It took much longer than I originally thought for Jorik to train me in those new skills but once he deemed me ready I couldn’t wait to try them out. I heard that Marshal McBride needed to see me so I went to see him at the Abbey. Turns out he had a letter for me, an encrypted letter, from Jorik:

Never been more proud to be part of the trade as I am in these last few years. The need for assassins, spies, and scouts has never been more prevalent. You’d think war-time would have had a higher demand, but surprisingly, war isn’t a time we flourish like we do now — the times after peace starts to deteriorate.

I was told you’d be in the area looking to learn a few things. When you have time, come see me by the stables in back of the abbey.

Jorik Kerridan, Rogue Trainer

I found it strange that Jorik would send me that letter through the Marshal when he could have just given it to me himself, or, better yet, saved the paper and ink since he’s already been training me for weeks. I went to see him about it and I guess it’s just something that goes out to all trainees. However he did tell me a few things I didn’t know, those being the names of several of the outfits that covet skills such as mine: other adventurers, SI:7, even the Defias Brotherhood.

“You remember this,” Jorik said to me. “You’re your own man. Don’t let nobody bully you into doing something you don’t wanna do! Besides, we hold all the cards… at least, we do before the game’s done. Know what I mean?”

I didn’t really but it seemed an odd thing to say anyways so…

After that weird exchange I went back to Marshal McBride to see if he had any assignments for me and fortunately he did. Apparently the kobolds are still causing problems and a group of them had camped near the Echo Ridge Mine. He said that his scouts had counted at least 10 of them and asked that I kill them, find out if there were any more and report back. Putting my new skills to work I would sneak up to each kobold, do a little pick pocketing, then stab them in the back. For the most part it went well but there were a few occasions where my pick pocketing wasn’t as unnoticeable as I would have liked. Needless to say however, these kobolds weren’t much of a challenge. After taking care of the ones at the camp I scouted around and found that there were quite a few more than then just the ones at the camp so I headed back to the Marshal to let him know.

Upon hearing the news he asked me to return and help clear the mine of kobolds, so after a brief rest I did. While killing kobolds and exploring the mine I managed to find some new equipment, a minor healing potion, and a couple of gems… malachite I think they’re called. The potion intrigues me, a vial of what looks like red cough syrup. Hopefully it doesn’t taste like it… I’d almost rather be stabbed than try to chug a bottle of Robitussin. Anyways, after killing as many kobolds as I could I once again returned to the Abbey. He thanked me for everything I’d done and then handed me a new belt to replace the old ragged one I’d been using.

“Garrett, you are a rogue with proven interest in the security of Northshire. You are now tasked with the protection of the surrounding Elwynn Forest,” he said to me while handing me some papers. If I decide to accept the duty then I’m to report to Marshal Dughan in Goldshire. At least he told me how to get there. I’m not sure if I was supposed to look at these papers or not but, nothing was sealed so…

Report: Kobolds

The activity of kobolds has increased in the vicinity of Northshire Valley. They camp north of the abbey and within the Echo Ridge Mine in alarming numbers. I have marshalled paladins, warriors and other local folk to aid me in ridding us of the vermin.

This progresses well. And I will update as needed.

Report: Thieves

More alarming than the kobolds, a human gang of thieves has emerged in the valley. They wear red bandanas and call themselves a brotherhood. This level of organization may lead to trouble, both here and in all of Elwynn Forest.

We have identified one of their leaders — one Garrick Padfoot — and hope to bring him to justice soon.

Report: Wolves

There has been an increase in reported animal attacks in Northshire. Eagan believes the wolves in the valley were scared here from Duskwood.

Although the wolves rarely hunt human prey, the sheer number of them has caused some incidents with farmers. And many livestock have gone missing.

COMMENDATION:

The bearer of these documents is to be awarded Deputy status with the Stormwind Army, having served Northshire with eagerness and distinction. I am confident you will find this person useful in Elwynn Forest.

signed:

Marshal Douglas McBride,

Stormwind Army, Northshire

It’s weird to think I’ve been on this world for a couple of months now and Northshire has been my home away from home for a couple of months now. I’m definitely excited to see more of this place but I decided not to leave right away. I wanted to at least take one last look around and say my goodbye’s.

As I was walking around the abbey I came across a man who called himself Eagan Peltskinner, the one mentioned in the report. A very odd fellow this one. Kept going on about hating wolves but how he loved eating wolf meat and how hungry he was. He asked if I would go gather wolf meat for him and promised to make it worth my while. If nothing else it would be a good test of my new skills… if I could sneak up on a wolf I could surely sneak up on anyone!

