Gaelardrim’s Log

I don’t know if I’m going to be able to do this.  I’m a builder, not a ranger.  She’s the ranger, and her place is here with the other rangers.  I’m not going to be the cause of her leaving them, so I guess she can tell them whatever she wants about me.

She apparently remembers me, and apparently, I was right.  She wants nothing to do with me.  I knew I shouldn’t have brought it up with her after she pretended not to recognize me in town the first night I was here.  She completely ignored the fact that we had met in Silvermoon.  Even when I mentioned the party where we met, casually– I didn’t want to aggravate her if she didn’t want to know me– she showed no sign of acknowledging that we had met before.

I thought that would be the end of it.  I knew she wasn’t going to say anything about it, and if she wanted that much not to know me, then I could just ask for a separate patrol and avoid her as much as possible.  You’d think I’d learn the first time I knew a girl from a party and she pretended not to know me.  It only ends in further embarrassment if you push it.

I spoke to the captain about it.  He thought I should talk to her, so we went to the school one night.  She’s staying there in one of the guest rooms, and their cook is really good, so it was a good plan to eat there and maybe talk to her.

She was more talkative and less cold than she had been the previous times we had spoken to each other, until I brought up the party.  I don’t know why I didn’t just follow my instincts and tell the captain I didn’t think it would be a good idea to bring up.  Of course she remembered me.  Of course she told everyone else she remembered me.  She told everyone else that I was an idiot and didn’t remember her.

And I have to find a way to still be able to work with her.  I don’t know.  I thought she was a nice girl at the party.  I had no idea how wrong I was.

I don’t know if I’m going to be able to do this.

Aeramin’s Notes and Letter

• The bruise is mostly faded.  It’s that ugly greenish color that bruises usually go before they completely fade away.  Im hasn’t noticed.  I have made excuses not to bath with him over the past week.  He hasn’t figured out that they’re just excuses.  I hope it goes away completely soon.  I like bathing with him.

• My father has been passing out on the couch, rather than going to the inn.  I don’t mind, but I think he bothers Imralion.  Well, I know he bothers Imralion.  Im hasn’t had to deal with him before.  Arancon can say whatever he wants to me, and usually, I just let it bounce off.  Im isn’t used to that.  I try not to leave them alone together too much, but it can’t be helped on days I have to teach.  Im could come with me, but that leaves Arancon here alone.  That’s not a good idea until we leave.

• I still don’t know when we’re leaving.  Yappy has been useless in getting more information.  I might have to summon him to get anything useful.

• I need to write to Kes.

• I brought back food the other night from the school.  I’m a good cook, but I think Tik’s better than I am.  Im doesn’t say it like that, but he does love the food from the school, so I’m pretty sure he likes it more too.

• I’m worried that he might miss girls too much.  He knows, from conversations with my father, that I’ve had girlfriends before.  I know he’s been with them before too.  We were talking a bit about it while eating the other night.  He asked me if I ever missed it.  I honestly don’t, but he seems to.  I’m open-minded about it, but I worry that if he gets a girlfriend, or we get a girlfriend, that she’ll come between us.

• If he really wants to, I won’t say no.

***

Kestrae,

Hello.  I wanted to let you know that things are going well here in the Ghostlands.  I’m still teaching at the school, and working on my father’s house.  The house is almost done.  We’re doing some decorative work on some of it, and it’s looking good.  I’ve never fixed a house before so it’s been quite the experience, and I feel accomplished now that it’s almost done.

I’m holding off a bit on returning to Shattrath.  Have you seen Vallindra or Xanaroth lately?  Someone told me that they may be out here.  There’s someone else out here too, but my source wasn’t clear about that, and has been unable to get any new information.  I’m probably poking around things that I shouldn’t be poking around, and I should probably just forget it and leave it as it is, but I would not be able to forgive myself if I went back to Shattrath and something happened while I was away.

How is everything in Shattrath?  How is Ordinicus?  Tell him I said hi.  I told my students about being rescued by Harkin after being attacked by a demon in Outland.  I think they were impressed because I’m still alive.  Hethurin is taking them to Shattrath soon, so you might see them there.  I should ask him to bring some pie back.  I miss that place.

