Day 302

The Thaw came late this year and chilly weather persisted far past the norm. The Freeze has come early, exactly as I expected.  Truth be told, the weather has been unpleasant for most of the year and often down right hostile. Things have been hectic here in the settlement of late and I have been remiss in cataloging my observations.

The Matriarch is now settled in her home near the crossroads and is becoming acclimated to the slower pace of things around here. She has mostly recovered from her injury and though she will likely use a cane for the rest of her life, at least she can still get around.

Since summer's purported end, though not the true end of the often hellish season, the elder pair of barbarians have returned to the Halls of Learning. It was not a smooth transition for my beloved Middle barbarian. He struggled quite extremely in the care of his Wise Woman. Luckily we were offered the opportunity for him switch to the care of a new Wise Woman who seems much better suited to his care. He is learning so much under her wonderful tutelage.

The Eldest barbarian no longer rails against going to the Halls of Learning. Now that he no longer shares a Wise Woman with the female barbarian who was pestering him, he is much happier. Both of the elder barbarians seem to be flourishing this year and I couldn't be prouder. They have discovered a pair of barbarians in a nearby settlement that they enjoy playing with and the four of them come and go frequently between our two settlements.

A fellow researcher and I have been bringing our littlest barbarians together frequently so that they can play while we discuss our observations. It has been a wonderful change of pace for me and I believe the Littlest Barbarian quite enjoys her time with my fellow researcher's youngest two barbarians. I must admit that I admire her bravery and equanimity for she has taken on a tribe of five barbarians to study.

This morning, in fact, we had one of those meetings. The three barbarians dragged toys across the floor of the Gathering Hall while the White Wolf cavorted about licking little faces and trying to eat toys. It was rather glorious not having to ensure that the Littlest Barbarian didn't jump off the stuffed cushions or climb up some shelves somewhere before throwing herself off. Instead my fellow researcher and I drank coffee and talked.

Tomorrow is the Night of Spirits and my partner and I will be taking our barbarians from settlement to settlement to demanding treats. It is an ancient tradition that I, for one, particularly enjoy. The little barbarians are quite excited about the prospect of treats.


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