–==Official Submission==–
FROM: General Debinani Rahl
RE: Chapter Twenty – Paul”s Story

Entry 14

Well, its been quite a long time since I have made an entry
in this old beat up journal, but some of the things that I
have recently gonethrough have made me realize that I need
to record all that I know ofmy past. Let me start with what
I have been doing lately though. After theevents that lead
to the Captain being charged with murder, and thesubsequent
attempt to clear his name, I found myself needing
tocontinue the journey that I had begun that day so long
ago in Moonglow. So I packed up those items that I though I
would need and just wanderedfor a long time. Spending much
of my time away from other people,trying to remember what
it was that I was trying to do. Reflectingupon my life, and
the events that had lead to my leaving Moonglow.Eventually
I found that I had wandered near one of the
mysticalmoongates that make travel around our world much
easier. So, having noidea were I was, and not really having
any plans as where to go, Istepped through the gate to see
where it would take me. And as fatewould have it, the gate
had returned me to my childhood home ofMoonglow. I don’t
know how long I stood there in shock. Sure, I had been back
toMoonglow since I had left, but I don’t know. Maybe it was
my recentremembrances of my past here, but I just broke
down and cried. Eventually I came out of my shock, to the
sound that I had know wellall my life, the sound of an axe
on a tree. Looking around, I saw thiskid, well he looked to
be in his late teens, but I guess I am oldenough to
consider that a kid now, trying to cut a tree down. He
seemed to be having considerable difficulty though, so I
decided to goover and offer him some advice.”Hey, you are
doing that all wrong.” I said. This caused him to turn
towards me, “Hello,” he said.”Hi. Like I said you are doing
that wrong.””Hmm, how so?” he asked.”Here let me show you.”
So I take my hatchet out of pack an proceededto show him
how to properly chop a tree.”Wow, you are pretty good at
that. By the way, my name is ThomasSmyth.””I am Paul,” I
said. “Why are you out here trying to cut down a tree?””I
want to be the best craftsman in all of Britannia,” he
said. “Blacksmithing, Carpentry, Tinkering, Tailoring are
all skill that acraftsman need. And carpentry requires
wood, so….””Oh, I see,” I replied.”You are pretty good at
lumberjacking, you wouldn’t be looking for ajob would you?”
Thomas asked me.”No. I have had that job before.” I told
him.”Too bad, I could use some help. So Paul what are you
doing out hereanyway?””Just wandering,” I said. “Doing some
thinking.”Now don’t ask me why, but somehow he eventually
talked me intolumberjacking for him. He said something
like, “Well you can do alotof thinking while you
lumberjack.” Of course he said it with a biggrin on his
face, but he was right. You can do alot of thinking
whileyou lumberjack.So I have spent much of my time lately
out in the forests getting logsfor him. And he is a very
good carpenter now. Better than I ever was.But one of the
things that I realized while I was out logging, was thatthe
Black Roses are my brothers now and that I have never told
you ofthe time before I joined you. So I have decided to
finally write downas much of it as I know and can remember
at least and share it with youmy brothers.So, when
shadowspawn announced the reformation of the First Warders,
Iheard about it I decided to come back from the forests and
share that part of my life with you.And now I have finally
gotten around to actually writing it out.My earliest memory
is on the Inn in Moonglow. You see that is where Igrew up.
How I came to be under the supervision of Cromwell, I never
actually understood fully. But the story that I heard was
that mymother had come through the moongate outside of
town, and that shortlyafter she walked into town she went
into labor. Then right after shegave birth to me, she died.
But, only after she had named me, Paul. One of the mages,
that I later spoke too, said that the moongate musthave
somehow caused my birth prematurely. I guess I will have to
takehis word for it, seeing how that level of magery will
always be abovemy head.So, because she was already a guest
of the Inn, but had not given herlast name nor where she
was from, for some reason it was decided that Ishould be
put under the care of the Innkeeper and the maids there.
So,that is where I lived until my twelfth birthday, when I
was apprenticedto the local carpenter. Under his tutelage I
learned the skills of carpentry, tinkering and
lumberjacking, which as the apprentice I did the most of.
Then, when I was seventeen, I was helping Vincent make a
delivery offurniture to the house of the local banker. It
was there that I mether. Angellica, the bankers daughter. I
had heard to love at firstsight before, and after that day
I believed in it. Even though herfather forbid her from
seeing just a carpenter’s apprentice, we wouldoften sneak
out of town into the forest to spend some time together.
Those truly were the happiest years of my life. I would
spent most ofmy days learning the correct way to shape wood
into furniture. And fora few hours almost every night me
and Angellica would just sit out inthe forest and talk.
Talk of the future, of the past, of anything. And other
times we wouldn’t talk at all, but just sit there
together.As it was getting close to my twentieth birthday,
the day that wouldend my apprenticeship, I started to make
the tools that I would need tostart my own carpentry shop
in town. Our plans were simple, I wouldopen my shoppe
proving to her father that I could support a family,then I
would ask for his permission to marry her.Then, as I was
coming back from lumberjacking one day, I saw a crowd
ofpeople just outside the gate to town. As I wandered over
there to seewhat was going on, my old friend Milamber, saw
me and started walkingtowards me. When he reached me he
told me not to go over there. Iasked him why. “It’s
Angellica, shes been killed.”I’m not really too sure what
happened after that point, I rememberrunning over to see if
what he had told me was true. And I saw herbody. The next
clear memory I have is of being in Milamber’s house onthe
other side of town. I asked him what had happened, and he
told methat no one was quite sure, but it seems that
Angellica’s father hadbeen dealing with a criminal of some
sort. That a fight occurred outside of town between them,
and that her father was killed. Angellicahad been following
them, for some reason, and when she saw that, sheran to her
father. The murderer seeing that there was a witness,killed
her as well. Or at least that is what the guards
currentlythought had happened. But, of course, they had no
idea who it was thatkilled them.Well, after her murder, my
life kinda fell apart. I decided that Icouldn’t stay in
Moonglow any longer, that the memory of her was justtoo
powerful there. So I packed up my belonging, and left. On
my wayout of town, Milamber asked me “Are you sure you want
to do this?” “No, but I need to.” I replied.”Then here are
a few things to help you on your journey.” And he gaveme
some armour and a sword. I had never even touched one
before thatday.And with that I left town, and walked
through the moongate.