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Log of Alysa, of the twelfth Serrim clutch, Messenger of Thosia'serras
Location: Kingdom of Boya, Town of Pesca

There is a saying from back home: No one can plan for the gods’ dice. The past couple of days have proved this very true. Neither of the plans I have taken a hand in have gone according to what we set out. Still, in the end our objectives were accomplished. The outcome might not have been perfect, but perfection is a rare thing. Though I strive for it, I must remind myself that I am but mortal, and perfection is the purview of the gods.

The first plan was just a ploy to find out where Sascal was. Donahue wanted me to turn over his location, but I was hoping to find Sascal, and leave Donahue none the wiser. I suspected his staged chase wouldn’t have worked though. And seeing the man he had enlisted to track us only solidified these suspicions into certainty. He had no sense of stealth or subtly, and to leave him alone despite this would make even a fool suspicious. Of course, Donahue objected to Shegga’s neat handling of the situation. We did the chase right then and there, and when the archers took a shot at our wagon, it became very real. Twinkle, of all people, retaliated, and killed the archer with a heaved barrel. Needless to say, that plan was shot, but it still proved useful. When we found Sascal on our own, the death of the guard did serve to convince him of our helpful intentions.

The second plan, the assassination of Donahue, also didn’t turn out as planned. Though it did succeed in the decided objective. I must say that Sascal and his men are better actors that Donahue’s hireling. Donahue bought the raid story and swam right into the fisher’s net. He was led past our hiding spots, and fell dead at the first salvo. To my surprise though, Twinkle didn’t stop the battle, and continued attacking. It was an opportunity to eliminate more of the guards, and one must be flexible to take advantage of opportunities that present themselves. When it was all said and done, only one was left alive. Maybe two, but I doubt Ginny can be saved. 

At any rate, the guards were defeated, though I wish the one that had surrendered had been spared. But Twinkle would not stop until I had entwined him in my tail. And then he professed ignorance to what had happened, being unable to remember anything since the beginning of the fight. He seems like two minds within one body. One the cheerful bumbler, the other a berserker. I’ve named these two aspects from the golyub’s name, Twinkle and Facebiter respectively. I wonder if Facebiter is aware of what transpires while Twinkle is dominant. I must make it clear though, that any who surrender are to be shown full quarter. Berserkers have their place, and can indeed be very useful, but they must also know discipline and restraint.

But for good or ill, what is done is done. We must look to the future now. It seems that we’ve been placed in command of the little rebellion in all but word. Sascal is still the leader, but he made it clear that he will be relying heavily on our advice. This is a new experience for me. I seldom work with others, let alone command a force, but fate seems interested in pushing me out of my usual routine. Our employer wants us to stay here anyway, so I will do what I can. I must see if any of the so called ‘freedom fighters’ can actually fight. It takes a certain kind of mind that is able to kill, even in the name of a good cause. I’m half tempted to leave the bloodied fields as is, so they can see what choosing to fight means. But we might not have a choice. Sooner or later, this duke will learn of what we’ve done, and will come to eradicate the rebellion. We must be as ready as we can for this eventuality.

I just hope that there will be time for another round of Rows and Rivers with Shegga. Though I’m still learning about the rest of the group, and am often surprised, so far I seem to do best with the orc. She and I are both hunters, though we use different means. She’s more like the wolf, who chases down their prey, while I’m like the alligator, who waits for their prey to come to them. She also seems religious, or at least spiritual, as she said a prayer for the dead guards I think, and agreed with me that they should be shown due respect. I must find out if she worships any gods

Speaking of surprise in the group, we have one more joining our number. One of the beetle folk, or Hruntar. He showed up during the battle, and was able to subdue the guard without killing him. He also has a potent mind, able to affect the thoughts of others. He demonstrated this ability to me, filling my head with a foreign euphoria. Such happiness felt good at the time, and brought to mind childhood memories. But afterwards, I felt it hollow. If I am to be happy, it will be because I have reason to be, not because the beetle folk opened a floodgate to my mind and let outside influences spill in. He wants to spread happiness, and while that sounds noble enough, I would rather spread the ability, will, and opportunity of people to find their own happiness. But no matter. Such philosophical debates can wait until we don’t have an enraged noble potentially sending armies against us. His diplomatic skill will no doubt prove useful to us, if we need to convince other cities to throw in with us.