Logbook Entry: Middas, 2nd of Evening Star 4E 201
Hrungug, the food gatherer, is dead. He had set out to herd some more of the winter food mammoth from the Whiterun plains back to our village when he was attacked and murdered by a passing and unprovoked traveller outside the Small One city of Whiterun. Oh, how terrible are these days! I am about to go and inform Instar, his widow.
Logbook Entry: Turdas, 3rd of Evening Star 4E 201
Instar did not take the news of her husband's murder well. During the night, she took her newborn twins and cast them off the mountain, and herself along with them. May the Eight Divines curse the filthy Small One who destroyed an innocent family for no reason! Their blood is solely on his hands. For now, the question is what we should do to provide for ourselves and survive the winter storms, which are due any day. Hrungug and Instar were the only Big Ones who knew the secrets of the mammoth herd. I have been placed in charge of food management, and fear our time is not enough...
Logbook Entry: Morndas, 7th of Evening Star 4E 201
The storms have blocked off the mountain pass until First Seed, and we have gathered nowhere near enough food to last that long. I have implemented strict rationing for the time being, and have ordered that the meals prepared be padded out with sawdust. Two Small Bigs have volunteered to try to reach the nearby Small One city where Hrungug was killed one week ago tomorrow. Speaking of Hrungug, we performed the sacred rites today. Unable to recover his body, we buried written mementos and trinkets alongside the bodies of his wife and daughters. The snow will have to suffice until the Spring, when the ground is melted enough to be dug in.
Logbook Entry: Fredas, 24th of Evening Star 4E 201
The preserved food has almost run out, even with further stretching of the rations. We are starving in our homes, and one old woman has already died. One of the Small Bigs, Sildomuk, came back today, sans both of his arms. He recounted how they had run across a terrible warrior on the mountain path. He told us how this terrible Small One tore Rizlin apart with merely his voice, and tore off his arms with a conjured creature of fire and terror. The village chief, Singlid, immediately put Sildomuk under arrest for the murder of Rizlin. He said it was clear that Sildomuk was a liar. I myself am not so sure. I have certainly seen stranger things in my lifetime.
Addendum - Sildomuk has escaped imprisonment without being seen or apprehended. I do not anticipate him to get far with no arms. The fool should have just bided his time in prison. At least it is dry and there are regular meals in there.
Logbook Entry: Loredas, 25th of Evening Star 4E 201
A reprieve. Singlid announced that as they were going through Sildomuk's belongings when they discovered a lot of Winter Bear meat. I myself have never heard of the Winter Bear but it is apparently a common creature in Cyrodil. The rogue Sildomuk must have ambushed and robbed some travelling merchants... I suppose desperation makes criminals of us all. I will not judge Sildomuk as I did not judge Instar.
The smell of cooking hot broth from the kitchens is something I have not experienced for a long time. Perhaps this horror will be over sooner rather than later. For now at least, meat is back on the menu.
Addendum - Winter Bear is surprisingly morish, despite its disgusting pale colour. Very strange taste to it, unlike any bear of Skyrim I have tasted. I shall have to send a Small One down to Cyrodil to fetch more once the snows have melted.