Elven-Names quiz!!!!!!

 

1. You suddenly learn of a great task given to you. You...

   A. Think it must mean your older sister, not you!

   B. Know you are unqualified for such a task, and give it to the rightful person.

   C. After thinking about it for a while, you accept. You'll try to do it well.

   D. What! No way am I doing that!

 

2. In school, a rumor gets out that the most popular boy in school is your boyfriend. You...

   A. Are way too young for that sort of stuff!

   B. Wonder at all the nonsense.

   C. Are horrified. You DO NOT have a boyfriend!

   D. Bask in the attention.

 

3. If you got in an argument with your dad, what would you do?

   A. Feel bad about it, but you don't know how to resolve the conflict.

   B. Go to your dad and talk to him about your feelings.

   C. Try to be nice, but blow up at your dad after a while.

   D. Ignore him. He'll get over it.

 

4. Where would you like to live most?

   A. In a castle by the beach.

   B. In a forest.

   C. In a nice home on the edges of town.

   D. In a big city.

 

5. What book(s) of J.R.R. Tolkien's do you like best?

   A. The Hobbit.

   B. The Children of Hurin and/or the Silmarillion.

   C. The Lord of the Rings.

   D. Those books are waaay too long! I'll just watch the movies.

 

6. If someone was pointing a bow and arrow at you, what would you do?

   A. Bite your lip and look away.

   B. Laugh and push the arrow away. You know him!

   C. Stare at them in fear, then try to talk to them.

   D. Scream and faint.

 

7. If your friend went missing for a week, what would you do?

   A. Call the police.

   B. Enlist the help of trackers and organize a search party.

   C. Try to find her yourself.

   D. Worry about her, but are unsure what to do.

 

8. If a creepy girl threatened you, what would you do?

   A. Tell your big sister.

   B. Make up your mind that you'll have your bow and arrows ready all the time.

   C. Tell the person who is supposed to be making sure that you are alright.

   D. Call the police.

 

9. Which of these would you rather be doing?

   A. Playing a board game.

   B. Exploring in the forest.

   C. Reading.

   D. Doing your hair, texting your friends, stuff like that.

 

10. What sort of books do you like best?

      A. Books that aren't too scary and have happy endings.

      B. Adventure books.

      C. Books of lore and magical creatures.

      D. Romance.

 

 

And now for the results! If you have mostly A's, you are Gilanna, Mirluin's little sister! If you have mostly B's, you are Weneithel, the elven-named maiden who helps Mirluin at the Forest Palace. If you have mostly C's, you are Mirluin, the girl who finds out she is the Keeper of the Lore. If you have mostly D's, you are Heather, one of Mirluin's ordinary human friends at school. Please tell me who you are, and if you liked the quiz! =D

 

I'm Mirluin!

 

~The Elven-names~ Announcements

Weneithel touched my arm. "We need to go now," she whispered gently but firmly. I let her steer me out the door and back to my room, where I lay on my bed and stared at the sky.

I had much to think about.

*   *   *

 

The next morning at breakfast I and Thoron were eating with Gilanna, when Glindur came in. He was one of the physicians of the elven-named, and was one of them who were taking care of Dad. He always seemed sort of cheerful, like there was sunshine in him always. But today he was a bit graver than normal.

 

Thoron looked at Glindur seriously. Thoron already seemed to be becoming and elven-lord in the few days we had been in the Forest Palace. "What is the news, Glindur?" he asked. "Something seems to weigh on your mind."

 

Glindur sighed. "Your father is getting worse again. I had had hopes yesterday, but today I don't know now."

 

Gilanna bit her lip. She looked at me despairingly, but I could not comfort her. I was near despair myself.

 

"I didn't cause it, did I?" I asked anxiously. "I didn't mean to disturb him too much."

 

Glindur looked at me strangely. "No," he said after a while, "I don't think you caused it. Something strange is at work here. But your visit brought him a good. Whether that good bears fruit remains to be seen."

 

As I was trying to figure out what he meant by that, Glindur turned to leave. I thought I heard him mutter, "Remorse will do him good. If he'll change his mind...."

 

What had he meant by that? Suddenly Gilanna started giggling. I stared at her. "What's so funny?"

 

She giggled again. "He-he sounded just like Gandalf!" she managed to say, before giggling giddily.

 

Thoron guffawed. "Ha! You're right, Gilanna!"

 

And then I saw the funny side of it. Glindur had! "And we were just sitting there, wondering what he meant, like--like the hobbits, or, or the dwarves!"

