Bless me father for I have sinned. It has been almost two years since my last confession. Pride, envy, lust, wrath, greed and even sloth. Of all these I am guilty. Six of your seven cardinal sins. Perhaps worst of all, was my faith or lack thereof. I have wavered. The ends justifies the means. Is that it? To fight legion, I have made a pact with legion. Is not the lesser of two evils still evil? Reynaldo, my Vodacce companion has made a pact with Legion's servant. He did so to gain the power to destroy Fellhand. But by doing so, I fear he has damned us all.

Rest, oh how my body needed this. I ache from wounds old and new. Laurent has been tending us and we rest now to recover from our last ordeal. I think that I fared better than the others, but even so did not come out of it unscathed. We are in a small village somewhere in Eisen. Oh this rest is good.

Parry, thrust, parry. Having fully recovered Reynaldo and I spar. Pietro sits on a fence, watching and waiting for his turn. Valliere is off by himself somewhere, just being Valliere. Laurent, Lia and William are off in the village helping the locals. They've been kind to us, these Eisen. They don't really have anything, but share what they do.

Commotion. A small crowd of children gathers as two riders approach from the south. A male, Eisen by the look of him. A mercenary or bodyguard probably. The other... hello who is that. Hmm, olive skin, raven hair. Delicious.

Walking forward, I am the first to greet this lady. Producing a rose, I offer it to her and introduce myself. Insolence! How dare she rebuke me! Who in legion does she think she is! I am Enrique Soldano de Montoya del Castille! I am the son of a noble and a gentleman. Little Vodacce witch. No wonder it is so rare to see the women outside of their country. If Castillian women were so.....crass, we might not allow them to leave either. I let my anger get the better of me. Of course we Castillians would not impose such harsh treatment upon our women. We are a civilized people after all. Damn Vodacce witch. I should not let her upset me so. I shall have to duel Reynaldo later. Yes definitely have to duel him later. Maybe even Pietro too. Although that wouldn't be much of a challenge.

Reynaldo is conversing with the witch now. Witch, strange, but that seems to be the most appropriate description, but I don't know why. Is that fear I see in his eyes? Reynaldo afraid of a women? Ah yes, of course, I've seen that look before. Now I know why witch was so appropriate because that is what is he. One of the infamous Vodacce fate witches. Damn these fate witches. Why me? What in prophets' name have I done to be forever cursed to meet fate witches. Even in this desolate, cesspool, abyss of a country called Eisen, I have to run into a fate witch. Will I never be rid of them?

Another commotion. What now? Oh Prophets! What in legion is that woman doing? Is she trying to scare the bejesus out of every one of these villagers. That damned fate witch costume is going to have to go. If she's not careful, every inquisitor in the infernal country will be after us. Reynaldo is motioning for everyone to join him what does that fool want now.

The gall of that woman. She has only been here for a few hours and she already acts as if she owns the place. She wants us to follow her into the Eisen forest to find some old hag the locals are terrified of because she has some "connection" to her. NO, I reply. It is getting dark and we don't need to be wandering around this land after dark. But does she listen. No. Surprise, surprise, surprise. Damn that witch. There she goes off riding towards the forest, followed by Reynaldo, and Pietro. Now William, Lia and Jenner. "I hate fate witches" is all I can mutter as I mount my horse.

Lost. What a shocker. I warned about this but did the witch listen, oh no, not her. She knows all. Here we all are, gathered around Reynaldo, since his possessed sword gives off ambient light. We are in a haunted forest. Every shadow seems alive and every sound ominous and threatening. My horse starts. Did I just hear something? I could swear I heard someone call my name. Looking around I count heads. We're missing Jenner and Valliere. Wonderful.

William and I discuss options. All the while I can't help but glare daggers at the witch. I really hate fate witches. The others don't seem to hear anything, but William wants to investigate what I hear. A sign of trust in me, and concern for our comrades. After a short discussion, it's settled. William, Pietro and I will go in search of our missing comrades while Reynaldo, Lia and Patrice, el bruja destino, will remain here. Partially so we can use the light from Reynaldo's sword to backtrack, and partially to keep Patrice from causing even more trouble.