Anyway, I thought I’d let you know why I’m not back yet, and let you know that things are mostly fine.  If you hear from Xan or Vallindra, please let me know.

– Aeramin

The Portal

Hethurin Fairsong smiled sleepily as he curled his fingers between Terellion’s, and snuggled into his spot.  Terellion rested behind him, one arm under the pillow, and the other draped around Hethurin.  His breathing was slow and even.  Hethurin knew he was already asleep.  They had just made love, and Hethurin knew he would be following soon.  He closed his eyes.

A loud noise stopped him from fully drifting off to sleep.  If that wasn’t startling enough, at the same time that the noise was heard, he felt one of his wards break.  He quickly sat up in bed, startled by the suddenness of it all.  Terellion woke as well, but whether it was from the noise or his boyfriend sitting up quickly, Hethurin wasn’t sure.

“Did you hear that?”

Terellion answered sleepily, “Hear what?”

“There was a noise.  It sounded like it was downstairs in the kitchen.”

“Is Tik still awake?”

“He shouldn’t be.  One of the wards was broken too.  It wasn’t just removed, it was like it snapped.”  Hethurin said as he got out of the bed, finding one of his night robes to quickly throw over himself.

Terellion got up quickly as Hethurin mentioned the ward, and got his own night robe on.  “You’re not going downstairs alone then.  What if someone’s down there?”

“I hope they are so I can catch them.”

Terellion put himself between Hethurin and the door.  “It could be dangerous.  Let me go first.”

“If it’s a mage, I need to see them before they see us.  That means I have to go first.”

“What if it woke Tik up, and he’s already checking on it?  Besides, if they’re snapping your wards, they probably expect you to come to investigate.  Please, let me go first.”

“We could go at the same time.” Hethurin said as he took Terellion’s hand and walked to the door.  “But we do have to go now.  I’d rather walk down, since we don’t know what is down there yet.  Teleporting could be dangerous.”

Terellion nodded with a slight frown as Hethurin opened the door and walked out into the hallway.

They walked as quietly as they could to the stairs.  Hethurin jumped as they rounded the corner to the stairs and met with another person coming to them from the other part of the hallway.  He took a deep breath as he recognized the face in the pale light.  “Renner, you heard it?  Is everyone else awake too?” Hethurin whispered.

Renner looked at Terellion, then at Hethurin, “I heard it, yes.  I’m sorry.  I was the cause of it.  I hope I didn’t wake any of the others.  It was just a badly cast spell.”

Terellion frowned, “You snapped one of the wards with your spell.”

“I did?  I didn’t know it did that.  I’m sorry.  Magister, may I speak with you for a moment, since you’re awake.  Maybe you can help me with the spell.”

Hethurin looked at Terellion, “I’ll be back to bed in a bit.  I should help him before he wakes up everyone else.”

Terellion nodded and headed back to the room.  Hethurin turned back to Renner and whispered, “It wasn’t you.”

Renner shook his head as he turned towards the stairs.  He started down them and whispered back, “That’s correct.  They’re already gone now, but I’m hoping there is some trace of why they were here.”

“Who’s gone?”

“Whoever was here.  They’re not of our time.  I could sense it.  There was more than one, but not many either.  They–”  Renner stopped talking as he entered the kitchen.

Hethurin followed behind him, pausing to stare at the portal swirling in the air beside the table in the kitchen.  It wasn’t like any portal Hethurin had seen before.  Most portals to places showed the place it went to.  This one swirled with light.  Hethurin wanted to ask why Renner hadn’t sensed it, but there was another person in the room, also staring at it.

“Magister, it appears something has happened in the kitchen.  I heard a noise and came to see what it was.  Is it supposed to be here?”  Tik looked at Hethurin and Renner, his brow raised.

“It’s okay, Tik.  I’ll take care of it.  I think.” Hethurin frowned.  He wasn’t quite sure what he was supposed to do about it.  Could he keep everyone out of the kitchen until it was gone?  Would it go on its own?

Tik nodded and started back towards his bedroom.

“Did you see anyone?” Renner asked before Tik could close his door.

“I saw someone going in that thing.  Is it a portal?”

Hethurin looked at Renner, then back at Tik, “It’s a portal. What did they look like?”

