I meant to bring my journal up to date, picking up where I left off last time, after Cousin Natala and I recovered Daron. Apparently the ritual took some time, because I don’t recall how many days passed before I actually saw him again. In the meantime, I busied myself around the city, catching up more. I sought Ard’Nas at the Church, after I first spoke with Cousin Natala, I believe. At the time, it was good to see her again, and know that she’d been waiting. Things have changed between us since then, though, but I will explain later.

Another supposed death during my absence that I was saddened to hear of was that of Aria. I never learned the exact circumstances, but on my first visit to the Last Lich after I got back, she walked in right after I did, making NaShae faint in shock. She couldn’t seem to clearly remember what really happened. What she told us was that she simply remembered leaving her family’s farm in her home town and coming back to Garic’s. She had no idea that she had apparently been gone for more than a month, like I had. It was confusing, and to some degree, still is. Before anyone could ask any further, though, a complication developed.

She began experiencing “blackouts.” Periods of time passed that she had no memory of, and apparently, she was quite dangerous during them. She believes that she killed at least one man. The condition terrified her greatly, but I offered to attempt to purge the disease from her--the first time I’ve used the ability. Even so, it seems to have worked, and Aria’s blackouts are no more.

Another visit to the Last Lich saw me introduced to Mirielle, then-apprentice of the Hightower. Since then, she and I have made more than a few forays out into the wilds on various errands… And become lovers. It was slow going, because for a long while, I didn’t recognize her feelings for me, and I was already with Ard’Nas… As with her as I could be, considering how rarely I was able to go to the Church and see her. But I developed feelings for Miri, still feeling for Ard’Nas at the same time. I finally worked up the nerve to explain things to Miri. By then, I’d muddied the waters quite nicely. When I went to Ard’Nas to confess everything, she’d somehow found out what had been going on between Miri and I. She wouldn’t listen when I told her that I still cared for her at the same time, and broke things off between us. I’ve not seen her since. I was grieved greatly, but I now think that it’s best this way. I couldn’t become as close to Ard’Nas as I have with Miri. But still, I know that she deserved better than that. She waited for me all through my absences from the city and the Church. I hope she can find someone better for her, now.

Something that came close to complicating matters even further was my friendship with Aria, and the dreams I’d been having. My mount, like Claymore and Insight with Masters, was calling to me in my sleep. I could make no sense of the dreams for a while, until I went to the Church in search of guidance. It was Brother Allegion who gave it to me, making the connection that hadn’t yet occurred to me--this was before Ard’Nas and I fell out, but after I‘d realized that I was starting to return Miri‘s feelings. I was on my way out of the Church, to prepare for a potentially long journey, when I ran into Aria, stopping by the Church for healing for wounds she’d suffered during the goblin hunt we went on--more on that later, I suppose. I told her what I was about, and she offered to come along. We prepared ourselves, then left the city on foot, heading east. We hadn’t gone far when I sensed him--my mount. All I could tell was that he needed help before he moved beyond the range of our just-established link. I was weighed down in my breastplate, while Aria was in lighter armor. We crested a hill, held back by me, and caught sight of riders in the distance, herding many horses. We followed as best we could, finally moving over another hill to look down on a corral and hut that were set up. Many horses, unsaddled, were being held in the corral. As we watched, the humanoids--orcs, it turned out--and the two-headed giant who’d rustled them killed two of the herd and dragged them out to eat them. We moved down the hill, taking cover in a handy stand of trees. Aria harried them with her bow from the trees while I waited for a chance to rush them. They shot crossbows back, and showed no inclination to come towards us, so we were left with no option but to meet them hand-to-hand. We felled the orcs just in time for the giant, wielding a greatsword in one hand and a staff in the other, emerged from the hut to fight us. It struck both of us hard, and seeing that Aria couldn’t take another hit, I urged her to back off and let me try to finish it. Before I could, though, my mount himself broke out of the corral and struck it in the head that was still alive, felling it. My right leg had been badly broken by its staff--the end of the bone tore through my trousers. Aria set my leg and I healed the break, then we prepared to leave. I named my new partner Valor. His mate took a liking to Aria, whom she named Ginger. We took the giant’s weapons, the bows the orcs had, the light warhorses they’d been riding, and their tack, and returned to the city. Daron had to have the stables expanded to accommodate all the new horses, but they’ve already been quite helpful to us. Valor and I have bonded strongly. Astride him, I can really come into my cavalry training. He’s another good friend to have in the city. He is a handsome, heavily-built Destrier. His coat it a light gray, except for his mane, tail, and a forehoof, which are darker. He’s very loyal and protective, but friendly to people he can feel that I trust--our foes, of course, are another story. He’s developed a fondness for Miri, a bit like myself and her wizard’s familiar, Ixchal, actually.

Now, the goblin hunt I spoke of before.

This occurred while Valor was still calling to me, I believe. The Silver Sword put together an expedition to hunt goblins harrying merchant caravans, then collect their ears for the bounty placed on them by the lords of the city. Soon after leaving the city, we met a band of twenty of them. But before we could clash with them, they fled from us. The cause of this turned out to be a troll that emerged from the woods behind us. I was its first target. It latched onto me with both of its claws, and tore into me, effectively destroying my breastplate and nearly felling me. I backed out of the fray to heal myself and let the others take it on, before going back in. We managed to bring it down with some effort, but were amazed to see it attempting to get back up again--its wounds were healing and closing back over even as we thought that it was bleeding out its life. I took off its head, but even then, its head seemed to be trying to re-grow its body. We built a pyre and cremated it and its head, hoping to leave nothing of it to come back. Then we went looking for its lair, fearing to find another like it. We found no more trolls, but did find some treasure that it had, apparently from adventurers not as lucky or formidable as us. Among it was a magical shield, which I’ve been using ever since. It’s a very good shield. I had just bought a steel one, finally able to afford it, but now I’m more than happy with the one won from the troll.

We returned to the city for a time after that, then went back out again to see if we could find that group of goblins and deal with them. I left my breastplate to be repaired if it could, but it was in too poor shape, as it turned out. I wore my chainshirt to this second hunt.

We actually found the goblins, as it turned out--what was left of them. We found their remains scattered around just inside the mouth of a cave near where we’d fought the troll. Strange, crawling creatures came out from inside it and attacked us, and we were able to kill them with some hurt to us. Further inside, we were attacked by a gigantic, insectoid-looking monster that we learned was called an umber hulk. Its eyes had some strange effect on me. I can’t remember what I did shortly after I saw them, but we were able to shrug it off eventually. Further into the cave, we found traps that the hulk had set, falling into three of them and barely surviving. I was caught in a rockslide that it engineered, then, when Miri, Hermy, and I went to look at the shine of treasure it had set as bait in search of any healing potions, we fell into a deeper pit. Hermy and I were nearly done for, and could only stay in the pit with Miri to tend us until we recovered. Meanwhile, Daron and Aria were left to deal with a group of ghouls that were apparently attracted by the smell of the carrion, on their own.

An ordeal, but we survived, bringing back quite a bit of coin from the venture. I came back from it aware of how I was starting to return Miri’s affections… Ironic, how it came to me as I looked over at her, asleep beside me, as I lay on the floor of that pit, but that’s how it happened. Now… Things have progressed and deepened quite a bit between us.

That’s all I’ll write for now, but I still have ground to cover.