Feastday, the 7th of Deepice

Today was...interesting.

First, the pup of a predator approached me. He has fallen for the one who is a Noble that has sworn fealty to the family. I informed him when I first noticed his attraction to her that I would eventually be ordered to kill her if they began any sort of relationship as he is just a commoner, and a heretic at that.

I am naut without humor, though. I let the pup know that aside from secrecy at the Festival of the Blood Moon, there was another way to win the chance for her affections without fearing her death. I even offered him help, knowing he would come to me for it later as his lust for her grew.

Finally today he tried unsucessfully to hunt me, as I found him bewildered within the Crossroads. He was rather blunt and to the point, reminding me of the small fragment I had given him, and stating he now was seeking my help.

Rather than agree immediately, I beckoned him to follow me. I had become drawn in by Nektulos Forest, and wished to test his resolve there within our ancestral lands - besides, the view from N`Mar's Ascent was breathtaking to me, and I am finding that I call upon any excuse to venture there.

We crossed the bridge, standing upon the opposite shore and watching the waters pass by. I asked the pup why he desired her - I suspect it is merely lust, however greed may factor in considering he is just a commoner. His reply was that 'we do naut choose love, love chooses us' or something quite similar; when I informed him that it was a noble but false ideal, he accused me of just naut having the heart to understand it.

He is far from correct...and I informed him that his assumptions merely made an ass of him rather than put him above me.

We continued our walk into the forest, and I pondered over exactly how far the pup was willing to go; when he said he would give up his beliefs for her, become something that could be respected within our House, I wanted to laugh in his face. I told him that he must become a knight if he wished to be with her as badly as he claimed to; that he must swear fealty into our House, learn our ways as his own, and raise his way through our tests to the status he so desperately sought.

He agreed to do this and more.

There on the path, I turned to him, and ordered him to kneel; he did so, tearing the banner of another society from his clothing. When I drew my stiletto to swear him into the House, he did roll his eyes at me despite the words I was speaking. I informed him that to do so at the formal ceremony before the Ilhar was a mistake, and would naut get him into the Ilhar's graces.

At that, Kelefaroth's voice drifted from the near by shadows. He offered to kill the pup for me, and save me the trouble I was going through. His arrival threw me off guard, and for a moment I was reminded of the first time the branch prancer had approached me - the same strange thrill of knowing I was the prey rushed through me, but I pushed it aside to be sure the pup didn't die before his use was up.

The pathfinder was coaxed from the shadows long enough for an introduction, and then he followed us deeper into the woods towards our destination. On the way there, I quizzed the pup on his knowledge of history, to find him largely failing; he was also largely failing in knowing anything of etiquette...so much to teach, I'll have to assign a Septon to the work, as I do naut have the time to spare for it.

When we reached our destination, after Kelefaroth had laid another mindless Dragoon to rest - he has a strange hate for their new form, making me wonder if he might have been a Dragoon before the cataclysms - the pup finally asked me when he could walk in public with Kailea without having to fear her death.

This caused me to laugh, I could naut help it. He of course may walk with her in public as a guard, if I so assigned him, which I would; as to when he could walk with her as a lover, I informed him that it would be after he had proven himself as a knight and was thus Noble himself. This of course spawned questions of how he must do this, and the like, all the while Kelefaroth was banishing Dragoons lest their owners hear our conversations.

I explained to the pup that must at least fake that he knew his place, that he was a Vassal - a commoner Teir`Dal who has sworn his loyalties to the House, and thus become a type of servant to us. When I explained that he must do as requested with honour and dignity and without question - such questions must be brought to me, and I would deal with them - he made a smart ass comment of being able to pretend to be a pet.

To this I told him that were he to be a pet, I would have collared him and chained him up in my room; his retort was a question of whether that would happen anyway - I informed him that he was far from my ideal companion in all ways and the Overlord would turn into a frog before that would happen, when he told me I was naut exactly his ideal in a companion, something strange happened.

Kelefaroth, silent this entire time, spoke.

"There is a clear shot to your back and while my arrow may not kill you, the fall will."

He spoke these to the pup, though I asked if they were to me for the sake of asking. Of course, he said they were naut, looked at the pup and the proceeded to destroy another wandering skeletal Dragoon. This amused me, as such a protective nature seemed beyond one of Kelefaroth's position, but it was quite an uplifting thing to me just then.

I continued to explain to the pup the differences between a vassal and a pet, and I believe he has grasped such things now. Of course, after all of this world shattering information, he asked me why I am helping him.

He still does naut know - beyond that I have my reasons to do so, and that is that. But the more that follow me against my family, the more allies I will have should I ever leave them; the lessons and events in Lavastorm are as fresh of wounds as they were the days they were made so long ago...

After the pup left us, the pathfinder and I got into an arguement over whether or naut I was paying him today for services rendered. I had naut asked him to be there, he had found me on his own; but to shut him up, as I knew he had little of his own, I ordered him to take me to Antonica so I might hunt the branch prancer and learn his lands. Though unsure of why I made the request, Kelefaroth lead me to Port Naythox, through the Thundering Steppes to the gates of Antonica.

Finally there he questioned why I had come to such a place; when I told him that I was hunting another being, he began to question me, so that he might be able to point me in the right direction. The only explination I could give him was that it was a branch prancer to all meanings of the word, whom had angered the Overlord for infiltrating into Freeport an angered myself by disgracing me before my family and bestowing me with their scorn.

I assume leary of personal vendetta's, Kelefaroth quickly informed me that he could naut help me, and returned into the wilds. I myself took a quick tour of Antonica fromt he back of a griffin, learning the general lay of the land quite quickly from such a perspective.

Once finished that, I began to hunt the strange scarecrows that were like puppets - they were like the zombies of the Necromancers back home, and I wished to study them a bit.

It was naut long before the branch prancer came to me, chiding me for hunting him in his own lands. When his voice drifted from the shadows, with it's light Feir`Dal accents, I felt again the thrill of being hunted and wondered why such a thing caused this reaction. I could naut see him, but I belive I felt when he finally left; the tingling sensation in my spine went away, as did the feeling of being watched.

My journies lead me back into the Thundering Steppes then, with a band of Qeynosians that I had convinced that I was seeking redemption; we were hunting the undead there, which was refreshing until the branch prancer passed us - this time, however, he did naut see me and continued on his way.

Begrudginly, I did return home, only to find myself face to face with the Ilhar, who did nothing but talk down to me - one of an equal title - and belittle me for ever being outdone by the branch prancer.

His head shall rest upon a silver tray, his silver hair stained red by his own blood for what he has done.

Hate burns strongly...