Found:
A new plan!
Today has been interesting.
Neyaa. Dear, darling, delectable Neyaa! Oohhh, that woman!
She came by and sat with me a while to talk. Despite my reservations surrounding her clear allegiances to Dagramir, I find it so very easy to open up to her. There's the chance that she might tell him all that I have said, of course, but at this point does it really matter? She also mentioned knowing the Raven who, I am now told, is actually called Ashaia. Again, a potential concern, if I planned to stick around. I was, perhaps, too open, too candid, on the subject of that man and my unfortunate feelings and role in his messy life. It was good to talk to someone about it, though. It was good to be able to just... speak on the things that I so often try to bury beneath jokes and deflections.
It was also good to hold her close, her face pressed into my breast! I have no idea what it is about that one. My admiration for the female form is usually a distant thing; an acknowledgement that the shape before me is pleasing to the eye, unmoved by love or lust. But my physical reaction to her certainly holds a note of amour. She left me with quite a pleasant tingle this day, and a few rather interesting ideas on what fun I could have had with her were she lacking a lover!
My thoughts were still of an impassioned nature when Rhuag made his return! So much so, in fact, that I fear my welcome of him may have been a little too enthusiastic for his comfort! Not that he seemed to mind my legs around his waist. Odd that he'd be fine with such a compromising position and yet object to my hands upon his rear!
Any notions of pressing my luck further were brought to an end by the arrival of Eroforth and Taala. As entertainingly bawdy as ever, I had plenty of fun with their banter. Rowan fell quiet though, his humour being of a more genteel nature than ours, although I did manage to raise a smile from him when I bent over and flashed my bare behind at the happily married couple! There is hope for him yet!
It was around that time that the angry one-eyed man I'd seen argue with Neyaa some time back put in an appearance. Now referred to as "Barrels," devoid of morals, shame and any sense whatsoever, I found him to be a truly hilarious creature! Although, I must say, viewing the wizened brass monkeys of a drunken old man was not on my to-do list for today! Or ever. Still, I can now claim that I got to see a genuine pirate gangplank at least once in my life!
Ghali joined us as well. An interesting fellow of Khandish descent who does not seem to get along well with Talaa. I keep meaning to have a chat with him about his homeland. It might be pleasant to learn more about the land in which I was born. The last time we spoke, he was busily singing the praises of his wife - that sour little healer Dagramir threw at me - and I had no opportunity to make inquiry. I had no opportunity to do so on this occasion either due to his time being very much occupied by fending off jokes about his exceptionally pink shirt!
There also came another associate of the happy couple. A younger man, blonde and scarred. And whiny. Oh so very whiny! The boy has a sullen, depressing air to him, his interjections seeming to suck the very life out of the conversation! It is a rarity that I take a dislike to someone, but by the time I departed the company - having found myself with quite a headache - I would have dearly loved to rest the point of my pickaxe in his skull!
Later, Rowan and I sat beside the river, just talking. I think I managed to get more personal information out of him on this eve alone than I have over the entire course of our association! Alone now, and in a much more sedate setting, he relaxed considerably and though the initial move was, as always, perpetrated by me, he seemed perfectly content to pull me closer and did not object to my kiss, however light and chaste it was. He called me cruel for that. Was it cruel to have kept our lips caress so softly demure as opposed to the more passionate variety we have shared in the past? Was it cruel to bestow such at all, knowing that I am to soon depart upon a journey he most certainly does not approve of? 'Tis not the first time he has called me so. Curious though I was, I had quite the headache by that time so my departure was made in haste. I must be sure to ask him further upon our next meeting!
If there is one.
My earlier talk with Neyaa has given me an idea. She asked me to promise a return. I cannot, of course, for I know all too well the dangers ahead of me. Instead I gave my word that I would try. To that end, a plan begins to form, a notion most bold and yet fitting. A detour may be required; a short jaunt to an old haunt before my path takes me to my past.
One way or another, the months ahead will be life-changing!
