~The Elven-names~ the story of Mirluin's mother.

I looked up at the Keeper of the Legacy. Right then, he looked very old. It seemed a great weight had fallen on his shoulders. He must have seen me looking, for he smiled sadly.

"Yes, Mirluin, such is the doom of the Keepers." he said quietly, in answer to my unspoken question. "But you will find help in your mother's diary."

I gazed at him in wonder as I realized that he knew so much more than I guessed. "Thank you," I whispered.

He nodded at me. "Go ahead. Go. Read. Discover. And learn how to preserve the people of the elven-names."

*   *   *

 

On the way back to my room, I asked Weneithel if she knew what the Keeper of the Legacy's name was. She shook her head slowly.

 

"No. All have forgotten it. He is the eldest of the elven-named, and has been the Keeper of the Legacy for over eighty years." A dreamy look came into her eyes, and she smiled. "It was different with your mother. All knew her name. Findulias! She was as beautiful, and as brave, as the elf-maiden she was named after. And Turan Faeron won her heart.

 

"The Faerons were one of the oldes families of the Elven-named. And Turan was the most like an elf-lord of them all. They were a wonderful pair; and after they were married they were always at each other's side. They went on many journeys together, and together they won many skirmishes with the Mormir. But alas that your mother had the short life of her namesake! After her death, your father changed." Weneithel looked at me gravely. "Turan Faeron is no longer the man he once was, Mirluin."

I nodded sadly. "I know. I wish he hadn't. He sounds wonderful, the way you describe him."

 

Weneithel sighed. "His name is Tur-ran. It means master of fire. Your father has a fire burning inside of him, but right now he is having trouble mastering it. Perhaps you will be able to help him, Mirluin."

 

*   *   *

 

I flopped down on my tree bed in my tree room, and opened Mom's journal. It opened to a page in the middle.

 



I feel compelled to name my first child Mirluin. I don't know why, but I feel she will be a huge factor in the battle that is sure to happen with the Mormir. And so I am naming her after the Legacy. Turan agrees with me, but I have not told him that she will be my successor. It doesn't really matter, anyway. It will be years before I need a successor.
 

serious thoughts

Despair. Death. Feeling completely alone and forgotten. I don't like thinking of these things. Does anyone?

But when someone you know tries to commit suicide, you are forced to think of those things. And I can't comprehend it.

The world is beautiful. Life is beautiful. I cannot understand why anyone would want to kill themselves. It's true, I don't believe I have ever been really depressed. But to be so depressed that you think death would be better than living?

It's incomprehensible.

But we need to be compassionate to those who do feel that way.

We need to try and make them feel loved, cared for.

We need to tell them that God loves them, and that will never change.

I can't say what I am feeling.

Words just don't work.

 

~The Elven-names~ Great Responsiblity



After we entered the forest palace, I was taken to a sort of room. I sat there by myself, thinking. Then I remembered that i had Mom's journal in my pocket. I took it out and began to read where I had left off.

I have learned that there is an enemy, an organization which is determined to eliminate the people of the Elven-names. This organization's name is Mormir, the dark jewel. And so it is the blue jewel versus the dark jewel, the radiance the one emits versus the blackness of the other. This terrifies me, yet I have confidence that light, and purity, will win out. But only if drastic steps are taken against Mormir. But in order to fight them, I must learn the secrets, of both the Elven-named, and the Mormir. I am going to start on a quest...to find out the origins of the Elven-named. Turan is with me; he supports me being the Keeper of the Lore. And he will help me on my quest.

So Dad hadn't always been against the elven names. I wondered what Dad's name meant.Tur-ran. Now I wished I had read the Silmarillion a bit more; somewhere in it there was a elven-word dictionary thing. And what was that about the blue jewel versus the black jewel? Did Mom mean me?If she did, why was it me against the Mormir?

*   *   *

 

As I was thinking on this, Weneithel came in. "The Keeper of the Legacy would like to see you now, Mirluin," she said.

