The evening of 21 Eleint:
Your friend, Lord Bran, appears to be back at the fishery should you need him. And, since I have done what you asked and located him, I will no longer be tracking his wherabouts on your behalf, if that is agreeable. Next, there is a small matter of two recent rumors I've come across that are both related to this fine gentleman. The first: Apparently, he has sold a weapon to the Zhentarims. I do not know what the weapon is but I do know that it is considered both valuable and powerful. This rumor comes from a very reliable and trustworthy source and should be considered fact. The second, however, is not as certain. The second: It is presumed by some that the Xanathar guild either has done or will attempt to steal the aforemnetioned weapon from the Zhentarims.
Lastly, on the first charge you set me on, Lord Maran, I still have been unable to locate the young man. I did have the less than good fortune of interacting again with the creature Xoblob. He showed me into the poorly sealed tunnel at the back of his store. I was able to follow the path to the Blackwood basement and thereupon did see signs of dragging fairly large crustacian type beings into said basement. I did not enter the basement nor did I inspect the what was, I'm sure, grotesqueness of the creatures within. I'm afraid your Lord Maran is proving to be a very elusive fellow.