Aeglazan, Duchy of Oldwell.

7th of Samue, the month of Planting;

2126 years since the new gods came.

A young Half Blood woman sits at a desk in her assigned room at Rutgers Hall. She stares at a coin she holds in one hand while the other scratches one of the short horns on her head. Sighing she puts down the coin, and begins to write.

“Dearest Uncle Garbelx,

You will not believe who I met at the Freshman mixer last night. Well, met isn't the right word, perhaps observed would be better? I was actually to embarrassed to approach.

The HERETIC! He was there! Not only that, but he is as wonderful as I remember him being! He was nice to everyone! The night-soil collectors, street vendors, low born workers, and fellow students! And he still looks just like he does on the coins!

Anyway, I love you Uncle!

Samarah Blex.”

The young woman read the letter over, sighed, placed it into a previously addressed envelope, and took it down to be delivered.

*-*-*

7th of Samue,

Why am I not poison proof? There have been a few time that I thought I was, because I would fall asleep for a moment or three, then awake fully refreshed and restored...Maybe I actually drank myself to death? Meh, never happen.

Class was difficult, but on the up side, idiot boy wasn't there, and his cronies were...better behaved.

8th of Samue,

I look forward to this weekend. I have reading to do and more exploration.

12th of Samue,

Tony has quit school. I am overjoyed by this announcement.

15th of Samue,

I and dozen others from school are taking advantage of a “Class Trip” to visit Ryretatraryre for the weekend to see the shipyards and learn to sail. The trip is about 5 hours long, mostly by back road. I expect to enjoy myself. We leave at noon tomorrow.

*-*-*

A young boy sat up in bed, the magic holding him in place having lapsed for a moment. I am not Peter Wolfe, my name is...Michael. Michael Sorenson! The thought resounded throughout his body. He kneeled on the bed, and bit his left index finger till it bled, then he wrote the name, His name, on the wall, next to the other half dozen times this had happened. The magic caught him once again, and bleeding on the bed, in the Bedlam*, he wept himself to sleep.

*-*-*

16th of Samue,

The trip went faster than expected on the wagons. I believe they use a form of speed magic. The company was pleasant. Willa came along and spent most of her time talking to a half blood named Samarah. They stared at me quite a bit. Samarah looks vaguely familiar from somewhere. Oh well.

*-*-*

“So, you are telling me that Max isn't some kind of noble in hiding, but a folk hero from your homeland?” Willa asked Samarah.

“Yes. He hasn't changed a bit. Not since I met him years ago in my hometown of Gilip.” Samarah replied. “Here, look at this coin.” She held out a gold coin to Willa.

“Well, the engraving does look like him...” Willa said, nodding, “But it could be a coincidence.”

“I don't think it is. I can kinda feel it, I think.” Samarah said. “And the clerics and priests at the mixer seemed certain.”

“Odd.” Willa said. “Very odd.”

*-*-*

17th of Samue,

The shipyard was a grand place for a tour. I had not really considered how much work goes into building a ship, let alone the design of it. I am impressed.

Sailing, it seems, is one of my passions. I loved every minute out on the water. Maybe if I could fly, I would enjoy that more, but I did feel like I was flying across the water. I am sad that we will be heading back in the morning.

18th of Samue,

We arrived late tonight. All said and done I am glad I went on the trip. The looks I was getting from some of the other students near the end was a bit uncomfortable, but alas, I find myself not caring.

21st of Samue,

I have received the request to do a lecture on smithing in the “Smithson Family” tradition. It has now been set up for Mikha, the 30th of Samue. I suppose I will have to make some notes so I don't screw things up too badly, and make the family look like fools.

29th of Samue,

The presentation is tomorrow. I believe I have enough notes to fill the hour I have been allotted in the lecture hall. Although I am unsure why they booked the 1000 seat hall.

30th of Samue,

The lecture went well, even though I overshot my time by 3 hours. The Master in charge of the lecture started taking notes for himself after the first ½ hour. Strange, it's not like metallurgy is that hard of a concept to understand. I really liked the projection magic they used so that everyone could see my rough drawings of what I was talking about, as well as the formulas. I am also proud of myself that I didn't let any of the family's secrets out of the bag, just the stuff we teach late apprentices and early journeymen.

I hope I don't have to do another lecture like that, it takes so very much out of me.

*-*-*

“...Now ladies and gentlemen, if you will look at the display behind me, you will see that the mixing formula for the somewhat higher quality steel we use for the axes cutting blade itself is made up of 3 parts bright chrome, 5 parts molybdos; from copper, not lead; and raw copper can be used instead, in a pinch; 31 parts charcoal, 5 parts brimstone, and 56 parts iron. Obviously you want to heat it slowly in your crucible, until liquefied, and then pour it into your casts. It works well for a blade on it's own, but is incredibly expensive and time consuming to make, so we use it mainly for the sharpenable parts on axes and such. It welds in nicely on lesser steel and iron...”

- From the notes of Dr. Benegast, Master Smith, Aeglazan, from the lecture given by Maxwell Smithson, of the Smithson school of blacksmithing.

*-*-*

31st of Samue, Bjorn stopped by this afternoon. We are doing a throwing Axe competition together on Ambriel, 33rd of Samue. I agreed, but only after extracting a promise not to cheat from him.

TTFN

*bedlam; Archaic; An institution for the care of mentally ill people.