Its been a Long and Weary Journey
World of Warcraft
((Small note, if you have a question about the armor that I am referring to, please ask. This is based from vanilla Warcraft to Cataclysm))
Where this story begins is with a lost little girl who can only care for others. This is not to say she won't defend herself, but she will never be the first to strike another. Unless it's a rabbit, rat, or other small critter. She can't really kill much else.
Waves smothered the chirping of birds as a cry of anguish shot through the air. A calm troll looked up from the fishing lure he had in the water muttering a few curses to himself. Taking the fishing pole and bucket, he leisurely walked back to the village where his wife was most likely in rage again.
Upon entering the village, many of the other trolls stood outside of their huts watching the blue skinned troll stroll leisurely to his hut and enraged wife. This rage was either caused by the lack of fish he was bringing home this week, or their daughter disappeared. Again.
Setting a two-toed foot inside of the hut, the blue-violet skinned red haired mother cried out to him "Where is our daughter?!"
Placing bucket of fish and pole to the side, the blue troll opened his arms as his wife leaned into him weeping. He patted her back reassuring her. "It's okay my love, I can find her, I can always find her."
"Akama, thank you…" releasing her husband, the worries vanished from her orange eyes as the deep-set frown took over again, "Well Akama? What are you waiting for? Go get her!"
Being ushered back out, Akama waved at his wife and whistled for his other partner to come, a large turtle named Speedy. "I will see you by dinner Selina, ya?"
"Ya, now go get our daughter! We're having head cheese tonight!"
"Really? Wonderful!" Blowing a kiss to Selina, Akama ran off to a beaten down path.
He knew his daughter loved to wander off to look at different things, and her curiosity always got the best of her. He could easily track her though. After having escaped her crib when she was three months old, they had learned a special system to track her with. Painting her feet. Although this only worked for the first couple of steps, he could find the way she went, and after that his hunting skills could take over.
Their home was with the Raventusk Trolls, even if his family was Darkspear. They had gone to the Raventusk in hopes of escaping from tyranny of the orcs. When his little girl was born, she was made fun of because her tusks were smaller than the orc children's. Although this wasn't bad, when she was only two she had wandered off into Orgrimmar, a good mile away from their old village, and almost fell off a bridge.
Running up the mountain pass, Akama could see the dragging of a stick being played with. The set of two-toed tracks skipping left by his young daughter merrily going on her way. Fear grew as he ran into the woods, before this point she might have been able to trip and scrape a knee, but now she could get killed! Wolves prowled the land, warring Troll tribes, or what he feared most, the Alliance. The speed he was going would not do.
Placing his hands to his mouth he whistled once again, calling fourth a large riding raptor. He leapt onto the raptor and set off, watching his little girl's tracks. He didn't expect her to have gotten this far into the wilderness! Panic began to sink into his empty stomach as the fear for his only child set in.
Skipping merrily along a path with her staff (a very nice stick!) a little troll hummed to herself. Where was she going? She didn't know. There were adventure's to be had! Treasure to obtain! Friends to make! There were! Oh look, what a pretty butterfly!
Picking up her staff, the little troll trailed after the butterfly.
"Fly, fly, pretty butterfly!" Her small tune wafted through the air as she passed numerous creatures that would have wished her harm. Luckily, she was unseen.
For the most part.
Little did this soft blue skinned troll know that someone was watching her frolicking through the woods. The dark figure prowled upon four legs watching closely.
Unbeknownst to the little troll, she was soon to be some creature's delicious, snack.
Akama watched as the trail led him past a small encampment of the cruel trolls he once would have called family. They glowered at him as he returned a stiff hairy-eyeball that caused them to flinch back.
Behind a large tree the creature awaited the young troll. She was still skipping merrily when the butterfly finally became out of reach and she watched it fly into the sky.
Preparing itself to pounce, the creature crouched. Waiting for the perfect moment to strike. The girl turned her back to the creature, and it seized the chance. Leaping out from its cover, a flash of blue pounced on the girl. Falling to the cold dirt a sound erupted from the attacker.
"Rawr! I'm a wolf!" another small troll crouched on four legs and raised her head in a loud howl.
The young girl rolled over pushing the other troll off of her, tears starting to swell up in her orange eyes. She saw her broken staff. The 'wolf' troll didn't know why this other troll was crying. Trolls never cried! Frowning deeply, the second troll moved closer to the first hugging her tightly.
"Why are you crying?" she questioned.
Sniffling the small tusked one gasped between syllables, "Be-cause you broke my staff!" Then began crying once again.
"Aww come on. I wasn't trying to be mean. I'm Nintu!" Three fingers fumbling around her small shirt, Nintu withdrew a small cloth and patted the others face, drying her tears. "There! All better!" Having dried the tears away, Nintu stuck two fingers into the young trolls mouth forcing her to smile.
"Stop that!" the first giggled, "Mom and daddy call me Totsie, so I guess that's my name."
Nintu stood patting off dirt from her legs and tattered shirt, placing the small cloth in her shorts this time. Staring at Totsie, a huff escaped Nintu. "You don't look like any troll that I've seen around here."
"Well what am I supposed to look like?" shrugged Totsie.
Grabbing Totsie's hand, Nintu exclaimed excitedly, "I'll show you! You can meet my mom and dad now!" Turning towards a trail, Nintu started running, dragging a confused Totsie with her. Running together the two started laughing and giggling, jumping over logs that had fallen in the road, and crawling under tree's.