 

I rose and followed her to the place I had been in before, where the great chair was in the hall. The Keeper smiled as I came near. He stood, and came toward me. His hair was pure white, and he looked exceedingly old, but he moved with nobility, and not haltingly or with a cane. "Mirluin, I have something to show you now," he said. "You need to know of it, for now you are a Keeper, and few things of the Elven-Named can be hidden from you."

 

I nodded. This was overwhelming me--I didn't know what to do when he talked to me like that. I was just a kid! But now I was Keeper of the Lore, and I had to accept great responsibility.

 

The Keeper of the Legacy took me down a long path and into a chamber. On a pedestal there was laid a large, blue, jewel. It was shining with a light of its own, and was as big as a robin's egg. I sucked in my breath at the sight of it. It was beautiful.

 

The Keeper smiled as he saw my reaction. "This is Mirluin, the Legacy of the Elven-Named, Mirluin. Your mother named you after it, for reasons known to herself. In this jewel is the power of safe-keeping, and the Keeper of the Legacy has the responsibility of using it to the good of the havens of the Elven-Named. " He paused for a little while, then he looked at me gravely. "This is the responsibility of the Keeper of the Legacy. And your responsibility is just as great. You are the Keeper of the Lore. And the Keeper of the Lore's responsiblility is to keep the remembrance of who they are in the hearts of the Elven-Named. If either of the Keepers fail, the Elven-Named will cease to exist."

 

His words fell like doom in my ears. If I did not know who I was myself, how could I keep the remembrance of who we were in the hearts of the people of the Elven-Names?

contest entry

I am entering Storyteller's Story And Design Contest! I entered the design part of it, so here's my book cover for her book, Letters to Jo.

 

Memory Verse--Psalm 177

Welll, I'm going to add more to the beatitudes on the side bar, but I'm also starting a new verse. psalm. passage. whatever, call it what you like! =P

Psalm 117

Praise the LORD, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples.
For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.
Praise the LORD.


And that's it! A whole psalm, but it is the shortest chapter in the Bible. =D

~The Elven-names~ Unexpected Occurences

I was walking toward a line of trees, and I was hating every minute of it. As I drew closer, I could tell the trees were a barrier of some sort. I wanted to stop, before I passed through them. But someone was pushing me. I twisted my head to see who was behind me, but I couldn't. Whoever it was would not let me turn my head. I passed the line of trees, and immediately an overwhelming fear fell on me. It wasn't safe here. I began to struggle, to try to go back. I jerked away from the person pushing me and looked straight in their face. I saw..

Dad? He smiled at me. "Mirluin, time to wake up."

I had been dreaming again. It was Saturday. And then the realization fell on me. We were leaving Middlecester today. Almost the same sense of fear came on me that I had felt in the dream. A stifling, grasping feeling, it twists in your belly like someone tied it in a knot.

*   *   *

 

As we got in the car, I could see that Thoron and Gilanna felt the same way I did. We were leaving a secure place to go somewhere... I didn't even understand why we felt that way. We shouldn't have this irrational fear about leaving. We could be scared, but to be as terrified as I felt? It was weird.

 

The highway from Middlecester goes through the forest for a long ways, and right in the middle, there's a rest stop. Dad stopped the car there and we all got out to stretch our legs. After a few minutes, I turned to go back to the car.

 

And I saw Dad, confronted by two archers and another man.

 

"Turan!" the man without a bow said. "Do you seek to estrange yourself even further from your people? You know it is forbidden to take a Keeper of the Lore outside of a haven against her will."

 



 Dad went white. "What?" he asked, almost in a whisper. "A Keeper of the Lore?" He looked at me. I looked down. Dad closed his eyes. "I did not know."

I stepped forward. "He speaks true. My father did not know I was chosen Keeper of the Lore." One of the archers looked at me and winked. It was Matt. I crossed my arms. "He did not know."

The man who had spoken to Dad nodded his head slowly. "Still he may not take you any further away from Middlecester. We are nearly on the border of the haven now." He turned to walk back into the forest. "You will all come with us."

