Dear Herkus,
We made it to the Sour Vintage again. It’s odd. Though we’ve only been together a little over a month as a group, I swear it feels more like a year since we were here last. You will probably be receiving a bunch of letters all at once. I’m sorry for the courier but hope you are enjoying me writing you. I’m not sure when the next batch will be. We press on today to find the Gjallarhorn, the ship of ghosts, whose captain in life was a criminal against the fey. Rendu is tasked to kill him, Leef is tasked to speak with him, and I just hope everyone survives. From there, we must somehow manage to sail it back to Ellandyr.
I received the shield I ordered from the god of the forge. That’s a bizarre sentence. I must say the verdant wood used is very beautiful. I need to find a proper way to thank Loreus for gifting me the materials in the first place. Azorius carved it in a way that it somehow looks like a giant leaf. Not to be confused with a giant Leef, although I have considered using that spell you showed me on someone in the party. It would be funny for there to be a small Torag and a giant Leef. Anyway, this shield is stunning. I’m sure it’s as strong as it is beautiful. I’m humbled to use it. I have named it Wyld Aegis. I’m not sure why I felt such an item needed a name but I supposed that’s normal when you read stories of legendary weapons and such. They basically have their own personality and name. I hope to find a woodworker soon. I have a plan for the inside of the shield and while I have been practicing with my new wood carvers tools, I don’t want to ruin the work that has been done. I successfully made a toothpick so far. It started out as my gift to Actaeon, then I thought it might become a spoon but alas… Toothpick it is.
I also received my owl squirrel stuffy. It makes me very nostalgic for the rag toy my mother gave me. And that subsequently makes me think of Jadus…
An robh thu eòlach air athair uchd-mhacach? An robh fios agad mu mhallachd treubh Scorpion agus nach do dh ’innis thu dhomh a-riamh? An robh thu cho aineolach ’s a tha mi coltach? Choinnich sinn ri ceud neach bhon treubh aca agus dh ’innis e dhuinn mu na pianta agus na h-uabhasan a tha a’ feitheamh orra mura h-eil iad ann an seirbheis. Fad na bliadhnaichean sin bha mi a ’smaoineachadh gu robh iad dìreach glaiste air eilean. Tha e goirt nam biodh fios agad agus nach do dh ’innis thu dhomh. Tha e goirt a bhith a ’smaoineachadh gur dòcha gu robh mo chiad charaidean air fulang le droch shuidheachadh. Tha mi a ’faireachdainn beagan air chall agus air mo tharraing leis.1.
If you did know, I am pained but I suppose I understand. If you didn’t… Well, then we can have a conversation at another time. It does make me wonder. The entire time I spend with Tavish, he didn’t change. Does that mean he had made an oath to someone and ran away or was let go? Or was he even really part of the Scorpion tribe to begin with? Jadus would have been too young at the time I guess. The centaur we met is called Pholon, and his “best friend” had been killed and he was concerned about turning into a giant scorpion (as one with his curse would be.) Several members of our party stepped forward to help, namely Shadow and Rendu. I wonder if either of them fully recognizes how very kind that was. Bha mi a ’faireachdainn mo chridhe a’ crathadh ann an gàirdeachas agus pian coltach ri chèile a ’coimhead a’ bhòid eadar Pholon agus Rendu a ’fosgladh. Gu dearbh tha daoine iongantach timcheall orm2.
I told Leef more about myself last night. I helped to talk I suppose. I just hope I didn’t overwhelm him with the part my story I shared. Everyone here has known severe pain in one way or another. I don’t want to burden anyone, but I am also selfish.
The more I’m around all of them, the stronger my craving for love and affection grows. It makes me want to run in the other direction. I think I am just as terrified of all this emotion as I am a ship full of potentially evil ghosts.
I’ll write again soon.
gaol agus gràdh,
Briar.
1 Druidic: Did you know, adopted father? Did you know of the curse of the Scorpion tribe and just never told me? Were you as ignorant as I seem to be? We met a centaur from their tribe and he told us of their pains and the horrors that awaits them if they aren’t in servitude. For all these years I thought they were just trapped on an island. It hurts if you knew and didn’t tell me. It hurts to think my very first friends may have suffered a terrible fate. I feel a bit lost and distracted about all of it.
2 Druidic: I felt my heart shatter in simultaneous joy and pain watching the oath between Pholon and Rendu unfold. I truly have amazing people around me.