Flux' Journal Sandstone 18
It had been a while since I had seen Pewter, but I hadn't really given it much thought. I've been pretty busy lately, what with the new gate and smelting more and more steel. Today, though, I ran into her. She had fallen into one of the dried ponds, and didn't look good. I ran to get somepony to help her, and Panacea said she just needs some food and water. Later, I thought I saw Virtue looking at the ponds and frowning. She probably has a plan to make them safer, she's a smart pony.
A sharp, repeating snick noise was distinctly audible to anypony walking by Dawnpick's busy hospital. The extremely bored source of said noise was Falcata, who had been flicking her tail against the wood of the bed for lack of anything better to do. She fidgeted again, restless. Pegasi weren't meant to lie still for this long! She needed to fly, stretch her wings, but Panacea was adamant that she stay inside until her hoof infection subsided. She trusted the doctor's judgement, and was thankful for the care everypony was showing her, but she wasn't very pleased about surviving an extremely grievous wound only to be laid low by another, fairly titchy, hoof fracture. She'd overheard a couple of ponies talking about strange sightings down in the caverns below, too. "Strange sightings"? She'd love to be down there right now; it sounded a good deal more exciting than yet another long day spent staring at wood.
As soon as she was out, she was going to take a good long really really really fast flight and bounce around on a few clouds. She had a lot of lost time to make up for, and, she thought, rolling her eyes, that time was getting longer every second.
The flicking noise resumed.
Glaive's Journal 11th Sandstone, 253
I've arrived at this place, Dawnpick, it's called. I was told it's a thriving mining town, but it looks like somepony was exaggerating. The place defiantly needs more security, what will be the surrounding wall is only about a quarter done, and militia, while sufficient for dealing with thieves, would never last against a proper attack by the enemy.
I've been sent here to join the defense. I hope I'll be given the chance to prove myself here.
Glaive's Journal 24th Sandstone, 253
I've been here in Dawnpick for 13 days. The people are all friendly, and the food is decent. One pony built a catapult outside the front gate and started throwing boulder's around with it. The noise was getting to me and I asked him if it was necessary to fire that thing this much. He said he was, “getting a feel for it.”
Glaive's Journal 17th Sandstone, 253
A thief was spotted by our siege operator today, the militia ran out to drive him off, but the coward tried to hide behind a foal. I fought him, but couldn't attack in earnest without risking the foal, and he managed to get me good in the leg. By the gods we managed to get the bastard though and saved the filly. My leg doesn't hurt that bad really, it did at the time, but it's mostly numb now.
Addendum: Discord take them! The Doctor Panacea told me that that blasted knife severed a nerve in my leg. It'll probably never heal. She says I'll be able to walk again, but it'll probably be with limp. Damn it all, how am I going to make it to Captain now.
Addendum part two: I've calmed down a bit now. I've heard a few ponies call me a hero for what I did, but I'm not. I just did my duty. Panacea, she's the real hero, patching up soldiers saving lives. Calming me down when I thought I was going to lose it. She's a sweet filly, pretty too. I wonder if she's taken.
Glaive's Journal 8th Moonstone, 253
It didn't work out with Panacea, turns out she's already spoken for. No surprise there, they always are. She's with some pony named Saw-Dust, a carpenter. humph. A few Diamond Dogs were spotted, likely after the gemstones Dawnpick exports. We drove them off, with no serious injuries.
Glavie's Journal 16th Obsidian 253
Falcata and Sarissa are hurt. Some thieves showed up and the militia was called out. I can't help but blame myself for their injuries. If I'd been faster, if I didn't have my damn busted leg slowing me down. If I'd seen them sooner. If I'd been better, then maybe Falcata wouldn't be in their choking on her own blood. It's all my fault.
17th Obsidian 253
It looks like Falcata is going to live. I'm relieved to hear that. I thought for sure she was done for. A punctured lung is usually fatal, but Panacea is a skilled surgeon, and she's fairly sure Fal will make it. Maybe now I can finally get some sleep.
17th Granite 254
Falcata showed up in the barracks today. She's finally able to get back to training.
Sarissa still isn't back yet. I wasn't even worried about her. A cut hoof is nothing compared to a punctured lung, but it seems the wound is infected, and she can't walk on it. I still feel responsible for both of them being in there, I'll visit Sarissa again later and see if I can do anything to make her more comfortable.
28th Felsite 254
Finally got a steel crupper. That's nearly a full suit of steel. You'd think by guarding an iron mine, we'd have an easier time getting steel gear, but we don't even have boots, or chain mail yet.
2nd Hematite 254
Under the ground here, deep in the mines is a large cavern. Apparently it's filled with dangerous critters. The militia was tasked with fighting some disgusting little creatures. One snuck up on me and took a bite out of my ear, while scratching me up something fierce. The pain was bad enough but the embarrassment of being taken by surprise by one of those Crundles is even worse. The captain must think I'm a complete fool.
5th Malachite 254
The captain's had us hunting those creatures, I've made sure not to be taken by surprise again. I won't underestimate a foe like that twice. But today, Naginata's son followed us down there. He got attacked by one of the creatures, we saved him, but I'm not sure he needed it. I saw him toss one of those buggers around with his magic. That's pretty impressive for a pony his age. I expect he'll join the militia soon as he's old enough.
