The two horses acquired at the tavern were calm of temperament and swift of foot, and the pair made good time. They approached the entrance of Stormwind just before the sun sank below the horizon. Zarabethe breathed a sigh of relief as they were nodded through the guards at the gates. Her belly ached again, and she wanted nothing more than to take a mug of hot tea to a quiet corner of the Royal Library and read through her notes until sleep claimed her. She wondered briefly how the newly added history section compared to the vast dwarven equivalent as they turned into the city proper.

The main thoroughfare of the city was a bustling hub as vendors packed their stalls up for the night and patrons hurried to make last minute purchases. A stiff wind blew in from the harbour and circled the fountain, before rushing off to playfully scatter hats and papers before it. It smelled of the sea, salt and a slight hint of fish. The breeze had nothing on the smell of the inhabitants, though. As a relatively short lived race, humans did everything with an enthusiasm and an intensity that made up for their lack of years. Zarabethe wrinkled her nose as she guided her mount through the archway leading to the canals. The city was awash in the pungency of their determination to burn out their lives like a brilliant but doomed star. Some might find it invigorating, but it only served as a reminder to the night elf just how many people were in close proximity to her fragile shell. She found herself tapping her saddle rhythmically as the two made their way to the stables at the back of Old Town. It was a little too crowded and overbearing for her nerves, especially with her mind already on edge. She thought again longingly of silent rows of books and comfortable chairs, and she couldn't dismount and turn over care of her horse fast enough to the man in charge of the stables.

She kept the rhythm of her tapping going with her toe inside her boot as she shouldered her pack and turned impatiently to Elforen. He tipped the stableman and instead of following her, leisurely engaged him in conversation. She stared at the back of the night elf's white mane incredulously: she was about to lose her mind, and her traveling companion was conversing about the weather. After several interminable minutes she cleared her throat pointedly. The other night elf looked up in surprise.

"I'm going to secure a room at The Golden Keg," she said. And then off to solitude, she added in her head.

Elforen nodded, clearly a little annoyed at her impatience. "I need to stop by the smithy in the morning, so I'll meet you at noon at the harbour?"

She was already leaving the stable area behind. She absently waved behind her as she slipped into the crowded road through Old Town and made a beeline for the Dwarven District with Zar at her heels. She would stop by the inn, grab some food and her tea, then absorb herself in history until her anxiety eased. She could feel the satchel's presence over her shoulder, a slight magical hum. And then tomorrow, finally on the way to start the quest burning in her mind.

Darkness had fallen in the human capital by the time Elforen reached the alley that contained his apartment. After getting an approximation of the weather they were about to be sailing on, and then dropping the ore off at the shop, he had decided to forego trying to drag Zarabethe away from her books tonight and just headed home. After spending the last two days with her, the walk seemed strangely empty. He snorted to himself. He wasn't sure why he was wasting time missing her, when it was pretty obvious earlier how eager she was to be by herself. He pushed that thought away from the front of his mind. He wasn't just chasing after her on this quest, he was there for the adventure. And he was genuinely interested in seeing if the famed bronze dragon would have anything to say about the mysterious satchel, or if he would add dragon slaying to his list of achievements.

Lost in his thoughts, he almost missed the cord wrapped around his door handle as he took it to enter his apartment. He paused in mid step, silently unhooking the clip of his throwing axe and grasping it under his cloak. He glanced either way and listened, but he could sense nothing else out of place. Carefully he unwound the leather strap from the door handle and held it up to the scant moonlight. The piece of polished metal hanging from it was worn, as if it had been rubbed many times for luck, but he could still make out the faint outline of a paw print. With a hand that was not as steady as it had been a moment ago, he turned the pendant over. At the very edge, the letters T.W. were scratched into the metal. All the air left his lungs as if he had been punched in the gut. Holding tight to the necklace, he looked up and down the street again. It was disturbingly quiet. He called a name out to the darkness, but it came out a choking whisper. He cleared his throat and tried again.

"Lorel?"

Only the wind answered him. He turned in a full circle, then feeling a little lost, opened the door to his apartment and stepped inside. A flurry of wings followed him in, and he was so on edge he ducked and cursed at the same time. Pulling the door shut behind him, he searched the inside of the tiny room, expecting to find a bat or an owl trapped inside. Instead, he met a pair of mischievous gold eyes above the wardrobe.

"There are disappointingly few places to hide in your apartment, Brother."

The petite night elf attached to the golden eyes giggled as he stood there for a moment, gaping like a fish. When Elforen managed to speak, he said the first thing that popped in his head. "Does Mother know you are here?"

