I know.  Suddenly the fonts have changed and you have a hard time figuring out what everything says.  Sorry about that.  Joshuel insisted on that particular font because it vaguely resembles the runes that the Old Sarconians use.  *sigh*  Characters get so annoying.

Joshuel:  I heard that!!!!

If you are alive, you've no doubt noticed that there are things in this world that are just evil.  Wild algebra books, for example.  Now, I know that not all algebra books are evil.  There are some domestic ones that are as harmless as Jasper's cat Ezmerelda.  But the wild ones are just that, wild.

A little over a week ago, Jasper went for a walk.  He was, as you have probably guessed by now, ambushed by wild algebra books and beaten up pretty badly.  He couldn't put two words together for weeks.  Justyne got really mad.

So a few days ago, we went hunting.  For wild algebra books.  Justyne was all in cammo and had an ammunition belt over her shoulder.  You could hardly see her, all crouched down in the Brrch.  But she could see them, and she had a loaded shotgun.

Do I need to say more?

One herd of wild algebra books has been reduced to coffetti.  The rest are doomed.  If you are a wild algebra book, run away if you value your life.

I hate writer's block.  My authoress spends hours staring at the computer, try to find insparation.  But does she once try talking to ME?  No.  *sighs*  And I really could help her a lot!  After all, she's stuck over the coronation scene, and I was THERE watching it.  So I COULD tell you and here ALL about it.  ....Unfortunately, writer's block effects characters too, and it messes up our memories.   So therefore, I remember very little about the coronation, save that there were lots of petals being thrown around...and we all had to dress in clothing that was very unsensible and very hot, even though it looked nice.  I was sweltering through the ENTIRE ceremony.  I also remember that those two pages carrying the crowns were acting utterly rediculous and ended up getting their ears boxed.  

So, other than the fact that the ceremony was very long and very boring and several women (including Queen Josephina, almost) fainted because of that stupid court clothing, I don't really remember much, which is REALLY frustrating.  But I have already conveyed that to you.

*leaves, being very depressed*

Melissa has this twin brother named Jack.  He's a nice guy.  He is tall (very tall) with black hair and blue eyes.  Melissa loves him very dearly, so he comes around a lot.

Melissa thought he was dead after the tragic rockslide episode [TRE] (end of chapter five).  But he wasn't dead.  As a matter of fact, he was quite alive!

Justyne:  Josh, quit stating the obvious and get on with it!!

Oh, right.  So, he returned from the TRE by himself and lived with his aunt and uncle for a while.  He also met Jasper during that time, and they became REALLY good friends.

Now Melissa, as we all know, like Jack, did not die during the TRE; she just fell into a deep depression.  Not a hole in the ground, mind you, but a mental issue that makes you interminably sad until the interminable saddness terminates, which means that it is NOT interminatable saddness.

Justyne:  JOSHUEL LUKE!!  They understand your meaning!!

You said I would get to write these, so be quiet, my authoress!  Melissa spent a lot of time with Gilthoniel Dragontongue (as you've read) and after she returned, she sent Jack to Gilthoniel along with Jasper.  During his training with Gilthoniel, Jack became an incredible swordsman.

Therefore, DO NOT CHALLENGE JACK TO A DUEL WHEN YOU HAVE TO DEFEAT HIM OR ELSE, 'CAUSE YOU'LL GET THE 'OR ELSE,' whatever that is.

Rare exeptions apply, but I wouldn't advise risking it unless you've watched him fight and KNOW that you can defeat him.

Jack returned to Sarconia City with Jasper and went to live at the Breaker Ranch with his sister so that he could learn how to manage it.   Later, he went and got a detachment off of Melissa's back (with help) and killed the Crown Prince of the Aranara (without help).  After that, he accompanied his cousin Alethea Breaker to the village of Brenia as her guard and met Kaia Watson when she (Kaia, that is) nearly fell into a mud puddle.  Jack ended up bringing Kaia back to the mountains.  Kaia was Jasper's sister, and Jack was, as I have previously mentioned, REALLY good friends with Jasper, so Kaia and Jack saw alot of each other.

Jasper helped rescue Tell ConRay and Josephina ConVal when Prince Reginald started causing issues.  He also fought in the Second Battle of Malah Carzim, but I can't really talk about the details of those events or my authoress will have my head.

Sometimes my authoress is completely blind to very promising plots.  This is what happened with mine and Melissa's romance; it was totally ignored.  Instead, Justyne grabbed the hapless Steven Tecal and told him to go sparkin' Melissa.

Steven wasn't too happy about this, but Justyne was his authoress, so he did as he was told.  Needless to say, the entire matter failed.  Justyne continued trying to cram the rediculous side plot into the book dispite this, however.  This is when I started revolting and dropping hints through the book that I really really liked Melissa.  Justyne tried to work over them.   I decided to go and see Steven.

I dropped by his house one night while Justyne wasn't looking or writing.  "We need to talk," told him.

"Justyne isn't writing," said Steven.  "We can't do anything serious."

"I don't care," I told him.  "Justyne may be the authoress, but she's wrecking a side plot."

He gave in, and so, over hot cider, I asked him about Melissa.  He admitted that he didn't love her.  "But Justyne's the authoress, so what can I do if she wants me to marry Melissa when this is all over?"

"Listen, Steven, I've managed to drop hints through the story that I care a great deal about Melissa."

