Nina's Observations, Entry 12 - Alexia Moore

Journal Entry 47

I expected to have heard from Master by now. It’s been over a month since he left for Starfall City. It is a long journey, to be sure, but surely he’s arrived there by now.

I suppose I can only wait and hope he is alright.

Raven has been wandering around the Tower again. She keeps turning up at night, even though her home is almost an hour’s trek on foot from the Tower. As a result, she keeps setting off my wards. She has yet to find a way in; the spells on the Tower hide the lower windows from sight, and the door is magically sealed. She is determined, though; I do not know how much longer I can avoid her.

I’ve been keeping an eye on Jenna when I can. The markings on her arms haven’t grown stronger yet, but her magic is definitely beginning to show - fortunately, it continues to be the little things, things that the untrained eye would brush off as luck, rather than magic. I wonder if she is aware of her magic yet.

I continue to feel on edge in town, aware that someone is following me. I caught a glimpse of someone I think might be my follower, ducking behind a building as I walked through town yesterday. I didn’t really get a good look at them, though; they were dressed like any other townsperson, and they moved too quickly.

Villager Observation 12 - Alexia Moore

I have realised that I have done entries on all the workers at the Hog and Heifer, except for Alexia. I decided to correct this, but to do so, I had to go to the Hog and Heifer in the evening, when all the rowdy locals are there.

Alexia is the kind of person that doesn’t take anyone’s nonsense. If someone does something they shouldn’t - the most common of which is drunks getting a little too someone who is obviously unwanting of the attention - then she does something about it. Whether it means getting Jackson Hill to remove the offender, or doing it herself.

She’s a terrifying woman when she has to do it herself. I suddenly understand why she is willing to work in the evenings, instead of making the Fairwood sisters do it. Drunks cower under her glare, and yelp and wail in pain when she drags them out the door by their ear - she keeps her fingernails long and sharp for this exact reason.

Alexia is a little strict, and she has Opinions about magic users, but for the most part, I’ve found that she’s pretty nice. She doesn’t bother or harass any of the magic-users that come through town from time to time - she just treats them like any other customer. She’ll make her Opinions known if asked, of course, but she doesn’t go shouting them for all the room to hear.

The strictness, I think, comes from both her dealing with drunks all evening, and dealing with her husband, grown-up sons, their wives, and her grandchildren all day. From the way I understand it, she could not get through her days if she wasn’t strict with her family and the drunks. They’re all just too rowdy.

I’ve learned that she’s also protective of the Fairwood sisters. They’re at the age where people start to really notice them, which is why she doesn’t let them take the evening shifts. There are too many grabby hands looking for a skirt to slid up for her to be comfortable with them working in such a drunken, crowded environment. While I’m sure Alexia would happily deal with any problem the girls might face, she has other things to be doing, and can’t spend all evening keeping one eye on the two.

I’m not sure I’d feel comfortable with Alexia knowing that I’m a mage, but I don’t mind interacting with her. She’s nice enough when she’s not looking like she wants to bash the loud-mouthed drunk at the next table over the head with a plate.

Nina's Observations, Entry11 - Lord Carlos Dawnstone

Journal Entry 40

I’ve been making a habit of keeping the door down into the cavern under the tower closed, when I’m not down there, observing the Goblins. There are no locks or anything on the door, just the handle, so I’ve been pushing a bookshelf up against it to keep it shut. I’m sure Master used Sealing spells to keep it closed, but I do not know how to cast them yet, so I’ve just been improvising while I’ve been studying.

I’ve made a few more treks into town lately, but I’m not too fond of going in. Every time I’m there, I get this odd feeling like someone is following me and watching me. I can never spot the culprit, and whenever I leave town, it goes away, but it makes me hesitant to go to town when I know I’m going to be followed.

The repairs on that little house I found are going well. Most of the overgrowth has been cleared away, the chimney has been cleared and repaired, and the door has been fixed. The windows and shutters are still broken, the walls are still filthy, and the floor is still a work in progress, but the carpenter says it shouldn’t be long before it can be used. The repairs have used most of the gold Master left for me to use so it might stand empty for a time before I can get some furniture put into it, but I think I might move into that little house when Master comes back.

It feels like home, even though it’s a filthy little hovel in a state of disrepair. I wonder what it will feel like when it’s finished.

