Author's Note: Well, hey there, folks. Here's my little attempt at a Warcraft fanfiction. I do not roleplay, but I've had this idea for a while and it kind of turned itself into a fanfic over time.

Disclaimer: I do now own World of Warcraft. All fictional names used in this fanfic are made up and do not represent any real characters. If you have a character with that name, it is purely coincidental.

Chapter 1

Memories

This was not good.

He knew the mission was going to be difficult the moment he accepted it. He expected the trolls to be pretty unwelcoming towards him, considering he looked exactly like their sworn enemies. But before he even had a chance to open his mouth to talk they started screaming something at him in an unknown language. And he was now faced with an angry mob of wild, relentless trolls chasing him with spears and bows, as if he was some kind of animal they would hunt and eat. Which was not completely impossible, considering the rumors that they were cannibals.

He ran through the trees away from the village chased by ten or so angry trolls, hoping to find a cave or something to hide into, all the while cursing his superior that sent him to this death trap. He had been assured the trolls were well aware of the alliance and will receive him peacefully.

He barely dodged a spear hurled at him from behind.

The trees were getting thicker and thicker, yet the trolls made no sign of letting him go that easily. In fact, they were gaining up on him. Normally he would have just turned around and beat them all senseless, but he had a feeling that wouldn't help with his diplomatic mission at all. He needed to try and talk some sense into them, so he skidded to a halt and turned around, ready to activate his Divine Shield in case things got nasty. He braced himself against the tree he was leaning on and opened his mouth to say something-

-when a pair of hands reached out from somewhere above and pulled him up the tree. The trolls, who probably had their views blocked by the trees, seemed not to notice this, as they just continued running through the woods. However, he only saw said trolls with the lesser part of his concentration. The dominant one was focused on what – or rather who – pulled him up. A girl, which he assumed was an elf, judging from her skin color and stature, was crouched on the branch he was pulled up to and was covering his mouth with her hand, her eyes focused on the trolls that were going away.

He made no move to distance himself, not because he was scared, but because he didn't seem to be able to take his eyes off her. She had pale, ivory skin and her slender figure was wrapped in some sort of leather outfit that looked very similar to what the trolls were wearing. She had long, waist-length black hair that hung wildly on her shoulders. But what was most surprising about her were her strange, purple-colored eyes, unlike anything he had ever seen on an elf before.

He considered what he could say to her when she sighed and gazed at him.

"Are you okay?" Then, after he nodded, "Those trolls are pretty dangerous, you should stay away from them."

For some reason, he felt mildly insulted. "I could have beaten them easily, you know."

"Then why were you running away?" she asked, her tone not making her sound particularly interested. She jumped off the tree branch and landed nimbly on her feet into a crouched position, then sat up as he descended as well.

"Believe it or not, our two peoples are supposed to be allies."

"Allies?" Now she started to sound interested, her long, slender ears perking up. "These trolls are vicious savages. They barely even grunt to other people before killing them."

"Aren't they part of the Horde?"

"They aren't part of anything but their secluded tribe. You surely made a mistake."

He shook his head. "The Revantusk trolls are said to be loyal to the Horde."

She giggled, then shook her head as well. "Those trolls were not the Revantusks," she explained. "Their tribe is called Vilebranch, and they inhabit the Shaol'Watha ruins you ran away from. The Revantusks live in Revantusk Village, which is on the beach, beyond the Overlook Cliffs." Noticing her explanation only seemed to confuse him even further, she added: "I could take you there if you want to. I'm headed in that direction as well." Then, with a smirk, "You could probably use some help around these parts, anyway. Forest trolls all look alike to an outsider."

He frowned. "How…considerate. Thank you." He was about to point out that she was an outsider as well, but he realized that probably wasn't exactly true. Who was this girl?

She turned and gestured him to follow her, then proceeded to walk a steady pace through the woods. They kept walking for a while, keeping alert to their surroundings just in case they bumped into the Vilebranch trolls again. He refrained from asking any questions, opting to stay focused on the task at hand for the time being. He was surprised when they reached a clearing, only to find the edge of a river, the roaring sound of a thundering waterfall close.

