Chapter 2: Arisia
"She was always such a shy and timid girl, always retreating into her books. I don't know why you took an interest in her, did her innocence attract you? I will never understand you humans and yet, here I am helping you." A voice spoke in the darkness of the heart of the cave.
"You know I cannot speak much from here, my friend. I will try to remember to spur it onward, just get it here quickly, my energy wanes." Another voice echoed in reply to the first.
"So sure you wish this? It's an existence which I wouldn't wish upon my greatest foe." A third being chimed in.
"It is better than the oblivion that awaits me otherwise." The second voice ended the conversation.
In a small elven village near the north sea which wrapped the coast of Eversong woods, a young high-elven girl slowly turned the pages of a spell book and learned from their contents. Each year, a caravan came through the town which the young elf called her home. The northern caravan had almost become a celebrated event in the town. Many elves returned from their journeys abroad with the caravan while still more decided to join into the ranks of adventurers who manned the many wagons from the north. The best of goods were set out for the members of the caravan while the caravan also set out its best wares to share with the people.
"Much too busy for me." Arisia had put down her book and moved to a concealed position where she could watch the festivities. Though normally uninvolved, she noticed a familiar face returning from the north this year; she crept slowly towards him to see what he was doing.
Sensing another presence, the elf whom Arisia watched turned towards her and looked her over. "Arisia? Is that really you?"
Jumping back startled and being caught, she replied timidly again. "Y…Yes."
The elf who looked her over was surprised, she had grown so much since he had last been on these shores. His name was Ranilok, the son of a ranger who had died in the second war. After the death of his father, Ranilok had taken interest in the arcane arts that his mother studied and when the caravan came along nearly ten years before, he gladly joined it to find an opportunity to learn more of magic.
Arisia fidgeted and looked down at the dirt, she had never been the one to talk with anyone except her mother. Ranilok showered her with complements on how she looked, but none of them landed as Arisia was lost in her own world of thought.
Finally coming up with a question, Ranilok broke Arisia from her trance. "So why are you here? Do you want to buy some of these books?"
The books that Ranilok mentioned were powerful spell books of frost magic. Arisia's calling was also that of a mage, but she was nowhere near as powerful as Ranilok.
"Well I guess… how many silver are they?" Arisia slowly let out after thinking longingly over what to say.
"Silver?" Ranilok chuckled. "I didn't consider it, you probably can't afford these. They come from the ancient settlements that surround Daggercap bay. Each individual book runs quite a cost in gold, not silver. They may even equal the books taught in the great city of Dalaran if they do not surpass them."
"Gold? My that's much too expensive." Arisia looked closer at them, obviously interested in the books now.
"I sell them because it is my calling to harness fire, not ice. Ice might be useful here, but not in the cold north." Ranilok kept an eye on the books, never having tested how trustworthy Arisia was.
Still fixated on the books, Arisia tried to pick one of them up. She almost forgot that people were around her and that she was no longer hiding behind a building. As she had forgotten this, a bunch of others ran up behind and beside her, grabbing at the books and placing down the high cost of them to take them away for later. Arisia looked up and thought to bolt for safety, scared of so many people at once.
"Arisia? you're leaving so soon?" Ranilok looked up at the girl who quickly moved away from his dealings.
Pausing a bit once she was outside the crowd, Arisia turned around, and had a panicked look in her eyes. "Ummh… Ummh."
"Aren't you going to stay and talk? I have so many stories of what the caravan does in Northrend." Ranilok questioned again.
Arisia bit her lip slightly and looked at the ground, making a gesture at all the people standing around. Ranilok didn't understand it and he shrugged it off, figuring she had her reasons for leaving. Remaining on the edge of the crowd, Arisia looked around at the rest of the caravan. Many people her age ran around in training garbs of their level. The trade bustled so much that it made her head spin. Suddenly her thoughts shifted from the crowd to something else, she felt a slight need within herself, the flows of magic called to her. Leaving for home, she knew what time it was already.
In order for high elves to control their addiction to magic, they were required to meditate for a given time each day to practice control. Many chose to do this at sunset as it was a somber time when the sun that the high elves exalted passed from the sky. Arisia thought of what she had seen at the caravan, the frenzy for knowledge and her own inability to achieve it while she meditated.
Speaking to herself softly, Arisia put her thoughts into words. "One day, I'd like to earn them."
By the time that Arisia decided to go back outside, the festivities were over. All the main buying was done and only deals out of the packing up wagons were occurring. Standing at a safe distance, Arisia's bluish violet eyes stared through the darkness at the caravan. Looking at a book on the edge of the caravan site, she saw that about fifteen of the elves in the town, some younger than her, had signed up to join the caravan. This was a normal occurrence; some would return and others would go each year.
"Arisia, come here." The young elf's mother called from the house.
Walking back over to her house and looking in for a moment, Arisia replied. "Yes mama?"
"Aren't you going to sign up this year?" her mother, who was a ranger as Ranilok's father had been, asked.
Turning red with embarrassment, Arisia shook her head. "N-no...why would I?"
"You're of age to go." The mother's words leaned on Arisia.
"But...but I don't want to." Arisia protested.
Continuing to lean while working on fletching some arrows, her mother spoke again. "Why not. So many others are going."
"I am happy here." The young elf shot back in a mellow fashion.
"But you're always here. You haven't seen the world. I fear that if you don't go, you might never get to."
Not wanting to admit that her mother was right, Arisia bit her lip lightly again and darted out of the house to watch the caravan further.
Her mother, Adria, shook her head and spoke regretfully to her self. "She's never gonna get out of here."