He stared at me.  "You've revolted?" he gasped.

"Partially.  I'm about to finalize my revolt, but I need something from you."

"What?"

"Permission to steal Melissa from you."

"Josh," he told me, "I haven't stolen Melissa yet, except in Justyne's disillutioned fantisies.  However, I do withdraw as a rival for her hand."

Needless to say, Justyne was furious when she found out.  She told me to let Steven have Melissa, then told Melissa to rebuff my suit, and let Steven know that he needed to chase me away.  Well, I loved Melissa too much to hand her off to someone who didn't have anything beyond friendly liking for her.  Melissa had apparently liked me for some time, so she was easy to win/steal and told Justyne in no uncertain terms that she had made her choice, and Steven was not it.

Steven rode up to my cabin a couple days later with two loaded packhorses.  "I'm joining you in being a renegade and moving to Corvan against Justyne's wishes," he told me.  "Once I'm gone, Justyne won't have a rival to work with."  And then he left.

It took Justyne a long time to give in to the romance that we three characters had divised, but she's at last realized its promise and began writing it rather than trying to unwrite it.  It all worked out very well, and I got Melissa in the end  .

Steven has settled down in Corvan, and, from what Melissa somehow reads out of his letters, is at last lovestruck and courting a Corvanie girl.  Melissa and I are, of course, living happily ever after overall.  There's rough spots, but hey, this is reality, not some crazy fictional romantic sideplot!

Justyne: *throws shoe at Josh*  You are a fictional character, Joshuel.  Your romance is a crazy, fictional romantic sideplot.

Maybe to YOU, my authoress!!!!  Anyway, Justyne it writing Melissa and my romantic side plot into the draft she is doing now, which is hopefully the final one.  She's promised not to take it out, but I'm still keeping an eye on her pen.

Justyne had big plans about introducing the characters in order of appearence in the novel, but I'm not going to do that.   I'm going to introduce them in whatever order makes me happy.  HA!

So, I shall start with Melissa Breaker.

(She doesn't usually dress like that, actually.  Normally she dresses in green and brown and has her hair up, but this was a special occation.)

Anyway, Melissa is the daughter of Alex and Jennifer Breaker, and she and a twin brother, Jack, were born around seventeen years before the reuniting of the kingdom.

Justyne: Reuniting and Kingdom are capitilized, Josh.

Right.  Okay, da da da...Breaker... 'born around seventeen years before the Reuniting of the Kingdom.'

She has a very strong touch of Old Sarconian blood in her and so has eyes the color of amythest.  Her ears are slightly pointed as well.

Melissa entered Scout training when she was old enough and progressed very well.  (We were in alot of the same classes, so I know this first hand.)  When she was thirteen, she was considered ready for her Junior Scouthood, but before she could start, she went on a trip with her family.  Both her parents were killed by the Aranara on that trip, and Melissa became bereft of her senses.  She attempted to kill herslef by jumping off a cliff, but was saved by Gilthoniel Dragontongue.   She spent a few months studying under Gilthoniel before returning to Sarconia City, much to everyone's relief.   Well, not quite everyone; Malfic Vespertine was pretty upset her being alive and all that...

So, after she got back, she was tested to see if she was ready for her Junior Scouthood like she'd been when she'd left/dissapeared.  She was, so I became her mentor.  And then I fell in love with her and she fell in love with me and the rest is history.  If you really want to know what happened, read the book and pay attention to the side plots.  Unfortunately for you, the book isn't even out yet, so you'll just have to be patient.  HA!

There!  I have deleated all the bios on here.  HA!!  Normally I don't mess up my authoress's notes, but those bios needed some help....

Justyne: JOSHUEL LUKE FERDINAND GREGORY CARZIM!!!!!!  WHAT IN ALL OF CREATION DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING WITH MY NOTES????

Ooh.  Looks like she just figured out what I did.  It will all be okay, though.  I am going to rewrite them properly.  The way SHE has them is not half as interesting as the actual people.  By the by, before you get any ideas, 'Ferdinand' and 'Gregory' are not middle names of mine.  I have one middle name: Luke.  However, my authoress rather likes making herself more intimidating by yelling a few random names after my middle name and before my last name.  Not that it really works.  I actually find it rather interesting.  Author/ess' have incredible lists of names in their heads, so the variety is almost endless.

I finally got rid of the avatar pic my authoress uses!  Hooray!  I like the one of the fountain MUCH better.  I still need to mess with all those pictures on the sidebar, as many of them are going to get changed, but still, this is a great improvement.

I hate writer's block.  My authoress has not touched 'Sarco' (still no better name for that) for some time.  She keeps SAYING that she will work on it, but she's done nothing of the sort as of yet.  Those of you who aren't characters have no clue how annoying that is.

Jack and Melissa are becoming all the darker and more depressed the longer Justyne leaves 'Sarco' sitting around.  And now their depression is rubbing off  on Justyne and she has started mopeing.  *grumbles*   Which means that she will not feel like writing.

I have GOT to find a way to get rid of the avatar!

This is a moot court scene where a PHC student is requesting the 'court' to overturn Row v. Wade.  As he is arguing against Row. v. Wade in a moot court room, his mother argues for Row. v. Wade before the supreme court.  It is a Must-see, as is the movie it comes from: 'Come What May'.

