The Memoirs of Duchess Selora Kesori ni Fiona

[Selora Kesori]

This journal is the personal property of the Kesori line. It is a lightweight, leather-bound book with blank parchment paper pages. The journal itself is a level 3 treasure created by a boggan under the employ of a distant ancestor.

*The journal never runs out of blank pages however never appears to get any thicker, regardless of the number of entries or pages used. To find a particular entry, the reader must speak the date aloud. To find the beginning journal for a specific author, the reader must speak the author's name aloud. The correct entry (using either date or name) will appear on the next page.

*Only blood members of the Kesori line can write within the pages of the journal.

**The journal is enclosed in a locked box in an undisclosed location. The box is warded by a Weaver Ward (Sovereign 4), openable only by a blood member of the Kesori line or (in the case of the current author's death) a designated heir with the proper passcode.**

[Selora Kesori]

Journal Entry 1/27/10

Sunrise

Today starts much like many days for as long as my mind allows me to remember. I awoke screaming again, with Evan trying to shake me from the nightmare that is now so familiar I could paint each scene in minute detail. The dream would seem to be a warning of something, but it is one that I have had for many years now.

I wonder sometimes if it is a memory, something from my past that I have chosen to forget. Having forgotten more of my lifetime than I remember, it is not too much of a stretch to think that this nightmare might be more reality than a simple reoccurring horror. Dreams are real afterall...

I mentioned the dreams to Her Majesty once. I had thought that perhaps she might find meaning in the repetition or the images within. I even sketched the thing that haunts me. One look at my drawing and she got that faraway look in her eye that indicates she is lost in a memory. She refused to speak further on the matter and told me she did nae know anything of the creature.

That evening is the only time I believe she ever lied to me...

Enough of the night, though, the nightmare will revisit again soon, maybe tomorrow or the day after. I am sure I will mention it here again soon.

For now, tis time for breakfast. I can hear Evan returning with coffee and whatever he has prepared today. The berries are long gone, but perhaps he baked today.

[Selora Kesori]

Journal Entry - 1/27/10

Mid-Morning

The reports and paperwork, from the previous week, continues to stack up on my desk without an end in sight. The Guardians continue to give me daily accounts of their quiet (for the most part) patrols of the Yew area. This now includes nae only Everthorne, but also the Silverwood and now the Aegis.

My Shadowhand, also, chooses to leave rather lengthy reports for me to read that smell quite often of mildew and dead flowers. Tis nae that I do nae appreciate the in depth insight on how the buildings the liches inhabit are reminiscent of Count Valeril ap Ailil's freehold on the outskirts of Bedlam. Tis more the seven pages she takes to describe each structure in full detail.

I am beginning to wonder if she does this on purpose. Does she give me twenty page reports on the drinking habits of the humans at the Rest just to see if I will actually read it? Sadly, it does nae matter. I will read every line, regardless of the monotony, and she knows it. I think this is her revenge for taking her out of Bedlam and away from court intrigue.

If I did nae need her services so badly, I would send her home. I do need her eyes however, now more than ever. Alas, it really is neither my nor her choice. We do as we are commanded, both of us.

I should note here, while it crosses my mind, on the disappearance of the Roses' Firebrand. The dreamer, Fiona, came to me this week distraught that she could nae locate Sage. She claims to have searched for her, to nae avail. I have offered her a temporary solution to the possible loss of her enchantment. I will give her a moon and a day to either make the decisions she needs to, or perhaps we will locate Sage.

I have dispatched letters to those I can within the Roses. None have heard from her. Beleg visited while Fiona was here, so he is informed, and I also made my inquiry to Aedon. Only the latter seemed to have any idea of her whereabouts. How long exactly has she been missing? Has it only been the last week or so, since Fiona has been looking? Or has it been longer?

I have received a missive from Aedon saying that he went to visit her. He wished to tell me more on it later, but that has nae been possible yet. The tavern was rather busy early in the evening this week, and I did nae even know that Aedon had left until it was mentioned. I shall seek to speak with him tomorrow if the time can be found.

I hope his cryptic note means that he has located the ghille dhu. She is much beloved by those of her motley and others around Sosaria. For all the political or self-serving reasons I could list as points on why we should nae care, there is still two overwhelming facts that declare that we must.

