Day 3, Laird's Triple-Locked Journal

From the Triple-Locked Journal of Laird Sonoly...

Oh Corellon!! I know I should keep running, I've got to find Ileander and rescue the others, but I just have to stop for a moment... my heart is in my throat, I can't breathe... I'm pretty sure I'm not being pursued, so I think I can take a moment or two here to rest.

Ashleigh and Sadush have been captured by lizardmen, and taken inside some compound, through the legs of a giant dragon statue (the very statue from my dreams!). I am praying that the lizardmen don't sacrifice them, that we don't meet their bones later in the marsh, stripped of flesh, empty eye sockets glowing red. Such abberations of nature, such mockeries of life, ugh! That's a sight I won't forget soon: when we first approached the lizardmen's side of the island (we're on Skaver's Moor D'More Island, but more on that later), we found it guarded by the undead skeletons of some of the missing halfling tribesmen. We fought them competently enough, but in the thick of battle, lizardmen began emerging and joining the frey. We'd kill one off and two would emerge to replace the last... I barely stayed on my feet! I was hit with more arrows than I could count, but I'm also tougher than I look. Everyone fought bravely, with Ashleigh and Saddush doing most of the heavy fighting. Unfortunately, this also meant they were the first to be felled and captured, which is exactly what happened! Lizardmen grabbed them and *walked* over the water of the marsh-moat (which I later tried to swim and nearly drowned doing so) to their compound. I did manage to make it across the moat, even after an evil lizardman druid caused the vines and stalks of the marshes to come to life, wrapping around me and trying to take me down to the bottom of the water. Although I wanted to push past him and chase after Saddush and Ashleigh (whom I had just started to come to like), but based on the noise I heard beyond the dragon's legs...I have a feeling it would have been really foolish to run in there, alone, and nearly dead as I am. So I turned around, jumped back IN the moat, and swam back from whence we'd come, in retreat. Ileander had already fled, and I'm hoping I can find him after this. We've got to convince the halfling tribesmen to help us so we can wage a more balanced attack on the lizardmen -- we now have no doubt that they ARE up to evil ends, capturing and sacrificing the halfling tribesmen who they were supposedly friends with?

I've got to press on and find Ileander, but in case I don't make it to write again...I want whomever to know, that I tried. I tried to do what was asked of me. I never asked to be chosen! I think I understand now, what Arterius the Bear meant, when he apologized for such a heavy burden being put on ones so young. Maybe it's *too* great of a burden. I don't know. But there's no turning back now.