Bandits

Hey everyone. I just want to let you all know that there is a chance that a word or two may be wrong in this entry. Aigon's handwriting was really hard to make out, and the ink smeared in several places. I have to admit that I'm a little impressed that he does so much writing, though. Imagine writing all of that every night, by the light of a candle, with only a quill and ink to write with. I can't say that I've done it but it doesn't seem very easy to me. Anyway, here's the fourth entry:

Stellas 17, 296 e.m.

Day 4,

I apologize if this is unreadable. I have had a rather frightening day.

We came to the fork in the road, and were trying to decide which way to go. Usually we would just take the left path without any thought, but that path leads to Salindil and we had been warned about it the day before. The problem with taking the right path is that it would put us several weeks off schedule, and there wouldn't be another town to stay the night in before taking the turn that would set us back on the right track.

A few of us wanted to go right. Zillan, Brilynn, and Kadon said that it was better to be cautious, and have a long delay, than to be careless and lose our lives. The rest of us wanted to go left. After all, as Len pointed out, it is their job to take care of the danger. So, rather foolishly I'll admit now, we went left.

Everyone except Len and Zillan were tense and alert at first, but there were birds singing in the trees around us, and the sunshine was warm on our faces. It was so peaceful that eventually even Kayissa seemed to relax. We rode along, most of us talking and even laughing. Riding beside Kyrainna, I learned a lot about her. Even with the things that happened later, I remember our conversation quite well.

"How old are you?" I had asked her suddenly.

Color blossomed in her pale cheeks, and she lowered her bright green eyes. "I am one hundred and thirty two years old. I believe that is about equal to an eighteen year old human."

"That young?" I said in disbelief. "And they let you out of the elven lands? I thought elves were kept carefully under the protection of their elders until they were much older."

"They... didn't exactly let me go." She replied hesitantly. "I had heard stories about humans all my life, and though several of them were about how cruel your kind is, many of them presented you as brave and inventive. I had to see for myself what you were like. So I requested permission to cross the boarder and enter Amystia. There was a brief council meeting to discuss it, but they quickly decided that I was too young. I pleaded with them, but I couldn't change the council's decision. But I knew that I couldn't just stay there. I have never really fit in with the elves. They say I'm a dreamer. They have even gone so far as to call me human-minded! I debated with myself about it for a few days, and one night when everyone was sleeping, I took my inheritance and left. No one thought I would do anything like that, so it was easy. But now I can never go back."

I knew better than to question her further. I had heard the pain in her voice as she spoke that last sentence. I quickly changed the subject, and we rode on.

It wasn't long after that that Len suddenly yelled back at us to stop. He had been riding ahead, under the watchful eye of Kadon of course. We stopped and I rode up to see why he had called for a halt. Before I even reached him however, I heard a high pitched scream, and an arrow pierced my shoulder. Pain shot through me, dulling my senses for a moment. I couldn't see what was going on around me, or even hear it through the pounding in my ears. All I could focus on was the pain, something that I, having lived the comfortable life of a merchant, and never experienced before. Other than a few scrapes and bruises of course. I slid from the saddle and the pain intensified as I hit the hard ground.

Then I forced it aside enough to figure out what was going on around me. The pain did not go away, not at all, but I was able to control it a little after the first several seconds. I saw that we were under attack by a group of men in brown and black clothing. They all wore masks that covered all but their eyes. They were bandits.

There were maybe fifteen of them. All of them carried some sort of weapon, mostly clubs. Daeroth was already taking on two of them, his sword flashing in the sunlight as it parried a blow from one bandit and took another on his shield. Brilynn stood nearby in a defensive stance, sizing up the bandit moving cautiously toward her. Len danced in and out of the fray, stabbing with his dagger. Kadon and Kayissa made an unlikely pair, fighting back to back, their every move seeming to aid the other. Zillan stood a little ways off, staring intensely at the group. I admit, I was confused for a moment about what he was doing, until I realized he was waiting until he had a good shot. Just as that realization came to me, he raised his hands and pointed at one of the bandits. Sparks of brilliant white light shot form his fingertips and struck the bandit. They spread up and down his body and engulfed him. When the lights faded, all that was left of him was a pile of bones and the echoes of his scream. Zillan then went back to staring at the fight.

