Alyssandre's Journal [Mild spoilers]

Last night, I learned that there is such a thing as a were-bat. I'd heard of them, sure, but now I'm left to wonder, are the rest of the tales drunk sailors and grabby old cats told me also true? The crocodiles? Sharks? Boars? Knowing this province, we likely have all of the above.

Crushing its skull wasn't half so glamorous as my Riz'Daro makes it sound. Still, if it means fewer of the beasts to put on their veneer of normalcy and befriend her, then it was worth the injured leg. I'm lucky it didn't come clean off.

I do hope that our employer isn't a part of the local Mage's Guild chapter. The moron not only hires the Fighter's Guild to retrieve his daedra, but brings a creature whose very essence is fire into the Valenwood in the first place? I do hope nobody puts such ideas into little Nadir's head. I've half a mind to try to convince him to leave, but he's nearly a man and I'm no longer sure where the line between giving that litter their freedom and reigning it in is. I do hope it gets easier with the next lot. I'm going to be an expert by the time I have nieces and nephews.

To do: Replace that useless lump of metal, buy more perfume, check on investments, inform my former co-workers that they're, well, former co-workers.

Riz'Daro and Arrow still haven't turned up. This is getting ridiculous. Do I have the right to ground her? Will she listen?

As far as I know, Riz'Daro has behaved well - only, between her and the babies, it's hard to keep track.

There was an attempt on our lives in the Fighter's Guild. Something about raising a dead beloved. I kicked the necromancer in the face. My siblings will be proud.

Poor Lulie, though.

The sweetrolls I was going to give the newly-fourteen-year-old litter have gone missing. I'll have to buy them a belated present, I suppose. I'm proud of them. Nadir and Riz and shaping up to be upstanding kids with their involvement in the Guilds. I worry about Omid, though; after Riz told me about their excursion to the ruin, I feel he needs guidance. Perhaps a strong father figure, but whom?

I'll admit, I'm a little proud of myself, too. Saving someone from a burning building is a little cliche, but I can now truthfully say that I've done it.

The downside is, I can only brag on paper for now. I'm still hoarse from inhaling all that damnable smoke.

This scar on my neck is driving me insane. It isn't painful - in fact, it's over a month old - but the fur just hasn't grown back right and it looks so asymmetrical. Should I go striped? But I do so love the spots; it's been my look all my life. Perhaps I'll go dark and that will hide it some. Or just wear a scarf.

I worry about little Mojir. I thought he was only shy at first, but he's taken to hitting and crying when he's had enough interaction with us. I know some toddlers find it funny to hit people, but his displays are not the normal antics of a child who's figured out a fun new way that he can piss the adults off. I'm starting to worry. He's by far the smartest of the litter; he already insists on organizing the toys by shape and colour and I've heard him counting higher than Tasrin and Avezir can, but he must learn to socialize properly.

Ink blotches cover this page.

There's a wasp hive just outside one of the doors. They seem to leave the babies and Arrow alone. I wonder if it's my perfume - I have been stung more times in a day than I have in my entire lifetime.

There seem to be more carriages on the road lately, too. One ran right over my tail.

I took my little darlings for a checkup with the doctor. He took one look at me, and then he immediately caught a cold. I have the cold, too. It's going to go around the house like it always does; I can feel it. All this, and then I'll have three sick toddlers to deal with.

First the flock of birds and now this. The note said something about luck, I think. We weren't exactly respectful to poor Arthur's remains. Does this count as a haunting?