Journal Part II
							The following pages are the stories I created about the character Ilvane Fiastash, I hope you enjoy them!
		Journal Part III
			Journal Part IV
						A journal Today is my birthday, and I am 16, my father and mother gave me this book to write in and what ma says, express myself. It's good too because each day I feel more inside me that I have to tell someone. So book, my friend we will be together for a long time. Today da bought me a new warsword and I practiced swinging on some orcs. I think da was worried that I may get out of control with this, but I really just enjoy hunting. My parents are such gentle elves, and ma wants me to learn to settle down and learn to cook and sew. A life like that I could never imagine. But if that is what I am meant to be then that would be it. Life It is tomorrow now, and I just came from hunting with Elit. I have become a friend to the men who sit outside of my parents' house, and at the paths leading to it. Da must be very important! I sometimes wonder what he does for work, but he never talks about it to me. I know that I have heard him talking to the guards sometimes, but I am not allowed to listen. They are all members of the Royal Guard though, and want to be one of them someday. I also wonder about the other people there, and what they are like. Thing is I could never dream of even speaking to one of them, unless I was a guard like Elit. Exploring Good morning book! Today was a strange day. I traveled into the woods for the first time alone today. My ma has always said not to go too far, but I wanted to explore the woods outside the home I have known. The paths are beautiful and the Trees are magnificent. But I also had to run away from some large orcs in the woods. I think they could have hurt me, but I didn't dare try and hurt them to see if I could. I wonder what is outside of the woods. I wish I could look more. But don't tell anyone! It is the middle of the night right now. My da just came inside and I had heard him yelling. I wonder what is going on and I am very scared. Maybe they will think I am old enough to know soon what it is that he does for his job that we have guards outside our house. When I went to the window to look, I saw my father hit a figure and it fell. I imagine it must have been an orc. It is now the late afternoon and I have to write about this because I am greatly confused. I went off a path today and I wound up at a clearing. I watched these two elves sitting in the garden there reading books and talking. One was a boy and one a girl, and I found myself amazed that they looked just like me. I ran away soon after because I didn't want them to find me, but I had to ask Ma what it was that made these elves look like me…she wouldn't answer me and told me to go to my room. She also forbids me to go into the woods again. I just can't imagine that! It scares me so much to think I would have to stay in my home all the time and never get to see the people outside of the world my parents have brought me up in. Well book, I think for the first time in my life, I am going to have to go against my parents' wishes. Hello again book…I went to the woods again today. Well, my travel to the clearing again was weird. I felt funny the whole way there and I took my usual place and began peering out at the two elves in the clearing again. They amaze me, mainly because the boy looks so unhappy. I wish they would play more, and enjoy life. They seem too young to be worrying about such things they speak of, such as politics and history. I don't really understand those things yet, but I do know it seems too much to be for young elves. I also wonder who they are. I made it back safely without my mother noticing where I went. I have to go back again. I really want to know more about them. Meeting Dear book, Today I went to the clearing where the two elves sit. The most embarrassing thing happened to me. I was leaning forward as usual from the trees, and suddenly a deer nudged me and I fell out into the clearing! The two elves looked surprised as I tumbled out head over feet and landed in a heap on the ground. I was so flustered all I could do was stare at them and hop to my feet and run back home. I don't know what to do. I'm afraid to go back because they may not want me there and may not want to tell me anything. I have made my decision to go back and talk to the elves tomorrow. I'm scared but I need to go there. Dear book, I am back from my first talk with the elves. The first one is named Valentrus, he is the boy. He fascinates me. I have never seen an elf like him. When I look close at him his features and eyes seem perfect to me and I feel so close to him, even though I have never known him before. Senalaria, his betrothed I found out today, has restless eyes and seems to be resigned to her life. He is the son of a high lord of Ta'Vaalor, and she is to be his lady. They are 20 now, 4 years older than I am. He is a strong swordsman, I was so impressed that he could kill those big orcs that I was afraid of. I want to know so much. I told him I wanted to protect him and he just laughed like he didn't believe me. I wonder out loud if they will allow me to be part of the Royal guard some day, and he just smiles. Who would ever have guessed that I would ever get to speak to them!? They are so much more high society than I. Yet still, I am going back tomorrow. I have to learn more about them. Dear book, Today is my 17th birthday! Here we are again. It is late afternoon and I have just returned from the glade where I met Valentrus without Senalaria today. I can't help but stare at him, and I think it embarrasses him. He always insists on telling me stories about history of his elves, and I am interested. It seems I am a lot like them, even though I am a wood elf and lived in the woods all my life. If I could stand next to him and guard him for the rest of his life, I would be content. I wish I could become a member of the royal guard. If only he knew. Learning Dearest book. Today you hear the story of my life. I have not stopped crying since I heard the story. Valentrus and I sat and talked about life today, and he told me he knew much about my past and me. My parents confirmed it to me and I was shocked to learn this. My parents are not my parents. It's hard to explain really, and if I had known this all my life I'm sure I would have turned out differently. I am the the daughter of Valentrus' father's playmate as child, and a man he calls brother, though they are not related by blood… My father was picked out of many lords families