Their journey was uneventful. They rested at the spots Luna knew and made good progress. The weather was good, which wasn't something one could expect in this region. It was nice not to have to travel alone, Luna thought. Clinkz was a good companion. They talked a lot and she liked him more and more each day they were together. She was glad she hadn't left after the town war.
When they neared the Nightsilver Woods, Luna got quieter. She searched her surroundings for a sign of a fellow warrior and used the more hidden paths through the trees. Clinkz remained by her side now, from time to time using his ability to go invisible to mask his presence. He couldn't keep it up all the time, though. That would have made getting him to the priestess without someone noticing easier by far. But Luna knew the pattern of the sentinels and was able to skirt them. When they neared the village where Tyrande resided in one of the houses, Luna got nervous. What if she didn't see the good in Clinkz? She enjoyed spending time with him and had already been looking forward to him fighting by her side when they had to defend the forest.
The house of the high priestess was the last one on the northern side of the village and they approached from the side where they would have cover from the trees. They had stopped talking when they had first entered the forest, moving silently through the shadows. Luna glanced sideways at Clinkz, while he glided from shadow to shadow, nearly invisible even though he didn't use his ability and silent as well. She was really glad he was not her enemy. It was fascinating so see him move like that and if he had been a real man she was sure she wouldn't be able to take her eyes off of him. Even in this form she was in awe at his fluent movements and his grace.
They rounded the corner of the house. Two sentinels were posted at the steps up to the terrace. There was no way to get to the high priestess without passing those two. Luna took a deep breath and together they walked up to the two. When they saw them they put their hands on their weapons but didn't raise them. They shot a questioning glance at Luna, looking uneasy about the presence of the skeleton, but since the warriors of the goddess all knew each other, they all trusted each other. And since Clinkz was clearly with her, they didn't automatically attack, though they would have done so if he had arrived alone. A skeleton was an enemy and, if one came into sight, killed without questions.
They stopped in front of the two guards. "We have come to see the high priestess. Please tell her I have something I would like to ask of her regarding my companion, Clinkz the Bone Fletcher."
The two sentinels looked at each other. One nodded and the other disappeared inside of the house. The first didn't take his hands from his weapons and still eyed them suspiciously. After a few minutes the second one reappeared in the open doorway. He nodded to Luna. They were allowed to enter the house. Luna dismounted and patted her cat on the neck. It nudged her with its nose and then went to look for a nice place to sleep while they were inside. Luna stepped up to the door but when Clinkz wanted to follow, the first sentinel stopped him.
"You are not allowed to go in there armed. Leave your weapons outside."
For a second Luna got mad at him for suggesting Clinkz was a danger to the priestess. But he was right. Clinkz was a skeleton and it was their job to protect Tyrande. She waited while Clinkz discarded his bow and his quiver. He looked strange without them, as if some vital part was missing.
He joined Luna and together they entered the first room. It was something like an anteroom where they had to wait till the priestess was ready to see them. There was only one other door then the one they had stepped through, which led to the chambers of the high priestess. On the sides to the left and the right were huge windows to make the room bright with the light from outside. They were open but enchanted so nobody could enter or leave through them. In front of the second door two more guards were posted and the one who had waved them inside left behind them, handing the responsibility for them over to those two.
They stood in the middle of the room, silently waiting for the woman to receive them. Luna was still nervous about her reaction and avoided looking at Clinkz.
"Are you embarrassed about me?" Clinkz voice was low but she flinched nonetheless, because they sounded loud in the silence of the room. Then she registered his words. She frowned and looked at him. "What? Why would I be embarrassed about you?"
He didn't look at her, had his gaze focused on the door in front of him. "Because you sneak me inside of this building, making sure nobody sees us, avoiding contact with your fellow warriors at any cost. From my point of view it definitely looks that way, as if you don't want anybody to see you with me by your side. And you are nervous and don't look at me anymore."
Luna blinked. She hadn't thought about how her behaviour might appear to Clinkz, especially since he had copied her, hiding himself without questions. And now he had come to the wrong conclusion. As if she cared what the others thought when they saw she had a skeleton as a friend now. "Clinkz," she said and when he still stared at the door she stepped in his line of sight, repeating his name, her voice soft. "You are wrong. I'm sorry I gave such an impression, but I can assure you I am not embarrassed about you."
