A Beginner Druid in Battle
It took Zumell nearly three hours to comb Southfury's riverbank. He searched from where the two lands converged, all the way down to where Ashenvale became the Barrens. All he had managed to find was Captain Grunwald's head and a broken druid staff. To his relief, he found no body, which left him to believe that Ti'Ran had carried on into Ashenvale after all. The troll imagined where the girl had landed, how far the river had taken her and where she would have ended up. Zanang'kar screeched with restlessness. The raptor never did like idling for long periods of time. Zumell patted his trusty mount.
"Okay friend, we'll rest once we reach deh Warsong Camp."
Astride Denar'eth's bear form, Ti'Ran took in Ashenvale's lush surroundings.
"Deh trees grow so healthy here… but is it day or night?" She asked with fascinated curiosity. Denar'eth huffed as if it were a decipherable answer.
"Oh sorry… guess ya can't really talk in bear form, eh?" Ti'Ran teased. "Ya know, I tink I prefer ya dis way, elf. Ya' all cuddly and ya don't talk."
Denar'eth came to an immediate halt and transformed as Ti'Ran fell forward onto the road.
"Oye! I was only jokin'!"
The night elf looked up, quickly grabbed onto the blood elf troll and yanked her toward him as two bodies slammed down onto the road. A night elf sentinel arched up and slashed into the female orc below her. Covered in blood, she looked up at Denar'eth and Ti'Ran.
"Fellow druids, Raynewood needs help!"
"Raynewood Retreat is under attack!" Denar'eth said in shock as he realized where they were.
"Report to Melyria Frostshadow at the tower atop this hill. Hurry!"
Denar'eth grabbed Ti'Ran's hand and headed up the hill. Orcs and night elves battled fiercely on either side of the pathway leading up to Raynewood Tower. They found Melyria Frostshadow standing at the tower's entrance helping her soldiers keep the Horde members out of range. She gave a look of surprise when the couple appeared before her.
"You have come to aid us?"
"Yes. In any way we can." Denar'eth replied.
"Excellent! My Sentinels and I have been ordered by Keeper Ordanus to stay here and hold the tower. So far we've been able to repel the Horde but now they're going around us to directly attack the retreat just north of us. The keeper sent his dryads to defend the tree but they do not seem to be much of a match for the Warsong vanguard. I need you to go out there and recover as many of the Laughing Sisters corpses as you possibly can. Take them to Halannia inside the tree at the retreat. She'll know what to do."
Denar'eth nodded, took Ti'Ran's hand once more, and began to lead her away when a long blade quickly drew up to Ti'Ran's neck, barely grazing her skin. Denar'eth turned back to Melyria in surprise.
"She is not a race of the Alliance. For what purpose is she with you?" Melyria's voice was ice as she glared at the blood elf troll.
Denar'eth returned a cold expression, "She fights for the Cenarion Circle… that should be purpose enough."
Ti'Ran looked to him. (Deh Cenarion Circle?)
Melyria stared for a moment before finally lowering her sword.
"Very well. But my Sentinels shall be close by. I hope you will understand."
"Do what you must." Denar'eth replied as he pulled Ti'Ran away and shape shifted. Ti'Ran quickly mounted him and they headed north through the small valley. As the giant Raynewood Tree came into view, dryads began to replace the night elves, battling orcs on the field. Ti'Ran spotted the first corpse and jumped off Denar'eth. As she came to the body, she couldn't help but stare for a moment for she had never seen a dryad before. The elf-like creature was a soft green color with leaves and ivy for hair and her lower half was that of a fawn's. Ti'Ran snapped out of her astonishment and began to lift the creature's body.
Denar'eth returned to his own form as he approached the girl. "Here, I'll carry a few on my back at a time while you spot them since they tend to be…"
The little blood elf troll quickly lifted the dryad's corpse onto her back.
"Turn into ah bear and I'll load deh bodies onto ya back."
Denar'eth stared in disbelief.
"I got troll in meh, Den, and trolls beh pretty strong." She grinned as the night elf shape shifted once again.
Ti'Ran lifted the corpse onto Denar'eth's back and quickly spotted another body. As she ran to it, she heard Denar'eth bellow and looked back only to be struck with a heavy mace. The blood elf troll flew back into the grass. A female orc ran towards Ti'Ran with her mace raised but once she reached the girl she stopped in her tracks. With wide eyes, she stuttered. "You…you're no night elf!"
