17 Mai 593h

Awoke in the wilds today, for the first time in a long time for me. It was good to wake refreshed and ready - so different from waking in a city centre house. Terrain is much the same as it was yesterday - scrub land with the occasional tree, minor wildlife - a very peaceful way to walk really.

In the middle of the day we met a party of Dwarves travelling from Farfobest (our destination) to Dingaic. Rolf tried to greet them formally - but Mandrake quickly jumped down from his mule and ran up to greet them in their own language - somewhat spoiling Rolf's attempt at formality.

The dwarves are a trade mission to Dingaic, and after the introductions settled down to trade with Kerim. They bought a roll of brocade material for a long sword and some minor weaponry, but only on the condition that he did not sell more when he got to Farfobest.

We got to Farfobest just after dusk fell, it’s a good job they saw us on the road, or I think the gates would have been closed by the time we got there. Farfobest is a stronghold set into a cliff face, it looks as if it could withstand alomost any assault. Still the dwarves were driven out of it once before, by the fiends from the mountains. We only allowed into the outer area where there is stabling for the animals and an inn, The Hammer's Rest, for travellers. One thing of note about this inn: - you can settle your bill with scrap metal.

We were fed mushroom stew and even the ale was mushroom flavoured. It was palatable but certainly very different to anything I have tasted before. There was casual entertainment during the evening, with story telling and singing - even a few of my companions showed their entertainment skills. I had a pleasant evening discussing the benefits of herbs and fungi with their herbalist a chap called Farar.

Farfobest seems to be a strange mixture of Dwarves from all of the sub-races - mostly they are Hill Dwarves, but there are also Sundered, Deep and Mountain dwarves. I wonder why that is, or even if it is unusual?

No watches tonight, and a real bed again, I'm not sure which I prefer.