Click here.

Well, after years of watching over my authoress' shoulder, I think I have this computer thing down.  That's a big feat for a guy who comes from my world, where computers are unheard of.

My authoress is, most unfortunately, sick with a cold.  So while she sits and blows her nose, I am blogjacking  .  I'm rather unhappy about this cold because she's not writing because of it.  She says that she can't think.  So 'Sarco' (not the best title if you ask me) is sitting around getting dusty while my authoress nurses herself back to health.  We characters are feeling quite neglected.  Except, of course, for Jasper and Jonathan.  Those two are incredibly optimistic.  I am busy prompting my authoress, trying to dig her muse out of her head cold, Jasper says that, "We should be patient.  She'll write when she writes and she'll write well,"  and Jonathan just pats her shoulder and tells her not to overexert herself.  Jack and Melissa are sulking again.  "You just wait," they tell the rest of us.  "This story will be dropped and she'll only scan it once or twice every year for pleasure."  I don't agree with them, but I must say that my authoress has treated them with a measure of cruelty, dragging them through so many failed stories, and so they have a right to be pecimists.

And so, with all this going on, I have taken over this blog almost soley to amuse myself.  I rather like the look of it, actually.  Very Sarconian.  I think I might change the header, though, and the avatar HAS to go.  Hopefully I can figure out all this crazy template stuff.

<Renegade Joshuel>

I'm really excited about the direction that 'Sarco' is going.  Unfortunately, I may have to discard a couple of my favorite scenes, but I may also find another place to slip them in.  The first draft was more of a wild adventure.  Everyone (except the villans) lived happily ever after.  The final version is going to be a little darker.

Unlike the first draft, Jasper comes to the mountains about two years before his sister.  The story also covers Jack and Melissa Breaker's past and how they lost their parents.  Jasper, instead of being a unicorn herder, is going to persue the life a Scout.

I really haven't looked past the time when Kaia joins Jasper - once I get into editing already written chapters I'll see how much things change.  It is possible, however, that Jasper might be sent to the plains with a message for Queen Josephina Victoria between the time when she accends to the throne and the time she is imprisoned by her uncle.  I really don't know, although the visit has a great deal of potential and will explain some things.

I actually have an excerpt.  It's little more than a random scene that I came up with a few days ago, and it might not make it to the final draft, but I wanted to share it, long though it is.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

