I'm better at euchre now, but I'm still not very good at it. Sindre is good at it, so if we are a team, I think we will be okay! We will not win, but that is not the reason everyone is playing, no? It's just for fun.

Oh, and Pearl, I still haven't seen your clips anywhere! Maybe they really are lost ...

[Filter: Private ; Atsirian]

Oh, everyone liked it! That makes me so glad. I hope it really cheers everyone up, for a long time, so that when things are bad, they can think of the time we had a Moon Festival party to make up for what happened during the real Moon Festival, and smile a little. And I'm very happy that everyone thought that it was such a good idea. It makes me feel useful. It's ... nice.

I wonder what Mother would have thought about one of my ideas becoming something that made people happy. I wish it didn't hurt so much to think about her.

[Filter: Franelcrew, except Celeste]

Oh, I think we're nearly ready! It won't be exactly like Moon Festival, but it is very close, no? I hope there will be no clouds tonight, that would be the worst thing that could happen! It won't be a good Moon Festival if you can't see the moons!

[Filter: Private ; Atsirian]

- Candles
- Paper
- Dyes
- String

Oh, I think that is all for decorations. Lady Celeste will want everything to be very traditional. I got a strange look from the merchant at first, for buying so many candles and paper, because I look like a nomad. Sindre says that it's because I buy so much of the same thing too, and merchants are not very used to seeing that when they think they are dealing with one person.

The merchant did ask what everything was for, and I said it was for a Moon Festival party. He must think I'm very strange.

[Filter: Private ; Atsirian]

It was a good Festival this year, wasn't it? Everyone looked happy, even though it wasn't too long ago that such terrible things happened. They must be very good at forgetting the terrible things for a little while. They have to. If they remember all the time, they'll always be upset, they'll always feel helpless and sad. It cannot be easy.

Everyone gave me such nice presents this year. It's so stressful, shopping for so many people. I wanted them to be happy with what I have chosen for them, and buying presents for them feels different from what I did for the tribe. Cutting and sewing new clothes from old, then making charms and necklaces and bracelets and little pouches from thread and beads and cloth leftover. Mother hates for things to go to waste.

This is the third one.

Oh, I've never bought so many presents before! There isn't space to hide them all, even! No one can come into me and Sindre's room until the Festival, except for Sindre, of course. I don't want anyone to see their present before then!

I will have to find another place to hide Sindre's present. I know he isn't going to, oh, how do you say, look for it on purpose? But he might find it by accident! And I want presents to be a nice surprise! It is not fun when you know what you're getting, yes?

[Filter: Private ; Atsirian]

The pirate captain had a journal ... I'm sure Fayre wasn't seeing things, or hearing them. I guess that's why the other ship didn't burn up when it sailed away. They knew that was what we were going to do.

Sindre said something like this would have happened sooner or later. He's surprised that it's never happened before. I ... I don't know. I'd like to think that everyone writing in the journals are ... well, some of them aren't good people, but I'd never think that they meant to hurt us ...

I don't feel very good about this at all.

[Filter: Jakob ; Atsirian]

It looks like the Moon Festival party we were going to have for Lady Celeste won't be for a while, doesn't it?

[Filter: Private ; Atsirian]

When the pirates came on the ship, I was so scared. I didn't know how many of them there were, and I didn't know if Lord Lawrence and Sawyer and Fayre and everyone could drive them away, even though they've fought pirates before. And then, I thought about the people who might be outside the dining hall, who didn't know about the pirates and how dangerous it was. The ship was so big ...

Sindre didn't want me to go outside and warn everyone. He said that we shouldn't put ourselves in danger, and Princess had warned everyone already, so I didn't need to. But the Princess didn't say anything about pirates! And what if they didn't listen to the Princess, and didn't lock their door? What if they decided to go out of their room, and the pirates saw them? Even though they didn't like me, at least, I don't think they did, and some of the ones weren't nice to me because I'm from Atsiria, that doesn't mean that I shouldn't help them!

Sindre understood then, I think. He came with me. But I was still so scared ...

[Filter: Private ; Atsirian]

I do miss the desert. So much. It hurts to think about it. I miss the colour of the sands, how it glows orange during the sunrise, and gold when the sun is at its highest, and deep red during the sunset. I miss the feeling of sand between my toes, and on my skin when the wind blows. I miss the wide and open spaces, being able to see so far ahead without peering past trees, or houses, or people.

