Author's Notes: Ok, it's official--I'm an evil procrastinator. I have many reasons and excuses for not having updated this fic for a month, which iclude WRITER'S BLOCK, but I'll spare you this time. Le't just say, I find it a lot harder to get started writing, and a lot hard to keep going, then when I was updating weekly. However, I forced myself to get this out today, because, well, it's a new year. A fresh start. So if I start out right, then maybe I can keep doing well for a while, ne? And let's just IGNORE the fact that this is not, in fact, the first Thursday of the new year, and pretend like I'm actually starting the year off right, Arelle-wise.

Ok, enough ranting ^.^ I hope everyone's have a great new year! ^.^ Enjoy the chapter~!

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Arelle ran down the dirt path, her feet light beneath her, a smile creeping onto her lips. As she reached the top of a hill, she suddenly stopped in her tracks, staring at what lay ahead of her. She turned to Moren, Akinen, and Lilliah, who had been following a ways behind her. They looked up at her, but their gazes soon focused on what lay beyond her—the gates of Felwithe.

The white gates of Felwithe were grand indeed. Like the High-Elves, the gates seemed powerful yet lovely, and like the High-Elves, they seemed proud and un-welcoming of strangers. Arelle watched their reactions, hoping for the best. Her smile faded as she watched the companions glance at each other, seemingly disheartened.

"Come now, why does everyone look so worried? Don't tell me you're ready to turn back now that we've gotten this far!" she looked around, hopefully.

The party stood in silence, uncertainty and doubt in the air.

Suddenly, Arelle's face became determined as she grabbed Moren's hand, and with her other hand grabbed Akinen's hand, and pulled them towards Felwithe.

"The gates may be cold, but inside the people will be happy and lively, for this is the Festival, when men and elves come from all over Faydwer, and even Norrath, come to visit Felwithe. If ever there was a time when they accepted other races, it is now. Do not be intimidated by their gates! Let us hurry inside for the celebrations!" Arelle said, beaming, as she pulled them towards the gates.

Whether Moren or Akinen wanted to go in or not, they couldn't have resisted Arelle as she smiled brightly, radiating with happiness, pulling them along with her. Lilliah giggled at how child-like Arelle was now, compared to how mature she had seemed in the forest. She smiled as she followed the three as they made their way to the gate.

Once they reached the gate, the three guards held their swords out warningly. "Who are you, and what is your business?" they asked.

Arelle pushed her hood back so they could see she was High-Elf. "We have come for the Festival. As you can see, I am a High-Elf like you. We mean no harm,"

They looked at the High-Elf girl suspiciously, then looked at her companions, all with hoods hanging over their faces, making them unidentifiable. "Do you have papers?"

"Papers?" Arelle blinked.

"Something to show that you can enter for the Festival?"

Arelle paused, brows furrowed. People had to have something to come into Felwithe for the Festival? She knew Felwithe was wary of strangers, and usually only let those into the city if they had a good reason, but for the Festival, she had thought they would let people in freely. But then again, how would they know they weren't letting bandits or thieves in if they let anyone who came to the gate come in? And Arelle knew her party looked particularly suspicious, all hiding their faces, but a party with a scarred Rogueish High-Elf, a half High-Elf/Wood-Elf, and a Barbarian Shaman wouldn't look much better.

What should she do? A sign to let her enter Felwithe? How could she give them something like that? When she had left Felwithe, she had only taken with her things like food, tools, and some clothing—certainly nothing that would convince them to let her in.

Arelle paused, thinking. Suddenly, she reached up and unclasped the metallic looking barrette holding her hair in a ponytail, letting her golden hair fall in tumbles down to nearly her ankles. Everyone looked at her in surprise—she looked so much different than when she had her hair up, and none of the party but Moren had seen her hair down before.

But while the others gazed at her, Arelle stepped towards the guards, who watched her, somewhat befuddled by her actions. She held the cylinder-shaped barrette in her hand and unclasped its lock so it divided into two half-cylinders, held together by a strip of metal. Arelle traced her fingers across the inside of the barrette, and exclaimed suddenly, "Illuminate!" To the surprise of the guards, as well as the her party, the cylinder lit up, and where Arelle had traced her finger, words illuminated in bright silver, shedding beams of silver light over the ground and faces of the on-lookers in patches. The words read, in elfish, "Child of the Moon".

The guards looked at the barrette in wonder. "Child of the Moon? Surely it doesn't mean…" They looked at Arelle in surprise and curiosity.

"This was given to me by a descendant of Asheetino," Arelle said.