1. She is a fae, a possibly lost fae that was once a member of Her Majesty's court.

2. She is beloved to those that we call friends. If she was lost, they would grieve.

Those two reasons negate any that would contradict our concerns. We will nae even mention the Escheat....

Aye, perhaps Aedon has spoken to her and all is well. However, if that is indeed the case then there are questions that are called to mind. Why can her dreamer nae locate her? Why does her motley nae know of her location? Where has she been for the past several days? Both Aedon and Beleg have reported an odd behavior from Sage of late. We know she is in her autumn, but is it affecting her so?

If this was an audible entry, this would be the location of a long, drawn out sigh. However, tis nae, so we will only characterize it with our standard.

...

I must get back to the paperwork on this desk. Let's see. Ah aye. Guardian Mein reports Scarst has thrown his hat (as it were) in with the pirates, and it appears she attacked a blind man that kicked her arse.

...

I do nae know which is worse.

The redcap grump that spends her days in the woods trying to scare the ogres into submission by making faces at them.

Or the redcap childling that swallows rum bottles whole.

Or the redcap wilder that believes the better part of valor is bashing every new person in the head as a precautionary measure.

At least the pooka are only visiting Everthorne and have yet to petition for admission to the court.

[Selora Kesori]

Journal Entry 1/27/10

Afternoon

Pirates, Liches, Skeletons, Vampires...

None are as deadly as the foe I ran into this afternoon...

The pooka childling.

I misspoke in my earlier mention today (or would that be miswrote?)

Evan brought a young female pooka to my office after finding her playing in the waterfall at the Thorn. I had just finished our midday meal when he brings in this sopping wet fox pooka that could nae be older than seven or eight years of age. I could see the nerves at the corners of Evan's eyes twitch as he tried to nae immediately start drying up the water she tracked in on the floor.

She clung to him like he was a lifeline until he finally managed to calm her and seat her in a chair near my desk. After a cup of hot chocolate and a few gentle questions, he and I managed to get her to tell us her name (Lexy), where she was from (Minoc), and her age (8), but not where her parents are.

I have considered posting notices in Minoc about a lost child. However, when I mentioned the possibility to Evan , but the fear from the childling was tangible, a near tactile wave of emotion that hit me, suppressing all else but the emotions of a scared little girl.

I will send the Shadowhand into Minoc, as well as the surrounding area, to see what she can find. Until more suitable arrangements can be made, Julieanna has agreed to allow her to sleep at the forge. I think that might be for the best regardless, and I might as the boggan to make it a more permanent arrangement. I do nae like the idea of her at the hostel alone. She is nae much younger than Rakasos, but she seems much more fragile than the rambunctious redcap....

Speaking of Rakasos, it should be noted that the childling has a taste for rum. I had to make him spit out a whole bottle of the alcohol at the Thorn earlier this week. He managed to charm a bottle out of Marsaili and pop it in his mouth before I could stop him. He is going to require a close eye to keep him in line, but one can tell he is trying....

I should note as well that I must be careful to nae show favoritism to the twins in the eyes of either Lexy or Rakasos. I forget myself sometimes, as I have grown so close to them. I will make a point to include them as much as possible.

While we are on the subject of the Thorn's visitors, I should mention that I had to remove a patron this week.

I remember Senor De Vaile from when he introduced himself to me those many weeks ago on behalf of his brother, Kaylor McKairin. I thought at first to let him sit and drink at the bar. I had Baroness MacNeil keep and eye on him for a short time.

However, as I sat there thinking, listening to the conversation around me, his presence started to nag at me. He sat nae but a few feet behind me, privy to every word discussed by myself and those around me. I found my thoughts drifting to questions on why he was here. Why now, when he has nae attended a single night before that one? Why has he continually rode through Everthorne as he has been, without a word to anyone or even slowing to look effectively around? Can we think of a single reason he would legitimately enter the Thorn that does nae involve the McKairin and the soulless existence he had chosen to follow?

As much as I would have liked to think that he was merely there for the drink, or maybe even the company, I could nae get passed those questions.

