18 Mai 593h

It seems that Kerim has managed more trading. Less barrels to load but now we have acquired a donkey, which Smilo is riding, as well. Travel started well, it was fine day and walking was enjoyable again.

Until, that is, we were ambushed by four large Dog-headed humanoids, which we eventually started to call dogheads, and a pack of wolves. Callum was amazing, he went leaping into the fray with no thought for himself and literally chopped the arm from one of the dogheads before cutting halfway through its head on the back swing. Then he went through a strange transformation - he ripped the clothes from his body and seemed to get larger and grotesque - is probably the only word I have to describe it. It was as frightening as the ravaging dogheads. Elsbeth kept her head though, and called on her god's aid to make the gorse grow and entrap the creatures, and Rolf started picking them off with his bow. Mandrake and Smilo were both gone, into the bushes somewhere. Kerim gave me the mules to hold and set himself to defend us.

Suddenly more dogheads appeared on the other side of the track and started to attack our almost undefended rear. I shouted and alerted the others but not quickly enough to stop them completely. One of the new dogheads seems to be a spell caster of some sort, for he sent a globule of blackness that struck Callum and caused him to scream in pain and rage. Aenis became the target for another doghead with a bow and took two arrows before he could even turn and challenge them.

In an attempt to hinder their spell caster - I cast my own spell. Similar to the one Elsbeth used earlier, I called forth the powers or growth into the bushes close to him. Soon he had briars and gorse stems entangling his arms and legs and was unable to cast again. Perhaps I an not as effective as Elsbeth, but I certainly think it helped.

By now we are in melee all around, I with a closing wolf, the other with wolves of their own or dogheads. The only thing I really noticed, in the heat of the battle, was Madelyn skewer a doghead so hard with her lance - that she ripped its head off. And, of course, Elsbeth rushing to aid the fallen Aenis - only to see him take another arrow through the eye, killing him for certain.

Suddenly the last standing doghead ran, and his barking yips seemed to call the rest of the wolves off as well, and Mandrake went over to declare the entangled spell caster prisoner.

By this time I am just staggering back to my feet, nursing the injuries caused by the wolf which attacked me. Madelyn kindly comes over and, holding her hands to my face, calls forth the power of her god, Tyr. I can feel the benefit running through her hands and into my body - and before long I am feeling almost as fit as I was at the start of the battle. It is along time since I have needed priestly healing, it certainly reminds one that they are insignificant in the scheme of things. I must be more thoughtful as I wield my own minor powers in future, and perhaps seek the counsel of the priests more often.

It seems that Mandrake can speak with the monster I held in the bushes, and it tried to negotiate terms of surrender, but didn't seem to get any terms it liked from Callum or Rolf.

Suddenly Smilo spotted the other doghead and wolf still caught up in Elsbeth's spell and half of the party rushed off to try and capture that one as well. At which point the one I had trapped made a break for I, catching mandrake a glancing blow on the way past. Madelyn tried to follow, but Keldon (her horse) was caught up in the bushes, and the doghead soon lost her when she tried to follow on foot. Although Rolf managed to wing him with an arrow as he fled.

This time we took no chances, Callum knocked the doghead unconscious and Elsbeth did something to the wolf. It seems to have become her companion now.

We tidied up and Kerim loaded those possessions of the dead doghead he thought might be valuable. And then we carefully placed Aenis's body on one of the mules. Elsbeth had been trying to get the doghead prisoner walking - and had even used the power of the god's to help her - but it was still unconscious. When I looked at it I could see that it was nearly conscious and it didn't take much for me to concentrate my own healing into it. My healing might not be as powerful as Elsbeth or Madelyn's but it is good to have that little bit extra.

Finally, we were all moving again, Callum sporting the heads of some newly dead dogheads, and Madelyn and Mandake guarding our new prisoner.

We travelled for only an hour or so before we came to the junction leading to Mistaton. To our surprise we encountered the ruins of a round house, surrounded by a clearing here. Rolf and Elsbeth checked the edges of the clearing, perhaps expecting another ambush and Smilo checked the ruins over before we approached. Smilo and Callum managed to find the well too, and surprisingly that had good sweet water in it still. Inspection of the round house found a neatly piled stack of rubble and detritus and a used fire pit, although we didn't manage to work out who might have done this.

Using improvised tools we dug a pit for the pyre and used some brush wood, but mainly beams from the damaged round house to build the fire.

Callum went of hunting while we were checking the camp and digging the pit, and took a wild boar. Unfortunately the wild boar took a bit of Callum too, and when Elsbeth heard the noises she went haring off into the scrub to help, much to Rolf annoyance. Still he bought the boar back and it made a grand supper, when I roasted it that evening.

After that we called it a day- fighting dogheads, exploring ruins, digging pits and building pyres, as well as hunting and trussing a wild boar - made it a fuller day than I have seen for quite a while.