From the Diary of Tamsen Larkspur

Catastrophe!

One would think that when you defeat an evil wizard, free twenty slaves and catch the most notorious crooks in Valon that one would be treated as a heroine. One should expect songs and dances and parades.

But, instead, what does one get?

SCREWED.

Jarrow and Astrid, involved parents that they are, have taken the chalet away. I now must sleep in the main house, in that pink dungeon where I grew up. It's a kind of torture to lay in a tiny pink bed mere steps away from my parents, whom I loathe so much.

I never thought I'd say this, but I wish I'd never returned to Upper Valon. I long to be adventuring. I've grown so much. I can crawl up walls like a spider and make people vomit fire, and these people expect me to study for Etiquette exams? I have a pact with the infernal, for Correllan's sake!

Speaking of infernal things, we had another dream. In this one I'm some sort of burrowing mammal and I'm digging and digging and reaching for something shiny. Then I surface and there are human teenagers looking at me. We think maybe it has something to do with the poor people school in lower Valon, as their mascot is the badger. We'll see.

P.S. I almost forgot to mention that I almost died and stupid Pavel stole some burglar gloves off me. I hate, hate, hate Pavel and his stupid face. I'm gonna get him some day, I swear it.

xoxo
Tamsen Larkspur

From the Diary of Tamsen Larkspur

Dear Diary,

So we went back to that keep and were nearly killed by a dire board and some goblins. Stupid Pavel decided this was a marvelous time to show his stupid face again. Just as he was running up, Eugenium ran off! What is wrong with these boys? Are they just cowards? At least Chyp is dependable.

Chyp and Pavel were both unconscious from the fray (I hadn’t even been hit!) when the wizard Thienthedel showed up and I got him to call off his goblins and revive the boys. He took us down to the barracks (Merrick from school was don there. A Slave!) Thienthedel was going to make us sleep there, but Chyp got him to agree to letting us rest in his private chambers instead.

It was kind of awkward. All of us on furs and Thienthedel on his girly bed with goblin guards watching always. I had this brilliant idea that of course nobody listened to. I suggested we steal something of Thienthedel’s and throw it into the pond, drawing him out of the keep. BUUUUUUT NNOOOOOOO. Don’t listen to Tamsen. Anyway, they tried to shackle our legs. (As if!) We totally ran and then killed a bunch of goblins on the draw bridge. Who knows what we’ll do next. We think the first key is in there, so we have to go back in don’t we?

Here’s something weird…. I’m still adjusting to my warlock powers and some of them are… well, a little dark. I can make people vomit magical fire and conjure magical crowns of thorns and shoot lazers and stuff. I guess that's just what you get when you make a pact with the infernal but this is both frightening and awesome. While I was on the bridge I realized I could climb walls like a spider if I wanted to. I was even able to make little webs come out of my hands and feet. Being a warlock is so gross!

I didn’t tell the others. I think maybe I’ll surprise them.

Hearts,

Josh

From the Diary of Tamsen Larkspur

Dear Diary,

If only my father could see me now. Jarrow's Jewel? Yeah, right.

So much has happened since I last wrote in this diary, though it's only been a few days. Most recently I was shot several times by goblins atop a keep we thought was unoccupied. I've never been shot before. Corellan, it hurts! It's also sort of exciting though if you know it won't kill you.

Abdominal muscles aside, Pavel is a real pain! He completely ditched us and left us to invade this keep alone. I wonder where he is, what he's doing, what he's thinking, and if he's thinking of me. I hate that I like him, but I hate him as much as I like him too. It's very confusing. Especially since I kind of like Eugenium too. He's any annoying nerd, but a very, very sweet one.

Gah! I have a crush on every boy!

Illander Illrune is starting to recede further and further from my memory, which is totally depressing.

I'm getting more and more powerful, which is like totally amazing. If only those jealous skanks in Upper Valon could see me conjure a crown of stars or make goblins vomit fire. They'd never say a disparaging word about me again! Eugenium and Chyp are both getting really powerful too. It's funny how adventuring forces the best out of you.

