us on him - mostly, Max and Lyra were dealing with the remaining cougar - he was going down and unbelievable, one good push on the taunt and he went over. HAH. So much for that whole sticks and stones bullshit. *I* can make words hurt just fine, thank you. Y'know I don't even feel too bad about killing him - of course I'm not really sure he'll stay dead....

And we trudge on. I sure hope we get to Silverymoon without more excitement.