“He was male, about average height and weight.  I didn’t see him very well.  He was already going in it when I came out to see what the noise was.”

“Was there anything else?”

“No, Magister.  That’s all I saw.”

“Thank you, Tik.  Get some rest.  I’ll take care of this.” Hethurin nodded.  He waited until the door to Tik’s room closed before turning to Renner.  “So? What do we do now?  Someone is breaking into my home, snapping my wards, which are very good by the way, making loud noises, and just leaving weird portals in my kitchen.”

“It’s a time portal.”

“Okay, time portals in my kitchen.  That’s even worse.  Will it go away?”

“Hopefully not before we find out where it goes.”  Renner stated.

“I’m not going in it.”

“That would be the fastest way, but I agree it’s too dangerous.  We don’t know who may be waiting on the other side.  With longer lasting portals such as this one, the edges can crystallize and leave a fine residue.  We need to collect the residue.  We’ll be able to use that with the hourglass to give us a vision of wherever, and whenever, this portal goes to.”

Hethurin opened one of the cupboards and took out a bowl, “What if it’s to the future?  You don’t want me to see that.”

“You know enough now to know the future is always changing.  You know that whatever future we may see, if it is the future, may not be your future.  I’ll make an exception for this.”

Hethurin nodded and carefully placed the bowl under the portal.

Letters

Dear Tsi Ku,

Hi!  I wasn’t expecting your letter, but I’m so glad you wrote.  I did return to the temple, as soon as the healers let me.  I had an injury, so I didn’t get to kick the orc in the face, though I think he deserved it.  I heard they let him live, and want him to stand trial.  Like there’s some kind of doubt?  Just put him to death and be done with it.  We all know what he did.

Anyway, I had to stay at the healer’s tents for about a week.  I wasn’t injured badly.  It was just a scratch, but healers tend to get hyper things sometimes.  I was worried that I wouldn’t be allowed to come back, but then the orc was captured and everyone could leave.  I was let go when the healers tent was taken down.  I was lucky to find a mage who knew how to make a portal to the Vale.

Oh, the Vale.  I saw it.  It’s awful, and even more reason for that orc to be put to death.  Why are we keeping him alive?  I bet he’s eating too much, and enjoying the fact that no one killed him.  At least he’s captured.

I’m not the only one who has returned.  Cadellus came back too.  He’s still annoying, but he did help me when I injured my foot, so I guess I kind of owe it to him to be nice once in a while.  I think he just wants to be friends, so that’s okay.  He’s starting to train in mistweaving.  I don’t think that sounds as exciting as kicking trolls in the face, so I’ve continued on my chosen path.  Master Cheng says I should look at it as being more than that, but trolls are really ugly.

I don’t think my family is that worried about me.  I had contact with some of them, but nothing’s changed.  They’re the same as before.

– Aranae

***

Dearest Desdeyliri,

I was so happy to get your letter, and I’m happy to be able to use my new paper!  My sister tried to take it at one point.  I told her she could have one piece, not the whole thing!  Everyone says she’ll be less annoying when we’re older.  I don’t see why she can’t stop being annoying now.  She tried taking your letter too.  Luckily, I got it back before she read it!

You can teleport already?  That’s really good!  How soon will you be ready to teleport to Silvermoon?  Can you make portals for other people yet?  It sounds very exciting.  Is it hard to do?

I wanted to come to see you last weekend, but one of the other guys twisted his ankle, while off-duty.  I agreed to fill in for him a couple of days, but only because they paid me a little more extra than I’d normally make.  He’ll be back next week though, and then I’ll be able to visit again.

I was wondering, do you think the Magister will let me stay there?  I can pay for my room if needed, if it’s not too expensive.  I know you’ve mentioned people staying in the guest rooms before, and since I have two days off in a row next week, I thought it might be okay to visit longer.  If not, that’s okay.  I think the inn is pretty cheap, but from what I’ve heard, they have to be.  I’ll stay there a night if I have to though.

When will you be going to Shattrath?  I hope it’s not on the two days I have off!  That would be the worst luck!  The pie does sound interesting.  How long do you usually stay there for?

