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tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28187001041694086862018-08-28T10:33:06.520-06:00Feral By NatureSazhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-2818700104169408686.post-23881379538635592022013-05-21T08:02:00.000-06:002013-05-21T08:02:13.892-06:00Sea BoundThe Barrens were, as ever, unchanged. Yellowed grass covered the dusty spaces in between rocky hills which had long been smoothed over by sea winds. Even when it hung low in the sky, the sun caused the land to swelter.

Kelebek's progress through the area had been slow. The heat during the day was far too dangerous to travel in, while the nights were filled with opponents she dare not face alone. While the sun remained in the sky, the lions of the Barrens may have lolled about in the shade like pampered house cats, but at night they roamed in vicious packs. They cared not if something in their territory was a druid or fellow lion; they challenged anyone who dared to roam into what was theirs. So as it was, Kelebek found herself only able to travel in some sort of safety during the very early morning hours and those hours in the evening when the sun finally began its descent from the sky.

With night soon to fall, Kelebek crept from her hiding place among the hills and began her trek once more across the plains, dust gently poofing up around her white paws as she went. The evening air was quickly cooling and the skies were threatening with one of its rare thunderstorms. In the distance lightning danced in the clouds and the sound of thunder gently rolled to the druids ears. On she walked.

Sometime shortly after nightfall, the rains came. Onward she pressed, determined to for once travel through the night in order to make it to her destination before the sun came up. She had all the time in the world, but a feeling was pressing upon her, like as if an assailant were stalking her. The open fields were quickly turning to mud beneath the druid's feet, but the sounds of the night predators were few so she didn't mind.

On her way through the fields Kelebek passed a boar farm. Standing in the doorway was a huge male Tauren, leaning on the frame. Though the distance and drizzel tampered with her view, Kelebek thought she saw a faint grin on the bull's face as he watched his little calfling stomp about in the puddles. The cafling giggle in glee with her twin braids bouncing as the water splashed up around her. The druid smiled to herself at the sight and moved on.

Hours past and still it rained. The wind gusted but gently and the lightning remained high in the clouds. On and on she walked, keeping near the naked hills for safety. As luck would have it, she stumbled upon a rabbit as she went. She made a quick fire under a deserted stand of trees to prepare her meal. The sparse tinder she found nearby sputtered and hissed as she tried to get a spark to take. Eventually she coaxed a tiny, smoldering flame into existence, hot enough to cook her meal. She wouldn't be pulling off any stunts with an empty stomach on this night, and for that she was thankful.

Once fed, Kelebek took a moment to clean the skin and bones, then safely stowed them away to hopefully cure in the near future. She tried to waste nothing, as always. With the rabbit's remains sufficiently tidied up, and her fire extinguished, she moved on with a new sense of haste. The rains were letting up, the sky was beginning to brighten, and if she didn't hurry, she'd miss her opportunity to slip into Ratchet unseen.

-------
A drink and a bed were the only things she desired after spending weeks traveling through the wild jungles of Stranglethorn. Talk to the fellas working the Nesingwary Safari, they're looking for skilled hunters, they said. Should be easy enough work. "I need ye to round up a bunch o' tiger pelts. About 20 o' them." All they wanted was pelts. To hell with the rest, let it all rot. Mindless, greedy murder. The whole ordeal made her stomach sour.

She had tried to convince them to use the rest of the parts. Tiger meat wasn't terrible tasting, bones could always be used for various tools and even jewelry. Old Nesingwary wasn't having any of it and threw the excess animal parts into the fire. He had smiled at her with a gold-toothed grin and handed a few claws to her once everything else was in the process of becoming ash. "Why don't ye go run along and make yerself a pretty necklace now?" Livid, offended, and sick at heart, she took her pathetically meager pay and headed south to Booty Bay.

So she had found herself at a table in the Salty Sailor Tavern, nursing a somewhat watery mead and nibbling on stale bread. Running low on gold and feeling a bit down, she had been contemplating her next move when a gruff voice rose above the quiet chatter of the tavern.

"Oi, flea bag."

Not really paying attention to the voice, Kelebek had kept her back turned to the room and pushed another piece of stale bread into her mouth. She had been dimly aware of the thunk of heavy boots on the wooden floor, and of the fact that they had been moving in her direction.

"I said FLEA BAG!" A big man, covered everywhere but on the cheeks with heavy, black matted hair, grabbed the druid by her shoulder and forcing her around to his direction. "Look at me when I'm speaking to you, you mangy, pointed eared animal." He had a hunk of chewing tobacco stuffed behind his lip and he let a wad of saliva fly onto the planks of the floor.

Irritated with having her evening interrupted by the brute, Kelebek simply narrowed her eyes and let out a deep growl.

"Filthy fuckin' animal, where's your manners? A man's speakin' to you, should pay him the proper attention."

She turned back to the wall before her and took a slow sip of her mead. A large hand came within inches of her face, effectively knocking the crude wooden mug from her hand. Again she growled and shot him a burning, irritated look.

"Is there something I can help you with? Or are you just here to upset my night and spill my perfectly good cup of mule's piss all over the place?"

"You could say that." With one hand he tossed a gold coin on the table. With the other he grabbed the area where his legs connected.

"Sorry, not my line of work." Kelebek grabbed another hunk of bread and put it in her mouth.

"Like hell it ain't. Isn't that what all you foresty hippie types are all about? A fuck to anything that offers? Hell, I'm paying and willing to pretend you don't have any sorts of rabies."

She chewed her bread slowly, methodically. She swallowed and said, "Aren't you just the Samaritan." A flat smile flashed across her face. "I think not though."

She rose and began to head into the direction of her room. As she tried to walk past him, he grabbed her arm. He leaned a face close to hers. The brute stank of booze, sweat, and old meat. "Now listen here, animal. You'll come to my room and we'll have ourselves a little fun. You won't raise a damn fuss on the way, neither."

"I think not."

She had risen her voice enough for the tavern patrons to hear. Eyes trained on the pair over mugs of beer and whine; the room had fallen silent. Irritated at the disturbance she had caused, the man gripped her upper arm more firmly and began to drag her towards the stairs.

Kelebek twisted hard against his grip, but he clung ever more tightly. She bared her teeth, which had become pointy with her partially shifting into her feral form. A growl rumbled past her lips as she took a swipe at the brute. Claws had found flesh, choice words slipped from his drunken mouth. By this point many of the tavern's patrons were hooting in amusement or hollering for them to knock off the fuss. Kelebek's assailant paid them no heed. In a roar of surprise and pain, the man spun the druid around and grabbed her by the hair. He had nearly gotten them to the foot of the stairs when the sharp click of shotguns were heard.

An older, dark skinned goblin with white tuffs of hair sprouting from his bat-like ears walked up to them and held out his hand.

"Hand ova your keys. You two ain't welcome here."

Two more goblins had been the source of the shotgun clicks; one was behind the man with the barrel of his gun pointed at his head, while the other was on the landing of the tavern's steps, barrel aimed in the general direction of the pair.

"I paid for my night..." the brute began, but the tavern owner simply scowled.

"Keys," repeated the goblin. The goblin turned his eyes over to the brute "and let the lady go."

With a violent shove the man released Kelebek, stuffed his hand into his pocket, yanked out his room key, and thrust them into the hands of the old goblin. He then stomped out the door and into the night.

"You too, lady."

Furious with how the evening turned out, the druid dug into the pocket of her vest and withdrew the key to her room. Once she had placed it into the palm of the tavern owner, his toned quieted some and he said to her "Now you best clear out of Booty Bay. We don't want trouble makers around here. Don't even think about sneaking on back, either."

With a scowl planted firmly on her face, Kelebek snatched up her pack and cloak from where they lay hidden under the table. It wasn't until after she had walked out into the night that the two goblins wielding guns lowered their weapons and the chatter started back up once more in the tavern.

Having no other alternative, she hid in the shadows of the little port town until the next ship arrived in the morning. She managed slip on board without being noticed, and in secrecy she made her way back to Kalimdor.

-------
Three years had passed since that night, but seeing Ratchet and that vast body of water on the horizon brought it all back. The irritation, the humility, the fact that goblins have long-lived memories and kept the members of their cartels well informed. For three years she had to tread carefully whenever she meandered into a goblin city and more often than not ended up in a fight for her own pelt against the locals once they recognized her.

She let out a sigh and shielded her eyes from the morning sun's rays. No boat in port, she noted. This was a good sign for her, as it meant that the next ship due would be arriving later in the day and probably wouldn't head out again until morning. This allowed her the best chance at stowing herself away on the boat. The delay also meant that she had some time to gather supplies. The trip took a few days, and while she could in theory swipe some food while on board, it was extremely risky. Steal from a goblin and have them find out about it, you were as good as dead.

The druids supplies had been waning. The rabbit in her pack wouldn't last through the hot day, her water skin was bone dry, her rations of dried berries and the like had long since been consumed. She knew of an oasis just to the west of Ratchet, so despite her weary muscles and the rising heat of the day, she headed in that direction.

The sun was high in the sky by the time she reached the leafy shade of the oasis. Little clouds of bugs buzzed lazily in the air; various species of game drank deeply from the watering hole.

Cautiously she made her way to the water's edge. Assured that a croc wasn't about to leap out of the shallows at her, the druid drank deeply. Thanks to the rains from the night before, the water seemed fresh. Once her thirst had been slaked, she filled her water skin. Only then did she sit town with her back against a tree to take an inventory as to what the oasis had to offer.

Her keen eyes spotted several items that would be of use to her. Mushrooms, various sorts of herbs, and a few different varieties of berries could be seen. A few gazelle and zhevra mozied about nibbling the lush grass found around the pool.

She immediately discarded the idea of taking meat or fish with her. She didn't have the proper time to prepare it and with the heat of the Barrens, it'd be spoiled before nightfall. Not to mention, the scent of procured meat could potentially attract rats on the ship. Not that she completely minded the thought of that, as the rats both kept her fed and in good company during previous voyages. Still, it was better not to draw any extra attention to her hiding place.

Exhausted, she set to the task of picking mushrooms and berries. There were several species of each, many of which were toxic. Luckily Taloris had taught her well in not only the ways of the druid, but in the ways of nature. Identifying what was food and what was poison was easy for her. While she was at it, she also picked a few herbs, for both flavoring and for health.

The sun beat down through the canopy without remorse. As she foraged through the underbrush, she took large swigs from her water pouch. It seemed to her that working in the daylight caused her to sweat faster than she could drink. I'll rest here against this tree for just a moment, she thought. Within minutes, her eyes drooped and her head nodded.

By the time she came around, the sun was already perched on the horizon. She swore, startling a small herd of zhevra that were grazing nearby. Kelebek checked her pack, relieved to find that the items she had gathered earlier hadn't been spoiled or attacked by bugs while she slept. Quickly she moved over to the edge of the pool, topped off her water skin, scooped out a bit of water with her hand to wet her throat, and began her run back to Ratchet.

-------
The bells of Ratchet were sounding, announcing the arrival of the latest ship. The night air was rapidly cooling and the moon was peaking over the horizon, fat and bright. Goblins were scurrying across the torch-lit docks, unloading various cargo and reloading the ship with supplies. As they went about their business, several passengers deboarded.

From her perch on one of the nearby shadowy hills, could make out the passengers as they came ashore. Curious and with nothing better to pass the time with, she watched them.

First came a gnome, strawberry colored hair laying fluffy and free around her shoulders. In one hand she held a scepter, the other held the reins of a skittish looking palomino pony.

Next came a pair of draenei, both dark of skin and hair. In their arms they carried what appeared to be heavy plate mail. They resembled one another, siblings or some other close relation, though the female had an unnatural blue glow to her alien eyes. While she couldn't be completely sure due to the distance between herself and the two draenei, Kelebek thought they looked vaguely familiar. Unable to pin down their identities though, she took note of the rest of the passengers.

A dark haired dwarf with a great black beard walked along the dock with a tall, pale skinned draenei female; the pair appeared to be deep in conversation. They both carried heavy packs, but seemed to be in high spirits despite the obvious weight of their travelling packs.

Preoccupied and looking thoroughly lost in thought, a white haired night elf came ashore by a giant ginger panther. His pack seemed to be weighed down, scrolls poked up through the top flap and were stuffed into its pockets.

Last came a blood elf male, with his long blonde hair cascaded well to the middle of his back and a sneer of disgust planted firmly on his handsome face. He too lead a steed across the docks, though unlike the gnome's pony, this was a horse of an exotic breed. The body was black as coal, though its hindquarters were dappled with the same creamy blonde that made up its flowing main and tail, which in turn nearly matched the shade of its owners locks. The lower sections of the beast's legs were also feathered with the same blonde hair. Its nostrils flared and it tossed its delicate head back, willfully and spirited. A fire could be seen in the eyes of the gorgeous animal, even from the distance that the druid was at.

Kelebek was intrigued by the blood elf and his steed. The man walked with an air of importance and was dressed in luxurious black robes with a rich black cape to match. The horse was wearing a fine black saddle blanket with a soft leather saddle placed on top, and a delicate bridel that had black tassels dangling from it was buckled around the fine features of the creature's face. It was rather obvious that this elf was not someone who was short on gold coin.

"Who are you, and what are you doing in a place like this now?" the druid thought quietly to herself. Generally those of wealth could afford the services of a mage to quickly get them from place to place.

As she watched the blood elf walk into the night in the general direction of Ratchet's only hotel, a commotion by the docks brought her attention back to the area. Supply-laden goblins, eager to empty their hands onto the ship, were yelling up a storm. Their complaints were directed at a diminutive orc, nobby in the legs and having a hunch in his spine, was coaxing an elderly looking mule down the ramp of the ship and towards the direction of land. The mule was pulling a cart, while nothing terribly fancy as far as carts go, was in meticulous repair. It appeared that the cart was stuffed with expensive looking luggage crates, carpets, and a large canvas bundle that the druid took to be a rather large tent. The old animal was slow to move, and the cart was wide enough to make traffic to and from the ship nearly stop.

The orc, while small for his race but still twice as tall as the majority of the goblins, began to snarl back at those who were yelling at him. She couldn't make out the words being exchanged from where she sat, but she could see that the commotion was distracting the majority of the deckhands and the nearby town guards. She smiled, silently thanking Elune and the little orc for providing an opening for her to sneak onto the ship.

On silent feet she crept towards the little town. The druid kept herself behind bushes and buildings as much as she could, and always kept herself in the shadows. To be less noticeable, she remained in her elf form and had wrapped up her long, white hair into a dark green scarf. Her eyes remained downcast so as to not accidentally reflect any light, as the eyes of the night elves often did, and her ears strained for anything that may mean trouble for her.

She could still hear the argument going on when she silently slipped into the water. Making almost no sound, she began to swim towards the portside of the ship. There she would be safe from the lights of the dock torches, as it wasn't the side moored up to the dock itself. The druid kept her face low in the water; had anyone bothered to look in her direction, she may have appeared to be a very small, pale bit of flotsam floating in the moonlight.

It took several long, tense minutes worth of swimming before she reached the side of the big ship. Thanks to its odd design, the boat had several ridges along the sides that could serve as handholds. Kelebek had to adjust her grip a few times, for the ridge along the water line was a bit slippery with algae, before pulling herself up and out of the water.

Kelebek stopped just shy of the nearest porthole and listened; the last thing she wanted to do was peek in and have the moon silhouette her in the window, showing off her presence to whoever may be in the hold. What she heard was the muffled sound of boots on wood, and two goblin voices.

"Now Gazin, did ya boys remember to grab me the basil this time?" said a woman's voice.

"Yes Cookie, we got ya your damn basil." croaked a male goblin.

"Don't you go gettin' touchy with me now. If you expect us to keep our passengers happy, they need a few more flavors on their tongue than salted fish."

"Wasted gold, if ya ask me."

"Takes gold to make gold, sweets. Keep 'em fat and happy on the voyage, they'll likely travel our way again."

Gazin grumbled. "Yeah yeah..."

There was the creak of steps and the voices of Gazin and Cookie faded away from the druid's ears. She waited a few beats and finally heard the door to the bottom hold slam shut. After a few more moments she deemed it safe enough to peek into the porthole. Seeing no one around, she slid her thin frame through the hole, gently rolling onto the floor as she entered the ship.

Her eyes scanned the hold, mentally marking the placement of the cargo. Thankfully the ship that had arrived that evening was an older one, so she wouldn't have to rely too heavily on the cargo itself for her safety. Instead, she set out to find one of the ship's many hidden compartments. Generally such compartments weren't needed, unless someone had paid the goblins a rather heavy sack of gold, which in that case the goblins were always more than happy to smuggle something across the seas.

After having found several of the compartments, she decided that this time around her ride was not taking part in a smuggling operation. For that she was thankful. What it meant was that she could hide safely, without fear of either someone needing to stow something in her chosen hiding place, or in the event that the ship was searched, being discovered by both the law and the goblins themselves.

Finally she came across a tiny hidden chamber behind the steps. It was large enough that she could sit upright, though she'd need to keep her knees up. If she curled tightly into a ball, she could perhaps lay down, but either position would leave her legs feeling cramped. The druid wasn't looking forward to several days out at see with such hiding conditions, but it couldn't be helped for she was running out of time.

As the morning's light started to seep through the ship's various portholes, the bells of Ratchet clanged once again. While the goblins began their ritual of casting off into the see, a druid settled in for a long, cramped ride.Sazhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-2818700104169408686.post-32608843936386006722012-06-10T22:12:00.002-06:002012-06-10T22:29:22.664-06:00TalonsTaloris winced as a young Druid of the Talon wrapped his broken skin with fresh bandages. Long gashes raked down the old druid's right side; his arm mangled so badly that it was a wonder that any meat still existed on the bone. The young druidess tugged on the bandages some more with her tiny, deft hands, ensuring that they were tight enough and would not slip as Taloris moved about.

He studied the other druid's face, trying to give himself something to focus on while she jerked about his tender flesh. She was small, her body resembling the shape of a blade of grass. Violet skin covered her thin frame; short, raven black hair that seemed to shift colors in the light framed her angular face in a disheveled manor. Two crows had been inked darkly onto her face, beaks facing her nose while their wings drifted down her high cheek bones. Her eyes had a piercing gaze that did not remain on one target for long, her mouth was small and sharp. In his mind Taloris thought that she may have been attractive, had he been so much younger and she one of the wood instead of one of the sky.

"Nadiena, leave us," commanded a thin and gravely voice. The druid did as she was told, melting into the shadows of the woods surrounding the camp.

"It is ever the ill omen when I hear your voice, Greywind." Taloris' own voice felt as if it had been torn out of his throat, scraped upon the rocks of an ocean shore, and roughly shoved back into place.

Tobias Greywind let a short caw of a laugh escape from his thin lips. "Our paths do only seem to cross during the storms of history, do they not?" The ancient Talon shuffled his way over to the camp fire with a hunched back and a cane in hand. His dull, beady eyes scanned Taloris from head to foot. "You seemed to have had fairer winds, my old friend."

"Your eyes grow weak, yet you still see the truth of things." The old druid drew a sharp breath as he shifted positions. "There have indeed been better days for me, but I fear this isn't the worst of it. I'm sure your crows have already informed you of how bad the infestation in Felwood has become, so what is it that you wish to speak to me about?"

