A/N: I'm playing 'catch-up' on the side stories for Diary of a Mad Gamer Chick. First up is Roznik's twin brother, Daznik. Little bit of license here: in the game, we get a nifty little portal spell to whisk us up to Moonglade. I decided that was stupid. Daznik's gotta go on foot. Let's see what trouble he stirs up on his way through contested territories.


The Troll With the Bright Pink Hair

"Whut duh fuck?" Daznik muttered incredulously as he read through the letter from his mother. He leaned an elbow on the top of the mailbox outside the Crossroads inn to steady himself, for both hands were required to hold the note still in the hot, dry wind of the Northern Barrens.

It wasn't a long note; Jozala wasn't one for lengthy missives.

Roznik's lady, Karie, confronted your father. Things were said that have needed to be said for many years. He's come around; we can say her name now. We can honor your sister's memory. Say her name. Say it often. Suliya.

Much love, Jozala

A lump formed in the Troll's throat as he reread the letter.

"Suliya," he whispered, closing his eyes and savoring the name on his lips. His chin quivered slightly, remembering her smiling face. "Suliya," he repeated more confidently. Reading the letter again, he smiled...


"How can yuh stand it, mon?" Suliya asked incredulously. Daznik shrugged. His thoughts were on the task at hand: braiding his big sister's hair. He'd carved several bone charms and was carefully weaving them into her hair so they'd clink together when she moved.

"Don' t'ink 'bout it," Daz replied. "He do his t'ing, ah do mine. We twins, not copies."

"Hmph," his sister snorted. "Two mo' diff'rent boys. Yuh come outta duh same womb. Ought'a be closer. Roz folluh da, an' you folluh mata. How dat happen den?"

"We ain' dat diff'ren'," he replied defensively.

"Look at dis, den," she said, holding up a handful of the bone charms and showing them to him. "He killed fuh dese. Ah ain' seen yuh kill a mouse, Daz. Yuh jus' don' do it. But yuh take what he kill and yuh use it. Don' dat bodduh yuh?"

Again, Daznik shrugged. "He wan' da's respec'. T'ink it'll mean he uh mon."

She glanced over her shoulder and frowned. "Whut dat gotta do wit' dese bones?"

"Roz make duh kills wit' honor," Daz patiently explained. "Whut he kill feed duh Darkspear. Duh leather protect our warriors. Duh sinew string duh bows. Parts be used by duh Darkspear; dey don' go tuh waste. He don' kill foh fun. Dese bones," he added, holding up a charm he'd carved in the shape of a totem just for her, "carry duh strength of duh beast whut give it. Da teach'im tuh honor duh kill, so he honor it. Ah do me own honorin'."

Suliya shook her head. "So he wan' da's respect. Whut do Daz wan'? Cause da don' t'ink of yuh duh same way."

A slow smile curved his mouth. "Ah wan' all duh wimmin tuh love meh."

"Yuh on duh right path for dat," she laughed, elbowing his ribs.


Daznik was glad he recalled his sister smiling and laughing; there were far worse memories that could have come to him. He didn't want to remember her and only see how she was when he and Roznik found her. The memory was painful and filled him with a rare fury he never indulged, and couldn't because of who Zuti was. It was an added insult that their own father refused to do anything about it; not confront the assailants, not beg justice of Vol'jin... Not even accept that she'd been wronged. It took Daznik years not to see her dangling from the rope every time he closed his eyes.

There was no hate in Daznik for anyone or anything, but his anger with his da came terrifyingly close.

Now it seemed that an outside voice had come along and defied the five year long prohibition against speaking her name. Daznik's one encounter with Karie wasn't lengthy, and left him with a very strange impression of her – certainly not one that supported this revelation – but now he needed to know more.

Pulling a parchment and quill from his pack, he hastily scrawled a note to his mata, begging more information.

Another letter he'd received was dated earlier, and came from Roznik. They'd had a long chat the night before Daznik left on his journey, about a week ago now, and he'd gotten the feeling that his twin was harboring some soft feelings for Karie. Daz eagerly broke the seal and unfolded the letter.