"There is no path?" he asked, looking down the cliff and almost gulping at the long way down.

"There is, but it's in the opposite direction. Besides, we risked bumping into more trolls had we gone that way. The beach below is safer."

Without another word, she walked to the stone at the root of the waterfall and let herself slide down with the current. He watched her graciously dive into the sea and come back up for air in a few seconds. She swam to the beach and beckoned him to follow.

He simply activated his Divine Shield and jumped directly to the ground, boring into the soft dirt as he landed in a crouched position. He deactivated his shield and turned to look at her as she raised an eyebrow at him.

"Afraid of a little swim?" she asked, slightly amused.

"My armor will rust."

Her only response was a simple "Hn" as she turned and continued her strode along the beach.

After a while he was getting a little uncomfortable at the silence, though it didn't seem to bother her. He was quite curious to learn more about her. Was she a blood elf or high elf? She was helping him and seemed to know the Revantusks, though she lacked the green hue to her eyes to show she was a blood elf. In fact, she looked more like a high elf with her pale skin and unusual eye color, though not even high elves would normally have such a purple tint to it. On the other hand, her way of dressing and the way she knew her way around made her seem more like a troll than anything else.

Since there was no more danger around them other than the harmless turtles, he decided he could spark a bit of a conversation to hear some answers.

"So…how come you know so much about trolls?"

"I live among them."

He raised his eyebrows. Now that was unexpected. "Are you a blood elf?"

"Not really."

"High elf?"

"Not quite."

He smirked. "Troll?"

She rolled her eyes. "Very funny."

"Then what are you?"

She sighed. "Does it matter?"

He pondered for a moment. "Well…yeah."

She sighed again, trying not to show she was a little bothered by his attitude. "Well you can't exactly call me a high elf, since I'm not welcomed among them. So I guess that makes me a blood elf, unless there's some in-between half-breed out there. Not that I care, anyway."

"Why do you live with the trolls?"

"Where else to live? They accept me for who I am, not caring about pointless things like my race."

"Were you born here? Are you the only one of your kind who lives here?"

"Why so many questions?" she shot back, slightly annoyed.

"I was just…curios."

He didn't get a chance to find out more, as she pretty much ignored him the rest of the way.

Soon they reached their destination, and what he saw was… a simple village. Small, with a few huts here and there, and a slightly more crowded area where he assumed was the marketplace. He saw a bigger hut close to the center of the village and then a pier where the local windmaster was keeping his wyverns. There were a few fishermen there as well, and that was pretty much it.

There weren't many trolls bustling about, but the few that were there were of course staring at him while completely not staring at the girl next to him, as if she was the most normal thing in the world. So she really was living with the trolls.

"Well, this is it," she said, now not ignoring him anymore. "The largest hut is where the elders are. I assume it's them that you need to speak with. See you around."

"Can I at least know your name?" he asked, after she turned around to leave.

She looked back a bit surprised and smiled. "Naidi," she answered, then she headed off into the crowded marketplace.

He started shivering again, the cold getting to him, as he pulled the lame excuse for a blanket over his head. The elders had signed his documents (or more like scribbled something unintelligible on them; did they even know how to write?) and offered him a place to spend a night at the local inn. Said inn turned out to be merely a slightly larger hut with a few hammocks tied to the walls and a small stove in the middle. The trolls next to him didn't seem to mind the cold as they slept, snoring so hard the entire hut was shaking. And if the cold and snores weren't enough, the incredibly huge mosquitoes were definitely guaranteeing him a night with no sleep at all.

He sat up and descended from his uncomfortable hammock, keeping his blanket (which was actually several pieces of cloth badly sewn together). He decided he could find a nice quiet spot to make a fire and tap a couple of mana crystals. He always tapped mana crystals when he was nervous; it helps him calm down.

He thought the beach would be a good place for a campfire and headed there, but apparently someone had already thought about that. Maybe said person wouldn't mind some company.

