Stage one: Denial
I'm drenched and cold but somehow, my bones are still on fire. I need to keep going. Just put one foot in front of the other. Put one shaky foot, then the other, just to keep going…on…
Gusts of wind and ice cold tempest hit me mercilessly. I can't seem to understand what I'm looking at. All I know is that I must keep going. Somehow it's dark outside, a perpetual haze follows my sight and I've lost track of time. The world is spinning around me while the violent cold rain beats me down. My hands are useless with all the shaking. I can't think straight, can't find a way… I'm lost.
Sun help me I'm so lost…
Nothing makes the shaking stop; nothing stops the burning hunger, the emptiness. Where am I going? Why am I doing this, what is the point? What is … that noise?
I turn towards the crackling I thought I heard in the distance but I can't make out anything anymore.
"Who's there?" I shout at the haze surrounding me. "I wouldn't sneak up on me if I were you!" Although my rickety voice is not very convincing, my hand starts glowing in a purple hew, the arcane manifesting itself reluctantly at my command. With nerves on edge and gritting teeth, I am primed to face my assailant. What I'm not prepared for is the underbrush tangling itself on my drenched robes with gangly branches that eagerly reach out for me. I try to free myself to no avail, the more I fight the harder it grabs for my hair. With all that is left of my strength I push the thing away, or rather, push myself away from it which sends me crashing down the slope but not before my leg makes a sickly snap.
After tumbling and skidding on the mud sodden slope I hit rock bottom. Darkness envelops me.
I've always loved the smell of petrichor, the smell of earth and rain combined. Autumn rains are my favorite, or maybe summer rains. Hmm, I don't know, rain is nice either way. It makes the plants so happy. Speaking of plants, why is it so hard to find the perfect Earthroot? It has to be the right age for the hoof balm to work. Eh, I don't mind either way, who doesn't love the chance to stretch his legs once in a while? At one with nature, I am truly at peace here.
Maybe I should look under pine trees; I mean that's where they usually grow. There's a patch of trees over there in the distance, by the mountain side. I wonder if I'll get lucky.
Climbing the slope towards hopefully a big batch of juicy, ripe Earthroots I notice a beautiful family of striders casually wandering about. What a nice little family. Oh, but what is that? Than little stranger has feathers, bright red feathers huh! You don't see that every day. The others don't seem to like him much. The poor fellow must be an outcast because of his pretty plumage. I hope he'll manage to make friends. Loneliness is hard on a bird. Should I get them acquainted? Nah, Nurisipa insists I let nature take its course, though that is one beautiful strider.
All of a sudden a piercing screech reaches my ears from somewhere up the hillside. I wonder, what that could be? Maybe it's a poor creature trapped in one of those vile contraptions that the Palemane poachers keep setting around? Poor thing, I better go have a looksee…
There it is, the screeching again, poor, poor distressed little thing. I better hurry and help it.
As I get to the top of the incline I notice a swirling bunch of red garbs assaulting a bush. The bush seems to be winning. Now that I've gotten a little closer to the commotion, the poor soul battling the brambles must be some sort of night elf although I've never seen one this runty and pink before. He seems distraught, maybe I should go offer my assistance.
A loud boom and a purple flash later and the miserable thing goes flailing through the air like a ragdoll before landing on its face and rolling down the hill in a heap. I hope he isn't hurt, I should investigate.
Once I reach the ditch at the bottom of the hillside I finally get a good look at the vicious bush assaulter. He's so pale, that can't be right. I've never seen a night-elf this short before. Maybe he's afflicted by some sort of illness.
His clothes are fine but worn and wet, all plastered to his lithe figure. Long, black hair all messy, sodden and spread all over the place sticks to its angular face. I'm sure it's male though, night elf women don't have facial hair, not that I know of anyway. His breathing is strenuous, and now that I get a better look at him, he's even paler than before, also… unconscious. I've never seen someone in a coma jitter that much before, he must be freezing, although it's not that cold outside or maybe it's just me, ahh the benefits of fur. I should take him with me. I'm sure Nurisipa won't mind another mouth at the table; she cooks a little bit extra anyway. The chap looks like he needs a warm meal in his belly.
As I gather him up in my arms I notice he weighs next to nothing. What sort of dire illness could have reduced him to such a state? I better rush home so I fling his wispy frame on my shoulder and head on back to Bloodhoof Village.
The storm outside is sure testing out our new tent. So far not even a single drop managed to get through. Chaw Stronghide's craftsmanship is amazing. I should make him a pie. Jolonel likes my pies, they may not be as good as Jhawna's but he loves mine better. I smile to myself. I love him better too. Mother Swiftsinger is milling corn in the back. This new tent is so much bigger; it'll be full with children's laughter in no time.
Speaking of my love, he's been off for some time now. I told him Earthroot is out of season. But noo, he went to look for it in this downpour. Trying to get out of sweeping duty I bet.
I can't find it in myself to be upset though. Thinking of him, and there he is, lugging some sort of wounded creature again. He's such a softy, this husband of mine.
