A/N: Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. Job hunting takes a lot out of a girl. But, it's up now, so please enjoy~!

Day 19, Hour 9

Morning, Mr. Journal. So, here's the deal. We've agreed that the best course of action is to hunt down all the bandits we can. We'll make the roads safer, get some coin in our pockets from Officer Vai, and, most importantly, sooner or later we're like to have a run in with at least one group of bandits what are connected to this Tazok fellow. It may not be the most efficient way of going about things, but thanks to me and my rash behavior, it's now just about the best option we've got.

Of course, first we've got to go to Nashkel and inform Khalid and Jaheira of the situation. I'm not exactly looking forward to telling them about my failure, but I guess it can't be avoided and that I'd best get it over with. We're leaving this morning, soon as we get some breakfast in our bellies.

Day 19, Hour 22

The trip to Nashkel was long and real uneventful. Just lots of boring walking. Immy tried to liven things up a little by telling some really terrible jokes, but they just made everyone groan. I talked with Neera a bit, and she told me more about some of the crazy stuff her wild magic's done in the past. Some of it was pretty funny, but most of it was a bit worrying. I sure hope we don't get ourselves on the wrong end of one of her mishaps, and they just keep messing up our enemies instead. Fingers crossed, Mr. Journal.

We're here in Nashkel now, and we've spoken with Khalid and Jaheira. Jaheira thinks my actions were real foolish, just like I was afraid of. Honestly, thinking about what happened still scares me a little. I don't like to think of myself as someone who's like to fly off the handle like that, even given those circumstances. Fighting in self defense is one thing, but this was something different, Mr. Journal, Revenge, I think. Does that make me bad? I. I think it might.

Anyways, in light of things, Khalid and Jaheira think we should stay as two separate groups. There's a lot of ground to cover if we're going to go hunting bandits, and there's more likelihood we'll actually move forward if we've got more than one group searching. Every ten days or so, we'll meet up at the Friendly Arm Inn to share anything we've found out. Hopefully it'll only take a tenday to find out what's going on. Our group leaves again tomorrow morning, this time to go out into the wilderness in search of bandits.

P.S. Jaheira has no problem with Neera staying with us. She says, long as I'm leading this group, I'm the one what makes the decisions. It feels weird, Mr. Journal. Jaheira still feels like the leader to me. Especially since, you know, I've done a pretty bad job of leading so far. I'm glad Neera can stay, though. She's fun to have around.

Day 20, Hour 6

We're setting off today to find us some bandits! Neera's requested that we start our search near the Firewine Bridge, as she's heard there's an old wild mage around there, and she'd like to talk to him. Says she wants to see if she can get some pointers on how to reduce the chance of bad stuff happening during her wild surges. It's nice to know she'd like to take precautions so she doesn't accidentally set us all on fire or something. I feel so loved right now.

Maybe if she finds this guy and he tells her what she wants to know, things will be even more smooth sailing. I mean, I've never seen any bad stuff what her wild magic can do, but she's certainly told enough stories about it to make a girl a mite nervous. I figure it might be a good idea to find this guy. And if we can take down some bandits in the process, all the better!

Day 20, Hour 22

We've been traveling all day. This area looks kind of familiar. I think we're near the place where we got out of the Nashkel Mines. I'm pretty sure that means that the Firewine Bridge is direct north of here., but I've never had the best sense of direction.

We've found no signs of bandits so far. In fact, nothing much of note happened today at all, Mr. Journal, so I don't have anything exciting to write you about, not unless you want to listen to me complain about how much my damn feet hurt after all that walking. Sorry about that.

I mean, I guess I have one thing, but it's pretty boring. Immy and me talked near the whole way here. She's been helping me think up some ideas for a song. It's been a hell of a long time since I've been able to sit down and write one, and I'm like to get rusty if I don't soon. I hope you don't mind, Mr. Journal, but since you're a ready source of paper, I might just use you to write my songs in. They might not be the epic tales I'm used to, those take a lot of time and thought to sit down and write, but I haven't created anything in a while and I am just getting. Really antsy. I'll have to use what time I can find.

Anyways, if the Firewine Bridge is to the north, then if we head in that direction we might just run into that wild mage Neera told us about on the way there. But for now, it's starting to get dark, and we need to set up camp. Branwen says she'll teach me a few techniques for using my bosshammer real good after dinner tonight. I'm excited, because she's a good warrior. I'll write you again tomorrow, Mr. Journal. Well, actually, maybe tonight, after we're done setting up camp, while I'm waiting for dinner. Might work on that song then.

Day 20, Hour 22

Oh, wandering, meandering
Up and down the hills
Twixt Beregost and Nashkel
Can find you many thrills

If your soul's set for adventure
And your heart is full of song
It just might be the perfect place
For wandering along.