Greywind lifted his eyes to the sky, watching one of the moons as she passed above the trees surrounding their camp. "Even the Grove of the Ancients seem sick with poison these days." He turned his lined face towards Taloris, addressing him directly. "My scouts have reported a thicker infestation of demons in Feralas than the likes of Azeroth have ever seen. They have also brought word of other heartbreaking events from other corners of the globe." Tobias let out a dry, hacking cough. "The plague now spreads its green tendrils from Silvermoon to the Wetlands, the Maelstrom grows ever more unstable with every passing moon tide, wars are escalating between the Horde and the Alliance, and within the Horde itself, and Darnassus fell within this very week. These are dark times, old friend. The winds grow fierce."

Moments passed in silence as Taloris stared at the flames as they licked the dry timber in the pit, lost in thought.

"Tell me about Darnassus."

"In the hours before the sun rose, a pack of dragons made its way into the city. Vile, undead things, with bleeding eyes and sagging, dead skin. The survivors say that much of the city was burned and destroyed by a lone onyx dragon, made blind by arrows. What parts of the city survived that particular dragon's onslaught was said to have been destroyed soon after by several of its smaller companions. Reanimated drakes were with them as well, and it's said that they gave chase to the survivors. They were slow, clumsy things, but felt no pain and gave no cries when they were stabbed through and had limbs hacked off. Many were missing limbs to start with. A gruesome mess they left."

"The survivors..."

"Of that, there were few. Some managed to take flight on a hippogryph, though many of those were taken down by the flying dead. Others managed to slip from the city's walls and disappeared into the forest of Teldrassil. Most were not so lucky though."

"My young apprentice, by the name of Kelebek Swiftclaw, was supposed to be there. Have your crows any word of her?"

"I thought that you may inquire about your little pet." Tobias let out his crow-ish laugh once more. "She seems to have gained a companion, or at least had one. A stone drake. A great thing he was, too."

"Was?"

"It was but a day ago that one of my scouts in Feralas found the corpse of a giant stone drake, half turned back to mud. It appeared as if someone had bedded near him at some point, but with the snow and rains these past few days, it was hard to say for certain."

"What are the probabilities that this is the same drake that Kelebek was thought to be traveling with?"

"You know as well as I that stone drakes rarely move from their earthly realms. Open skies do not suit them at all. Dirt snakes with claws; unworthy of wings if you ask me. We are nearly certain that the corpse is one in the same as your Kelebek's companion."

"And they have not yet found her?"

"Even as fast as the storm crow flies, we would not know if they had just found her right this minute. As of the after the fall of Darnassus, she lives. Her body was not found with the stone drake's, so we must assume that she is alive and on the move. Now, if there aren't any more questions, I have a few of my own."

The old druid went through the laborious process of seating himself on a log to Taloris' left. Several minutes of grunts and creaking joints passed before Tobias was finally seated upon his perch. From the side, Tobias's deep wrinkles stood out in high relief from the fire's light. His long, grey hair hung in thin, loose strands about his face and ears; the last few inches of his beard curled up on the dirt.

Greywind rested his chin on his hands, which in turn rested on the top of his gnarled cane. "Why Felwood? It's but an infected forest, one that's far too tainted for on old bear to cleanse. Why the girl? She's nothing but an orphan, with unknown lineage and that thus far has shown no particular promise of skill. Why these fruitless endeavors, old man? Is age taking your mind as it's taking my physical prowess?" The old Talon cawing laughter filled the air once again. "You've never seemed to be a fool, Galesong. Explain yourself."

"I answer to no man, least of all you Greywind." Taloris straightened out his back, sitting taller upon his log. "However, I'll at least give a nod to your inquiries.

"One man may not be able to save a forest alone, but his aid is better than none. As for the child, even the orphans deserve guidance. Why I chose to take her on personally are reasons of my own that I shall not share at this fire."

"Riddles are but corn to a crow."

"Then let me leave you with yet another, old friend." The old druid pushed himself up into a standing position and faced the old Talon. "But first I must thank you for the help of your flock, and announce that I must be going."

"So soon? I grow weary of traveling with a flock where my bones creek the loudest."

"I must, for does a bear not shit in the woods alone?"

The night winds were filled with Greywind's cawing laughter as Taloris turned his back to the fire and wandered off into the woods of Darkshore.Sazhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-2818700104169408686.post-51818906269051465932012-03-23T18:36:00.000-06:002012-03-23T18:36:36.894-06:00FeralasOn and on they flew, through dark grey skies that continued to pelt them with icy guests. Fat, wet snow flakes whirled around the stone drake and Night Elf, obscuring vision and chilling the pair to their bones.

After several hours of miserable flying conditions, Kelebek gave herself up to a daze-like open eyed slumber. Her teeth clacked quietly from the shivers that wracked her body, thin sheets of ice clung around her eyes, and trails of frozen mucus streamed from her nose; she no longer noticed any of it, so great was her misery. The druid's gloved hands had long since painfully frozen into the clawed, clutching shape that they had formed when she gripped Aeornoss's neck spike so many hours ago. Part of her knew that it would be more painful to cease holding onto the drake than it would to continue on, though the rest of her conscious no longer cared.

Despite his wounds and the blood-freezing capabilities of the wind, the drake soared on.

Hours turned into half a day, which eventually turned into evening. The druid was subconsciously aware of the drake's flagging strength, but he continued to flap his wings, gliding and feebly trying to keep his altitude. His half-hearted attempts seemed to be in vain though, for with bit of distance they covered, the ground seemed to be growing closer and closer.

Aeornoss and Kelebek had just crossed the northern boarder of Feralas when the drake's remaining energy finally failed him. Together they crashed to the ground; the drake's legs and wings crumpled below him as his weight displaced the soil, which had only been lightly dusted by hard, minute snowflakes. The druid tumbled into a frozen heap not far from her companion's still body, unable and unaware of the fall.

-------

At dusk the clouds finally broke away enough for the sun to shed its dying rays on the woods of Feralas. The wind had ceased its angry howls and gusts, the snow gave up its unrelenting fall. Dying rays of light danced upon the frost-kissed leaves of a forest that rarely saw conditions that caused frozen water to fall from the sky. In the distance a lone bird chirped, angry that a worm it had wanted for dinner was frozen to the ground, thus unsuitable for consumption.

With a groan, Kelebek awoke from her stupor. Her face burned, her whole body ached from stiffness and bruising. Despite the chilly air, she was sweating. Shivers vibrated the little druid's body to her very core, causing violent spasms in her already aching muscles.

She moaned again as she forced her left arm to work. Gingerly she raised her hand up to her head, gently prodding the back of her skull. What she found there was a massive lump, crusty from mud and ice. It also felt slightly damp, which upon observing her hand she discovered blood. Kelebek winced as another violent spasm of fever chills raced through her body, forcing her to fight a wave of nausea. Tears silently streamed down her face from both fright and misery.

After several moments of laying on the ground in a perfectly still fashion, the wave of nausea and chills passed. Weakly the druid called out for Aeornoss.

There was no answer.

Kelebek rolled onto her back with monumental effort, so that she could roll her head, which felt like a hot boulder, towards the drake.

"Aeornoss...?" Again, no response from the stone drake's giant form. She tried to force herself to be heard, but her voice would not emit a sound louder than a cracked, weak whisper. "Aeornoss?!"

She rolled over onto her left side so that she could see the drake properly. He was laying on his right wing, which had been crushed to a seemingly painful angle. His left wing lay draped over his body, covering much of him as if it was a blanket. Three of his legs lay casually sprawled out, while his front right leg was obviously broken. His neck was stretched out before his body, throat covered in mud from where it had slid across the ground. The drake's tail lay curved up at an odd angle, as if he had arched it above his body had he been standing. Over all the stone drake was not fallen into a natural position, nor did it seem that he had tried to correct it since the fall.

Panicked, Kelebek rolled onto her belly, fighting back the chills and the urge to be sick. Somehow she managed to force her arms to work, and slowly pulled her body over to Aeornoss' side. She put her hand on the drake's unbroken forefoot.

"Aeornoss?" Gently she shook the drake's scaly foot. "Aeornoss, wake up. Please wake up." Her voice cracked; still she could not utter more than a whisper. "We crashed Aeornoss, you have to wake up." Still the drake wouldn't move.

The little druid whimpered as a possible realization sunk in. She didn't have long to dwell on the subject though, for a fresh wave of fever coursed through her, hot and fierce. The fever took the druid back into the realm of unconsciousness, where she remained until morning.

-------

The next day came in a severely bright fashion. Sun rays cheerfully burned into Kelebek's eyes, assaulting her tender retinas. Her skin still felt hot and clammy, but the worst of the fever chills seemed to have passed. Groggily she looked around, and slowly the previous night came back to her.

With a start she looked at the drake behind her. Aeornoss still hadn't moved from the position she discovered him in the night before. His usual green and slate colored hide seemed to have adopted a dull grey color.

"No..." Kelebek choked back a sob. A single, thick tear burned its way down the druid's face. "Oh, Aeornoss..."

Silently she grieved for a few moments, and then the rest of the previous day's events came rushing back to her. Instantly she was filled with a sense of panic.

Did they follow me? she wondered. She scanned the skies, looking for any sign of dragons. With senses that were painfully sharp, she did her best to listen to the woods around her. While she didn't hear any threatening noises around her, Kelebek felt a strong, panicky urge to move on.

Hesitation conflicted heavily with her urge to flee. The druid didn't want to simply leave the drake as he was, but he was far too immense for her to do anything for him. In the end she decided that it was probably for the best that he was left to the elements, for he and they were a part of one in the same.

Kelebek laid a gloved hand on the face of the drake. "Elune'Adore, Aeornoss." Elune be with you, Aeornoss.

Regretfully the druid shifted into her cat form, the growth of her fur was made painful by the fever, and began her journey south. After a few hundred paces she looked back on the drake, who seemed to have taken on the shape of a solid stone boulder. She let out a small, catty moan in mourning, then forced her aching muscles into a half lope. Soon the drake was nothing more than a memory on the unmarked road of an unknown quest.

-------

Kelebek continued to move on for many hours, until she could no longer stand the parched feeling in her mouth nor suffer the hot feeling of her flesh. Once again the chills had taken over her body, causing violent spasms beneath her white fur. Her head felt like a delicately boiled egg: fragile, hot, and ready to burst at the faintest touch. Still Kelebek pushed on, trying to find a suitable place to camp so that her body could recover from its illness in moderate safety.

Eventually she stumbled upon a stream, which pooled into a little pond. The water was cool and crisp, freshly fed from the nearby hills which had been laden with show. Gratefully she plunged her catty face into the clear liquid, relishing in the chilly feeling that swept over her wind burned and fever stricken face. Slowly she pulled her head from the water, feeling the streams that left her face quickly heating up to the abnormally warm temperature of her body. Tenderly she shook the droplets of water from her face, then took to the task of sipping the ice cold substance.

She was careful not to consume too much water too fast, for the last thing she wanted was for her stomach to reject a vital substance. Once she felt that she had enough for the time being, she did little other than walk a slight distance from the water's edge and laid down. Sleep quickly took her over.

-------

The sound of water dripping was the first thing the druid heard when she next awoke. She groaned quietly as she tried to lift her weary head from the grass covered stone bed that she found herself on. Startled by the change in sleeping environment, and by the fact that she was now in her night elf form, Kelebek sat up with a jerk. The little cave swayed in her vision, but she refused to let the temporary distortion bother her. Her eyes darted around, quickly resting on the figure sitting opposite of the cave's only source of light: a little campfire.

The troll stood and smiled at the druid. Her long white hair was braided loosely and hung about her shoulders; her green skin was pale from lack of sunlight and wrinkled around her eyes and lips. She was tall and held herself proudly, seemingly unaffected by her apparent age. The troll spread her arms in a friendly gesture and addressed the druid.

"It's about time ya be wakin' up child. I was beginning ta worry that da dream would be holdin' ya for all time." She continued to beam at Kelebek as she clasped her hands together, her greeting finished.

"Where am I? How did I get here?"

"Ya be safe, child. No harm can come to ya when you're wit old Witta. Da where and how is not important here, oh no. It is the why that you should be askin' about."

Kelebek eyed Witta warily. "Why am I here then?"

"Ah, so glad ya asked!" Witta cackled. "Isn't that alwyas the question though? 'Why am I here?' 'Who be I?' 'What be my purpose?' Doesn't matta how old or wise we get, we still be askin' da same questions." Witta's amber colored eyes bore Kelebek's milky white ones with a knowing look. "Ya be here to learn all deese tings and more, child."

"I...I'm afraid I don't follow." Confusion etched itself deeply into the druid's furrowed brow.

"For what are you in the forests of Feralas for, child? What be your purpose for comin' here?"

"I was told I could find someone in the highlands, someone that might have the answers to my questions."

"Mhmm..." Witta crossed her arms and began to slowly walk around the little fire, eyes fixed on the flames as they danced and crackled on the burning timber. "And dose questions...what makes ya tink dat dey can be answered by some hermit woman of da hills?"

"I really don't know. It was a long shot, but it was more of an idea than what I had. It was a chance I had to take, but when you mention it that way, this whole trip seems foolish."

"Foolish why? Because it was a hope on a wing? Because it cost ya your friend's life?" Witta stopped on the opposite side of the fire and looked at Kelebek over the flames, eyebrows high on her face and mouth serious. "It woulda been more foolish for you to stay dere." The troll walked around the fire and over to the druid. "Hope is never foolish, child. Never forget dat. Hope keeps ya good; hope keeps ya sane."

The old woman knelt before Kelebek and placed a warm, callused - yet soft - hand upon the druid's arm. "Aeornoss had a duty to do, and he did what he had to do."

At the mention of the drake's name, Kelebek raised an alarmed eyebrow but said nothing.

"He was a how and holds his own secrets. His whys will be answered when da time becomes ripe, but for now it is enough dat he did not die in vain. You are not dead, no child, far from it." Witta stood and began to pace around the little cave slowly, almost keeping with the steady sound of the unseen dripping water.

Kelebek was still extremely confused. "I still don't understand why I'm here though.

"Ya be here to find answers, are ya not?" The troll's face remained serious as she asked the question.

"Yes, but..." Kelebek's mental breakthrough was apparent on her face as things began to get a bit clearer.

"Ah, now ya be gettin' it."

"You're the crone of the highlands."

The old woman smiled. "Is dat what dey be callin' old Witta deese days..."

A slurry of questions bounced around in the druid's fever-battered mind, each one fighting to be the first uttered from her lips. She took a moment to form her thoughts, then started her inquires.

"How did you know about Aeornoss?"

"I know of many tings."

The troll continued to pace around, face passive but listening as the onslaught of questions began.

"Did you know that I was coming?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"As I said, I know many tings."

"Did you know that Darnassus would be attacked?"

"Yes."

"And you didn't try to stop it?"

"No."

"But hundreds of thousands of people are now dead or injured, Aeornoss is one of them! The rest of my friends could be dead or dying as well! How could you not try and stop it from happening? Why couldn't you warn them?"

"Witta only mettles where people allow her to. Dere may be peace between da Alliance and da Horde for da moment, but da distrust...it runs deepa den da abyss. No, da Alliance would not listen to an old troll like me."

"You wouldn't even try?"

"No, it is not my place to mettle wit the flow of time and destiny."

"So some people are destined to die."

"Oh yes child. Sometimes sorrow paves da way to happiness. It is as necessary as de air."

While Kelebek remained unhappy about the answer, she didn't push the topic further.

"Can you tell me about my family?"

"No child."

"Is it because you don't know, or because you won't tell me?"

"If I told ya your secrets, ya wouldn't believe me anyways. Ya must find your answers in your own time, in your own way."

"How do I find them?"

"Ya search. Ya ask questions. Ya keep your eyes and ears open."

"That doesn't help me! I don't know where to look. You know the answers, at least tell me where to start looking for them!"

The troll's face became blank and passive. "Careful child, Witta owes you notting. Ya must be careful and not be willing to believe everyting dat you hear, even from old Witta." She crossed her arms again, looked down at the cave's stoney floor, kicked around a little pebble with one of her big toes, then looked back to the druid. "Ya must travel to da Eastern Kingdoms. Travel nort'east from here and find da goblin port city called Rachet. Sneak in by night, 'cause da goblins be known' about ya and dey don't care for ya. Slip onto da ship, it'll take ya to Booty Bay. Slip out of da little city as quickly as possible, 'cause dem goblins, dey talk. Da bruisers of Booty Bay are worse dan da ones in Rachet, so be careful. Head nort' until you find yourself in Elwynn Forest. Poke around in da little villages in dat forest. In time, a mighty warrior will let herself be known to ya. She has some of de answers you seek."

"You say that I shouldn't trust you, yet you're suggesting that I travel half way across the world in the hopes that I'll find some warrior that will give me some answers. Why should I take your advice?"

"Ahhh, now ya be learnin'. Witta gives you a choice: ya take her advice or ya wander until ya find what you're lookin' for by chance. Ask your gut. Always listen to your gut!"

"If I don't know anything though, how can I go with my gut?"

Witta walked over to the druid, touching her forehead with a thick, calloused finger. "Because child, all de answers, dey already be in your head."

-------

Kelebek woke up in the damp grasses next to the pond where she had bedded. Cold, persistent drizzle soaked her white fur. She looked around, confused as to how she had left the cave.

She heard a soft, cackling laugh. It's all in your head, child...

The druid smiled to herself, knowing what and where she was going next. She shook the water from her fur and began her journey once more.Sazhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-2818700104169408686.post-58446896331163352062012-01-29T01:17:00.001-06:002012-01-29T14:15:27.387-06:00Fireside Stories and Snow StormsThe night had begun to turn dark as Kelebek made her way across the city. As she moved her way down the empty, cobble-stoned streets of Darnassus, the snow began to fall faster. Heavy, wet flakes were falling thickly from the sky and stuck to the druid's long hair. The heat that her body created caused the flakes to melt, soaking through her leather gear. She moved with haste across the city not only because of her urgent visit to her employer, but out of need to get out of the weather.

Cold and wet, she finally arrived at the little house belonging to Mandy and Jimmy Bremsworth. Snow covered the little stoop and candle light flickered through the frost tinted windows. Kelebek knocked on the heavy door with three quick, light raps.

It was Jimmy who answered the door. The sleeves of his plaid, dark green shirt were rolled up to his elbows, his dark hair was slicked back. He grunted a greeting and gestured the druid in with one of his big hands, motioning her over to the kitchen area where Mandy was working the giant black pot that sat over the fire.

Mandy's russet hair was piled into a bun at the crown of her head, nearly looking brown from the sweat that poured from the woman's skin and from the house's poor lighting. She looked up from the pot, wiped her face on a cloth, and smiled at the druid. "Kelebek love, I'm glad you've gotten my message. Come sit a bit by the fire, you look chilled."

The druid did as she was told and took occupancy of a chair near the fire. It was all she could do not to physically purr as she stretched out her frozen feet to the hearth. "What news, Mandy? Who is this Natalie that sent me this message?"

