From the Journal of Talvi Diamondknight
Unknown Date (The date has been, it appears, literally eaten out of the journal)
Mr Frog's ever so nice. Everycavy (I like that word) knows that me an' Mr Frog are workin' together now, 'cause he's showin' me how to mix up potions an' stuff. See here now, I went over to him to figger out if he was messin' with my calendar pages - or Draignean's, really - but he started to learn me how to use the potions an' stuff hisself. All for me! I tried to be the sweetest cavy I could for him.
He told me it's science, but I know what it really is, anyhow. It's right magic, that's what it is, through and through. He says he can teach me ever'thing there is to know. I come back every now and again an' he shows me more.
9th of Limestone, 203
Weird things is happenin' here... But it's good stuff, too. Draignean wants really bad to change our way of doin' things. He wants to make our own culture. I don't see why - ours is plenty good for me. He might change the food a bit, tho - I think food would be better with words in them. Why can't they make soup roasts with little letters? They could call it "alphabet soup roast" - it'd be awful good, what with all the little paper letters floatin' around in it. Anyhow, he wants us to all wear quivers on our heads. I thought it was cute, so I was tryin' it, but it kept fallin' off my head. An' then one time, affer it fell, one of my cavies climbed into it. I watched, and I said to myself, I said, "Why, Talvi... Those would make awful nice clothes..." 'Cause see, nocavy likes to be naked. We get upset. So if we's made quivers - like right big ones - we ain't got to worry about bein' in the nude no more. I'm gonna find a leatherworker to help fit me for a quiver - big 'nuff for me to wear. Maybe the rest of the dwarves'll like it too.
On a related note, The Master's really upset. He's sittin' in his workshop, cryin' about his spear. I feel so bad for 'im... I think he thinks the spawn are comin' to get 'im. Or his pole. He really likes that pole... And I like it too. So big, and thick... I guess his new iron shaft is good, but I kinda liked his wooden pole better. Ya'll might think wood is all soft an' such, but that ain't how it is. His wood was always hard - he hurt a spawn pretty bad with it, he did, thrustin' it in. Then he got hurt, so it wasn't all good.
I'm sure Mr Frog would have a big pole too if he was in the militia an' all, but he isn't... Still, if he were, I wouln' be able to watch him when he sleeps.
19th of Limestone, 203
I'm playin' with my cavies. Georgie boy is goin' a courtin, so he has some flowers with 'im. Alana is his sweetheart, but she's awful shy. She's got an elf name, and she don't like it none - she's so ashamed. She tries to hide under my bed when she sees 'im comin', but that's where Tobias lives. Tobias drank somethin' Mr Frog made a while back, an' he's huge. He made his nest unner my bed, and that's where he stays. Sad, tho' - I cain't talk to Joseph no more while he's there an' all... Last time I checked, I thought I saw someone else there - a dwarf... but I'm sure I weren't seein' things right. Still, I thought he looked cute... but then I looked again and he weren't there, so I was seein' things. I see things a lot now.
Oh, but about Alana, sweet girl... She cain't go unner the bed where Tobias is 'cause Tobias would have a fit. He don't like anyone who's noisy bein' near 'im, and Alana likes to sing. She has such a pretty voice, but all the other dwarves say I'm makin' it up an' they cain't hear it. I think theys just likin' me to be insistin' it's real for some reason. Mr Frog just laughs when I tell 'im... I think he might think I'm jus tellin' stories to amuse him, but I dunno... Speakin of Mr Frog, he jus ran past my door, runnin' for his room - yellin' somethin about migrants. Draignean ran the other way, an' he was yellin' about migrants too. I know where he's goin' to - he's runnin for th tower I built. It's scarin' poor Alana, now she's tryin' to hide under the bed again... I think I'm just gonna close my door. All this mess out there ain't helpin' poor Georgie boy with his shaky knees at all, and he's so nervous he's eatin' his flowers. Bad Georgie, that was for Alana. How d'you think you're gonna get her wooed if you cain't even keep from bein' nervous around her?
3rd of Timber, 203
Lots of stuff's happenin' round here, but I haven't written here for a spell. First off, The Master got killed dead. He got mad that he broke one of his jewels, an' he tried to take it out on everycavy else. They didn' like it, and though he hurt poor Ashsaber II pretty bad, ol' Fischer still took him out. He's a right powerful dwarf, he is. If I didn't like Mr Frog so much (and if I didn't hate Fischer) I might like him... But he's not nearly so smart as Mister Frog. Or as romantic........ I had another dream about him last night....... but I'm distractin' m'self now. Anyhow... Draignean's also diggin two big holes. I dunno how he thinks that'll keep the spawn out, but I can say it'll sure keep me in. I don't wanna have to walk between them to go outside... I don't think the spawn are none scared of fallin, tho'. They'll come right in anyway.
