Long have i toiled, but finally, the work is finished, and yet another snippet is presented!
Jaina and Gnolls
"Lady Jaina! The scouts have returned! They report undead on the road ahead!"
Thank you, sergeant… sorry, I don't remember your name..." She looked at the mail wearing bearded man, almost as old as her father.
"It's sergeant Thirber, Milady, sergeant Jorah Thirber from the village you've passed through this morning, a bit after dawn. Was too small for a proper name, not that it matters anymore."
"Thank you, sergeant Thirber. How many did they see?" That deference still made her feel so very uneasy.
"About a dozen or so, I reckon- right, Theon?"
The scout, this time a man of around her own age, nodded. "I reckon a dozen, maybe dozen and half. Just shambling there unnaturally…"
"Were there- was it only skeletons?"
"mostly skeletons and ghouls, a few walking corpses still rotting."
"Nothing more… unusual? No monstrosities of bone or flesh? No living people or wagons?"
"No, ma'am."
"Any demons or monsters?"
"No, Ma'am."
The sorceress turned to look at the refugees gathered around her, and considered carefully. More than she thought there would be at first, but she would take them, and any others she would find. They had to escape. To leave the continent to that distant land the prophet spoke of.
"We will go around them, through the forest. Be alert, everyone!" hoping she sounded more confident than she felt, Jaina led the people with her into the forest.
She couldn't help but feel as if the forest was watching her, and she saw many of the older men among the militia and the footmen also fidgeting and looking around nervously.
The day passed as the Proudmoore Daughter led them to docks and away from this doomed land-to the freedom of the sea. The promised sanctuary of new and distant shores.
No new surprise or ambush greeted them, as eventually, the weary group had to make a rest for the night as the mages went to form barriers and wards to keep them safe.
XxXxX
The next day was spent walking through the forest. It was quiet and uneventful, but the feeling of being watched persisted.
And then it changed.
"It's an ambush!" Sergeant Thirber yelled, unsheathing his sword. The combat ready (many of whom were merely combat willing) made a circle, with an inner circle of mages and priest, and inner core of children and those who couldn't fight.
All around, large figures, towering hulks of tooth and claw appeared, as if they were always there, merely unnoticed among the trees.
"Well, at least these aren't demons."
"Might as well be. These beasts are hardly better, just more familiar." Someone grumbled in reply.
"Of course we would escape the demons and undead to fall to a pack of mangy Gnolls."
The Gnolls, for that's what the hyena-like brutes in crude clothes were, surrounded them from all sides, and even if they didn't outnumber them, the odds weren't likely for Jaina to avoid serious casualties with that many of them.
And then a particularly big specimen stepped forward, carry on his shoulder a big sack.
No-wait, it was carrying someone in the sack. The Gnoll placed it on the ground and then opened it, revealing one of the scouts.
"What is the meaning of this?" Jaina asked, more surprised than anything else. She heard that Gnolls sometimes kidnap people and eat them, but all she knew said they were too stupid for it to be what it was starting to look like.
This is your scout." A voice from behind the Gnolls growled in low common. "One of them."
"One of-What do you mean? Do you have more? How many did you capture?" The speaker stepped out from behind the other Gnolls. It was a gray furred Gnoll with dark gray spots on their fur, wearing a robe as well as a cowl that was decorated with colorful feathers.
"We want to know where humies running. Not going south, we saw. Ah… going to boats-to leave the dead behind and go to island, maybe?"
Jaina could feel that this one was magic, and under any other circumstances it would have been fascinating to interact with, to see what kind of magic Gnolls knew. How did they practice it and what did they figure? Learn about any potential insight they may have had, and how they developed and trained it… Dalaran scoffed at their primitive magics, but still, she was curious about it.
Only now, her people were at stake, and her curiosity and drive to study, to learn, was, could only be, second to that. At least the Gnolls didn't just attack them, maybe other captured scouts were still alive. Maybe she could still somehow salvage this.
"Not just an island, we want to go to Menethil Harbor, for ships to reach a far and distant land."
"Lady Jaina! What if the beasts are in in league with the undead and the demons? Wouldn't surprise me one bit"
"Ha! NyHahahahahaha" the apparent leader of the Gnolls laughed in that way that supposedly resembled hyenas (not that she actually heard how those laugh…and knew for sure). "The dead chase everyone, only want more dead around. Don't want Gnolls. Don't like us chewing on their bones. Nyhahahahahahaha."
"What how many other scouts do you have what have you done to them?"
"We have all your scouts, they think they know these woods, but Gnolls know them better. The scouts all alive, for now."
"What do you want?" Maybe she could talk them down? She knew academically that the Gnolls were considered stupid, so a smart and learned student of Dalaran should be able to outsmart them, to get the missing scouts back and avoid violence. They would need all the people she could get, in Kalimdor.
"We want many things! We want our forests to be ours, we want the dead and the humans to leave the lands our packs lived in in old days! We want to have enough food, good food, for all pack-not the dead animals and the yucky sick animals from sickness walking dead spread, not the bad water they ruin where they go! You have a big pack here, maybe many packs, but all were weakened by the dead, by their poisons. But you have food, lot of food, we can smell it. Give food and get scouts, or we eat them instead."
