After the battle, we stayed in Evershade for a couple of days. There were tasks to be done. Osbert handled the burial of Ostar, Orenthal interviewed the proprietor of the town's inn, to learn about the establishment's unseemly dwarven origins, and Soromir and Jace made the acquaintance of Herm, a man in town with the knowledge and skill to enchant weapons. The group as a whole met Malo, a dairy farmer. I was struck by the level of interest Somomir, Orenthal, and Jace took in Malo's physique, so much so that I now feel badly for having discouraged their efforts to sex the innkeepers back in Riverwood. Perhaps were they not so frustrated, they would not be inclined to express homoerotic feelings towards this man who has already been through a stressful situation. In any event, Malo offered us room and board at his home, since the inn, having late been a hostage holding area, was presently in disrepair.
Malo's hospitality allowed me to waste no time in the memorization of an Animal Messenger spell, which I used to summon a snow bunting. The songbird carries a note, written by Jace, to our captain, letting him know we are alive and still about the task of restoring the purity of the water in the river so that we may at last be on our way.
With that business completed, I decided it was time to summon a new companion, and have summoned the great Mome Rath, a dire badger of some five feet in length and four hundred pounds, to travel at my side. Mome Rath is furry, and warm, and grumpy, and in many ways we are much alike. Orenthal has also called a raven to his side, which is called Icarus, and possesses speech capabilities almost as articulate as my own. His devotion to Orenthal is complete, which is admirable. I do not think I will ask such fealty of Mome Rath, for indeed I am not convinced that he is not the superior being. Instead, I will hope to earn his trust, and likewise do my best to offer the best of myself to him freely.
After a couple of days of rest and recovery, we set out in search of this shaman who our investigation has indicated is the fouler of the water. Malo elected to accompany us, and we are grateful, for he seems to be quite the warrior. Upon this point, I stopped to reflect on the changes our retinue has undergone in these last few weeks. Ular, Ostar, and Blaine have all met their ends. Jerek is long departed, and Old Jarl, while he will remain a friend if I can keep him so, will not be a future part of our adventures, particularly once we get to Lemia. Osbert, Soromir, Jace, Orenthal, and Norris remain in addition to myself, and now we have added Icarus and Mome Rath, and though perhaps only for a short time, Malo. There is scarce time to get used to the way things are before they change.
On the third day of our journey, we found the above ground source of the river, and followed the water's trajectory underground for a spell. Then, Mome Rath, with his superior sense of smell, unearthed a hatch, leading to a ladder with more to explore below. I pause to write this as we are set to delve beneath the earth to learn more, but can tarry no longer.
Entry concluded.
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