The Journey
Aleksander stirred groggily as the pale morning light shone into his eyes. Opening them warily, he tried not to remember that horrid flight- dodging the guards, the chill, the wolf packs, the branches that snagged his clothes to the owl who saw it fit to let its droppings fall on him.
Stretching he suddenly lost his balance and plummeted several feet to damp earth- he had been asleep in a tree. Groaning, he got up tenderly, wondering how much distance he had put between him and the soldiers. "At the pace I was going, and through the forest not even the roads...it could not have been more than a few hour lead...I can't waste time." He had gotten out of Elwynn and was near the Swamp of Sorrows...he figured he could get to Booty Bay and then take a goblin ship across...he shivered involuntarily. "Tigers...raptors...god forsaken creatures and me traipsing through the forest like some nymph...more like lunch!"
Swiftly, he threw his cloak back on and finally took a moment to sift through the bags Ma had packed- bread, cheese, standard travel jerky. Two filled water flasks- he grabbed one and greedily drank a third of it in a gulp. Putting it aside he pulled out the map Pa had drawn the directions on...a compass, flint, tinder, a skinning knife, a small length of rope, ...and his tools.
Warmth and homesickness suddenly flooded Aleksander. "Stark must have grabbed them before he left...why...why am I hiding in a tree in the middle of a swamp when I should be learning how to make new alloys today with Master Ellington!" Anguished, he was lost in a swift remembrance of all he would never see again...because of that bastard...
He grabbed some of the bread, and got up. He needed to keep moving...he wouldn't get the satisfaction of dragging him in with the guard...hopefully S1:7 would find out the truth and be able to clear his name. His mind kept treating this all as a temporary measure so he would not break down and have hysterics. He could not think that this was…permanent.
He set off as the sun was bright, keeping off the road as he meandered through the swamp. Every crunch of leaves behind him, and every ominous call of the strange birds made him jump. He had grown up on a farm...not in wilderness such as this. No matter...he would be out soon and close to Stranglethorn. In a short amount of time, he realized 'soon' was a relative term, and whoever had drawn this map had never crossed these distances themselves, or they would not have made them look so…crossable.
For every three steps he took, he sunk to his knees in the muck. For every four steps he took, some type of flying insect would attempt to bite him. For every five steps he took, he would trip over a tree root hidden in the mud, or step on a snake, that would then attempt to bite him. Whenever he wasn't sinking, low hanging branches would slap him in the face, and whenever he concentrated on not falling on another root, he would hear a low growl and desperately try to locate its source.
"By the Light, what have I ever done to deserve this? I go to service every week! I try to be a good person. I work hard, I don't cheat others. This? This has got to be punishment for thieves and murderers."
Aleks focused his mind on his feet so he would not think. Left right, left right, one in front, one in front, one in front, left right. He didn't want to stop and think- he was afraid he'd collapse in madness.
He slept that night under a small bridge he found. Its design seemed of Night Elf origins, which confused him in this wilderness. It seemed to lead to nowhere- a small, beautiful red wood bridge, over a small creek, no larger than the myriad of other small creeks that criss-crossed the landscapes. It still felt like a little piece of civilization, and comforted him. On a practical note, it was dry underneath, and blocked the drizzling rain that started up. He finished off his travel jerky as he stared into the distant nothing. The lack of city noises produced a distracting absence his ear kept trying to strain to hear.
Horde...he was to go live amongst horde...Images swirled around his mind...warring armies, blood thirsty savages...he heard they didn't even speak common. Horrid half cow people and worse...the undead...Aleks shuddered at the thought of the burning eyes that once looked like his. He was to LIVE amongst the creatures..."Better than not living at all." was his last thought before sleep overtook his exhausted, muddy body.
The next day was more of the same torture, except now he could add exhaustion from the previous day, and a crick in his neck from how he slept to the list. Aleksander though about all the homeless leper gnomes he always passed without a glance on the tram. Did they feel like this everyday? Hungry, tired, scared of the guards, with cricks in their neck from sleeping badly on little benches?
These thoughts kept his mind off the drudgery of his position, and allowed the time to crawl by without him marking it- too often. By sunset he could see the tips of the buildings of Booty Bay.