\--==Official Submission==-- FROM: General Debinani Rahl RE: Chapter Twenty - Paul''s Story Entry 14 Well, its been quite a long time since I have made an entry in this old beat up journal, but some of the things that I have recently gonethrough have made me realize that I need to record all that I know ofmy past. Let me start with what I have been doing lately though. After theevents that lead to the Captain being charged with murder, and thesubsequent attempt to clear his name, I found myself needing tocontinue the journey that I had begun that day so long ago in Moonglow. So I packed up those items that I though I would need and just wanderedfor a long time. Spending much of my time away from other people,trying to remember what it was that I was trying to do. Reflectingupon my life, and the events that had lead to my leaving Moonglow.Eventually I found that I had wandered near one of the mysticalmoongates that make travel around our world much easier. So, having noidea were I was, and not really having any plans as where to go, Istepped through the gate to see where it would take me. And as fatewould have it, the gate had returned me to my childhood home ofMoonglow. I don't know how long I stood there in shock. Sure, I had been back toMoonglow since I had left, but I don't know. Maybe it was my recentremembrances of my past here, but I just broke down and cried. Eventually I came out of my shock, to the sound that I had know wellall my life, the sound of an axe on a tree. Looking around, I saw thiskid, well he looked to be in his late teens, but I guess I am oldenough to consider that a kid now, trying to cut a tree down. He seemed to be having considerable difficulty though, so I decided to goover and offer him some advice."Hey, you are doing that all wrong." I said. This caused him to turn towards me, "Hello," he said."Hi. Like I said you are doing that wrong.""Hmm, how so?" he asked."Here let me show you." So I take my hatchet out of pack an proceededto show him how to properly chop a tree."Wow, you are pretty good at that. By the way, my name is ThomasSmyth.""I am Paul," I said. "Why are you out here trying to cut down a tree?""I want to be the best craftsman in all of Britannia," he said. "Blacksmithing, Carpentry, Tinkering, Tailoring are all skill that acraftsman need. And carpentry requires wood, so....""Oh, I see," I replied."You are pretty good at lumberjacking, you wouldn't be looking for ajob would you?" Thomas asked me."No. I have had that job before." I told him."Too bad, I could use some help. So Paul what are you doing out hereanyway?""Just wandering," I said. "Doing some thinking."Now don't ask me why, but somehow he eventually talked me intolumberjacking for him. He said something like, "Well you can do alotof thinking while you lumberjack." Of course he said it with a biggrin on his face, but he was right. You can do alot of thinking whileyou lumberjack.So I have spent much of my time lately out in the forests getting logsfor him. And he is a very good carpenter now. Better than I ever was.But one of the things that I realized while I was out logging, was thatthe Black Roses are my brothers now and that I have never told you ofthe time before I joined you. So I have decided to finally write downas much of it as I know and can remember at least and share it with youmy brothers.So, when shadowspawn announced the reformation of the First Warders, Iheard about it I decided to come back from the forests and share that part of my life with you.And now I have finally gotten around to actually writing it out.My earliest memory is on the Inn in Moonglow. You see that is where Igrew up. How I came to be under the supervision of Cromwell, I never actually understood fully. But the story that I heard was that mymother had come through the moongate outside of town, and that shortlyafter she walked into town she went into labor. Then right after shegave birth to me, she died. But, only after she had named me, Paul. One of the mages, that I later spoke too, said that the moongate musthave somehow caused my birth prematurely. I guess I will have to takehis word for it, seeing how that level of magery will always be abovemy head.So, because she was already a guest of the Inn, but had not given herlast name nor where she was from, for some reason it was decided that Ishould be put under the care of the Innkeeper and the maids there. So,that is where I lived until my twelfth birthday, when I was apprenticedto the local carpenter. Under his tutelage I learned the skills of carpentry, tinkering and lumberjacking, which as the apprentice I did the most of. Then, when I was seventeen, I was helping Vincent make a delivery offurniture to the house of the local banker. It was there that I mether. Angellica, the bankers daughter. I had heard to love at firstsight before, and after that day I believed in it. Even though herfather forbid her from seeing just a carpenter's apprentice, we wouldoften sneak out of town into the forest to spend some time together. Those truly were the happiest years of my life. I would spent most ofmy days learning the correct way to shape wood into furniture. And fora few hours almost every night me and Angellica would just sit out inthe forest and talk. Talk of the future, of the past, of anything. And other times we wouldn't talk at all, but just sit there together.As it was getting close to my twentieth birthday, the day that wouldend my apprenticeship, I started to make the tools that I would need tostart my own carpentry shop in town. Our plans were simple, I wouldopen my shoppe proving to her father that I could support a family,then I would ask for his permission to marry her.Then, as I was coming back from lumberjacking one day, I saw a crowd ofpeople just outside the gate to town. As I wandered over there to seewhat was going on, my old friend Milamber, saw me and started walkingtowards me. When he reached me he told me not to go over there. Iasked him why. "It's Angellica, shes been killed."I'm not really too sure what happened after that point, I rememberrunning over to see if what he had told me was true. And I saw herbody. The next clear memory I have is of being in Milamber's house onthe other side of town. I asked him what had happened, and he told methat no one was quite sure, but it seems that Angellica's father hadbeen dealing with a criminal of some sort. That a fight occurred outside of town between them, and that her father was killed. Angellicahad been following them, for some reason, and when she saw that, sheran to her father. The murderer seeing that there was a witness,killed her as well. Or at least that is what the guards currentlythought had happened. But, of course, they had no idea who it was thatkilled them.Well, after her murder, my life kinda fell apart. I decided that Icouldn't stay in Moonglow any longer, that the memory of her was justtoo powerful there. So I packed up my belonging, and left. On my wayout of town, Milamber asked me "Are you sure you want to do this?" "No, but I need to." I replied."Then here are a few things to help you on your journey." And he gaveme some armour and a sword. I had never even touched one before thatday.And with that I left town, and walked through the moongate.