Emtih's Journal

**bloodstain**

Aft'r we got through that first room we took a right and headed up some stairs to this crypt with funny lookin' magic symbols on the floor that glowed. 'Course, there was also some lizard types there which tried to swarm us. Arel and Bassha, the two half-dragons decided to teach these small fellas to respect their elders while I snuck around into the room. It was at this point that I saw this gnome guy sneaking 'round in the corner with a hand crossbow. He got off the first round and nailed me good, but my return shot knocked him good. He did this funny disappearing act but reappeared to take a shot at Bassha, and I pinned him with a couple more arrows.

Bassha was hurt pretty bad but I heard Corrin yell at him something 'bout how they could take our lives but never take our freedoms. It seemed to make Bassha fight harder but I thought it was sorta ridiculous consid'ring that hobgoblins are more than happy to just take our lives...

I tell ya, its kinda funny actually. I think I was more angry at this gnome because he was siding with the hobgoblins than because he shot me. Although, the **bloodstain** thing still hurts to tell ya the truth.

Seems like the gnome was guarding this room where a dwarf was tied up against a wall. After that gnome I get an uneasy feeling 'bout this dwarf guy. And said that she knows him from the town, but that doesn't make me feel no better. For all we know, this guy, like the gnome, could be in league with the **bloodstain** hobgoblins! Well.. if I think he looks like he's goin' ta help the hobgoblins.. I'll kill 'em.

The dwarf gave us directions ta get to one of the other hostages so we started off in that direction and found this hobgoblin garrison in one of the rooms. I tried to spy on them all secret-like but I got spotted and they tried rushing us. One of the leaders got himself in front of us but the other four were a bit slow off the ball. The rest of the group started mobbing him, but I realiz'd that we were getting ourselves boxed in ag'in, just like earlier. So, I rushed the group of four hobgoblins slicing the one dead in a single stroke. The oth'r three got around me and I got mys'lf stabbed in the shoulder and sliced under the arm pretty bad. **bloodstain** hobgoblins... I killed them all pretty quick-like but they got one more good strike at me slicin' me pretty deep.

Just to make matters worse, this archer came runnin' into the room. Arel and I dispatched him pretty fast but I'm feeling worse for wear after that whole fight. I got a feeling that I don't have anything left in reserve after this fight.

Makes one think about death... I never really had time to think abouts it before. The closest I came to death before was when I was young 'n living with my family in Cendrianne and that time I didn't really have time to think about it either.

We were running through the city tryin' to escape the hobgoblin attack. I remember my father shielding me from a hobgoblin arrow after I.. froze up in fear seein' one of the hobgoblins killin' one of my neighbours. It killed him but before he died, he pushed me to the ground and cover'd me with his body. He whispered in my ear that he forgave me and not to be afraid... but the screams.. oh the screams...

I'm not afraid to die.. I'm just afraid of being left alive ag'in.

**bloodstain**

Emtih Tnod, 14 Freyja