And then I saw that there were more than three people. They were all around us. Thoron and Gilanna were looking around in wonder as they emerged from the forest.

Thoron looked at me. "What is this all about?"

I sighed. "I can't tell you right now. But it's something to do with Mom."

Thoron nodded. I wondered how much he guessed--more than I figured, I guessed.

*   *   *

 

On the walk into the forest, Dad wouldn't look at me. He seemed wrapped in thought. I was glad that we didn't have to leave, but what was going to happen now? Everything seemed to be falling to pieces around me.

 

A young woman named Weneithel was walking beside me. She was very friendly, and seemed to know quited a bit about Elven-named, so I decided to ask her some questions.

 

"Wen, (that was what she asked to be called), why do you think my father doesn't like elven-named? He is one."

 

She looked at me, then looked at Dad. "I think he may be sorrowing over your mother still, Mirluin," she said. "Turan was the..." her voice trailed off. It almost seemed like the last part had been talking to herself, not me."

 

I frowned. There were still things that confused me. "Why did the Keeper of the Legacy say that there were few choices for successors? I mean, look at all these elven-named here."

 

Wen smiled. "Yes, there are many elven-named. But there are only a few eldar-hini here. You, your sister and your brother, and two others."

 

My eyes got wide. "How come?"

 

She sighed. "I do not know for certain. But I believe the Enemy has something to do with it. Many Elven-named, when they are grown, abandon their people and do not keep the names. There may be more in the other havens."

 

I nodded. Just then Matt came toward us. "we are almost there," he said excitedly. "I think the Keeper of the Legacy will wish to see you, Mirluin."

candy

 

Candy.

Which sort do you prefer? The fancier kind? : >>vv

Or maybe the sour sort: >>VV

Or the regular chocolate?

What's your choice?

 

~The Elven-names~ A Terrible Situation that gets WORSE

"Archer?" Matt looked confused.

I could feel my face grow red. "I-um-uh-sorta...named you, after we met in the forest."

He grinned. "Well, you know my real name now."

I nodded. "So, does that have anything to do with this?"

Matt squinted. "What?"

I sighed. "Does what happened in the forest have anything to do with you coming here?

His face grew serious. "I'm supposed to keep an eye on you, make sure the Enemy doesn't learn who you are, that sort of thing. But it's not safe to talk about it here."

I nodded. "Okay. But when we're somewhere where it is safe, I want some explanations."

He laughed, and I continued home by myself.

*   *   *

 

That week at school, it seemed like I was always running into Matt. Not literally, but he was always around. He always talked to me when I walked home from school, and sometimes he'd even sit at my table at lunch. To tell the truth, it was sort of annoying.

 

On Friday, as Heather and I were at out lockers, heather was chatting away like usual, and I was getting my books. Then something Heather said got my attention.

 

"...and you have all the luck, Mir, with Matt wanting to be your boyfriend."

 

I almost dropped my books. "WHAT!!?! You're kidding, right?"

 

She looked insulted. "I'm not kidding. Everyone's jealous."

 

I took a deep breath. Do you know how I met this guy? I felt like screaming, He was aiming a bow and arrow at me! But instead I just said: "I am definitely NOT his girlfriend, Heather. He's annoying."

 

She stared at me. But he's so cute, and he's really nice. To you, anyway. He doesn't even look at the other girls."

 

I closed my eyes. "That's an exaggeration, Heather, and you know it."

 

"Well, hardly!" She shrugged. "He doesn't talk to any of the other girls, and he's alway talking to you."

 

I sighed. "Well, you can be his girlfriend if you want to be. I am not." And I walked away.

 

*   *   *

 

After school when Matt came up to me on my way out, I ignored him. As he tried to get my attention I just kept walking.

 

"Mir, there's something I need to tell you!" I heard him say. I didn't stop. People were not going to say I was Matt's girlfriend.

