((The margins are filled with jagged thunderbolts, and wavy images of what could either be an ocean of water or sand. It's difficult to say. There's a little figure in a boat within them.))
Ah, what an inconsistent friend you are journal. Wherever I go, I always fear I lost you somewhere, and yet here you are.
The last few days have been hard. Stihe is still traumatized from her encounter with the Ashwyrm-years of resent have come out in hours, and now she refuses to talk to me...it hurts me in a way she could never understand, but perhaps I deserve it....wait, no. Not anymore. I made my choices-and I'm not going to let regret hold me back anymore.
When I was a young Halfling, and I realized my parents were gone, and I was going to have to blacken my soul just to survive...the only thing that kept me rightside up was the hope that Stihe might get a better life. I bottled alot of my own hopes and frustrations up, not daring let them free for her sake. Fools hope, of course. I just introduced her to a worse one.
It's clear things are different now. She doesn't need me-and I don't need her. It's not one way anymore. We need each other...but, my Druidic studies have taught me to hold such matters apart from myself. What will happen, will happen. And, in this way I have released myself from a long held burden...
Not that I won't turn anything that tries to hurt her into ash, still. I remember killing the Ashwyrm that dared touch my sister only barely. I was so mad. More angry than I had ever been. I killed it...without remorse. There was power in that-and I've been hard at work tapping into that. Turns out, I have a lot of...repressed emotions. My therapy is destroying monsters, who knew?
((In the middle of the page, a sketch of a blackened tree is shown))
Exciting news, journal. I found what I was looking for-a tree struck by natural lightning. I could feel the wounded spirit of the wound, and the tired, yet still vicious spirit of the lightning, mingling within. I called to them...and began to gain an insight. Also, there was a storm blowing in...
I fear I may have woken up everyone on the ship with the first blast. As far as I know, no Druids tossed lightning like that so directly. The storm was getting worse, but I didn't take cover. No. I dared it to hit with all it had. I could take it.
At the heart of that storm, I had finally found peace-as the calm in the storm, the strong tower in the wind. Amazing how unimportant things all seem, when I'm out there. It's....close to ascension, I think. Reaching a higher plane of being. I've always felt the wind and storm call to me-I know this now.
Andre Clearwater has finally answered.
I'll have to talk to the other Druids about it soon....
Finally had the courage to invite Tallulah out for cold drinks at a local pub. Strictly in friendship...and still waiting on a response!
Omens Signed
-The lightning struck tree almost looked like a woman in pain. It reminded me of my mother, for some reason. I burned it.
-Horse I'm training likes bananas the best, who would have guessed? Things are a fortune to buy here though.
-Izzak Waveharp. His left boot is usually not as tightly as buckled as his right one, and he has the scent of hay about him. Odd.
-Since I've started to use lightning, I'm alot more thirsty than usual. May just be I'm out in the desert all day, or a possible side effect?