Villager Observation 11 - Lord Carlos Dawnstone

This isn’t an Observation, exactly. Mostly because I’ve never seen Lord Dawnstone. In fact, very few people in town seem to have seen him. He never leaves his castle, built on the mountain, overlooking Willowdale. Occasionally, someone can be seen on one of the balconies, but it’s so high up and so far away that nobody's really sure if it’s actually him.

I don’t really know why he doesn’t leave the castle, and no one else does either. The rumours vary from paranoia to disinterest, to the King himself ordering Lord Dawnstone to stay within his castle. Only servants and guards ever seem to enter or leave, though they don’t really talk to anyone, and no one seems to know them. From what I understand, they’re from another town, or possibly another country.

A few of the miners are adamant that he has spies in town, watching anyone whom they deem suspicious. If that is true, then I believe they are the ones following me around. Others say that people have gone missing from town, dragged off in the middle of the night and into the castle, never to be seen again. While I do not wish to believe that it is true, I have noticed that some people - amongst them, people who I’d been considering observing - have suddenly gone missing, with no one knowing why.

One older miner that frequents the tavern claims that the dungeons under the castle, dug deep into the rock of the mountain, are full of townspeople deemed suspicious or dangerous by Lord Dawnstone’s spies, snatched over the years by his loyal guards. Some people are worried that he’s going to get snatched himself for spreading rumours without proof to support them, but he just tells them to “bring it on”.

I’ve been able to gather a little information that’s not just rumours from the people, mostly during my now regular visits to the Hog and Heifer.

Though no one seems to know what Lord Dawnstone actually looks like, there was a time when he left his castle - albeit rarely and briefly - and visited the town in his youth. He always wore clothing that was fancy but simple, making him stand out in a crowd but not overbearingly. He’d always looked his best, but he’d never tried to lord it over the people. He always wore a mask, for reasons unknown. A decorative, full face masquerade mask. The only thing people really know about him is that he has brown hair because that was the only part of him that wasn’t completely covered.

No one knows why he stopped visiting the town, but he did so shortly after his father died, and he became the Count. At first, people believed that he was too busy to do so and that he would come back eventually when he had adapted to his duties, but then he never returned, and more than ten years on, only a small handful still believe that he will one day visit the town again.

Another bit of information I was able to get was that he’d had a wife.

Had.

No one knew who she was, or where she’d come from. She arrived in a carriage that was completely closed off, and never stopped in town. Like Lord Dawnstone, no one ever knew what she looked like. Only a couple of people - invited to the castle for their wedding, to act as witnesses to make it official - ever saw her up close, and even then, she was as completely covered as Lord Dawnstone.

Whether it was by choice or force, she never visited the town. No one knew her name. No one knew the kind of person she was. She was as much a secret as her husband.

They were married just over a year.

The, one day, she disappeared. The royal guards apparently tore the entire town apart in search of her, though they refused to tell the townspeople why at first, and it was only after it had been determined that she was not hiding in the town that the people were told that she had disappeared - run away or kidnapped, they didn’t know - and her infant son had disappeared with her. The only place not checked was my Master’s Tower, because the wards wouldn’t even let the guards get close.

Some people believed that Lord Dawnstone had killed both his wife and child and that the hunt and announcement were simply coverups to keep the suspicion off him.

I am not sure how to feel about this ruler. He seems paranoid, disinterested, and cruel to me, going by the rumours. I know I shouldn’t judge him based on that alone, but as there is no way I will ever be able to meet him, I feel it safe to assume, unless he can somehow prove me wrong.

Nina's Observations, Entry 10 - The Howl Tower Goblin Tribe

Journal Entry 36

I once overheard someone in the tavern refer to my Master’s Tower as Howl Tower. I didn’t understand why, as it was usually pretty quiet around my Master’s Tower. The only howling I ever heard were from the wolves out in the forest and beyond the edges of town.

I finally understand why.

After my Master left for Starfall City, I noticed a door that had always been locked, in the main entrance, had been left ajar. Peeking past it, I saw winding stairs leading down into darkness. I never got around to investigating further; I’ve been so consumed with continuing my Observation Project so I can prove to my Master that I wasn’t slacking off and avoiding it while he was gone.

I have since realised that neglecting to investigate, or at least shut the door, was an unwise decision on my part.

