Fireday, Calistril 21

We are finally putting some distance between ourselves and Magnimar and I am happier for it. As much as I enjoyed visiting with family and friends, there was always this constant reminder of why I had left and I suppose I’ve also become accustomed to our travels, and a lifestyle that ties us to nowhere in particular.

We’ve been joined by Takkad, who refers to himself as a healer. It is obvious to all that there is a religious aspect to this, but for whatever reason he does not talk a great deal about it. To each their own. My friends actually gave me a bit of a hard time for what they say was more an interrogation than conversation when we were finally introduced, but what did they expect? I am told he had been watching us for a few days– at which point I did recall seeing him in the inn on several occasions, I had just not put much thought into it at the time– and with our recent experience with shapeshifters and Xanesha I thought a bit of caution was in order, especially when a man claiming to be a healer just happens to come along at exactly the moment when we are in need, and still hurting from Olithar’s death.

Shalelu also found us again (how does she do that?) and asked to join us on our journey to Turtleback Ferry. At first I was as cautious with her as I was with Takkad. How many coincidences could we have in one week? But it did not take long to put that fear at ease, especially once the stories about Sedgewick came out. How she managed to stay in his company for so long remains a mystery with me, though obviously her patience did have its limits.

I assume her motivations for joining lie in her kinship with the rangers up north. I know she was not “hired” by the mayor as we were. I always suspected our rather large “gift” was something of an unspoken retainer, and now I know. I am not offended by this, it’s just less direct than I prefer to be. This has earned me more a small amount of ribbing from my companions.

We cross the river in the morning, and then begin our travel through the forest. I asked Shalelu what to expect, as she has been this way before, and her reply was a unhelpful side comment about gnomes. It was the voice of someone with a great deal of patience; patience that had not quite reached its limit. I wonder what that says about Sedgewick.