 

After I got home I and Gilanna were playing a game before we needed to make supper when the doorbell rang. I heard Dad go to answer it. Then I heard Dad talking angrily and the door slammed shut. And then Dad's voice came, tight and angry.

 

"Mirluin! Come here! Right. Now!"

 

I sighed and went out into the living room. "Yes, Dad?"

 

Dad's hands were clenched into fists. "Mirluin! Have you been getting into your mother's stuff again?"

 

I shook my head. "No, Dad, honest."

 

He frowned. "That was the same person I saw you with in the forest."

 

So it had been Matt at the door. Now I was annoyed. "What was he doing here?"

 

Dad crossed his arms. "He said he had a message for you."

 

I sighed. "Did he tell it to you?"

 

"No." Dad relaxed his fists. "I'll make supper. You and Gilanna need to start packing."

 

I frowned, bewildered. "Packing? Why?"

 

Dad smiled. "I got a good job offer on Wednesday. I wasn's sure about it, but this decides it. We are leaving this dratted town!"

~The Elven-names~ Back to Normality.....or Not?

On Sunday I didn't read Mom's journal. I didn't think I could take any more discoveries just now. I spent the day thinking of my most recent one: Dad was an elven-named.

It was then I realized that I didn't know Dad's name. things that came in the mail were addressed to 'Mr. T. Faeron' or just 'Mr. Faeron'. His friends called Dad 'T'. Mom had called him that also. It's pretty sad, when you think about it. I didn't know my own dad's name. What did that say about our relationship? But I didn't know how to change things.

 

*   *   *

 

When I went back to school, it was really strange. So much had happened on the weekend that it was weird seeing everything going on like normal at school. And everything basically was normal. I could almost forget that I had been chosen Keeper of the Lore.

 

Between classes, when I went to my locker, my friend Heather was there.

 

"Did you hear, there's a new guy here today?" she asked. "He just switched schools--he used to go to the one across town."

 

"Oh, really?" I inquired. "I wonder why he did that?"

 

Heather shrugged. "I don't know. But he's a senior, and he's really handsome."

 

"Oh?" I asked again. Frankly, I couldn't care less. But Heather kept gushing.

 

"He's got wavy dark hair, and almost black eyes, and he's tall..."

 

I sighed. "I really  need to get to class, Heather," i said. She stopped talking, and I ran off to class.

 

*   *   *

 

I had almost forgotten the conversation by the time school ended. We didn't live far from the high school, so I always walked home. That day I was surprised by a boy opening the door for me as I went out.

 

I smiled gratefully at him. "Thank you!"

 

He nodded "You're welcome."  Then he smiled ruefully. "I suppose you don't know me. I just switched schools. My name's Matt."

 

I smiled politely. "That's nice. My name's--"

 

"Mirluin," he finished for me. I stared at him as we continued down the sidewalk.

 

"How did you know that?"

 

He looked straight ahead, his face straight. "Because you're so pretty."

 

I sucked in my breath, speechless with astonishment for a moment. Then I was furious. I turned to him. "I don't even know you!!" I spit out. "Do you al--"

 

I was going to finish my sentence, but Matt grinned. My jaw dropped open and I took a step backward in surprise.

 

"You're--you're Archer!" I stammered.

New Memory Verse: Matthew 5:1-4

So it's a new week. Time for a new memory verse!

I am going to be memorizing the Beatitudes, so I'm starting off with the first few verses:

Matthew 5:1-4
Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them, saying:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.


*He, in this passage, is Jesus.

~The Elven-names~ Perplexities

Dad was livid. As I approached him, I could see his jaw working. And his eyes? They were hard as flint. "Mirluin, who was that you were talking to?" His voice was calm and deadly.

"I don't know, Dad," I answered truthfully. "I was reading in the forest when I met him."

Dad's fists clenched. "You aren't telling me everything, Mirluin. You think I don't know an elven-named when I see one?"

At that my anger, which had been building up since that morning, just spilled over. "Dad," I cried passionately, "I can't tell an elven-named when I see one. And I am one! How come you didn't tell us who we are? How come you don't want me to look at Mom's stuff? Why?"

