I hadn't realised until George finally worked out the signs and portents to give me date for the baby's arrival, that by the time this is all over, I will have been pregnant for 10 months. You don't get that long for sheep buggery (or so am informed by Strangeboy Puke, the gardener's lad.) "Don't worry Kat, I'll get you some exciting jigsaw puzzles" said George. He's good at these little understatements, have you noticed? Like when he said to me last week, "Come to the Council Kat, it'll be a quiet weekend with plenty of chairs." Hey ho. Still, at least I couldn't complain of boredom.

Marauding monsters

Venn did sterling work protecting me from marauding monsters and suchlike most of the weekend, as did Jac, and Leah actually threw herself in front of me at one point when something particularly unpleasant walked through. Even Young John was on hand &endash; when he could be dragged away from his beer for a moment.

The best bits? I have to cite the two rituals, especially the second, which was totally spontaneous. Despite, or perhaps because, we didn't have a clue what was going to happen. I think the Bacchus Bastards have definitely impressed the Royal Court, and we should all give ourselves a hearty rousing Bacchanalian cheer.

Promotions? Remy is now our Earl elect, at least until Deadloss turns up. It was quite a fraught weekend, disturbed often as it was by Elias screaming like a girl and falling over a lot, usually taking others with him as he went. I thought someone said he had a hole in his bottom, but it transpired that it was his pattern. Never mind, someone fixed him up with seven patches over his hole!

New developments? The "Council for the Alliance of the Greenwood," formerly the "Hunters' Alliance" has been created. At present this Council consists of General Tarn of the Hunters; the drow, Uther of the Watchers of Darkwood; s'Ting of the Beastmen, and yours truly. The idea of this council is to ensure better lines of communication between the groups in the Alliance, and to ensure everyone within the Alliance is fairly represented.

We have already received petitions from Tiamat of the Wolverines, and from the Hawkshead Archers to join the Alliance which, after careful deliberation, we decided to make official at the Gathering, provided that in the interim these two groups demonstrate their loyalty. This decision to delay their affiliation was reached after Tiamat, having submitted his petition, promptly went out and attacked one of the Beastmen in the labyrinth. It took Ehlana and Xantalia most of the night performing "strokies" to calm the poor thing down! If anyone has any reservations as to these two groups, please contact me, or the poet George Myron, as soon as possible.

Venn and Pelleas rode off into the sunset almost as soon as we returned to Londinium - off on a quest - something about a magic cup someone lost after the last feast some famous dead bloke attended, I think I heard them say. Sounds appropriate for a worshipper of Bacchus anyhow. The last I saw of Cedric, he was heading in the direction of the brothel fiddling in his pockets for some loose change, at least I think that what he was doing.

Face down in beer

I don't know what happened to Jac. He went off with Iggy as soon as he had escorted George and I back to our rooms. I heard lot of singing which went on through the night, but he never returned to bid me farewell, so for all know they could both be floating face downwards in the nearest barrel - probably are, come to think of it - perhaps I'd better go and check! Byee!