It took us perhaps an hour of stumbling around in the dark before we finally located the source of the calls. As it turned out, it was Valliere and Jenner. Unfortunately they were on the other side of a ravine and we were unable to reach them. They were in dire straits. Jenner had fallen over and was just barely hanging on. Valliere was trying to reach him but was thus far not successful. A scream! Jenner's gone. Valliere calls out that he's going to attempt to climb down. A Montaigne curse. There goes Valliere.

William and I began arguing about the best course of action when we heard yet another scream. This time Pietro, apparently he took it upon himself to try and climb down into the ravine when he too fell. At this point I was ready to go back for the others when I saw a wild look appear in Williams eye. One I'd seen all too often.

Nooo....too late. He jumped over the edge. Of all the audacious, stupid things that I've seen him do, this one, well I don't know, maybe it wasn't the worst, but it sure is high on the list. Since I wasn't about to go after him I head back for the others.

By the time I return with Reynaldo and the others, it is close to morning. I am cold and miserable. Damn William and his impetuousness. We get to the ravine and start following it south, hoping for a better way down. By dawn we see a path leading to the bottom. At that point the fall is only about twenty feet anyway. At the bottom of the ravine is a river. After searching the banks I found some hooks and poles, Jenner's and a piece of William's kilt. Footprints lead up the path. Joining the others, we fan out to look for signs of whoever "retrieved" our friends from the river.

Ah, tracks....we've found them. They were taken east. The trail is not difficult. Someone was dragged. Probably William. After what seems an eternity, we finally arrive at our destination. A ramshackle hut, and four mounds. Something is eerie about those. Barrows. Are those barrows, I wonder. Must be cautious here. Theus watch over me.

Stepping forward with Reynaldo and the others on my heels, I stride down the path. Ahead are four figures in black. As I get closer my hair starts to stand on end. The horses refuse to go any further so I dismount. Reynaldo and El Bruja Destino follow, as Lia stays back with the horses. Fear. What is it about these shades. Yes shades, they must be for I fear not the mortal soul.

Madre de dios. The have no faces. I quickly make the sign of the prophets. I see no eyes, but I feel them on me. Boring through my soul. My gesture of faith was empty and they sense it. By Theus, am I that far gone? Am I so lost that the damned recognize me as one of their own?

Reynaldo said something to bring me out of my trance. They just stand there, together. They don't move; they don't speak, just stand. Silent guardians. If we move towards a barrow, then they move to block the way. I touch one and immediately a chill unlike any I've ever known grips me. My heart is stricken with fear. I can no longer move my arm, now it so numb.

The shack. Reynaldo starts toward the shack. At first the shades move to intercept when they suddenly stop. A cackly voice calls out telling us to enter. Flashback. I see a house in a forest at night in Montaigne. Shudder. This is not going to be good.

Entering the house, it is filthy and as ramshackle on the inside as it is on the outside. What is it with hags and rundown shacks. You would think that one could conjure up some money and at least live decently. Inside the woman, if you could call her that, is waiting patiently by a fire. She is old, very old. Another flashback to that night in Montaigne. As if reading my mind she speaks out. "You do not know me from Montaigne." I look at her closely. I didn't think I knew her at all. Those eyes. They pierce my soul, what passes for one anyway. So blue and alive for someone so....antiquated.

She looks at Reynaldo and speaks to him as if I'm not there. "You have in you the power to destroy Fellhand" she says, or something like that. She can help him, but it has a price. Everything spawned of Legion has a price. It's usually the soul. I tell him not to do it. I look at Reynaldo. Torn. He is so torn. The witch then talks about our companions. She can free them for us if Reynaldo consents, or we can find bodies to take their places. The barrows require it. Dilemma. Reynaldo and I argue about it. I urge him not to make that deal. I see he struggles with his conscience but I fear the outcome. It is inevitable. We all owe William our life and Reynaldo's Vodacce blood won't let him forget that debt. My own Castillian blood would not let me, but there has to be another way.

"I will wait outside" I say to him. He just smiles. His soul is lost. Good bye my brother. You are a better man than I.

Silence. It weighs upon my soul. Silence. I look around at the empty church. Dust is everywhere. The confessionals haven't been used in years probably. Silence. It is depressing. Theus has forsaken me and I have forsaken Theus.

I take a last look at the altar, sigh and rise. I am lost. Turning to leave I must wipe my eyes. It would not do well for the others to see weakness.

Journal Entry 19