"I have news and gossip plenty for you, which we'll get to in time. As for Natalie..." Mandy handed the druid a hot bowl of soup and a lump of hard bread with a bit of wine. "that would be my sister. She's one of the few rare Gilneans that have managed to earn their trust with the elven nobility or what have you around here. I knew that if anyone was to catch scent of any scrap of news that slipped passed Arthur...you remember me big brother the barkeep, don't you? Well, if any bit of gossip slipped passed him and it was important enough, I knew that Natty would find it out quick enough." The Gilnean woman didn't miss the involuntary flinch that Kelebek had at the mention of the bar. "Oh, there's word of that too, but we'll get to that as well in time."

"Wait...word of what?"

"Your pal Dax Grey that is." Another shutter passed through the druid that she was unable to suppress. Kelebek took a heavy swig from her wine glass.

"Don't be gettin' yourself too drunk now, Miss Bek. We have plenty to chat about tonight and you have a long ride ahead of you tomorrow, if I have my facts and notions set straight. Can't have you piss drunk, too much to talk about for you not to remember anything. Give me just a moment to finish boiling these leathers and we can get on with it."

She sat quietly, finishing her meal as Mandy fussed with the leathers in her pot. When she had consumed everything that had been handed to her, the druid washed up her wooden bowl in the little basin that was kept in the kitchen, dried it with a rough towel, and placed it back into the cupboard that held similar utensils. By the time she was finished with the minor chore, Mandy was getting ready to pull her leathers from the pot. "Bek, be a dear and fetch Jimmy, will you? We need to get this leather molded before it cools too much."

Once Jimmy had been fetched the three of them set to work on stretching and setting the leather pieces, soon to be leather armor. Quickly and silently they worked the leather, turning the pieces into bracers, elbow pads, and leg guards...simple items that could later be stitched into larger sets of gear for extra protection. For an hour they worked together with nothing but the sound of tools working and the fire crackling. Finally Mandy declared their work to be finished and set her husband to the task of placing the various pieces onto pegs and shelves that would help them dry properly while ensuring that the leathers kept their shape.

Visibly exhausted, Mandy mopped her face with a soft cloth and pushed the wild strands of hair from her face with a sigh. Once again she motioned Kelebek to a seat by the fire, fetched a warm glass of wine for the both of them, and settled into the other chair that was set by the hearth. Together they sat for a bit watching the flames dance over the logs as they sipped their beverages and relaxed their tired muscles. Several moments passed in quiet relaxation, but then Kelebek's anxiousness got the best of her.

"So what was it that you wanted to see me about? The letter said that you were worried about me."

Mandy sipped a bit more wine before replying. "Mmm, right. Well, you were in such a state when you left that I wanted to see you with my own eyes before you took off. You seemed a bit recovered from your ordeal, which is good. I couldn't have let you gone off to some far fetched region in the state that you were in."

"What makes you think you could have stopped me from leaving?"

"I would have had Jimmy rope you in or some such. Don't give me such a look. You may have not been under my employment long, Miss Kelebek, but you've already become dear to Jimmy and me. Not to mention Arthur feels awful about that whole Dax thing." Again the druid flinched ever so slightly. "Speaking of, have you heard the news?"

"What news?"

"Ol' Daxy was found bled out in his cell shortly after you'd left town."

The color drained from the druid's face. "I'm not suspected, am I?"

"Oh, no love. He was green from the poisons and the deed had obviously been done with a rather nasty dagger." Mandy chuckled softly to herself and smiled at the druid over her wine glass. "From the sounds of it you had done a rather bang up job on Daxy's manhood though. Between you and this mystery assassin, Dax looked like one of those mummy creatures you hear about down in Uldum. He was nothing but a mass of bandages when they put him in a crate and tossed him into his grave. Needless to say, you haven't anything more to fear from Dax Grey, love. I don't think even the Dark Lady would be claiming him for her army of undead."

She set her now empty wine glass down on the table that sat between her and the druid, and turned her full attention to Kelebek. "Now, I've been hearing tales of you poking about for information on your family. What exactly is this all about? Why do you think that my sister is sending you off on some wild chase to find some old hag in the hills of Feralas?"

Kelebek then proceeded to tell Mandy what she had told few others. She retold Mandy about her memory loss, the violent dreams that seemed to always have too little detail, how she often woke up with the name 'Kiya' on her lips but couldn't recall who that was. "I don't remember what happened or even why it happened. I can't bring up the names of my family or images of their faces from my memory. I try and I try, but nothing ever appears. I was found by the druid Taloris. I was wandering in the woods not far from a decimated village in the northern parts of the Eastern Kingdoms as an older child, the side of my head gashed open and I had no memory of who or where I was. I want to find out what happened to that village because no one really knows, or won't say anything if they do know. I need to find out if any of my family made it out. I need to know who they were. I need to know who I am." The druid was trying hard not to give into her frustrations, so she took another swig of her wine.

The Gilnean women took everything the druid said as a fact and statement. She offered no pity, but instead wished to offer any help she could. "What is it that you've discovered so far?"

Another sip of wine before she responded. "Not much I'm afraid. I'm not even certain of the name of the village. It was far to small to show up on any map that is printed to the masses, so all I have to go by is the location and 'that one little village that was mysteriously razed for unknown reasons.' If folks do know what happened there, they pretend not to."

Several moments passed as the women sat in silence once more. The fire was burning down to embers and Jimmy could be heard snoring in some corner of the house. "Tell me, this Taloris...he raised you, yes?"

"Yes."

"He found you near the village and raised you. Does he know nothing of what happened?"

"He knows of the event surrounding the demise of my village, but he doesn't know the details of what happens...or at least he won't speak of them. He claims to have not known my family, which really doesn't surprise me any. Tal isn't a creature of socialization. He prefers to stay to the woods, to teach his rare student, and to perhaps join in the occasional war if he feels that it suits his needs or beliefs. He has said that the night that village was burned, the sky had turned a violent shade of purple. A deafening roar was all that could be heard, even from the woods where he made his den. He remembers waking up in the middle of the forest to the cry of a child...my cry. The din caused by the sound of whatever attacked that village was so great that it caused him to fall to the ground where he stood. He recalled awakening to the air smelling of sulfur, the surrounding skies were green with the fel fires that burned what was remaining of my village. He took me to the nearest shore, found us a passage to Kalimdor, and we've lived here since. He refuses to speak about any other detail that he may know of the event, so I am left to find the clues on my own."

"Demons in the Eastern Kingdoms? I have heard of the scourge and of course the horror stories of my people, but never of demons!" Mandy got up from her seat and topped both of the glasses off with more wine.

"I really wouldn't know. I haven't been back to the Eastern Kingdoms since I was a kitten. I know of the demons on Kalimdor plenty, even heard tale of the old wars on Draenor, but my history lessons of the Eastern Kingdoms are lacking."

Mandy set her wine cup down and walked over to a little bookshelf set under a rickety set of stairs. By the dim light she managed to pick out a small but thick volume. "Her lass, you can borrow this for a bit." She handed the book over to the druid.

"A History of Azeroth's People and Politics."

"Aye. That details just about every war Azeroth has seen and the politics of her people. You may not see every little demon invasion listed in there, but it will at least give you a good idea of the cultures you may come across. From the sounds of it you'll be traveling a might bit, so there may be some handy knowledge in that book for you."

Kelebek looked tiredly at Mandy and then tucked the book into one of the many pockets hidden on her gear. "Thank you, I'll read it as soon as I can."

"No matter love. Now..." The Gilnean women walked over to the window and looked outside. "from the sounds of it we'll be getting a bit of snow for the next few days. Think your drake friend will be able to fly through this?" She turned back to the druid as she asked this. "Oh, don't look so surprised that I know about it. The whole city has been a buzz about it since you two came swooping into the temple."

"Well, yes. I suppose he should be able to fly through this weather just fine. He is a stone drake after all."

"A stone drake of all things. I didn't think their kind came out of Deepholm..." Mandy began to dig through a chest that had been pushed up against a wall. "Well, I don't suspect the weather will get much better until you're south of Ashenvale. Take this jacket and cloak. Both are fur, both seem a bit warmer than anything I've seen you wear so far." The druid began to protest. "I won't hear of it. I have finer things to wear if I have to, and I can always make new things. You have to make haste and may not have time to hunt and make anything warm for yourself. Do you have maps?" Kelebek admitted that she didn't. "Well then..." Mandy rooted through another, smaller chest. "here's a map of Kalimdor, another of the Eastern Kingdoms. If for some odd reason you find yourself in the cold continent of Northrend, there is a general map in that book of yours. Most of the pubs have them mounted on a wall somewhere anyways if you need something in more detail. If you end up in that Pandaria land though, I'm afraid you're on your own. Most folk still don't have maps of that place, let alone manage to find their ways there in the first place."

Kelebek sat in her chair, arms now full of supplies. Quietly she stammered thank yous as Mandy continued to add to the pile.

"Have you a satchel? Of course you do, back in your lodging I suppose. Well here, have a smaller one. I hope it fits into your usual pack. There's some bread in this pocket, a spare water skin in this pocket, a few spare herbs here, and you can fit a few more items in this compartment if need be. I even tossed a few extra bandages in there, never know when you may need those." She pushed a few more stray locks out of her face as she tried to think of what else she could hand to the druid. "What else...what else..."

"Mandy..."

"Yes love?"

Kelebek stood up and gently placed everything onto her seat so that she could grab the other woman by the arms. "This is plenty. Thank you. For everything."

"Are you sure it's enough?" The Gilnean looked worried and tired, if not a bit delirious.

"It's more than plenty. It's more than I could have ever asked for, thank you."

Mandy then did something that Kelebek hadn't expected her to. She hugged the druid. Akwardly, Kelebek returned the embrace.

"Okay then, let's get you suited up and off. You need to be getting back and packing yet, aye?"

The druid gave a little smile and nodded in agreement. She slid on the light brown fur coat (the fur side was in, making the knee length coat incredible soft as well as warm), tied the matching light brown cloak around her neck, slung the satchel of goods over one shoulder, and gathered up the maps. Finally she was ready to head out into the night. Kelebek said a few more thank yous, Mandy kissed the druid's cheeks in farewell, and the white-haired night elf found herself back out in the night of cold and snow.

-------

It was well after midnight by the time Kelebek made it back to her quarters. While the clothing that Mandy had given to her helped immensely, she still found herself to be shivering from the snow melt that had made its way down her neck and into her boots. Carefully she set down her staff, maps, and new satchel onto the floor near the door. She then set about the task of lighting a fire and searching for her gloves. Kelebek slid on the dark brown fingerless gloves and set to work getting together her belongings.

She rounded up her story book about the little girl and the well, her spare quills, and whatever parchment she had and placed them into her large satchel. All of her tools were returned to her tooling case, likewise to be placed within her satchel. Spare clothing was folded, save for the dress she wore on the day she first went to visit Tyrande. She decided that she didn't have room to spare for such a fine thing and that it was best left behind. Kelebek set the pretty thing aside as she tucked the rest of her belongings into the satchel: a bone comb, the maps Mandy had sent along with her, the history book, and the little satchel of food and supplies all finally made their way into her bag. Satisfied and beginning to warm up, the druid snapped the buckles closed and set the satchel by the door next to her staff.

Her eyes combed over the room, looking for anything that may have been forgotton. Finding nothing, her eyes once again fell upon her dress. Such a lovely thing to let go to waste, she thought to herself. Perhaps I'll send it off to Mandy. Might not be the right size, but she deserves such a fine thing. Mind made up and belongings packed, the druid settled down into her bed one last time and slept for a while.

-------

Kelebek awoke to the sound of screams and the smell of smoke. Her first instinct was to check her own fireplace, which had appeared to have flickered out during the hours of her slumber. Again more screams arose from outside of her little apartment. The little druid raced to the window, seeing nothing but smoke and snow. She raced to where her things were. Luckily she had fallen asleep with her coat and cloak on, so she only had to slip on her pack and grab her staff. Quickly she wrote a note with instructions on where the dress should end up, pinned it to the fabric, and left her room with a audible click of the door.

Darnassus was in a state of chaos. Citizens were running everywhere in panic, the roofs were of the city were smoldering, and all around the blizzard raged in a torrent of flurries. Kelebek slid her way down to the center of the city where the iconic bank built into a tree once stood. The bear-shaped bank was no longer standing in its rightful place; what was left of the building laid aflame in the water, having broken through the ice and sunk to the bottom of the shallow pond.

In the bank's place stood a large dragon. It looked rather old, with its once onyx-black scales sagging in grey flaps. Blood oozed from its eyes that had been taken out by carefully aimed arrows. Blindly it lashed out at its elven attackers, crushing anyone who wasn't quick enough to dodge the wild swings of claw and tail. Beneath the dragon's feet was a froth of blood, snow, soot, and mangled flesh. As an elven warrior managed to sink his sword into one of the dragon's few soft spots, the beast let out a roar of pain and charged forward, crushing the warrior under its mighty claws and crashing into yet another building. In frustration the creature belched out a large stream of fire, setting several more houses and trees on fire.

Another loud roar was heard coming from this distance. This one though was recognizable. Again the roar came, but it wasn't just a bestial noise; it was someone calling the druid's name. "KELEBEK!!"

"AEORNOSS!"

The stone drake landed heavily by the temple, one of the few areas large enough in the city for him to safely set himself down. Even from a distance Kelebek could see the blood oozing from the various wounds on the drake's body.

As quickly as the ice allowed her, Kelebek ran to Aeornoss' side. "What happened to you?"

"Dragons. Many...dragons. I was ambushed in the woods by a small one who bragged that an army of corrupted dragons was on its way. They have riders with them. Assassins. We must leave now, Darnassus will fall!"

"We must war..."

"No, we must leave!"

"But what of my friends? I must stay and fight!"

"This isn't your time to fight, little ghost. WE MUST LEAVE NOW!"

Without further question the druid clambered onto the back of the injured drake. Together they rose into the snow filled sky, where the smell of burning flesh and and stench of dragon blood was quickly singed away by the harsh, frosty morning air. Kelebek looked back in time to see a thunder of dragons with their assassin riders do just as Aeornoss predicted.

That was the night Darnassus fell.
Sazhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-2818700104169408686.post-79920413655184181932012-01-14T21:57:00.000-06:002012-01-14T21:57:43.223-06:00The SummonsIt took her a moment to process everything. Slowly her fur began to lay back down and she began to chuckle as well.

"Aeornoss, it's been months!" The little druid and the stone drake walked over to each other, meeting on the other side of the little lake. "What news? How are you?"

"I'm...well enough, little one. Yourself?"

The events that took place within the gates of Darnassus flashed before Kelebek's eyes. Quickly she pushed them away.

"Well enough for the moment." She paused for a moment to collect herself. "What brings you here?"

"Looking for you actually. I was expecting to arrive in Darnassus in the morning, can't be flying in at night being a dragon-type after all, when I thought I heard a familiar voice off being carried on the winds. I wasn't sure in which direction it was from, but thought I'd wait by the water to see who would show up. Surprisingly enough it was the one I was looking for."

"Didn't realize you stone drakes heard so well."

"If the elements wish me to hear something, I have no choice but to listen to the sounds brought to me."

At this statement they both smiled at each other and let out a little laugh.

"Now, what brings you outside of the protected sanctuary of Darnassus, little ghost?"

"Well, I..."

A voice called off in the distance. "Miss Kelebek! Kelebek? Where you gone you milady? The meal is getting cold!"

"Cubical! I forgot about him. Aeornoss, come with me please."

Together they walked towards the sound of Cubi's voice. It didn't take them long to walk back to the little clearing that contained the camp fire, at the edge of which the silver haired druid stood. "I was worried your food would get co...oh! You have brought a friend!"

"Yes. Cubical, this is Aeornoss. He was my traveling companion for a short while. Aeornoss, meet my new acquaintance Cubical."

"Hello to you, good sir!" In response the drake bowed his head towards the druid and said a simple hello. A few awkward moments passed. "Well then, I suppose we should get to our meal!"

-------

The meal was accompanied by the sounds of eating and minor chatter. For the most part the event was peaceful, filled with easy pleasantries and what minor bits of gossip they had last heard about. As Kelebek had suspected, the news about the murder of Dax Grey had managed to spread throughout the little island of Teldrassil. She did her best to center herself so she did not flinch when she was asked to report the specifics of the topic ("Well you were in Darnassus when it happened Miss Kelebek, surely you know all the details!"), but thankfully she hardly had to utter a word on the subject. She breathed an inward sigh of relief when their little group was interrupted by yet another new comer.

A young huntress road up to the little group on a great white Nightsaber, her white wolf companion not far in tow. "I'm looking for a druid by the name of Kelebek Swiftclaw. She's believed to be wandering these woods. Have any of you seen her by chance?"

"Depends on who's looking." growled Aeornoss.

"I am Analla, I have been sent by the priestess Tyrande. There has been word about Kelebek's friend, and I have been sent out into the wilds to retrieve her so that Tyrande may relay the information herself."

"I am Kelebek. What news do you know of my friend?"

The youth shook her head; her teal braids hardly jostled. "They didn't give me any specifics to relay. They only told me to tell you that there was news, and that it was important." Analla's grey toned face was rather somber. Her little mouth pursed a bit as she said her next words. "I do know that the Lady Tyrande won't be in Darnassus for much longer, she has pressing matters else where and must leave before nightfall. You'd better hurry back." The huntress readjusted her hands on the reins of her saber and looked to her wolf. "Come pup, we must be getting back if we're to make dinner."

Kelebek watched the huntress ride away. "Cubical, thank you for the lovely meal. I really must be going though."

"It was my pleasure Miss Kelebek." He took her hand and kissed it. "I hope you have a safe journey back to Darnassus."

"Thank you." She turned to the stone drake, "Aeornoss...?"

"I will take you to the temple, child. You will arrive more swiftly on my wings than you will by your paws."

With great haste the little druid scrambled onto the stone drake's back. She motioned a quick farewell to Cubical, then pair were off into the skies.

-------

Aeornoss touched down just outside of the temple itself. There were a few shouts of surprise and many odd stares as the drake settled down onto the marble pavement. Kelebek ignored all of the commotion as she slid off of Aeornoss' back and half ran into the temple.

The only resistance the druid met was a guard as she made way for the ramp that led to the upper balconies of the temple. The guard recognized her and asked her what business brought her to the Temple of the Moon this time.

"Priestess Tyranda has sent for me, by way of a huntress named Analla. I was told that there was an urgent matter at hand."

"Very well, follow me please."

It took a good portion of the druid's willpower to not run past the guard. She did her best to calm herself as the two Night Elves ascended to the upper balconies. The mere minutes that the journey took felt like half an eternity to Kelebek.

"Lady Tyrande, Miss Kelebek Swiftclaw to see you."

"Thank you Ninyne." Tyrande fussed a bit more with the packages in front of her before she turned to the druid. "I'm happy that Analla managed to reach you in time. She's an excellent and swift tracker, but I feared that you would have been harder to find. I hope all is well with you?"

"Well enough, Priestess. I don't mean to be rude, but Analla said that you word regarding Taloris. What news do you have?"

