Let's get the obvious out of the way first. My name is Amaranth Rose, a rosenite, daughter of Angela, the Earth Mother. If you're reading this, I most likely misplaced my journal somewhere, and would like you to stop reading this private book immediately and send it to the Sundering Gardens so I can fetch it.

This is my first time writing a journal or a diary. The only journals I've ever kept have been educational in nature, not personal, so this is all a bit foreign to me. Anyway, I have begun mastering my magic well enough to leave the Sundering Gardens and travel on my own for a bit. Oh, yeah, that's right - I just turned seventeen. So. These first few days have been painfully uneventful. Don't get me wrong, I love the nature, and talking to the local wildlife can be a lot of fun - but in the end, I want a challenge. And animals will remain animals, in that they rarely have something incredibly intelligent to say. Even the owls are like children, and they're portrayed as so wise. Anyway, I hope something interesting will happen soon.

Six days since my last entry. I met a merchant on the road the other day, and we had a chat about the workings of economics. His understanding of it seemed a little incomplete to me - basic supply and demand stuff. He wasn't a good conversationalist for long, but I got a good deal on a few cuts of dried meat. Normally, I'd hunt, but it'd be nice to spend a day foraging instead and still have some proteins by the end of the day.

Two weeks since my last entry. Over the last few days, I've been helping a local village handle some animal problems. They wanted me to chase away a pack of wolves that had been preying on their livestock for a while, and find out how the local bear populations were moving. The bears were easy enough - they were lazing along the countryside due east, away from the village. The wolves were trickier. I tried to convince them to leave before the villagers sent out a party to hunt them, but the alpha was being stubborn. He said he wanted me to join his pack and carry cubs for him. It was a tough match - he was strong - but I eventually beat him, and the pack turned tail to hunt elsewhere. Needless to say, the villagers were all uneducated and somewhat dull, so I didn't stay for long.

Six months since my last entry. There hasn't happened much of note since last time I wrote in this journal. In all honesty, I forgot I carried it around for at least two months. In any case, I may finally have made some headway in getting to know someone interesting. A couple of scholars from Wyllmochvar got impressed by my abilities, told me it was reminescent of the Haza people, a shamanistic society in a region called Jasumin. I've been talking with them for days, and they agreed to let me come with them back to Pravpora if I taught them the basic theory behind my shapeshifting abilities.

One week since my last entry. We're supposed to hit land tomorrow. The wins and currents have both been favourable, as has the company. These scholars - two men, three women - are all quick-witted and erudite, and I have had a lot of fun talking with them about all things between heaven and earth. One of the men invited me into his bedchambers the other night - I'd have accepted if it wasn't for the fact that my bleeding began yesterday. Ah, well, better luck next time.

Three weeks since my last entry. The Haza have proven themselves an interesting, if peculiar, society. They seem to be rules by a bloodline-based society, associated with foxes, bears,wolves, and eagles, respectively. I think I shall stay here for a while and learn their ways.

Two years since my last entry. During my time here, I have learned a great many things - spells, customs, even an entirely new language. My existing magical abilities have also been reinforced, and I have learned to polymorph with less effort, particularly where foxes, bears, wolves and eagles are concerned. I've also grown more adept at hunting and taming animals, using my abilities as a beast to full effect. The only thing I haven't been able to get better at is tolerating slow people. They still annoy me. Luckily, wisdom and intellect is not in scarce supply here, but the people here tend to have a very limited education - and so there are a lot of topics I can't bring up with them. Now that they have more or less exhausted their knowledge base, I think it is time I moved on.

One month since my last entry. I have stayed in Wyllmochvar for some time now. Here, the art of philosophy is much more appreciated, and the gardens are lush and vibrant. But I have come to understand that Wyllmochvarians are a bit elitist. I am not Wyllmochvarian and have only a basic understanding of the language, and due to that and my attire, many of the locals dismiss me out of hand as some barbarian. The ones I do get to talk to for more than a minute thankfully realise this is not the case, so I have gotten access to the city's libraries (for the most part) and made a friend or two in the local student societies. In particular, there are a few scholars studying herbomancy that frquently invite me to join them - on account of my mother, no doubt. A few of them seem convinced I have some magical prowess in the art of herbomancy I keep hidden from them, but this is not the truth - my mantra was always animals. In either case, I help them out sniffing up plants from time to time, so they keep me close.

Two months since my last entry. I am still in Wyllmochvar. I've made my living in the army kennels and stables, training the animals and keeping them calm as they get check-ups by the veterinarians. The kennelsmasters here have an academic approach to animal training, strictly methodical and almost completely devoid of love for the animals. This doesn't concern me, much - they have reached the conclusion that a happy animal is a responsive animal, and thus treat them well, but it also means I have gotten insights into animals behaviour that even I found surprising. The group of herbomancers I mentioned before still invite me out from time to time. By now, I have had some intimate relations with a few of them, but by way of alchemy, it hasn't been productive. Oh, how mother would gasp at the blasphemy, but I am not ready for that just yet.

Nine months since my last entry. I have been in Wyllmochvar for a year or so now, and like before, I am starting to lose interest. Sure, there's a lot to learn here, and compared to Jasumin, I have barely scratched the surface here. But I want a change of scenery, so I am heading back to Canelux soon. Maybe I'll visit mother.