I wish Sindre could understand, but he doesn't really. He likes the desert, but he doesn't live with it. At least he's happy here. I don't mind missing home then. It looks like Lady Celeste is getting better now, too. She's starting to walk again. I should start picking a day to hold the new Moon Festival for her. I wonder when everyone is going on this ... cruise. That is what they called it. I don't know if I'll go too. Most people at the court are nice to me, but I think they think I'm funny, and not in a nice way. And I think you have to wear something like what people at court wear, and I don't have anything like that.

[Filter: Against Celeste]

We are going to have another Moon Festival for Lady Celeste, yes? I thought it was a very good idea, because the Moon Festival is Lady Celeste's favourite holiday, and it, um, wasn't very happy this year.

[Filter: Private ; Atsirian]

I wish I could have gone with them to rescue Finlay. But the forest is so different to the desert! There were so many trees, and it was dark in the afternoon because the cover above us was so thick! I wouldn't have been sure of the way to go either, with the ground covered in so many leaves. And I've never fought bandits before. It would have been silly of me to go.

We're so close to Floran now. I'm so glad we haven't come across any trouble. And now Lady Celeste will get better, won't she? I hope so ...

[Filter: Private ; Atsirian]

Jakob is like me, isn't he? A nomad without a tribe. I wonder how he became that way. Did he run away too? Like me? I shouldn't ask him. It's not very nice to ask, and I wouldn't want anyone to ask me why I'm here. Why a nomad like me isn't with her tribe. I wonder if he thinks about them. Does he miss them, like I miss mine? I'm so far away from the desert, and they don't know.

Oh, the desert ... the stars are the same here, but everything else ...

[Filter: Public ; Trade]

I miss home. It's very strange, I think. People usually miss home when it is close to the time they leave, no? But I've been away for very long, and now, I really do miss it. I will miss it for a very short time, I think. It's because I didn't think about home until now.

[Filter: Private ; Atsirian]

It does becomes easier once the first performance is done. I'm so glad that Jakob was right! And everyone really enjoyed the performance this time, too, they were all clapping and cheering at the end.

Oh, that reminds me!

[Filter: Essalene ; Atsirian]

Did you see? The play is going very well!

[Filter: Private ; Atsirian]

Oh, Sindre keeps smiling and laughing at me! I'm glad that he is smiling and laughing, but it shouldn't be at me! This isn't funny! It's only natural that I'm going to be nervous now, isn't it? Even if it's only a small part, I've never done this before, and I don't want to make a mistake, not when Miss Fayre and everyone has taken the time to help me.

He's left to take a seat now ... Oh, I hope everyone likes it ...!

[Filter: Private ; Atsirian]

Good ... good, this is something, isn't it? Something that could help Lady Celeste. I wish I could come too, but everyone else who is helping with the play is staying and I don't want to make rehearsals hard for them by not being here. And there will be another chance to travel and see the rest of Hanalan when we leave Floran! I wonder if there are really tree people --

Oh! She's packing ...?

[Filter: Essalene ; Atsirian]

Are you thinking of going with Lord Kail?

Does anyone want to help me make lanterns for tonight? I bought all the paper and candles we need, and all we will have to do now is to cut the paper and if you don't know how to make one, I can teach you! It will look very nice if we had them for light when we are outside, yes?

[Filter: Private ; Atsirian]

Sindre thinks it is very funny that Miss Fayre asked me if I could take part in their play. He says that I'm too honest to be a good actress. Then he laughs again. I'm happy that he is laughing, even if he is at me trying to help Miss Elyiethe with her play. He is right, I don't think I will be very good, but Miss Fayre would not have asked if she didn't think I could be taught, would she? At least I don't have to speak very much.

[Filter: Private ; Atsirian]

Everyone in Hanalan seems nice, but they give me strange looks when my back is turned, I know they do. Sindre said so. He said that they probably don't like Atsirians because we make fun of them, but we don't make fun of them, we just think they're strange! And now I know they are nice as well as strange! And I have not seen any tree people either. Maybe they live in the forests?

[Filter: Franelcrew Girls ; Trade]

Ummmm, well! I'm going to buy food for tomorrow, so is there anyone who would like to come?

Oh, the air smells so different here, like roses! And fruit! There aren't as many people here as there is in Razen, but maybe it's because it's still early? And the houses are so pretty! They aren't built on trees here, but maybe they are outside? I think I can see all of Floran in two days at most ...

Um, there is a lot of screaming all of a sudden! Is it for telling people to wake up?

Oh, oh! The sea is so ... so big! I've never seen so much water before! How big is the sea? It looks like it never ends!