              Jasper stood in the courtyard with Nyssa and Lar, getting directions from an instructor.
"A party of Aranara have penetrated far north.  Your job is to track them and find out their intentions.  Do not attack them unless you absolutely must.  Have you got that?"
The three nodded.  It was only an exercise - the 'Aranara' were actually role-playing Scouts and instructors - but it would be kept as real as possible without harming the students.
"Jasper," the instructor continued, "You are in charge.  You make the final decisions, so you are responsible for whatever happens."
Jasper nodded.  "Yes, sir."  He felt excited and nervous.  These exercises were his favorite part of training, but this was the first time he had ever been put in charge of an expedition.
"Ride south," said the instructor.  "You'll come upon their trail about here."  He pointed to a place on a map.  "There'll be a Scout waiting for you to give you any information you may need.  Any questions?"
Jasper, Nyssa and Lar were silent.
"Very well.  Godspeed."
They mounted their unicorns and rode south.
Jasper moved easily with the gait of his big gray unicorn, Thunder.  Unicorn and rider understood each other very well, and Jasper had never once fallen off the big animal.  Jumped off, yes, but fallen off, never.  Once he was on Thunder's back, the unicorn saw to it that he stayed there.  Nyssa rode to his left.  She was hardly the plump girl she had been when he first met her.  She was remarkably slimmer, and quickly moving to the top of the unarmed combat class.  Her white unicorn was smaller than Thunder, but kept up easily with the bigger unicorn.  And then there was Lar.  Jasper was very happy to have Lar along.  The tall boy was a deadly archer.  His skin was a darker shade than most people's and his hair was jet black.  He rarely spoke, but when he did, it was a good idea to listen.  His unicorn was as black as his hair, and he moved almost effortlessly with it.
They were keeping a fast pace, and found the waiting Scout in the first hour.
"That way," said the Scout, pointing west.  "There's thirteen of them, and they're well armed.  Be careful."
The three students nodded and picked up the trail.  For a while, it was fairly clear, and they followed it easily, Jasper leaning down from his saddle to examine the tracks.  Nyssa and Lar rode behind him and a little to each side, making sure that no tracks led away from the party.  After a while, the trail began to get dimmer.  Jasper dismounted to see the tracks better.  They came to a stream.  The 'Aranara' had gone across it, and the tracks did not pick up exactly on the other side. 
"They may still be on this side," said Lar.
Jasper nodded in agreement.  The party could have walked down a ways and gotten out on the same side as they entered.  But they could have also gotten out on the other side.  "We'll split up,"  he said.  "Lar, you and Nyssa go that way, one on each side of the stream.  It's wider down there.  I'll ride Thunder down this way; it's narrower, and I can keep an eye one both banks.  Everyone can imitate a wild turkey, right?  Okay, if any of us finds the trail, gobble three times in a row.  Hopefully no turkeys are around to fool us.  Owl imitations are easier, but it's still daytime."
They moved off in their respective directions.  Jasper and Thunder splashed slowly down the stream.  Jasper would have been more concerned about the noise, but the tracks were a few hours old, and he knew the 'Aranara' wouldn't be able to hear him.  A few minutes later, three gobbles interrupted his scanning of the bank.  He rode back the other way and found Lar kneeling next to some tracks.
"They went this way," the boy said.
Jasper looked at the tracks.  "I'm not sure I recognize that print," he said, pointing.
Lar nodded.  "No.  That one came from this way, see, through here.  A scout, perhaps?"
"Why hasn't he been with them, though?" Jasper asked.
Lar shrugged.  "Maybe he's stayed a little away from the main party the entire time."
Jasper examined the tracks again.  "It's just...they don't quite look like the ones we've been following.  Besides, don't you think the Scout we met would have known about this new person and told us?"
"Are you suggesting that this might be an actual raiding party?" Nyssa demanded.
"Well....I have a hunch that it might be," said Jasper slowly, not entirely sure of himself.
"We would have been warned already," said Nyssa confidently.  "Sent back, out of danger.  We're loosing time, Jasi," she added, impatiently
"Don't rush me, Nyssa," said Jasper.  "If this is a real Aranara raiding party, we're not the ones to track it.  I want to be sure.  The trail's fairly clear, and the unicorns can make up for lost time."  He and Lar stalked around, looking closely at the tracks without disturbing them.  At last they stood up.  "Well," said Jasper.  "I haven't seen anything too strange.  There's fourteen instead of the thirteen we were following, but they appear to have been joined by someone.  So...mount up.  We'll follow them.  But be ready for action.  I don't altogether like the feel of this."
The rode on cautiously.  Jasper noted that the unicorns were becoming more and more nervous.  He didn't like the feel of this.  Not at all.  He held up his hand to signal a halt.  The ground was muddy, and several footprints were well-outlined.  He knelt over them and felt a sinking in the pit of his stomach.  "Lar...Nyssa.  We've got to ride the other way.  Now.  The tracks are all wrong.  We're on the trail of an actual raiding party."
"What?!" gasped Nyssa.  "We're - ah!!"  She bent forward over her unicorn's neck, gripping her arm.  An arrow protruded from it.  The bushes rang with war cries.  Lar flung himself off his unicorn, not wanting to be a target, and  Nyssa followed his example.  Jasper cast desperately about for a defensible place and spotted a pile of rocks. 
"Lar, Nyssa!  To the rocks!" he yelled.
Another arrow hit Nyssa, this time in the leg.  She fell.  Jasper flung her over his shoulder and somehow managed to run to the rocks, carrying her.  Placing her quickly in a crevice that at least partially shielded her, he turned back to stand beside Lar, who was already firing his arrows into the attacking Aranara.  Two of them went down.  The rest dove out of sight.  Jasper knocked an arrow to his own bow, whispering a prayer for deliverance.  The  Aranara crept forward, trying to keep from being shot by the two young archers.  Then, suddenly, they rushed, wielding swords and yelling wildly.
Jasper tossed his bow aside and drew his sword; he could use it more effectively.  Two Aranara attacked him at once, but Gilthoniel had trained him well, and his time with the Scouts had only honed his skill with a blade.  He fended them off easily but hesitated to kill.  The combat grew thicker, however, and the awful sound of his sword cutting through badly made armor, flesh and bone rang in his ears.  He didn't like that sound, but there was no time to think about it.  More Aranara were converging on him.  He seized the dead Aranara's sword in his left hand, using both it and his own sword to defend himself.  Lar rained arrows at his attackers; no one got near enough to hit the dark-skinned boy.
Suddenly, it was over.  Two Aranara fled into the trees; the others lay dead.  Jasper stared at his sword in horror, for it was embedded in the skull of one of his attackers.  He pulled it out, staring at the blood that ran down it.  Five of the twelve dead Aranara lay at his feet, dead. Lar had shot the other seven.  Jasper leaned against the rocks for a moment, then threw up.  Lar wasn't looking very well either.  Both boys turned towards Nyssa.  Though his mind was fogged, Jasper knew he had to form some kind of plan.
"Uhhh...Lar.  Ride for help.  Watch out for those two Aranara.  Somebody's gotta know about this.  Find the other group if you can."
Lar looked very dazed, but he nodded.  "Okay."
Jasper turned to Nyssa as Lar left.  Whistling for Thunder, he dug in his saddlebags for what he needed to help her.  He was finishing the task when Lar and a group of people raced into the clearing.  Jasper was feeling more and more dazed by the minute.  What?  More Aranara.  Oh great.  But...why is Lar with them?  Oh yeah, the other party...the fake Aranara.  This must be them. 
"Jasper!!" 
He heard his name called by a familiar voice.  Jonathan Carzim was running towards him, dodging the dead bodies.  At the very thought of the dead that lay in front of the pile of rocks, Jasper felt a wave of nausea hit him.
Jonathan gripped his shoulders.  "Jasper.  Are you alright?  What happened?"
"Followed the wrong group," said Jasper.  "I don't know who got the worst of the fight."
To Jonathan, it looked like the Aranara had gotten the worst of the fight, but he knew what Jasper meant.  None of the Scouts liked killing people, and it was always hard to handle the death the first time you saw it like this. 
"Do you get used to this?" Jasper asked in a voice that was almost a whisper.
Jonathan shook his head.  "No.  It gets easier to handle, but you don't exactly get used to it."
"Nyssa?" 
"The others are taking care of her.  She'll be fine."
"I screwed up," said Jasper dejectedly.
"No," said Jonathan.  "You kept yourself and your group alive.  Two of you fought off a party of fourteen Aranara!  That isn't exactly screwing up."
"But I missed the trail."
"You wanna head back there a take a look at it so we can figure out what went wrong?"
"But Lar and Nyssa..."
"The others will look after them."
"Alright then."
They swung on their unicorns and rode back along the trail.  Inwardly, Jonathan was very impressed by Jasper's behavior.  From what he had seen and from the account they had gotten from Lar, Jasper hadn't been originally certain of the trail.  He had turned back almost as soon as he had sensed serious danger, and, though it hadn't been soon enough, it was as soon as they could expect from a student whose senses weren't tuned like those of a Scout.  When under attack, Jasper had kept his head and moved the group to the most defensible location available.  Then, dazed as he was after the assault, he had tended to his wounded comrade and sent for help.  Now he was pulling himself together and going to find out what had gone wrong.  It was under-pressure behavior of the highest quality.  Jonathan said nothing, however, feeling like Jasper wasn't in the mood to accept praise.
They dismounted at the bank where the Aranara scout had joined with the group.
"This is where I got off," Jasper said.
Jonathan dismounted and looked over the tracks.  Jasper and Lar had done an  exceptional job of leaving them intact.  To Jonathan's practiced eye, the tracks were quite different than those made by the fake raiding party.  To the unpracticed eye, however, he could see how they would be mostly the same, with only a few differences - the differences that had put Jasper at unease.  He stood from where he had been kneeling over the tracks.  "I can see how you got confused," he said.  He walked back over to his dejected friend.  "It takes a long time to develop the eye for this; until then, you do the best with what you have.  You did your best, Jasper, and no one can do any more than that."
"But Nyssa-"
Jonathan cut him off.  "You thought it was an exercise.    You weren't looking for an ambush because that wasn't part of the drill.  You couldn't have been prepared for the challenges you faced today because you don't start preparing for these kind of things until you're in your Junior Scouthood, so it didn't happen because you didn't pay attention in your classes.  It happened because you yet lack the knowledge to stay out of such an event.  But even with what happened, you did well."
"You really think so?" said Jasper slowly in a low voice.
"You didn't lose your head, Jasper," said Jonathan.  "That's the important part.  You had split seconds to apply what you'd learned to the situation, and you did a good job of it.  Learn everything you can from this and move on."
"So, what went wrong?" asked Jasper.
"Well, the tracks are different.  If you'd been following trails for three to four years like I have, you would have known.  But you haven't been tracking Aranara for that long - you haven't really tracked Aranara at all until now - so you didn't know.  The real problem, though, was the lack of a proper patrol around this area.  You should have been warned as soon as someone knew about the presence of the Aranara.  Since your guide said nothing, he didn't know, which means the Aranara entered the area very quickly and secretly.  So it wasn't altogether your fault."
Jasper still looked depressed.
Jonathan put a hand on his shoulder.  "Shake it off.  I went through Scout training too, remember, and at this point in your instruction, you couldn't have known."
"Okay."  Jasper shook himself slightly as if to throw off the gloomy event.  "I should probably go back and make sure Nyssa is alright."
Jonathan grinned.  Jasper's sense of responsibility was certainly stabilizing him at the moment.  "Good idea."
They trotted back.  Jasper dismounted beside Nyssa.  "Are you alright?" he asked.
"For the most part," she said, smiling.  "They tell me it will feel better when it stops hurting."
"Most injuries do," he said, returning her smile.