McKairin has nae only joined forces with Alcanter, but to all appearances became one of his servants, a minion to some evil purpose of which we are nae yet aware. Forgetting his threats spoken against myself, he also attacked Ki'tar recently. The eshu made the mistake of provoking McKairin and was chased from Everthorne, where he was knocked out on the steps. Worst of all, reports have him escorting a child out of the Rest and then striking the boy down outside. McKairin then dragged him off to later be sacrificed by the liches.

...

Of all his crimes, his blatant destruction of the Dreaming by the death of a child is the worst. It cannae be forgiven. I have nae more hope that he might see reason, and step away from the path he has fallen onto. There is nae more turning back. He will have to be destroyed with the rest of those that associate with Alcanter.

...

All focus has shifted to Alcanter and his followers. Other dangers lie in wait, seeming to hold their breaths. The humans seem blind to this, unable to sense the peril that awaits them in the shadows.

I need to speak with Beleg again. Something is terribly wrong.

[Selora Kesori]

01/31/10

Evening

I have nae yet heard from Mekere since I sent her after the trail that Shar and my shadowhand lost two days ago. I do nae know if she has found it (and therefore is following it instead of checking in) or if she has been harmed in some way. I grow concerned the longer she is gone. It is unlike the eshu to nae report regularly.

I spoke with him today. We exchanged pleasantries, formalities that both of us knew were expected. Of course, as I had been warned, he would nae appreciate being called by title and pageantry. I believe I visibly saw him twitch when the words exited my lips. "Ian, sonofabitch, whatever," he said as an answer to what I should call him. I acquiesced and allowed (considering the private discussion, away from court eyes) him to call me Selora. This he immediately shorted to Sel. Did he call me that to bother me or because it was just how he was?

I can say that he is exactly and nothing as I expected. He is as Her Majesty described him, but I thought perhaps she exaggerated, or he was such with her since they had been close at one time. However, not a fraction of a second after he sat at the table on my balcony, his feet were on it and he was lounged back as if on a divan in his own home. This was after he unloaded the arsenal of blades and weapons from hidden locations on his person at the door (Note: His recognition of protocol is a refreshing change. If nae for his heretical views on everything sidhe, from court to nobility to pagentry, especially in regards to the seelie among us, I might actually enjoy his company.)

Then lounged as he was, feet on my new ashen table that Julieanna built just recently, he asked for a drink. I retrieved a bottle of rum, from the case that Her Majesty sent along with two glasses (that we never used). We did nae empty the bottle over the course of the conversation, but it was nae for a lack of nae trying.

We bantered, as expected.

I told him why I wish to speak with him.

We bantered further.

I gave him the scroll from Her Majesty, which he did nae read at that time. He actually tossed it over his head to land in the pile of weapons at the door. He did assure me that he would read it later, but...

I informed him what I knew of Sage's disappearance and was shocked to learn that he did nae know. That she did nae even try to notify Ian, someone that lived there and maybe could help...Or maybe he could nae, but to nae at least warn him that there was a danger? I do nae understand.

We spoke on my theories. He does nae know of anything matching the description that Aedon told me that I have nae already thought of. However, if my concerns are true, then glamour protect us all.

I tried to explain to Aedon, Beleg, and Ahmaya what it was, what I believed this creature that could be mistaken for a sidhe but was filled with such despair and hollowness was. I do nae think any of them really understood, nor understood the dangers such a creature can hold for one of us. I have nae ever faced one. I do nae know I can face one and live. I do nae know if any of us can.

Most certainly, the predominant question should be, how long can Sage, a ghille dhu already in her autumn, live if in close proximity to it?

He suggested I recall my people, and as much as I hate the thought of quitting the trail, he is right. If it does nae kill any that I send after it, it will follow them back to Everthorne. Back to this balefire, that is nae yet as strong as the Winter's Rose. Back to the fae that live here. Back to the childlings. I cannae allow that. Mekere's location is still unknown. Sending more would be folly.

I cannae leave Sage to such a fate, however. I will find another option.

Ian made the suggestion to "speak with the devil." Such a possibility is nae an option either. The boon that creature would request for his aid is reason enough to be cautious. I will nae become indebted to him. I will nae risk this court like Her Majesty did all those years ago. He is a monster. To look at him as anything else is to invite him in to slit one's throat. Or, worse yet, this fiend would have one slit the throats of all beloveds and then one's own while he watched from the corner, his hands clean.

I won't make that mistake.

To fight evil with more evil, is still evil.