Naidi hadn't gotten much sleep tonight. The dream was bugging her again and she couldn't tell why; it had been so long since she had it. Could it have something to do with the arrival of that blood elf? She really doubted he had anything to do with it, but the timing was perfect.

Usually the sea would calm her down after the dream, so she went to her usual camping spot and started a fire, only to see said blood elf approach her after a few minutes. Why did she keep bumping into him?

"Can't sleep?" she asked when he came near her, blanket on his shoulders.

"No. Mind if I join you?"

She simply shrugged, so he sat down at the fire across from her. He was still cold, but the fire was warm and comforting. She didn't seem to mind the cold, even wearing the same clothes she had when he met her. The locals were probably used to the weather.

"You didn't tell me your name either," she remembered.

"Haiden."

She nodded, and then pretended to be lost in though.

He opened his mouth to say something, but then he realized he didn't know what to say. He had so many things he still wanted to know about her, but something told him she wasn't in the mood for another interrogation.

"There aren't any others like me here," she said, all of a sudden.

"Huh?" He then realized she just answered something he had asked earlier. "Oh…I see."

"And I wasn't born here either. I was born in Quel'Thalas."

"How did you end up living here?"

She hesitated for a bit. "I don't know."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't exactly…remember. All I know is, after the Scourge invasion I ended up here…somehow. I know it sounds strange, but…" She trailed off, not knowing what to say. Many people asked her the same questions, and after hearing her answer they just dismissed her as crazy. Not that she cared.

"What about your family?"

"That's the strangest part. I don't remember anything about them. All my memories are…not there. I just somehow…know that I was born in Quel'Thalas, and then we were invaded, but the rest…"

"And the Revantusks? Didn't they see you coming or something?"

"I simply woke up on the beach not far from here one day. I just found their village and they let me live among them, which I'm very grateful for."

A pause.

"And this happened…how much time ago?"

"A few years, I think. I didn't really keep track."

He kept silent for a few moments, pondering her words. Then he spoke again.

"Haven't you ever wondered what happened to your family? Maybe they're still alive. We've already started rebuilding the kingdom, and we're now a part of the Horde."

"I know. The village elders were informed about the blood elves from Sen'Jin himself. I haven't seriously thought about going away, though. I kind of like it here."

Another pause.

"Well…I'm not scheduled to stay here too long. Tomorrow afternoon I must take a wyvern to Silvermoon City to report back. If you change your mind…"

"I'll…consider it."

He nodded, but didn't ask any more questions. Instead he turned his gaze to the flickering fire, leaving the girl to her thoughts.

He suddenly remembered the other reason he was here, and nearly groaned in frustration. Really, his needs could be quite annoying at times.

Naidi interrupted her chain of thoughts, as the man in front of her started shuffling rather nervously through a pouch he held on his waist. She watched curiously as he pulled out a glowing, green little crystal. She continued to stare while he gripped said crystal with a strange expression…like he was focusing very hard on something. She realized he was in fact focusing on the crystal itself, as it started glinting brightly all of a sudden, before melting into a green liquid in his hands. The liquid then quickly evaporated in a green puff, and her eyes widened as it was simply absorbed by his skin. She could smell it, and the scent wasn't appealing at all. It reeked of something unnatural and repulsive and…wrong. She wrinkled her nose at it.

He noticed that, then began to speak a little uncomfortable.

"Oh, I'm…err…sorry. I should have known the smell would be tempting. I can share a few, I have plenty."

"What are those things?" The unpleasant scent was gone now, but she was slightly confused. 'Tempting?' She didn't feel particularly drawn to that thing. It was actually quite…disgusting.

He was a bit surprised by her reaction. She seemed actually uncomfortable with the crystal, though the thought sounded absurd to him. Any race that was addicted to magic and was left without a source of it would go crazy over this simple container of arcane energies. He'd seen his people fight over them like savages, slowly slipping away into madness. Yet she seemed to be totally unaffected. Which led to another question – where did the girl procure the magic she surely needed? He then remembered she was still waiting for an answer.