Anyways. To Do:

-Replace that cranky old wizard's components

1. saphire dust

2. dire spider's legs

-Find 12 keys (or something? These dreams are super vague!) We think the first one is in this keep we ran away from because goblins were shooting at us. The enchanted pond (Corellan, this all sounds crazy when you write it down) might be the useful. Note to self: figure this out.

-Rescue the chosen ones.

-Marry Illander Illrune and be the most popular, powerful adults in Upper Valon.

Hearts,

Tamsen Larkspur

The So-Called "Jarrow's Jewel"

From the Diary of Tamsen Larkspur

Ugh.

I was just returning some stolen garments to my walk-in when I decided to shut the door, take a load off, and write in you, dear diary. (Corellan, I forgot I had you! The last entry is from, like, three years ago and about something shitty Ashleigh Oberholt did to Eugenium after Enthusiasm Squad.) Anyway, I don't have long before people will miss me. Yes, there's another party here in the Chalet! My parents will flip, but I really didn't mean to let this happen again.

These past two weeks have been totally nuts. I took the eldritch pact two weeks ago and my life will never be the same. In a way, it's good. The boring life my parents laid out for me is no longer possible. I'll never be somebody's demure little wife, running an estate and barking orders at servants. On the other hand, and just between you and me, I think my pact was with something evil and not with the fey like I thought. I should have known that when the ritual called for me to eat the raw brains from a goats head that meant it wasn't a feywild pact.

Ugh! Peer pressure!

Now I can feel all this power surging throughout my body. It's very... disturbing. And a little exciting? Also, the chalet is haunted because of my pact (we think.) I had a dream that the missing girl named Laird was here and the same night Chip, who was sleeping over, saw ASHLEIGH OBERHOLT IN MY KITCHEN!!!! This is getting so scary and everybody is talking about me behind my back.

Anyway, Chip and I went to L.V. to see the Smokin' Crystals. They were so awesome!!! I wish I was as tough and cool as those two women. Maybe I will be now that I'm a warlock. I can't wait to get out of school and adventure and shed the shackles of privilege. I'm off track again...

The party happening outside my closet door is for that girl Jara, who wants to take the eldritch pact. FUCK. HER. Ugh! I told her it was dangerous, but she just wants to be cool. Well, trying to be cool is what killed Yew Tosscobble and that first year boy whose name I can't remember. Chip and I bought some elixer to use during her "pact." We're going to make her get undressed and have Jana and Jacqueline rub it on her so they'll all sprout hair.

The bigger news, however, is that Jara has a spell that (hopefully) will let us contact Illander Illrune beyond the grave. Correlan, I miss him so! I guess some people are too beautiful for this world. We didn't have the proper componenets (saphire dust and a dire spider leg) so me and Eugenium and Pavel broke into my neighbor Illyabore's (sp?) tower and convinced him to give it to us. Ugh! He finally did after cutting off a lock of my hair and making us promise to replace the ingrediants within two days with a note from my parents. Ugh! How is that even possible? (I have some of the elixer on my head right now. Grow, bangs, grow!)

When i got back to the chalet there were about a billion people here. (I forgot to mention that the Smokin' Crystals are playing AT MY HOUSE! Chip is, like, dying.) Some bitches were trying to steal my clothes so I threatened to curse them. It's funny, I didn't realize until just now writing it that I ACTUALLY CAN CURSE PEOPLE.

Anyway, we're about to try the spell so I should go. I few thoughts.

1. Having power is scary.

2. I can make boys do just about anything.

3. I'm really lucky to have Chip for a friend.

4. Pavel wasn't wearing a shirt and he has a smoking body! OMG a totally have a girl boner for his abs.

5. I spent all my gold. Corellan, that means I have to ask my parents for me.

6. I think Eugenium disapproves of my power. I'm not totally sure if that matters to me? I just feel this weird connection to him because his cousin was my best friend for years and years and years.

7. I failed my Etiquette test. UGH!

Hearts,
Tamsen Larkspur