Dress Up

Like most every girl, when I was younger, I loved dressing up. Little pleased me more than Sunday afternoons spent with two or three cousins (all girls) during which we would play the part of tragic princesses. Robed grandly in old dressing gowns and draped with scraps of satin and lace accented with bits of jewelry, we would sweep grandly to the end of the tiny hallway to welcome the imaginary hero who came bounding majestically up the narrow staircase, wielding a glittering sword with which he slew the villains who stood in his path. Looking back, it's probably a good thing I do not have a brother close to my age; he would have been constantly pressed into the role of Romeo.

As my cousins and I grew older, our garb became more tasteful and our plots more sophisticated. We always played the heroines, occasionally doubling as an underhanded duchess or maidservant. The villains were always imaginary, as were the heros. My bedroom, the spare room, and the hallway served as the sets. We rarely lost a chance to drape ourselves dramatically over the bed or a couch, positively breathing our last, or collapse gently to the floor in a simulated faint (this was always the part when we got rescued from certain death by the hero).

What does this all have to do with Strianelian Royalty?

Beginnings of a Story

Sunday afternoon (if I remember correctly) around three years ago. Bookie, Annony and I decided to play dress up. But, we decided, we need a plot line, not some entirely ad-lib play. The plot line?

Beautiful Princess Josephina Victoria is in a terrible situation. Her uncle, Reginald, has refused to allow her to marry her true love, Tell Silver, a lieutenant in the Royal Cavalry. The alterative suitor? Count Ichabod, a man who has a reputation for marrying wealthy women and then finding excuses to kill them, keeping their wealth and titles. Reginald refuses to give the princess the throne after her father's death and places the Duchess Renly in control. Duchess Renly is a very gullible woman who obeys Reginald's every command and thinks he's in love with her. Josephina is imprisoned in a tower and given only bread and water to eat until she accepts Ichabod.

