20 Mai 593h

Rain today! Not too heavy, but sporadic. It lasted all day - on and off. Breakfast (Guess what? More pork) and loading the pack animals and we are away towards Mistaton. One day, I am sure, we will explore that other path.

The terrain starts off much as it was previously but soon starts to turn boggy, and before long we are walking along an artificial causeway. The construction is fascinating - some parts are of stone others of wood - it looks decayed in many places, but there are also signs of repair and maintenance. I wonder who could have done that?

Whoops! We have found out what might be doing the repairs. Just after lunch we were stopped by a group of erect reptilians, who call themselves The Gila, demanding a toll. One spoke the common tongue, but with such foul hissing it was nigh impossible to understand. Mandrake, though, must have a remarkable skill with language- because he managed to communicate with them. Apparently they have a charter from a Duke (Could it possibly be from before the last wars here - that long ago?) that gives them the right to toll so long as they maintain the cause way. Rolf ratified that in the name of the current Earl and paid the toll. However it looked as if the leader was having trouble with some of his Gila - I think they would rather have eaten us than taken our money. Uggh!

It seems they wanted us to stay on an island I the middle of the swamp with them, but Rolf decided that we should move on.

Somehow, while all this was happening, the doghead prisoner managed to get tangled up in his rope. I can't workout how it happened, unless he was struggling to get away from the Gila. Anyway, by the time that Madelyn got to him, he was dead.

We left the swamp and camped for the night, but as we were settling down we noticed that some of the bushes had glowing balls on them. Callum, Mandrake and Kerim decided it was a spiders trap and we left it well alone. Over night they were proved right when an insect was caught up in it, and after a fight devoured by the spider. The others all calling it a butterfly - but I think a moth is more likely. The only thing of that type and size, that I can think of, that lives in swampy areas, is a Gloom Wing, but I have never seen one of those - so I can't be sure.

Fortunately the rest of the night went quietly.