The orc was suddenly shocked with a bolt of nature's wrath and fell to the ground.
"Ti'Ran, strike her!" Denar'eth shouted from afar as he channeled another spell. Ti'Ran quickly picked up a pike off of a body close by.
"What are you doing!" The female orc shouted in anger and confusion as she came after the blood elf troll once again, this time, meaning to attack. The two females' weapons clashed but the orc easily overpowered the youthful blood elf troll. The orc forcefully swung her mace and smashed into the pike, snapping it in two. Before the orc could strike again, Ti'Ran let out a fierce cry and violently charged into her enemy with the broken ends of her weapon. The orc's expression dropped back into bewilderment as she fell to the ground.
Ti'Ran's eyes grew wide as she stared down at the orc. "I…I killed a membah of deh Horde…."
"Ti'Ran!" Denar'eth called as he carried two dryads' bodies over his shoulders and ran to the girl. "Good job on that orc!" He smiled.
"I killed a Horde membah…" Ti'Ran repeated.
"Yeah, the sense of guilt will leave you soon enough. Trust me, I know the feeling. Come on, let's finish this!" The night elf replied as he transformed back into a bear.
Once they had collected all that they could carry, Denar'eth and Ti'Ran ran up the hill to Raynewood Retreat's tree and entered inside. Dryads and night elves sat about healing the wounded, mending weapons and reinforcing armor. A pale green, snow-dusted dryad descended the inner ramp of the tree and overlooked her fellow protectors. She looked up to see Ti'Ran and Denar'eth with the dryad corpses and immediately approached them.
"Thank you for retrieving some of my fallen sisters. They must be returned to life, goddess willing, but it will take time."
"We will retrieve as many as we can." Ti'Ran said as she mounted Denar'eth once more and headed back out onto the field. Within a few hours, the duo had managed to clear the field of dryad bodies as the Horde orcs began to recede from the grounds.
"They are retreating… as expected." Said Halannia as she looked out over the valley from high up in the Raynewood tree.
"Where were dey comin' from anyway?" Ti'Ran asked with her hands on her hips, hunched over in fatigue.
"The Warsong orcs have a small camp somewhere near here. I'm sure Thagg is responsible for the attack and next time he'll come at us himself." The dryad explained.
"But if dey retreated, dat means we've won… right?" Ti'Ran looked up to Denar'eth who smiled and shook his head.
"You're so cute… I'm afraid not."
"He's right. They have decided to fall back to rest and regroup. The middays here in Ashenvale are not nearly as hot as in the Barrens but the orcs can't stand the humidity. They will be back by the evening and when the do return, they'll bring stronger aid."
All was remotely calm at Warsong Lumber Camp. Many of the night elves had retreated back into the woods. Some orcs and tauren collected and burnt the dead while others fixed weapons and aided the wounded. Zumell went from soldier to soldier asking if anyone had seen a small blood elf troll. When his pursuit came to no avail, he asked if anyone had come across an odd-looking night elf but most warriors looked to him as if he were insane.
"I saw he night elf you speak of." One orc finally spoke up and Zumell rushed to his side.
"Ya saw her, mon? She be ah very small-lookin' ting, wit brown robes and purple hair?"
"Yeah, that was her. She stuck out from all the others. I attacked her but two others got to me before I could finish her off. Found it pretty odd when her fellow injured begged her for help and she ran off in terror."
"Dat's because she wasn't really a night elf. She be ah blood elf troll undah disguise fo' ah mission."
The orc thought about the troll's words for a moment as he scratched his head.
"Oh… oops…wow."
"Ya say she ran off? Tah where?"
The injured orc got up and limped just outside of the camp's central building. Zumell followed right behind.
"She bolted into the woods right past that boulder there. Hope the night elves haven't caught her… I know that I couldn't tell the difference."
"Much tanks." Zumell said graciously and ran out to mount his raptor. He headed for the brush just beyond the base.
"Okay, time for some Druid 101." Denar'eth said as he pulled the girl out onto the grass behind the giant Raynewood tree. "Now, you say that you manage to pull some power when you channel your spells, but you are unable to execute them, right?"
"Right."
"When you channel your power, where do you pull from?"
"Don't really know…I beh so used tah callin' deh spirits of deh elements." Ti'Ran replied as she watched the night elf press his finger to his lips and squint his eyes.