They certainly weren’t hard to find, the woods around the abbey were indeed practically teeming with them. Much to my surprise I was even able to sneak up on them! Also, much to my surprise, it wasn’t very difficult to take one down with nothing but a dagger. I guess the training I received was even better than I suspected. Eagan wanted quite a bit of meat and there wasn’t much decent meat on any of the creatures I came across so I had to kill several before I had enough. When I returned to him he was quite thrilled and gave me a pair of wolfskin bracers to use. Before I could even thank him he’d already started cooking up the meat. I guess he wasn’t kidding!

Soon I will make my way to Goldshire and see what more this world has to show me. Until then… Deputy in the Stormwind Army? That’s kinda cool.

Training has finally come to an end.

I’m definitely in much better shape and I’ve learned a lot. I still don’t know much about this place I’ve found myself in for the past several weeks but one thing has become clear… It’s not a dream and there’s not going to be an easy way home. Assuming I’ll ever see home again.

Yesterday seemed like it would be no different than any other day. We went through our regular routine of running, sparring, and perfecting our techniques, but at the end of class, we were told that our training was over and we would be receiving our orders individually. No fanfare, no congratulations, no ceremony or certificates, just a handshake and a “Report to Deputy Willem first thing in the morning.” Before Jorik sent us on our way he did mention that further training would be available as our skills progress but that we would have to pay for it from here on out. I also learned that this definitely was not going to be a typical military assignment. I didn’t know what I was going to be doing exactly but I knew it wasn’t going to be marching into combat and holding formations. It would be a series of special assignments which I would be able to take and complete at my own discretion. Kind of sounds to me like a potentially poor use of training time but, it seemed to work for them. I certainly know that I’ll do my best to complete any missions that come my way, not only out of a sense of obligation but, at this point, it’s the only work I know how do to here. I’ll be paid by the assignment and I’ll get to see the world and, hopefully, find a way home. Plus I need to do something to keep myself fed and out of the rain.

Today was the start of a new career and I reported to Deputy Willem as ordered, first thing this morning. Since he was in uniform I assume he’s part of the regular military and not on a per mission basis like I am. He seemed nice enough but I’m not sure why I was to report to him first as he sent me right on to his superior, Marshal McBride.

I found the marshal inside the Northshire Abbey. He looked like he’d seen a few battles and had that confident tone of a consummate soldier. He mentioned that, with so many forces abroad that it was becoming more difficult to defend from corruption within the kingdom which is why volunteers like myself were needed. Something Deputy Willem also mentioned when I briefly spoke with him. He then told me that a clan of kobolds had infested the woods to the north and that he needed me to “Reduce their numbers so that we may one day drive them from Northshire.” In another words, kill as many of them as I could find.

I didn’t know what a kobold was so I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect when I headed North through the woods but it wasn’t long until I found what he was talking about. They were ugly creatures to be sure but they also seemed to be an, at least relatively, intelligent species. I’d done a bit of hunting as a kid back home but never actually killed anything that could talk back. They also didn’t seem very aggressive but I could see how, if their numbers continued to grow, that they could become a threat. So, without further hesitation I set about completing my first assignment and I was able to easily dispatch my first intelligent opponent. Upon searching it’s pack I found one copper piece and some flimsy looking chain-mail pants. I knew they’d be too heavy for me to wear and still be able to fight and, considering how ugly they were, it’s just as well.

It was not difficult at all to find the creatures as they were lurking throughout the woods. I was a little thrown off the first time one of them yelled “You no take candle!” at me, but not enough to still easily defeat it. Like I would even want it’s useless candle! I lost count of how many I killed before getting too tired to continue the hunt but it must have been at least 15 or 20. Not only did I find more copper but I also found some equipment that, while clearly well used, was still an improvement from the training uniform I was still wearing. Even if one of those pieces of equipment was an old frayed robe that looked a little silly but, while the kobolds weren’t very good fighters, it still hurt when they did get a hit in so any extra protection was worth it.

Something odd happened during my kobold hunt. I was attacked by a wolf that was wearing leather pants. Well, it wasn’t so much wearing them as dragging them but where it found them and how it managed to get tangled in them is beyond me… I’m still scratching my head over it. At least the pants were still in pretty good shape.

When I returned to Marshal McBride I was covered kobold blood. His response? A “Well done, citizen” and 25 copper pieces. I guess that’s not too bad for a days work. After cleaning myself up I found a man named Dermot who was able to what little damage their was to my equipment and was also willing to buy those pieces I’d found that I had no use for. By the time all was said and done I had quite the coin collection going on.

I then went and found Jorik to see if there was anything new he could teach me that I could afford. Tomorrow he’s going to begin teaching me how to move without being heard or seen and how to use that stealth to pick pockets and to attack enemies from behind. I can’t wait!