"How many times do I have to tell you love? The wolves need to eat too dear. You can't help every sickly strider you find around!" I told him without lifting my gaze from the apples I've been chopping. Desert can't wait for anything you know.
"It's not a bird this time honey" he said sounding worried. "This time it's a sickly night elf".
I turn around to see the damage. Lo and behold, my sweetheart is holding an indistinct bundle of crimson in his arms all wet and dripping on my freshly cleaned floor.
He heads off without a care in the world and deposits his burden in the baby hammock. The elf is so small now that I get a good look at him, he might be a Kal'dorei child lost in the woods that my dear husband found. But what would a child be doing all the way out here alone? And, huh, a bearded child… not a child then, just a runt…and so pink. Maybe it's a human elf hybrid of some sort, shunned by his peoples… I should stop listening to Wunna Darkmane's melodramatic fireside stories.
Mama Swiftsinger leaves the corn and comes closer as well.
"Son, that's not a Kal'dorei. It's an elf from the other side of the world. They're smaller and pale, that's normal for them. I've seen some with the humans back in the war. This one seems ill though. He's got the shivers, a flu maybe." She looks the man over and gasps. " Jolonel, you've been lobbing this poor elf around like a sack of potatoes without a care for his swollen leg. What do I keep telling you about sprains and fractures?"
Jolonel's ears flatten as he answers in a low voice "Reduce the sprain or fracture and put a stilt as soon as possible" then he huffs. "I keep forgetting to do that. You know me mom; I'm woolly-headed in a crisis."
"Nevermind that dear, let's just help the poor man."
My love and his mother go about their healing techniques. I'm no good with that sort of thing. The only way I can help is by making the food more consistent. The elf's aquiline face is more angular than it should be, betraying his state of malnourishment and neglect. His breathing is heavy and his skin is like ivory with sickly purple blotches. He is trembling ceaselessly.
I add more logs to the fire, that should warm up the place faster. A dry blanket wouldn't hurt either. Maybe I should change the stranger out of his drenched clothes. I think I have a spare shirt lying about here, somewhere…
My eyelids are leaden and the shaking is so much worse, old bones rattling and grinding against each other. My head is pounding and the pain is excruciating.
The crystals! Where are the crystals?! I need them! Where!? I must have them now!
My skin is all sore and itchy, I can't help scratching madly away, the grating draws blood but the itching remains, I keep scratching fruitlessly.
I can't think straight anymore, I'm burning up. I need air. My throat is dry and the world is spinning. The haze has closed in on me.
Air, I need to get away from this place, wherever this is.
I reach out a jittery hand towards the wall to stop the world form whirling around me. It doesn't help, my stomach starts turning instead.
I dangle one foot out of the nest I find myself in but surely enough, it can hold no weight. A violent sharp pain shoots through my limb as I plummet to the hard floor with a bang. Agony radiates through my burning, quivering bones more vividly. A pained wail escapes through my treacherous mouth.
A mountain of brown furs emerges from the side, it stands and moves my way. Hooves and horns coming towards me menacingly.
I try to scream a warning at it but nothing comes out of my parched throat. I won't let it end like this! I will not go down without a fight, even if I'm going down with it.
I summon all that is left in me, and swing it at the thing! My aim is off, the blaze I've summoned hits the wall instead. It spreads hungrily and the monster yelps! The wall catches fire and the thing starts palming the flames furiously as it screeches. Another fiend rises immediately, a gray horned beast. Its voice is low, almost silent comparing to the brown thing, hissing from time to time and then, I hear massive hooves from behind. The greatest beast of all, black and threatening, it looms in front of me and grabs my hand. My strength is like that of a child comparing to the lumbering monster. Its grip is like a vice of unmovable stone against my aching wrists. I can't move and magic doesn't answer anymore. "Let go of me demon!"
I struggle against it fruitlessly kicking at it with my good foot and trying to bite the thing's massive fingers. Then I feel it, the magic in this beast sings to me, like a drop of water in the parched desert, like a storm in the distance, it calls to me and I meet it half way. The effect is instantaneous; the swirling confusion that is my thoughts subsides. The pounding stops. My bones sit still for once. The haze lifts itself and I can see and hear clearly for once. The emptiness is not abated though, it calls for more, Sun have mercy but I need more... The first few drops become a stream, then a river quenching the burning that had become my whole being.
The creature yelps in shock and hurt and then I finally see it for what it is… a mere tauren. Shame and horror overwhelm me for what I have done. The connection is severed brusquely. Eternal Sun forgive me for the monster I have become.
The creature looks at me with gentle brown eyes and speaks slowly in a calm voice as he reaches down for what seems to be a sodden cloth. He tries to choke me with it and I can't find it in myself to put up any resistance. The world goes dark again.
An hour worth of incantations and communing with the spirits and nothing! I don't see any improvement. It's like the body doesn't want to heal. My son's efforts don't seem to bare any fruit either. I'm at a loss. What are we missing?