I looked around for Kyrainna, but couldn't find her. Then suddenly she was beside me, dragging me back to the wagon. I stumbled along behind her, leaning on her for support. Behind the wagon, out of sight of the battle, she laid me down and knelt beside me, examining the wound. She spoke to me in a soft voice as she worked, in a tone very much like a hunter I had once heard use to calm a wounded animal.

"Do not be afraid. You are fine. The arrow did not hit any vital organs. There is nothing to be worried about. Just try and relax yourself." She paused for a moment, and ran her hand over the arrow's smooth shaft. "I am going to try and pull it out. Keep your eyes on my face and think about something that makes you happy." As if the thought suddenly occurred to her, she tore a strip of cloth off of her skirt, wadded it up, and stuffed it in my mouth. "Bite down on that. Everything is going to be fine." She took a firm grip on the arrow and pulled. The pain was horrible. I bit down hard on the cloth and tried not to scream. At the edge of my mind I barely felt another light stabbing of pain in the palms of my hands and my fingernails dug into my own flesh. The sound of Kyrainna's voice was lost on me in my pain. Seeing her holding the arrow covered in my own blood was more than I could take. Blackness overtook me.

I was out for about an hour, as I could tell by the sun's position in the sky when I finally woke up. I was lying shirtless on a bedroll, my shoulder wound bandaged. The others sat nearby, talking in low voices. I groaned at the pain of waking and they all looked over at me.

"Good, you're awake." Kyrainna smiled at me and came over with a bowl of stew. "We ate while you were unconcious. Here, eat some. It will give you back some of your strength."

I lifted my arm to take it, but the pain caused me to drop it with another groan. Kayissa gave me a disgusted look and turned away. Apparently being in pain after being shot is too weak for her. Easy for her to think.

"I don't think we are going to cover any more distance today," Kadon said. "We'll rest here for the night and move out if you are feeling better in the morning."

"The bandits?" I asked weakly.

"The few that we didn't kill ran off." Brilynn replied coldly. "You and your precious amystium are safe for now." I noticed her and Daeroth both giving me disapproving looks. As if it were my fault I was shot with the arrow!

No one talked much after that. There is nothing more to tell for now, and I had really better get some rest.

Aigon Silverwind,

Painfully Alive and Shaken

Wilderness

There is something I have forgotten up to this point. If you have any questions for me, please feel free to either post a comment or send me an email at truefictionteachings@yahoo.com and I'll try to answer you as quickly as possible. Here is another entry:

Stellas 16, 296 e.m.

Day 3,

We rode all day with only a few brief stops, but it will still be at least two more days before we reach another town. We are into a lightly forested area now, so we may have to be a little more cautious. After all, who knows what's lurking in the heavy shadows that the trees cast over the ground?

Not much happened today. The most frightening part was when Kyrainna looked back and found that Zillan had disappeared without a word. She alerted the rest of us, and we spent several minutes searching until we found him in a small clearing gathering some sort of mushroom. I swear I'm working with fools here!

We passed a small group of travelers going the other way, not a terribly rare event, though not truly common on this road either. They stopped us to let us know not to take the path through Salindil, as there were rumors of bandits in that direction. Len seemed a little overenthusiastic to shake all of their hands, which made me a little concerned. My suspicions were confirmed before we ate supper when I saw him studying the same ring I had seen on on of the travelers. Apparently Daeroth noticed as well. He began scolding the halfling until all of us were bleeding from the ears. Figuratively speaking of course. He finished with making Len promise not to steal anything again. With an irritatingly innocent expression, Len sweetly replied, "Of course not, thievery is only my livelyhood." Luckily, Daeroth seemed to take that for a promise.

That is about all of interest that happened today.

Aigon Silverwind,

Frustrated Leader of Seven Idiots

Another Entry

Okay, I just couldn't wait a week to post the next entry. I guess I'll just post whenever I have time. It does take a while to type them up however, especially considering the text is old and somewhat hard to read. Here is the second entry:

Stellas 15, 296 e.m.

Day 2,

I'm out in the countryside now. Not to the dangerous area yet of course, but we've covered quite a bit of ground. We stopped in Teris for the night, one of the small towns on the road to Zetheris. It's already quite late, but I have to record the day's events before retiring to the room I have rented this night at The Hilltop Watch.

First, I should probably tell about the "guards" my cousin hired. I must remember never to let him hire anyone for me again. Oh sure, most of them seem strong enough. But I question their loyalties and definitely their upbringing. They are all strange. My cousin must deal with some strange sorts to have gotten hold of them.

