A moment of thought before progressing." 3rd Leafall, Ar163, All fixed up."
She taps the quill to the inkwell... the ink depleted, Kodiak frowns, puts up the feather-quill, and caps the empty inkwell and closes the journal.Repairs complete. The storms this past summer have devastated the wood. The fallen trees have blocked old trails and forced new ones by those seeking Writ-Work in the area.... and by the goblinoids... who've now brought in worg riders. The speed and frequency with which the Foesmasher goblins now move through the North Wood has blazed new paths into near permanent trails. Even the few adventurers from Cordor venturing into the ruined keep use them.
The outpost, though, is fully intact (thank the Forest Queen!). Some young'ish wilderness folk have been making use of it in their training within the Bramble, but for the most part, the number of our elder rangers dwindles. The one Ryvvik entrusted to run the Watch when he had to depart seemed it easier to move its headquarters to Darrowdeep, but in the six months I've been back, I've not seen a single sign of that person at any of the Watch camps or outpost.
I've left word when I first arrived with Darrowdeep, and a note posted at the Ranger Cabin in Arelith Forest's Shallow Wood, but still nothing. Even Archdruid Beryl and her mate, Edgar have moved on. So far, Piwiewiel has been the only light of our ranger troupe who seems to be about.
Since I've been back, I have stopped by my old office at the Skull Crag Ranger Station, but I haven't had a chance to climb up the path to Guldorand yet and check in with the Shields. That will have to wait.
I was very happy to read that a new ranger has taken up residence in my old quarter at the Crags Ranger Station. I was a little disappointed to see so few repair and workstations that Trynn and I built and stocked have survived, but that's the way of things I guess... The reports-archive we had been building there is also gone. I will never understand why folk seem to think that day-to-day report activities are unworthy of keeping. It is those old writings that help remind us of 'other' events around that time... and who was active, and periods of peace... oh well. Again.. such is the world.
Speaking of old reports... I found one surviving note from Ryvvik... it seems we missed each other by 2 years...
and inside that time, the Bramble Watch has lost all of it's knowledge archives spanning 25 years AR126 to AR161, and its member roster nearly lowered to zero. Good leadership is a difficult thing to find, and even harder to keep. Rangers are a solitary lot, and without that one or two key folk to bind them together... ?
Nearly fourty years of history and documentation... and a roster of a dozen rangers, now, lost and scattered to the wind. I'm really sad about this... but.. blame doesn't rest with just him... it rests with us all. A year? Six months... A season, even... if I had only left one sooner, I might have been able to salvage at least our history. This is a burden I shall bear for a long time.
For now...
"Well, Kregor... " she says into the air, "Wherever you are... I'm going to have to try and continue your legacy another day.
Before carefully placing it in the bottom of her pack... she wraps it neatly in a linen cloth next to another, far older and worn journal... the words "A Ranger's Repentance by Kregor Boldheart" fading on the spine.