But a single has passed, and now, at last we have a direction!  We have a
mission!  We have spent the winter here, studying and working which is good
and necessary.  But my soul longs for traveling, to see something around me
other than walls or bustling humans. If it were up to me, I'd leave this
flatlander city this day, but for one thing, which is my lack of prepared
runesticks. Even though I have spent the last few days ensconced in the
room here inscribing runesticks, I do not yet have anywhere near enough
runesticks for my taste,as I can only inscribe three per day, and that if I
take time off for a pint of ale and and couple hours rest in the afternoon.
By night I am exhausted with the effort.  It will take me several weeks of
such effort to have even an adequate supply of sticks inscribed, let along
consider my self well prepared.  I do not however, foresee my having the
luxury of such time. But let me explain.

	 This day we received a most mysterious message at our Inn.  All it read
was "please see me at your earliest convenience concerning friends, and
mutual enemies."  It was signed  "Divash, of the Cold Barley Soup Kitchen."


	After much discussion, we decided to go see this Divash, even though the
Cold Barley Soup Kitchen is in an unsavory part of town.  We sported as
much of our weaponry and magic as is possible in this city, for the fear
that this was a trap of some kind was heavy upon us.  We found the Soup
Kitchen, and were shocked upon entering, for behind the bar was a man who
had a fearsome skull tattooed upon his brow.. a skull within his skull!
This person came over to us and introduced himself as Divash.  He offered
us drinks, we accepted out of politeness, but waited until we had seen him
drink to down our ale... which was of passing fine quality.  He then went
back to tending his bar for a while.

	After some hours, he announced that the Soup Kitchen was closing early, he
ordered everyone to drink up and ship out.  There was much grumbling, but
everyone left without fuss.  On the pretense that we had spilled our
drinks, and had cleaning up to do, he ordered us to stay behind the crowd.

	Once the doors were closed however, he poured us all more ale, and sat
down with us.  He thanked us for coming, then he went on to say that he had
heard from sources, the we had a grudge against a certain merchant house.
As he said this, he flipped over a silver coin, that had the arms of the
House Dolgenen engraved upon it.  Sensing the need for silence, we nodded.
He also said that we were very fortunate to have escaped Dolgenen, for not
many do.  He also said that he knew that we had recently filed a grievance
against Dolgenen with the Town Justice... again we nodded.   He told us
that he imagined that our lives had become very "eventful" of late, and
that if we did not hide, or protect ourselves well, we would not live to
see the spring.  We told him of Bob and Brianna.  He did not seem at all
surprised.  He said that all the great merchant Houses keep spies amongst
the town guard for various reasons, and that the minute anyone or anything
that might implicate them, or impact upon them in anyway comes to the
guard, it also comes to the Houses.

	Now at this point, we were growing passing suspicious of this barkeep, who
knew much about spies, and secrets and Houses.  Divash then asked us if we
thought that perhaps we were the only ones ever to escape the attentions of
Dolgenen.  When we said no, there had to be others somewhere.  He nodded
his head, and said "suppose one of these others was quick, and clever, and
managed to see some things, important things, before she escaped.  Would
you like to talk with such a person?"  When we said we would very much like
to talk to a person such as this, he smiled and said he could perhaps
arrange such a meeting.

	Then of course, came the inevitable question.."what's in it for you?"
For I have learned that when dealing with humans, if they offer you
something you want,they always have something they want in return.  If this
Divash was going to introduce us to a person such as this, he must want
something of equal value to him from us.  Nor was I wrong in my assessment.

	It comes to pass that Divash is friends with Kyse, who is the head of the
House Pharanesse.   Kyse it turns out, has been secretly seeing a serving
girl named Xarna who works at the Cold Barley Soup Kitchen.  Of course,
Kyse could not let anyone find out about the relationship, as Xarna is not
"the proper kind of woman" for the head of a powerful merchant house to be
seeing.

 	But someone did find out.  The House Alaxatan.  It would seem as if they
have kidnapped Xarna, and are demanding that Kyse sign over several
lucrative trade agreements with tobacco farmers in the south of Thyatis.
The House Alaxatan has given Kyse until the ice on the river breaks to
decide.   If the agreements are not signed by then, Xarna will die.
According to Divash, Kyse loves Xarna, and will sign over the agreements.

	Our task, and the arrangement is a simple one.  We must find Xarna and
return her before the ice on the river breaks for the season.  And we must
not involve the city watch or the Church, for the houses all have spies
amongst them as I mentioned before, and if House Alaxatan gets wind that
anyone is looking for Xarna, she will die, broken ice or no.  In return,
Divash will arrange for us to meet with a person who knows much about the
shadier side of House Dolgenen.

	Other than not being able to let anyone know of our searching, the only
problem is that no one knows when the ice on the river is going to break.
There is much betting going on about the exact date and time. The City has
rigged up a signal flare out on the river ice, and tied it to the shore
with a stout cord, so that when the ice breaks and begins to move, the
flare will go off.

	We of course accepted his proposition at once.  We then asked him a few
questions concerning the night of the kidnapping, and he told us that he
had received a message from an old friend asking him to come across town to
retrieve a very important message.  He told his son to watch the Kitchen
while he was gone.  When he arrived at his friend's house, his friend said
that he had no message, and had never sent a note to Divash asking him to
come.   Suspecting trouble, Divash hurried back to the Kitchen, but too
late.  When he arrived he found his son knocked unconscious and Xarna gone.
	Bob, being familiar with the workings of human bars, asked if there were
any regular customers who might have seen or noticed anything unusual.
Divash said that that was one odd thing about that eve, that none of his
regular customers had stopped by.  So, we got the names of these regulars
and where they could be found from Divash.  He cautioned us that he had
told no one but us of Xarna's disappearing, for fear of House finding out.
	So, we shook hands on the bargain, and made our way back to our Inn.  In
the morning we shall see Bob on his coach, for he still has several days
yet at his Collage, and then we shall set about finding this Xarna.
	By Clangeddin, it is good to have something to do again, rather than study
or dodge assassins bolts!  I just hope that before long, I will have time
to inscribe more runesticks, for eventually we will have to do something
about that assassin, and since he/she has already managed to kill two of
our party, I am under no illusion that that will be an easy task.

				By My Hand, This Thritieth Day Of Marech
				The year of Our lady 540
					Drashak Khea Malari