AN Hey guys:) So this is just going to be a hopefully fun little story, on the lighter side of things. The first few chapters are set somewhere in the time before the Sunwell was destroyed and the blood elves joined the horde. For give me for any lore mistakes I make, just lemme know if you spot some. I hope you all enjoy. :)
Gentle sunlight shone softly through the auburn leaves of Eversong Woods. A happy breeze flowed through the ancient boughs, ruffling the fur of a great white stag. The stag raised his noble head, sniffing the wind. Sighing contentedly he lowered his head and began to again sample the lush grass. Glancing up in the middle of his musings the stag tensed, 'Smells like a-' His thoughts were interrupted by the wonderful sensation of an arrow in the ass. His right haunch flared with intense pain and he began to look around wildly for the source of the arrow. A shine of gold glinting through a few overgrown shrubs caught his eye. 'Best to try and get away from that' he thought. He bounded in the other direction, only belatedly realizing he couldn't very well outrun a hunter with only three working legs. He also realized that he'd gravely miscalculated his ability to land successfully on the root covered ground. He realized it hard. With his face. Realized it with so much force that his senses slowly faded to black as he slipped into unconsciousness.
He awoke to the feeling warmth on his right, and unpleasant cold on his left. There was also the oh so lovely pain that permeated not only his right hip but also his head. He had yet to open his eyes, taking the process of waking up slowly. "Argh why do I feel like I was thrown off a cliff." He muttered to himself.
"Well I'm not sure about you falling off any cliffs, but you did hit your head rather hard on that trunk over there." Said an amused voice in stilted Darnassian to his right. Eyes snapping open, the event prior to his one-sided argument with a tree crashing back into his mind. He immediately made to get up and bolt. He only made it halfway into a running stance when the twice forgotten pain in his hip bloomed angrily. His hand also seemed to be attached by a rope to the tree behind him. Struggling back down into a crouch he spared a glance at the mysterious voice. It was...definitely not what he expected. Across from a small fire which he now realized he was almost falling in, sat a bemused, if somewhat stern looking Quel'dorei. "I think you'll find you're not going anywhere just yet." Her delicate, heart shaped face belied her sharp eyes. Her pink lips in a perpetual smirk, she started again. "You can start by telling me your name, and reason for trespassing in the territory of the Quel'dorei.
The once-stag was at a loss for words, his mind heavy with pain. The she-elf's face contorted into a small frown. "Do you not speak Thalassian?" She paused expectantly.
"I...what?" The once-stag said eloquently in understable, if rather crude Thalassian.
The she elf clucked her tongue, "So you do speak it, good, give me your name and purpose for trespassing." She seemed to be losing her patience.
The once-stag collected himself, laying back down on his stomach slowly to relieve his aching muscles. 'How nice, she shoots me and expects perfect compliance.' He looked at the arrow still protruding from his rear mournfully. "I was not aware it was common practice among high elves to greet friendly visitors with deadly weapons." He narrowed his glowing golden eyes.
The she-elf seemed surprised at such a flippant response, flushing slightly in annoyance, "I could've just killed you, you should be thankful I've let you live so far."She turned her nose up in agitation.
He smirked, "Ah yes, thank you ever so much for not killing me, and thank you for tying me to a tree and leaving an arrow that I'm assuming you shot me with sticking out of my leg." The once-stag was not really in the mood for niceties, he wanted to heal his headache and take the damned arrow out but he was sure if he did so without her permission she'd make good on her threat to kill him. She evidently did not like his patronizing tone and moved as if to grab the long hunting knife that rested on her belt. Before she could, however, the once-stag thought twice about his petulence. "That is." He paused, directing an earnest gaze into her softly blue glowing eyes. "I am thankful you haven't killed me, but I'm not in the most comfortable of positions right now. I promise I'll feel more inclined to tell you what you'd like to know once I've had my wounds tended to."
Her slender hand paused midway to the deadly looking knife as she looked at him in slight surprise. Righting herself, she settled back into a stern expression and steadied her voice. "I am not sure if you've noticed, but we are not exactly near any healers, and I have no intention of dragging you around a forest at night just so you can feel more "comfortable"" She curled her lip slightly in disgust, "I will not have you bleeding all over me."
The once-stag leveled a glare at the tiny she-elf. "I can heal myself thank you very much, I was simply asking for your permission so you didn't gut me as soon as I blinked."
He watched her mouth make a small oh in realization, then her eyes harden as glanced at his wound. She simply nodded her consent and the once-stag slowly went about checking himself over. "You still haven't told me your name, or purpose here." She said curtly, interrupting the once-stag's musings.
