Author's Notes: Hey everyone! Well, I'm pretty happy at the moment because I finished Arelle much earlier than usual, and that means I won't be quite so lacking in sleep tomorrow! Posting this at 3 in the morning guarantees I'll have at least six hours of sleep! Woo-hoo! Anywho...

Hey, did everyone see Lilliah--the REAL Lilliah which the character was based off of--reviewed Arelle? Hey Lilliah! Thanks for letting me borrow your character! ^^

Oh, and the Arelle polls are still up, and, surprisingly, Akinen's in the lead! *gasp*! Yep, Moren's got two votes, but Akinen barely beats him with three votes. Well, they WOULD have been even...had Tess not voted for Akinen ^^ Oh well...I'll still be awaiting any more votes it may receive...patiently.. ^^

Oh, and I'm really excited about a new story I'm writing. I've got a page and a half of the first chapter written, but the introductions are coming along quite nicely. Well, it's original, so I guess it'll be going up at FictionPress instead of here....phooey. Does anyone read anything at FictionPress, anyway? I only have two reviews for my older original there, and I got both of those before FictionPress separated from Fanfiction ^^;;; It's sad. Oh well. Hopefully someone will read my poor new fanfic which hasn't even been posted yet. I still haven't even thought of a title ^.^;;; Oh well. It's still in the works. Well, I better be off! Sleep calleth to me, and I am compelled to obey! ^^ Sayonara!

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"You've finished, Arelle. I have no more to teach you on basic magic. You… you have no more reason to stay here, anymore. You can… finally… return to your……family…" he said, looking away, his face solemn and his expression serious.

Arelle paused. Suddenly, her world seemed to crumble. Just a moment ago she was thinking about how she was so happy, being here with her friends. But now, she had finished. She could control her magic. She had no reason to stay here any longer. She could return home. She could return to Felwithe. Her sister…her father…her grandmother…they were waiting for her. They were waiting for her to control her magic and return. She had made it. She could return now. So why was her mind in such turmoil?

"I….I finished?" Arelle gasped, confused.

"Yes…You finished," Moren said calmly. He looked at her, but she was looking at the ground, her eyes showing her thoughts were elsewhere. "I better go see what Akinen and the rest are up to. I'll see you soon, Arelle," he said, getting up solemnly and walking away.

Arelle watched him as he walked away, her mind in confusion. "Wait!" she called out to him.

Moren turned around and looked at her, surprised. She could see pain in his face, and wondered if she had caused it. Her leaving was making him so sad? She didn't want to leave. She didn't want to leave him. She didn't want to leave!

"I…I don't want to leave, Moren!" Arelle said nervously, getting up and facing him.

He looked at her, completely confused. "But Arelle…you're finished! This is what you've been training so long for. You have to go back! You have people waiting for you!" Moren exclaimed suddenly.

Arelle paused in shock, taking a step back. "…What?…" she asked.

Moren paused, looking at her "It…It's better that way…Arelle…" he said, his voice starting to break.

Arelle gasped. Moren wanted her to leave. Moren wanted her to leave? Could it really be? Why? Why would he want her to leave? Suddenly her eyes widened in realization. Perhaps she had been a bit of a burden to Moren. He had always protected her, cared for her. He had taught her how to survive in the wild. But what had she done for him? Nothing. Nothing. He had always been there for her—had taught her so much—had done so much for her. But she had done nothing for her in return. Nothing. And now, she was finally finished. He had fulfilled his promise to teach her to control her magic. He wanted her to return now. To return to her family.

"You want me….to leave?…I guess I can see why you would think I was troublesome, but…" Arelle stuttered, tears coming to her eyes. How could he have said that? How could she have been so blinded?

"Arelle…" he said, taking a step towards her so that they were a few feet apart, "You're not troublesome…" he said, looking at her.

She bit her lip. "Then why would you tell me to go home? Why would you tell me to leave you, and return to Felwithe? I thought we were all friends. I thought…I didn't realize I was a burden to you. I didn't realize—" Arelle was cut off.

"What do you mean, Arelle? What are you talking about? We are friends. And since when were you a burden to me? I've never thought of you as a burden before…" Moren said.

"Then why would you tell me to leave, Moren? Why do you want me to go home?" Arelle asked, looking into his eyes.

Moren paused, looking at her solemnly. 'Because…Arelle…you have a home to go back to…people who care about you…a family. You should never give those away—never lose them! Someone like you…someone who has a family…you shouldn't give them away. You shouldn't keep them waiting, Arelle. I know they're worried about you. How do you think they feel, you leaving them like that? I know you love them. You talk about them, and I know you think about them all the time. You love them, and they love you. Why would someone who has a home to go back to stay here in this deserted forest? No one lives here. No one but me. All of you will leave—I know you will—you, Akinen, Lilliah, Drahkin—you'll all return to your homes. I knew it wouldn't last. As soon as you leave, Akinen and Drahkin will want to leave, and then Lilliah will go, following Akinen. You are the one person who holds us all together, Arelle—you're the reason everyone's here. But you have a family. You'll go to your family, as you should. And then everyone else will leave, and suddenly everything will be as it was, before you came. I will be alone.

"I knew this was coming. I always looked into the sky blissfully thinking about how wonderful everything was—and how it would change. I couldn't keep you here, Arelle. I can't make you stay. You don't belong out here. You don't belong with me. I've been alone all my life. You've been with your family all your life. That's the way it is. That's the way it will always be.

"Go home, Arelle. Return to your home…your family…your race. They await you impatiently," Moren said, pain stinging his voice as he turned to walk away again quickly.