"Calling… upon… the spirits…." Denar'eth trailed off as he thought for a moment and turned to Ti'Ran. "Ti'Ran, look around you. Nature surrounds us at all times. She is our provider… our mother… and the animals are her children. Much like shamans call upon 'the spirits', druids call upon nature and her children for their power. For each spell you learn, you must think of its origin and call upon that, with which nature provides you."
Ti'Ran absorbed the night elf's words as he came behind her and held out her hands.
"Wrath is a spell that might remind you of lightening. You call upon that element as a shaman, correct?"
"Yes."
"Wrath is nature's fury withdrawn from the roots of the earth. Close your eyes. Channel wrath and withdraw nature's fury. Feel the power from the ground… rise into your feet… through your body and up to your hands."
Ti'Ran channeled the spell as her hands began to glow yellow and sparks of leaves appeared and floated about.
"Find a target… and release with force." Denar'eth guided.
Ti'Ran looked to a Moonstag in the near distance but when Denar'eth saw where she intended to aim, he quickly turned her towards the hill. The yellow electrical energy flashed from her hands and shot into an injured orc scout, who happened to be snooping around. The orc let out a yelp and fell down the hill a couple of yards away.
"Oye! I was aimin' fo dat stag! Why'dya do dat?" Ti'Ran snapped but turned to see the dark look on the night elf's face. He bent down to come face to face to the blood elf troll and spoke in a deep and serious tone.
"Druids do not lay harm to those they swear to defend. You destroy nature's children with her own forces and you bite the hand that feeds."
"Sorry…" Ti'Ran barely whispered as she felt her heart drop. Denar'eth was truly committed to the beliefs of his class and she wished not to disappoint him again. As he stood up straight, his stern expression melted back into a soft smile and he put a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"That's okay. Understand that we do what is necessary to avoid harm to nature, even if we, ourselves come to harm in the process."
"Dat sounds a bit extreme."
"It is…" Denar'eth laughed. "It's up to each Druid to make his or her own call on that one."
"Den… what is deh Cenarion Circle?"
"The founding faction of Druidism. The organization is made up of Arch-druids… night elves and a few tauren of high druidic power, and druids of the wild like dryads, tree-ents and ancients. We serve to them as they provide knowledge and power to us, all for the better of our cause. Our world has been faced with much damage over the centuries. If we do not preserve and protect what is left of her, this world will perish… which will lead to our end as well."
Ti'Ran stared out into the green land around her. It breathed with life unlike her homelands in Duotar and the Barrens. While the trolls had begun to refurbish vegetation to Sen'Jin Village and the Echo Isles, it did not compare to these lands, which the night elves preserved so well. She began to believe that Druids served quite an important purpose. Perhaps they weren't such a weak class after all.
Denar'eth smiled; glad to see that his words had connected to the girl.
"Okay… onto Rejuvenation. This spell works the same way Wrath does, only instead of calling for nature's fury, you call to her for healing…. Let's have you practice on some of the wounded inside the tree…."
As midday passed, the sun tipped over the forest canopy, angling its beams towards the east and the air began to cool.
Ti'Ran had finally acquired the ability to use her few Druid spells correctly and she sat by the fire just outside the tree, content with what she had learned. Of course, she knew she was a fast learner… always had been, but Denar'eth was also a very good teacher. As he passed her to speak with Halannia, they shared a quick exchange of smiles. How kind he had been to take her under his wing, although she was a blood elf troll… and a member of….
Ti'Ran suddenly thought about the orc she had killed earlier that morning.
"What are you doing!" She recalled the orc's utter confusion. A troubled look crossed her face as she struggled with the conflicted feelings.
"You performed rather well out there, earlier… especially for someone so young… I'm impressed." Melyria Frostshadow appeared, startling the blood elf troll.
Ti'Ran quickly grew nervous and felt the need to speak properly before the Sentinel. "Thank you. I appreciate that you have allowed me to fight for this cause."
"Such refined Darnassian. I wonder how you came to acquire our language so well?"
Ti'Ran could feel the Sentinel prying at her.
"A childhood hobby I used to use to scare teasing allies away." She lied. "They were never fond of me."
"Yes, you are quite different, aren't you? Tell me, girl. Why do you betray your people now?"
Ti'Ran suddenly felt a sincere burn of anger inside her and she scowled at her past.