"That was a mana crystal. You know, to feed the hunger. They come in handy while travelling."

Her eyes narrowed. "Hunger?"

"Or thirst, however you prefer to call it."

"Thirst? Thirst for what?"

It was his turn to narrow his eyes. "For magic," he said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. And it was, in his opinion.

"You…thirst for magic? But…why?"

"You don't…feel it?"

She shook her head.

"What are you talking about?"

And he was gazing back, slightly shocked.

He was speechless for a few moments, trying to understand what she meant. Couldn't she feel the horrible, painful sensation of magic deprivation? Was her source so reliable that she didn't even realize her own addiction to it?

He thought about how to explain the feeling to her while sparing here the tedious details their history provided. He then had an amusing thought. Was it like this for the blood elf ambassadors when they attempted to explain to the Horde their addiction? Suddenly, the girl seemed more different than him than ever before.

"Have you never felt that…you wanted something so badly you'd die without it? That you were…abruptly cut off from this something?"

She shook her head, even more confused than before. He decided a small history lesson would be in order.

"The elves, both high elves and blood elves, have been addicted to magic since thousands of years ago. Our ancestors had…messed around with powerful magics, and in the process they have become addicted to it. This addiction passed down from generation to generation. Magic itself runs through our veins. It's what keeps us alive and gives us…gave us immortality. Without it, we'd wither and die. We must…feed with magic from the exterior, to keep the supply in our blood from depleting."

She listened carefully to his explanation, nodding silently.

"The feeding wasn't a problem before, since we had the Sunwell. Its pure, sparkling waters bristled with magic itself, and its volatile essences nourished our kingdom, infusing the land itself with arcane energies. We wouldn't even realize we were addicted to it, since the magic was in more than enough supply for everyone."

He paused, waiting for her to digest what he was saying. He then realized she must now be in the same condition he spoke about – not being aware of the addiction, since the source is plentiful. He wondered again what her source of magic could be, before resuming his little speech.

"Then the Scourge invaded, and used the magic waters of the Sunwell to resurrect their lich." Naidi didn't miss how his eyes saddened while he recalled this part. "The waters were drained of magic and defiled with undeath. We have been cut off from our unlimited supply ever since, and are feeding on whatever sources of magic we can find. Some who were not so fortunate have gone mad with their addiction. We call them the Wretched."

There was another moment of silence, and he didn't say anything else. There was nothing left to say, really. He saw the horrors his people were going through, saw those being captured by the Wretched being brought back as mangled, bloodless corpses, and he wished with all his power that no one ever saw them again. He had been one of the lucky persons whose family had a large supply of mana crystals stashed away when news of the war was approaching. Most, however, weren't so lucky. If it hadn't been for Kael'Thas-

"And this…addiction…cannot be cured somehow?"

He was a bit surprised when she suddenly interrupted his train of thoughts, but he answered. "No. Many have tried, but the effects of the magic run too deep in our system. We need it like we need air, and it runs through us like blood. The name 'Blood Elves' isn't just a fancy nickname." The last part was supposed to be funny, but it came out more bitterly than he had expected.

She nodded again, now understanding better. But understanding didn't mean she could relate to it. She had never felt anything similar to what he had described. The only hunger and thirst she had ever felt were the natural needs for food and water. She didn't recall to have ever been addicted to something. Even when she woke up on this very beach one day, she felt absolutely normal. A bit confused and dizzy, but normal nonetheless. No sudden urges to feed on magic, nothing of the sort. Heck, she'd even found his magic source repulsive.

She shared all this with him, and he nodded too. She was right. It was as if, for her, the Sunwell had never ceased to exist. Or better yet, as if she wasn't addicted to magic at all. Was it even possible?

They both contemplated in silence for what seemed like an eternity.

"Naidi, stop running so fast! You'll sprain your ankle again!"

The little girl giggled, but didn't stop. She continued to sprint through the tall, soft grass. Inhaling deeply, she took in the grassy scent while closing her eyes. She slowly let the sounds around her turn into an unintelligible blur and imagined herself flying.

