"Captain's" Log, Sixth Entry

I'm dead tired, but I'm too restless to sleep. Writing might help - put an order to events in my head, make sense of things, all that rubbish.
 
A lot happened since we left the cave. Can't cover all of it in detail, but here's the important bits:
-We gave her possessions and storeroom a once-over, and managed a nice little haul. Potions, a whole mound of tarnished coin, and even some enchanted items.
-I got a knife from the hag's hoard, looks like a scorpion. Chuck says it can secrete toxins on command, or something. They took a look at it when we made camp and made some modifications to it - it just sprouts from my hand anew when I throw it. Incredible. Lost a lot of good knives to miscalculated throws before. Not this one.
-Chuck also found some notes in the hag's journal. The whole cave can just... be compressed down and moved around? I don't fully understand the theory behind it, but they managed to figure out how to perform a ritual at the cave entrance to squish the whole system of tunnels into a fucked up little geode, says we can do it again to replace the cave somewhere, even rearrange its insides. Could be useful.
 
We went back to Melody's to find that the villagers had returned to normal, but were ensnared by roots. Apparently, they panicked and gave Melody a bit of bother. Not really surprised. She muttered something about not having visitors for a while, told us to handle it, then disappeared into her cottage, so we calmed them down and lead them back to Willowdale. We didn't stick around to say our goodbyes, but somehow I don't think we've seen the last of her.
 
Denthor was pleased to see us, but things weren't exactly as celebratory as I'd anticipated. While we were gone, Lord Swain's tax collectors turned up, and as I recall, his lordship wasn't a popular man in the village when we left. Some folk put up a fight, and ended up dying. I know it's not our fault, and we couldn't have known, and that the world is cruel and these things happen, but I keep wondering if we couldn't have done something differently, if things might've turned out better. It's no use, of course. What's done is done, and I have enough regrets as it is. At least they have their loved ones back.
 
We took a look at some of their wounded. It was a couple of boys, and their wounds were too small to really bother with, but it seemed like their pride suffered greater injuries. I meant to give the lads a few stirring words, put their hearts at ease during their recovery, and... I may have been imagining things, but I could have sworn their cuts were larger before I started talking to them. I'm not sure how, exactly, but I told them they'd be on their feet soon, and I really, really believed it, and... it was the damnedest thing. I suspect it might've been magic. I wonder if I can replicate the effect.
 
One last thing that happened there - Denthor didn't have coin to pay us, not that we needed any, but he offered to spread the word about us, tell others we were capable and trustworthy. He asked what we called ourselves, and Birb piped up with something. "The Windswept," we're called now. Has a nice ring to it. Wonder if it'll fit us.
 
We got back to the city - had a few close calls on the way with a flight of dragons and a majestic stag whom we later learned was the King of the Wood, or something - and got paid by the Institute, but we didn't get much time to rest. This researcher the other three helped out before I met them fell ill while we were away. The halfling at the desk told us she could pull some strings and arrange for us to have words with her, asked us to do it as a favor.
 
I'm not sure how much of what I heard is safe to write here. I have to remember to destroy this page if it comes to it. Van Hal'essa - which isn't her full name - was an important field researcher for the Araxians. She'd found one part of the bit of machinery, like the one the others had found on Skytree, when she was afflicted with some kind of curse by a woman in black. Whatever it is, it's killing her. She should've been dead long ago. She wants answers, and she's desperate. Can't blame her.
 
She has a lead in Kuroth, and she's planning to head there on an expedition in two weeks. We're the only ones she can trust, and she wants us to be there, but... something's come up with Birb. His sister is held captive, somewhere in Geldris. We don't know who has her, or what might happen to her if we don't get there soon. It's going to be rough, but we're going to see what we can do to make the trip quick - go Waterside, find Birb's sister, get out, quick-like. It won't be cheap, or easy, but it has to be done. I know how important family can be.