There are seven in all. The strangest thing about them, to me at least, is that some of them are women! This is not a game! I wish my cousin had realized that. The open road will be no place for a woman, especially not one masquerading as a guard!

An old magician by the name of Zillan Winterburn was the first of my new companions I met. He was wandering through my kitchen, thoroughly distressing the cook. He would talk somewhat absently about the value of herbs in spellcraft while opening cupboards and going through their contents. Every now and then he would pause, take out a jar and claim the contents therein were a regent he was missing. He would then ask the cook if he might take "just a pinch" and before she could even answer he would empty half the jar into one of his many pouches! I finally got him out of the kitchen only to come face to face with the next of my seven guards.

His name is Daeroth Goldsun, a former Knight of the Third Star who was temporarily out of work in the knighthood because of the competition between his order and the Knights of the Rising Dawn. He had heard the cook and I yelling at that fool of a wizard and had come to see what the problem was. After hearing my explanation he began scolding Zillan about theft and the intrusion of privacy. Once he had stopped and Zillan left the room, I turned to thank Daeroth. But before I could even get the words out he started lecturing me on diplomacy and kindness to my fellow man! The knight should truly know better than to speak to his superior in such a tone.

Daeroth finally ceased his tirade and I went to the wagon to make sure everything was in order before we began the journey. There I first laid eyes on the fair lady Brilynn. I was immediatly captivated by the way she moved and the way her long black hair flowed down her back. Her dark eyes seemed almost to glow as she walked gracefully over to introduce herself. It was in that introduction that I realized she wasn't for me. She gave me the name Brilynn Shadowblood. Anyone in their right mind dreads that last name, for it is the mark of an assassin. Only then did I notice how black her leather armor was, and the two daggers sheathed at her side. She smiled when she saw that I understood, and, though the smile was infinitely beautiful, the menace behind it drove me away from her faster than from Daeroth after his harsh words. I turned around to flee and immediatly bumped into a tiny halfling who had apparently been standing just behind me.

He introduced himself as Len Larksong, master thief, and expressed his joy at being hired for this mission. Bright green eyes stared at me over an impish grin and I knew that he would be trouble. It didn't help when I discovered that my pocket watch had somehow made it's way into his tiny hand. Of course he returned it forthwith once I told him who it rightfully belonged to.

Soon afterward, while going about the final preparations, I came across a young elf maiden and a half elf man conversing together. Or rather, the girl was conversing. The half elf simply sat and listened, every now and then reaching up to feed a chunk of meat to a falcon on his shoulder. The one-sided conversation stopped when they noticed me approaching, and the girl introduced herself as Kyrainna Lilystar. She seemed little more than a child to me, but it is hard to tell with elves. She was, at least, new to the world outside the elven lands which was obvious by the wide-eyed stares she gave everything, and her strong elvish accent. The half elf then gave me the name Kadon Leafsinger and immediatly fell silent, watching me with eyes that seemed to mirror those of the falcon. They seemed to watch everything and keep track of it for later use. Kyrainna explained that she was a druidess, though new to "the outlands" as I had thought. Kadon was apparently a ranger, but he gave no more information about himself than that.

Finally, I met Kayissa Flamedance. The very way she moved radiated danger to the highest degree. Of course, her coloring didn't help matters either. She has blood red skin, and hair only a slightly darker shade of the same color. Her eyes are a very light blue, setting a vivid contrast against her skin. I asked her if she was human, and these are the exact words she replied with, "Human? It depends if you are my friend or my enemy. To my friends I will be of whatever race they desire. I'll admit though, I don't have many of those. To my enemies I am simply the essence of fear and pain. Take your pick." Her tone had an alarming edge to it, and her expression was all seriousness. As if she wasn't working for me! Who do these people think they are?

Well I suppose there is no use complaining about it now. Either we'll all figure out some way to get along, or we'll all die.

We set out on the road this morning, Daeroth driving the wagon. I sat beside him, though we didn't engage in much conversation. He seemed deep in thought as he drove along the path. Our two horses followed along, tied to the back of the wagon. Kadon rode ahead alone, apparently scouting out the open road, though we could see quite a ways in any direction over the grassy plains. Kayissa and Brilynn road slightly ahead of the wagon, ignoring each other. Kyrainna and Len rode together beside the wagon, talking nonstop to each other. I was sure that if there were any bandits within five miles, they'd be led to us by the sounds of those two chattering. Zillan rode a small ways back, away from everyone else. He kept eyeing certain plants, and every now and again would leap off of his mount to gather one.

