Day 5-Dunsdai, Augusta 13...Searching for clues

My dream returned last night, although, I hesitate to call it a dream anymore. It is becoming an unsettling nightmare. Each one seems to be revealing just a little bit more than the previous one. This one offered up the blinding darkness, the cold emptiness, the flicker of light revealing a silhouetted figure and this time a voice. I couldn't make out what was said; it came through as only a light whisper, barely audible. I worry why I am having these strange reoccurring nightmares, I never used too. Could it be stress related or something more sinister? I suppose it is yet another mystery for me to solve.

I ate breakfast alone (hotcakes with fresh wild berries and juice) and pondered my plan of action for the day. The weather was much better so that shouldn't cause me any grief. I quickly got myself ready for my day out in the streets of Distress. I had to be sneaky so I could get out of the palace unseen and not trailed by my personal guard. Father would hate that I am out alone but I can't risk anyone knowing what it is I'm up to.

I managed to slip out undetected and headed for the docks. I wanted to talk to my friend Eron who works in one of the drinking halls. He is always up on the latest gossip so I thought it would be a productive first stop. I was right. Eron told me of some locals talking about missing livestock just a few leagues away from town. He also said there was no sign of tracks or clues left by thieves. They just seemed to vanish without a trace. He gave me the name of a nomadic rancher, Rex Thyne, who said he saw something very unusual a few nights back, but Eron was unsure if it was related or not. His instincts are pretty good so I will attempt to track this Mr. Thyne down, after my birthday. I thanked Eron for his time and left for the Harbor Store, a supply and surplus dealer.

I posed a few questions to some ship captains and deck hands but came up empty. I think they were just too busy to answer a few questions from some snoopy little girl. If only they knew I was the princess, but I wasn't about to reveal myself by playing that card.

I had a busy morning and made it back to the palace before anyone noticed me missing. Just as I finished changing into more suitable house attire my mother knocked on my door. She told me that Antonia and her father were due to arrive anytime now and wondered if I wanted to head down to the docks to greet them (if only she knew). Of course I wanted to, so I headed down to the pier with my mother.

Antonia and her father arrived and I greeted my friend with a huge hug. It was so good to see her. I didn't reveal anything I had learned earlier about the mystery; I'll save that for tomorrow. At the moment all I wanted to do was catch up and enjoy dinner with my friend.

Tomorrow we'll celebrate my birthday and declaration ceremony then we can get down to comparing notes about this mystery.