Missing you,

Perothis

Hethurin’s Notes

• Things are going good.  The rooms are almost done, and there are already two students to stay in them.  Well, hopefully they’ll want to stay.  I think they like the school so far, and the rooms are being decorated for them, so if they don’t want them, they should say something.  They’re staying in the guest rooms for now.  Linarelle is still staying in the third guest room.  Hopefully, no more guests come for another day or two while the students move upstairs.

• The new practice rooms are almost finished too.  Tik just finished installing the storage areas today.  We just need to stock them with supplies and finish furnishing them now.  Terellion likes restocking the supplies in the rooms.  I hope he doesn’t mind two more!

• I’m surprised he doesn’t mention that Renner’s practice room doesn’t need restocking as much.  I want to tell him and Tik both the truth.  I think Tik does know in the future.  Terellion knows that I’m learning chronomancy, but not from who.  I’ll have to bring it up with Renner, and see if he’s okay with that.  I don’t think either of them will freak out or anything.

• Speaking of that, I’m continuing my lessons with visions of alternate realities.  Renner still supervises.  Yesterday, I was able to change the vision location, and travel back along someone else’s timeline, even with them gone, within the vision.  It was good practice.  I did mess up a spell at one point.  It was one of those visions where I was taken to Silvermoon, to where I grew up.  I know now that it usually means that I wasn’t born in that reality, but my brother lived, which he does sometimes.  In my reality, I had an older brother who died as a baby, but no one talks about him.  I just know he died in his sleep, but I don’t know what from.  I guess it was something that didn’t have to kill him because he lives sometimes.  Usually when he does there’s just Vallindra, Lanthiriel, him and then Nessna.  Esladra, Aranae and myself are never born.  That’s why now, when the vision shows Silvermoon, the first thing I do is check the paintings on the wall.  My mother never changes in that regard.  There’s always a new painting every few years.

• This time was different.  There were paintings on the walls, but not as many.  There were some of Vallindra and Lani when they were small, then there was one of them with my parents and a baby, then there seemed to be a break in the paintings.  As far as I could tell, the closest one after that showed just Vallindra and Lani, and both looked to be in their fifties!  There weren’t any more of my brother.  Nessna wasn’t in any of them either.  I wanted to investigate, so I cast the spell to go back in the vision’s timeline, but I messed up or something.  It started to change then slipped back to where, and when, we were.  I do wonder if it was something else, but Renner said something was wrong and suggested to try changing location so I came to the school.

• It wasn’t a school in that timeline.  I wasn’t there to make it a school.  What’s more, Tik wasn’t there to take care of the house.  It was falling down.  Renner suggested trying to go back along the timeline while we were there, so I cast the spell again, and wound up at the day the Scourge came.  Tik died trying to fight them off.  He hadn’t gone to Silvermoon for supplies in that reality.

• I ended the vision then.  Of course, after I end it, it’s too late to change the location again, and it would be tricky to get the same vision again.  I need to work on that yet so I can pick a vision with precision.  I’m still learning, but sometimes it doesn’t seem like it’s fast enough.

• I am curious what happened to my brother and why things were so different in that reality than they’ve been in all the others.  Normally, he either lives and only Nessna is born after, or he dies and my parents have four more.  This is the first time I’ve seen anything other than those two possibilities.  I guess I should work on memorizing the spells better so I don’t get them wrong when it matters.

• So as far as that goes, I am making progress.  Luckily, mistakes matter less in a vision, which I think is why Renner has chosen to teach me that way.  I won’t get us stuck in some weird time thing if I goof up a spell in a vision.

• I spoke to Des about it a bit last night.  I didn’t tell her everything, and she is still interested in learning it.  She knows I’m still learning it and she has other things to learn first!  Like teleportation.  I think she’s ready.  Her portals have been perfect lately.  Teleportation is a bit easier than making portals for other people.  I’m confident that with her current portal knowledge, she’ll find teleportation to be fairly easy.  She did say she was really nervous about it.  I asked her to memorize the spells so that she knows them by heart.  I want her to be comfortable while casting them.  If she’s too nervous, it could cause her to make a mistake.  She needs to relax.