All right, this here I think is a pretty good chorus. I'll have to think up the rest of it some other time, as dinner looks to be ready.

Day 21, Hour 6

Last night, a big group of ogrillons attacked us while we were asleep. Luckily for us, Xan was on watch at the time, and he cast a sleep spell on them before they had a chance to get in a hit on anyone. He managed to shake us all awake before the spell wore off, and he bought us enough time to get our weapons ready and get the edge in the battle. We're real lucky Xan can think on his feet like that, Mr. Journal.

Anyways, Neera's making breakfast now. This is her first time cooking for the group, and I don't know how it's going to be. Hopefully she's better at it than Immy. Honestly, I'm starting to think that our cooking rotation should exclude the people who are bad at it. Immy and Xan both can't cook to save their damn lives, and I dread the times they're supposed to make food for us. I mean, I know it's all good and fair and equal if we all take turns, and that we need to split up our work evenly so no one person's got everything on their shoulders at once, but it also makes for nasty meals about a third of the time.

P.S. Bosshammer practice last night was awesome. I had no idea you could use this thing to block attacks if you positioned it right.

Day 21, Hour 12

We ran into a goblin encampment this morning, and the only way forward was right through it. They were pretty civilized for goblins, though, so we tried to diplomatize and all that. While trying to negotiate our way through we found out they were keeping some guy captive and calling him a god. Something weird like that.

Either way, one of the goblins ended up leading us right to the cave where their leader was, so we went in to negotiate safe passage through their territory. But the goblins inside attacked us! We beat them and their leader, but now we're all out of spells and tired out. We're going to try to rest in here for at least enough time to get our spells back before going back out, because those goblins out there aren't going to be friendly when they find out we killed their leader. Oh, what have we gotten ourselves into.

At least we're getting close to this wild mage Neera's looking for. After all, we ran into a squirrel what cawed like a crow. If that's not the result of wild magic, what is?

Day 21, Hour 21

Stinking Red Wizards showed up, they're after Neera and stuff. Killed her in the battle, but it looks like she can still be brought back. We've got to get her back to the temple as soon as possible if we want to save her, though.

I've got some time to tell you what happened, at least, since Branwen still has to heal some of the others, and Xan needs to get over . . . whatever kind of panic attack it is that he's having right now. Last I saw him he was running around the cave screaming like a little girl. I'm sure now that the danger's over he'll calm down. At least, I hope so, because this is ridiculous.

So, here's how we got into this mess. Before we left the cave, Neera noticed there was one cavern we hadn't been in yet. Since we'd heard outside the goblins were keeping some guy captive down here so they could worship him, we decided to check it out, see if maybe we could find him and help him get out. Anyways, it turned out this "goblin god" was actually the wild mage Neera was looking for, man by the name of Adoy. The goblins saw him wild surge and thought it was divine power, then the goblin leader locked him up and used him to control the goblins.

While we were talking to him, the same guys what attacked Neera in Beregost showed up out of nowhere. Or, at least, from the same group. It turned out they were Red Wizards, and they knew Neera would seek out Adoy so they were lying in wait. They were a bit vague about what they wanted Neera for, but it's clearly nothing good, and has something to do with her wild magic. When we said we wouldn't hand her over, they attacked.

I'm surprised any of us survived the fight, it was so tough. Neera got killed right near the beginning, though, so I guess whatever they need her for, they don't need her alive. That's why we're going to have to high tail it to the temple. Xan nearly got himself killed trying to draw the attention of two of the Red Wizards away from us while we dealt with their leader. One of them gave him a real nasty wound with some attack spell I didn't even full recognize. Once he realized how badly he'd been hurt, he panicked and tried to run away, but we were trapped in the room by some sort of shimmery wall what one of the wizards threw up around the door, so he couldn't. We had to cover for him so the wizards couldn't get at him while he'd let his guard down like that. After the fight was over, the magic barrier blocking the doorway went away, and Xan just ran out screaming. I really hope he doesn't get himself into any danger, he's already hurt and the rest of us are already in hot water as it is.

Adoy gave me a belt for Neera to wear once we raise her at the temple, says it will help her with her wild magic problems. I can't for the life of me figure out what it does, though. I probably won't write again for a while, Mr. Journal, at least not until we get Neera brought back and this mess sorted out. We're likely going to be marching straight to the nearest temple without breaks, after all. Anyways, Branwen's doing her part to get us ready to go, so I should help too. I'm going to go find Xan and see if I can calm him down. His being hysterical and all isn't going to help things any.

A/N: And thus we had the playthrough's first morale failure not brought on by a spell. Absolutely no one is surprised it was Xan. Tune in next time as our heroes make a mad dash to the temple and then continue their search for the bandits!