Day 83,

Morning thought: That feeling when you just want to stay home and take a day to yourself but you realize the house has almost no food so you have to work.

Also, I keep hearing a rhythmic tapping sound, but whenever I look in the direction I think it’s coming from it moves.  I’m assuming it’s the nature sprite again.  This is one of the stranger pranks it’s pulled.

The nature sprite followed me with that tapping all the way to the Village.  There’s a rhythm to it that seems familiar but I can’t quite place it.

Busy day in the library today.  Pretty sure people were coming in to hear about the floating island expedition as much as they were about actually wanting anything from the archives.  If I’d known there’d be this much attention I might have reconsidered planning the trip in the first place.  I’m getting real tired of explaining to people that we didn’t actually explore any of the islands that we docked at (and that it was only two).  They always seem so disappointed.  Weird part is, no one ever asks about the part where we saw Cloud Tower up close.  It was the most interesting part of the trip in my opinion.

Still, these people are feeding me, so I can’t complain.  I’m pretty sure I’m the least productive person in the Village.

Managed to take a detour and track down Vernon on my way out of town at the end of the day.  Asked him about the business with the brothers and the capy.  He said they eventually found the animal just outside the Village grazing and completely unharmed.  Vernon spent the next several days smoothing ruffled feathers between the two brothers, convincing the one that the other wasn’t responsible.  Still no clues as to who actually set the animal loose during the night though.  Or even just opened the stable door after everyone else had gone inside just before dark.  Right now the guards are chalking it up to a rebellious teenager pulling an ill-thought-out prank, but unless someone comes forward and either confesses or says that they know of someone who was out after dark, there’s no way to pin it on anyone in particular.  They seem to be taking a stance of “no one got hurt in the end, so nothing to keep worrying about.”

It bugs me, but nothing to be done I suppose.

Bugs me almost as much as this tapping that’s still going on.  Why is it so familiar?  Where have I heard that rhythm?  I’d hoped it might be done by the time I finished writing but I suppose nature sprites don’t get tired.  Nothing to do for it but try to sleep through the sound I suppose.