Sitting in her office, having completed her work, Aly pulled out her journal, and dipped the quill until the half empty ink pot.

"It has been some time since I wrote anything here but I find I need to mayhap, clarify to my own mind that which has occurred of late. My life has turned in many a direction, none of which I saw coming. One would think after a few centuries you could see things ahead of you. This is not always the case."

She dipped the quill again and realized she wrote properly and frowned a bit, but a smirk accompanied. The bloody English has begun to rub off not only in her speech but in her scribe as well.

"One has come crashing, thought subtly so, into my life. To say that he makes me smile is no justice to him, nor to how he has changed my life. It was just a short time ago, that he stealthily plotted the complete capture and surrender of my heart. He frightens me, though I cannot imagine a day without him in my life, and it has begun to be difficult to recall when he was not. Our growing affection and love has taken me prisoner. I do not wish to escape."

The quill was dry and she re-dipped.

"My life was a lie. Though in the finding out of the the truth, it has explained many things. Things that I thought were one way, were completely the opposite. And honestly I should have known all along. Denial I think was my bedfellow. Many things were there for me to see, but I did not wish to acknowledge. Though my parentage has changed *what* I am. It has not changed*who* I am, in the words of a very intelligent man, who though centuries my junior, has vast wisdom. I am demigod, or Godling. I do not trust the Gods. None of them, including the one who gave birth to me, though I can completely understand why she had to do what she did. A mother will do whatever she must to protect her young, and though mine could not protect my sisters nor I, from the evil that was set upon us, she and my father made me strong enough to endure it myself. I survived. Only the Fates know why. There is always a ulterior motive for everything the three of them do. Now that I know, they will have a much more difficult time with me."

Laying down the quill, and reading it over once, she gave a slight nod, then closed the leather bound tome.

Having gone to Southleigh after seeing the merchant ship in port, Aly sat in her chamber at her desk and dipped the quill in the ink.

"It has been some time since I sat an' wrote down anything, due to so many emotions in me I knew no't where to start. I am still no' sure how I fell about any 'f it."

She dipped the in the ink once more and swiped the excess off the side of the bottle and continued to write;

"After I was rescued from Michael's sons, I could no' take anyone even breathin' on me. I still, at times feel myself wishin' to strike out at those who come near or touch me. It is gettin' better as days go by, though I dinna know if twill ev'r go completely away...this feelin' 'f filth touchin' me, tearin' at me from the inside. I hanna been myself for so long... will I ev'r find my way again? I want to believe tha't I can."

"When th' evil set upon this land soon aft'r an' many people I care about were attacked an' hurt, I set my son to th' only place I knew this evil couldna hurt him., though no' wi'out fear I'd ev'r see him again. Wha't a mother will do to save her child, I hav' done twice now. Thankfully Remy forgav' me. I only hope Angus will be as forgivin'."

"Th' battle is ov'r an' we won this one, though I know evil abounds an' shall ev'r try to crawl under th' skin 'f th' great dragon an' aggravate once more. They will always come, an' we will always be ready to fight. Now tis time to rebuild an' live again, or so I'm told. I dinna know how. One day at a time is all I c'n do. I canna giv' more than tha't for each time I do, a piece 'f me is tak'n. One day I shall hav' naugh left to take. I am thankful to hav' the family in th' wonderful friends I hav'. Seein' them livin' an' puttin' back th' pieces is one step forward , ev'n for this old woman."

One last dip in the ink pot and she wrote once more;

"To my utter surprise, I was asked to the Ball by none other than th' Prince 'f th' Romani. I shall endeavor to hav' a gude time. Shock doesna adequately say wha't I felt when he *propositioned* me. He's a fine man, who loves his people. I hav' a friend in his sister Luludja as well an' my thought ere wi' her an' Hans, tha't they might find their way back to wha't they had."

"I was told by th' na'ale 'f th' Romani people tha't three days hence I shall get Angus back from Athena. I shall go to her temple an' get my son. I am' ev'r thankful for all th' people in my love, who hav' come to mean so much.... I am a luck woman indeed to hav' such love an' support an' a very handsome escort to th' ball. Life is movin', as it always does in a very forward motion, wi' nary a a brake in sight. I shall strive to no' be left behind."

With that, Aly got up from her desk and closed her journal, putting it in the drawer once more, and started out for the rest of her day knowing Synic would be waiting for her downstairs.