A new man in Arethor

[Aptrotta 162]

Journal entry 1:

I cant help but think how fine a day today is. The sky is a beautiful light blue. There are a few clouds in the air. A nice, cool breeze blowing through my hair. I am currently nearing the village as I write. Im thinking of what my new life here is going to be like. But I cant help myself from thinking of my old. The stories I could tell. I will write them here so I must never forget. Where to begin, how about with my name? My name is Theodore Larvendale. As I write this, I am 21 years old. I am leaving my old home to start a new life in Arethor. There was nothing bad with my old one, it was just destroyed. The trading village I grew up in burned down in fire while my mother, father, and I were on a trip to our grandmothers house. The result of some drunk peasants running around. Helping my father run the tavern and baking with my mother for her bakery was a perfect. Until I was twelve, I baked with my mother. She taught me all her recipes. My favorite was her ale cake. Thinking about it makes my mouth water. But that was only a short part of my childhood. As soon as I turned twelve my father went up to my mother and told her, "Theodore needs to learn responsibility. He needs to learn how to fight." My mother didn't want to start a feud so he let father do what he wanted. Everyday, I would start working 30 minutes after the sun rose and stop working before nightfall. Once nightfall hit, he took me to the taverns basement and taught me how to fight. I learned hand to hand combat and how to fight with a sword. He wanted to enter me in a competition. He told me if I won three fights in a row, he would give me the tavern. This motivated me to keep fighting. Every time I would get close, I would always lose the last fight. One day, when I was about 15, my mother decided that I needed a break so she took my father and I on a trip to my grandmothers. We are they for about two weeks. It was fun, I got to play with my cousins and see family I have never even met. I was sad when I had to leave and even sadder when I got returned home. The entire village was in ashes. My friends were on the ground, covered in soot coughing, everyone looked burned and hurt. Everyone had lost something or someone in the tragedy. I ran up to my friend Chester and asked him what happened. Between coughs, he told me, "The village peasants broke into your tavern and stole the ale. They became drunk and started stealing torches and burning things. My parents told me they were going to rebuild the tavern and bakery, but they told me they wanted me to leave. They didn't want me to be exposed to all this tragedy. They told me to go straight to Arethor, but I didn't listen. For the last six years, I have been exploring the world. Now the journey will be over soon, I will arrive in Arethor and begin my new life. Hopefully build a tavern and inn with a bakery inside. I shall arrive soon, hopefully in an hour so. The city is insight. I complete this journal entry.

[SkyyoBee 249]

Moved to the Great Library. It shall be sorted into appropriate category shortly.