Day 85

I have been negligent in my duties as a researcher these last few days. It seems I have at last fallen victim to one of the barbarian plagues and this one lingers. My voice has abandoned me, which makes life with the barbarians difficult at best. A dry cough plagues my throat and without constant lozenges (provided by the medicine man at Mart's Wall) I find it difficult to speak at all. With near constant lubrication, I can speak, but only at a whisper. The Medicine Woman prescribed a potion that was to clear up part of my malady, but while my ear no longer pains me, my throat has not improved.

I fear that without the power of my voice to bring the barbarous horde to heel, my time among them may be drawing to an end. They simmer and seethe at the edge of true rebellion. Yesterday morning, I was forced to carry one of them, literally kicking and screaming, to the caravan for conveyance to the Halls of Learning. I could hardly believe I, in my weakened state, was capable of manhandling one of them. Though if it had be then middle barbarian instead of the slightly slimmer eldest, I would likely have found myself unable to force the issue.

It almost goes without saying that the eldest barbarian did not have the best day at the Halls of Learning yesterday. I heard from two of the Wise Women that are attempting to tame him. It seems to have been a fluke though as his behavior at the Halls of Learning was much better today. In point of fact, we ran into his main Wise Woman at Wayfairer's today while trading for dinner and she seemed most pleased to see him.

The White Wolf is desperate to resume a normal schedule of hikes through the wilderness surrounding our settlement now that the weather is clear and warming. I have been, thus far, unable to comply and I think she's starting to chafe at the ties that bind her to our settlement. Though she is still more patient with the littlest barbarian than any wolf I've ever witnessed. I am always careful with their interactions though for at heart the White Wolf is a wolf, after all.

Today the weather was positively warm, I ventured outside without furs. The trails are beginning to dry out and there is a sense in the air that perhaps we at least have avoided the worst of Winter's last hurrah. I have heard stories of some settlements in our general area that have not fared as well as we have. Perhaps I shouldn't count our blessings until Spring is over and the rainy season behind us.

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