Arelle put a hand on his shoulder and he froze. "Moren…Oh Moren…How could I ever leave you?" Arelle asked, sadness in her voice. "You think I would leave you alone in this forest? How could I leave you all alone, Moren? I would never. I couldn't. I won't leave you, Moren. I won't forsake my family—they are very close to me, ever in my heart and mind. They're so very dear to me. I would never forsake them. But now, you're dear to me, too, Moren. I would never forsake you. I don't want to leave the forest yet. I want to stay…at least a little longer. I'm not…not ready to go back yet. But I will go back. I will go back to them, someday. And when I do…I'll take you with me," Arelle said determinedly.

Moren's eyes went wide. "Take me with you? To Felwithe? I…"

"Don't give me an answer now. Just think about it, ok? Think of a whole city of people. The High-Elves are not the same as they once were. They accept half Wood-Elves—even full Wood Elves, and other races, as well—much more than they used to. They would be willing to have you live in Felwithe. Would you be willing to live there? You'd never be alone again. Think about it Moren.

"But that will be later. For now, I want to stay here a little longer. It feels like I just got here, made some great friends, and now I have to leave. I won't leave yet. I won't give up on my family, but I'm not giving up on you, either," she smiled at him warmly. "Now come on…let's go see what Akinen and the others are doing!" Arelle said cheerfully, taking his hand and pulling him towards the camp.

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Arelle lay on the soft pallet, her eyes slightly open as her mind wandered over many things. Moren must have been so lonely before she met him. How could he have been such a cheerful, easy-going person if inside he felt such loneliness? Was it all a show, just to hide his true pain inside? Or was his cheerfulness part of his personality—not that he was just using it to hide his true emotions, but that it had become part of who he was really was. Certainly, Moren hid a lot of his painful past away from Arelle—to be honest, she knew practically nothing of his past. She knew how his parents died and he was left all alone, but what about all that time when he was just a young boy, surviving alone in this dangerous forest, all alone?

Moren must have learned to become strong at a very young age to protect himself. Moren was always strong. He could do so much. She remembered how he had looked when she saw him cutting through the Cutthroat crowds to get to her in her hanging cage. He looked so strong—he looked as strong as a mighty warrior. And then he could cast fire spells, and light spells, and healing spells. He seemed so powerful. Was there anything that Moren couldn't do?

Arelle remembered the battle with the Cutthroats. She had longed so much to be of use. It seemed all she was good for was for getting kidnapped and causing the group trouble. Never had she felt the need for magic skills more than in that battle, trying to help her friends. It seemed she was useless. It really annoyed Arelle when she thought of it. Was she so weak? Was she the one in the group that slowed them down? Arelle sighed, turning on her back, her eyes staring at the top of the tent.

"Something bothering you, Arelle?" Lilliah's voice came.

Arelle suddenly became aware of Lilliah lying beside her. "Ah, Lilliah…I didn't realize you were still awake," Arelle said.

Lilliah turned on her side to look at Arelle. "What's wrong, Arelle? I can tell something's bothering you," Lilliah said, looking at Arelle.

Arelle smiled inwardly. This is what friends were for—to listen to your problems. "Well, Lilliah… I'm not sure how to say it, exactly, but… I just… I just feel so weak. Moren says… Moren says I've completed my training. He says I can control my magic now. But… I still can't really use my magic. I can't do anything with it. I'm still useless!" Arelle exclaimed.

Lilliah paused. "Well, Arelle—isn't that because you haven't learned any spells, really? I mean, you know how to use magic, and you're getting better at it. But once you've learned how to use magic, then you have to learn spells. Right?" Lilliah said.

Suddenly, it dawned on Arelle. Why had she not thought of it before? Moren was powerful because he knew many spells. Lilliah was powerful because she had spells. Spells without the knowledge of how to use magic would be useless, but it went the other way around, too. Knowing how to use magic was practically useless without knowing spells to cast. "That's it! If I am determined to become a powerful Caster, which I am, then I must learn spells! Once I learn spells, I will be powerful, just like you and Moren!" Arelle exclaimed, sitting upright.

Lilliah sat upright looking at her happily. "That's right! But first of all, you have to decide on a class—then you can get a teacher or guild from that class and learn all the spells of the class. Have you decided what class you want to be, Arelle?" Lilliah asked.

Arelle paused. She looked at Lilliah, smiling. "Cleric…of course!"

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Blue the Echidna: Well I don't think Arelle will leave them. Heck I wouldn't leave 'em.. And if Arelle did leave she and Moren couldn't get married! So she won't leave them and stuff.Yea stuff :
Amai's Reply: D'oh! How did you suspect it? *sigh*....hehe ^^ Of course Arelle wouldn't leave Moren all alone...poor Moren...and yes, you're right--Arelle will never leave Moren, so she has to take him with her! Aww, isn't that cute? They're so adorable, Moren and Arelle ^.^ Thanks for the review!

Lilliah: I have been keeping up with the story and I am really enjoying it and seeing how the story unfolds:) I am of course O so curious about what you do/reveal about Lilliah next, even if I do know a tiny bit of her past :) Arelle cant go yet! Unless she brings Moren along of course. Keep up the great work and hug Tess for me ~Lil
Amai's Reply: Yay! It's the real Lilliah for which the Lilliah character was made after, gracing us here with her presence! Hey Lilliah! ^.^ Yes, there are many secrets in Lilliah's past which will be revealed....err...later.... in the story ^.^ For now, though...she's the friendly, kind, caring Barbarian woman from Halas, come to become friends with Arelle ^.^ Later in the story shall be revealed more of her true past... ^.^ Thanks for the review, Lilliah!