**This is my FIRST warcraft fanfic, so please, be gentle! Disclaimer is that I don't own the idea of WoW, I just take credit for my characters and the events in this story. Enjoy!**

Chapter One-

I stood my ground although my soul was telling me to run. I slowly reached for an arrow, not taking my eyes off of my foe in front of me. I prayed to my silent Goddess as the beast came closer and closer, its razor sharp teeth bared and a low growl escaping the gaps between. I aimed, hoping beyond whatever I had that it would stop the creature. In a flash of valor that seemed to come from inside of me, I released my dart and in the blink of an eye the bruit dropped, ceasing forever its terror and mayhem. Speaking thankful and solemn words, I slowly walked over to my kill. It's massive body lay still and I was more than certain I had ended its life.

"Leanobia! There you are! Why'd you run off on us?"

I didn't turn at the sound of the voice coming up from behind me. I felt a hand on my shoulder, and automatically put my own over it.

"Sorry. I tracked him beyond the hills and I knew that I must do something."

"What do we do with it now?"

I finally turned to my guild, made up of a mix and match assortment from the Alliance, and shook my head. I wasn't entirely sure what to do with it.

"Guiles what do you suppose we do with this monster?"

An elder human with short spiked white hair and pale leathery skin made his way to the center of the circle that we had formed around it. I strapped my bow to my back alongside my quiver and waited for his answer. Guiles was exceedingly wise and, as a priest, knew how to deal with death better than anyone in our group.

"Well, I suppose we need to find out what and where our deceased friend came from. I believe I know someone who can help with that."

I nodded and looked to the others for reactions. My Night Elf mate, Darius also nodded in agreement and in moments the others did also.

"Why don't we put it in a safe place with the proper precautions so that, in the unlikely chance it were to awake, it can't escape and kill any more innocents?"

"Good idea Byron," I praised a very squat and very hairy dwarf, who had taken the large gold emblazoned sword in his grubby hands and started poking at the dead animal with it.

Darius, who had been close to me the whole time, pulled me aside as the others began conversations about what to do with our catch. I sighed, letting out the breath that had seemed to have been caught in my lungs since I began tracking.

"You did well my love," he spoke in his deep silky voice.

Darius, who had been with me for almost a decade, was tall and strong. His warrior like reflexes and superior cunning were what had set him apart from others in his class. He was so unique that the High Council at Darnassus had chosen him as their first class general only a year after he had graduated.

"I know, however something inside of me just doesn't feel right. That beast, Darius, the way it looked at me. It was… very strange."

I leaned heavily against the nearest tree, its bark soft on my exposed skin. I could smell the sap flowing benieth the exterior and inhaling totally, I coldn't help but smile. I loved the Earth and all she offered. Most of the reason I became a professional hunter was so that I could be as close to the trees, the grass, and the water, as possible.

"We will have to seek out a teller. Perhaps it is nothing, but I feel it is better to be safe than sorry."

"Leanobia! Darius, let's not waste anymore time. We need to get to a village before nightfall,"

"Right. Let's get our mounts and we can hitch the thing to the back of Nerah," I answered speaking of my Nightsaber, who had been waiting a few yards back as I had instructed.

Darius, Byron, a second human female named Trista, and our only Draenei, a male named Phylitoros helped me hoist the cargo onto Nerah, who was as still as a statue throughout the whole process.

"Darius you lead and Phylitoros keep up in the rear. Guiles, where is the nearest village?"

"It would have to be Goldshire which is roughly a three hour ride. We should be able to make it by dusk."

"Alright, Goldshire it is."

I had only been to The Eastern Kingdoms once before this time and I was still not all familiar with my surroundings or whereabouts. I had left Kalimdor the year before, not entirely sure why. I loved my home, but I somehow was pushed to want more. Some unseen force brought me to Stormwind where I met up with Guiles, who, at the time, had been searching for a pack of 'rouge' good guys to join him on a quest to defeat all the evils the Horde had brought upon Alliance territory. I knew that this was the call I had been longing for, so I felt no hesitation in saying yes immediately. Rouarc, our most recent addition, a human warlock with skin the color of night, was our unspoken and final initiate. Tumbling on the verge of a dozen, Guiles and I had figured that 10 members would be more than enough to justify our cause.

"Leanobia, I want you to stay in the middle. We need equal power from both front and back if anything unexpected happens."

I took my place among my companions and with a steady pace we rode among the ever setting sun to our civilized destination.