 

No doubt they thought we were crazy, as we just sat there laughing. But it was good to laugh again.

 

*   *   *

 

Later that morning I was wandering around the Forest Palace, since I didn't have anything to do. Even though I had been living in it for nearly a week, I still couldn't help but feel amazement at how it was constructed out of living trees. I was wandering down a hallway, not really looking where I was going, when I came face to face with the Keeper of the Legacy.

 

I backed up slightly in surprise. "Oh! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you," I apologiezed, and started to turn to leave, but he stopped me.

 

"No, Mirluin, I was hoping to see you today. Stay with me awhile." He smiled kindly, so as he continued walking I walked by his side.

 

After a little while I worked up enough courage to speak to him. "What were you wanting to talk to me about, sir?"

 

He sighed. "Ah, yes. That." He looked at me seriously. "Mirluin, you are the Keeper of the Lore. Have you learned our lore, and of our heritage, yet?"

I nodded. "I think so, sir. My mom's journal had a lot of that stuff in it."

"Yes," he mused, "but not all. You need the rest of your mother's research and papers. Her journal does not tell all."

"All the genealogies and stuff?" I asked doubtfully. I wasn't exactly sure if I wanted to work through all that.

He nodded firmly. "Yes, the genealogies. There are many stories mixed in with them, and you will learn much about the Mormir." He straightened himself. "So. You and another will go and fetch your mother's documents today. And then you will study them until it is time for you to return to your school."

My heart sank. I had hoped that I wouldn't have to go back to school. "When do I need to return to my school?" I asked, hoping for later rather than sooner. My hopes were dashed when the Keeper spoke.

"You will return to your school on Monday, so you will have two and a half days to read your mother's things."

I sighed. "And who's going to help me get Mom's stuff?"

The Keeper smiled. "Mahtan." He must have seen my bewilderment. "You know him as Matt."

 

A Conundrum

I enjoy etymology. I like studying words, and how they originated. I relish pondering conundrums............of any sort, not just language...uh...

Well, anyway! I had a conundrum to ponder recently. So, if you are sick because you are driving in a car, you are carsick. If you are sick because you are at sea, you are seasick. If you are sick because you are flying in the air, you are airsick. If you are sick because you are moving, you have motion sickness. SOOOOO........... why, if you miss being home, are you called homesick? Shouldn't it be called awaysick??????????????????

What do you think?

This Week's Memory Verse....Psalm 23!

Psalm 23.
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you are with me;
your rod and staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

to everyone who was disappointed by the disappearance of my last post:

I had not finished it yet. So I took it back.
Sorry about that.
But it is up now! And you can read the latest installment of ~The Elven-names~. =D

~The Elven-names~ Worth it?

Then I saw Matt. He was bending over the still form of a man.

I went closer to see who it was. Just then Matt moved, and I could see more clearly who it was.

Dad was lying on the ground. Motionless.

"No!" I cried. "Dad!"

*  *  *

 

Matt heard me, and he turned. His face was sorrowful and grim as he looked at me. I looked at him. I didn't want to ask if Dad was alright or not.

 

Weneithel pushed past us. She bent over Dad and felt his wrist.

 

She turned and looked at me. "He's still alive, but just barely. If we hadn't been searching here today..." She didn't need to finish her sentence.

Some of the male searchers who were with us made a litter and we carried Dad back to the Forest Palace.

I went and looked at him as he lay on his bed. He was so still. So pale. It didn't seem like he could recover.

I wondered what had happened. Had he gotten in a fight with the Mormir? Had he been outside the bounds of safety for the Elven-named?

I went back to my room.

*  *  *

 

It was an anxious two days for us. Dad remained unconcious, and was being taken care of by the elven-named.

Then, on Thursday, I was sitting on my bed, just staring at nothing, when Weneithel entered.

"Mirluin, your father is awake. And he's asking for you," she gently stated.

I jumped up. "Dad's awake? Really? Great!"

I followed Wen down the long hall to Dad's room.

We entered, and there was Dad. He was still pale, but his eyes were open. It was hard seeing him like that.

He smiled faintly as we came in. "Mirluin," he whispered.

I shook my head slowly. How had this happened to my Dad?

"What happened, Dad?" I asked.

Dad gave a rueful smile. "I was a fool, that's what happened. I'm sorry, Mirluin." His voice remained quiet, like he couldn't raise it above a whisper.

"You aren't a fool, Dad," I protested.