Enter the three bold handmaidens (played by Bookie, Annony and I). Daring and brave, they gain the favor of the Duchess Renly (who is now acting as Queen Regent) while secretly keeping their loyalty to the princess. They make sure their mistress has better food than bread and water and take messages from her to Tell. Tell is heartbroken at his beloved's plight and vows to rescue her or die trying. He succeeds in the rescue, and the three conspirators, Reginald, Ichabod and Renly, are punished for their deeds.

A Orphan Tale

At the time that we came up with this whole thing, I was a budding author. I fell in love with the plot we came up with, and believed it had great potential as a wonderful romance. Every time I started to write the story, however, I got lost and ran into roadblocks. The story drifted in and out of my head, and no more than two pages ever got put down when I tried to write it like a story. I wasn't particularly happy about this, but there was nothing I could do...or so I thought.

Inspiration

I had been working on 'Sarco' during this time, and had recently come to the realization that the whole story, no matter how much I liked it, was going nowhere. I wasn't about ready to give the tale up, however, and determined that I would do something with it. Reenter Tell and Josephina. I dusted off the piece of notebook paper that held the original plot and some character sketches and realized that it was compatible with my story. By the time I had finished writing the first draft, nearly everything was in a place I never imagined originally.

Derek ConRay and Nicanor ConVal. Derek is the Crown Prince of Strianel; Nicanor is the son of the King's most trusted advisor. The boys are best friends and look-alikes. Following Strianelian tradition, they find wives and marry them while still in their later teens. Derek marries a young woman named Alena; Nicanor marries Stella, a girl from the south.

King Zephyr, Derek's father, becomes ill and is obviously near death. A spy discovers that there is a plot to poison Prince Derek, though the identity of the assassin is unknown, as is the time he intends to strike. Nicanor bravely offers to double as Derek until the assassin is found and stopped so that the Heir Apparent will not be in danger. Derek agrees to the switch. The assassin is found before he causes harm. King Zephyr dies, but before Derek has a chance to claim the throne, Strianel is attacked by the Aranara. Derek and Nicanor both go to war. Derek is mortally wounded in a battle and dies in Nicanor's arms. With his last breath, he bequeaths the throne to Nicanor.

Alena, Derek's wife, lives quietly, a widow, for a short time before discovering that she is pregnant. Unbeknownst to him, Derek had an heir. Alena privately informs Nicanor of this. Nicanor tells her that he will turn the throne over to Derek's child when it is old enough.

The child, a boy, is born and named Tell. He receives a good education and gains a place in the Royal Cavalry at a surprisingly young age. He is not told of his true identity and believes that his father is his mother's second husband, Alan McGlather. Alena and Alan die before they inform Tell of who he truly is. Tell's eye falls on Nicanor's daughter, Josephina, a girl only slightly younger than he is.

Age comes quickly to King Nicanor. He, seeing that death is close, attempts to inform Tell that he is the true heir, but Nicanor's conniving half-brother, Reginald, keeps Tell in the dark. Nicanor dies with the secret.

Tell wishes to marry Josephina, who is now Queen, but has believed that such a proposal would be too forward. Now, however, he notes that Josephina will do nearly anything to escape marriage to her suitor, Duke Ichabod. After gaining the permission of Josephina's tutor, he proposes marriage to her. She accepts.

Reginald, knowing that Tell is the real king, is horrified to find him so close to the throne. Furious, he forbids the marriage, locks Josephina in a tower, and throws Tell in the notorious Stragillian Dungeons. The Stragillian Dungeons are inhabited by horrible spiders who have an ugly reputation for eating prisoners. Tell has a month to live, at the most. Satisfied that the true king is out of the way, Reginald turns his attention to forcing Josephina to marry Ichabod.

Through all of this, Tell kept his blood father's last name: ConRay. When the name 'Tell ConRay' reaches the ears of the Sarconians, they realize that Derek ConRay had a son. Upon learning that Tell, the last surviving member of the Royal Family, has basically been sentenced to death, they send two trusted young men, Jack Breaker and Jonathan Carzim, to rescue Tell and Josephina.

The rescue is successful. Tell and Josephina are brought back to the mountains, where Tell is informed that he is really the king. This comes as a relief to Josephina, who assures Tell that she is more comfortable reigning as his Queen then she would have been had he been merely the Prince Consort. Even though the problems of who the true ruler is have been straightened out, there is still the threat of war. Only after the Second Battle of Malah Carzim is fought can Tell take his place as King of Strianel.

When it came to swords, Sarconian Scouts generally preferred the hand-and-a-half sword.

The sword was valued for its comparitive lightness and versatility.  It could be used with either one or (almost)  two hands and could be used as effectivley in a deadly slice as in thrusting attack.

Daggers were usually a matter of personal choice, although the main-gauche, the stiletto and the basilard were the most common.  The stiletto was especially valued by the girls because it could double as a deadly weapon and a hair piece.  The Scouts also carried hunting knives for the purpose of dressing game.

main-gauche

stiletto

basilard

hunting (bowie) knife

The bows used by Scouts ranged from three to six feet in length; shorting ones being used for travel and longer ones more for combat.  Their design was simple but sturdy with few trappings.  Some Scouts liked to sharpen the tips of their bows and sometimes went as far as to place small knives at the ends, although this was very rare.  Arrows were usually hand-made by the Scout and carried over the shoulder in a leather quiver which could also be used to stow the bow.