He looked up at her from where he lay on the forest floor, she had both feet on the ground sitting on the edge of a fallen tree. "My name is Lunarious, and as to why I'm here.." He trailed off, suddenly slightly embarrassed. The she-elf grasped the handle of her knife warningly. "I was told that the grass in Eversong woods is quite delicious."
She stared at him blankly, a tense silence stretching out between them. "You came here," Here she paused, pinching the bridge of her nose. "To eat grass?"
He smiled stupidly at her. "It really is very tasty" he said lamely.
Again the she-elf seemed unsure of what to say and the silence stretched on. She fixed him with a suddenly fierce glare that had Lunarious shifting uncomfortably. "If you honestly think I'll believe that, you've got another thing coming, you idiot!" She stood, unsheathing her wicked looking hunting knife.
Lunarious gulped, "Now now, let's not be hasty, I honestly did just come here for the grass." The she-elf huffed furiously, and took a step forward. "Wait wait wait wait, think! What did you see me doing before your rude hello." Lunarious was sweating now, and not just from the heat of the fire.
She paused, eye twitching, then lightly palmed her forehead with her free hand, "By the Sunwell, you're telling the truth aren't you?"
Lunarious nodded vehemently, instantly regretting the motion as it brought his headache back to the forefront of his attention."Ugh, lemme fix my head and then you can kill me, but I'd like to die with a clear mind." He opened his eyes slowly to the sight of small feet clad in supple leather boots. He slowly forced his gaze upwards until he stared the petite elf right in her irritated eyes.
She sighed, walking back to her perch on the log, "You really are a fool, lunardus was it?"
Lunarious took her statement as the go ahead for his healing and channeled gentle wild magic into his hands placing them on his pulsing head. The pain cleared instantly and suddenly his senses were back to their normal state. He answered slowly as he better took in his surroundings. "While it's true I'm an idiot, the name is Lunarious, though you can just call me Luna." He cast his eyes above him, tilting his head back till he was looking at the golden branches above. The sky had faded from a soft twilight to a deep blue, and already there were many stars. Luna estimated he'd been unconscious for the better part of three hours. Bringing his gaze down from the heavens he took in the small, tidy camp. There was a small, one-elf tent between the she-elf and him on the opposite side of the crackling fire. Against the log that lined the right side of the camp, rested a powerful looking bow, capped with bronze. A quiver of arrows, and a small hatchet. On the log resided his resident captor. She was clad in worn looking hunting leathers, with a cloak wrapped around her shoulders. She was currently burning a hole through him with her eyes and he started, realizing nothing had been said for a terse while. "I'm going to work on the arrow now ok?" She nodded curtly. He hoped she wouldn't change her mind and kill him while he was distracted but 'oh well' he thought. He turned his attention to the arrow arrogantly lodged in his hip. It looked like it had glanced off the bone and had mostly just gotten stuck on the fatty part of his rear. Placing his hand on the shaft and twinging from the slight pain he readied himself to pull it out. He stopped. A horror dawn on him, with his left hand tied to the tree, he had no was to get the leverage actually needed to pull it out. While it wasn't bleeding very much at all right now, if he moved the shaft around too much he risked slicing important muscle groups.
The she-elf saw him tense, and curious despite her annoyance she called out, "What is it? What is wrong?"
Luna felt himself going mad as it seemed like there was a hint of concern in her voice. "I uhh, I am going to require your...assistance. I can not safely pull it out without risking damage that I very much do not wish to cause to myself." He opened his mouth to elaborate further but in an instant the she-elf had crossed the small distance between them and ripped the arrow out without a moment's hesitation. "ARRRGH DAMNIT WHAT THE FEL." Luna cried out in surprise and anger. The pain which had been at a manageable throb, had now risen to a dizzying new height. He forced as much healing magic as he could into the wound until the pain had subsided. He lay panting from the exertion in the dirt.
The she-elf was actually giggling, a surprisingly innocent sound for the situation they were in. She hid her smiles behind a hand as she watched Luna glare at her from his place on the ground. "Stop being such a big baby Kal'dorei, you act as if you're dying."
He continued to glare at her, "You know," He panted. "Getting shot by a bow is not as fun as I've made it out to be." He paused, realizing he did not know how to address her, 'she probably wouldn't take too kindly to being called she-elf constantly' He mused. "I've given you my name, what is yours?
The she-elf mastered her face back into her practiced stern look. She spoke confidently, as if he should know her name. "Sylvanas Windrunner, Ranger of the Quel'dorei.