Lavishna loved walking in the woods. It was absolutely her favourite past-time. The way the sunlight glittered through the violet trees, the butterflies dancing rainbows amongst the leaves. She walked slowly, as she always did, drinking in the scent of a hundred different flowers. Most of the time, she would walk barefoot, the feel of the earth never failing to absorb any worries or concerns she had, leaving her feeling relaxed and at peace. Lavishna loved all things, but the earth, and nature, were the ones that truly stood out for her.

She walked for an hour, maybe two, before reaching the clearing. She came to this clearing every day, to fetch water from the deep pool that bubbled quietly. But today, it felt different. The air felt warmer, the shadows darker. Despite the heat, Lavishna shivered. There was a glow to the air, and Lavishna felt unsettled. It was not a sensation she had often, living so far away from others. Sometimes, there would be birds singing in the trees, and maybe a deer or one of the wild nightstalkers would be drinking from the pool. These days were always the best, as Lavishna loved the company of the animals living close to her cottage. For some reason, all beasts seemed to like her. She rarely met an animal that tried to hurt her, which made living alone even easier.

Today though, there was silence. Lavishna licked her lips nervously. Maybe she should come back for water tomorrow? She was sure she'd have enough to last her the night. Shaking her head, Lavishna scolded herself. "There is nothing to be afraid of. There must be a storm coming. That is all." She told herself. Taking a deep breath, Lavishna took a step towards the well…

And immediately shrieked, ducking behind a tree. A flash of crimson light slashed through the air, and something landed in the pool with a large splash. Shaking, Lavishna peeked around the tree, unfamiliar fear clouding her thoughts. A large, round egg was sitting in the pool. The crimson glow had vanished, but the air was still tinged with an odd heat. Lavishna waited a few more minutes, before slowly creeping out from behind the tree. She made her way towards the strange egg, the air getting warmer with every step, until finally, she was close enough to touch it. The egg was huge, half her height at least, and its surface looked rough, like stone.

She hesitated before touching it, catching sight of her reflection in the pool. She looked into her own eyes, and willed herself to be courageous. She was an elf! Elves were attuned to nature. This egg could not harm her. Pale silver hair swayed as she shook her head, and she smiled to herself. She was just being silly. She had lived in these woods for years, had been coming to this pool for years. Why would anything want to harm her now? Steeling herself, she nodded at her reflection, summoning her courage, before stretching out one pale, violet hand to brush the surface of the egg.

The moment her skin touched the egg, Lavishna felt an energy unlike anything she had ever known, flood through her veins. Without thinking, she lifted the egg out of the pool. Or at least, she tried to. It was heavier that it looked. Lavishna studied it, two options clear to her. She could break the rules, and use magic to levitate it home. Or she could leave it here, and forget about it. The energy still burned in her body, and every time Lavishna made a move to walk away, the energy pulled her back. The egg was calling to her, to her very soul. It struck something deep within her, and she simply could not leave it behind. Quickly looking around her to make sure she definitely was alone, she summoned a small amount of arcane magic, just enough to lift the egg and balance it in front of her.

It didn't take long for her to fill her bucket with water, and make the journey back to her cottage, even with the task of simultaneously trying to keep the egg aloft, and not spill any water. Any other elf would likely have struggled with such a task, but for Lavishna? She didn't even have to think about it. She could have used her magic at home, to get water, like most other Mages, however she had been strictly forbidden to use magic. And anyway. Why would she be so lazy, when the walk was so lovely?

Back at her cottage, Lavishna set the egg down in the centre of the room, whilst she emptied the bucket into the jug on her table. She poured half into the jug, a quarter into her small basin, ready for her to wash her face before bed, and used the rest to water the various plants and flowers she had to decorate her cottage. The air was sweet with perfume, and Lavishna hummed quietly to herself, happy to be home. As she hummed, she felt the egg vibrate. Almost dropping the bucket, she turned to it in shock. She hummed again, and again, the very air vibrated, almost in time to her hums.

Lavishna quietly set the bucket down, before moving to kneel before the egg. She had set it close to her fireplace, and the side of the egg which was closest to the flames almost pulsed. A slight tingle shivered down her spine as she brushed her fingers gently against that side. She had seen birds with their eggs high in the trees, and one of her books said that eggs needed warmth to hatch. The opposite side of the egg felt colder than it had before, and worry took over Lavishna. Something tugged at her heart, and once again, that urge to use magic took over. Flames danced in her veins, an overpowering heat that she somehow knew she had to give to this egg.

Placing both of her hands on the egg, she allowed the urge to take over, channelling the flames slowly, allowing them to surge through her hands and into the egg. Small sparks flickered between her skin and the rough edges of the egg, and part of her felt fearful. If anyone found out she was using magic… all at once her fear took over, and the flames became an all-out fire, encompassing the egg entirely. The egg began to shake, violently. Lavishna leapt up, and without thinking, conjured bolts of pure ice, launching them at the flames. She did this until the flames died, but the egg continued to pulse and vibrate, until cracks began to appear.

Fear really did take over then, as the cracks got bigger, and wider. Lavishna ran to the other side of the room, putting the table between herself and the egg. "Well done Lavishna. You're really protected now that the table is in the way" she said to herself. Where had her courage from earlier gone? Eggs were just the vessels that new life was brought to Azeroth in. She had no need to fear it. As soon as she reached that conclusion, her heart tugged towards the egg again, and she moved slowly towards it. As she neared it, the vibrating slowed. Acting purely on instinct, Lavishna put her hands on the egg again, softly removing the cracked pieces of shell.

Without warning, a tiny crimson head poked out of the top of the egg. Lavishna fell back, shocked at first. The head gave a little cry, and Lavishna's soul leapt. Unbidden, her hands removed the rest of the shell, revealing the very last creature she would have ever expected to be inside. The creature sat, looking around the room, before it's eyes fell to her. It gave that sweet little cry again, and a smile broke on Lavishna's face, and her arms opened instinctively. Immediately, the little creature stumbled across the floor, flapping its wings as it did so, before curling up into Lavishna's chest. The creature made a small noise, different to the cry from before. It kept making this little noise, and Lavishna giggled when she recognised the tune from her humming. Her soul felt as though it had suddenly had a broken piece fitted into it, a piece she had never known was missing until this moment. Warmth and comfort flooded over her, a strange feeling she had never experienced before, but had read about in her books.

The feeling was love, and she felt it absolutely and completely, for this tiny crimson Whelpling.