They looked at her wide-eyed. "The Moon Wizard, Asheetino?" they asked in surprise. "His descendants live on?"

"Of course!" Arelle replied hotly. "You think the great Moon Wizard's line would die out so easily?"

"It's just that they seem to have vanished…or perhaps it's just because no one's heard news of them since…"

"Well, now you know! Just because they don't go around proclaiming through the streets that they're the descendants of the Moon Wizard doesn't mean they don't exist anymore!" she said.

The soldiers were taken aback slightly at Arelle's sudden temper. "Well, if you really do have permission from a descendant of the Moon Wizard, then you and your companions may pass," the guards said.

Arelle watched, arms folded, as they opened the gate for her, then pulled her hair back into a ponytail with her barrette. She turned briefly to the rest of the party. "Come on, let's go," she said, motioning for them to follow as she entered the gates.

They followed her through the gates, but when they were out of the guards' hearing range, she began speaking.

"Asheetino, the Moon Wizard, was my grandfather. To make the story short, he was a well-known Wizard who worked for the king of the High-Elves," Arelle said, answering their inquisitive looks.

"Your grandfather, eh? Then, it must be on your mother's side, for I know my father was no Wizard, that's for sure," Akinen said.

Arelle nodded. "Yes, Father married the single heir of Asheetino's line—my mother, Relliah."

"Little Aekash did? Who would've thought? I wonder how he pulled that off," Akinen laughed.

"Well, it wasn't easy, actually. Even though my father was a great caster, he could never, of course, match up to Asheetino, and Asheetino was determined to not give his daughter to anyone 'unworthy'. But they were determined to marry, and eventually worked things out," Arelle said. Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks and looked in front of her. She smiled widely, taking Moren's hand with one hand, and pointing forward with the other.

"This is the city of High-Elves, the grand Felwithe. This is my homeland," Arelle said happily, casting her eyes over the city before them.

The party paused, staring at the bustling crowds, marble stones, and ivy-covered buildings.

Arelle felt Moren drawing close to her side and looked up at him to see if something was wrong.

"There's….so many people…" Moren said. Arelle couldn't help but think he sounded like an afraid child.

Arelle took his hand and smiled up at him. "They may look intimidating in a crowd, but High-Elves are just like everyone else, just a bit more stuck-up," she laughed.

Moren smiled at her, his mood brightened by her laughter.

Arelle couldn't help but blush thinking how the High-Elves she spent her childhood with would have been ever so horrified at what she just said. Even she was a bit shocked at how he changed since she ran away. Who would've imagined, a proud High-Elf of noble birth, cracking jokes about High-Elves being stuck up?

"Is something wrong, Arelle?" Moren asked.

Arelle snapped out of her thoughts, looking up at him. "Erm, sorry, I was just thinking," she said, smiling. She turned to the Akinen and Lilliah. "We should get to an Inn—it's almost night, and tomorrow morning, the Festival will begin! I wonder if all the Inns will be full from the visitors? Well, no matter, I shall be able to find one with rooms. This is my city, after all," she said, turning and walking briskly down the marble road as the others watched her, smiling.

Renka hummed quietly, tapping her foot to the rhythm absent-mindedly. She gazed upward at the top of the tent, her mind drifting. Suddenly she stopped as the unconscious Myrall, lying beside her on a mat, groaned. She turned to him in surprise and watched him slowly open his eyes.

"…Renka?" he asked, in a daze.

"Myrall!" she exclaimed excitedly, suddenly hugging him in her joy.

Myrall blushed and looked at her in surprised confusion.

Renka whacked him the head suddenly, "That's for making me worry so much, idiot!"

Myrall blinked, recalling what had happened before he fell unconscious, and suddenly exclaimed, "Me?! I'm not the one who just stood there in surprise as a dagger comes speeding towards me! Maybe you should consider how worried about you I was! You could've died, stupid girl!" he exclaimed.

She blinked. "And how was you jumping in front of me and taking the blow improving the situation?! If I'd been hit and died, it'd be better then you taking it for me and dying! I'd regret it for the rest of my life, bearing something like that!" Renka exclaimed.

"You idiot! I'd rather die protecting you than watch you die before my eyes! Besides, something like that was just a reflex, seeing how I always have to protect you from things like that! It's become habit!"

"Since when have you had to protect me?! I don't remember—"

"I'm always watching out for you! You just never noticed! I've always—" Myrall exclaimed, but cut himself off.

Renka opened her mouth to reply, but stopped short when she saw Myrall blushing.

At Myrall's blush, Renka burst out laughing. "Look at your face! You're turning red!" she laughed.

