The boy is pining again. Well, he's not a boy really, but anyone that young seems like a boy to me. Masin's a good sort. Story I heard is that he stood toe to toe with some of the slaver-leaders who were responsible for Miss Addie and Miss Neth's kidnapping.
Granted he wasn't alone,but that makes no difference. He went where he needed to be to save the folks who are important to him. Problem is, far as I can tell, that's he's got no idea how to figure out Addie. He's sweet on her and he's not sure of where her thoughts are for him.
Been there myself a time or two. Learned that you have to put yourself out there and let the lass you're hankering after sharing your life with know how you feel. A lot of us menfolk think the lasses automatically know and assume they don't care for you like you do them because they don't let -you- know.
Women don't think like that, see? They're a lot less likely to put themselves out there. Their mindset is different. Now, I know I'm no expert, but that I've learned. It's a rare female that'll come right out and admit to hankering after someone without sure sign that the hankering is returned.
Now my niece, Lore...fiery little git that she is, brought all the happenings to my attention about the kidnapping and fighting the slavers. Naturally, I told her yes when she asked me to guard them. Not that Masin's not guarding them, but as I said, he's still a bit green. He'll grow out of it, I've seen it in him.
There's some other folks who've come out of the woodworks to keep the lasses safe, notably that elf lady and her sister. Xanderian and Xandilif. Of the two, I'm thinking I'd like Xanderian planning stuff and the other at my back in a fight. Don't know how much longer I can afford to be guarding the lasses now, though.
Things are heating up elsewhere. Lore's gone and gotten herself hurt in a seperate raid on some bandits who'd taken a Bree girls farm and killed her family. With Lore out of action for a bit, I'll have to find someone to run her duties or take them over myself for a while.
Some of her contacts have gone north and made real good progress digging up information on the slaver operations. Seems the group is centered in Carn Dum and have a route stretching from Kheledul in dwarf country, all the way to Carn Dum and maybe further to the Rift.
That Bounder or Shirriff, or whatever she is, Miss Sharley, spotted some important looking Dourhands arriving in Kheledul. Apparently they're gathering there and waiting on something or someone. At the same time, Lore's Harad friend, the warden, has seen wagons coming out of Fornost and transporting large human size bones toward Carn Dum. Said they made her feel unclean.
First thing I think of is that someone in Carn Dum is planning some fel magic, centering on using those bones. That's not something I'm looking forward to, so I sent a message to Captain Dynnys, the lass out of Dale, who has formed a company to combat the slavers.
With any luck, she'll be able to get a raiding party out and take one or more of those wagons. In the meantime, I'm hoping she can keep the pressure on the slavers and force them to rein in their operations for a bit. Give us time to gather our forces and prepare for what I expect to be a bloody and bitter campaign.
I've passed all this on to my brother's in the Council and we presented it to the Mother's for them to debate. We'll call a full sitting tonight or tomorrow and decide how we're going to take part in this mess. I know where I stand, but I wish Carri were back to add her voice to the debate among the Mothers.
But, wishes ain't fishes and my hook wont catch a thing. I just hope that we can get a handle on this before it blows up in our faces. Sure as the sun will rise, more of the trouble will spill over into Bree-land if we don't nip it in the bud while it's still largely up in the North.