"Son, I think we've done all we can for now. I am spent. We should take a break and think on what we might be missing."
"Yes mom, I feel our spells dissipating with no effect. I don't understand what I'm doing wrong here. You're right we should take a break. The food is getting cold."
Ah, my son and his stomach… I suppose he's right though. He has been wondering all day, he must be famished by now.
Sweet Nurisipa, quick thinker that she is, has changed the elf out of his wet clothes and in her maiden shirt to keep him warm. The elf looks lost in her chemise, like a child wearing a sack, a shoulder finding its way out of the collar. The sight would have been amusing under different circumstances but the bones protruding under the sickly skin are no laughing matter nor is the constant jittering. We move the crib closer to the fire.
Nurisipa lays the food in neat bowls on the dining mat. The food may have gotten a bit lukewarm but it's still delicious. She does pour her heart out in everything she does. My son chose well.
The sound of scratching stops me mid-chew. The rats are at it again. I thought Jolo told them to leave. He wouldn't let me poison them. I'm sharing my house with rats now. Life is strange but I wouldn't have it any other way.
Nurisipa gets up and heads for the crib, the elf moved. A gangly leg is hanging off the side of the baby hammock then the whole thing plumps to the floor with a ragged squeak. He raises his head and looks our way, glazy green eyes looking somewhere off in the distance, hands like claws scratching at the floorboards. A jumble of dry, incoherent sounds comes out of his mouth. And then, out of a sudden a lick of flames envelops him then jumps at the wall behind Nurisipa. Her family motif is now ablaze.
" Haaah! my mother's carpet! What have you done you rabid thing!?" She shrieks while trying to put the flames out with her hands and cloak.
"Nurisipa, your scaring him, lower your voice dear." I tell her in as calm a tone as I can. " I think he's confused, Shhhhh! It's okay little one, calm down. You're safe here. We're friends".
She ignores me, the girl sure has a temper to her. " A sorcerer in my house, Joloneeeeel! Of all the things you could rescue, you had to find a damn rabid sorcerer in the rain! My mother's carpet is ruined! It's been passed down in my family for generations! How would you like it if my pets chewed your mother's totems huh!?" She said in an exasperated tone. The girl definitely has a strong pair of lungs on her.
My son managed to sneak near the frightened thing in the meantime and grabs him by the wrists gently but sternly and the elf wiggles and twists violently in his grasp shrieking. He tries to hit my son, and even bite at him in horror while my son lets him wear himself out. And then it happens… the strangest thing the room feels frozen. It feels like ice in my veins and from the looks of it, my son and daughter in law feel it too. Like all the warmth in the world was drained away at that very moment and my head starts to swirl.
Jolonel gasps. And then, the elf's gaze becomes less glassy as he finally stares at my son. A look of shame replaces the instinctive horror on his face and the feeling stops.
My boy reaches down for a cloth in his pouch and dips it in a draught. "It's all right there buddy, time to go to sleep now. You'll feel better in the morning. I promise", Jolonel says then puts the cloth over the elf's face and the latter does nothing to stop him. He succumbs to the sleeping draught. In an instant, his limbs turn to mush and my son gently scoops him up and deposits him back in the crib then backs away with shoulders slumped and falls on his bottom by the wall, a hand to his head, rubbing his temples in circles.
"You felt it too didn't you mom?" He asks in a strained voice.
"What was that?" Nurisipa asks with a look of shock on her face.
"I feel my spirit drained" I tell them.
The food lays forgotten on the mat in silence.
Ouch my head. What in the world was that? I feel dizzy and tired all of a sudden. I should go lie down a bit.
He looked at me! He looked at me and not through me. Whatever he did, it helped him… Such a sad gaze in those big green eyes… What in the world has he seen, what has driven him to such a state?
What have I gotten myself into this time?
Nurisipa's wailing finally stops. She loved that carpet. "I'm so sorry honey, I know how much it meant for you." She sighs and walks over then drops besides me and I give her a hug ruffling her mane. She rests her head on my neck and sighs again.
Mother gets up on shaky feet and walks over to the crib tucking the elf in furs. "I think you may have bitten off a bit more than you can chew this time son." She looks at me with a conflicted gaze and says "I think it's better that we keep him sedated for his own safety and ours until he's better. He doesn't seem to be aware of what he's doing. Nurisipa dear, the carpet was an accident. I'm sure he didn't mean too, he was just scared out of his mind" She looks to the side." I think we should take turns watching over him tonight. I wouldn't want him to have another panic attack unsupervised".
Nurisipa nods. "I'll take first shift. Whatever he did, it affected the both of you more than me. You should rest up mother… You too love. You look drained."
She lets go of me and walks over to the crib looking at the messy tangle of hair escaping the furs. "Hard to believe that such a small sickly thing can cause such a mess".
I want to take first shift, my love looks tired too but I can't find it in myself to contradict her. My thoughts are all a mess so I give in. I'm heading to bed.