And before Dad could answer, I ran into the house and into my room, slamming the doors as I went. I flung myself onto my bed, sobbing.

And that's when it hit me. It almost seemed that my breath was knocked out of me by the realization. The Keeper of the Legacy had told me that the Keepers had to be eldarhin. I was a Keeper. To be an eldarhin, both of your parents had to be elven-named. Dad was elven-named? Then why was he so against them?

I have added more!!!!!!!!

Just to let you guys know, The Agent Files is done! I have uploaded it here and you can read it by clicking on the tab, The Agent Files. I hope you all enjoy!

Okay, so I guess I am just addicted to writing this story..... ~The Elven-names~ Important Meeting

I dropped Mom's journal. And stared at this person who was aiming their bow at me.

He was tall, and his face was serious...evidently intent on aiming his arrow correctly. He narrowed his eyes at me. "If you aren't who I think you are, I loose this arrow." Great. That didn't make me feel any better.

The archer tilted his head. "So who are you?"

I took a deep breath. Since I didn't know who I was supposed to be, I might as well just say who i was. "I am Mirluin Faeron. I was supposed to meet someone here."

He grinned and set down his bow. "Good. I was supposed to meet you here, and make sure no spies of the enemy were about."

"So you are going to tell me more about this note I have?" I asked.

He laughed and shook his head. "No, I am just to escort you to the one who will."

*   *   *

 

After following Archer (hey, he hadn't told me his name) through the forest for awhile, we came to a place where the trees grew really thickly. Archer went around a larger-than-normal tree and ducked under a branch. I followed him, and it was then that I realized that I was in a palace, of sorts.

 

I walked forward slowly, looking around. There was no ceiling, but the trees made walls, and there were earthen banks and tables. It was lovely and majestic. At the far end of this hall of trees there was a large, magnificently carved, wooden chair. In it sat an old man. he lifted his head and looked at me. He smiled, and beckoned me forward. "Ah, you are Mirluin," he almost whispered. "So like your mother."

 

I bowed-it seemed right, somehow. "Who are you, sir?"

 

He smiled slowly. "I am the keeper of the legacy. And I will answer some, at least, of your questions."

 

I nodded. "Sir, why am I chosen to be the keeper of the lore?"

 

He looked at me gravely. "The keeper of the lore and the keeper of the legacy together decide who will be their heirs. Your mother wished you to be her successor, and I agreed with her. But you were not old enough until this year."

 

I nodded again. "But why me?"

 

The keeper of the lore sighed. "The keeper of the lore and the keeper of the legacy have great responsibilities. If ever both of them fail to leave a successor, the people of the elven-names will cease. There is a great power working to try to make this happen. And if this power triumphs, this world will lose much." He took a deep breath. "The keeper of the legacy holds an heirloom from ages ago--he wields it in order to keep the refuges of the elven-named together. The keeper of the lore--she has the responsibility of keeping remembrance of their past in the minds of the elven-named. They must both be Eldarhin. And the number of the Eldarhin is lessening, for the evil power is working against us."

 

I took a deep breath. "I have to do this?"

 

The deep brown eyes of the keeper of the lore looked at me gravely. "You have been called to it. But you can disregard the summons. The person I chose to be my successor did so; and now I must either choose another or soon the keeper of the lore will be a memory of the past."

 

 

*   *   *

 

Archer escorted me back to the place where I had met him. I turned and thanked him for bringing me.

 

He smiled. "Farewell, keeper of the lore. We may see each other again sooner than you know." Then he turned and disappeared into the forest. I looked after him. What could he have meant by that?

 

I picked up Mom's journal and turned to walk back to the house. And that's when I saw him. Dad was standing just outside the forest. He was frowning. Evidently he had seen me saying farewell to Archer. And he was not happy.