Seeing his daughters trail once again turn, Akama slowed his raptor and jumped off looking at the ground. The broken stick his daughter had been dragging, a small tussel, and then four two-toed feet running in a different direction.
Another fear arose inside of him. Trolls were known to be cannibals, and why eat one of your own people when you could steal another? To use a child to lure another child was something that he wouldn't put past the troll tribe in this area. A deep rage started to swell inside of him. Jumping back onto his raptor, he kicked deeply into the raptor and pulled out a favorite snack. His carrot on a stick.
Totsie was beginning to grow tired when Nintu gasped with glee and stopped waving at the road ahead. Two trolls were walking down the road towards them. One carried a large staff with carvings deep-set into it, wooden and leather armor adorned his body. Pieces of his armor were covered in leaves, but the most striking point of his armor was the helm with large horns adorning it. The other troll had armor that looked slightly more frightening. Four red globes were her eyes, and her armor glowed a subtle violet.
"Momma! Dad!" Nintu turned to Totsie smiling and started to drag her forward.
The female troll removed her helm and placed it at her side, waving at the two. "Hello little Nintu! Oh? Who is this you have with you?"
"This is Totsie!" Nintu exclaimed reaching her mother and being swept off of her feet and risen into the air.
Totsie stood before the two and lowered her eyes, "N-nice to meet you," she stammered.
The male crouched reaching his hand forward, "I'm Corqe, it's a pleasure to meet you Totsie."
Reaching out her hand she shook the man's firm grip. The kind smile he gave to her made her look up and smile.
"Now there's a good greeting," the female said lifting Nintu onto her shoulders. "I'm Lania. We are on our way to the... what was it?"
"Raventusk," offered Corqe
"Ah yes, the Raventusk village. Do you know where that is?"
"That's where I live!" Totsie exclaimed with enthusiasm.
"Then you can show us the way!" Corqe exclaimed with just as much enthusiasm. He quieted down leaning down and close to Totsie, "Do you want to ride on my tiger..? He is very nice and you seem very tired."
Totsie tilted her head in question, "Tiger? What tiger?"
Corqe moved to the side revealing a very large orange riding tiger. Its green head jewel sparkled in the light, the large fangs seemed to not bother Totsie at all who had already run up to it and given it a very large hug around its neck. Corqe easily lifted Totsie onto the tiger, and they began to walk again as Corqe and Lania shared their stories with Totsie.
Further down the path, Akama narrowed his eyes as he saw two figures walking towards him. He also saw the tiger of the Night Elves. Alliance? Out here? As he drew closer, he saw that two troll children had been taken prisoner by a Night elf hunter and druid. This would be an extremely tough fight for him, but it was to save troll children. This couldn't be any harder than his fight with Kel'Thuzud. Reaching behind him, he drew his bow up with an arrow readily notched.
Standing on his raptor, rage filled him as he saw that his daughter was one of the prisoners. The arrow was released as Speedy kept to his name, and ran at the suspects.
Corqe pushed Liana to the side and drew his hands together forcing roots to sprout out of the ground stopping Speedy in his tracks.
Nintu had jumped off of her mother's shoulders as she herself drew a bow and notched an arrow. A wolf sprang forth attacking speedy attacking the other fiercely. Liana began to run forward as another arrow was notched. Corqe began forward as well, but he suddenly turned into a large bear rushing forth. Filled with rage, he charged forth knocking Akama off of his raptor. Liana laid down a trap backing slowly and attacking the raptor, suddenly the raptor was encased in ice.
Liana sprinted forward to find her husband also trapped in ice, and jumped backwards as several shots were fired at her. Running forward, she fired several arrows in return, but suddenly became engulfed in flames. Shielding her face from the flames, she tried to run out of them but felt a heavy weight against her shoulder. It was the attacker with two large swords digging deeply into her armor. What Akama did not expect was to be suddenly attacked by a lion and was thrown off of Liana.
Totsie and Nintu were still on the tiger watching the fight.
"Why's your daddy and mommy attacking my daddy?"
"I don't know." Nintu shrugged without much care.
"Hi daddy!!" Totsie waved at her father as he was blocking the sharp teeth of Corqe as a cat and another two handed sword with his own.
The three trolls paused looking at one another, and slowly picked themselves off of the ground.
Akama offered his hand in helping Liana up, "I'm.. terribly sorry for this. I thought you were alliance because.."
"Being one of the few troll druids, and the only with a tiger gives good cause for alarm friend." Corqe patted Akama on the back as the pets were called off one another, and they strolled back to the two girls on the tiger.
"To make it up to you two, I'd like to invite you over for dinner," Akama said apologetically hugging both Corqe and Liana.
"I'm not so-" Corqe was interrupted as the hilt of Liana's sword 'bumped' into his stomach.
"We'd love to. We're also moving here to Vulturetusk-"
"Raventusk."
"Raventusk village. Do you know where we will be staying for the night?"
Akama smiled and nodded, "Aye, that I do. You'll be spending the night with us as we prepare your new home. Hope you don't mind headcheese for dinner."
As the adults laughed at the simple joke, Totsie and Nintu stared at each other making the same disgusted look with their noses scrunched and tongues out. They hated headcheese.