"The good news is that Taloris has been found alive..."

"Oh thank Elune!"

"However, he is not well. He is being delivered to Darnassus within the week. The priestess here in the temple itself will be tending to him until I get back."

"Back? Wait, what is wrong with Taloris?"

"I haven't the time to explain right this moment, child. All I can do is assure you that we will be taking the greatest care possible of him." Tyrande summoned a guard to her side and together the two women gathered up the priestess' traveling bags. Just as they were about to exit the chambers, Tyrande stopped and began to dig around within the folds of her robes. "One last thing Kelebek, one of my advisors heard about your inquiries around the city about your family. She asked me to pass this message along to you." The priestess handed the druid the piece of paper, gave her a quick blessing, and quickly made her way out of the temple.

Dumbfounded Kelebek stood alone in the temple chambers, looking down at the paper in her hands. Tal is ill, I should have stayed! She tried to choke back tears of worry and regret, but a tear slid away and plopped onto the paper before her. Kelebek sniffled a bit, wiped away the wet streak on her face with her sleeve, then proceeded to open the note.

Little Druid,

I have caught wind that you are looking for the answers to your past. I have no evidence of who your family may be, or what happened to you so long ago, however there is an old crone in the highlands of Feralas who I hear is talented in the ways of finding information. She is said to live in one of the many caves in the mountains of the area. However, before you leave Darnassus in search of this crone, I advise you to first seek out your employer. She has been rather worried and would like to see you before you head off.

May Elune guide you in your search,
Advisor Natalie Bremsworth

-------

Kelebek descended the ramp slowly, setting each foot down much more heavily than she would have normally. She was still trying to process all of the information presented to her when she finally reached Aeornoss.

"What news, little ghost?"

"Taloris is alive, but not well. He will arrive in Darnassus in a week's time."

The drake solemnly nodded his stoney head. His eyes were drawn to the white object that the druid was clenching tightly. "What is that in your hand?"

"Information about the task I was on."

"I see. What is your plan?"

"We set off for Feralas in the morning. First though I have a few things to attend to."

"Very well little one. I think I shall wait just outside of the cities walls for you. I don't think these folk take too kindly to my presence."

Kelebek was already walking away from the drake, in the direction of her employer's house when she replied to Aeornoss. "That's fine. I will see you in the morning!"

"Yes. In the morning."

The drake turned himself towards the gates of the city and took to the sky, cold air and snowflakes swirling beneath his stoney wings.Sazhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-2818700104169408686.post-15899908148241376182012-01-04T06:08:00.000-06:002012-01-04T06:08:28.556-06:00The Woods of TeldrassilBy the time Kelebek passed the gates of Darnassus she had only a sliver of moonlight to navigate by. The night air was brisk and just cold enough that each time the druid exhaled she left a little frosty cloud of mist behind. She broke out into a full sprint, paws crunching down on the frost-kissed grass, feeling the knot in her stomach loosen as the pressures of society melt away. The druid smiled her kitty smile as she bounded through the dying under brush of the woods. On a whim she sprang up into a tree, only to have the branch she landed upon break with a loud crack, sending the druid tumbling to the ground. She landed with a thud and had to laugh at herself. Away she bounded again, pouncing on little mounds of dirt as she came across them. Kelebek felt silly and giddy, punch drunk as she ran through the purple forests of Teldrassil, tears streaming down her face.

Eventually she came to a little inland lake. Feeling emotionally drained now and physically exhausted, she crouched down and began to lap up the cool, clear water. When she had her fill she sat back on her haunches to contemplate. The giddy feeling had subsided, leaving behind all of the pain and emotion that she had been holding back since the night with Dax Grey. The panic, sadness and rage, along with a slew of other unexplainable emotions, coursed through the druid as she watched the ripples on the lake's surface. The tears she had shed moments before had left little frozen trails down her face. She wanted nothing more than to let out a low pitched cry to express and relieve the remainder of her unexpressed feelings but she instead shook her head and padded away from the lake. If she was to be in the woods for a period of time, she'd need a place to den. First rule of the wilds: Survival takes priority over emotions. That was that.

The sky was beginning to get a pink hue by the time Kelebek found what she was looking for. Amongst one of the many little mountains she discovered a little dirt cave. The ceiling had roots dangling from it, but it seemed dry. The den was mostly devoid of the scents of other animals, which was a great indication that it hadn't been occupied for some time. With an efficient haste she began to mark the cave as her own. She tore at the soil with her claws, then padded it back down to make it seem as if she had bedded there before. She then rolled around in the cave a bit, making sure that it bore her scent so that if another curious animal came strolling by they'd know that the little dirt mount they had just stuck their heads into had been claimed.

Pleased with having found herself shelter, the little druid took off into the woods with her next mission: breakfast. While she wasn't terribly familiar with the wild life of the island, though she had heard a few owls while she pranced about in the night and caught the scent of a boar. The claw marks on the trees made by the local nightsabers hadn't gone unnoticed either. Kelebek wasn't feeling up to the acrobatic task of trying to catch an owl, nor was she keen on taking down a fellow feline, so she set out on the faint scent trails of a boar.

The bright pink skies faded to a cool blue. The temperature had come up some, but in the early part of the day the frost still clung to many of the leaves and grasses yet hidden in the shade. It was because of the frost that Kelebek managed to stumble upon a small trail in the woods. The foot path was cut deep into what would have been mud had there been any rain recently, made by many tiny boar hooves. A few boars had used the path that very night; the lack of frost gave that fact away clearly.

Quietly Kelebek followed the path in a parallel fashion, not wanting to mar the trail for if she traveled on it herself she may startle the boars away from using it in the future. She continued to follow the trail for quite some time, using the underbrush and shadows of the forest to help hide her white fur. Finally she heard them off in the distance, three of them, squealing and grunting as they fought over whatever root they had just dug up. Kelebek slunk through the brush, closing the gap between her and her meal with quiet urgency. Within no time her prey were all within in the druid's sight, and when she was sure of the situation she crouched down behind a rather thick bush, waiting for the right time to strike.

Muscles taut, ears forward and barely breathing, Kelebek waited. Two of the boars were rather large and had prominent tusks, not something a lone (not to mention undersized) cat would want to take on herself. The third boar however was the one that Kebelek had set her eyes on. It was a young boar, its tusks were still tiny and fur yet soft, unlike the bristly hides of his companions. She was waiting for that perfect moment when the little boar would wander by, separated just enough from the other two that when she'd strike the rest would scatter in a panic instead of turning on her. Time ticked by slowly, but eventually the little boar did just just as the druid had hoped. He wandered over into the druid's range, and as he did so she readjusted her paws in a quiet, antsy fashion, tail silently twitching. Waiting...waiting...

Just as she was about to spring into action, a large crash was heard and a ball of white fur came barreling out of the woods to the right of the clearing. The creature was large, but not too much larger than Kelebek herself; a bear. He charged at one of the boars without much premeditation, for he struck out only to miss as his would-be victim squealed and high tailed it well outside of the bears range. The other two followed suit, high tailing it into the thick and frosty under brush.

The bear stood in the middle of the clearing, panting. His sides heaved heavily as Kelebek observed him. He bore the markings of a fellow Night Elf druid. Infuriated, Kelebek charged at the bear, head-butting hard him on the shoulder.

"You idiot!" she growled.

The bear was taken completely surprised by the attack. He stood there stunned for a moment before looking at the cat, then looking down the trail of broken bushes left behind by the boars, then back at the cat.

"Apologies milady, I didn't know that someone else was in the area. I was just having a bit of fun, I swear it!"

"Your 'bit of fun' just caused me my meal." At her harsh words the bear hung his head. Kelebek exhaled heavily.

The bear's panting slowed and he sat his druid bear butt down right in the middle of the clearing. He regarded the cat again with his head tilted; he smiled. "What would you eat a boar for, miss? Haven't you brought any rations? What kind of Kaldorei goes off into the woods this close to Darnassus without rations?"

"The kind that'd prefer to fend for herself..." Muttered Kelebek in reply as she turned to leave the clearing.

Kelebek managed to make it partially through the ticket bordering the clearing before the bear lurched himself back into a standing position. He lumbered quickly after the other druid.

"Wait miss, wait!"

Tired, hungry, and now rather sore from a day's worth of activity after having spent months in captivity, Kelebek debated on simply pretending that she hadn't heard the other druid. At this point she wanted nothing more than to curl up in her new found home and sleep for an eternity. She had a feeling that she wouldn't be getting that sort of rest quite yet.

"Please miss, wait!" The bear was panting again as he trotted up next to the little cat. "I'm sorry if I offended you milady. Let me make it up to you somehow."

She stopped in her tracks and looked wearily at the other druid. "Alright, whatever you'd like." She said quietly, then continued on with her slow trek back to her awaiting cave.

They traveled together for a good while in silence before the bear once again spoke. "If I may be so bold miss, may I ask you your name?"

The smaller of the two druids remained silent for a bit longer before she replied. "Kelebek."

"Wonderful name! Mine is Cubical, though most just call me Cubi." The bear all but bounced in happiness as he stated this fact.

"Cubical? That's a peculiar name."

"It is Miss Kelebek, but I like it. Does yours have a story behind it?"

"Yes," she said upon finally arriving to her cave "however, we have arrived at my den and I'm exhausted. Perhaps I can tell you the story some other time."

"Of course milady. Sleep well!" exclaimed Cubi in his cheerful manner.

Left without much else to say, Kelebek turned into her little cave after a quick look around inside to be sure that nothing had snuck in while she was away.

-------

The smell of cooking fish woke her up.

Kelebek slid out of her little cave and stretched her limbs under a sky that was just beginning to show its stars. Not far from the entrance to her cave sat a silver haired male Night Elf, who was busing himself with tending to the fish and fire. He turned his pink, bearded face towards her as she approached.

"Good evening milady, sleep well?"

She regarded him for a moment with her cat-like suspicion, then replied "It wasn't bad." The druid padded up next to the Night Elf and sat down. She eyed up what was in the pan that he was holding over the little fire. "What smells delicious?"

Cubical smiled as he tended to the meal. "Why, it's fish from the lake just over yonder. I mixed in some berry juice and a bit of root. I hope you will like it."

For a moment Kelebek's guard dropped and she smiled, at least as much as a cat could smile. Catching herself, she changed her expression to a more sober one, agreed that it would be a wonderful meal, and excused herself with the reason that she felt the need to wash up.

The druid took her time walking over to the lake. She lapped up the sounds of the wilds, relished in the feel of the crisp grass beneath her paws, and felt oddly comforted that there was a fellow druid not far away. While she was quite certain that her soul was still troubled, she felt more peaceful than she had in months. As Kelebek reached the edge of the lake, she exhaled, smiled, and felt gratitude towards the other druid that had so haphazardly bashed into her little episode, for lack of a better term. She allowed herself another little smile then bent her head so that she could lap up the chilling water of the lake.

"Little ghost..." The name had been uttered with a quiet rattle of a sigh.

Kelebek jumped at the sound, muscles instantly tense once more. It took her a moment to see the green stone drake standing silently on the other side of the clearing, staring at her.

The druid's fur was standing straight up in surprise and fright. "Aer...Aeornoss?"

The stone drake smiled at the little druid and gave a quiet, rocky chuckle.
Sazhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-2818700104169408686.post-8481565306369680222011-11-26T09:44:00.000-06:002011-11-26T09:44:49.846-06:00Aeornoss' Plight"Please, just let them go."

The woman this plea was directed at continued to nonchalantly examine at her nails, calmly removing any spec of dirt she found.

"I will do no such thing."

"But my mate, my drakelings, they have nothing to do with this! They're innocents! You can keep me, just please let them go free."

Not bothering to look up from her nails the woman stated "You're missing the point, dear stone drake. If I let them go, there would be no reason for you to stay loyal. If I don't have you, I don't have an easy way to guide the druid where my master needs her to go."

"Who is your master? What does he want with Kelebek? What does this have to do with me and my family?"

"As I've told you a thousand times over the past several months, you forgetful buffoon, I can tell you none of that information." She finally regarded the drake before her, looking him directly in the eye. "I can tell you this though. Your little ghost is the key. The key cannot be used too soon or all of the master's plans will fall through. Used to late and everything could blow up in the master's face. She trusts you, thus we need you. If you fail to use that trust and if she fails in doing her part, you, your wife, and all of your little drakes will be dead anyways. Why don't you just play along nicely and stop asking so many damn questions? Now say goodbye to the missus and the litt'uns, we have work to do." With a quick turn on the heel the Gilnean exited the dungeon.

Aeornoss lowered his head as if it pained him to keep it upright. The chains strung around his wife's neck and ankles rattled in their metallic way as she slowly shuffled over to his side.

"Why do you worry about this druid so? We are but stone drakes Aeornoss, we outlast time and soil itself. The only thing that breaks us down are the tears from our sorrows. Don't feel guilt about going out to try and protect this fleshling, while our current habitation" she gestured to the dark cell around them with her snout "isn't ideal, the children and I are cared for. We may be prisoners, but they haven't been too unkind.

"You don't make this any easier on me Aexis. I can't bear to see you and the children locked in a cell. We left Deepholm for the open skies...to be buried in rock again, though this time without even an open space to spread our wings in...I can't handle the thought." The stone drake's head drooped down even further.

One of the little drakelings tumbled over to his father, getting tangled up in his chains as he did so. Carefully Aeornoss helped to de-tangle his offspring from the bonds that bound him to the cellar's walls.

"If this druid is as important as this mystery woman makes her out to be, perhaps for now we should go along with the plan. Protect the druid when you can, but if she is indeed some sort of...key...and all of our well beings depend on it, there really isn't any other choice." Aexis once again touched her face to her mate's. "I know your heart aches, but do what must be done. Lead the druid where these fowl fleshlings need her to go, keep her out of harm's way otherwise."

"I just can't turn her over to some unknown, potentially devistating fate."

"We know not of what her fate really is. Her future is unknown to us whether or not you go through with this. Ours is certain if you don't, uncertain at best if you do."

"I know what you say to be true, wife. I still have trouble doing this to that fleshling though, even if it may possibly assure the freedom of you and our offspring."

"The option for you to run is there. You could disobey the Gilnean and her master's wishes, fly away, come back at some other time to try and free us. I fear that would be unwise though. Play their games, observe the situation at large. You do that best, Aeornoss. You observe and always make the right choices when you need to make them. Go, guide your little ghost to safety and her destiny. Once that is done, return to your family so that we may one day fly under the open skies together, peacefully."

Aeornoss let out a low, rattling sigh. "It makes my heart heavy to do so, Aexis, but as you wish." The stone drake nuzzled his wife one last time, bade his children farewell, and finally exited the dark little prison to do what had been asked of him.

*******

The Gilnean was waiting impatiently in the brisk night air. "About bloody time you showed up. All done boohooing with the wife then?"

In response Aeornoss let out a low growl that seemed to resonate from his gut.

A sarcastic smirk passed over her face and she tilted her head a bit to the side. "Charming. By now you know the drill, aye? Go find that mangy animal and explore some unknown corner of the continent. Do whatever it takes to keep her out of the way. No deserts, no Eastern Kingdoms. You keep her in the woods of Kalimdor, you hear me?"

The look that passed over Aeornoss' face was one of defiance and suspicion. "I understand."

"Good, now get your stoney arse off of the sodding lawn, you're leaving craters."

Scorned, the stone drake took flight, wings beating against the frigid air that he could barely feel.

*******

In the cell a shapeshifter regained her nature form as the Gilnean made her way down the stairs. The transformation completed just as she opened the prison's door.

"Bloody hell, I don't know how those damn drakes deal with those long necks all the damn time." Said the woman found there as she rubbed her neck.

"They're used to it, I'm sure." Said the mystery woman. "Did you manage to convince him to stay loyal to our cause?"

"Of course cousin." The woman squinted at the other Gilnean. "You seem to underestimate my abilities in persuasion."

"Was there any sign that he suspected that you were not who you seemed to be?"

"None. The pity wallowing in that drake's heart is almost sickening. Guilty this, should I do that, blah blah blah. He has no clue that his wife and the rest of his children are more than likely bones and dust by now." She picked up the only infant drake that hadn't been an illusion. "Such a shame, they would have made lovely mounts. Ah well, this little one will due someday."

"You almost sound sentimental, dear cousin."

"Hardly." The woman pushed the frizzy brown hair out of her eyes with one long, slender hand, holding the dejected baby drake in the other hand as she did so. "You know me well Carmen. I pity nothing, but I know a waste of a perfectly beautiful mount when I see one." She dropped the drake back onto the floor where he landed with a great thud. It remained in the heap of legs, wings, and tail that it was dropped into, only letting out the smallest of pitiful cries. "Oh well, whatever gets us into the master's plans...or should I say pants in your case...the quickest."

"You're a haughty bitch, Eyl."

Eylwne threw her head back and laughed. "Oh cousin, how right you are. Funny how that runs in the family, isn't it? Just a bunch of heartless killers we are, always with our agendas. At least this time it isn't about power for me, I'm just here out of boredom. You on the other hand, what is your motive in all of this?"

"An old mission left unfinished. It was something that I should have taken care of eons ago, but now it's in the master's hands." Eylwne didn't catch the quick flash of disappointment, failure, and regret that skittered across her cousin's face, for she was too busy sweeping away invisible specks of dust from her old wine red dress.

"Huh, well no matter. It's all fun and games for me after all. Let's get out of this dank cellar already and find some breakfast. I'm starved." Together they left the cell, slamming the wooden door closed and locking it so that the lone drakeling had no escape.

Carmen followed her cousin's long limbed form up the wooden staircase, thinking that Eylwne resembled a tarantula that someone had prettied up. All fuzzy hair, limbs, and vile venom. Her cousin cared not for the bigger picture, only for the prey that may happen to stumble before her.

The perfect tool to aide in the master's mission.Sazhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-2818700104169408686.post-21490880417777551392011-10-30T01:55:00.001-06:002011-11-07T16:11:00.813-06:00Darnassus - The Incident
The attack that had taken place just nights before still had the little druid shaken. Morning after morning Kelebek found herself waking up short of breath and drenched in cold, panicked sweat. She was only able to sleep for moments at a time, for every shift in the building and every chirp from a bird startled her. Every time she closed her eyes the nightmares were always the same: the laughter, the embarrassment and fear, his scent, his voice, the blood. The anger and revenge that had ripped through her during that moment when she had been taken over by feral reactions did little to settle her nerves. More than ever she felt the press of civilization around her, and she was terrified.

Her day began much like the others since Dax Grey slipped into her life, with a startling nightmare jarring her back into consciousness. The druid bolted upright in her bed, sheets clutched to her leather clad chest, breathing erratic and labored. It took her a moment to realize that she was in fact one again alone in her room, that she was safe. Birds were singing cheerfully outside her window in the dazzling afternoon light and no rogues were to be seen lurking about her pillows. She rubbed her face with her hand and swore quietly to herself.