The last phrase provoked shouts of outrage from the alliance refugees, as those holding weapons tightened and prepared to battle, the young student of the Archmage Antonidas felt the tension increase, and then increase again, as the forces surrounding them growled back, holding weapons high, and she sensed magic from others there. She didn't know how good Gnolls were with magic, but didn't want to risk it if she could avoid.
"We need our supplies for the journey, both to harbor and to Kalimdor. And we don't know when we might find food there, or what kind it would be. Return our people and we will spare what we can." Ships sailing to far lands could be unpredictable-she heard enough about the topics in her youth on Kul Tiras. Ships going to uncharted waters, searching for uncharted land… it was a gamble.
Her reply caused the Gnolls to growl at one another, as they discussed something with the feathered mage leader she failed to overhear, only for said leader to smack one of them on the head and growl. Then the leader turned to her. "We can show shortcut, fast way to wetlands and humie boats-avoid the dead. Faster travel is less food needed, so give more." He seemed to be very pleased with himself, and Jaina thought it was a toothy smile on his face.
Her people, on the other hand, thought differently. "You can't believe the beast, Lady Jaina!" someone called. "They probably already ate the others, if they really had them in the first place!" an elven priest she vaguely recognized spoke.
What to do, what to do… She wanted to save the scouts, and some food supplies were small price for lives, but she didn't know gnolls, didn't know if there was truth in the accusations and it would be foolish to agree, not to mention that the people around felt as if they would rebel against such decision, and what a disaster would it then be! Think, Jaina, think…
"Lead us to the shortcut you mentioned, bring other scouts to rejoin us, and we will be giving supplies each time you return one of the scouts, so when we reach Menethil Harbor you return all scouts and get the food and leave."
The Gnoll Leader though about it. He scratched his neck, then his ear. Then nodded. Agree. Gnolls, we go! We show the humies how to properly walk in forest, and they feed us! Better be ready with the food, humie, we stop at lunch in noon!"
At those words the Gnolls sheathed their crude weapons and started moving, the refugees wearily watching them relaxed too, just a bit.
"You heard him, let's move." Lady Proudmoore announced, and started fallowing the Gnolls. She felt relieved when the people did just that. Even if it was annoying to have someone walked to her and ask if she is sure it is wise every few minutes.
They walked through cave systems and woods, their would-be guides leading them into parts the woodsmen with her hardly recognized, and around noon, they stopped.
The Gnolls did return another scout, this one alive and looking unharmed too-if rather embarrassed, only unlike the first hostage, he didn't have his weapons, or armor-having only his undershirt and, thankfully, pants, on.
"Where are his things? He didn't leave to scout in just that, did he?" an Incredulous Jaina demanded.
"Bad scout, clumsy, he dropped, we saw and took, so it's now ours."
"You mean you dropped it when you robbed me of them, and then took them for yourself!" He accused. Jaina was not too pleased with the theft either, but as the man didn't seem in pain or behaved like the other scouts were killed or eaten, and his return did show the Gnolls cooperating, for now, she decided to let it go, and hope the alliance forged weapons and armor won't cause trouble to the Alliance later. She did not want to risk antagonizing their hosts and starting unnecessary fight.
"Let us feed our fine benefactors, then."
"Not benefectors! you give food to Gnolls!" The Gnoll Leader frowned.
Jaine held her laugh, and with as serious a face as she could manage, instructed the people with her to stop for a short lunch, and to share the provisions with their furry new temporary allies. Displeased as they were, they did so, even if she had to stop some fights from starting. The Gnolls seemed pleased, and ate voraciously. She decided that they needed to move faster towards the harbor.
She addressed the Leader of the Gnolls as she finished her meal. "Excuse me-"
"I excuse." He answered.
"No, that's not what I meant, I –"
"Then why you said it? Humies are weird."
Did the Gnoll mean that he wanted blunt? Well, she will give him blunt. "Can I ask your name? What tribe are you?" Gnolls lived in tribes, if she remembered right.
"Can ask. I'm Sagepaw, pack leader of Mosshide Gnolls. These are not one tribe, too big to be. Redpine Tribe escaped Dead, and saw many humies, running too, so followed. Told Mosshide Tribe, and Mosshide told Wildpaw Tribe. Thought together be strong, and can get food for hungry bellies for three tribes. Maybe get something more…"
"So all those Gnolls, those are three tribes?"
"No, each tribe sent many warriors, but each tribe have more."
The Dalaran student wanted to ask more, about Gnolls and their culture, about that magic she sensed from Sagepaw, and know knew was not Arcane, about all the things she would think of, after having those questions answered, but, her people asked her attention, and she needed to be a leader now, not the scholar.
She did get them to move faster, and refused to make any more stops for food, though she did have her people give some packed provisions as they walked - which the gnolls did take. And one by one her scouts were returned-apparently all of them were captured as the three Gnoll tribes came from three different directions and met in the middle, right on top of Jaina and the refuges she was hoping to lead to safety.
Those scouts, just like the second one, were stripped of anything aside from their clothes, so any weapon, armor or even tools, hunting traps and small provisions were taken.
