Day Three-Eighty-Three: What to do, what to do

Still no volunteers. Pubton's full of cowards, I say, a right bunch of COWARDS. The petition I put on the pub's board is utterly empty, Bora tells me that most people avoid looking at it as though it'll jab their eyes out if they do, and when I bring the subject up segues to other conversation items abound. ARGH. Here I thought they were avoiding it because most of them are illiterate. (Which may still be true.)

Also, I found rat droppings in my bed this morning. Guess one of them took exception to my eviction rant yesterday.

There's only one person… person-ish… that I can think of asking who hasn't yet turned me down. I know it's a terrible idea, given his attitude in recent weeks and what June told me, but… I don't know who else could help… and like I said, he hasn't ACTUALLY turned me down…

Yeah. Barrel. I'm talking about Barrel.

I haven't been into the forest since Grayson pulled his controlling stunt on Barrel, and I've warned the hunters and loggers not to go too deep while doing their jobs. Barrel's unpredictable, he's dangerous, and he's currently pissed. I doubt that's changed since I last saw him, and I fear for my life whenever his name comes up.

But he's Barrel. My good buddy. My scaly shoulder dragon confidant when things go bad. He's my sidekick, my partner, my occasional saviour, one of my best friends. Used to be I could bring him in on anything and expect good results. Even if he is dangerous I still consider him a friend, and I need his help.

Or… or perhaps I should do what June says, and let him go. I dunno what he's going through, but it must not be pleasant.

Loyalty. She said he's loyal to me, that I have to tell him to go.

So… 

Maybe…

Maybe if I do ask him to go with me to the mountain…

I can tell him to leave right after.

I don't want him to leave. But I also don't want him to suffer. Is it wrong of me to feel so much conflict over this, diary? To want him to stick around despite all that's happened, and all that COULD happen, if Barrel doesn't mate? Whatever that might be? And can bad stuff like this really happen if you don't use your thinger often enough? I don't get biology, obviously.

Ugh. Next time I get an abnormal animal buddy, I'll make sure it's less complex than Barrel. Maybe the rhino from the castle will come back and fill the niche. I miss that thing…

I'll mull this over. I need time to decide whether or not to ask Barrel. If I'm wrong about his manners he might munch on me. Wouldn't blame him, considering what Grayson put the poor guy through. And Evangelina. And potentially the rats.

Maybe the name Apocalyptor was more appropriate than I thought.

Sincerely,

Dragomir the Mayor