Following the events of that night Kelebek's employer, Mandy Bremsworth, had given the druid several days off for some personal time. While Kelebek had appreciated the time to mentally and physically recover from the attack, she had accomplished little outside of driving herself crazy. She had long since run out of materials to do any personal crafting, she couldn't bring herself to read the sad story about the girl and the wishing well yet again, and there was nothing else to occupy the druid's mind inside that small boarding room. As much as she hated the idea of throwing herself back into the crowds of Darnassus, Kelebek felt that she had to get back to work for fear of losing the last bit of nerve she had. Having already dressed prior to her failed attempt at sleep, Kelebek washed her face in the water basin she kept in her room and quickly ran a comb through her long hair. Within minutes of making up her mind to leave the little room, she was ready to go.

The bright sunlight danced through the trees of the bustling city, gently warming the autumn air to a pleasant temperature. Kelebek quickly moved through the crowds that mulled about in the Trader's Terrace, trying to hasten her arrival to her employer's stand, which located on the other side of the city in the Craftsmen's Terrace. By the time she arrived at Mandy's place of business, she was short of breath and shaking.

"You alright there, love?" inquired Mandy worriedly, for the druid's usual pale complexion had turned a sickly shade of white.

"Yeah, I'm f-fine."

"You certainly don't look it."

"I'm just..." and with that the world around Kelebek swirled as her face went numb and her knees turned into jelly.

Mandy rushed across the booth and knelt down at the druid's side where she fell. "Bek honey, wake up." The Gilnean gently placed her hands on the druid's cool, clammy face. Mandy, concerned about the woman before her, turned her head towards the back of the booth and yelled "Jimmy! Be a love and get me some water and a clean cloth, will you?"

Jimmy did as his wife asked, bringing a small jug of water and a cloth to the pair on the floor at the front of the shop. Never one for words, Jimmy simply stood out of the way and watched as Mandy attempted to revive the druid. She tipped some of the water from the jug onto the cloth, then proceeded to press the cool cloth onto Kelebek's face. Eventually the druid began to come to.

"Here, drink a bit of water. That's a good lass."

The druid did as she was told, sputtering a bit as she drank the liquid. As she drank, Mandy motioned for Jimmy to come over and help her get the druid back on her feet.

"Let's get you up into that chair over there. Easy does it. There you go."

Kelebek sank into the chair, hands and knees still shaking.

"Feeling better yet?" asked Mandy as Kelebek took another sip of the water.

"A little. Everything is still fuzzy though, black spots everywhere."

"When was the last you ate?"

Kelebek simply shrugged and laid her head in her hand in a failed attempt to make the world stop spinning. "I don't remember." The druid began to cry, shaking her head while furiously trying to wipe away the tears. "I don't remember anything!"

Mandy was surprised at this outburst. She had always known Kelebek to be calm and collected, if only a bit nervous. Never had she suspected that the druid would have been prone to such a show of emotion. With a simple glance Mandy relieved her husband from the situation, then she just sat at the druid's feet, waiting for the storm to pass.

Many minutes passed before Kelebek's frustrated sobs began to lessen their intensity. She sniffled a bit more as Mandy rubbed her leg in a motherly fashion. Several more minutes passed before she felt some of her calm return to her.

"So what was that little episode about? Seems to be a bit more to it than what happened the other night."

The druid sniffled a bit and Mandy handed her a handkerchief. As Kelebek busied herself with mopping up her face, she debated on telling her employer everything; the details of the attack, her worries about Taloris, this missing parts of her memory, the strange girl in her dreams, Kiya, how much she felt as if she was choking while she remained within the boundaries of so-called civilization...all of it. The idea of completely confiding in someone, having someone to listen to her worries and greatest fears, was both something she dearly wanted, and yet something that was completely terrifying. What if she completely lost herself, like she just nearly did a moment ago? What if this woman judged her severely, causing Kelebek to both lose her job and to be chased out of town? What if? What if...

"It's nothing, I just haven't been sleeping or eating well is all. I think I'm a bit delirious."

Her employer raised an eyebrow to this claim but didn't push the conversation any further. Instead she simply handed the druid a little bit of bread and cheese. She accepted gratefully, slowly nibbling at the bits of food as she thought of how she would word her next sentence. Minutes ticked by as she chewed and Mandy had returned to work, tidying up the little stand and hanging new items up onto the thin walls. Finally Kelebek worked up the nerve to ask Mandy the question that had been burning in her mind since the moment she decided that she would confide in no one.

"I know this is asking a lot, but could I possibly have a bit more time off? I think I need to take a trip."

"You think you need to take a trip?" Suspicion was written all over the Gilnean's face. "What sort of trip would this be now?"

"I've been worried about a friend of mine. He was supposed to contact me weeks ago, but hasn't. I need a change of scenery for a little bit, clear my head, and I figured I would go look for him while I was at it. I know it's short notice, and that I haven't been much help for the past few days..."

Mandy cut her off. "You did more than your fair share prior to the...incident. We have a surplus of stock for now, and so long as you get back here within a week or two, Jimmy and I should manage. Take your time, mend, then get back to us when you feel able. Though, if you want any pay before snow flies, you best mend quick. Once the pre-winter push is over, we won't see any business until spring."

The druid grabbed her employer's hand gratefully. "I understand. And thank you Mandy."

She watched the druid exit the little booth with her hand on her hip and eye brow raised. Kelebek vanished into the crowds of the early evening shopping crowd, so Mandy Brewmsworth simply shook her head and got back to work.

-------

Kelebek had returned to her room with haste. She didn't return to the room to pack, for what she had in mind didn't call for supplies. The druid grabbed her staff, took a quick and dismissive look around the little room, then simply stepped back outside. Once the door was locked up again she shifted into her cat form, then sprinted towards the nearest city exit.
Sazhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-2818700104169408686.post-38336507679203571162011-10-04T08:20:00.005-06:002011-10-08T23:18:50.828-06:00Dax GreyThe look of her face would not leave his mind. Her pale skin, her soft, wide lips, that wary feral glint in her eye. Oh, she boiled his blood right and proper. But she had turned him down, ignored him, the prude. No one ignores Dax Grey.

The moon was full and high in the sky by the time Dax had enough drink in him to do what he meant to do. Earlier that evening he had sniffed out where the little druid bunked in town. Now that his lust was in full force and he had a good bit of whiskey in him he felt it was high time that he took a swing by her room.

He found the building he was after easily enough and drunkenly pushed himself into a sort of stealth. Quietly he moved to the window and peaked in. Ah, there she was in her sheets, glinting in all her pale glory thanks to the light of the moon. Elune smiled nicely on this daughter indeed. He felt his lust peak again and peeled himself away from the sight. Over to the door he went, picking the lock in mock quietness as his hands shook in both anticipation and liquid stupor. Somehow he managed to finish the job without alerting the woman sleeping inside.

He worked his way slowly across the shadowed room, taking care not to bump into what bits of furniture lay about in a decorative fashion. For someone who lives in the woods and must be alert always, this druid is certainly a sound sleeper when you give her a proper bed, Dax thought to himself must by my lucky evening. He grinned a wolfish grin. Patience Daxy old man, don't be botching this one up now. He sidled closer to her bed and took in the sight.

She lay on her back, face leaning on a rather voluptuously stuffed silken pillow, tilting slightly to the left. Her right hand clutched the lavender silken sheets up just between her breasts, left hand laid with slightly curled fingers just in front of her face on the billow. Her breathing was deep, her markings shown like black scars in the silvery moon light; she didn't stir an ounce as he stared at her, with her long pearly hair falling about her bare shoulders.

Suddenly she shifted, rolling her head so that she now leaned to the right. The hand clutching the sheets released its hold and the coverings gently slid down a few inches, exposing a bit more of her soft, naked flesh.

Dax was too hard for words to describe.

He had his mind set on what he planned to do. With his feral juices flowing even faster than before and the whiskey burning hotly in his blood, he went about to do what any man in his right mind shouldn't do. Quietly he stepped back from the bed, shifted out of stealth, and removed his clothing. Moving as a ghost he returned to the bedside and slowly began to pull pack the silken sheets.

The vision he saw nearly made him lose himself. Control man, savor this. He said to himself. Before him lay a work of true beauty. Small, perky breasts rose and fell with each of the druid's sleepy breaths, a thin, toned stomach shone in the light from the window, and a thatch of white hair hid those delicious womanly bits he sought. Feral indeed, lass. Couldn't even trim a bit for ol' Dax now? He was beside himself with lust.

He made his move to mount her. Putting one knee on the bed was the worst mistake Dax Grey had made that evening since hitting the booze and picking the lock on the door. Before he could even swing is other leg over the druid, pinning her down to his will, she shifted into her cat form and lashed out at him. She cut deep marks into his chest and leaped back to the far wall. He howled in surprise and pain. In the fury of the moment he lost control, changing into his Worgen form. Almost instantly he was sobered, but the boozy haze had been replaced by rage.

"You bitch!" He growled, wincing and holding his severely bleeding chest.

"Who the fuck are you and what the fuck are you doing in my room?!" She growled back, every word guttural and snarling.

A snide look came over his face as he clutched his chest, observing how the hair on her neck stood on end, how those razor sharp claws that had razed his flesh were still extended. Yes, he frightened the little kitty, cornered her. She was in a fret, and it excited him all the more despite the pain. "I was the one you were eyeballing all night down at the pub. Thought you had a bit of a fancy for me. I had a drink, mulled it over, though I'd join you for a toss in the sack. Why don't you come to Dax, love?"

Despite her terror, she snorted a laugh. "Dax is it? I thought I smelled a dog about you. Hate to disappoint you love, but I don't fuck fleabags."

She crouched back to the wall a bit more as he swaggered a few steps closer to her, still clutching at his bleeding torso with one hand. "Well love, you may not fancy "fleabags" as you put it, but either way ol' Dax will get what he wants. So we can go about this the easy way or the hard way. Personally I fancy a bit of a challenge. Do your worst, savvy?" He tongue lolled over his muzzle for minute before he put on what he undoubtedly thought was a charming, devilish grin. He looked only like a terrifying wolf in heat. "Come love, surely you have something to help Dax out with this craving."

Fury raged through the little druid. Through clenched teeth she replied "Sure, I have something to help you out with that appetite." With a savage roar she sprang at the rogue, teeth bared and claws extended.

-------

Dax Grey woke up bandaged, nearly bled out, and in a jail cell somewhere underground. His head felt as if it was a hot, boiled egg split in two, and as he gingerly touched his scalp through this thick, greasy hair he felt several large welts. He couldn't recall what day it was, how he had gotten to the cell, or really much other than who he was.

He made a move to try and stand up. He was met full on by a searing pain of not only his torso but his groin as well. Dax found that his trousers (When had he last worn them?) had been replaced by a ratty, soft brown pair of cloth pants that were held up by a set of draw strings. Carefully he undid the strings and found his manhood to be bandaged up as much as his chest. Suddenly the drunken evening came rushing back like some kind of fucked up fantasy. The stupor, the lust.

"She gelded me, that fucking bitch!"

"You're lucky that's all she did, lad." A woman's figure stepped out from the shadows. She had the Gilnean lilt to her voice, sassy and smug. "It seems she has made sure you've mounted your last lady."

"Who the fuck are you? Comin' up in here to gloat about this?" He was seething with rage, nearly on the verge of tears.

"Who I am is none of your concern. My purpose here is to make sure you don't get any ideas up in your head about revenge once you get out of the clink." She smiled. Had he still had the proper bits he may have felt that familiar feral twinge in his groin. She was awfully foxy for a not-so-exotic one. Dax loved him some exotic females. Inter-species play, he lived for such an act. "Now shhh. Don't worry love," she said in a soothing voice "I'm here to make sure everything will be alright. I'll make the pain all go away." The mystery woman drew a blade.

Those beady blue eyes opened wide with terror and Dax Grey never again drank another drop of whiskey.Sazhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-2818700104169408686.post-14186897404362107712011-09-29T03:45:00.002-06:002011-10-07T02:20:58.583-06:00Darnassus - The Black DogShe awoke late the next afternoon confused and with a distinct kink in her neck; Kelebek had somehow fallen asleep at her desk. Bleary eyed and fuzzy minded, the little druid tried to recall the events of the night before.

Had the Malfurion Stormrage really been at her door in the early hours of morning, assuring her that he'd offer her and Taloris aid?

She assured herself that yes, it really had taken place. He hadn't given her the answers that she had come for, but they had been answers none the less. Kelebek was thankful that at least Tal's safety had been ensured, even if no promises had been made about the wood that she had called home, however short her stay in that area was.

Kelebek had to shake away the sleepy cobwebs that still lingered in her mind. Squinting, she looked out her window and tried to gauge the time of day. Alarmed that the sun had already firmly planted itself in the western region of the sky, she dressed in haste. It was past time that she made her way over to the leatherworking booth ran by Miss Mandy Bremsworth.

-------

The little druid had to sprint, but she had made it just before the worst of the shopping crowds began their evening hunt for goods.

"Alright there 'Bek?" called Mandy over the din made by the heavy duty sewing machine she that was wielding. Kelebek nodded and went over to the little corner that had been set up for her. She pulled out her tools and began to work on mending the pile of gear that had been set near her work station.

Mandy paused in her own work for a moment so she could wipe the sweat from her brow. The majority of her mossy brown hair had been tied back into a bun, but a few strands had managed to escape. Those strands hung damp about her olive-toned face as her keen emerald eyes watched the little druid. Though she seemed nervous and preoccupied, Kelebek used her needle with confidence. Mandy, being pleased with herself for managing to snag such competent help, smiled to herself and started her machine back up.

-------

The day passed in a blur for Kelebek. Thread, poke, pull, rotate, snip. Smile at a customer. Re-sharpen the needle. Thread, poke, pull, rotate, snip. Never had her fingers ached so badly. By the time the sun had set the druid's hands were swollen and covered in bits of cloth that stemmed the bleeding that wayward needles had caused.

"Well then, I suppose you snagged yourself the right to come back for a second day." said Mandy to the druid, eyes bright with pleasure and excitement. "I don't think I've ever seen that many pieces mended in a single sitting, and with such dedication. You've definitely earned your keep lass."

"I enjoyed it," replied the druid "at least for the most part." Gingerly she held up her bandaged hands.

Tisking, Mandy turned to look around the little shop. "Well why didn't you say something love? We have a thick set of mits to protect those hands of yours around here somewhere." She shuffled piles of raw materials, picked up finished products so she could search underneath them, looked under the work stations. Exasperated and finding nothing, she gave up. "Oh this place is a right mess, we'll have to do a bit of tidying up in the morn. I'll tell ya what, take this salve." Out of a hand satchel Mandy pulled out a sack of herbs. "You head on home, soak them hands of yours in some ice cold water that's mixed up with these and that should heal up them wounds right quick. Once that's taken care of, head down to the pub over in the Gilnean sector. The barkeep's name at the Black Dog be Arthur and he's a good friend of mine. Tell 'em that Miss Bremsworth sent ya, and I'm sure he could set you up with a drink from yours truly."

Kelebek thanked her employer and headed home under the star filled night. Though the air was cooler than it had been in the daylight, the air still hung warm and heavy around her as she walked past closed booths and shuttered houses.

-------

Whatever had been in that little herb bag that Mandy had given her had worked like a charm. Ten minutes of soaking her mutilated hands in a chilly basin of water filled with leaves had left her as good as new. The advice on visiting the pub was still lingering in her mind though as she dried off her newly healed skin.

Kelebek was not one for crowds regardless of their location. She was even more wary about entering establishments where more often than not people were lacking a bit of judgement. However, she did agree that a drink may just be the thing to calm her nerves, not to mention that as much as she disliked the idea, pubs were gathering places. With the first part of her mission to Darnassus complete, it was high time she began the second. After all, pubs were great for listening in on the latest gossip and often told stories of the past.

Mind made up, Kelebek changed into a fresh pair of leather and linens, splashed a bit of water over her face, and ran a comb through her long hair. Feeling fit enough to venture back out into the night, she left her little room and headed to the other side of Darnassus.

-------

The Black Dog was located in one of the more rowdy of sectors that the refugee Gilneans had taken over. The pub itself was a medium sized building covered in dark shingles. Upon entering the pub Kelebek was met by a wall of voices. Conversation, laughter, and the sound of a little band of fiddles and a drum filled the druid's ears. While the main room that made up the bar and sitting area of The Black Dog wasn't completely packed, it was still overly warm from the bodies present and from the head of the day. The air was filled with smoke that streamed from the pipes of several of the patrons. Carefully trying to avoid bumping into anyone, the druid worked her way over to the bar.

The bar itself was a gleaming piece of wood, the body of which was a carved work of art, the top a slick surface. The man who polished that surface in between serving up an assortment of beverages to various customers was middle aged, red bearded, and rather muscular.

"Oi Arthur! Another brew here." Called out one of the patrons seated at one of the many tables that were spread throughout the room. The man with the ginger beard nodded his head, poured another mug filled with what could only be the customers favorite beer, and handed it off to a largish blonde woman who in turn brought the man his beer.

Making the assumption that the man at the bar was the Arthur that Mandy had mentioned, Kelebek sat herself at the bar and tried her best to catch his attention. Eventually he looked in her direction, they made eye contact, and he walked over.

"Can't say that we get too many of you elves in here. What can I do for you love?"

"Miss Bremsworth sent me your way. She said to have a drink on her."

"Little Miss Mandy you say? You must be the new help she was going on about." Arthur busied himself with pouring a drink for the druid. "Must be one hell of a wizard with the needle. My sister, she's a stickler for detail."

Kelebek had been taking a tentative sip at the beverage placed before her, and nearly choked at the mention of the family tie. "Your sister?"

"Don't seem so surprised. Amanda's me baby sister. All the looks in the family skipped right over me and landed right on her."

Indeed they had. While Mandy had a delicate face, olive skin, and brilliantly green eyes, Arthur had a much rougher look to his face, pale skin, and dull brown eyes. She admitted to herself that she would have never seen the family resemblance.

"Anyways, what brings you to Darnassus? It's not usually locals that Mandy picks up as help."

"A couple of things really. I..." Suddenly a group of rather boisterous males burst into the pub, loud and apparently already quite drunk.

"BARKEEP!" Barked one of the new comers. "A round for me and my mates!"

"Sounds like they've had rounds enough. Pardon me, miss." With that Arthur left Kelebek to sit by herself at the end of the bar, nursing her drink.

Over the top of her glass Kelebek watched Arthur work. One of the more sober men who came in with the new group of customers was at the bar to fetch the drinks. The man was of a shorter and thicker build. He had lank, greasy black hair, a scraggly black beard, a nose that seemed to have been broken a few times, a heavy brow, and tiny blue eyes which were set to close together. Those eyes, even when glazed over from drinking, could pierce through to the soul of a person. He turned to look at the druid, and did just that. Kelebek shuddered and looked away.

Arthur didn't return to Kelebek's part of the bar for a good several hours. Many more people streamed into the pub as the night wore on, keeping both the bartender and his help busy. The blonde who worked with Arthur came by to refill the druid's drink once or twice during the evening, offering up a tired smile as she did so. Kelebek nursed her drinks slowly, taking time to listen in on the conversations around her. Mostly there was talk about the work people did, the on coming seasonal changes, babies that were being born, affairs that were being had, and at one point there was a little snippet of passing conversation that caught the druid's ear.