Oh, and most importantly, Draignean tried to keep me from gettin' his calendars! He blocked off all the little spaces of his room - I'd been crawlin' in there like a cavy does. I found a lot of little holes in Spearbreakers - and I like goin' in 'em all, and poking things in there. Some people don't like it none, but some do. Anyhow, now I gots to use the door instead, like I used to. So I'm kinda sad right now. Billy and Georgie are tryin' to cheer me up by chewin' on my socks, but I don't know... my toes feel so naked, I'm embarrassed.
17th of Timber, 203
We had the funeral for The Master yesterday... it was all sad, really pompous an' formal... Everycavy was wearin' all nice clothes and such... Seems all of everyone knew The Master. But I don't think he'd like his funeral - there weren't one drop of blood nowhere to be seen. I tole 'em that he wouldn't like it, I did, but they didn't listen.
We had a ceremony, affer everycavy was there. We all walked by the coffin an' looked at his teeth - I dunno why he wasn't in the coffin - it's not like he was missin'. I saw some folks trip on his rottin' corpse on the way into The Clover. Anyhow, we all piled past an' looked at 'is teeth. Somebody tried to lay a gold rose on them - some poor girl who'd had a crush on 'im, or been secretly in love - but Fischer was standin' guard and he stopped her. "Best not to disturb the dead," he said. I thought it was real dumb - it was just teeth, an' everybody was trippin over The Master in the hallway outside anyhow. I got all mad and stormed up to him with my cavies and tole him down right there. I tole him good, I did. I said now, I said, "Now here, Fischer. The Master ain't in th' coffin, he's out in the hallway, an' you didn' have no trouble 'disturbin'' him by trippin' over his corpse on the way here. You let her put her flower in his coffin, cain't you see how sad she is and all?" But Fischer jus glared at me an' said, "Go sit back down, please, miss Talvi." How rude of him. But then 'gain, he never did like me none, after I accidentally locked him in the old armory.
Draignean got up affer the ceremony an said a good piece about how emu leather an' yellow gems could make a right nice sash... I cried a bit, I'll admit. My cavies would've too, but they don't never cry for some reason. It was so touchin', how the giant emus live an' give their lives to be made into pretty stuff... just for us... just 'cause of how much they love us... oh, gods, I'm cryin' again.
Anyhow, Fischer ruined it by bashin' good Mayor Draignean on the head with a pole. Draignean thought it was funny, but I thought it was rude. I really hate Fischer... He's so... so... so awful and such.
Then Fischer had the nerve to get up an' start talkin' about The Master like he knew 'im. Sure, they were in the militia together an' all, but they weren't e'en good friends! If I have my way, Fischer'll never be in charge o' the fortress. Anyhow, Splint's been workin' late nights with Mr Frog... I miss Mr Frog so bad, he don't never have time for me anymore. He always tells me, "Another night, Talvi", an' goes back to workin' on his weapons. He ain't even in the army! What's he gots to need with weapons??? I miss workin' with 'im like I used to... Feels so long ago now.
Anyhow, I wonder if I can have The Master's pole... I'd like to play with it.
19th of Timber, 203 (This page is covered with green-brown fingerprints, and while legible, is difficult to make out)
I got the nerve to go sneak into Mr Frog's room t'day, while he was out... I was gonna jus see what he an' Splint were workin' on all the time that makes me miss out on time with my true love... But then I saw some of his notes... I couldn't stop m'self. I tried, I really couln't, I just had to see... I had to see what they tasted like... But they wasn't paper... I don't know what it was, but it made me feel sick to my stomach. What does he write those notes on?? Then as I was rushin' back to my room an' all, I accident'ly bumped over one of his mugs and got somethin' sticky all over my fingers. I still hain't gotten it off. I went to Draignean's room a bit later and tried eatin' some more of his words, thinkin' that would help m' cavy tummy - it usually does - but it tasted bad too. And there was a weird flavor to them... Every time I stuck my fingers in my mouth with a bit of calendar I could taste it... Why would his calendars taste so weird an' all?
27th of Timber, 203
Yay! Draignean's lettin' me follow him around - used to be that he wouldn't, but I knew he liked me from the start, when he gave me the title "Cavy of all trades" (I got it memorized now, yay! It's so long). He let me hold his calendars - I get to hold them, and he's right there!!! It's my job to keep them safe from cavies. Well... I'm not a cavy, I'm a dwarf. Or sometimes I think I'm a cavy... But he don't know that...
I'm gonna do all I can to keep this job good an' all, I'll do all he wants me to an' more. It'll make it harder to check on Mr Frog at night, but it'll be good still. I don't have to sneak around for Draignean's calendars no more... But wait... If I eat them now, he'll find out it'uz me! I cain't have that now none... Oh, gods, what'll I do?!? Mebbe if I jus wait til he's back in his room at night, and sneak into his room like I do Mr Frog's...
edit: Also, I'm going to ashamedly admit I can't remember what statue you're talking about, The Master... any hints and/or explanation/clarification?
edit edit: Awesome pic, Splint. lol