After Teddy and Darron came back, we were all discussing what should be done. I day dream while everyone is bickering. I remember this spell I had tried back at the citadel. I’ve been reading in the dark of the night once everyone is asleep and suddenly, as if a bit of my destiny is burned, I have a breakthrough. I realize the few times I tried this specific spell at the citadel, I may have been using the wrong material! How stupid of me. I suddenly join back in the conversation and ask Summer to stay back with me. She flatly refuses and pushes back. So the only one I’m left with is Carsen. I guess he will have to do.

Before we all split up, I ask both Jardon and Darron if they have any dragon glass. Neither of them do but Darron brings out the snake carcass he has apparently continued carrying! It is extremely desiccated and I tell him to please throw it away. As neither of them have what I need, I’ll have to search for it when I take Jardon to town for a new leg.

On our shopping trip, I find a shop with no sign but a statue above the door. This looks like just the right place. We hear a woman call out to us among the very crowded shop. I yell back that I am looking for dragon glass. She rustles about for a long while then finds a dagger! Perfect. This will work just fine.

Jardon picks out a leg from the woman who surreptitiously had a one legged husband. She had a few options for him to pick from and he picks the bone leg. It is apparently made of whale bone, which seems fitting. He asks her to carve it a bit more and add in some tin, finally removing the tin from his eye to put in the leg instead. I had no idea there was even tin in there! No wonder he’s been such a grouch. He pays for both of our items and we head back, he needing to come get the leg tomorrow.

As soon as we are back, I approach Carsen and ask for his help. He reluctantly agrees if I promise to vouch for him. This seems an odd request, but as I have no reason not to trust him, I agree. He states that for some reason Teddy is upset with him. I promise to help if he aids me for the next 2 days. We then get to collecting driftwood! This takes all day.

At dusk, the rest of our companions arrive back with Calaila’s body. Summer keeps asking me something but I am more concerned with how Dolins has faired as he carried poor Calaila’s body the whole way. He seems to be upset, but doing ok. So I set about looking at her body in private with Teddy. It is obvious that she was shot at by arrows or a crossbow several times, with one clear fatal shot. Her face also seems to have been intentionally removed, but for what purpose, I am not sure. I relay this information to Teddy and also let him know that I think we should burn her body at dusk. He agrees.

He then asks what I remember about the last time I saw Calaila. My memory is a bit fussy with the events of the past day but I recall what I can. The next morning, I continue on the pyre, needing to go buy some wood in town. Carsen continues to help me set up. Finally, at dusk, after people say a few words, I instruct everyone to wait on the boat and I light the pyre. With my back to everyone, I say the prayer in the old tongue. Everything seems to be going well at this point… I continue to stoke the fire throughout the long night until the dawn.

At this point, I make sure that I am alone. I don’t see anyone on the ship. I turn my back to the boat. I take a deep breath, and I take out my dragon glass dagger. I steel myself and then start cutting my hand. I don’t know if it was the quality of the glass or the lack of sleep, but my hand slips and I cut off my last two fingers! I yell out in pain and double over. I am crying in both pain and in frustration, but at this point, mostly pain. What have I done?? I have taken on this power. I knew it came with risks, but like this? All I was trying to do was to see Calaila again and to get some answers. Her body gave me just more questions than answers. And now I have messed up my one chance. I grab some bandages from a pocket and swiftly wrap up my bloodied hand. I walk back to the ship, exhausted, in pain, defeated, and depressed. It’s not been a great week.