Outside, Arisia crept closer to the wagons of the caravan staying near the shadowed buildings and only coming into the light to cross between the shadows of the structures. She wanted to catch a glimpse of Ranilok again, he had changed so much since he had left. Finally seeing the other elf, she noticed he was packing up the books that he had been unable to sell. To the side of this, closer to the center of the caravan, she spotted a human of normal stature with shoulder length black hair which was scraggly and slightly unkempt. The man was speaking to a small group of young elves; the caravan recruits. For some reason, Arisia found the man handsome. Looking at him more, her eyes got wide and she began to blush. Moving around a few more buildings, she crept closer and poked her head out from behind a the closest house she could find. The man was explaining the basic things that the new members would need to go on the caravan. Confident that no one was paying attention to her, Arisia snuck out from behind the building and stood behind the human at a small distance. Lost in listening, Arisia didn't notice the man finish talking and dismiss the crowd.
"Another year, hopefully I will do well with it." The man muttered to himself then paused. "You can come out now, I know you are there." He spoke without looking.
Arisia turned towards the buildings looking to dart away but then realized how impolite it would be and turned back. Watching the man warily, she didn't speak.
"Why are you hiding behind the wagons. miss?" the man continued.
"I...I..." Arisia took a few steps back, stuttering horribly. "was...j-just...wa...watching..."
"Really? Why not come up with them then?" the man asked further.
Shaking her head quickly, Arisia continued to stand there and look down at her feet.
"You won't even stand with the others in your town?"
"I don't talk m-much."
"Why?"
Arisia could only shrug. It was very easy for the man to tell that she was withdrawn; he had not seen this much among elves. Stealing a glance at the other elves that were going about collecting what they needed to join the caravan, Arisia felt somewhat jealous. 'Why wasn't she like them?' she thought.
"So are you wanting to join this caravan?" the man continued. "You appear to be a mage, I could always use mages."
Turning her head, her eyes filled with panic, she tried to reply. "B-but I..."
"Yes?" the man looked to her inquisitively.
"M-my mother... I..."
"Your mother does not wish you to go?"
Arisia shook her head, still speaking cautiously and with difficulty. "S-she wants me to go… but I…"
"You are scared of such a journey?" he guessed.
Blushing and looking embarrassed, Arisia remained silent. It was obvious that the human had discovered what Arisia was thinking.
"You will have many companions." He looked towards the others as he spoke.
Looking at them also, Arisia then met the man's deep brown eyes with a curious look.
"Make your choice. Many of the others are already prepared."
After gazing around for a moment again to see if her mother was there and finding nothing, Arisia suddenly blurted out her response. "Alright, I'll go!" she blinked, very surprised at what she had just said.
"Very well then. Go find yourself warm clothes and anything else you need. You may only have one backpack to begin. Be here tomorrow morning." The man turned and then looked back. "What was your name again?"
"A-arisia..." the elf stuttered out.
"Arisia; a nice name. I am Methuselah Drakivaz, and I am leading the caravan this year. I will see you in the morning."
Nodding at him, Arisia turned and ran off, still wondering exactly why she had agreed to go in the first place. When she arrived home, Adria was inside reading a book.
"Mama… I agreed to go." Arisia looked sad and confused now that she had reached home.
Sitting up quickly, her mother commented. "Well. That is amazing."
"I don't want to... I don't know why I said I would." The elf girl continued.
"The man's eyes were pretty." Arisia blushed. "He asked me if I was going."
"Well, is it what you really want?" Adria asked sternly, still concerned as much as she was enthusiastic for Arisia to travel.
"I don't know, but that man seemed nice. I spoke to him more than I speak to anyone besides you or Ranilok."
"Ranilok is here? You haven't spoken to him since before he left." Adria commented. "You really should talk to people more. I can only wish you the best on this. I've felt you needed to go for some time."
"Ok… I'll go." Arisia hugged her mother goodnight. "Will I be ok?"
"I'm sure you will, you are my daughter and survival runs in our blood." Adria encouraged her daughter and then sent her off to bed after giving some of the old items that she had began her own journeys with when she was a young elf to Arisia.
The night passed all to quickly as Arisia slept. The only noise that eventually awoke her was a knocking at the door below her room. Arisia rose from her bed, rubbing her eyes, and answered the door.
Three elves stood outside. "Ummh… where looking for Arisia. She's late."
"O-oh..." Arisia's eyes widened.
"Are you her?"
Before the elves could get a reply, she ran back upstairs and jumped into her traveling clothes, still visibly sleepy. Coming back to the door, she stood before them.
"So you are then." Another of the three spoke up. "Come with us, everyone is waiting."
It was much earlier than she was used to waking, a dawn dispatch. Pulling her cloak almost entirely over her head as to shroud her face, Arisia followed the other elves quickly. Though she felt somewhat homesick and unsure already, the elf girl felt bound to her word; she would go with the caravan. After showing her to a wagon, the other elves left. Arisia quickly climbed in, taking note that it was the lead wagon. To her delight, familiar faces were in the lead wagon; Ranilok and Methuselah. Nervously she clung to her pack and looked down after sitting.
"Oh, hello Arisia. Looks like you'll be making the trip with us." Methuselah commented.
"Y-yes..." Arisia nodded barely and went back to looking down.
"You seem ill at ease still. I am surprised that you came out like this" Ranilok said as the wagons began to move.
"I'm not used to leaving this place." Arisia said without thinking about it.
"Amazing, a sentence without stuttering" Methuselah laughed.
Looking up for a second and reddening with blush, Arisia exclaimed. "hmph!" and then took out a book to read. Eventually she peeked out the back of the wagon and looked at their surroundings. "It's beautiful." She stared all around her.
"You've never been outside of Eversong forest?" Methuselah questioned.
"No...I've never left home." Arisia replied sheepishly.
Laughing in an alluding fashion, Methuselah spoke. "Well then my little elf, you are in for quite a treat."