ALL STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLIED HERE.
For those of you that have followed my other story, "Love's Embrace", here is a new one attempting to satisfy you. Perhaps with two stories in the works, there may be updates to one or the other more often. But I won't promise anything other than I won't stop updating till the story is finish. No one likes to be left hanging.
As always, please read and review. It is what keeps me going. Constructive criticism is always welcome.
Chapter 1
Luna Cleareyes was sure she was going to die here in Eversong Woods, so close to home but too far to call for help. She could see her death forthcoming in the eyes and teeth of the snarling lynx before. Her bow lays broken beside her and matching daggers are barely being held in her hands. Luna's arms hang limply at her sides from the exhaustion of defending herself and from the loss of blood.
Luna watches the lynx launch itself at her. Lunging to her right, Luna dodges most of the lynx's attack, receiving a deep gash across her abdomen. Luna stumbles and collapses to the ground. Unable to pick herself up, she curls up into a fetal position to awake the final blow from the lynx. The last thing Luna sees before blacking out is the lynx standing over top of her.
Elsewhere in Eversong Woods, an ethereal wolf runs beneath the boughs of the golden trees. The wolf certainly did appear out of place amongst the fauna around it in the woods. Making it even more out of place was that the ghostly wolf wasn't really a wolf at all but the alternate form of a Tauren shaman named Gunnar Whitehoof. Gunnar was taking a break from the strains of war by visiting the quiet lands of the Blood Elves.
As Gunnar stops to rest before heading back to Silvermoon City for the night, he picks up the scent of blood in the air. Following the scent, the trail leads him to a glade where he finds a lynx crouching over the still form of a Blood Elf female. Transforming back to that of a towering Tauren, he unhooks the pair of maces from his belt and readies to retrieve the girl's body from lynx. As the lynx sinks its teeth into the girl's shoulder and begins to drag her off, her body convulses and she releases a primal scream. Suddenly the lynx goes flying through the air, slamming into a tree and crumpling to the ground. Gunnar looks from where the lynx now lays to where it was the dragging the girl at. Lying in the middle of a scorched circle of ground is the unconscious Blood Elf.
Gunnar cautiously approaches the still form of the small girl. Hooking his maces back on his belt, Gunnar kneels beside her and gently rolls her on her back. There are claw and teeth marks covering her entire body. The girl winces and whimpers when Gunnar probes the bite mark on her shoulder to check the damage. When he moves to check the deep claw mark across her abdomen, the girl cries out and curls up into a fetal position.
Realizing she is too injured to try and move to Silvermoon City, Gunnar removes his cloak and lays it on the ground. Being made to fit a Tauren and with the Blood Elf being smaller than most elven females, Gunnar is able to lay her on the cloak and cover her up. With the elf as comfortable as can be for now, the Tauren gathers a few arm loads of firewood. Once he has a fire going to ward off the coming chill of evening, Gunnar turns to his pack and what few supplies he has with him.
Having only planned on a short trip into Eversong Woods, Gunnar left most of his supplies and equipment in his room back in the inn in Silvermoon City. Going through the contents of the small pack with him, he pulls out a couple bandages to bind the small elf's wounds. Sitting next to her, Gunnar gently lifts the girl's small frame into his lap. Her shoulder is easy enough to bandage as it doesn't bother the girl very much. As he tries to bandage the deep wounds on her stomach, the girl continues to try and curl up and prevent him caring for her injuries.
Finally he finishes wrapping the bandage around her and lays her back on his cloak and covers her up. Calling on the spirits of water, he casts a healing spell on the Blood Elf female. Not trained in the art of healing, Gunnar is only able to cast weak healing spells. He prays to the spirits that it will be enough to get her through the night.