"I swear, I saw one of those stone drake things flying over the water."

"Oh Herb, you spend too much time out on that dinghy. Too much sun and too little fresh water will make you see anything." The woman giggled at her companions obvious hurt.

"You think me to be a damned fool woman? I saw what I saw."

"And you saw yourself a sea serpent as long as Darnassus is wide a week before. Stone drakes might actually exist, unlike your sea beasty, but they have no business in this part of the world."

The couple had wandered out of earshot from the druid, leaving her curious. So Aeornoss is still nearby. I wonder what he's been up to. Happy to have at least heard rumor of him, she pushed the rest of her curiosity out of her head. Too many questions, not enough answers. Baffled, the little elf shook her head and focused on the bowl of nuts that the blond had set in front of her while she eavesdropped.

The evening wore on and finally the pub began to empty out. Sensing that Arthur was a bit too tired for any sort of questioning and that she probably wouldn't glean any new information about anything from the gossip of the pub's customers, Kelebek began to ready herself to leave. As she wandered over to the old fashioned register, Arthur looked up from his mug polishing and gave her a worn smile. "All right there, 'Bek is it?"

The druid couldn't help but return his smile. "Yeah," Her head was spinning slightly and she had to lean a moment on the bar to keep from tipping over. "I think I've had a bit much though."

Arthur chuckled, "You'll be fine after a bit of sleep. Don't be a stranger now. Anyone that my sister associates with is a friend of mine." Another smile passed between the two as Kelebek paid off the drinks that didn't end up on Mandy Bremsworth's tab. "Safe journey home, love."

Kelebek smiled and turned to leave. As she did so, her eyes wandered over to the table where the man with the greasy hair and his chums sat. Most of the men were slumped over the table or each other and snoring, but those beady blue eyes where awake and locked on Kelebek. He was leaning back in his chair, obviously relaxed with his current state of inebriation. Kelebek barely suppressed a shudder as she left the pub.

The moon was bright and the breeze was light. Feeling a bit unsteady on two legs, from drink and the frayed feeling of her nerves from the evening of mock socializing and because of the fact that she was rather tired after her long day, Kelebek decided to shift into her cat form and walk back to her room that way. She took her time, padding down the now empty walk ways at a slow pace, enjoying both the quiet of the night and the faint salty scents of the nearby ocean.

Eventually she found herself back at her own door. Clumsily she shifted back into her night elf form, opened her door, and stumbled in. Somehow she closed the door again, managed to strip off her day clothes with neglecting to reapply her night ones, and tumbled into bed. Within moments she fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. There she stayed peacefully for most of the evening.

Next Chapter: Dax Grey Sazhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-2818700104169408686.post-53866954120980056182011-09-02T19:00:00.002-06:002011-09-29T03:48:16.269-06:00Darnassus - The Temple of the MoonThe temple had just released its congregation into the cool night air. Beneath the trees and stars night elves could be seen strolling; some were on their way home, others were just mulling about enjoying the evening. Kelebek walked with a purpose against the crowds.

She ducked inside the temple's doors, taking notice of the calming fountain spilling from the central statue. She began to walk up towards the ramp that lead to the upper balconies most frequented by Tyrande and her husband but before she could get to the foot of the ramp, a guard stopped her.

"Please, state your name and business. Tyrande and Malfurion are rather busy, and will only take the most urgent of inquiries."

"I am Kelebek Swiftclaw. I come to Darnassus and the Temple of the Moon on behalf of myself and Taloris Galesong. We have been battling the demons that plague Felwood, and we seek the aid of anyone who would give it."

The guard eyed the druid up and down, then said "Very well, I shall inform them and see if they will accept your audience. Please wait here."

Kelebek began to pace slowly around the grassy area that surround the large statue fountain. Her hands gripped her staff out of anxiety. She drew a deep breath, and then another. As hard as she tried, her nerves would not relax.

The guard returned and she motioned to the druid to follow her up to the balcony. Once Kelebek was abreast of the guard, the guard said to her "I recommend reverence when speaking with these two. Don't worry too much about formalities, but you will not be heard if you do not show respect. As I said before, they have no time for anything frivolous. There has been much on their minds, so try and be quick, to the point."

Kelebek could only nod as a lump raised in her throat.

They arrived to the large balcony where Tyrande Wisperwind and her husband, Malfurion Stormrage were quietly conversing tactics over a map spread upon a table.

"Kelebek Swiftclaw of Felwood to see you." Announced the guard. Tyrande looked up, nodded at the guard, and the guard took her leave.

"We just can't afford the extra forces, Mal." Tyrande said to her husband, then turned to Kelebek "Demons of Felwood, is it?"

"Yes," Kelebek cleared her throat, "my mentor and I have been battling against the demon spawns that have been plaguing the area for some time now. They're reproducing faster than we can dispose of them unfortunately. Things have become so bad that the waters there run green and putrid. Even our very homestead that we have fought so very hard to preserve is being intruded upon. We are out of our league, and request any and all aid that you could give."

"I've known about the troubles in that area for some time, but I haven't heard reports from any of the scouts sent there more recently. The news about the state of Felwood worries me. What do you believe would be required to help take it back?"

"Hunters to kill off the demons, druids to heal the forests, priests to care for them both and to consecrate the soil to prevent future invasions? I'm really not sure Priestess, I'm not a strategist. I am but a novice druid doing what she can to care about lands that mean so much to my mentor."

"Taloris Galesong."

"Yes."

A hint of recognition flashed across Tyrande's face before she regained her mask of indifferent serenity. The mask of a busy leader with too much on her plate. She turned back to the maps while Malfurion watched her, waiting for her decision.

"Battles in Ashenvale, naga in Feralas, now demons over running Felwood..." Tyrande said to herself out loud.

"I should probably also report the vortex that spawned whilst I was traveling through Darkshore, along with some plagued deer."

A look of concern came over the Priestess's face. "Mal, I thought you had long settled the winds in that area? And the plague in Darkshore? Impossible. The plague has never come to Kalimdor before, it was strictly an issue of the Eastern Kingdoms."

"I'm inclined to think it's nothing more than a side effect from the spill over of Felwood. If there was any other sort of foul play at hand, I didn't see it for myself."

Again Tyrande looked over her map. She closed her eyes and shook her head. She looked first at Malfurion, then back to Kelebek. "We can't spare the forces that are in Ashenvale or Feralas, and if the undead apothecaries have come to the shores of Kalimdoor, that must be dealt with before any demons are dispelled. I'd rather deal with an abundance of demons rather than the horrors of the plague I so often heard about from the Eastern Kingdoms. I'm sorry, but right this moment we cannot send aid to your wood."

Tyrande turned her back and Kelebek took this to be her dismissal. Malfurion watched the little druid walk away. Dejected and distressed, she walked down the ramp of the temple, out into the streets, and somehow managed to find the way to her door through the tears that had impaired her vision but refused to actually fall.

-------

"Are you sure we cannot spare the forces, Tyr?"

"Where would we get them from Mal? Every trained huntress, priestess, and warrior is already employed in battle. Our forces are stretched too thin. This isn't a job for a farmer with a fork, nor is it one that our novices can take on."

"What of the druids? I can think of a few that the Dream can spare for now."

"We need them more than ever there if things are as bad as that novice stated. All the work put in to slaying these creatures here on Azeroth won't mean a thing if the druids can't heal it from within as well as out."

"I will enter the Dream myself then, taking care of things from that side and I will deploy several druids for your disposal. We at least need a few Talon scouts to check out the situation in Darkshore, and the least we could do is ensure the safety of Taloris."

"Bless and curse that old man. Always he has sought the lost causes."

"It seems this time he is over his head. It would be wise to help him, my love."

"I know it would be, but where would we get the bodies to take on such a demon force? I don't doubt the talents of your druids Mal, but they can't take on such a task on their own."

"We can always ask for help from our guests, the Gilneans."

"Ha! As if relations with our neighbors weren't tense enough. No Mal, I cannot do that. At least not now."

"Very well. Then it is decided. I will return to the Dream this very night and free up a few of the druids there. I hate to leave you at such a time, Tyrande, but I think I will be of more use there than I am here."

"Yes, my love. Please return to me soon."

Dismissed by his own wife, Malfurion left the Temple of the Moon for Moonglade. Before he left Darnassus though, he had one important stop to make.

-------

It was a few hours before sunrise and Kelebek was still awake. By the light of a guttering candle she sat at a little desk, pouring over the images that danced across the pages of the book she had bought. A soft knock was made on the door of her room, startling her.

She carefully put the book down and tried to rub the sadness from her face. She opened the door and her eyes widened.

"Miss Kelebek."

It took a moment before the little druid finally found her voice. "Malfurion. What...?"

"I've come to assure you of two things. First, I will be returning to the Dream so that I may free up a few of the Druids of the Talon to scout the area and perhaps aid Taloris in his battles, not to mention battle the sickness of that land from within. Second, in the event that they are out numbered, the Talons will have strict orders to ensure the safety of Taloris. I cannot promise salvation to Felwood, but I can promise that we will try with what little aid we have to offer."

"I...I cannot thank you enough." The druid was trembling with both fatigue and grateful relief.

"Do not thank me yet, little one. There is much work to be done. Now rest your mind, and I suggest staying in Darnassus for a bit. I don't doubt your fighting skills as a student of Taloris, but one soul to look after in an area plagued with demons is enough. There is no time for novice mistakes."

Dejected for the second time in several hours, Kelebek bowed her head and replying "I understand. I have other business to attend to while I'm in this city, but I shall do what I can to stay out of the way." For now, she thought to herself.

"Very well then. I must be on my way now if we are to accomplish anything. Stay fierce, little one." Malfurion laid his hand upon Kelebek's brow as he gave his blessing, and then took his leave.

Kelebek closed the door and stood in disbelief as her candle sputtered its dying light.

Next Chapter: Darnassus - The Black Dog Sazhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-2818700104169408686.post-51034607547055490072011-08-25T23:10:00.004-06:002011-09-29T03:47:05.158-06:00Darnassus - Leather BoundThe day started out with a soft, crisp breeze. Darnassus was lit by brilliant shafts of the suns rays, the skies peaking between the yellow and orange laden branches was an amazing shade of the brightest blue you could imagine. Yet another beautiful harvest season morning in the city of leaves.

Despite the happy atmosphere, Kelebek felt her skin crawl.

The markets crawled with merchants bringing in their goods from their fields. The cities din contains that of ware cries, haggling, and livestock. Bodies pressed in from all sides, trying to score the best of the seasons product for a sweet deal.

While the druid was by no means unaccustomed to the idea that one must purchase and collect goods for the snows ahead, she found the near gluttonous nature of the market to be most unbearable. The noise, the excess of purchase, the waste. Not for the first time since she had walked through the city's portal Kelebek found herself standing in place with her eyes closed, wishing to be no where else other than in some woodland area or running across some dune.

With herself feeling a bit more centered, Kelebek ventured on. While most of the market's activities made her feel uneasy, much of it also drew her curiosity. She had sold off many of her meager wares earlier in the day so she had a bit of coin in her pocket. Her intent wasn't to purchase anything, but what girl could resist looking at pretty trinkets when the situation presented itself? Stall after stall was filled with one or two business folk yelling out their goods. There were fine silks, weaponry, every type of food and beverage one could wish for, trinkets, baubles, souvenirs depicting the bank of Darnassus. One stall contained a collection of shiny rocks, another had archaeological finds, yet another boasted old relics for sale. There was a section of the market dedicated to children; balloons, dolls, little silk ribbons, toy train sets.

Under a large tent a portly worgen mage sat tending to his books. At these Kelebek took a moment to browse. Rarely had she seen so many books in one place. Some where bound in leather, others were nothing but paper held together with reeds. Research books on the Old Gods sat next to novels which resided next to old transcripts translating the common language to that guttural speak of the Horde. The scents and stories of all that paper tugged at her heart as she browsed through the topics. She ran a finger across the many sizes and textures of the bindings, looking for something that would catch her eyes. The search didn't take long.

Stuck between an old, thick leather book and what looked like a manuel to some sort of gnomish contraption was a thin little gem. Its cover was made of a light tan hide, the inside pages contained vivid images of a little blood elf girl, the story seemed to be both sweet and sad from what Kelebek could make out from her quick skim. She felt a tug and felt the need to give in.

"How much?" The druid asked, holding up the thin volume so that the man could see it.

He cleared his throat before responding; hrrmphhrumph. "Well," the mage took his tiny specs off his face and began to rub them clean with one of the many folds of his billowing robes "what you have there is nothing but a bed time story tale. It's not worth much if you ever expect to resell, but definitely a story that your daughters will beg to have repeated for years to come." He smashed his glasses back in front of his beady eyes as he held out his hand for the book. "Yes, yes. The Well. Tells a story about a little blood elf who loses everything, wishes into a well, happy endings and all that. A gold piece and thirty silver. Would you care for a bag?"

"No, thank you though. I'll just slip it into my satchel if you don't mind."

Kelebek was thrilled to have paid so little for something she was so drawn to, so after paying and thanking the man she returned to the crowded isles of the market with a faint grin on her face.

She wandered for a bit longer until she headed to the stall that she had been saving for last. On the farthest end of the market area stood the booth that sold crafted leather working goods. She could smell the rich oils and the scent of tanning before she even saw the products. Good natured laughs were being had as a Gilnean lady showed off the items to the interested. Kelebek walked up to the items hanging on the walls of the make shift booth, immediately in awe at their quality and craftsmanship. She reached out at a chest piece, running her fingers delicately over the smooth leather, relishing in texture.

"See something that you like there, love?" The woman running the stall had deep green eyes, shoulder length russet hair, and a sassy smile that was both friendly and filled with pride.

"I'm enjoying your products here. Did you craft them yourself?"

"Aye. My husband does the skinning though, but he leaves the cuts, stitching, and oiling all to me."

"You make quite a team. I haven't seen work as fine as this save my own in some time. I don't see a nick or stress mark anywhere."

"Fancy yourself a crafter, do ya? Well then, let's have a look."

Feeling a bit foolish at having said anything about her own craftsmanship, she began to show off her own work. Thankful that she had mended the damage on her gear the previous night and cleaned and oiled everything that very morning. She pointed out her stitch work and went over cutting techniques. Apparently her handy work impressed the woman.

"I think you have quite an eye on you lass. Jimmy love, come over here and take a look at this work, will ya?" The lady's husband, a hulking fellow with dark hair and deep sea blue eyes lumbered over after setting down a fresh pile of cleaned skins.

With a critical eye the man called Jimmy began to look over how the armor had been cut from the beast. Long minutes passed; Jimmy barely moved as his eyes scanned over Kelebek's armor, looking for any flaw in the cut. Finally he stood back and said in a gruff voice, "Aye, 'tis good work. Not a dent nor misplaced cut." With his eye brows were raised, his eyes bright, he gave a little hint of a smile before turning his back on the druid and returning back to his skins.

"Well then, ya wouldn't be happening to look for a job now, would ya? Me and Jimmy, we get a bit busy this time of year. The snow will be getting on soon enough and folks aren't looking for gears with holes in them. Mending by the fires all find and dandy, but most like their gear a bit sturdier this time of year. What say ya love?" The green eyes danced in excitement.

-------

Just like that Kelebek found herself to be employed by one Mandy Bremsworth. She wandered back to her room through the strengthening heat of the day in bewilderment. A day of days it was turning out to be.

Later that evening she had plans to head down to the Temple of the Moon. Word was that after the evening services Tyrande and Malfurion sometimes mingled with the congregation, taking in the gossip and concerns of those in Darnassus and its outlaying areas. Kelebek had hopes of catching the High Priestess and her husband that very evening to ask them for what aid they could lend.

First things first though, the druid needed rest after her outing. Despite the many good fortunes of the market her wanderings had left her stressed out and drained of energy.

Kelebek made sure that her dress - a cheap yet elegant sky blue number that she had found in the market earlier that day - was laying out in such a way that it would remain without creases for the evening. After fussing with the folds a bit, taking a moment to run her hands over the delicate embroidery of the dress's neckline, she took the little book that she bought earlier out of her pack and settled onto the bed. Between the vibrant images displayed on the pages was one of the saddest tales she had ever read.

There was a little girl. She lived in a little village with her little family. She had a little dog and had many little dreams in her head.

One day a not so little demon was set loose on the town. The demon set fire to the roof of every building and lit every field ablaze.

The girl just so happened to be a little mage. Her dad went out to fight the demon while her mom ran her to safety. "Port yourself to Silvermoon City, find your Aunt Lena. Daddy and I will be there as soon as we can." The little girl did as her mother told her, and ported herself to the house of her mother's sister.

News of the demon and the havoc it created for the little town reached Silvermoon; the girl's parents did not.

Months passed, the little girl grew. Her Aunt Lena moved them both out to the country side where they had a little farm of their own.

The girl got a new little dog to go with her new little life. The pair explored every bit of the farmstead that was possible within the daylight. One day the little girl and her dog came across an old well. "I heard that a magic carp lives in the bottom of an old well somewhere. If someone asks nicely and gives the carp some food, he grants a wish. Let's find it some food!"

They searched high and low for what a carp might like to eat. The sun was setting so soon the pair had to give up. The little girl asked Aunt Lena what carps like to eat. "Bread bits and worms, my darling." So the next day the girl took a bit of bread and set out to find a few worms. The girl and her dog set out to dig in the fields. Soon her little cup was filled with dirt and crawling creatures.

To the well they went with their offerings. Carefully she picked out the worms from her can and tossed them in, then crumbled up the bread and sprinkled that in as well.

Offering made, the little girl stuck out her lower lip as she thought of a wish. She looked at her puppy and then looked back to the well. "I wish for my family and my other dog to come back to me."

She waited for a moment, but nothing happened. No magic carp appeared, her family wasn't by her side. Saddened that her well wasn't the one with the magic carp, she called to her little dog for them to head home.

As the pair walked away, a little golden head appeared in the well...

-------

Screams. Panic.

Demons.

"RUN KELEBEK!" Yelled a young woman. "Take Kiya and run!"

She whirled around, her hand tight on the hand of the young girl next to her. They began to run, and then everything went painfully black.

-------

Kelebek awoke with a start. Her skin was cold and slick with perspiration. Her breath rattled as she inhaled, her hand shook as she tried to wipe the damp hair from her eyes.

"Kiya..."

The name felt so familiar. She was sure that it was the name of the girl in her dream, but she wasn't sure who exactly the little girl was or what she meant to Kelebek.

The druid shook her head, perplexed. Noticing the time of day she decided that it was time to ready herself for the hopeful meeting with the leaders of the night elves. She washed her face in the basin of water provided for her, brushed out her long white hair with a bone comb that had a broken tooth. She slipped on the delicate dress, taking care to mind the buttons. Kelebek then carefully painted her tattoos to make them a bit more prominent, put the one silver bracelet that she owned onto her wrist, and slipped on her delicate white sandals.

Never had she looked more unlike herself in her life.

She picked up her little walking staff from beside the door, took a deep breath to calm herself, and walked outside.