The contents made him raise an eyebrow.

Daz,

Something's happened, and I don't want you getting mad at me for it. I think I've fallen for that human, Karie. You met her just before you left. I don't know how it happened; we've been at each other's throats for days, then I caught her with Zuti and got so fucking mad... No woman's ever made me feel this way. I swear I haven't turned traitor to the Horde. I'm not going to betray our people for her. But I feel like I've betrayed her. I couldn't look her in the face after seeing her with that son of a bitch. I came home. I didn't know what else to do, and now I'm worried to death. What if Zuti goes after her? I'll never forgive myself if she gets hurt, but I just can't see her. She cut me deep, Daz. What should I do?

Roz

This was more serious than he thought. Heading back into the inn, Daznik hunkered down on a bunk and pulled another parchment from his pack. Dipping the quill in the ink, he scratched out a reply to Roznik.

Roz,

Just got a note from mata about Karie; what's happening now? Your last said you'd left her alone with Zuti on the prowl. Now she's been to our house and met our parents. I hope that means she's okay.

Don't worry about the rest of it. A man's heart doesn't care what his head has to say; it goes where it wants to go. If you love Karie and don't do anything about it, then you'll be betraying yourself, and that's all that matters in this. The Horde won't fall apart just because you love a human.

I won't be back for Brewfest, so you'll have to get the Kingsblood yourself this year. Maybe you should take Karie with you? Get her away from the Isles and out from under the Warchief's nose for a while. Spend some time together without distractions, you know?

I'll be saying Suliya whenever I get the chance.

Daz

A playful grin on his face, Daznik decorated the letter with a border made up of Suliya's name, repeated in intricate patterns and fancy loops. Here and there he drew the sunny heads of peacebloom flowers, her favorites. Nodding with satisfaction, he sealed the note and took it to the mailbox. Standing straight and rolling his shoulders back, he looked northward up the Gold Road. He'd be heading out in the morning, his few tasks in this area finished. The summons to Moonglade had given him a suggested route and the names of Cenarion Circle members he should contact along the way. Daznik was determined to speak with each one; he'd already checked Tonga Runetotem off the list.

The journey to Moonglade was a test of not only the trainees' abilities, but their immersion in Druidic ways. They were not to use portals or flight paths; the trip was to be made on foot. Coordination and collaboration among fellow trainees making the journey at the same time was encouraged, but Daznik spent too much time healing gazelles for Runetotem and fell behind his fellows from the Isles.

No matter. Daznik was in no hurry. There was so much of the world he hadn't seen yet, and a long list of Druids to visit. He wanted to savor every step.

The endless wind of the Barrens ruffled his many thick braids, interwoven with metal rings and bone carvings. The trinkets bounced against one another in the wind and when he walked, making a soft tinkling sound like wind chimes. His hair stood out like a beacon, for he'd dyed it a bright pink. When the trainees on the Echo Isles figured out that a Druid's hair color determined the coloration of their animal forms, several of them snuck off the island in the middle of the night and made the trip to Orgrimmar to get their hair dyed. Daznik went through several different colors until he was satisfied with how his cat form looked. Bright pink might make him look like an exceptionally tall, and blue, gnome, but he rather liked shapeshifting into a white cat with purple stripes.

Scratching the back of his sunburned neck, Daznik headed for the merchants' stalls to stock up. It was almost a day's run to Mor'Shan Ramparts, assuming he didn't stop too many times.

"Takin' off, mon?" the Troll tradesman, Tari'qa asked as Daznik selected a set of vials and additional pouches.

"Yah," Daz acknowledged with a distracted nod. He was running low on parchment; far more than his brother, he was a letter-writer. He hated being caught in the vicinity of a mailbox without the supplies to send a note to someone. "Got any jerky?"

The tradesman grimaced. "Nah, mon, yuh don' wan' mah jerky. Comes off'uh duh tallstriders. Dey's gamey as fuck. Yuh wanna get yuhself meat off'uh dem lions." Glancing around, he leaned in close and whispered, "Go ask dat Orc whut does duh butcherin'. Zargh. He got some, and can probly tell yuh how tuh make it."

