I have to write quickly - we're in the process of resting and rememorizing spells, but we'll be back in soon and I don't know what will happen after that. I'm really offended that you think I wouldn't have already offered to help your brother. You did ask me to look after him, remember? Do you really think I'm so blind that I wouldn't notice something was wrong? Or so coldhearted that I wouldn't look into it? I already told you that I had a great deal of respect for him. I don't always think he's as wise as he could be, but he's amiable and entertaining and in many ways a much braver man than I. Do you really think I'd just let matters go, and not try to help him when he was in trouble?

I hadn't bothered Laurie about being depressed while we were on the road because he didn't seem to want to talk to anybody. I try to respect a man's privacy; I figured he'd open up to us when he was ready. The only reason I finally pulled him aside and pried the story out of him is because our whole mission seemed to be collapsing into chaos, and I had to make sure that he wasn't part of the conspiracy.

He told Nicholas and I everything, and I said I would escort him to Dorakka as soon as we'd completed our current mission. Nicholas volunteered to go, as well. Danny also had a private discussion with your brother, and I believe Laurie told him everything, too. Danny likes him, and I'm sure he offered to help; so even if I don't end up living through this mission, Laurie will have plenty of aid from the rest of our group. He's very popular. He'll be a good replacement for me, someday.

I will do my best to prevent Lairunya from falling victim to treachery, and I'll support him as far as I honorably can, if I'm alive to try. I know my promise doesn't mean much, since he already died once when I last said I'd look after him, but I'll try to do better. I can't promise to interfere to save his life if he and Ebrien engage in a duel of honor, though. He wouldn't thank me for unfairly interfering, and I wouldn't shame either of us by trying. Besides, if he's old enough to love and leave a woman, and then challenge her to a duel to the death, then he's old enough not to need a babysitter. You don't trust this woman, but for all I know, she may have a good reason for her actions. I've only heard Lairunya's side of the story, and I've seen the way he dallies and drops his paramours. He isn't nearly as bad as Simon (I apologize, but you know how Simon is), but he's no paragon of devotion, either. If this Ebrien really ended up moving to Dorakka to become a priestess of Loviatar, then it seems clear that one way or another, Laurie deeply hurt her by his actions. That may or may not excuse what she did, but until I know more, I have to stay neutral in the matter. I'm a little concerned by the fact that your brother won't even consider the suggestion that he may have fathered a child on her. He flatly refuses to discuss the possibility, but given what I know of Telperin fertility, I think he needs to come up with a plan of action just in case. Laurie's a pretty good chess player, but he hasn't learned to apply the rules of the game to his life, yet. He needs to start thinking more of his moves out in advance.

There's not much more to say, and I should be trying to get some sleep before our next teleport, anyway - as if I could, without my laudanum. Sindaraen and his familiar died, this last time in. Sin was dead, Danny and I were unconscious, and Laurie and Callous almost so - Nicholas had to blow Teleport out of his spellbook to get us all out of the mountain before the retriever ripped our heads off. Callous was able to raise Sin (Femir was left behind), but it was a tug-of-war between Tyr and Skineater, who owns most of Sin's soul.

The retriever's too tough. Neither Laurie, Nicholas, Sin nor I have a chance against it, if it manages to hit us with even one of its spells. And Danny is so damn vulnerable - why haven't we found him some decent magical defenses yet? Callous was hit with some sort of cold spell, and it nearly killed him even though he resisted its full force. It's like the red dragon all over again, but this time I'm not going to sit back and let everyone get killed around me. I have a plan, but

Things haven't been going well lately, and I don't expect that they're going to get any better. Sometimes I feel like I'm standing on a shale slope, and the harder I try to scramble up the hill, the faster I slide downwards. I'm doing my best - there are too many people relying on me - but all I can say is that I hope things start getting better soon, before everything collapses. Take care of yourself and the children. Tell them I said hi, and to think of me once in awhile. And don't worry about Laurie, he'll be fine.

Mikhael