Next Chapter: Darnassus - The Temple of the Moon Sazhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-2818700104169408686.post-48808585416539866852011-08-20T14:08:00.004-06:002011-09-29T03:49:48.440-06:00Darnassus - The ArrivalThe sun was already beginning to dip into the sea by the time the druid and her stone drake made it across the watery expanse that separated the Night Elf inhabited island from the rest of the continent of Kalimdor.

Kelebek had been drowsing on Aeornoss' back as they crossed the straight. Now that he was set once more on the ground she found herself to be quite awake.

"For leaves and grasses, wisps and lights, it's beautiful." said the stone drake.

"Yes, I've forgotten how lovely it is."

It was late in the year and already the worst of the summer's heat had past. There was a bit of a nip in the air some mornings and the trees of Darnassus were beginning to reflect the change of the seasons. The once bright hues of violet, pink, and green were slowly fading to reds, oranges, and browns. A gentle sea breeze was rustling the drying leaves, giving the city of trees and ferns a calming soundtrack.

"I must leave you for a bit, little ghost." Aeornoss didn't look at the druid as he said this, but instead kept his eyes on the beauty of the city before him.

Kelebek gave the stone drake a searching look, wondering why he would choose now to leave her side when just days before he had been so keen on observation. In that short amount of time she had also grown used to his calm, stoney presence.

"If you must." The drake made his gravely reply, a sort of grunt that acknowledged his intent and her recognition of it. A few silent moments passed as they pair watched the leaves dance across the grass-covered beach until finally the drake nodded his head.

Without looking at the druid Aeornoss said "I think I'll take my leave now. I hope to see you again soon, little Kelebek, and I wish you luck with your quests." With that said he turned east, away from the bustling harbor of Rut'theran Village which was just a few hundred paces to the west of them, and lumbered away. Once he had wandered a good distance, he turned to look back at the druid. She was once again looking at the trees of the city, seeming to be stuck in a dreamy daze. Reassuring himself that she would be fine - she was a druid of the wilds after all - he exerted a great heft with his wings and once more took to the sky.

-------

She thought she had heard her. The little voice that contained a contagious sort of giggle. A blur in her mind; a girl-child running between the bushes, laughing as the two young girls played hide-and-seek together.

Kelebek snapped out of the vision and blinked with confusion in the dazzling evening light. She was still standing where Aeornoss had left her some time ago, and she was finding that she could barely recollect his farewell.

She shook her head in frustration. What was that? She asked herself. A vision, a memory, a premonition? Who is this child? Perplexed, she shook her head once again to clear the fuzziness that resided there.

With a heavy sigh she turned to look at the harbor. Evening was now setting in with earnest. The last ships of the day to head out to both the mainland and Stormwind were calling out their final calls for boarding, the fishermen of the area were tying up their little boats to various docks and hauling in their daily catches. The little village was beginning to calm down for the night as one by one people either settled into their homes or headed into the city beyond the portal.

Kelebek felt the need to get moving. With movements that were not so fluid, for she was rather unaccustomed to riding a stone drake, she began to walk to the bright portal that led into Darnassus itself.

-------

The city at night was alight with lanterns and wisps. Night Elves and Gilneans alike here wandering about on errands of various sorts; there were folks at the central bank gathering coin for their nightly activities, the devote were dressed in brilliant robes and made their way to the temple, gatherers were bearing their goods to both the trader's and craftsmen wings of the city. Warriors, spiritualists, and common folk all mingled together in a stunning array of hues. There were elves who were pale as a deep sea pearl with their white hair shining, some had hair that contained brilliant hues of pinks, greens, or blues. Some bore tattoos and markings that reflected their calling in life, some sported scars of wars long ago fought, some where but fresh faced novices waiting for their turn at worldly turmoil. The Gilnean refugees were just as varied as their Elven hosts. There were gingers who had the skin tone not unlike alabaster, folks whose skin was the color of a cocoa bean and had jet black hair, and every version of blonde, brunette, and skin tone in between. There were the stocky, the willowy, the tall and the short. Besides the obvious physical difference between the two races, there was one large difference between the unlikely neighbors: the Night Elves tended to be quiet and kept a bit more to themselves, the Gilneans on the other hand were a rowdy, boisterous bunch.

To Kelebek the din caused by the city's inhabitants - both intentional and natural - was nearly unbearable. The motion, the press of the crowds as she passed through the center of the city, the smell of other warm bodies that were not her own caused a ball of panic to settle into the young druid's stomach. She fought hard against the feral urge to shift into her cat form and run. Over and over again she reminded herself that she had a job to do, something that was bigger than herself or her worries. Her resilience held out and she eventually managed to work her way through the worst of the evening crowds.

Lodging. She had to find lodging. Kelebek knew that her stay in Darnassus could last but a night or could go on for many moon cycles. While she had hoped that her time in the city of leaves and moonbeams would be short, Kelebek was realistic. To get the answers and help she sought she would potentially have to stay until after the wintery frosts left northern Kalimdor. The idea made her shudder.

The little druid wandered around the city for a while, despite her anxiety of being around so many people. She wanted to get a feel for where folks mingled, where there may be some peace for her mind when the noise became too much for her mind, and what extended housing may cost her rather small pocket of gold. She soon discovered that many of the Gilnean bunch tended to reside around the Cenarion Enclave, in the northern region of the city. That area of the city had pubs, gambling houses, and curious little shops. Turned off by the loud and forward voices of the Gilneans, not to mention their wolfish smell, she began to wander a bit more south, through the Craftsmen's Terrace. While the area tugged at her heart, there were far too many of the Worgen types mulling about, not to mention the sound of hammers upon anvils would never do her nerves any good.

Through the Warrior's Terrace she wandered, watching the people there practice various forms of combat. Many of the fighting styles were foreign to her: sword play, archery, dagger combat. Kelebek made a mental note to return at a later time and observe the combat styles most foreign to her. In a world where conflict was almost always present you could never be too prepared after all. Finally tugging herself away from the gleam and clash of weaponry, she walked through the Trader's Terrace. Here and there soft verbal exchanges of bartering could be heard, with the occasional raised voice from a Gilnean thinking that he or she was being had by a vendor. Just on the other side of the Trader's Terrace was the Temple of the Moon, a gorgeously imposing building that was the focal point for one of Kelebek's many purposes in the city. Feeling safe in the area and thinking that it was wise to lodge near the temple, she set out to find an inn.

It didn't take her very long to find what she was seeking. Tucked away behind the Trader's Terrace stood a little two story inn. It was quiet and mostly vacant. The woman at the desk appeared to be a kindly soul, one of the older Night Elves, her violet hair tied back into a braid. Her face was beginning to show the signs that the elves no longer had their immortality: her tattoos that may have once been brilliant birds now looked blotchy and faded, crows feet appeared around her eyes and smile lines danced around her mouth as she greeted the druid warmly. Happy to have a guest, the woman showed Kelebek to a little room on the first floor. The druid would have her own door to the outside, a warm bed covered in silk, and meals brought to her if she chose. The room also contained a sort of stove for those overly chilly nights that were all too soon fast approaching the little island. Satisfied with the room, Kelebek thanked the landlady and put down her bags gratefully. It was no cozy hut or den in the woods, but it would serve its purpose well.

-------

"You got her here safe and sound, aye?"

The drake gave a growl of hesitance, then replied "Yes, we got here with little to no issue."

"Good." The woman brushed a stray auburn lock of hair away from her face. "Then we will see what this druid is made of. You may go for now but don't wander far, Aeornoss."

The stone drake shifted uneasily for a moment and then took his leave.

Next Chapter: Darnassus - Leather Bound Sazhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-2818700104169408686.post-15872679026277184402011-08-07T10:38:00.001-06:002011-09-03T21:51:07.264-06:00Darkshore - The VortexAs the odd pair flew on, their wonderfully clear day suddenly became overcast once more. Large, billowing black clouds rolled in from over the seas, bringing with them a hot, salty wind that stirred up the humid air. Deep drums of thunder rolled off their cadence in the distance while lightning began to play on the horizon.

"I think we should land Aeornoss. That storm is coming in fast and I'd feel much better weathering it from the ground."

The stone drake gave a little rumble in acknowledgment. "I forget that you flesh types are sensitive to the elements. Down we go then."

Just as Aeornoss began his slow decent, the air pressure abruptly changed. Kelebek cried out as her ears popped painfully and the drake grunted in strain as the duo was hit by a strong, horizontal gale. The druid gritted her teeth as she clung to her seat. Knuckles burning, eyes tearing from the wind and debris in the air, Kelebek tried to make sense of what was happening. She tried to pry open one of her eyes to see what was happening. What she saw was alarming.

A vortex had spawned before them. A massive vertical tunnel of air - thick with dirt, trees, and what appeared to be animals - spun wildly before them. Violently it danced, two-stepping its way in a quick fashion over to where the druid and the drake struggled to hold their place in the sky.

Aeornoss suddenly gave out a great roar that sounded like it was let forth not just out of frustration, but of pain, as a great burst of air struck them in the chests.

The last thing Kelebek could recall was seeing the ground coming at her like an over zealous, long lost lover.

-------

She woke up to a cool cloth being wiped across her brow. A quiet female voice was speaking in a foreign tongue very nearby. A deeper, yet still very female voice that sounded as if it was a bit further away answered in the same tongue.

Carefully, slowly, Kelebek opened her eyes. A painful glare met them, so she immediately closed them once more. A few moments passed and she tried again. This time she was able to squint against some of the bright, sparkling light's harshness. A bubble had been placed around her, and tending to the cool cloth that was placed on her head was a white Draenic woman. Her lips were painted black and her long, straight white hair was pulled back into a tail. The priest saw that the druid's eyes had opened a hair and as Kelebek began to stir, quickly said something in a thick tongue to her companion.

"No move." The priest said, laying a gentle hand on Kelebek's chest as she struggled to get into a sitting position. Her accent was heavy, her common barely recognizable. Unable to fight against her caretaker, the druid once again laid down as the world spun in a violent ballet around her.

"You and your drake friend are rather fortunate," said the lower of the two female voices "you both seemed to have only sustained minor injuries."

Kelebek turned her head towards the direction of this second voice. A dark skinned, dark haired Draenei shaman was source of the sound. Her common was easily understood despite her still rather thick accent. Her lips were pursed with worry as she walked over to the druid. Kelebek drew her attention away from the approaching figure to what lay behind her, rather motionlessly. "Aeornoss..."

"The stone drake will be fine. He is exhausted, but he is one of the earth. Nothing vital has been broken. Time as always will heal those bits that have shattered." The shaman kneeled by the druid's side, next to the priest. Ebony and ivory, thought Kelebek, how lovely. She reached out a cool hand to Kelebek's cheek, then cupped her chin in her dark hand. Gently she moved Kelebek's head side to side, watching how well the druid's eyes responded to the movement of light. "Any pain besides in your skull? You have a knot starting, but I shouldn't think that it is life threatening."

"My...my back aches a bit." Gasped the druid weakly.

The shaman nodded and said something in a rapid fashion to her companion. The priest opened up an herbal bag, handing the contents to the shaman. The shaman in turn opened up her own satchel, producing a mixing bowel, a few vials, and a few bandages. She set to work making two different cures. One was an elixir, which she gave to the priest to help Kelebek drink down. A bit foul tasting, the concoction quickly absolved a good portion of the ache in her head. While she was finishing the last of the elixir, the shaman put the finishing touches on a salve.

"Do you feel well enough to sit up yet?" Inquired the shaman.

"I think so."

Another quick word from the shaman to the priest, the priest helped to gently roll Kelebek into a sitting position. As the priest helped to remove Kelebek's leather tunic, the shaman spread the salve thickly onto a cloth. She then pushed the cloth to the druid's now bare back and the two Draenei carefully wrapped the whole thing into place. They then carefully slid her tunic back into its original arrangement, then laid the druid back into a more or less comfortable position.

"That salve is rather potent and it should take but a moment to start working its magic." The shaman put a steady gaze on the druid's face. "You'll have to forgive Kalli for the bright awakening. It's her first venture out into the wider world in quite some time, and she's much more adept at messing with minds and picking herbs than she is at healing. I hope her shield didn't pain your eyes too much."

"The thought," Kelebek winced as she felt a twinge of pain in her back "is definitely appreciated."

Apparently approving of this response, the shaman went on. "I myself am not terribly practiced in the ways of healing and potions, but elixirs and bandages seem to get me by. My name is Saz." The shaman made a gesture to herself. "You were fortunate that my companion and I were out and about looking for a few rare herbs. By the light, that storm came out of no where. I haven't felt the elements to be in a state like that since the time of the Destroyer." She made a gesture of warding away violent memories. "It doesn't matter now, I'll seek those answers later. For the time being we are all safe and more or less in one piece."

"Aeornoss...?"

"He is well enough, as I said. It is much easier for me to heal that of which is earth than that of which is flesh." She smiled at the druid. "Worry not, I suspect he shall awaken soon enough."

At these words they heard a faint, gravelly shuffle. Kelebek turned to look at her companion and watched as he got up from his resting place. Aeornoss gave a great shake of his head, worked his jaw a few times, and looked over to where the trio of women sat. He slowly padded over, stopping so that his nose was just a short distance from Kelebek's face. "Are you well, little ghost?"

"Well enough, thanks to these two." She reached out, touching the drake's stoney muzzle in reassurance. In response the drake made one of his stone sounds of approval.

The drake then turned his head to face the Draenei women. "My thanks to the both of you for helping little Kelebek and myself. We would be in a sore state without your hand. We are in your debt."

"We have no use of your debt, however you are more than welcome. We may be fighters, but we're not ones to leave the wounded lay about. In a world torn kindness and helping go a long way."

Another growling sound of approval.

With that the shaman said another quick word to the priest, who at once set off into the nearby bushes on the search for something, while Saz set about making a fire to ward off the oncoming nightfall.

-------

By firelight they chatted about wild herbs, foods, and the demons of the world. They feasted upon the meat rations that Kelebek had obtained earlier in the day, much enhanced in flavor thanks to some of the spices that Kalli had in her bags, and on the berries found in the nearby bushes. After dinner Saz was tutting over some of the damage her armor had taken when the Draenei women were also battered by the storm. Kalli had managed to somewhat patch up her own robes (she certainly was no tailor), but Saz had no skill of her own when it came to mending chain mail and the leather pieces that held it all together. Happy to have something to do with her hands, Kelebek went about repairing the shaman's gear as they chatted the now dark evening away.

"What brings you to Darkshore?" inquired Kelebek of the two Draenei.

"We were out looking for snow herbs in Wintersrping. Once we finished there we figured that we would gather a few desert herbs as well while on this continent. We wanted to avoid most of the horde territories and felt the need to observe the demon situation in Felwood for ourselves. So we headed west first, with the plan that we would head south once we hit the forests Darkshore. We hope to be in Uldum by the next moon shift, and Tanaris soon after."

Kelebek listened intently as she kept her eyes on the work before her. She stitched and mended the damaged leather with ease, but some of the chain mail was being problematic. "What did you think about the demon situation, as you called it, over in Felwood?"

"I haven't seen corruption that bad since I fought Yogg-Saron in the pits of Ulduar or since entering the maw of Iso'rath oh so many years ago."

"Do you think it's curable?"

"Have a mind to heal those wilds, druid?"

"I have a mind to find someone who can, if it is possible. Like you, I'm not very talented at the healing arts, but I've called those woods home for some time. I'd like to protect what good is left there."

The shaman studied the druid's face as she said those words. She seems to have more trouble on her mind than a couple of trees, she thought to herself. She watched as Kelebek worked with nimble fingers over the broken patches in her chain mail gloves, so intent on detail that she worked the stitches with the sort of love that made you think that the gloves were her own.

"It may be possible, but it will be messy. What is your plan?"

"I plan to fly to Darnassus, with the help of Aeornoss, and seek out the priests and druids at the Temple of the Moon. I hope to rally a few rangers to kill off the demons, find a few good druids to work with the earth, maybe a few good priests to come along to care for those who in turn care for the wilds."

"Your hope all lies within what The Priestess has to say then?"

"Yes. And by Elune, without her help, I think all is lost for Felwood."

"You have many long days ahead of you then."

"I believe I do."

"Then it is time that we should get some rest." The shaman's eyes fell upon the already sleeping priest, her head padded by her pack and covered snugly by her cloak. Somewhere behind her, just out of the brightest of the fire's light lay the stone drake, quietly making his gravely snoring noises.

Handing the last of the now mended gear back to Saz, Kelebek nodded in agreement. The shaman looked over her well used gloves and her eyes lit up. "You have some talent, little druid. A real gift." Kelebek smiled at this as the shaman turned away to settle down for the night.

Soon the calm evening was filled with the quiet breathing of her new-found companions. The stars were out and she felt restless. She ached to be on the move, but couldn't bring herself to move from the campsite. Such as it is, when finding friends, she thought. Loyalty always holding you in place when you'd rather just run. She brooded into the dying firelight until she finally succumbed to a trance-like slumber.

-------

Departure in the morning came after a light breakfast of what was left of the berries. The Draenei both gave Aeornoss a few reassuring strokes, and began to speak their goodbyes. Saz had called her brilliantly blue dragonhawk back from his hunting, while Kalli's white gryphon laid himself down near the edge of the wood line. He was playing with a dead squirrel that he had caught but minutes before, boredly awaiting his master's beckon.

"I hope that we cross paths again, Kelebek." Saz said seriously. The next statement was said with a smile. "I thank you again for your brilliant handy work on my gear."

"It was the least I could do after you helped my friend. I'm not sure what I would have done with him."

"He would have mended on his own, just much slower."

Kelebek took the priest's hands in her own. "Thanks again Kalli, for your herbs and tending."

Understanding the tone and look on Kelebek's face, Kalli smiled and squeezed her hands in acknowledgment.

With their goodbyes said, Saz and Kalli climbed into the saddles that sat upon their faithful mounts. With a wave the two were off, disappearing into the skies of the south.

The druid turned to the stone drake, "Are you ready to head out as well?"

"Ready when you are, little ghost."

She took a final look around the campsite, making sure nothing was left behind. She had been thorough, as always. "Let's go then." She climbed onto Aeornoss's back and once again they took to the skies.

By midday they saw the sun shining on the leaves of Teldrassil.

Next Chapter: Darnassus - The Arrival Sazhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-2818700104169408686.post-52846394444448545892011-07-18T07:19:00.004-06:002011-09-03T21:55:57.909-06:00Darkshore - The HuntAeornoss flew for many hours before finally landing awkwardly near a stream. The sun had finally set in Darkshore and it was drizzling ever so slightly. He laid the druid down a bit away from the calm little stream, taking care not to lay her down in a position that may cause her discomfort. He then laid his large stone self down next to her, sheltering her small body under his great wing.

-------

Kelebek awoke to the smell of fresh earth and the stench of her own body. Confused, she tried to create some sense of what surroundings she could make out. A stone canopy, a bit of light streaming in from above her aching head. The stone drake. Groaning, Kelebek rolled over onto her stomach and proceeded to crawl out from under the drake's wing. Once out from under its protective canopy, she stood up on wobbly legs.

