A Seal, Quiet Waters, and Words Left Unsaid

Journal Entry — October 17, 2026

Locations: Turmus — Magistrate Office; library mailbox and records; fishing area by the docks; tables outside the tavern during Tavern Night; my home’s porch.

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Morning — Nadia’s Guardianship and New Seal

Dexter and Nadia came to the Magistrate Office this morning with paperwork establishing him as her protector and guardian. The wording needed attention, as part of it suggested a free companionship. I asked them to clarify their intentions, and both confirmed that Nadia was to be his ward, not his companion. I corrected the document to reflect that arrangement.

While reviewing the papers, I learned that Nadia did not have a seal. She accepted my offer to make one and gave me her details: Nadia Storm, Merchant Caste, yellow, and hairdresser. I gathered my materials and prepared her new seal, used it on the papers, and handed it to her. Once the corrected document reached her, the work was finished. A small slip of my tongue when announcing Dexter’s new role brought a correction and a little laughter, but the intended arrangement was clear: he was now protector of Nadia and her property.

I explained that such paperwork would normally be handled at the Scribe Hall, but I had helped them in the Magistrate Office because they were both my friends. Nadia’s warm thanks meant much to me. After they left, I took a stretch break and delivered the copy to the library mailbox. The mailbox acknowledged receipt at 9:17 a.m.

I then spent time organizing the records. The Edward and Nadia incident report was placed in Awaiting Trial. I worked through the incident-report files, and by the end of the morning’s filing, the ongoing reports included Adria, Jessika, and Sabrina, with dates shown on the Adria and Sabrina entries. Jena Karliath’s closed and sealed report remained among the completed incident reports. It was useful, quiet work after the intensity of the trial preparations.

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Late Morning and Afternoon — Fishing

Near ten, I found Aries fishing and teased him about my being in the office while he was out with a fishing rod. He reminded me that there was a tournament to compete in and proudly announced that he had caught his first tuna. I thought the fish enormous, only to learn that it was not even large enough to place among the top three.

Aysha was having better luck. She caught another tuna and reported that she was still in second place with a larger fish than before. I eventually tried my own luck, although the catches I spoke of were only small pot fish. By early afternoon, I told Kael that I had caught twenty, without finding the big one I wanted.

Kael came by more than once, asking whether I had rested after the busy week. I was glad to say I had enjoyed a good night’s sleep. I told him that the day had been quiet so far, with filing and a guardianship form completed. Aysha was nearby, and the conversation moved easily between fishing, the newspaper, and plans for Tavern Night.

I told Kael that I liked fishing with him. It was relaxing to sit together without a demanding schedule, and he agreed. At that point, it seemed a pleasant, uncomplicated way to spend the afternoon.

After Kael left, I remained by the water for hours, content to fish alone. My catches were only small pot fish, but after a while, their size hardly mattered. I listened to the gentle sound of the water and watched my line, letting the busyness of the week slowly drain away. There were no papers before me, no questions to prepare, and no need to turn over what had happened or plan what must come next. For those quiet hours, it was enough simply to be there, waiting for another bite and enjoying the peace of the moment.

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Evening — Tavern Night

I joined the gathering outside the tavern shortly after five. Aries was hosting and Jay provided the music. I greeted Selia, Kael, Augustus, and Lady Ella, who accepted my invitation to sit with us. The tavern was lively with visitors, music, service, and dancing, while our table offered a place to talk.

There was light conversation about fishing and Lady Ella’s missing basket of frogs. Selia jokingly suggested an incident report, while Ella wondered whether Augustus himself might have removed them. Lora attended to drinks, and I later said that mead sounded nice.

Kael praised my work representing Nadia, and Selia agreed that I had done well. I lowered my head at their kind words. Still, when the conversation later returned to trial technique and the length of the proceedings, I asked that we leave the trial aside for the evening. I wanted time simply to enjoy myself.

Jessika joined us with sad news that Teletus, her former home, had fallen. I told her I was sorry; it had been a wonderful place. She spoke of settling properly in Turmus and renting a home with her companion. Her newspaper was nearly ready, with the trial story still awaiting Tuesday’s conclusion. The festival preparations were also on Selia’s mind, with much work still ahead.