Myrall said nothing but stared at the roof of the tent, his face angry, yet still blushing.

Renka sighed, stretching, her face smiling. "Whew, that felt good! I was starting to get tense, not having anyone to yell at while you were unconscious. After all, you're the only one who can match me at yelling," she sighed happily.

Myrall glanced at her, annoyed. "I'm glad I'm useful for something."

Renka stared at him. "Ah, don't tell me you're mad at me laughing at you? Come on, I know you're just red because you have a fever. You got it last night, and your face's been red all day," she said. "Besides, it's not like I would think you were actually blushing. I mean, is it even possible for an idiot like you to do something like blush?" Renka said, giggling.

Myrall stared at her, un-amused. "You're so dense, Renka," he said quietly.

Renka stared at him. "What? Don't mumble, it's not like you—if you have something to say, you should yell it, like you usually do," she said, smirking.

"Would you just be quiet?!" he exclaimed, his face genuinely angry. "You know how annoying it is listening to you babble on?! Why, in the name of Tunare, do you have to be so DENSE?! I might not be the perfect commander, but if someone like you were to take Raaj's place, the White Wolfs would surely be massacred! You're always so easy-going, but do you ever actually think before you speak? Why don't you try not to be so oblivious to everything around you!" Myrall exclaimed in fury.

Renka paused, looking at him, brows furrowed. He really looked genuinely upset. "Ah…is that so…" she said, avoiding his gaze, her face downcast.

Myrall ran his hand through his hair in frustration. As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted it. Why did he always do this? Why did he always get so worked up? Had he hurt Renka again, he bit his lip, trying not to look at her.

Renka stood up silently. Myrall watched as she walked to the entrance of the tent and turned around. "Well, even though I don't really understand all that you said, I realize you were right about me being a bad commander. You're right. But you don't have to worry about that. It's already decided—we're breaking Raaj out."

Myrall's eyes widened.

"So don't worry about the commander issue. Right now, you should rest. I'll send someone to get you food, since you must be hungry now," Renka said solemnly. She flashed him a smile, but it seemed painfully forced. "I'll see you later," she said, leaving the tent.

Myrall listened to her footsteps as she walked further away from his tent. He let his hands hold his face, as he rocked back and forth in frustration.

"I'm such an idiot! Why doesn't anything come out right when I'm with her?! She's the one person who can so easily get me to blow up like that. If only she wasn't so dense!" he exclaimed.

He let himself fall backwards onto his back, sighing. "Break Commander Raaj out? I wonder what they're thinking, with that jail so heavily guarded. But if we really can break him out…then will things be the same as before he was turned in? No…too many things have happened since he left. With what I said to Renka, she now realizes she loves him. Will she confess to him?" Myrall wondered out loud, brows furrowed.

"What am I worried about? Even if she does confess, it's not like he feels the same—he thinks of her as a little sister!" Myrall exclaimed, comforting himself. He turned on his side, fidgeting. Was that really true? He had told her as if it was certain, but if it really was, then why did he feel so uneasy? Was that really how Raaj felt about Renka? How did Raaj feel about Renka?

Myrall squinted, feeling his wounded shoulder. Much must have been decided while he was unconscious. If they did intend to break Raaj out, Myrall hoped they had a really good plan.

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Pizza Pizza: Of course I'm still readin!
Amai's reply: Yay! I'm so glad ^.^ I was wondering if you were still reading! Sorry this chapter was so sappy and action-less...I'll make up for it, umm...some other chapter ^.^;;

Pluton: Well I'm probably biased but … I liked this chapter!! :)
Amai's reply: Lol! I'm so glad! I try hard to play your character right, and give him enough spotlight ^.^ I'm always afraid I'm playing someone's character wrong, but I'm glad you're good with how I make him, haha ^.^

Tess: Yeah! you are back writing! Thx for the next chapter!
Amai's reply: Geh, now I feel guilty, leaving for a month again . But I'm glad I have your support! And your proofreading, hehe ^.^

Lilliah: Ah there is the lil squirt Plutie again:) Keep up the good work hon. I cant wait to see what happens next. *waves to Tess and Plut* ~Lil
Amai's reply: He just pops in and out of the story, doesn't he? Have you noticed the couples get the most time in this fic? It must be because I'm a sap ^.^;; Anyway.... Don't worry, we'll be having a Lilliah story-line, umm...sometime ^.^ But thanks for sticking with Arelle all the time ^.^

Pizza Pizza: She's gone again! No...
Amai's reply: It's so nice knowing people care! *sniffles in appreciation* I'm back...at least for now ^.^;; I can't guarantee how long that'll be, though...