::He sits what feels like Majestically at his study, behind the desk as the torchlight from the room shines brilliantly down on him, and writes within his journal in an orderly manner for what seems like the first time in weeks...and probably is.::

By all Bahyrah's love and grace...I'm free. Finally, no more hiding, no more running. When I walk down the street, the guards bid "Good day, Lord Benjamin!" and when the commoners see me, they smile and wave. The Idiot is back up and running again, the old SSAG Guards have left this, my home, and the Guildhouse is back to its old, empty self.

I hear Alterio's back to normal...and on a sadder note, lovely, beautiful, sweet-hearted Mairin is no longer with us. I will miss her...and even though I didn't know her as well as I had wished, I feel like a great loss is now on my shoulders...I can only imagine the pain, sorrow, and heartbreak Alterio, Felina, and Jane must be feeling right now. I wish I could have seen her, one last time. I wish I could have held her, just hugged her, or given her a reassuring kiss on the cheek. The last I saw of her, she was in the pleasuredome, the day I killed Qko, and we made arrangements for her to come stay with me...she seemed so happy to be invited.

It never happened, Alterio attempted to arrest me...and that's when everything started. This day, the first day in a long time I have tasted freedom...is tainted by the loss of one so dear to all of us. I wish it could have been different...

::He smirks as an idea comes to pass and then the smirk transforms into a rueful, joyous smile.::

Aye, I wish. Now if only those midgets man that boat again...

::He takes a long draught of wine, smiles and closes his entry for today.::

Though Mairin is gone, she is a hero, more a hero in my eyes than any dragon-slayer, than any King or Prince, than any Knight defending his country. She is a hero of the greatest kind. She will be remembered, she will be grieved, she will be missed.

Mairin, be well, and know that we all love you, with all our hearts, and we thank you for the sacrifice you made for the one man you truly loved with all your heart. Know that we all will join you one day...and when you have all eternity, that day will seem to come very quickly.

Now, I must be off...for a warm bed calls my name, and more urgent is the calling of a bath drawn from hot water. There is food in the kitchen, and clean clothes within the wardrobe...

::He smiles at the thought, then finishes::

Both of which I can't wait to get back into.

--Journal entry 20 September, Ben Calkane

::Sits down wearily at her small desk in her room she takes up her quill and begins to write::

I can not believe what has taken place that vile dock whore Leahman came in to the dome again last eve. And had two messages she said she had found one from Lady Mags stating she grows weary of my masters company and of being at sea. The second I was so shocked to read It was from My Master hisself in his own hand...I fear the stress of the search for Lady Mags and the long weeks at sea may have taken there toll on him body and soul.

He stated he would be returning in about a week and he spoke of the pain in his joints from the long weary days at sea but the thing I worry most of is that the message that I was to treat and serve kindly the bearer of the message he had sent ... Serve I can not believe my master would state this ...and who was it that brought me the message but that vile creature from the docks.

I have given in and allowed her a room at the house and will feed her till my master returns as he has instructed but I did make sure she bathed before she entered the house.

-- chuckles softly rembering the dunking she gave the filthy beast in the horse trough --

She has thereatened to inform my master that I have disobeyed his orders unless I allow her to have the locked room at lady mags house I of course have refused I may be punished for my actions but she will not have access to Lady Mags private room nor will I allow her to ply her trade at the house..

:: lays down the quill as she hears the woman in the kitchen moving about.. she goes to see what she could possibly want now::

--Journal entry 20 September, Jasmin Rose

*The sneaky, spry archival workers come across a piece of parchment abandoned upon Mairin's desk at Carazzi Manor from the day they left for Coconut Grove. It is a poem, penned by the small girl's young hand...a poem of graciousness*

When the air is cold and still
Holding only the echoes of malice
And the sky above the world hangs dark
To shroud this gloomy palace
When I feel as though I'm all alone
I need only an embrace
A smile and a word of fondness
From my one saving grace
He who saved my life and soul...
My Guardian...
My Father.

*signed neatly*
Mairin, a Proud Carazzi

*the archivists hurry away with their copy*

--Journal entry 20 September, Mairin Carazzi

:::sits alone on a large rock out by the lake at the grotto having found Taelie's journal, it laying at her side. Happy to have at least the written words from him. Still, with a heavy heart at the loss of Mairin:::

I was overjoyed to see Taelie night before last at the dome,late at the dome. It felt so good to be near him once again. To hear his voice, rest against him. I couldnt have been happier to see him. I know he will return. He has left his word that he would.

~~Smiles re-reading the short entry in his journal~~ I understand his obligations to his family, and I do not hold that against him. I would expect him to go to the aid of his brother. It will be good to have him close again, and to not have to let him go.

:::a dark cloud fills her happiness, overshadowing it:::

Mairin...I cannot believe one so young is gone. I wish I had known more about what was happening. I couldnt find out anything, I wasnt allowed to go any where near the dome. I had no idea that the intentions were that Mairin be the one to go. I would have gone to keep her from that fate. Taelie would have been sad...that much I know...but, I would have done it to keep her from the fate that awaited her. I would never had let the child go into the volcano if I had known that were the intentions of those guiding her to the top. I didnt hear any conversation about it while I was talking with Mumphra. I was concentrating on deciphiring the drow...it is not my language, but it is close enough that if I concentrated I could make out what he was saying.

Damn! Why did it have to be Mairin? Why couldnt someone have asked me to go? I would have.