The place under the tower, which I assume is a basement or a dungeon - though I’m still not sure - is full of Goblins.

I heard the howling last night, as I lay in my bed, contemplating who I should next observe. I didn’t realise at first that it was coming from the Tower itself, I thought there was a wolf outside. I’d gone to investigate - I could handle chasing off a wolf, they didn’t like magic that much - because my ward spells around the Tower should have alerted me to anything that came close to the Tower.

When I realised it was coming from inside the Tower, I investigated further, descending down the dark stairs with only a candle.

Master obviously knew what was down there. Why what appeared to be an entire tribe of Goblins was below the Tower, and why he didn’t tell me they were there, only left a door open for me to discover on my own, I do not know.

I shall have to ask him when he returns.

Villager Observation 10 - The Howl Tower Goblin Tribe

I have spent most of the night watching the Goblins. It has been the closest I suspect I’ll ever be able to get to a Goblin Tribe, without them trying to kill me. They didn’t notice me, peering at them from the edge of their camp, as close to the stairs as I could be - in case of an emergency - while also remaining hidden.

The camp is a collection of crudely built tents made from animals skins, wood, and bones. The tents are gathered together in small groups around the expansive cavern. There are torches and campfires everywhere, and a huge bonfire in the middle of the cavern. I do not know much about Goblin Society, so I do not know if the way the tents are gathered is in family groups, friends, or something to do with their role in the Tribe.

A rough count of the Goblins I could see came to around thirty. There’s nothing remarkable about this Tribe, appearance wise. They’re all short, hunched creatures, coming to - I assume - my waist in height. Some are bald. Others have hair. They wear rough clothing, made from animal skins, and wield crude weapons made from wood and stone. Some of them have been coming and going through an opening in the basement - or cave, as it more resembles - on the opposite side to where I’ve been hiding. I assume that it is their way to the outside world and that there is a cave somewhere outside of Willowdale that I should probably try and locate, for the safety of the townsfolk.

There were a few notable exceptions, of course. Even Goblins have their own society, and four of the five I noticed was easily distinguished as high-ranking in their society.

The first was a male Goblin. He stood a little taller than the rest, not so hunched over. He wore a helmet, and ill-fitting armour I assume was taken from some unlucky adventurer so I couldn’t see much of him. I noticed him standing over the rest of the Tribe, in front of a crude tent sitting on a rocky platform. I feel it safe to assume that he is the Chief. He doesn’t seem a very pleasant individual; his yelling and snarling at the other members of the Tribe was a constant source of distraction to me while I was watching them.

The next was a female. She was with the Chief, sneering down at the other members of the Tribe. She was the most notable, because of the way she was dressed. She was wearing human clothing - what was likely once a fancy dress, now a stained and tattered mockery - as ill-fitting as the Chief’s armour. And jewellery. Lots of Jewellery. The amount of necklaces adorning her neck, and the bracelets dangling from her arms was ridiculous. I thought Nobles were bad with their excessive jewellery, but the Goblin lady has them beat.

The third was another female. She was on the other side of the camp, as far from the Chief’s tent as she could be. Her crude tent was decorated with dried herbs hanging from string, and other odds and ends, some of which I’d rather not think about. Her makeshift clothes were a lot more covering than some of the others, and she carried a long staff that was almost too big for her. I never assumed Goblins would have magic users of any type, but looking at her reminds me of the Orcs I once stayed with - briefly - while on the run from the more zealous people from my hometown. My best guess would be that she is the Tribe’s Shaman.

The fourth was another male. Just by looking at him, I could tell he was a warrior, likely a powerful one. He wore very little, just a fur loincloth, and carried a sword twice his size, made from metal, though it wasn’t well taken care of. I guess he took it from some adventurer or merchant. He was all muscle, covered in scars and crude-looking tattoos. From the way the other Goblins scrambled to get out of the way, he probably had a nasty attitude to go with his scars and sword.

The last one was a male as well. He differs from the rest because he is not some powerful looking warrior, or a shaman, or a chief. It is because of how utterly pathetic he looked. He was skinny and small, hunched over even more than the rest, and wore nothing but a ragged loincloth that covered very little. He used his hands, as much as his feet, to scramble around, and it seemed to be his goal to stay out of everyone’s way. He kept coming in and out of a narrow crack in the wall, and I assume that, rather than a tent, he lived in whatever space the little crack allowed. The only reason I noticed him in the first place was because he got in the way of the nasty-looking warrior during one of his darts between his little crack and the bonfire, and didn’t escape in time to avoid the kick the warrior aimed at him.