I don't want to be known as cruel, (plus I had an overload of ideas) so here you are, Poem Girl: ~The Elven-names~ The Forest

After lunch, Dad disappeared. I was heading to my room to read Mom's journal, when the doorbell rang. I went and answered it. There stood a young man with shaggy black hair, a green hoodie, and black jeans. "You Mirluin?" he asked.

"Uh....yeah," I answered. "Why?"

He grinned. "I was told to give this to you." He handed me an envelope and walked off. I looked after him strangely. What on earth was happening here? I turned the envelope over and read: Mirluin, 123 Blue Mountain Road, Middlecester, NY. It looked OK.

I opened it. Inside was a slip of paper that read:

Mirluin,
You are now the keeper of the lore. If you wish to know more, come to the forest at four.
The keeper of the legacy

I swallowed. Things just seemed to be taking me along with them, and I was getting swept into something so much more than I had imagined.

*   *   *

 

I wanted to know what the note was all about, and yet I definitely was not going to go into the forest without telling anyone. So I told Thoron that I was going to explore in...Oh, wait a minute. I didn't explain this at the beginning, did I? Middlecester, New York, is right in the middle of a forest. Blue Mountain Road was right on the edge of town, so the forest was right in our backyard. So I wouldn't be going that far away.

 

Anyway, I told Thoron I should be back by five or so. And then I took Mom's journal and went out to the forest. I found a good place to sit down, and started reading.

 

The keeper of the legacy told me that I had been chosen to be the keeper of the lore. I don't know how he chose me. Today I asked him what he thought of the legend of the beginning of the elven-named. He just said, "Many legends are not wholly untrue. But names have more power than we may know." I wonder what he means by that.

 

I skipped down a ways.

 

Now I learn that the keeper of the lore has  a more important job than I thought. And I have learned there are only four refuges of the elven-named on Earth. One is Middlecester. And outside the refuges, there is an

 

I had to stop reading there. Because right in front of me stood a person. With a bow. Aimed directly at me.



~The Elven-names~ Obstacles

I took the precious journal to my room and put it under my pillow. Then I went out into the living room, where Dad sat reading a book. I took a deep breath.

"Dad," I asked, "How come you and Mom named us elvish names?"

Dad looked up sharply. It seemed like his eyes tried to look right through me. "What do you mean, Mirluin?"

I tried again. "Well, I was up in the attic, looking at Mom's stuff, and there was this book that talked about elves and Elven-named people, and I was wondering if you knew anymore about it."

Dad frowned. "Mir, I don't want you going through your Mom's stuff. You stay out of the attic now, okay?"

"But, Dad," I protested.

"No buts," he interrupted. "Don't be looking through that box again."

I nodded slowly. Dad sort of smiled. "Now, why don't you go get Gilanna and start making lunch?"

I nodded once more.

Why didn't Dad want me looking at Mom's stuff?

Rambling about The Hobbit.

i watched The Hobbit. last saturday. yep. and you wonder why i am not using capitals. you see...it's because i wanted to confuse you.

I LOVED IT!!!!!!!!!!

I mean, it was different from the book, quite a bit, actually. But it was still awesome.

 

 

Just to let you know, I have not watched Lord Of The Rings. Which I might already have told you. Uh, yeah. Well. Anyway.

 

In the movie, Bilbo Baggins is sent on an adventure by Gandalf, with thirteen dwarves:

 

 

 

Yeah, that's them. I really liked the dwarves, they seemed very real. And very hilarious!

 

Anyway, the dwarves are trying to regain their home, the Lonely Mountain, and their gold, both of  which Smaug the dragon took from them....

And that wasn't the only difficulty... First trolls tried to eat them...

 

This is Bilbo trying to convince the trolls NOT to eat them.



 

This ^was one of my favorite parts. 

 

There was also Rivendell, crossing the mountains, fights with goblins, and a fight with Orcs. The fight with Orcs was not in the book, so I was a bit disappointed about that. And it ends before they have even gotten close to the Lonely Mountain. But it was still really great.

Really Great! 