The glowing eyes shifted slightly to the side as Lorel hopped down to the floor. "More or less."

She must have seen the lecture stirring in his face because she pulled herself up to her full height and glared at him. "I am not a child, Talrend. I have passed the Druidic trials. I don't have to ask permission from anyone anymore."

Elforen chuckled weakly and shook his head. "No, I guess you don't." He pulled her into a one-armed embrace and smiled fondly at his little sister. "Oh how I've missed you, Lorel."

The grin returned to her face and she hugged him back. "I've missed you too, Brother."

Elforen realized he was still holding the amulet he had fashioned for her a lifetime ago, and placed it again over her head. He frowned slightly when his hands brushed her bare neck. "You've cut off your hair."

Her eyes glowed as she brushed the cropped white tresses out of her eyes. In his last memories of her, her hair had been very long, even longer than his. Their mother had never let it be cut, and it was usually combed and styled into smooth plaits down the length of her back.

"Mother wasn't happy about that either."

Elforen stepped back and started pacing the length of the room, the frown still on his face. His elation at seeing his sister again was fading to concern. He had left home because he had failed to be the kind of son his parents wanted. Powerful druidic magic flowed in his family, but not even an inkling of it ran in his blood. Although he missed his family terribly, he was sure they were relieved to not be saddled with a failure of a son anymore. But his little sister, she had been born with the treasured golden eyes that marked a powerful druid. She had always excelled at her studies, despite her rebellious nature. Being the one girl born in the family, she was clearly their parents' favorite, and there was no way they would let her travel to the human capital, especially to visit a wayward brother.

He turned to face the petite night elf now perched at the end of his bed. His apartment was so small it was really only one room with a partition separating the sleeping area from the rest of it. He was rarely here except for sleeping, and it fit his needs perfectly. It was also cheap enough he could save up most of his earnings for travel, his true passion. He crossed his arms and leaned back against the far wall.

"Why are you here, Sister?" He held one hand up as she started to deliver a sharp retort. "Don't get me wrong, I'm overjoyed to see you again. Out of everyone I left behind, I've missed you the most."

Her eyes softened as she listened. He strode forward and took her hand in his. Although she was clearly older than when they last parted, she had not grown an inch, still small and to the unknowing, she might appear delicate. He knew from experience that inside her slight frame, coiled a fierce spirit, both mischievous and brave, and she had the druid magic to back it up. He had been the victim of both her temper and her pranks before, and neither were to be trifled with.

"You know that they will never accept you following me over here." There was no need to explain who "they" were. "You are a very talented druid. Please don't throw your potential away just because you missed me."

I'm not worth it, echoed as loudly through his head as if he had spoken it. With a disgusted look on her face, Lorel dropped his hand and hopped down from the footboard. It was her turn to pace the short length of the room now. "Oh come on Talrend, you know I've always chafed under their control. Just because I was born a druid, doesn't mean I want them to run my life!"

She turned her golden eyes to him, and he was taken aback at their intensity. "And I was so angry at how they treated you, Brother...you tried so hard, you wanted nothing more than to please them. But it was never good enough. When you left...it's like you didn't exist anymore. Oh, they didn't flat out deny your existence, if someone asked after you, it was always a vague excuse. You were away training. You were traveling. But within the immediate family, you might as well have died."

Elforen tried not to let his parents' apathy bother him. It was only what he expected, after all.

"But as much as it hurt to see them cut you out, at least it was peaceful on both sides...you didn't see how they treated Kalibose. "

Elforen's stance immediately straightened, and a twinge of fear began in his stomach at the mention of his youngest sibling. "What about Kalibose?"

Lorel's wide golden eyes were solemn as she answered. "He was secretly addicted to the Arcane."

His mouth was too dry to speak more than a whisper. "No...not Kalibose..."

Lorel nodded. "All along he pretended to study for the priesthood, when really he was learning arcane magic on the side. When Mother and Father found out, it was horrible. I've never seen them so angry. They drug Kalibose in front of the entire family, and humiliated him in front of everyone. He was banished from all kal'dorei lands, on punishment of death. They placed a mark of the exile on his forehead."

Elforen stuttered, he was so livid. "But he was just a boy! He wasn't near old enough to take the trials of adulthood: he'll never survive in the wilderness all by himself! By Elune, he was probably just dabbling, just for a lark. He needed rehabilitation, therapy, not banishment! And to try him as an adult..."