They left the woods and were already in the Wetlands, and from there it was a rather straightforward travel, and within hours Menethil harbor was in sight.
"This is it, all scouts were returned, and the Harbor is in sight, Thank you, Sagepaw."
"Nyhahahahaha, Humie did as humie said. Surprising."
Jaina found herself regretting that it was time to leave the Gnoll, as every time she was about to ask the gnoll a question, she kept getting strange looks from her people, and someone would run with an 'emergency'. She may not have a chance to ask a Gnoll again... She briefly wondered if there were Gnolls on Kalimdor. How similar were they the ones in the eastern kingdoms?
And that unpleasant feeling was made worse with people asking when will they kill the Gnoll infestation and take back the provisions they were blackmailed out of. It reminded her uncomfortably of the Orcs in encampments…
Then another group of Gnoll ran towards them.
"Stop, stop!"
She noticed those had their weapons unsheathed, and had humans, and even a few dwarves, with their hands tied together, marched as prisoners. There were children among those prisoners.
"Are those the people we supposed ta meet at the harbor ta travel together?" one of her dwarven lieutenants asked. Jaina looked over said prisoners, and didn't see any familiar face among them. She hoped he was wrong. The murmurs of discontent rose, and any possible sense of camaraderie that could have developed gave to outrage.
"Milady, please save us!" One of the prisoners called loudly. "Those beasts attacked our village took all our cattle and chickens, and emptied our granary of anything aside from grain (which they refused to touch for some reason), all the blades and axes we had, even the kitchen and utility knives!"
"how many casualties did you take?" she anxiously asked.
"Casualties, milady? Hiram had his arm broken, and some of the others are wounded, but none of us died…"
As Jaina frowned at this, the apparent leader of the Gnolls that held the prisoners started speaking in low common, less erudite then Sagepaw. "We not kill any of them, knew you want them all alive."
"Me? What does YOU attacking a poor village have to do with me?"
"Humie kept word, yes? Gave food for passage! So we want new word! WE know Humie takes other humies who escape dead and go to new land! So we take those humies to you so you take them, but you have to take us with you! Gave food and didn't attack Sagepaw and Gnolls with him, so take Redpine Tribe with you to the New Land! So Redpine can have new land to live! Away from dead, away from Humies that hunt all the prey and kill Gnolls!"
"Ya can't just deal with those monsters, lass! Have some sense!"
"They took us from our home, and for what?"
The dissenting voices were loud and many, and Jaina felt that unless she does something, this will turn into a fight. And while the captured villagers probably didn't even intend to go with her, she wanted to save them, and clearly their village was not secure. She felt displeased herself at the forced relocation, but was grateful that none of the villagers died, and briefly wondered if any of the attacking Gnolls did.
To halt the oncoming violence and grab attention from everyone, she summoned a towering water elemental, and a tense silence followed.
"A plague, one imbued with dark magic, ravages throughout Lordaeron, with the dead brought as waling corpses by evil magic to slay those who did not fall to it, Dalaran has fallen to demon! There may not be a safe place remaining in those lands, so we seek to sail from Menethil Harbor to a safer one. Those of you who don't want to leave with me, can stay at Menethil Harbor, or find their way from there. I would take the Redpine Tribe, but We have little food to spare, and the journey will be long. Especially having fed many gnolls now."
The Redpine Leader paused, and after a thoughtfull minute, barked at another of his companions. "Bring the food-plants."
As Gnolls brought containers of various foods-what they took from the village granary, he continued. "Gnolls don't want plant-food! Take it, it's not have the dead-poison in it."
"You can sense the Plague?!" She exclaimed. If so, could they have helped avert, or at least mitigate its devastating spread?
"We also have cattle and chicken from village to eat, and you gave some to Redpine warriors, so they bring it too. We go with you to new land we bring our food with us, and you have more humies-bigger humie tribe is stronger humie tribe!"
"You can't take them with us, it'll just trade a Plague of sickness and death for a plague of gnolls-just as bad!" More and more voices called for her to refuse, to just slay the brutes and be done with this, as the young woman looked at the villagers the Redpine brought to negotiate with her. Their children, who looked oh so very vulnerable.
"Enough!" The sorceress called loudly. "I accept this agreement! We will go to Menethil Harbor together, all of us, Redpine Tribe included!" And then turned to Sagepaw " will the others join as well?"
"No, Mosshide Will stay, Wildpaw already went home." With those words and not as much as a goodbye, he turned and left, most of the gnolls escorting Jaina following him.
"Are you sure they will let us in, with Gnolls in tow, Milady?" Captain Darill asked.
"Oh, yes, they will! I will persuade them to. I can be quite persuasive." She meaningfully looked at her bound Water Elemental.
They needed all the people they could get.
Author Notes: I'm Still alive! An sometimes even kicking (stories).
This fic was inspired by a discussion on SB about Jaina meeting Gnolls as she leaves for Kalimdor in warcraft3. I finally written about it. Thanks to Zam and Historyman 14 for their advice.
The current name feels iffy, but I couldn't come up with a better one- anyone has a suggestion?