She stretched and inhaled the fresh, rain-cleansed air. That act alone did much to revive her weakened spirits. Tenderly she walked over to the stream's edge, carefully kneeling down by its side. Kelebek removed her pack, her gloves, and her outer tunic and began to wash the filth from her face and forearms. Once she felt sufficiently clean in those areas, she took a deep, grateful drink from the stream.

Thirst quenched and feeling a bit refreshed, Kelebek took to the task of checking the contents in her pack. Satisfied to find that her city clothes - which consisted of a tattered blue dress, a linen shirt, a fresh pair of soft leather leggings, and soft leather boots - were relatively slime free. Unfortunately her rations of Winterspring berries and stag jerky, which were stored in an outer pocket of her satchel, were not so lucky. The jerky had gone slimy with moisture and the berries were beginning to mold; Kelebek would have to forage for fresh food soon. Saddened by the waste of what had been perfectly good food, she tossed the rations out. As she was doing so she thanked the spirits that be for the food once again and apologized for their waste.

Once the contents of her pouch were repacked she took a moment to look around. Morning in Darkshore was gloomy, but much less so than in Felwood. The sky was grey and damp looking, the grass covered in a fine dew. Tendrils of fog danced about in the open grassy areas near the stream. It was rather peaceful, in a depressing sort of way.

Kelebek shook the dreamy thoughts from her head and looked back at the drake. Aeornoss, that was his name, she thought to herself. Satisfied to see that he appeared to still be sleeping, Kelebek wandered up stream a ways, looking for both berry bushes and a spot deep enough in the stream to properly bathe in. She didn't have to travel far to find both things that she was seeking.

Aeonoss had landed them in a decent sized clearing in one of the many wooded areas of Darkshore. All Kelebek had to do was to walk towards the edge of this clearing to find several bushes that were no more than knee high on her. These bushes contained large, plump, and juicy blue berries, perfect for picking. Thanking both Elune and nature itself Kelebek plucked the berries and began to eat them one by one. They were absolutely perfect; she relished in both their flavor and texture. After several minutes of residing in berry heaven, Kelebek stopped herself. One's stomach could not be filled on berries alone after all, and it would be unwise to try doing so.

Feeling her strength returned and covered in much berry juice, Kelebek decided it was time to bathe. The water had pooled a bit near the berry bushes, so she needn't go far to do what she needed to do. Tentatively she looked back at the drake who appeared to still be resting. While not the shyest of people, Kelebek still felt a bit uneasy undressing in front of intelligent eyes, regardless of species. Reassured of his current state, she moved over to the water's edge and removed what clothing she still had on after the earlier clean up. Chilled by the early morning air, she walked into the crisp water of the little stream, walking until she was able to submerge herself into the blissfully clean waters.

-------

Aeornoss awoke to the sound of water rippling. He looked over to where the little druid was bathing in the stream, observing her with his keen eyes as she scrubbed the green filth from her pale and shining hair. Finished with her cleaning, she strode out of the water. Her pale skin shone brilliantly in the murky morning light, contrasted by both the deep violet of the tattoos on her face and the purple splotches of bruising that was beginning to show along her fragile ribcage. She wasn't bad looking, for a fleshling. She had a more delicate build than that of a typical night elf female. Shorter in stature, leaner in muscle, not quite as heavy in the chest. Aeornoss didn't have much experience in observing night elves though, his experience was more with dwarves and the occasional orc if any species of humanoid at all, so what did he know. Still, she seemed healthy looking enough for someone he had plucked out of a zone containing little other than sewage, so he was content.

-------

She felt cleaner than she had in days. Returning to the shore of the little stream, Kelebek used a small towel to dry off her pale skin and opted to redress herself with the clothes she had in her pack. The clean linen shirt and soft leather pants felt heavenly on her freshly cleaned body after having been contained in the slime-filled sweaty leather of her battle garb. She relished in the feeling for a moment before setting to the task of scrubbing her battle gear clean.

Once finished Kelebek with cleaning her battle gear she took the heavy, water laden clothing back to where Aeornoss lay watching. She laid out her leathers onto the large boulders nearby to dry, and dug into her pack for her oils.

Kelebek looked up at the drake and in seeing that he was awake, smiled. "Good morning Aeornoss." He looked at her and gave a slow nod, returning the greeting.

He observed her as she fussed over her gear as it dried. She continuously moved various bits and pieces onto dry parts of the boulder, ensuring that the soft insides dried properly. At the same time she oiled the outside of the various pieces of gear to make sure that the leather didn't crack as it dried. After several hours of this she was finally satisfied with how much oil the leather had absorbed and how it was coming along in the drying process. She told the drake that she needed meat for the remainder of the journey and that she would return shortly.

"I've picked enough berries for several days' travel but I require some meat to help sustain me. Even though the trip will be much shorter if you choose to travel with me, I can't expect to be in Darnassus within the next few days if I must travel on foot. Hunting now will also save on supply expenses while in the city. I will return soon."

"I understand." responded Aeornoss.

With that Kelebek shifted into her cat form and sprinted off into the woods in high hopes of finding a stag or doe.

-------

With ease she maneuvered through the undergrowth of the forest. She stopped here to smell the soil for those faint traces that animals tend to leave behind, she searched there in the drying soil for fresh foot prints, gliding easily over a bush in her path as a deer had apparently done not too long before her. She padded down the deer trail silently, listening as she went for any sound that may betray an animal of their whereabouts. She didn't have to wait long.

There, in the clearing ahead stood three deer: a healthy looking buck, an older looking heavy set doe, and disturbingly, a half rotten looking fawn. Plagued. Kelebek thought to herself. I suppose it's expected, but I thought the mountains contained most of that. She weighed her options before her: Go after the buck and hope that he isn't plagued as well, or become ill from a diet only consisting of berries. Chances are that if that fawn was plagued, so too were animals in other areas of Darkshore. The plague generally took its victims quickly, so if one were to succumb to such an illness, it would show its effects within a few hours. The buck seemed healthy enough. He certainly wasn't lethargic, no erratic behavior, not a sniffle nor sneeze, and best of all, his fur didn't look to be falling out. Kelebek observed him for quite a while to be sure, moving herself into a promising ambush position while doing so. Unfortunately her white coat wasn't best suited for such a dark, earthy toned area, but she knew how to work the shadows to her advantage. She waited in stealth for the opportune moment to strike her prey.

Precious minutes crawled by as Kelebek lay in waiting. She was so focused on her prey that she didn't even notice her sore and protesting muscles as they remained taut; she was a coiled spring, a trap waiting to be sprung. The stag took a few more steps in her direction, grazing as he went. Time seemed to stop all together. Come on, just a bit closer. A bee lazily buzzed into the druid's ear, making its irritating buzzing hum, and yet she dare not twitch it away. It didn't really matter, she could barely hear it now. All she could listen to was the chewing of the stag and her own heart beat. Ba-boom ba-boom. He took a few more steps closer to the bush that gave the predator her cover. Baboombaboombaboom. The large beast took a few more grazing steps towards the bush and Kelebek seized her moment. She leapt from hiding spot, completely taking the stag by surprise. Mouth wide, claws extended, the druid exploded from her little bush, letting rip a savage roar as her attack met its target. The stag made an attempt to run as the cat attacked, but it was a moment to late. Kelebek's built in weapons had met their mark. Hunt successful.

-------

The little druid was exhausted, but thankfully with a kill such as that comes adrenaline. She used this little burst of energy to help her drag the creature back to where Aeornoss was waiting for her. Once she made it back to the camp she shifted back into her night elf form and set about making a fire in which to prepare the meat over. The stone drake watched idly as Kelebek took measures to carefully skin the creature and then he continued to watch on as she prepared the venison for both immediate consumption and ensuring that it wouldn't go bad during their journey. She removed various salts from her pack, using one grain for her food while a thicker grain was applied to the now clean skin of the stag.

"What are you doing with that beasts shell, little ghost?" Inquired the stone drake.

"Preserving the leather so that I may use it later to either make new garments or to sell it in order to buy other needed supplies."

"I see." This notion confused Aeornoss a bit. Then again, this particular stone drake was rather uninformed about fleshlings after all. He just nodded his head and continued to observe.

Kelebek removed a few other bits and pieces from the stag as the meat cooked, carefully cleaning and adding salt to this and that. When it seemed that she could no longer find any use for what was left, she took the remains and brought them to the woods. Carefully she lay them beneath a tree and knelt before the remains.

"Thanks to the great stag who gave himself today so that I may find the strength to journey on. Praise Elune for allowing me to take the life of one of your own so that I may go on. I shall do my best to see that his death was not in vain."

With thanks and respect given the little druid returned to the stone drake. She rolled and tied the skin to her pack, wrapped up the meat best she should, and stowed away the bits and pieces she chose to keep. She then proceeded to change back into her battle garb and washed the blood from her city clothes. She doused down most of the fire, using the remains of it to quickly dry the last of her clothing. Once everything was packed and the fire was fully extinguished she finally announced to Aeonoss that she was ready to depart. She then asked the drake if he intended to travel with her.

"Of course, little ghost. I find you intriguing. I would very much like to learn more about you and your kind, if you would allow me to observe you further. I am ready to take flight the moment you are."

"Then my apologies about keeping you waiting, dear Aeonoss. One cannot simply rush the preservation of meat and skin unfortunately."

The drake smiled his stone smile. "Stone has an eternity, little one. I may not have an eternity, but time enough. I am patient and I believe I have learned much this morning."

The druid couldn't help but give a rare smile to the drake. "Well, if we hurry, we may be able to chase the sunset and arrive at Darnassus shortly after night fall. It's about a two days journey by foot, but I believe it is but half a day's travel by how a Druid of the Talon flies."

"I don't know much about these druids or their talons, but I do know how to fly." The drake looked up into the now brightly lit sky. "A clear day, little breeze. It's but midday. I may be made of stone, but elements are right to make some haste."

The druid nodded her acknowledgment and climbed up onto the stone drake's back. Aeronoss stood and said "Hang tight Kelebek, take off is always a little rough from flat ground." With that he opened his large stony wings, gave a few powerful flaps, thrusting the pair into the bright summer sky.

Next Chapter: Darkshore - The Vortex Sazhttp://firstname.lastname@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-2818700104169408686.post-37707476198068420952011-07-14T07:01:00.002-06:002011-09-03T12:45:56.056-06:00FelwoodFor days Kelebek ran north along the roads of Felwood. Eventually she veered west, looking for an opening in the mountains in hopes of finding a safe passage into Darkshore. She followed a rather putrid looking stream as she traveled westward, hoping that the water had at some point worked its slow magic on the stone, creating a sort of opening for her to travel through. Great haste while running down this unmade path was required, not necessarily for the sake of the inquiry that she must make of those in Darnassus, but for her own health. The waters that Kelebek found herself near smelled as if someone had poured the bowels of the Undercity into the veins of Felwood, somehow managing to magnify the stench a thousand fold in the process. It made her nauseous.

It only took her a day's journey to finally meet the mountain cliffs bordering the two lands, but the effort made that trip feel as if it had taken several haze-filled weeks. Finally though she had made it, made it to the edge of Felwood. What she arrived at was not at all what she had hoped for.

Kelebek took a tentative step towards the spot where the water seemed to - or at least once had - fallen over into Darkshore. She looked down. What she saw was disheartening: a several thousand foot drop was before her, at the bottom of which lay many jagged rocks. Much too far for her to jump and hope to land safely.

Dejectedly she slunk away from the steep drop, feeling dizzy and ill. She shifted back into her human form, hoping to ease the stress on her acute feral sense, but instead she was left feeling even more light-headed from her efforts. The fumes of the place were taking its toll on the little druid, and soon she found herself to be unconscious.

-------

She woke up to a wafting of the stagnant air, followed by a rather solid prod. Opening her sludge-covered eyes she saw what appeared to be a great, stony horned face peering at her. She was dazed, confused, and tried to get herself in a sitting position. She had no hopes of fleeing in her current state.

"Wha...who...who are you?" Kelebek asked of the great serpentine face that was in front of her. The winged beast replying in a low, rumbling voice.

"My name is Aeornoss, little one. I am a stone drake."

"A...a stone drake?! But...we...we're no where near the underland of Deepholm."

"That may be so, but there are stranger things in this land than a wandering stone drake. For instance, a druid who seems to have forgotten her wings." Aeornoss let out a rumbling chuckle that sounded as if two boulders were trying to mimic the music of a cricket's hind legs, albeit at a fraction of the speed.

"I am not a druid of the skies, dear stone drake. I am but a lion of the prairies, a cat of the shadows, a ghost in the forests."

"And what brings you to this putrid wasteland, little ghost?" Aeornoss' calm, yet inquiring stone face was still uncomfortably close to Kelebek's own.

"I am here on accord of a friend. Him and I have been trying to protect this lands from the demons that have taken residence here. We've been trying to heal the wounds of the wilds."

Aeornoss raised a stony eyebrow. Kelebek continued her explanation. "As you can see, our efforts have been fruitless. By day the vile waters grow even more putrid, by night the demons seem to spawn hoards anew. We are losing the battle and the war against the unnatural here. That is why I'm trying to travel to Darnassus, to seek aid from those who would hunt the demons and to hope that the city may be able to lend a few bodies who would be able to heal this land better than a couple of feral spirits."

Even this explanation was too much of a taxation on what little bit of energy that the druid had regain from her sleep-like state. With those last couple of words, Kelebek once again collapsed onto the ground into a laying position. She remained conscious, but just barely.

The stone drake smiled as only one made of stone could smile. "Your purpose is noble, little ghost..."

"Kelebek," she wheezed "my name...is Kelebek..."

"Very well, little Kelebek. Today is your lucky day, something you seem to be in short supply of at this moment." Aeornoss' face grew more serious. "I shall journey with you to Darnassus. Before we make such a journey though, we must get you to the land over yonder. Fresh air and proper rest are needed to get your strength up."

"Yes...please..." With a deep, ragged sigh Kelebek was once more in the realm of unconsciousness.

With a gravelly exhalation, Aeornoss thought to himself: Fleshlings. As fragile as a new born stone, yet to be cooled and solidified, yet as quick and determined as the swiftest of streams. This one's time is short of I do not interfere. I hope the earthen spirits forgive me. The Earth Mother shall not be claiming this one quite yet. He closed his eyes and slowly nodded his head, his mind made up. As gently as one could when having great jagged claws for hands, Aeornoss scooped up Kelebek and held her close to his large, rocky chest.

Aeornoss walked awkwardly over to the edge of the mountain side. "Time to go, little ghost." With a great push the stone drake launched them over the edge, allowing them to free fall for several hundred feet before finally opening up his large stone wings, gliding safely into the falling sunset of Darkshore.

Next Chapter: Darkshore - The Hunt Sazhttp://email@example.com:blogger.com,1999:blog-2818700104169408686.post-91408805558892391072011-06-23T03:06:00.002-06:002011-09-03T12:44:10.219-06:00The Hut by the LakeA young girl-child's voice, somewhere off in the distance.

"Kelebek...wake up Kelebek..."

"...Kiya?" Groggily Kelebek opened up her eyes. Squinting from the bright light that streamed through the little hut's door, she peered around the one room building hoping to catch a glimpse of the child who had woken her from her dreamless sleep.

Slowly her mind cleared as she began to wake up. Who is Kiya? she wondered. Kelebek sat up on her little cot and rubbed her temples as she searched her patchy memory as to who the girl was. Nothing. Always, nothing. With a sigh of frustration Kelebek got up from the make shift bed and walked to the little lake just outside of the hut's front door. The early afternoon's sun danced upon the little ripples of the lake, creating a dazzling effect that, while stunning, hurt the young druid's eyes.

She knelt down on the grassy shore of the water's edge and splashed a bit of the cool liquid onto her face. Rarely did she bother to gaze at her own reflection, but today she studied her features. Her wide mouth sported dry lips, the tattoos that ran vertically down her angular face seemed almost faded, her pale skin had an unhealthy tint to it. She looked tired and worn out.

Kelebek jumped when a low, gravely voice spoke. "Your answers don't lay within the weeds of that lake, child."

"Tal, you startled me." She took a shaky breath, trying to calm her over taxed nerves. "I figured that I'd try to take up shamanism. I hear that all they must do to find their answers is to ask the elements, not crawl about on all fours hunting for them like demons in the night."

Taloris Galesong chuckled quietly. "While Elune may make us sensitive to the tides and nature's beckons, we night elves are not adept at asking the elements for advice." His lined and wizened face grew serious with his next statement. "Did your trip to Winterspring yield any information?"

"No, it was just a goblin looking for a quick pinch of gold. The tip was false." Kelebek winced in pain as she stood up and faced Tal. "When I accused him of false information he began to yell about how I was attacking him. Everlook's bruisers were on me in a minute. I doubt I'll be welcome there again."

The old druid's face was a grim mask. "At least you have returned safely. How was the road back?" While Taloris may not have cared for many folk, for some reason he felt a bit responsible for the young orphaned druid. He couldn't stop Kelebek on her futile search for her long lost family. All he could do is help in what little ways he could while at trying to ensure that she was as safe as possible. She looked ragged, and it worried him greatly.

"I managed to stealth past that demon camp north of here without much problem. We may need to move on soon, they seem to be multiplying and that sludge is slowly making it's way towards this lake. I don't think you can protect Felwood much longer, Taloris."

With a heavy sigh Taloris said, "I've done just about all I could. I've done what I could to protect the woods of Felwood, but I cannot heal the wounds that these demons have created. I've never been gifted in the art of healing."

"Perhaps it's time we spoke with the priestesses of Darnassus. Maybe they can call out to the druids of restoration to heal these lands and round up a few Sentinels to finally put an end to the demon spawn."

"You may be right child, but I think I dislike the idea of walking into the city even more than you. Even the tranquility of Darnassus makes me uneasy."

"Then I will go."

"As you wish child. But please, keep out of trouble."

"I shall do my best, Elder. I'll be sure to ask for the aid of Felwood prior to inquiring about my family."

"I'd rather you would just seek help for the wilds and leave the trail to your past hidden."

Always, he thinks me to be a fool, Kelebek thought to herself. To Tal she simply said "You know I cannot do that."

"Then may luck and Elune be with you, child." With that the old druid turn away and shifted into his usual shaggy bear form. Kelebek watched him as he lumbered off into the woods.

The young druid groaned to herself as she rubbed her bruised muscles tenderly. Never a day's rest. Always searching for answers, always seeking help.What I wouldn't give for a quiet night under the stars... Kelebek sighed to herself and began to collect the few belongings she had. It was going to be a few weeks journey from the little hut that she shared with Taloris to the city of Darnassus. She was unsure of how long she would have to take residence there before she could convince the priestesses of the city to lend her and her mentor a hand with the demons. It would take even longer to carefully inquire about that event that happened oh so many years ago.

With her things packed Kelebek took one final look around the hut. Satisfied that she had left nothing of importance she once again walked outside into what was now evening beginning to settle on the lake. Such a beautiful sight, and yet she knew that if something wasn't done soon, that little lake would become yet another slime pool. She had to get moving.

"An ear to the ground and an eye to the sky. Elune grant us all safety."

With that she swung her pack onto her pack and shifted into her cat form. The orange sun gave way to a sickly green hue as she made haste to the city that held the area's last hope.

Next Chapter: Felwood
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