"Because dey betrayed me…"
The night elf continued to eye the blood elf troll with daring intrigue as Denar'eth came and sat down.
"The blacksmith has collected abandoned weapons and is fixing them as I speak. I've had him start on a good staff for you." He explained cheerily.
Ti'Ran shook her head. "A staff beh useless. Does he have any axes?"
Denar'eth looked to the girl a bit bewildered. "Ti'Ran, Druids don't wield axes."
"Dis one does."
"It is a rule of our class."
Ti'Ran sighed in frustration.
"Sometin' with a blade den. I feel helpless witout ah blade." The girl pouted and batted her eyes at the night elf.
He laughed and sighed. "Very well, I'll see what I can do." He got up once more patted the girl on the head and left.
The Sentinel raised a brow as she, too, stood, nodded and left without another word. Ti'Ran watched the leader of the troops of Raynewood, leave. Something told her the Alliance-driven Sentinel was going to be trouble.
"Ti'Ran." Halannia called out as she made her way to the blood elf troll. Ti'Ran smiled at the dryad as she came near. Not only did she take a liking to the unique and beautiful creature and her race, but also because Halannia did not seem to mind that Ti'Ran was a race of the Horde.
"Denar'eth has just informed me of your lack of experience with our class's attack magic and now I feel uncomfortable asking you back out onto the battlefield. Could you remain inside the tree to heal our wounded?"
Ti'Ran frowned. (Deh nerve of dat night elf… I did jest fine against dat orc a while back!) Used to taking the reigns, Ti'Ran sighed. "Very well, den. I'll be ah healah."
"Do not believe for one minute that the tree will be any bit more safe, my friend. Our leader Keeper Ordanus will be watching high up in the tree. The Warsong vanguard would love to get a hold of his head not to mention other enemies of unsavory vengeance. Be prepared for anyone that comes through that entranceway."
Ti'Ran nodded and smiled. (Now dat sounds more like it!)
Denar'eth approached with a staff in one hand and a dagger in the other. "I am afraid we are low on weapon resources. Sorry." He shrugged.
"Gimme dem both." Ti'Ran said as she ripped a strip off of her already tattered robes and tied the dagger to the end of the staff. "Good enough." She said and stuck out her tongue as a grin stretched onto the night elf's face.
"Halannia!" A voice called out as a Sentinel drew near. "We've just killed a scout. It looks as though the Horde troops will disregard the tower and take on the tree full-force!"
"Everyone, find your positions and hold ground!" Halanina commanded as she picked up her staff. "If the Horde dares to think that they can take our beloved forest away from us, then they are fatally mistaken!"
Horde members poured into the small valley by the dozens as the dryads and night elves came forward to confront them. Ti'Ran eagerly awaited some action as she watched Denar'eth and Halannia battle with numerous orcs.
(Hmph… deh do pretty good usin' jest a staff….) she thought as she watched the two druids take their enemies down, two at a time.
"I remind you to keep your watchful eyes on the enemy, Druid; not our allies." A deep voice advised and Ti'Ran looked up to see a massive male dryad standing before her. The bright teal elf-looking creature had a stag's lower body and towering antlers. He was an impressive sight and Ti'Ran nodded to oblige to his words.
"This is the perfect time for Thagg or Braelyn to strike and if I go down, Raynewood Retreat will crumble as well. This place's soul purpose was once for gathering and protecting nature's strengths. Now she weakens, poisoned by the blood of war seeping into her grounds. Alas, we must do what is necessary."
The dryad looked to Ti'Ran's makeshift spear and raised a brow as he placed his hand over it's binding. Ti'Ran watched in amazement as vines grew out from the staff and entwined the dagger, reinforcing the two weapons to each other.
"That should hold a bit better for you. May nature guide you through your battle." The dryad walked away and headed back up the ramp.
"Keeper Ordanus!" Ti'Ran suddenly realized, aloud and she headed for the entranceway to stand guard.
Wounded dryads and night elves began to approach her and she helped them into the tree. The injured continued to appear and their numbers were growing larger each time. Ti'Ran spent nearly four hours hopping from one injured ally to the next; healing with all the power she could muster. Just as she began to feel the fatigue kick in, the blood elf troll looked up to find Halannia entering the tree with a blood-covered Denar'eth on her back.
"DEN!" Ti'Ran rushed to Halannia's side and helped Denar'eth down.