"Then why all this sneaking around?"
"To protect you! What do you think the warriors of the goddess would do if they saw a skeleton in their forest? They would kill without thinking for a second why the skeleton was together with me! And I'm nervous because I don't know how the goddess will react to your presence here."
He still seemed not completely convinced so she stepped up to him, her head in the frame of his horns and placed her hands on his cheek bones. She looked into the black holes where his eyes had been. "Clinkz, I am not embarrassed about being seen with you. I promise." He didn't say anything but she felt that it was okay, that he believed her now and Luna smiled, relieved. She didn't want him to think something like that.
The door at her back opened. "Luna Moonfang," a smooth and melodic voice said. "Good to have you back."
Luna turned and immediately sank onto one knee, her head bowed. "High priestess."
The high priestess Tyrande took a few steps forward, touching Luna's head briefly. Next she turned to Clinkz, who mimicked Luna's pose on her left side. "You must be the Bone Fletcher, Clinkz from the Hoven Lands. I have heard about you. Follow me inside, it is rather uncomfortable out here."
Luna frowned. She knew Clinkz? Or had heard about him? She wondered if he was really famous, not only among his tribe, and if she had only been inattentive. But the priestess was much older than her and had experienced so much more in her long life. Might be she had known Clinkz before the curse had hit him.
They stood up and followed the priestess.
The next room had a small moon pond in the middle and stairs on one side led to an upper level. The sunlight was streaming inside through big, open windows, through which the forest could be seen and the pond was illuminated by a feint glow that seemed to move over the water. The pond was encircled by stones and on one of those stones a young night elf was sitting, her fingers stroking leisurely through the water. When they entered she looked up for a second and then resumed her previous position, ignoring their presence.
The high priestess moved to a collection of benches made roughly out of trees trunks across from the stairs. They were positioned in a semi-circle, open towards the room. The priestess took a seat just on the side of the window. Now she could look into the forest and into the room, the girl at the pond in her field of vision.
Luna and Clinks took the seats on the other side of the window, sharing a bench and leaving space between them and the woman.
Without further niceties the priestess directly addressed the reason for their visit. "So you brought the Bone Fletcher into our woods. What do you expect of me now?"
Her face didn't show what she was thinking about that fact or what she might be expecting.
"Your Highness," Luna answered, "in the war of the towns he has proven to be a worthy ally and I thought he could be a great help to us with protecting the Nightsilver Woods. He and I have become friends and I am loath to part from him now that the war we participated in is over. I bid you to evaluate his admittance into the ranks of the guardians of the Goddess of the Moon."
A long time the priestess didn't say anything. She had a faraway look, maybe thinking about what it would mean to them if they allowed a skeleton into their guard.
"I have heard of the Bone Fletcher before he was burned to bones and I know that he fought for a similar cause for which we are fighting at the present. The Bone Fletcher from then, I would gladly welcome into our ranks. But I have no idea what he has become over this long time he is a skeleton and cursed to live like one forever." Now she fixed her eyes on Clinkz. "Do you want to fight for us? And for the Goddess of the Moon?"
"Yes your Highness. It would be my pleasure to serve the Goddess of the Moon by protecting the Nightsilver Woods. I would feel honoured if you gave me a chance to prove myself."
The high priestess stood. "I will think about it." She looked at Luna now. "A word with you alone, Luna Moonfang."
Luna and Clinkz rose as well, the skeleton bowing to the priestess. "It was a pleasure to meet the high priestess of the elves." Then he left the room.
"I don't think he can join us but even if I permit it, he will have to endure the sacred rites first. He can stay though, under one condition: he is not allowed to be alone at any time. You must always be near him and he must never be out of your sight. I don't know him and I can't trust him so I don't want him roaming our woods alone. If we have to fight, and I suspect we will have to, soon, he can gladly participate, but again: only with you by his side, always. Understood?"
Luna nodded. It would be no hardship to stay close to him and to tell the truth: she didn't care if he became a guardian of the Nightsilver Woods as long as he was allowed to stay. She bowed to the priestess. "Thank you your highness."
"Make sure everyone has seen him at least once before he fights with us. Or has heard about him. I don't want their focus wavering in the fight because they think an enemy is among us."
"Of course."
When she turned around as a sign that Luna was dismissed, she left.