[Alatriel]

Mercy is a tricky thing...

This thing with the dark elf. With Sion. It's taken up now five years of my life, and will take up another twenty. There have been notices of people outside the temple now with people who have a problem with Sion being at the temple. They are afraid of him, and I don't blame them. He represents a people that has terrorized those of us on the surface for much longer than my short life has been witness to. I remember hearing stories as a young child from my parents and teachers of what dark elves were capable of.

So, since I failed to kill him when I was instructed, he got away. And since I failed to catch him, we had to wait five years before he decided to finally turn himself in. And since I asked for mercy that he know service rather than just sending him back to the deep or killing him, which may or may not be the end to him... we now are stuck with him. I am doing my best to see this as a test for me, a means to learn patience, to see beyond the darkness and negativity that he exudes, but I admit I am having a hard time.

Because he was with us, Miss Kashi was held at knife point. Because someone decided they wanted to kill the dark elf. Or... did he want to free him? I'm not sure anymore. The real question is, if we are out for the greater good, whose good are we serving here more? The good of one dark elf, or the good of the rest of the people who are now afraid to set foot inside our walls, where they used to come for refuge and safety? What happens if the children of Ft. Llast or the surrounding areas are threatened again by vampires? If we ask them to come into the temple for safety again, will they refuse? Will lives be lost because we have attempted to save one dark life from continuing down a dark path?

I've helped those outside the temple where I can, but I can only do so much. Twenty years may not be a long time to the dark elf, but to the humans it is a very long time, and will not be good for our following if they are not comfortable coming to us. But I don't think we can trust Sion outside our walls. He's proven too many times his willingness and ability to run off and do the wrong thing.

I will pray about it more... Something may have to change.