• I ate a quick lunch today because I had to go change the signs.  The student openings are filled, but I still need someone who knows how to care for the animals in the stables, as well as do work around the estate.  The new signs are just for finding someone to work here.  I changed all three of them.  Hopefully someone will come  to see us about the job!  We did have one guy show up, but I think he was going to cause trouble, so I don’t want to hire him.

• When I got back from posting the new signs, Nessna was at the school.  She wanted to see me.  She’s going to Silvermoon this weekend and wanted to make sure I’m available to make a portal for her tomorrow.  I am, of course.  That wasn’t the only thing she wanted to talk to me about though.  She said that if I don’t find someone else to work here before she got back, then she would take care of the animals for me, for a bit.  It would be just until I find someone to do it.  I don’t know if Lani approved that idea or not, but I do think it would good.  I think Tik has too much work to do, and I don’t want him to get cranky, and I don’t want Terellion to get cranky about me not wanting him to do more.

• I’ll admit that last part is for selfish reasons.  Terellion can spend more time with me when he has less to do.

Lanthiriel’s Diary

Dear Diary,

Nessna is no help.  Anytime I try to talk to her, I either wind up feeling stupid, or finding out way too much.  Sometimes both, well, usually both.  Not only do I wind up feeling like I don’t know anything about guys, but I find out she knows way more than she should.  A few days ago, I asked her one little question about when it’s okay to touch a guy’s ears, and I think it was all she could do to keep from laughing at me.  She told me that if I’m me and not her, which I am, then it’s never okay to touch a guy’s ears unless he’s my husband.  She then pointed out that I’m not married, as if I hadn’t realized that.  She said ear-touching can quickly lead to other things.  I figure she must be right on that point, but then I wondered, unfortunately out loud, how she knew so much.  Instead of just saying she learned it from being married, which would be the proper way to learn anything like that, she just said she’s touched a few ears before.

Then she tells me she’s not easy.  We kind of got on that topic because I apparently insinuated that she was something not nice.  I’m not writing everything she said.  She uses some coarse language sometimes.  Luckily, Rylad was asleep and didn’t hear his mother say that word.

Anyway, we’re not fighting or anything, I just know she can’t relate to me.  I had a wonderful evening with the Confessor when we went to Silvermoon to eat out.  Des came along with us.  I’m not sure if Hethurin would have let her go alone with her friend.  He seems like a nice boy.  I don’t think he needs to worry anything.

It was a little awkward with another couple with us, and a younger couple at that.  I felt like we were supervising them, and I guess we kind of were.  We went back to the school, and the Confessor and I sat and talked by ourselves for a while.  He’s a good kisser.  I kissed him first, which was maybe a bit improper.  I should have waited for him to kiss me.

Father wrote and asked how things were going.  I’m not sure what to tell him.  He also asked if he could visit this weekend.  He mentioned wanting to see Rylad again.  I wrote back about that.  I told him it wasn’t a good weekend to visit, and left the other parts about how things are going out.  Nessna was planning to take Rylad to Silvermoon for the weekend to visit Vessen’s father.  She was also planning a surprise visit home, so father will see Rylad this weekend, just not here.  She was hoping that mother would be there too, but from what our father wrote in his letter, I doubt she will be.

 

Aeramin’s Notes

• The house is technically done.  My father could move in and Imralion and I could go back to Shattrath, but I’ve found created more things to do.  Imralion might question it, and I don’t know what I’ll tell him yet, but I think my father will appreciate a little decorative work being done on the moldings and such.

• Well, probably not.

• I had to think of something though.  I do want to go back.  I was ready to go back, but things happened.  Actually, I should be running back now, but for some reason, I feel like I should be here, just for a bit longer.

• It started this morning.  Im and I have been staying in the house.  My father is still staying at the inn, but he wanders over daily to tell me how horrible I am and all the things I’ve done wrong.  Anyway, today was no exception.  I had just asked Imralion to go pick up some food supplies from Silvermoon, figuring we’d be going soon and it would probably be good to leave my father with some food until I can make sure someone’s bringing him some.  Arancon stumbled into the kitchen through the back door right after Im left.

