I can't believe it's been nearly a month since I last wrote a journal entry. I have written a great deal of poetry, and I think I may be getting better at it. I have even been brave enough to show some of it to the company. I am sitting under a tree in the beautiful garden of Kimmrick, the wizard of Falling Rock Keep. As I sit here, I can hear the sound of a small stream, but I don't remember seeing one. The events since our visit to the Wind Shrine have been time consuming, and while they might make interesting reading, they will make painful writing.

Upon returning from the Wind Shrine, a gentleman named Lawrence Crawford arrived bearing an urgent message from Ardania. Uncle Max, captured and tortured by the Blackcloaks, is indeed dead. The loss has made my behavior even more erratic than usual, causing me to miss the company's journey to the Navigator's Guild headquarters because I was so drunk on Thovir's Ice Wine that I actually was passed out when the rest departed. Lia took wonderful care of me and the Elfsong has proven to be a fine place to leave messages for one another and to meet when she can slip away. I have only been away from her for a few days, but it seems like eons. There was a Tinker girl the other night at Grantham's Bowl. She was quite a dancer and very beautiful in a feral way. It was hard not to stare at her, but I just kept thinking of my dearest little Lia and the urge passed. This trip, escorting wagons for the Guild, has been wearing on us all. We have fought harpies, hippogriffs and yesterday, a red dragon. Finally a chance to see how I would deal with my mortal enemy, or at least one of his kin... I didn't faint, or run or even feel scared. I dealt it a fair bit of damage and Raven dispatched it. I don't feel particularly pleased or excited about it's death, except that there is one less evil thing in the world. Tonight we had an interesting talk with the wizard Kimmrick whose garden I am sitting in. He is an Earth Wizard, the first I've ever met. He was very kind to us and told us some about Tenebrion and Umbrion and their father, who was the leader of the wars. I think he will be a helpful comrade. There is something very comforting about him. He gave me a scroll of stoneskin that I will copy once we're back at the guild. Very kind of him. I gave him a scroll of dark vision and Blackhawk gave him a scroll as well, in trade. Blackhawk surprises me. Just when I believe he finds me tiresome and wishes I weren't in the party, he does something nice for me. We are just very different, I think.

Kimmrick said something that made me very curious. He said it was very unusual to see a red dragon, indeed any dragon, this far south. We have seen quite a number of them on our various journies, leading me to ask, "am I some kind of dragon attractor?" Dragons are never seen in Ardania, and yet one attacked Lark and I there. Dragons are seldom seen here and a red attacked our party. It is something to ponder...

Til later then. I must sleep if I am to be any good to the party tomorrow. We are off to Tooley, a Gnomish town. I wish I spoke Gnomish.