Toothsayer sat behind a large rotting tree, ears perked forward and tail strung back. His muscles were held taught as he crouched, cold and uncomfortable, mud and grass licking at his knees. He knew that one false move, one misplaced step would betray his presence. So he sat, silent and watchful, eyes peering into the depths of the forest.
Where is he? Tooth thought impatiently. He had seen the creature a few days before, a spot of white against the murky forest backdrop. Lifting his head Tooth sniffed, and then sniffed again, but it was of no use. The smell of rot and darkhound was too strong here; he couldn't pick out the thin scent of bat from the overpowering dankness. So he sat, crouched down into the grasses, waiting for his prey to reveal itself.
Toothsayer had picked an ideal hunting spot. Though he was a large animal in his own right, the forests of Tirisfal were an unusual breed compared to the hot sands of the Barrens. Huge trees, decrepit and rotting, rose up above the scrubby underbrush, their twisted roots digging deep into the moist ground below. Stealing away between one of these large pines and a rocky outcropping, Tooth had been able to hide himself from even the darkhounds, whose keen noses sniffed upwind. After that the waiting game had begun; tracking rare creatures was never an easy task. And though Tooth was still young in his quest to be a hunter, he knew that this may be his first big hunt. Curling his tail around himself Tooth eyed the darkness, eyes flitting from one tree to another. Still nothing.
But wait, what was that?
There was movement there, Tooth knew that he had seen it! The blood that had been so cold within him a moment ago was now on fire, burning as his heart pumped the thick liquid through his veins. His eyes pierced the darkness, staring as hard as he could into the branches of the trees. Where was it? He had seen it! Not daring to move a muscle he sat, puffing shallow, short breaths.
There, movement again! Tooth felt the adrenaline shoot through him as he got his first good look at the white creature. He had heard tales of the albino bat from the undead that lived nearby, but he never really believed them until he had spied that white wingspan so many weeks ago. He had tracked it, waited for it, and scoured the entire area over and over without catching another glimpse! But today he knew was his day.
The white bat emerged from the darkness, flittering down among the tree trunks. Toothsayer stood extremely still, watching as the creature spread its wings taught and glided down towards the mossy undergrowth. It looked so out of place; a creature so alive in a place that reeked of death. Tooth knew that he would only get one chance; making a beast that was so rare your personal companion was no easy task. But Tooth had waited many rainy days for this moment, and he was not going to mess it up.
It was then that he heard the screech.
Loud and piercing, it was a sound unlike anything Tooth had heard before. Jerking upwards he stumbled out of his hiding spot, the sound disorienting him and confusing him. Smells and sounds blended together; what was happening? What was going on? A similar scream echoed out from another direction and Tooth swung his head around, hands clasped firmly over his ears. It took a moment before he could focus enough to see what was going on, but when he did shock pierced him.
The white bat was being attacked! Another beast, fast and small, had rocketed out of nowhere! Its mouth was open, salivating, eyes wide with fear; Tooth felt his vision closing in on the beast, its black fur bleeding into its deep red membranes. Another bat? Tooth shook his head and snorted. It was another bat! Another bat was attacking his prize! He took a step forward, but the world spun around him. What was this noise? What was happening!? Tooth opened his mouth and snarled, shaking his burly jowls and squaring his shoulders.
"Stop!" he yelled, his voice thick and grizzled. "STOP!" With this the animals turned their small beady eyes to him, claws locked together, wings tangled and beating against each other. The white beast tried to pull back and flee, but the black bat screeched and held on, fluttering fruitlessly before dragging them both to the ground. Toothsayer, whose head was finally clearing, took another step forward towards the grounded duo. Bowing down on his knee he placed his hands forward, eyes trained on the white bat. He knew he would only have one chance. He knew that if this was to be his companion, he had to do it now. They stood, staring at each other, frozen in place. The white creature looking at him, and him staring at it. Something was welling up within him, and he could see it in the bat's eyes too; was it happiness? Curiosity? Something else? Tooth leaned forward, his hand inching closer and closer to the panting monster's hide. Only a few more seconds and he'd have it, only a few more moments-
The black bat slammed into the white beast!