• I was in the kitchen at the time, washing the dishes from breakfast.  He started going into how I was trying to starve him by not inviting him to breakfast, which isn’t true.  He’d be welcome to join us if he woke up on time, but I realize that won’t ever happen, so I don’t bother asking.  I conjured some toast for him.  He threw a fit about that too.

• It was while he was throwing his fit that he saw the box of paints that Imralion gave to me for Winter’s Veil.  He started talking about those, asking me where I got them and what I intend to do, and telling me that I’d never amount to anything.  He kept talking about how it was such a waste of time and money, and how my mother could never sell any of her trash.

• Normally, I try not to let him get to me.  Over the past week alone, he’s blamed me for her death, said I wasn’t taking care of her, and claimed she died lost and alone, none of which is true.  I did everything I could for her, and I only brought her with me because he wasn’t able to take care of her.  I can handle him talking about me that way, but when he starts talking about her and her work.  I guess I get a little angry.

• I told him to shut up, which started a shit storm.  He started yelling, threw his toast at me, told me I had no right to disrespect him, and just kept going on and on.  At one point, he got out of his chair and lunged at me, pinned me against the wall and was yelling in my face.  He said I was worthless garbage. I told him to look at himself.  He punched me.

• Luckily, he hurt his hand, so it stopped there.  Despite being useless, I was able to get him a bowl of cold water for his hand.  I hid the paints, then left the house for a bit.  I didn’t want him messing with them while I was gone, and frankly, since the mess he made a few weeks ago, I don’t like leaving him there alone at all.  However, I did want to find something to cover my bruise before Im got back, so I made a quick trip to the general store to see if they had any powder.

• They had a small selection of make up.  While I was trying to match powder to my skin, I heard him.  Yappy.  The imp has been bothersome as of late because I haven’t summoned any of them since I came to the Ghostlands to work on the house.  Yappy is a bit anxious that I’ll forget to return to Shattrath, and Outland, and thus I’ll forget to summon them.  No matter how much I assure him that isn’t the case, he still contacts me at least once a day, so it was no surprise that I heard him.

• So there I was with a black eye, looking at makeup and having a conversation with an imp in my head.  Of course he asked what the makeup was for.  I let him know the truth.  Yappy said to burn him, to which I replied that I can’t, he’s my father.  I also let him know that I didn’t want his advice.  I started to tell him to be quiet, when he interrupted, and said he had news.  I figured it probably wouldn’t pertain to me, but I let him go on while I continued trying to match my skin color to powder.

• I didn’t expect him to tell me that Xanaroth and Vallindra were in the Ghostlands too, at least, according to their imps, they are.

• And that’s according to my imp.  I’m not sure how much imp gossip can be trusted, but that wasn’t all.  Yappy says there’s others here too.  It was then that I decided the moldings needed some decorative work done.  We could paint little floral designs or something.  I’d like to be here a bit longer to investigate a few things.

• I want to find out why Vallindra is living so close to her brother.  I made a promise to protect him, and just because we’re not together anymore, doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten my promise.  I could warn Terellion if there is any real reason to worry, but I think it’s best to see if there is anything to worry about first.  Yappy is going to try to get directions to where they’re staying so that I can get there, and pay a friendly visit.  I have the feeling Xanaroth wouldn’t allow her to do anything to Sanimir, or, at least, he wouldn’t take part in it, if she did.  So a friendly visit is hopefully all it needs to be.

• I would be curious if they knew of other summoners in the area.  Yappy said there was an imp named Ziprik, or Pipbutt, or Dimwit or something.  So there’s at least one other summoner in the area.  Are there more?  Does Xanaroth know of them?  Have they met?  Why are they here?

• Imralion hasn’t noticed my bruise.  I guess I matched the color right.  He might think something is wrong though because I did try to keep my face turned, just in case.  I didn’t want him to notice the powder or the slight swelling.  Hopefully, the bruise fades fast.  I’ll talk to him soon about staying longer to decorate a little more.

Art

Some recent commissions done by Meo aka Sirmeo on deviant art.  I absolutely love these.

Nessna Lightmist

Xarola Trailsong

Keyalenn Goldbrand

Hethurin’s Notes

• Everyone’s back from break.  None of them decided to stop studying here.  They all came back.  This makes me happy because I was worried that some of them wouldn’t return.  Desdeyliri came back early.  I guess her mother didn’t like her rat or something.  The others, including Renner, were all back the evening before classes started again.

