Chapter Seven

Obito stood outside the gates of Silvermoon; he had left Hotaru at the stables back in Tranquillien. The ride through the Plaguelands had taken time but was a necessary evil. He had no doubt he would have been caught if he'd tried walking through the Spire, Master Brightwing would have recognized him regardless how he looked.

His telltale crimson locks had been dyed black as coal; he didn't have the heart to cut it so instead his hair was in a single braid that hung down his back. He wore the robe of a caster, with cotton gloves to cover his callused fingers from his bowstring and a staff strapped to his back.

Turning east he entered Falconwing Square, beyond it laid the ruins of Silvermoon overran by urchins and chaotic arcane patrollers. This section of town had been quartered off, left as a training ground for those fresh from the Academy. It was this desolate place Obito hoped to find the knowledge he was seeking. Most valuables had been pilfered long ago; however … during his years at the academy he had found a secret room in one of the abandon buildings.

A deranged shell of an elf shuffled toward him; with a swift swing of his staff he decapitated him and stepped over the lifeless body. The other creatures quickly scurried out of his way and he reached his destination unchallenged, a small house in the far corner. After making sure he was not being watched he moved some broken furniture to the side revealing a trap door. Chanting a spell, he released the wards he had placed on it in his youth.

Climbing down the ladder he found himself in a circular library of sort, the shelves overflowing with books and scrolls, just like he remembered. The previous owner must have been a collector of sorts but lacked organizing skills. Sealing the door above him with another ward, a stronger one then he had used as a child, he took a lantern out of his backpack and lit it. Under the faint light he started his long task of searching through all this written knowledge in hopes of coming across a name, Rater Grimshade.

Obito was in his second hour of searching when an old textbook caught his attention. It had a section on the time of the Troll Wars. The elves of Quel'Thalas had traveled to human city named Strom seeking military aid for their losing battle against the trolls. As a bargaining chip they had offered to teach one hundred men how to use the very basic of magical skills. Obito sighed and started to close the book when a drawing off to the side caught his attention. The caption of the illustration said it was one of the elves that had taught the human's magic, there was no name but it was his face of his father.

It was well into his sixth hour before he found another piece in the puzzle; it was on a brittle scroll. The words written spoke of a secret pact between the Council of Silvermoon and the human lords of Dalaran. The Guardians of Tirisfal, as they were called, had mortal champions who were imbued by the Council with both elven and human powers. There was only one Guardian at a time; they held such vast power that they could single-handedly fight back the Legion's agents. At the end of the scroll were names of the Council of Tirisfal that chose these said Guardians and the first signature was Rater Grimshade.

"Mother!" Obito called out mentally.

"Obito Ravenwind, you surrender yourself to Silvermoon right this minute," his mother demand.

"Mother, when did you meet father … who the hell is Tyilo Ravenwind and why did he relinquish the name of Grimshade for it?" Obito insisted.

"By the Sunwell have you gone mad, son? I met your father two hundred years ago, he was my teacher at the academy … but you knew that. And who is this Grimshade you speak of?"

Obito closed his mind to her again. The truth was before him, there was no doubt that his father and Grimshade were the same person. That would make his father over three thousand years old which wouldn't have been unheard of; even though they were now mortal his people lived a long time. At some point he had changed his name from Grimshade to Ravenwind … but Obito had researched his family's name and knew it held a great history in Silvermoon. Obito growled and closed his eyes. There was only one who held the answers.

"Rater Grimshade, from the Council of Tirisfal, I want to speak with you … now!"