 



New Memory Verse

So it's the beginning of the week, and I am putting up a new memory verse. I'll put it here too.

Psalm 118:1-4
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.
Let Israel say: "His love endures forever."
Let the house of Aaron say: "His love endures forever."
Let those who fear the LORD say: "His love endures forever."

Yep, that's it. Real easy, after last weeks, right?

See ya!

~The Elven-names~ The Lore

"This is the history of those elven-named", read the book. "It is unclear how these began, but there is one legend. It is said that when in Middle-Earth the second slaying of elf by elf took place, and Celegorm's servants took the young sons of Dior and Nimloth, Elured and Elurin, and left them in the forest to starve, Manwe took pity on them. He appealed on their behalf to Iluvatar, who removed them from Middle-Earth, and took them to a place that had not know elves before that day. Here he told them that in this new place they would not be immortal, but would have the gift of Man, and die and leave the world. But their legacy would continue, if their descendants were named in the elven tongue. And so it came to pass, that when Elured came of age and was married, he named his children in the elven tongue. And so it was with Elurin also. After many generations, an intermarriage took place between two of these Elven-Named. And it was realized that when this happened, the children of such a union were more like unto the elves than their parents. They were fair of face, and had long life-spans, but were not immortal. And they were called the Eldar-hin, the children of elves.

"The first of these Eldar-hin was..." I sighed. Now it was getting into genealogies, and those were boring! Okay, I realize that you probably don't have any idea what the first part of that paragraph was about. Most of it's in the Silmarillion. There was this, like, huge war that lasted for a whole age, and even some elves fought other elves over these really great jewels. Iluvatar was The Creator of All, and Manwe was one of his servants, sort of like God and His angels.

I dug around in the chest, looking to see if there was anything else, and I found a little leather-bound book. I opened it, and gasped. There was my mother's handwriting staring out at me.

I am now the keeper of the lore. I did not want to be, but I was chosen. And I am not sure of the legend any more. It's really neat, but I think something else is happening. I just got a copy of Tolkien's works. And now that I know all of the races of Middle-Earth, I think I've seen a Hobbit-named, if there is such a thing. And if the legend is true, there's no place for hobbits here. There must be some other explanation for the origins of the Elven-named.

So Mom hadn't thought the legend was right. What was the deal here?

I picked Mom's diary thing up and started downstairs.

as;ldfkajd;l

Have you ever seen snow blowing down the road like it's flowing down a river? It's not quite a blizzard, but it's like a dust storm, only with snow.

That's happening here right now. And it is cold! I'm glad I'm inside, not outside in the freezing weather.

But that's not all....

Hopefully I'm going to be able to go see The Hobbit today!!!!

I AM SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Memory Verse

Hey everyone!
I decided to do a new feature on here:
Every week I will put a different verse of the Bible up here as "The Memory Verse of the Week"
Sorry this one is a bit late.

Hebrews 12:1-3
Therefore, since we have such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of  the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition at the hand of sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

I will have the verse up on the sidebar also.

~The Elven-names~ The discovery

I was wandering aimlessly through the forest. I looked up, and before me stood two great trees, arching toward each other like a beautiful gateway. I felt something pulling me that way, and I stepped under the arch. I stopped, for now I heard the sound of voices. But they were not enemy voices. They were beautiful voices, and though they were speaking a strange language, I understood them.

I stepped forward silently, hoping that I would be able to see these people. And my hope was not unfounded. My eyes widened as I looked around a tree, for these were elves. Not the high elves, but forest elves. I listened to the conversation.

"Greenwood the Great is falling under a shadow," one of the elves said. He had a bow on his shoulder, and stood near the edge of a group.

"Aye, but would you have us join the dwarves?" another replied. "We have not had friendly relations with them for many lifetimes of men."

The one with a bow spoke again. "I do not forget our reasons to be unhappy with the dwarves. But I also know that they would make a terrible enemy, if they joined the black side." He raised his head. "But I must not tarry here. I am expected back soon." And he turned away from the group and walked quickly off through the forest.