History of the Order

The Sarconian Scouts were instated by King Stephen Bijan, the first ruler of the Old Kingdom. Their job has always been the same: to protect. They were the first line of the kingdom's defense, usually warning the kings of impending attack and occasionally gathering in large groups to harass the attacking armies. The order was inactive for a time after the Old Kingdom fell to the Corvanie king, Adler, but was renewed by Adler's son, Brian.

During this time, the order was answerable only to the King himself. The older members immediately saw the openings for corruption and began to instate rigorous training processes that instilled not only skill with weapons and the arts of war and woodcraft, but values as well. For over two generations, the Scouts loyally served the king and the people.

At this point, King Rodney, Brian's grandson, came to the throne. He was a cruel king, and some of the people rebelled against him. Furious, Rodney ordered the Scouts to hunt down those who opposed him and kill them. The Scouts refused, respectfully informing the king that to follow his orders went against everything they stood for and believed in. Enraged, Rodney struck out against them, brutally murdering every Scout he could capture. They fled, helped by the people of Corvan, who had not forgotten the good things done for them by the Scouts.

Aldred Bijan, one of the few remaining members of the Sarconian royal family, sent out messengers to the bands of Scouts that were scattered throughout the kingdom, calling them to rally around him. They did so, along with many of the Corvanie people. The rebels moved up into the Sarco Mountains and fought Rodney from their hidden bases for two years, until they finally gained control of the mountains. Immediately they separated from Corvan, forming their own country: Sarconia.

For over three generations, Sarconia and Corvan were at war. The Scouts made a name for themselves both in full battle and behind the lines of the enemy. Finally, the rulers of the two countries decided to make peace. They formed an alliance, and all seemed well.

The good times were not to last long, however. During the reigns of the next two Sarconian kings, corruption began to tear the former systems apart. Only the Scouts remained stable, thanks to the foresight of their founders. During the reign of Queen Amara, Sarconia fell to anarchy. To their dispair, the Scouts saw that there was nothing they could do except slip the endangered Queen out of the capital and try to get her into Corvan. They succeed in doing this, getting the Queen out just before the rest of the population was destroyed by a plague.

The Scouts nearly died during the exile in Corvan. There was no need for their services; training was passed down from parent to child or sometimes not passed down at all. They held on, however, keeping some of the old traditions alive. When the evil King Zoban arose and many of the people rallied around Joshua Breaker, a descendant of Amara Bijan, the Scouts joined the group, which left for Sarconia. The Scouts had fallen too far, however, and could not help the party when they were struck by the harsh mountain winter; it was only by the grace of the Lord of Heaven that the party survived, assisted by the Elves.

With the help of the Elves, the Scouts became what they used to be and went back to their former jobs of defending the people. They continued in this up to the Uniting of the Kingdoms, when the kingdoms Sarconia and Strianel united because of a marriage between their royalties: Timothy ConRay and Victoria Breaker. The Scouts were allowed to continue their activities after this, for the kings saw their usefulness. They were forgotten, however, along with the rest of the Sarconians, until the time came for them to return and help again.

Training of a Scout

Training was one of the biggest things that the founders of the order gave thought to. They knew full well that the training should not only be physical, but mental as well.

To join the order, a would-be Scout had to have the permission of their parents or guardians. They ranged in age from about eleven to sixteen. Once permission was gained for a recruit to join, they went through basic training, which included basic instruction in unarmed combat, long-distance running, and horsemanship. All recruits were required to study the Word of the Lord of Heaven, and daily prayers and readings were a major part of the routine.

Whether a recruit passed basic training was decided by two things: physical condition and attitude. The life of a Scout was demanding, and only those is excellent physical condition could join the ranks of the Scouts. Attitude was the other major consideration. Recruits were not only chosen by the condition of their body, but by their ability to apply the Word of the Lord to their everyday lives.

Now it was time to move on to the next level. The classes taught to the students included swordsmanship, archery, advanced unarmed combat, long-distance running, horsemanship, tracking and healing. Their study of the Word became more intense, and their faith in the Lord was made stronger.

When the time came for a student to graduate, they knew everything they needed to become a Scout. At this point, they could either move on and become a Junior Scout or leave and use what they had learned in other ways.

If a student decided to become a Junior Scout, they would spend time on easier missions with an experienced Scout, learning the tricks of the trade that could not be taught in a class and gaining experience. There was no set period of time for this final leg of training; the length of time depended on the student.

Once they had gained a certain amount of experience and could act coolly and wisely on their own, a Junior Scout could graduate to Scout.

Life of a Scout

The life of a Scout was very demanding, physically and mentally. They patrolled the Aranaran/Sarconian border. The best way I can explain to you is to go through a day as a scout on the border.

You wake up with the sunrise. Getting dressed is only a matter of putting on your boots, belt and weapons and straightening out your hair, as you have slept in your clothes. The short work of dressing completed, you shake out your blankets, roll them, and tie them onto your saddle. The next order of business is to cook breakfast over an open fire, provided that you're not to close to any Aranaran patrols. Breakfast consists of dried meat (unless you shot some fresh game recently) and dried fruit. Normally you might have biscuits made of flour, water, and salt, but you're on your last day and stores are running low. Eating finished, you put out the fire, and pack your gear on your unicorn.