He shook his head. "I was. I should never have left." His eyes wandered, and it seemed like he meant more than just leaving the Palace on Saturday. After a pause, he continued. "I thought that if I just ignored the realities, they wouldn't exist. I abandoned my friends, because they reminded me of pain. And that left me vulnerable to the attacks of the enemy." He sighed. "They wounded me badly, Mirluin."

Dread rose inside me. It was nearly the same feeling I had had when we nearly left the haven. "You're going to get better, Dad!" I insisted. "You have to!" I took his hands in mine.

Dad shook his head. "I will never really recover, even if I make it through now. I don't know if I can fight them anymore. I don't know if anyone can stand against them. I don't know if it's worth it."

I was crying. I could feel the tears run down my face and onto my and Dad's hands, but I didn't care. I squeezed Dad's hands. "Dad," I managed to say, "that's what they want you to think. They want us all to give up." I swallowed my tears and looked down. The I looked at Dad again. "Dad, Mom died fighting for this, didn't she?"

Dad slowly nodded. His eyes were vacant as if he was remembering something from long ago. He finally spoke. "Yes. Yes, she did, Mirluin."

I gripped Dad's hands. "Then, Dad, if Mom died fighting for this, isn't it worth fighting for? To honor her? Isn't it?" My hands relaxed.

A slow, sad, smile played on Dad's lips. He squeezed my hands gently. Then he sighed, slipped his hands out of mine, and closed his eyes.

Weneithel touched my arm. "We need to go now," she whispered gently but firmly. I let her steer me out the door and back to my room, where I lay on my bed and stared at the sky.

I had much to think about.


The Song of The Samaritan Woman

He stood alone at the well, and then

He saw me come--cast off by men.

 

My once proud visage was now brought low;

My heart was heavy, its tale was woe.

 

Forsaken,

abandoned,

rejected,

alone.

 

I saw Him then, by the well he stood;

His face was kind, His eyes were good.

I wondered then, I did not know

Who He really was--did it show?

 

He asked me for water--I wondered why;

He was a Jew, Samaritan was I.

 

It was then He told me what seemed so odd:

"You'd ask Me for water--if you knew the gift of God.

 

"And I would give it--the very best,

Living water, to give you rest."

 

This was confusing--He had no pail

To draw the water out of the well.

 

So I asked Him how, and He answered more

And we kept talking, while the day wore.

 

He told me everything I ever did!

I was amazed, and so I said:

 

"We know the Messiah will come someday,

"I am sure that He'll show us the way."

 

He gave a smile and  looked at me:

"I who speak to you am He."

 

 

Please don't steal this, I wrote it. Thank you!

Piano Bookworm

~The Elven-names~ The Search

In the grey dawn the searchers came back. They had failed in their search--Dad was still missing. And so Thoron and I were disguised. We were given cloaks and tunics, and dressed like the inhabitants of the forest we went out with the elven-named after breakfast.

Matt was one of them. He showed me how to look for tracks, and tell which types of tree were which, and a lot of stuff like that. But we couldn't find Dad.

Weneithel told me that Dad had been an expert at woodcraft in the days before Mom died. "He was the best tracker of the elven-named," she said. "And he also knew much about survival in the woods and eluding detection."

I sighed. "Do you think we'll be able to find him then?"

She shrugged. "Hopefully."

But it was Tuesday morning, the third day of our search, when we found any sign of anyone. Matt and Thoron had been up ahead of everyone else, when all of a sudden Thoron came running back.

"We found something!" he shouted. "Matt says there's signs of a fight, and then there's tracks after that. Hurry!"

We all ran after Thoron. Fear fell heavy on my heart. A fight? Had Dad been in it? Was he alright?

Thoron came to a clearing and stopped. It looked like he was unsure which way to go. A shout from further in the woods decided him, and we ran in the direction of the voice.

Then I saw Matt. He was bending over the still form of a man.

I went closer to see who it was. Just then Matt moved, and I could see more clearly who it was.

Dad was lying on the ground. Motionless.

"No!" I cried. "Dad!"


The beginning of this story is on the tab ~The Elven-names~. Come back in a few days to see what happens!


 

Memory Verse: Joel 2:13

Joel 2:13
Rend your heart and not your garments.
Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

 

~The Elven-names~ Missing

-static
-beeeep beep
This is Piano Bookworm speaking.If you missed the first parts of this story, click here. I have the whole story so far on this tab. Thanks!
-static
Now, back to the regular programming.
-static

I jumped as a knock sounded on the door and Weneithel entered. Her face was grave. "Mirluin. Your father has gone missing."