:::thinks about her Uncle Alterio:::

I know he's greiving, he has to be. I feel for him. I know it must enrage him to know his daughter sacrificed herself for him. I wish I could help him somehow. I know he doesnt trust anyone right now, and I cant say that I blame him. I will send him a quick letter and have a runner from the village carry it to him.

Everything is back to normal now.....but, with such a heavy price.

:::sighs and pens her name to her entry:::

~Lyrias~

:::sprinkles sand on the journal and lets it dry before tucking it away again:::

--Journal entry 20 September, Lyrias

"slips into the manor quietly so as to not wake the children she checks with the guards to make sure all is well then goes to peek in at the children... seeing they are well she goes to her room and sits down at the desk opening the journal to a blank page she sighs as she begins to write.."

Will it ever end? I walked out of 'Dome last night so disgusted I couldnt stand it any longer. I just walked and walked all night trying to think. We risked out life and for what? To save Alterio from the grasp Mumphra had on him? What I saw last night was just pitiful. Alterio kneeling to Mumphra like he is some kinda god?? Poster on the door with our names on it, marked for death? Blaming US for Mairins death? She gave her life needlessly for the father she loved dearly. She wanted him back to -normal- and now her death is to be used for him to murder innocent people. Its obvious now, why he didnt try to fight to keep Mumphra out of his mind. HE wanted him there, he wanted the power. All we managed to do was break the control Mumphra held over him. But its obvious ALterio let him have that control willingly.

Its still NOT safe to stay here. I think we should all leave the island. Leave Alterio and Mumphra here to rule an empty Island. Many left when this all started and im sure we will see more leaving in the days ahead. Living in fear from tyranny is getting old to all of us. ALterio KNOWS Mairin wouldnt have wanted her father doing this. He is just using grief for her death as a cover for his murdering rampage he plans to go on. IF he loved her, would he be planning to kill the ones she loved? AND using her death as the reason?

WHY did I come to this Island again? Ah yes, Alterio wanted to get away from the way it was on the mainland. BUT yet he has made this Island worse than the mainland ever was. The only thing different here, is -Alterio- is the one causing all thats happening. People living in fear of their lives... running and hiding. I Hope he is proud of himself.

He has turned this Island into something that is worse than most of us have lived through in the past. Its much much worse. He alone has turned this beautiful Island into some thing thats very ugly. I was right the other night when I said we might have ended one nightmare but another has started within seconds of ending the last one.

"she looks out the window at the darkness and sighs as she closes the journal"

--Journal entry 21 September, Vixen Blade

*sighs slightly as she writes quietly, sitting outside her home today in the comfort of the trees and sounds of the ocean*

What a month! A few days after the rumors started about being pregnant, I find out I AM! And it's like that started this whole nightmare..Alterio claiming to be prince, Ben being accused of killing all those people present and past.

*she shakes her head* And then the ultimate sacrafice...Mariain giving her life for her father. She knew what she was doing whenshe did it or so it soundshe didn't die in vain, but she died doing what she thought was right. *she frowns slightly* I guess I shouldn't be talking I wasn't there...

*she sets the quill down for a bit, staring off in thought and then suddenly she starts to write again*

I am so scared for the baby. I don't want anything to happen to him or her. And I'm scared for my friends..espcially Vixen, Lina and Jane. I cannot help at all, I can only pray..pray to the gods.

*she stops writing and stands up to go walk for a while. By the time she comes back the ink is dry, so she closes it and moves back in to her home*

--Journal entry 21 September, Tiger Goddess

:::sits on the porch of her tree cabin as she lays the journal across her lap, opened to write. A somewhat grim expression in place upon her features as she dips the quill, placing it to paper:::

The new nightmare has begun. The elves will not tolerate the sensless killing of one who was sent only to bear a message...they are innocent of everything. I fear the elves will not listen to me much longer. The poor young child's mother weeped bitterly when I told her that her son was murdered for carrying a message. When asked why...all I could tell her is because my Uncle is very angry with me. I am not her favorite person...my Uncle is even less in her eyes than I am. I dont know how much longer I can keep them from rising against the senseless murder. I just do not know...I feel her loss as surely as I feel the loss of Mairin. What will it take to keep them from finding Alterio one night while he is away from everyone else and sending an arrow at him? I dont know that either. I have bought him some time...as much as I possibly can. I dont know if it will be enough time for Janey and the others to enact whatever plan it is they have of bringing Mairin back...I pray it is.

::smiles softly to herself as she recalls seeing her little 'Golden Angel' Thirlia tonight at the dome:::

By the Gods it was so good to see Lia tonight. All the greif, worry, anger...everything just fell from me when I saw her sweet angelic face. The poor child has been through enough as of late. To hold her once again cradled against me, even as she cried brought such a warm feeling...a happiness back to me. I have missed her so very much. She is so much to me...as if she were my own. If I could...and Alterio and Vixen hadnt...I would take Lia as my own..I would adopt her. Now, that will never happen. Uncle Alterio is so enraged with us all. I shall tell her how to come to me if she cannot take it at the manor any longer. I will have someone always wait for her there so that she can come safely. I will do everything I can to ensure her safety.

That child means the world to me.

:::thinks about her Uncle:::

Alterio....he has gone back to his dark ways. Well...that is fine. It is his own choice to make. No longer, however, will I be that woman-child who adored him so much. He condems us for Mairin's death...vowing that we too shall pay...while he ends the lives of innocents. Where is the honor in that? I cannot find it.

Ah...time will tell. Time will tell.

~Lyrias~

:::sprinkles sand on the pages so they will dry:::

--Journal entry 22 September, Lyrias Dreams