to be the playmate of the high lords father, Amber. My father was always jealous of his adopted brother and always tried to find ways to best his brother in anything. When Amber and his wife had a son, my father and mother planned to have a child as well..This is how the story goes: I was born to be a son. My father was bound and determined to be in power in Ta'Vaalor and devised a plan to have a son who would be adept in arms and who would eventually take on the high lords, and the king in a duel of strength. When I was born a girl, they were disappointed and my parents gave me to a guard and told him to kill me, as I was of no use to them. The guard was unable to muster the will to kill me, and took me and laid me in a basket outside the house of two wood elves and that is where my life began with my Ma and Da. The guards who were outside of the house were for me, to protect me from my parents who were banished from Ta'Vaalor and who were members of the opposition to the king and his family. I gather if they had found me they would have wanted me dead and Valentrus's father and his family have been protecting me all these years. I am so saddened, and ashamed of where I come from. I don't know how Valentrus can look at me the same way and still wish to see me alive. It does explain much of the yearning I have to be strong and be a warrior. But a daughter of a member of the opposition will never become a royal guard. Valentrus stayed the night tonight at the cottage. I think he is afraid I can't take the pain of knowing where I come from. I just know that I was born to be his end, and I can't look him in the eye anymore. Those eyes I wish I could stare at for much of my life. I want to protect him from everything. Dear book, Everyday I am here, and everyday I step out into the woods, all I can think about are my birth parents and wonder why they would want to hurt him… I have been trying to stay away, but I can't stand to be away from my kind of elves. I love my Ma and Da so much, but they don't understand the pain I am in. Facing feelings Hello my book, Valentrus is to be married to Senalaria in one week. I look forward to the wedding, but I also wonder if this is what they really want. They seem resigned to be married. I can't imagine life like that. It seems so meaningless and bothersome. I don't know. The confusion in my head about this whole thing is not understandable to me. I don't understand my feelings. Book I wish I could express to him how I feel right now, I wish I understood! We sat in the glade today and talked and he asked me a question and I didn't know how to respond to him. He asked me about a friend he knew, who was going to get married and wasn't sure that was what he wanted, and that he wanted to explore more of life and see what things are like outside of the world he was in. I didn't know what to say to him… I want him to stay here so I can protect him, but I'm afraid that won't happen. I think he is going to leave me, and I can't fathom it… I feel a pain in my heart unbearable almost, but I can't explain it, and I can never imagine telling him I feel this way or trying to make him stay. I know the way he feels the need to escape and prove he is worthy to be a hero without being a member of the higher class… Dear book, I'm afraid my feelings have turned somewhat, and I don't know how to tell him. But as a true friend I have to let him do what it is he wants to do, without pressure from me. It just hurts so much to let him go. When I left him today in the Glade, I didn't want to let him go. I would have held him forever if I could. I only pray that he is making the right decision. Dear book, I went to the Glade hoping to find him there and he was not there, the glade was sadly empty, as my heart felt. I have to trust this is what he wanted. I have to know that he will be safe, as long as he does what he feels in his heart is the best. Ma asked me what was wrong and I told her he had chosen to become an adventurer in the outside lands across the Dragonspire. I cried for what seemed like hours and then came in here to write to you and tell you what is different. I talked to Elit for about 2 hours this evening and asked him about the land over the Dragonspire, and asked him if I would be able to make it safely to the land of Halflings that Senalaria had told me about. Elit winced and was reluctant to tell me. We began training so that I could become strong enough to make the trip and maybe someday become a Royal Guard like he. A decision Dear book, It has been 6 months since he left me. Today is my 18th birthday and I am leaving the only home I have even known. For months I have been planning to go after him, but now I am making my journey… Elit got me a horse and supplies and I leave this evening at midnight. I know my parents will understand and I will miss them, but I need to go. I need my prince in my life. I spent a nice evening with Ma today, and we sewed an elf doll, which I am taking with me. It smells like the cottage, the fabric has been in the house so long. It will comfort me in the worst of travels I am sure. On the road Dear book, The first day on the road was so interesting! There are creatures and plants and flowers I have never seen before. It is also colder than I have ever felt. Elit had told me to keep bundled up to keep warm, because when I get to the land of the Halflings it will be very cold, and I am to cross a glacier. My horse is very strong and seems to enjoy the ride so far. It is late evening now. I am inside a cave right now, and I have made a small fire to keep warm. I don't know how the people live here in these parts, it is so cold! There are creatures here I have never seen or want to see! There are giants who look as if they want to eat me alive, and titans whom I have never seen so large and angry before. I'm scared. I really wish I could find a town or find an inn to sleep in. The end Dear book, This entry may be my last. I was hit today by a band of thieves as I was on the road. I am bleeding badly and the pain is unbearable right now. They have taken all my supplies and coins and I have not seen anyone on this road for hours. I am hurt to badly to go on, and I am stuck on the trail of this large glacier. The face of my prince is forever in my mind, and I will never forget him, even if I die in this journey. It is funny faced with death on the cold glacier I am as clear in my mind of what I want…To hold him only once again… I don't think I will get my wish tonight… Here the writings are smeared with blood and illegible.
	The Reading