Before you leave the campsite, you take measures to make it appear deserted at first glance. This completed, you leave. You ride for a while, then pick up the fresh trail of an Aranaran patrol. Leaving your unicorn in a hidden place, you track them, trying to divine their intentions. Ah, they appear to be heading for a small settlement. It is a raiding party. The settlement must be warned. You decide to take a shortcut in hopes of beating the raiding party to the settlement. You whistle for your unicorn, who soon joins you.

As you ride swiftly along the shortcut, you notice that things don't seem quite right. You slow your mount, listening. Suddenly, an Aranaran arrow cuts through the air in front of you. Swiftly, you dive off your unicorn. It quickly gets out of bowshot. Creeping silently through the woods, you find out that the raiding party, like you, thought that the shortcut was a good idea, and you had almost stumbled right into the middle of the group. On foot, you circle them, then set off at a run for the settlement.

When you are well away from the party, you call your unicorn again. You have to wait a little longer than usual, but it comes up soon enough. Through a series of signals, you tell it to run next to you. It does so, matching your pace. After a moment, you leap into the saddle and urge it into a run. You cover ground more quickly now and reach the settlement in good time. They quickly prepare their defenses.

The battle with the Aranara does not last long, and the raiding party is driven back. Late in the afternoon, as you tend the wounded, you are relived by another Scout. Free to go, you head to the nearest Scout Station.

A Scout Station is a cross between a store and a hotel. Supplies can be bought there, and it is usually a good place to pick up on the latest news, for there are rarely fewer than five Scouts there, coming from and going to assignments. A whole wing of it is devoted to small bedrooms, however, just incase a Scout is hurt or needs to stay the night.

It is late in the evening when you reach the Scout Station. You enter the main room and are greeted by several friends. There are some people in the corner jamming on their favorite instruments while most of the other Scouts are sitting around talking, save for one, who is at the store counter, although he seems more interested in courting the station-keeper's daughter than buying anything.

You stay up for some time, talking, sharing experiences, advising the Scouts who are just starting their assignments on the situation, and applauding the scout who was at the counter, as he seems to have gotten around to proposing to the station-keeper's daughter.

After spending the night at the Scout Station, you will head back home and spend at least a week with your family, although you might go for a month or more without an assignment, depending on the situation.

I hope that's given you an idea of who the Scouts are.

~Cyrilla

"...I must inform you that the scouts are known for their wildness and their overlooking of some dangers. They will stand and watch a boulder roll down a mountainside towards them while discussing its speed."

Bold and daring, the Scouts hiked through my imagination for some time, helping each other or rescuing fair ladies as the need arose. Masters of wood and war craft, they preferred to stay mysteriously in the shadows, suddenly appearing to offer help when it was needed and vanishing just as quickly when they were no longer needed.

Mysterious as they seemed, however, the Scouts were not really the kind of people whom you would expect to behave in such a mysterious manner. Fun-loving and joyous, they loved a good joke and would play pranks when they could get away with them. The Scouts could only accept the best, for training was rigorous and the life dangerous. It was this wild life that gave the Scouts their often mischievous character, the jokes a small escape from their life that constantly placed them in peril.

There are four Scouts in Sarco: Melissa Breaker, Jonathan and Joshuel Carzim, and Jasper Watson. I was often irked because what I had of my story originally did not let me really elaborate on who the Scouts really were and what their lives were like. As time goes on, I will be writing things up on these four Scouts and the kind of life they and the other Scouts live, in hopes that someone may possibly find it somewhat interesting.

This month marks the two-year anniversary of my quest into the land of Writing, and what an andventure I have had!  The land of Writing is a place where anything can happen, you just have to imagine it.  The more time you spend there, the more it seems like a second home and the more you feel a comradship with other authors.

My characters have been so patient with me.  I have put them through a great deal, and during this time they have become more than characters.  They have become friends.  I wish you could know them like I have.

Jack and Melissa Breaker.  These twins have gone through more than any of my other characters.  They came about before I even imagined Sarconia, and were mercilessly dragged through multiple stories, all of which crashed and burned.  They refused to die, however, and gamely adapted to every tale I thrust them into, growing with each faliure.  It has been a great triumph for me to settle them down in the Sarco Mountains.  Not that life has gotten any easier for them, but at least they stay in one story!

Jasper Watson (aka Jake Watson).  What can I say about this guy?  He certainly has endured alot, from losing his normal way of life at fifteen, to having his name changed from Jake to Jasper, to having some of his life rewritten and losing his normal way of life at thirteen.  I have twisted his fate in all sorts of crazy directions, he has actually let me, and we're still friends (at least, as much of a friendship as an author can have with a character).

Joshuel Carzim.  The last character that I'm going to cover here.  I'll have you all know that this is the boy who totally ruined one of my romantical plots by stealing the girl.  I will tell you more about that later.  Joshuel seems to enjoy entertaining himself by frequently eclipsing main characters from his position as a secondary character.   He's been a blast to write.  Joshuel is invaluble as a character and definately one of my best friends in Writing.

This is really all I can say right now about these people.  Soon I will be posting bios and other informational things, but I don't have the time now.