*  *  *

 



I stared at her. I couldn't hardly comprehend it. "Dad?" I asked at last. "Missing?"

 

Wen nodded. "Yes. We are organizing a search party."

 

I sank down on to the bed. "I want to go with you. I need to help find Dad."

 

Wen twisted her lip. "Well, you can't come with us like that. And tonight you will need to stay here with your brother and sister. If we haven't found him by tomorrow morning, you can come."

 

I began to protest, but Weneithel held up her hand. "No buts. If you want to help at all, you will stay here tonight."

 

I sighed. "Okay. But why can't I come with you like this?"

 

Wen looked at me seriously. "If there are any Mormir involved in this, if they see you in your regular attire, they will know you are an elven-named when you go back to school. If you have a disguise on, they may not recognize you when you go back. So when you come with us, you will need to dress like us."

 

I looked down at my jeans and sweatshirt, and then at Wen's green dress and cloak. "Oh. I see."

 

Then I looked at Wen. "You think the Mormir might be involved?"

 

She nodded. "Yes. But it may also be that your father no longer wanted to stay here, and left. He knows much woodcraft from before."

 

 

At supper I saw Gilanna and Thoron. They were still a bit confused about everything. I was finally able to tell them everything. Gilanna was a little incredulous, but Thoron was enthusiastic.

 

"Awesome!" he cried. "I'm like part elf? this is so neat!" Then his jaw stiffened. "I will be a great hero. We will fight the Mormir together, sister!"

 

 

Memory Verse: Genesis 1:1-5

Genesis 1:1-5
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning, the first day.

I Realize...that It Has Been Ages Since I Did A Hymn.

 Therefore.....

This post is a hymn.

When I Survey The Wondrous Cross

 

When I survey the wondrous cross,

On which the Prince of Glory died,

My richest gain I count but loss,

And pour contempt on all my pride.

 

Forbid it Lord, that I should boast,

Save in the death of Christ, my God;

All the vain things that charm me most,

I sacrifice them to His blood.

 

See, from His head, His hands, His feet,

Sorrow and love flow mingled down;

Did e'er such love and sorrow meet,

Or thorns compose so rich a crown?

 

Were the whole realm of nature mine,

That were a present far too small;

Love so amazing, so divine,

Demands my soul, my life, my all.

 

written by Isaac Watts

 



A Really Huge 100th Post.

Yes, this is my hundredth post. Yay! I've made it thus far!
I have to thank all of you guys who follow my blog and encourage me with your comments. =D

So, first of all I have to catch up with what I usually do Monday....

So this week we are doing ....

Nehemiah 9:5b-6.

Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise. You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.


And moving on! I have a new....

~Elven-Names~ The Secret

I turned the page. And was swept into a world of adventure. It was all written here: Mom and Dad's quests, their fights with the Mormir...everything. I wish I could tell it all here, but it would be a whole book of its own.

As I flipped pages, I saw that Mom and Dad had gone on a lot of trips when I was just a baby, and before. But it didn't look like they had found anthing out. All of the quests just seemed to end with them fighting the Mormir and winning, but not gaining anything. Dad always was at Mom's side, protecting her. I sighed. I wished Dad was like that now.

One of the entries caught my eye.  Turan wanted to name our son Turin. I opposed him, for, although Turin was a mighty warrior, he had great troubles and his end was in darkness. Turan did not believe that the name would affect our son, but at last he relented, and so we named our son Thoron:eagle. May he rise above his troubles on eagle's wings!

There was one about Gilanna also, but it just said they named her "Star-gift".  And then, a few entries later, I saw my name.

I have already written how I chose Mirluin to be my sucessor as the Keeper of the Lore. I feel sure she will read my book someday, and I wish her to learn and know. Mirluin, if you are reading this, I am sure you are the Keeper of the Lore, or at least will be soon. Read and learn. I made a discovery just yesterday. Iluvatar does exist. I had thought him a myth of middle-earth, but He is real. He does not use Vala and Maia here on Earth, but interacts with men directly. Mirluin, you must heed my words. Only Iluvatar can aid you; you must seek Him. There is another Book, greater than mine. Read it. Discover His great gift to Men.

I turned the page.