"Thagg was a bit too powerful for him but he managed to cut the bastard down enough for me to finish him off. I don't think his wounds are fatal but do your best." Halannia explained as she helped the blood elf troll lay the night elf on a mat. The dryad immediately headed back out into battle.
"I'm fine, I'm fine…." The night elf weakly but stubbornly assured Ti'Ran as she began to use her Rejuvenation spell.
"I can't learn notin' from ya if ya die." Ti'Ran teased him.
"I can't teach you when I'm out there screwing up." Denar'eth managed to laugh.
"Well, I learn from ya mistakes." The blood elf troll smiled.
"Good… so do I." He returned the smile.
Denar'eth's wounds healed within the hour and most of the other wounded had healed up as well and headed back out to battle.
"How ya feelin'?" Ti'Ran asked the night elf.
"Ready to head back out there… thanks to you." Denar'eth said as he got up and took up his staff once more.
"Don'tcha go out dere an' get killed or you'll have wasted all meh hard work!"
The night elf smiled as he turned to head out the tree. He immediately stopped as an orc and a troll confronted him. Judging by their unique armor, they were not apart of the Warsong vanguard, but powerful all the same.
"Step aside, elf! We gotta dryad head to take! Braelyn's orders." The female orc spoke in Common tongue as she kicked Denar'eth's chest and sent him flying back into the tree. Ti'Ran immediately began channeling Wrath. Before the blood elf troll could finish the cast, the orc chucked daggers that tacked Ti'Ran's hands against the wall of the tree.
Denar'eth quickly rose to his feet. "Rogues, huh?" He smiled as he suddenly dropped his staff and vanished.
Suddenly, the rogue orc disappeared as well and in flashes, the two re-emerged with weapons at parry. Before Ti'Ran could witness more of the impressive fighting technique, she was stabbed in the shoulder. She quickly casted Wrath, blasting the rogue troll back a few feet but he immediately advanced once more. Ti'Ran whipped her spear before him and parried his attack.
Tired of shadow-melding, Denar'eth sighed and transformed into a bear. He charged the surprised orc and began to rip her to shreds.
Ti'Ran managed to blast the troll with spells that barely kept him from using stealth attacks.
"Yeh, fightin' deh wrong side, girl." The troll smiled as he spoke to her in Zandali. Ti'Ran felt her stomach drop as the guilt returned. The troll bashed into the blood elf troll, slamming her into the wall, his knife just missing her already wounded shoulder. "Beh pretty pathetic dat ya took all dem childhood teasin's tah heart like dat. Dat elf blood in ya made ya weak. Let's face it… ya nevah were cut out tah be ah troll."
As the troll spoke, Ti'Ran's hand discovered a dagger stuck in the wall and she began to wedge it out.
"I ain't weak." Ti'Ran glared. "Nevah was…" She quickly jabbed the troll in the face with the blade. As he stumbled back, she picked up her spear and casted an extremely power blast of Wrath. "…and I nevah will be!" Ti'Ran ran at the troll and forced the weapon right through him. Halannia and Melyria appeared in the entranceway as Ti'Ran ripped her blade from the troll's body.
"TUM'BAKU!" The troll managed to curse before falling to the ground.
Ti'Ran stared down at the dead troll as Denar'eth came to her side.
"E'Kuya was always a skilled rogue. Can't believe I jes' defeated him with so few ah' skills."
"You knew him?" Denar'eth exclaimed, wide-eyed.
Ti'Ran nodded. "Trained in Echo Isles wit him. He was ah year ahead ah meh.. least I thought…."
Denar'eth scratched his head as he looked to the little blood elf troll. "What does 'tum'baku' mean?"
"…it be ah nasty word fo' traitor."
With Thagg defeated, many of the Warsong vanguard had retreated back to base, leaving a few straggling fighters left to clear from the field. The battle had ended.
"I thank you druids for all your help. I'm afraid we have not much to offer you, due to our low resources but if you are headed to Astranaar, take this letter to Thenysil. She will give you a proper reward." Melyria explained as she handed the parchment to Denar'eth. She then turned to Ti'Ran with stern eyes.
"A blood elf troll fights beside the Alliance… remain strong young one for every mission you take shall challenge your loyalty and integrity."
Ti'Ran nodded, knowing well that the Sentinel feigned sincerity.
Halannia saluted the couple and waved them off as they headed out of the valley and back onto the main road.