"No!" Tooth yelled, his voice gruff and pained. The white bat was struggling now, snarling and angry, canines thrusting forward to find purchase on the other bat's neck. Pushing himself up to his hooves Tooth snatched his axe from his belt and stepped forward.
"Get out of here, pest!" he snarled, eyes trained on the black beast. But as he whipped him axe downward, all he hit was dirt! "Fast bastard!" he screamed, tail snapping behind him. His eyes swished to and fro, looking for the monster. But where had it gone? He looked across the ground but there was nothing there; his eyes streaked up along the tree line but again he saw nothing.
"You couldn't have just disappeared!" Tooth yelled, ripping his weapon up from the earth. The white bat struggled and Tooth thrust his hand down to pin it, but it curled out of the way. Tooth was angry now; too angry. Snorting he lunged at the white bat, but he knew it was too late. There was fear in its eyes, and hate; he would never be able to tame it now. That black monstrosity had killed his chance, it had ruined his only hope! Toothsayer's hands hit the dirt hard, and the albino bat leaped into the air. But before it could escape Tooth saw a rustle; just the slightest of movements in the leaves above. The white bat squeaked, seeming to pause in mid-air. And then Tooth watched, in horror, as the black bat from before rocketed out of the trees and sunk its claws directly into the white bat's eyes.
It was over faster then Tooth could imagine. The life drained from the albino bat in one quick moment; its wings, which a moment before were taught and full of life, crumpled into limp nothingness. The beast tumbled to the ground, smacking with a dull thud into the wet mossy undergrowth. Tooth stared at it, dumbstruck, as the soft beating of the black bat's wings filled his ears.
Toothsayer didn't quite remember what happened after that. The air was cold and wet; the trees loomed above him as the lifeless body of the bat sat soiled beneath him. His weapon swung, his hands found the earth, and covering it all was that soft, wet sound of rhythmic, beating wings.
- - - - -
It was raining when Tooth awoke. Thick wet drops hit against his face, falling heavily against his snout and dripping down through his fur. He felt sore and troubled; Tooth's stomach was rumbling uncomfortably against his guts and one small turn alerted him to the mud that was nestled in all the wrong places. He felt weak and drained, and his mouth felt sore; casting his eyes upward he saw little more then shadows of shadows. It was night in Tirisfal Glades; a dangerous place to be for a Tauren like himself. This was the time when the darkhounds gathered into bloodthirsty packs, scouring the soil for any living being that was weak or alone. This was the time when the banshees filtered through the treetops, their unearthly eyes scouring for troubled and lost souls.
"I need to get back home," Tooth said to himself. He knew if he was found by one or two monsters he could hold his own, but an entire pack or more? As sore as he felt he knew he couldn't risk it. Taking a deep breath Toothsayer pushed himself to stand. But as he raised his head from the ground, he found his vision being filled with two small, glowing, beady eyes.
"Graagh!" Tooth yelled, stumbling backwards. Instinctively he covered his face with his hands, regaining his balance and falling into a defensive position. Sniffing the air he caught the strong scent of bat, and his eyes quickly found the two glowing points in the darkness. They didn't recede or grow closer; they just sat, trained on him, two orbs in a sea of black. "Get away from me bat," Tooth snarled. His hand reached down to his side but grasped nothing; his weapon must have been lost sometime earlier. But as his eyes adjusted more and more to the night, Tooth began to notice something peculiar. Even though he was backing away from the beast it did not make a move to attack, nor did it try to escape. It just sat, patiently and calmly, curled upside down on some unseen tree branch overhead.
"Something isn't right here," Tooth remarked. Monsters were intelligent beings, striking when they had the advantage and fleeing when they felt they could escape. They never just sat and did nothing at all! The hackles on Tooth's neck bristled. Sweeping his head to the right and the left Tooth looked for some sign of civilization. But all he saw was blackness, and the thin outline of the bat who continued to gaze directly at him. Tooth sat for a moment, the cool night air tickling at his elbows and knees. Something just wasn't right, he could feel it in his bones. He needed to get out of here, he needed to flee! Turning tail on the glowing beady eyes Tooth ran blindly through the darkness, fear clutching at his belly like a cold, clammy hand.
All he heard above the thick pattering of rain was the soft, quiet sound of wings beating in the darkness.