The group of elves now was scattering, and one of the elves passed by where I stood. I went to him and asked him, "Who was that elf with the bow?"

He looked at me strangely. "Do you not know? He is the Elf-King's son. His name is Legolas."

Suddenly I began running, back the way I had came. I saw the tree archway ahead of me and I strove to reach it. But now the elf I had spoken to was pursuing me. I ran faster, and passed under the archway.

And then I woke up. It was with a jerk I realized what I had been dreaming about. Greenwood the Great, elves, dwarves,... Legolas?  I could understand dreaming about elves, with what I had been thinking of lately, but why on earth would I dream of Legolas? Evidently I had had my head too full of Tolkien recently. I had sat up reading the Silmarillion last night, after that strange day at school, and had fallen asleep before I was done.

It's Saturday, I realized suddenly. I grinned. I would be able to get some investigating done today.

After breakfast I went upstairs to the attic. There were some things of Mom's there, and I thought I might be able to find a clue to why she named us like she did, and why all these things were happening.

I was rummaging around in old boxes when I found that old chest thing. I opened it--and saw a stack of papers. The first one looked like it was a title page. It read:

The Lore of the Elven-Named.

I grinned, sat down, and started reading.

I'm enamoured with scarfs today....

The Elven-names--a new story

This is a new continuing story I'm starting. I hope you guys like it!

~The Elven-names~

My mom was different. I often wondered why strange things seemed to happen around her. I mean, who would name their kids in elfish? Well, I actually don't think that's the right name, but Mom did name us in the elfish language of Middle Earth. You know, like in the Lord Of The Rings?

I was Mirluin. It means blue jewel, for all of you who do not understand the elf language. My sister was Gilanna (gift of a star) and my brother was Thoron (eagle). Do you know anyone else named like that? I didn't. But sometimes I wondered. Mom was really pretty. I mean, really really pretty. Beautiful, in fact. But when I was ten years old, she died. And we were left without our Mom. Even though she was strange, she had been a wonderful mom. And we missed her. A lot.

It took us forever to get over that. But when I was twelve, I found Mom's books. She had every single one of J.R.R. Tolkiens works about Middle Earth. I started reading them, and I was enthralled. I read those books over and over. I can't explain the fascination I had with them.

I and my brother and sister were growing up. Sometimes Dad would say how much I looked like Mom, and I didn't believe him. I thought Gilanna was the one who looked like Mom. And Thoron? He looked different. Not weird or anything, but he looked different, somehow.

And then, when I was fourteen, something happened that rocked my world. There was this new kid in my grade at school. And he was short. Really short. I was five feet six inches tall, one of the tallest girls in my class, and he was three feet eight inches.

No one was being friendly to him or anything, so i went over to him at lunch and said hi. Then I asked him what his name was. He sort of choked. Then he looked at me with a strange expression in his face.

"You tell me your name, and then I'll tell you mine," he said.

I shrugged. "OK. My name's Mirluin. Sometimes people call me Mir, but mostly I'm called my whole name."

His look got even stranger. "Um, everyone calls me Fred." He stopped for a little while, then took a deep breath. "Your name is a bit unusual. If you don't mind me asking, where did it come from?"

Now that was even stranger. People don't usually ask me where my name came from, even though it is a bit different. I tilted my head. "My mom named me that. It's, um, elvish. It means blue jewel." I felt a bit silly after telling him the meaning of my name.

But he evidently didn't think it was silly. He leaned forward. "Don't tell anyone," he whispered, "but my whole name is Fredegar."

My eyebrows shot up. "Isn't that a hobbit name?"

He nodded. "Everyone would tease me if they knew, especially since I'm so short."

I nodded. "I won't tell."

He looked at me. "You know, you look a little bit elvish, too."

I shook my head. "No way!"

He shrugged. I walked away. My head was spinning. So there was another person who was named a Middle-Earth name. And he said I looked like an elf, and he looked like a hobbit. What on earth was happening?