Good news this morning! Mayor Welby just told Stephen that Carlotta had appeared to him in a dream, and told him to trust us to take he and his people to a safe place. Even as I write this, the halflings are packing up their belongings and preparing for the trip to the island and through "The Gauntlet." Our plan is to station Blackhawk on this side of the crossroads with the halflings and to take them through in 3 groups of 54 and one of 50. Stephen will move from crossroads to crossroads, persuading the guardians to grant them passage. Elensul and Raven will be on the other side on the ridge to guide them across and Raven will lead them through the portal in the Temple of the Phoenix. I will stay in the tomb until all of them are through, and then the entire group of us will follow Stephen to the crossroads on the dead plain. It is a good plan I think, but one fraught with danger. I will continue this log when we are all safe on the new halfling home island.

(I have written this bit in case the unthinkable happens, in hopes that it will find it's way to the Guild and our fate may be known one day.)

Later.

I am lying under a tree that Blackhawk calls a coconut palm. The fruit of this tree is quite unusual, in that it is wrapped in a barklike husk that is very difficult to open. Once you find a way to open it though, the fruit and "milk" are delightful. It seems like paradise here, especially after the ordeal we just completed. Let me pick up where I left off.

As we prepared to leave the encampment, Blackhawk and Raven prepared us with elemental protection from the cold. Elensul especially needed it since he would be the one of us who stayed on the ridge for and extended period of time, but I was grateful for it as the cold was incredibly biting on the ridge. Stephen had little trouble opening the first crossroads and the first group of halflings and the rest of us followed Elensul, who went ahead in order to set up a makeshift rope railing, held in place by some javelins. The halflings were dazzled by the brilliant blue sky and the snow covered peaks. Despite gale force winds, they managed to hold onto the ropes and made it to the cave and the ivy wall without incident. Stephen had a heated discussion with the guardian, who was the most fractious we have encountered. Just when I feared that we would have to give up and take the halflings back, the guardian finally gave his consent for us to cross through, but it was a near thing. The halflings seemed almost giddy in the temple of the phoenix, holding their poor cold little hands toward the warmth of the fire. Raven made sure they understood as much as possible that they were in the presence of divinity, and that they should pay their respects. After her speech, they filed gravely by, eyes downcast. We came through into the tomb and I entertained the group as best I could while we waited for their fellows. I cast light on the central table in the tomb and was able to fully appreciate the intricate detail of the knotwork on the phoenix design on the portal.

This next bit I must relate second hand, since I was not present to see it, but Elensul and Raven have given me a detailed account.

On the way back to retrieve the second group, Raven began to worry about Stephen passing through the spiral stone crossroad, the one where the icy guardian had taken such a liking to him. She determined to hold him tightly and cast protection from elements on herself in preparation. She felt as if someone were challenging her, (I believe the guardian saw her tight hold on Stephen as possessive and was jealous) and it took her some time to get through. Her hair was ice rimed when she came out.

The second group had an unfortunate incident. Although all of us had warned the halflings about the dangers they would face, one teenager capered out onto the ridge, not paying attention, and was caught by a gust of wind. Weighing only 30 or so pounds, he was swept off his feet and was going over the side of the ridge when he managed to grab javelin. Relief turned to dismay when the javelin let go it's hold, flinging the hapless youngster and eight other halflings into the ravine. Elensul made a grab for the rope, and caught it, but was so off balance that he too, fell. Raven, next to the cave mouth, got the end of the rope and braced herself. Somehow she held on long enough to stone shape around the end of the rope, thus securing it. The rope swung and Elensul caught one, then two falling halflings, but a third, an elderly woman, plummeted to a cliff some seventy feet below and lay still. Elensul used his abundant step to get back to the ridge, and with Raven's help, pulled up the remaining halflings. He then rappelled down to the old woman, who, amazingly, was alive. He tied the rope to himself and Raven, Stephen and the halflings brought them back up, and Raven healed the old woman, who had some broken ribs and injuries to her hands and arms. Elensul was also battered by the wind into the rock and ice, but said he could heal himself. Raven shot the teenager a withering look, and the party continued into the temple, where all of the halflings who had taken cold damage reported that they felt much better. Whether it was a virtue of the Phoenix or just being warm again, I cannot say. Soon, this group of 54 joined us in the tomb as well.

Elensul rerigged the ropes for the next group, and this time neither Raven nor Stephen had a problem at the spiral stone. Raven, still shaken by the near catastrophe, lectured the halflings again about the danger ahead, emphasizing that lives had nearly been lost, but halflings are a stubborn lot and one of the older men, deciding that the rope on the left side of the ridge felt loose, let go and reached for the one on the right. He began to slide quickly, but Elensul was able to save him from falling. At the ivy wall, Raven sang a sweet song for the guardian, who opened the crossroads more quickly than ever before. This group of halflings seemed particularly impressed with the phoenix and basked happily in it's warmth until Raven convinced them that it was time to leave. With the bone and feather fetish, she brought the group through to me in the tomb, their clothes still steaming from the trips through fire and ice.

As Raven went through the crossroads with the masculine guardian, she said she had the sensation of being caressed. She blushed when she related this. Raven warned the final group of halflings very sternly, a little too sternly perhaps, since none of that group will meet her gaze, but it worked and the last group came through without incident. Blackhawk and Stephen helped Elensul to reclaim his javelins and the ropes and we made ready for the last and most perilous part of the gauntlet, the dead plains. We warned the halflings that they would feel tired and drained, but must move as quickly as possible to the one sorry bit of grass within the ring of statues. We told them that the halfling with the staff marked the crossroads. I cast reduce on the rock, and bringing up the rear of the group, replaced it once everyone had gone out. The vast greyness called to me, echoed something I felt in my soul, but I trudged ahead, knowing that most of the bleak despair I felt was due to the many stone circles, concentrating and drawing the energy away from the land. We reached the halfling crossroad and Stephen negotiated our passage. Blackhawk and Raven went to the other side to keep halflings from falling into the deep pool, and Stephen, Elensul and I ushered the halflings through, one by one. We became aware of a crowd of distant voices as we were crossing the plain, and then, Elensul and I saw, first a cloud of dust and then, a crowd of woad painted warriors screaming down the largest hill toward us. As we rushed the halflings through, we saw the crowd increase, and then from beside the hill, warriors on horseback came charging toward us. Stephen told the guardian to close the portal behind him when he went through, and I readied my chain lightning spell. Fortunately. we were able to get to the other side and Stephen, behind us, informed the guardian to close the portal right then. It seemed almost silent for a moment as the screams and war cries of the thousands of warriors stopped abruptly, but then they were replaced by the excited voices of halflings, exploring their new home. It is verdant here, so very different from the dead plain we just left, warm and humid with limestone hills shaped like beehives and covered by a riot of exotic plants.

So, here we are, helping the halflings settle into their new home. I expect we will stay for a week or so and assist them in putting up some kind of temporary shelter. Raven has already offered to use stone shape to get them started, as we all know halflings are happiest burrowed into the hills. I am relieved that things seem to be turning out so well, but wonder how we will manage to get back home. I expect I will be called upon to teleport the Foxes back to somewhere near Bliss. Thank the angels I only need to know where I'm going, not where I am.

Respectfully submitted by Maxfield Jaden Fox