All in all, the journey to Teris passed without any event worth speaking of. And as that is about all that happened today, I am finished writing until tommorow.

Aigon Silverwind,

Traveling Merchant

First Entry

I know it's taken a while, but here's the next entry. Please be aware that this, especially the beginning will seem completely ludicrous, but once we get further in and you start reading the later entries, things should become a little more clear. Here it is:

Stellas 14, 296 e.m.

Day 1,

This is it! Tommorow I'll be leaving for the trip that will change the world! The journey I have been preparing for these past several months. Everything is in order. I have everything packed, my funds secured, and the merchandise safely inside the wagon. My cousin said he would take care of hiring guards to help me cross the country with such valuable goods. I will be meeting them before I set off tommorow morning. They are supposed to be the best, and they'll have to be if we hope to survive this trip.

I am planning a trip across the land, starting from Horlath in the country of Amystia, and making my way through all the dangerous wilderness to Zetheris in Kaylibron. There I will trade my wares, mostly things like certain foods and furs that they do not have there. However, I am bringing something special, and that is what makes this trip dangerous and unique. In a small pack that I will always have near me, are several shards of pure amystium for which our fair kingdom was named.

Yes, I know the dangers of carrying that with me. Not only are all sorts of creatures drawn to it, but it has properties that are somewhat mysterious and could potentially be harmful if they are not handled by experts. No one has ever made it out of the country with such priceless merchandise, but I will be the first! I will make history! No one can stop  me!

It is growing late and I must wake early to be on my way. So I end this entry with feelings of anticipation to discover what tommorow may bring.

Aigon Silverwind,

Soon to be the Greatest Merchant of All Time

My Find

Hello. For anyone who doesn't already know me, I'm Katherine Marie Woods. I'm a historian. Sort of. I don't exactly have a job as a historian. I work as a cashier for now. I guess I'd have to stay history is more of a passion of mine than an actual job.

I'm sorry if I am doing this wrong. I've never written a blog before. I don't even have a Facebook. Wierd, I know. I just prefer reading things off of paper to reading things off a screen.

You may be wondering, therefore, why I am making a blog. Well, it's not really a blog for myself. It is a blog to document the history of a man named Aigon Silverwind. How I came across his history is a rather interesting story, and one that I will tell in the next paragraph or two or three or however long it takes. Be patient. Thank you.

I was going through some historical non-fiction books at the library a couple weeks ago, trying to find something that I had not read. The library in my neighborhood is a rather small one, and the history section is especially tiny. After a failed search, I asked the librarian, Mrs. Hopkins, to let me know if they got anything new, or something was returned that I hadn't checked out yet. Since I was a frequent visitor there, she kindly agreed and I went home.

The next morning I found a package outside the door of my apartment. Inside was a note and an old looking leather bound book. The note read:

Ms. Woods,
I heard from a friend that you have an interest in history. The book I have included in this package is a journal that has been passed down to me through many generations. The story of how the diary itself got to my family is a special one, but it is also unimportant at this time. You may believe the things written within, and you may not. But that is also unimportant. Perhaps you are wondering why I am giving this diary to you? Once again, it is unimportant. My reasons, and I do have them, are my own. I have great expectations for you, and though revealing them now would ruin everything, I will be most dissapointed if you do not fulfill them. Please keep that in mind as you read and know that I will be keeping an eye on you.

Sincerely,

A Friendly Stranger

I visited the library later that day to ask whether Mrs. Hopkins had delivered the package as a prank, but she denied having ever seen the book before. 

But, despite the mystery surrounding the diary, or perhaps because of it, I decided to read it and see what I thought. And it was amazing. Quite the story. Is it true? I believe it could be. However, to believe the contents of this mysterious journal you have to open your mind and truly realize that anything is possible.

I knew right away that I had to share this amazing discovery. But seeing as the book was hardly likely to get a title under history or even non-fiction, I decided that publishing the book itself was out. So, here I am, making this blog. I will post a new entry from the journal every week, assuming I remember of course, and will take nothing out and add nothing in. This is coming straight from the pages of the mysterious diary left outside my front door.

And now, I will begin posting the first entry, and you will begin deciding for yourself whether or not these words are true.