"Yuh tellin' ev'rybody 'bout dat?" Daznik grinned.

Shrugging and grinning, the tradesman replied, "Nah, mon. Jus' duh Trolls. It be funny watchin' dem Blood Elves chewin' on a strip'uh jerky foh a half hour. Most'uh duh time, dey don' give duh Orcs credit foh duh cookin'." He shook his head. "Stupid, dat. Duh butcher be a mastuh. If he cooked dirt, yuh'd wanna eat it."

"Ah'll check wit' him on mah way out," Daznik chuckled.


Daznik's sleek purple-striped form galloped north on the Gold Road. There was no need for stealth, to his way of thinking. The Northern Barrens were Horde-controlled; he wouldn't have to be careful until he reached Ashenvale.

Though the sun was hot, a steady breeze blew, cooled somewhat from the oases dotted about. Daznik only paused occasionally to carefully harvest leaves and flowers from the briarthorn and mageroyal along the way. His herb bags were beginning to fill; he'd have to use those plants soon or risk bruising them in a cramped bag.

He was within sight of the encroaching trees shielding the Ramparts from view when the hair on the back of his neck stood up. He'd shifted from cat form like he always did to gather plants; it required a steady hand with a knife and couldn't be done with unwieldy paws. Hunkered down over some earthroot at the foot of Dreadmist Peak, he got the strong feeling that he was being watched. Daznik frowned, but only paused in his work for a moment. Whoever – or whatever – was watching him hadn't attacked. He was still in Horde territory, minutes away from a Horde outpost.

Shaking his head sharply, he sighed. There had been a veiled warning in the note from Arch Druid Hamuul Runetotem about the possibility of attack from Alliance Druids as he made the journey. It was unfortunate, but a risk not to be dismissed. If he was being tracked by a fellow Druid, he could only hope they didn't mean him harm. If they did... well, he'd have to deal with it then, wouldn't he?

Carefully packing the bits he'd taken, and making sure the plant wasn't so damaged it couldn't recover, Daznik shifted once more to cat form and continued on to Mor'shan Ramparts.

He didn't stay there long; the commander, Kadrak, approached the Troll as he was conversing with the Tauren in charge of healing.

"You headed in there?" he growled.

"Yah, mon," Daznik nodded. "Goin' tuh Moonglade foh trainin'."

"Druid, eh?" Kadrak said thoughtfully. "Listen, it isn't out of your way. Can you get this to Silverwind? It's a little something... special for Flooz. You'll find him..."

"Yah," Daznik interrupted, his expression souring. "Ah know'im."

The Orc met Daznik's gaze steadily. "You just see he gets it."

"Ah'll see to it," the Troll replied stiffly, jamming the package into his pack. Kadrak stiffened.

"You might want to be careful with that," he advised. "Don't jostle it too much."

Narrowing his eyes, Daznik growled, "Ain' goin' t'rough duh mail foh a reason, eh?"

Kadrak nodded. "Right. A really good reason. So you be careful, understand?"

"Yah, mon," Daznik muttered. "Ah be... careful."

The Orc nodded sharply and turned his attention to some scouts bringing him their report. Daznik closed his eyes for a moment and quietly seethed. He'd been through Ashenvale before. He wasn't looking forward to revisiting the Goblins at Silverwind Refuge.

Telling himself it was for the Horde, and Garrosh wouldn't condone any repetitions of the dishonorable act that happened in Stonetalon Mountains, he swallowed his anger and resolved to do his duty. Shifting once more to cat form, he crossed the border into Ashenvale, stealthing as he left the relative protection of the Ramparts.

Another pair of cat's eyes watched his every move.


References to Diary of a Mad Gamer Chick:

Introducing Daznik, twin to Roznik – slightly freaked out by Karie in chapter 24
The Fate of Suliya – revealed in chapter 33
Daznik's involvement in the Stonetalon bombing – mentioned in chapter 53