• Over the break, Tik and Terellion started working on the stairs to the attic.  Some of them had rotted and cracked due to some water damage from a leaky roof.  Tik said if he had caught it sooner, they wouldn’t have been in such bad shape, but he didn’t know until the water started leaking through the stairs to the first floor!  He fixed the roof then, but left the stairs as they were.

• Anyway, with the stairs fixed, we can start work on the rooms up there.  There are two more bedrooms and a bath.  At the top of the stairs is a nice little room with doors to the other rooms, and the bath.  I think it would be nice with a couch and a table and a bookcase.  They’ll have their own little study room up there to themselves!

• The rooms need to be painted and decorated yet, but I put the sign up for the school anyway.  If they’re here before the rooms are ready, they can stay in the guest rooms and help decorate their own rooms, sort of like Des helped with hers.  I have signs up advertising the two spots in Tranquillien, Silvermoon and Shattrath.  People are back from Kalimdor now, so the schools in Silvermoon are open again.  It might take a while to fill the two spots.  Hopefully not too long.  Maybe some of the students talked about how great the school was on their week off, and their friends will want to study here.

• Raleth was here yesterday to teach frost.  He used the same room that Aeramin uses for the fire lesson.  Aeramin’s always complaining that it’s chilly and drafty, but Raleth said it was fine.  I think Aeramin just likes to complain.

• He’s probably going back to Shattrath sometime this week.  He said the house for his father was done, and that he hopes his father doesn’t destroy it too fast.  I don’t think his father deserves a house, but I guess that’s not up to me to decide.  I guess it’s kind of my fault though.  If I hadn’t changed things in the past, he would have died, and if he was dead, then there wouldn’t be any need to fix a house here for him.

• I guess it worked out though.  I was able to ask Aeramin to teach at the school, and we’re back to being friends now.  I think it’s easier because we both have someone else, so neither of us is thinking about what we used to have.

• In other news, Terellion still makes amazing cake.  I missed it, and him, while he was gone.  Though he didn’t go the whole week, he did want to visit his family for a few days.  I went crazy without him.  He’s sweet, and hot, and I love him.  Maybe next time, I’ll see if I can visit his family too.

Stay on the Path

Herman Lester grunted as the door opened for no reason other than he hadn’t been expecting the door to open.  Of course, Master Lancaster had gone into the room.  It only made sense that he would also come back out.  He briefly considered why he had forgotten to consider this until he suddenly forgot about considering it when Master Lancaster spoke.

“Hernester,” that was his name now, garbled over the years into something that it wasn’t, “I need you to go into town and get some supplies.”  Master Lancaster, also known as Bartlan, which was easier to remember than the Master’s full name, Bartholomew Lancaster, stood over Hernester as he held out a list to him.

Bartlan was taller than Hernester, but that didn’t seem right.  Hernester considered this as he recalled he was considering something earlier as well.  Perhaps it was the same thing.  He stopped as he looked down and realized he was sitting.  Hernester stood, and as he did, he realized he was now the same height as Bartlan.  He took the list.  He wondered why he ever thought he was shorter as he looked at the paper in his hand.  “What is this?”

“The list of supplies I need from town.”

Hernester was going to ask about the items on the list.  Some of them seemed odd, but Bartlan’s words interrupted his thoughts and brought forth a different question, “The town?”

“Yes, remember? The one with the elves.”

Hernester had a hard time remembering it.  When was the last time he had been there?  Which direction was it?  No, he didn’t remember it at all.

“I’ll set you on the path as usual.  If you remember anything at all, remember to stay on the path.”

“Stay on the path.”

“Yes.”  Bartlan nodded with a wide grin.  Of course it was wide.  It always was.  Part of his lips had rotted away, exposing the Master’s teeth permanently.  “My supplier will recognize you, and fill my order as usual.  He’ll then send you back with the packages.  Try not to lose any this time.”

Bartlan escorted Hernester to the door and opened it.  “Stay on the path.” he repeated, and pointed to the path leading away from the home.

“Stay on the path.”  Hernester started walking.