She was abruptly pulled from her daydream as strong hands grabbed her waist from behind and pulled her to a stop. She tried to struggle, but the hold was like steel. Protective.

"He he. It tickles! Let go!"

"Only if you promise to stop running."

"Oo-kaay. He he."

As soon as the grip on her waist loosened, she broke into another sprint.

"You little liar!" The accusation was probably meant to be scolding, but the tone was amused. "Naidi, be caref-"

The person didn't have a chance to finish what they were saying, as they suddenly started screaming. Confused, the girl turned her head to see what happened, but didn't stop running. Suddenly, she was surrounded by darkness as pain erupted in her head.

Naidi jumped up with a surprised sound and startled expression on her face. Her breathing was hitched and uneven and her forehead was covered in drops of sweat. She had been dreaming. Again.

'That's two of them in a row. And in the course of the same night!'

She glanced around her, noticing the sun was barely rising from the sea. The blood elf was sleeping soundly at the other side of the extinguished campfire. His mouth was half open and he was shivering slightly, blanket laying on the ground beside him.

She got up and gently tucked the blanket around the sleeping man. He must be a deep sleeper if the sound of her rough awakening didn't even make him flinch. Usually when she woke up from the nightmare in her village hut it would be with screams so loud the neighbors would come barging in.

Which reminded her she had a decision to make. He said he'd be leaving this afternoon, so it had to be made quickly. Reason told her she had to go; if her family was still alive she would very well like to meet them. Maybe her memory would return when seeing them, and if not they could simply fill in the blanks anyway. Then she would decide if she wanted to stay there or return to her peaceful life here. She was a grown woman after all.

But she couldn't shake the feeling something was off. Somehow, she had a strange urge to not find out about her past after all. If what she had to face at that time was strong enough to make her lose her memory, then she cringed at the idea of facing it again.

She scowled herself inwardly for that feeling. She was just being a coward. But the fear was there nonetheless.

With a sigh, she sat up again and headed for the village. Maybe her thoughts would make more sense on a full stomach.

The wind blew again through the uncovered window of the small hut, causing the bells of the intricate wind net hanging on the wall to ring softly.

"You can come in, child," said the elder female troll seated on the rocking chair in the middle of the small one-room hut.

"Sorry to disturb you, elder Wah'tar."

"You never disturb me, Naidi. You be always welcomed here."

The elf entered the room and sat cross-legged on the wooden matrice in front of the elder woman. They smiled at each other.

"Elder, I…need your help."

"Ah. This be 'bout that elf boy, eh?"

"Not exactly, but, yes, he has a part in this."

The elder waited patiently while Naidi phrased her request. The only sounds in the small hut where the bells ringing and the rocking chair squeaking.

"He…offered to take me back to Quel'Thalas."

"And you want to go?"

"I…don't know."

Silence fell again, but this was not unusual for the two women who often had conversations like these together.

"I have to go find out about my past."

"You don't have to do anything, child. You be free to do what you want. You want to find out 'bout your family?"

"Yes…"

"Naidi…"

The younger woman, who had been looking down all this time, lifted her eyes to meet the elder's.

"That not be the only reason you don't wanna go, am I right?"

She lowered her eyes to the floor again.

"This is my home."

"Child, this be a fishing village. You be young and strong. Your people need you."

"You need me here too."

"You been born for greater things than fishing."

Another pause.

"Whatever you do, Naidi, do it for you. Not for anyone else."

"Thank you, elder."

Of course, she'd only mentioned half of her reasons for staying. The other half, she was sort of embarrassed to talk about.

The elder wasn't fooled, as usual.

"You know you can tell me anything, child. What be bothering you?"

Oh well, maybe letting everything out wasn't so bad, after all.

"I'm…afraid," she said simply. The elder understood.

"Your parents loved you, Naidi. Never doubt that."

"What if they didn't? What if they just kept me alive out of pity and abandoned me? What if…"

She could feel moisture gathering in her eyes but she refused to let the tears out.

"Then show them what a mistake they made."