20th Galena 254
Some more thieves ambushed us today. A few injuries around. Falcata broke a hoof somehow, Patisan's wing is mess up, and Fuscina's leg is cut badly, and it's possibly broken. I hope she didn't suffer any nerve damage. We don't need another limping militia pony.
1st Sandstone 254
Bad new's all around. Fuscina's leg suffered nerve damage, like mine. She'll recover, but she'll have to get used to walking different. Additionally Falcata's hood is infected, and Panacea is ordering her to stay off of it. She'll probably go crazy kept in bed unable to fly around. I'll visit her later.
11th Sandstone 254
Hard to believe I've already been here for a whole year. Still, it's only just starting to feel like home. The settlement's grown a lot in the past year. We've finished the wall, and added a few traps by the gate. It looks like this place is turning into a proper little mining town. Maybe I'll be able to make a name for myself here after all.
*1
(Writen in a scrible near the top) Trees! Trees! God I love Trees!... Not enough trees
Ashwood's Journal 21st Sandstone.
Been busy lately cutting down all the new saplings havn't had much time to write.
Also: Yay! For me finding this journal its been something like FOUR YEARS since I saw it.
Wings are so annoying sometimes, like last week I was outside (still somehow) cutting down trees when a fog decended on our fort I found out fog is some kind of cloud and was trapped for hours until the fog lifted. From now on if I see fog I don't even care if cutting down that tree will save the fort I'm going inside
Virtue's Diary - 9th Timber, 254
Any fears I had about Barley not getting everything he needed were unfounded, and he finished what he was working on today. He made a leather shield, which I suppose is more useful than a lot of other things he could have made. I'll let Halberd and Naginata decide if they want to use it somehow, or if he should just keep it. He calls it "The Touch of Leaves", which is an interesting if not wholly appropriate name.
18th Timber, 254
I'm happy to report that Fuscina left the hospital today. She seems to be getting along just fine, and when Billows presented her with her new set of steel greaves, she even cracked a smile. Hopefully nopony in the militia will be heading back to the hospital with broken legs anytime soon. We'll be getting started on some mail for them right after they've all got greaves. There will be plenty more smelting to do, and I'm torn on whether or not we should focus on the gate or equipping our militia.
I'm also glad to hear that the town hall is far enough along that Carmine and Ocean Breeze can move in. That frees up a regular room for somepony else, and we're one step closer to having a proper meeting place for any diplomats or our liaison.
21st Timber, 254
It took her a little while, but poor Falcata left the hospital today. I don't think I've ever seen her so happy, when I stopped by to see Panacea yesterday, Falcata looked like she just might go explode if she had to stay in there another day. I'm glad she's doing better.
22nd Timber, 254
It's been a while since we spotted any diamond dog thieves, but one was spotted near our old wood stockpile. Halberd and Naginata both brought their teams along to run him off, but that's all they managed to do. He was sent scurrying for the hills, and with their new armor the militia just weren't quite fast enough to catch him. At least he didn't hurt anypony, but he'll probably just head home and bring friends.
At least we're preparing for the worst, if that ever comes to pass.
On the lighter side of things, we've got a fair amount of stone quarried up and not much to do with it, so I had the masons start laying down some roads. That should help keep everypony's hooves from aching by sunset every day.
13th Moonstone, 254
The town hall is finally finished, after how long in hiatus? I should probably feel ashamed for letting it lapse this long. At least it's finished now, and we've got a few statues set up to liven the place up just a bit. Even another one of me, although I swear I didn't request it!
Anyway, I've got the carpenters busy again. We'll be setting up some more bedrooms in the northeast corner of the fort, using the existing wall as a foundation. That should speed construction up a good bit, so hopefully a third of our population won't have to hotbunk for all that much longer. One more thing I should be ashamed of, I suppose, that some have been here for years without a proper room.
Flux' Journal, Timber 18
I wrote a while ago that the military was almost done being outfitted, but it looks like I was wrong. I guess that's why I'm not in charge, Journal. Anyway, things have been pretty quiet. I've just been smelting as much as I can and doodling more devices in my spare time. I've come up with a few that are very strange, but they might work. Gotta get the gate finished first, though. And I gotta get back to smelting. We're a fairly small town, but we are so very steel hungry. Gotta keep us fed!
Glaive's Journal 9th Timber, 254
Barley has finished the thing he's been working on. It's a marvelous steel studded leather shield. He put an image of the founding of Dawnpick on it, and calls the shield the Touch of Leaves. Considering the amount of tree cutting that had to be done to get Dawnpick set up it seems like an appropriate enough name. The shield has been gifted to the militia to use, but neither of our captains are unicorns, they can't use a shield. Well not at the same time as a weapon like a pony with magic could. I wonder who they'll assign it to.
18th Timber, 254
Fuscina is out of the hostpital. That's always good news, but even better the militia is starting to get some more steel armor.
22st Timber, 254
A thief was spotted today. We gave chase but couldn't catch him, this new armor is heavy and having it around our legs tired us out to quickly. Nopony was hurt, but I feel that each escaped thief just makes us look weak to enemy encouraging more raids. Less armor would make us faster, but we've had too many injuries as it is. Hmm, perhaps a small additional squad of lightly armored ponies with crossbows could be used, for times when a quick response is necessary. Pegasi can cover even more distance faster, so maybe some kind of pegasus airforce could work. I'll talk it over with Virtue later.