So, I’m still here, obviously. During those few moments where we’re not training and I’m not so exhausted I can’t see straight, I find myself missing home but, strangely, not as much as I would have thought. Being able to relax on the couch, watch some TV, or play some video games… and I really miss internet access and being able to listen to music anywhere, anytime. But, I find myself adapting to this new life. It seems quieter and much slower paced. No one rushing to get places, no traffic, no one seems to get stressed out over pointless jobs, at least from what I’ve seen so far. People just go about their business of farming, driving their carriages, delivering goods. You realize I don’t even know what time it is anymore? I get up at sunrise,  break for lunch around midday, and eat dinner and go to bed after it gets dark. It’s actually quite liberating… I never knew how much stress I had just worrying about what time it was all the time!

Training continues. It’s amazing how quickly the body can adapt when forced into being put through it’s paces on a daily basis. I’m still not quite able to keep up with the other recruit but, given the improvement I’ve seen, I’m confident that I will by the end of training. I find myself pretty adept and wielding knives, which I never thought possible. In fact, it seems to be the only area where I can match or exceed the other students. I can still get the crap kicked out of me in a toe-to-toe fight but once I get my stamina up, but when it’s just daggers I can hold my own and I’m at the top of the group when it comes to throwing knives. We’re supposed to get into the more advanced techniques in a few days so we’ll see how that goes…

I’m starting to get the impression that I’m not going to be part of a regular military force once training is over. I’m going to be expected to use my new found skills to help this kingdom, whatever it is, but I’m not going to be on the front lines taking orders, which is a relief. I’ve never gotten along well with authority figures, which is why I always had trouble holding down a job at home. It’s more like I’ll be given an assignment and it will be up to me as to how best get the job done. It’s definitely more my style but given how little I know of this place I’m a little worried I’ll even know what they’re talking about.

Other than the book I read when I first arrived, my whole world has been nothing but training. I’m looking forward to “graduation” so I hopefully have more time to dig into the history of this world. Of all the things I’ve heard I’ve yet to see anything to back it up. Makes me wonder if it’s not like the middle ages were; filled with primitive people who believed in just about anything because they were simply to ignorant to know any better. Unless it’s in regards to our training I really don’t talk to anyone else so all I have to go on is what I manage to overhear. Mostly it’s just talk about back home, one guys dad served in the war or was a farmer or a shipbuilder. I’d love to ask “What war?” but I’m pretty sure that would give me away.

I will say this much, the kids here seem much more mature and well behaved. Back home, I’d swear 90% of 16 year olds are borderline retarded!

I hate running!

I was rather rudely awakened before sunrise by Jorik tossing a set of trainee gear at me… including boots and a, thankfully sheathed, knife. The rest of the initiates were due shortly after sunup and training was to begin immediately after. I expected some sort of military like regimen and that’s pretty much what we got. I’d initially been a worried about not fitting in. Hell, I had enough trouble fitting in back home, here I wasn’t even a fish out of water, more like a fish in the vacuum of space! Turns out I should have been far more worried about how out of shape I was.

We spent most of the day “getting our sorry butts in shape”. Unfortunately for me I had a lot farther to go. Most of the kids, and that’s what they were really, about 15 others all between the ages of 16 and 18, had spent their lives working on farms or doing construction, blue collar stuff. I’d spent most of my life sitting on my butt watching TV and surfing the Internet. I tried to keep up as best I could but, even though no one said anything, I could tell everyone was looking at me either in pity or wondering what I was even doing there. The worst part, today was just the warm up. Tomorrow we begin combat training.

Over the next few weeks we’re supposed to learn to fight unarmed, with daggers, and with throwing knives; along with a couple “trick of the trade” as Jorik calls them… special techniques we can use to really do some damage to our opponents. In a way I’m excited to learn as I’ve always wanted to know this kind of stuff. On the other hand, I’m just hoping I can make it through another day of training without vomiting.

Apparently even having a cot to sleep on was a luxury I’m going to be missing for the next few weeks. It seems, in this line of work, that we’ll be spending a lot of nights outdoors sleeping on the ground, so we’d “best get used to it now”. Once again I can’t help but hope I wake up from this nightmare soon. But if I’m going to be in this for the long haul then I’d best work as hard as I can because, if any of the bits of conversation I’ve heard the other recruits talking about (orcs, trolls, horde, etc), then my only other best option appears to be a quick but gruesome death.

It’s almost time for lights out and right now, I don’t even care I’m sleeping on the ground. I’m so exhausted I could sleep on a bed of nails and fire ants!