Now that I know these Goblins are here, I shall have to keep an eye on them. Judging from the way the camp is set up, I do not think they notice - or perhaps they simply just don’t care about - the stairs. Master may have enchanted the stairs to keep them from seeing them, but I cannot tell for sure; the Shaman’s cruder magic is overpowering.

In any case, I do not want them to find their way up to the Tower. Goblins are notorious for being difficult to get rid of, once they invade a place.

Nina's Observations, Entry 9 - Jenna Arrow

Journal Entry 35

For the first time, I dared to enter Willowdale. I did my best to look as normal as possible - no robes, no magical equipment of any kind. While Serah Gordon and her staff don’t seem to mind robed strangers amongst them, I believe the general populace would.

I won’t lie - it took a while to find some clothes in my Master’s Tower that could almost pass for normal, but I finally discovered a chest, stored in the attic, containing some simple clothing.

I had to borrow a pair of my Master’s gloves, though. My robes have long sleeves, so they cover my arms, so I've never had to worry since Master took me in, but the dress I pulled from the chest has shorter sleeves. It covers some, but not all of, the magic lines on my arms.

For the most part, no one seemed to bothered by my presence. Most didn’t even seem to notice me. Nor did anyone seem to care about the direction I came from. I almost considered myself silly for letting my fears get to me.

But it didn’t take long for me to notice I was being followed. I couldn’t pick out my followers from the crowd, but I knew they were there. I could feel their eyes on me. I could sense them.

I was intending on cutting my visit to town short - I’d come for food supplies, but I had enough to last me a little while longer - when I passed the Courtyard.

The Courtyard is a walled off garden, attached to one of the bigger buildings in town. I’m not entirely sure what the building is - I think it might be the Town Hall. It is surrounded by reasonably high walls, with an archway with an iron gate. During the day, the gate is unlocked and open, and the children spend their free time playing in there. Master mentioned the place to me when I asked about where the children went during the day when they had free time since I hadn’t seen any of the children out in the forest or fields around town.

I decided to stop in the Courtyard. A couple of the children gave me odd looks as I settled beneath a tree, but I was not the only adult there, and they eventually forgot about me. The uncomfortable feeling of being watched went away as soon as I was in there.

I intend to head to the Hog and Heifer this evening, and then head back to the Tower through the forest. I might be able to avoid whoever is following me, that way.

Villager Observation 9: Jenna Arrow

While I was sitting in the Courtyard, I noticed Jenna Arrow was amongst the children playing there, as was her brother. I’ve been meaning to observe them a little more since it was difficult to get an idea of the kinds of people they are when they’re only at home when they have to be.

Scott is a bit of a brat, I’ve noticed. He has a bit of a sense of entitlement, and as a result, a lot of the children seem hesitant to play with him, because he can get demanding. Jenna seems embarrassed by his attitude, but when she tries to calm him down when he’s starting to work himself up into a tantrum, he just pushes her away. I pity Jenna for having to put up with that, but I’m glad I don’t have any younger siblings - none that I know about, anyway.

Jenna herself caught my attention some time ago. I already knew there was something different about her, from my brief observations, but a closer look at her while I write in my journal confirmed what I’d already suspected.

There are lines on her arms, lines of magic. Just like the ones that decorate my arms.

They are faint, barely noticeable, but I can see them. Probably better than others. I can’t distinguish the pattern since they seem to only just be starting to appear. She is a lot older than I was when my magic began to show, but I suppose everyone is different.

She is definitely not aware of them yet. I assume she thinks that the little things - the things that I noticed, that caught my attention is the first place - were caused by luck or chance. I wouldn’t blame her if she did. That was what I thought when my magic first started appearing.

I shall be keeping a closer eye on things around Jenna. I do not know how her family will react to her having magic, and I know that as it grows stronger, and becomes more obvious, things will change for her. I would have given anything to have had someone watching out for me when my magic started appearing; I do not wish another to suffer anything like the fate I suffered for having magic.

Not when I am around to prevent it.