There are, indeed, Hobbit-named people. And there may be men named in the middle-earth way, but these are harder to find, for they are nearly indistinguishable from ordinary men. I have never seen any dwarf-named. Indeed, how could there be any? For the dwarves had secret names, and none knew them save their family. So no one knows any true dwarf-names. And of other beings of which there may be named, I do not believe there are any. Indeed, who would name their child after an Orc? It is infathomable. And I am glad, because if there were Orc-named, it would go hard with Turan and I when we are searching.

I kept going forward, learning much, but never learning where the Elven-named came from. And then I came to a entry written hastily.

I have found it! I cannot say how here or how I learned, but I know where the Elven-named came from. And with it I have learned the secret of the Mormir, their power over us. It is the names. Names have a far greater power than any of us ever imagined. And now I am truly glad I did not name our son Turin, for it may have come to pass that the life of Turin was repeated. But I cannot write at length here. If the Mormir know I have learned, my life is in great peril. And Turan is not with me. I came alone.

That was at the bottom of the page, and I turned it quickly, to find nothing. The entries had ended. I turned back and looked at the date on the previous entry. It was the day before Mom had suddenly died.

I stood up; it seemed like I couldn't just sit there. It felt a little difficult to breathe. Now I knew this secret--this secret that Mom said put her in great peril. Would the Mormir be coming after me now?

I jumped as a knock sounded on the door and Weneithel entered. Her face was grave. "Mirluin. Your father has gone missing."

To be continued.




Yep. I bet you are really mad at me right now! haha. Anyway....I also have an award to get to.....

Thank you Hannah, for awarding me this!

 

The Rules:

 

1. List 11 facts about yourself.
2. Answer the 11 questions the blogger who nominated you left.
3. Ask 11 new questions for those who you nominate.
4. Choose 11 bloggers with less than 200 followers to nominate.
5. Go to each blogger's page and let them know about the award.
6. Thank the person who nominated you and link back to their blog.

 

My 11 facts:
1. I am (hopefully) going to act in a play.
2. This play is called Jack in the Beanstalk.
3. I am really excited for it!
4. Because I only get to act every two years, about.
5. Which is really sad, because I really like to act.
6. But I'm not as good at it as some people I know.
7. Because I don't have good enough expressions.
8. But I still like to act.
9. That last fact was almost the same as #5.
10. And all of these facts have been about acting.
11. And this is my last fact.
 





Hannah's 11 questions:

1: If you could go to one concert for free, who would you see?
Casting Crowns? But I've already done that with them...I don't really know who else, though.

 

2. If jelly stopped existing, how would you make a PB&J with something else as the J?

I don't use jelly anyway--I use honey. It's really great!

 

3. If you could go any one place, where would you go?
Israel or New Zealand.
 

4. What, if any, channels are you subscribed to on Youtube?

None.

 

5. Chemistry or Physics?
Physics...if I have to.

 

6. Do you play in instrument? If so, what?
Yes. The piano-forte...=D

 

7. What's your favorite breakfast cereal?

Breakfast cereal? What's that? JK, but I don't have cereal...like ever.

 

8. How do you like your eggs cooked? (If you're a vegetation, how do you like your tofu cooked?)
I like them scrambled or fried....but NO runny yolk! That stuff is gross!

 

9. Do you listen to music while you blog?

Not very often.

 

10. What was the title of your first blog post?

Welcome To My Blog!  pretty good title, right?

 

11. Why did you start blogging?

Because I had a friend who was blogging, and she invited me to contribute to a blog she made, and then I thought it would be fun to get my own blog. =D

The questions for those I nominate:
1. Do you eat meals with your family?
2. Are you musical in any way? If so, which?
3. Would you rather go somewhere where there's a forest, or an open plain?
4. What time period of history are you most interested in?
5. Do you like practical books better, or stories?
6. What do you think about creationism vs. evolution?
7. Do you ever have that annoying moment when you are sure you've seen this person before, but you can't remember where?
8. Would you like homemade bread or store-bought bread better?
9. Have you ever had homemade ice-cream?
10. Horses or cats?
11. Algebra or Geometry?

The people I nominate:
Jenna at A Beautiful Heart
Jenny at Artsy Peacock
Rebekah at Book Reviews by a Bookworm
Farm Girl at Corn in a Row
Brittney Ann at Daughter of the King
Willow at In the Words of Willow
Otter Days at Otter Days
Poem Girl at Poetic Meditations
Storyteller at Rubberboot Girl
The Keller Girls at Three Girls and Their Hobbies
Maddie at Totally Me!

And I will be working on notifying ...I might not get it all done in time, but I will notify everyone eventually.


And that concludes my 100th blog post!