Elforen's eyes squeezed shut as he remembered his younger brother. Kalibose was one of the only ones in his extended family without the tell-tale thick white hair: his was bright blue, and he kept it in a ponytail or braid down his back. The last time he had seen him he was still in the full blossom of youth: an intelligent and thoughtful boy that could be found fishing in the stream when not busy with his lessons. Although still not the druid favored by their parents, he did have some talent at healing, and priests were well-revered among the kal'dorei. Elforen would never have thought he would incur his parents' displeasure...and to have been experimenting in the arcane...Elforen slumped down against the wall across from his bed.

Lorel continued talking. "After that, I was done with being Mother and Father's golden child. They have Terral and Alfric," she said their older brothers' names with a sneer. "They weren't going to have me anymore. I studied harder than ever, and I passed my trials a full year early."

The druid sat back down on his bed as she continued her tale.

"Mother was ecstatic. I guess she was already planning a party in my honor. She didn't know I was already packed. I cut my hair on the way to the testing grounds that morning."

The druid put a hand to her unruly, chopped hair. "I used a dagger. It looks awful. But I know how much Mother preened over my hair, and all of a sudden I just couldn't stand the sight of it." The night elf grinned wildly. "I felt so free without my hair: it was like there was nothing that could hold me down anymore. I left as soon as I came home and changed clothes. Mother tried to talk me out of it; I didn't hear any of it. I never even saw Father. I was out of port before they caught up to me."

"If they even tried to catch up to me," she added under her breath.

Elforen's mind was still reeling over the news of his brother. He, Lorel, and Kalibose had always been very close. Terral and Alfric, both esteemed druids, were much older than they were, and were often gone with the Cenarian Circle. Elforen had found himself in the position of oldest brother, and made it his duty to watch over his younger siblings. There were many cousins in the extended Woodstalker family, but they were mostly druids, with a few studying to be priests. He had been the only one lacking talent in both, instead finding solace working with his hands in the lone blacksmith shop outside of town, and practicing with the weapons out behind it. The stocky dwarf that ran the shop took pity on the night elf, and taught him all he knew, until Elforen had surpassed him in skill. He had tried to show his parents what he had learned, the weapons and trinkets he had fashioned in the blistering forge, but they passed their eyes over it to instead focus on his other siblings. By the time he was considering leaving, the other members of his family had been shunning him as well. Lorel and Kalibose were the only ones who would be seen with him. Before he left, he had crafted them each a pendant out of a bit of leftover steel, in hopes they would remember him and how much he cared for them. Lorel's was a paw print, as she was showing great talent as a feral druid, and Kalibose's had been a book. He frowned slightly. His younger brother had been slightly distant at his leaving. Had the gleam in his eyes been sadness, or had he already started to explore the forbidden magic?

"So what do you do here in the human capital?" Lorel's curiosity interrupted his memories. She had hopped off the bed and was exploring his small apartment. "It was hard to find you, no one I asked had heard of you." She poked her nose in a cabinet above the washbasin and her voice came out muffled. "I finally had to cat around, and find you by your scent."

Elforen stood and followed her around the corner. He leaned against the partition as he spoke.

"I don't go by Talrend here. I left my name behind when I joined the army."

She bumped her head as she withdrew it from the cabinet. "How was I supposed to find you that way?"

Elforen snorted. "You weren't. That's the point. I was starting over."

Lorel leaned against the counter, echoing his stance. "Well what is it? If I'm going to be here, I need to know how to find you."

"It's Elforen."

"It's WHAT?" Lorel's eyes gleamed as she started to laugh. He straightened up defensively.

"Look, all the commanders just called me "Elf" anyway, so I took it and made it my own." He looked at her sternly. "If you're going to make fun of me, then you can find your way back to Teldrassil."

His sister bit her lip against her giggling. "Okay, Elforen." When his expression did not change, she threw her hands up in exasperation. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry. I'll try to remember."

He sighed and turned to the wardrobe, taking out several blankets. "I hate to be a stick in the mud, but I've got a big journey I'm starting on tomorrow, and I need to get packed and ready. I'll take you over to the Park in the morning and acquaint you with the Druid trainers." He brought the blankets over to the chair and small hearth in the living area. He caught a glance at her wary expression. "Don't worry, they are kal'dorei, but are mostly independent. You won't have to worry about them reporting to Mother and Father." He chuckled to himself as he started a fire. "In fact they are pretty eccentric: you'll probably run circles around them."

"Just like home then," Lorel grinned as she settled in the chair. She snagged one of the thin blankets and wrapped it around her like a cocoon. "So what is this big adventure you are starting on tomorrow?"

Elforen sat back on his heels, enjoying the warmth, and more than that the companionship, and began his tale.