As the event ended, Aries thanked Jay and announced a special Tavern Night for Thursday, October 29, at 5:00 p.m. SLT, to coincide with the River Festival auction. He also said the next Saturday would be an off weekend for Tavern Night.

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Kael’s Hints and My Confusion

During the evening, Kael mentioned a note concerning my father’s disappearance. At first, I misunderstood his words as being about missing wine and thought he meant an incident report. When he clarified that he meant Wind, I immediately wanted to know whether my father had been found and why I had not been told sooner.

Kael said that the note reported Father missing and included an old bill of sale concerning arrows in Port Kar. He said he had waited to speak because I had been occupied and unsettled by the trial. There was no news that Father had been found. I told him I had heard nothing more since one of Father’s men had spoken to me about the search.

The conversation then changed. Kael spoke about wanting to ask Father a question, the tradition of seeking a father’s involvement, and dowry. With Father absent, he wondered aloud whether it was better to ask the person directly involved. I became quiet, thinking about what he meant.

Looking back, his words suggested an intention concerning companionship, but he did not plainly ask me to become his companion. Instead, he later spoke of asking Ella a question and having her tell me. I was puzzled and asked what I had missed. Ella declined to be put in the middle. Kael nevertheless said she would need to explain the hints he had scattered, while also saying that the matter should not be discussed there.

Near the end of the gathering, I was still asking what I was supposed to follow up on. Kael said he was confused too, told me to read the open chat, and said he had thought he was opening a topic. He left without our reaching a clear understanding. What had begun as concern for my missing father had become a confusing exchange about something Kael would not say directly.

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Later — Cocoa and an Honest Conversation with Dexter

Later, I met Dexter and admitted that what I really wanted was a friend to talk to over tea, or better still, cocoa. I invited him to sit on my porch, brought out cups, and explained what had happened with Kael.

I appreciated the kindness Kael had shown when I first learned Father was missing, and I was grateful for his help preparing me to act as an advocate again. Yet his habit of walking away when I was trying to understand him left me confused and unhappy. I told Dexter that Kael spoke as though a future companionship were settled, even though he had not asked me and I had not agreed.

Our conversation became more personal. I spoke of how long I had been alone and of the two brief times Kael and I had been together in the past. Dexter admitted that he had once been interested in me when we met in Selnar during the long storm. That surprised me and brought a blush; I had not thought he was interested. We also discovered that he had understood me to be Kael’s intended, and I corrected that impression plainly.

I am not Kael’s intended. I have not agreed to court him or become his companion. Dexter suggested that I ask Kael directly about his intentions, and I agreed. He also shared that he had been spending time with another woman but was unsure whether he was ready for a commitment. What I had sought that evening was a friend and a quiet conversation, and I was glad to have both.

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MEETING / IMPORTANT CONVERSATION SUMMARY

• Nadia and Dexter: Corrected the guardianship document to establish Nadia as Dexter’s ward, not his companion. Created Nadia Storm’s yellow Merchant Caste seal and delivered a document copy to the library mailbox.
• Records: Organized incident reports and placed the Edward and Nadia report in Awaiting Trial.
• Tavern announcements: Special Tavern Night on October 29 at 5:00 p.m. SLT; the next Saturday is an off weekend. Jessika’s newspaper is nearly ready, pending the trial story.
• Father: Kael reported no confirmed discovery or new location for Wind. The search remains unresolved.
• Kael: His comments suggested companionship, but no direct proposal or agreement occurred. I later decided that I wanted friendship only and would make that clear.
• Dexter: Offered company and listened while I worked through the evening’s confusion. No courtship or companionship was agreed between us.

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TO DO / FOLLOW-UP

• Speak directly with Kael about his intentions and mine.
• Seek clarification of any actual new information about Father’s disappearance; the old bill of sale does not establish where he is now.
• Continue preparing for Tuesday’s trial continuation while allowing time to rest.
• If returning to the fishing tournament, ask how catches are weighed and confirm the closing time; those questions remained unanswered in this log.

Completed: Nadia’s corrected guardianship document, her new seal, and delivery of the filing copy. No further action on that paperwork was requested in the recorded conversation.

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