Luuhk snored softly as he sat propped up against a rock, his arms resting on his knees, his chin pressed against his chest. Next to him, both Bane and Dusty lay curled up together, though unlike their Orcish companion their eyes were wide open staring at the entrance to their hidden alcove. Their ears were perked, and they were tense. Dusty began whimpering softly, and Bane put his paw over the other wolf's back, nudging his face with a small whine. Luuhk's ears twitched, and his eyes shot open, peering around the darkness. His eyes fell on the wolves, and he moved a hand to Dusty's head. "Wut wrong boy?" The worg just continued to whine, staring at the edge of their hiding place.

Luuhk flared his nostrils, inhaling the scents around him. All he could smell aside from his companions was the scent of water, and something that was very familiar, but he couldn't put his finger on it. "I know dat zmell... skah wut am it?" He looked up at the sky to judge what time it was, but the stars were blotted out by a thick layer of clouds. The hairs on the back of Luuhk's neck began to rise with foreboding, and he drew his axe, walking toward the edge of the alcove. As he stuck his head around the corner, for a moment he thought someone had struck him in the face with something cold. His breath whooshed out of his lungs, and he gasped for air.

It took him only a few seconds to realize that it was just a very powerful wind blowing off the ocean, but as he reached this conclusion it was as though the pieces of a puzzle fell together in his mind. The dogs whining, the odd scent in the air, the clouds covering the sky, and the high winds all combined to form a single conclusion in his mind. "Hurricane..." he whispered softly. He raced back to the tent, and shook Chander's shoulder roughly. "Unkul! Uknul wayk up!"

Chander's eyes opened slowly, and he looked around. He was lying on a soft straw pallet that smelled as though it had been freshly changed, and the walls around him were of a deep red stone. He sat up and his eyes widened in shock. On the opposite side of where he was lying was a crib with bones from small animals hanging over it, and behind him was a stand for tanning hides. He was home. "Hey you."

He looked toward the entrance of the cave, and his heart stopped. Standing there with a zhevra slung over her shoulders like it weighed nothing at all was Hanabii. "My Godess... my mate..." He stood up and walked over to her, taking her in his arms and kissing her deeply. She dropped the zhevra and returned the kiss, but as she pulled away his heart sunk. "I'm dreamin, aren't I?"

"Yeah, you are, and it's time to wake up." He shook his head slowly, and entwined his fingers in her hair. His other hand moved to her stomach, resting it tenderly on her abdomen. She smiled lovingly at him, but there was a firmness in her eyes. "You know you can't stay asleep forever."

"Hanabii, I don' wanna wake up, cause I know ya ain't gonna be there when I do." He pressed his face into her hair, inhaling the scent that was uniquely hers, uniquely Hanabii. "I miss you."

"I miss you too, but you have to wake up." He shook his head more firmly, gripping her as tightly as he dared. "Wake up you idiot, wake up!"

"Wayk up unkul!" Chander sat up quickly, his hand shooting out in the darkness, reaching for a woman who wasn't there. He felt a hand grip his shoulder roughly, and looked into Luuhk's glowing eyes. "Unkul, uz haff tu hurri. It a hurricane!"

"Hurricane?" It took his mind a few seconds to register what Luuhk had said, his head still full of the image of his mate, but between Luuhk's frantic tone and the several inches of water he was lying in, he came to his senses quickly. "Get the worgs harnessed, we hafta get outta here now!"

As Luuhk nodded and ran out of the tent, Chander started tossing everything he could reach into the packs along the side of the tent wall. It only took him about a minute to pack the inside of the tent, but in that time the water level had risen to over a foot. When he got outside he had to suppress the urge to yell. Luuhk was trying furiously to get Dusty into his harness, but the wolf was too scared to cooperate. "Come on Dusti! Come on pleez! Yoo no can stai heer, yoo die!"

"Luuhk! Start puttin the packs on Bane! Don' worry bout Dusty right now, he'll be too scared ta harness." Chander tossed the packs in Luuhk's direction.

Luuhk stared at Chander in shock. "I no can leev him! He me frend!"

"We ain't gonna leave him, I promise! You gotta calm down if ya wanna help him though, so go get Bane ready then we'll both help Dusty." Luuhk looked back at his companion, then nodded and moved toward Bane. Chander sloshed through the water, and looked around the side of the alcove, his eyes widening. The ocean had become a monster of writhing, raging torrents. Waves crashed and rolled over one another, and several kept crashing into the rocks, pushing more water into their campsite. It would only be a matter of minutes before they were underwater. Pulling out his totems, Chander called out to the elements. "Mighty spirits of water an' air, I know your rage at one another must be sated, but my nephew, our wolves, an' I are helpless against yer power. I beg ya ta take yer battle away from our camp."

Chander felt the touch of the elements as they considered his request, but a moment later he heard the wind begin to howl angrily, and a large wave rushed toward the alcove, pushing Chander back against the wall, and threatening to drag him out to sea as it receded. He clawed at the ground, and managed to resist the pull of the waves, then he pushed himself to his feet and ran toward Luuhk. The boy had managed to pack most of their belongings onto Bane, but Dusty was still yelping and barking in panic. The water was now at the Orcs hips, and the worgs had to struggle to keep their heads above water. "Unkul, am it gunna stop?"

Chander shook his head, then moved toward Dusty who backed away frantically. "We're gonna hafta climb, it's our only chance. Come here Dusty, come on boy." Dusty continued to back away, barking wildly, his eyes wide with fear. Chander closed his eyes, and reached out to the spirit of the wilds, and his form began to shift. A moment later he swam over to Dusty, his ghostly wolf form barely visible in the dark waters. Whining softly he touched his nose to Dusty's cheek, then took his ear into his mouth and started tugging at him. The sandy wolf whined loudly, but began swimming toward Luuhk under Chander's guidance.

"Dat id, guud boy. Me guud boy." Luuhk hugged the wolf gratefully as he reached him, then turned to Chander who had begun shifting back into his natural form. "Unkul, hao uz gunna climb up da mowntin? It gunna be windi, and da rocks weel be wet frum da storm."

"I'm still a Shaman, even if the elements won't stop this storm, I might be able ta convince um ta let us get up the mountain safely. Now go get the rope outta my pack." As Luuhk hurried to follow Chander's instructions, he followed Luuhk to where Bane was treading water, wearily draping an arm around him. "We been through worse than this ain't we boy?" Bane whined softly and licked Chander's chin. He could almost smell the animal's fear, but he had confidence in Bane. He knew the canine wouldn't let him down. "It's gonna be rough pal, ya got twice the usual weight on yer back. Can ya hold up?" Bane licked Chander again, and he scratched the wolf's head affectionately.

Luuhk uncoiled the rope, and held it out to Chander. "Wut we do wit id? Tye da wulfz tugethur?"

Chander grunted and swam around Luuhk, taking the rope and tying it around his midsection, just under his armpits. He repeated the process on himself, then took the end of the rope and tied it around Bane's chest. "Use the slack on yer end ta tie Dusty. Make sure the knot is good an' tight, we don't want him fallin." Luuhk nodded and fastened his own worg carefully to the line. Chander pulled out his skinning knife, and pushed it toward Luuhk. "This is very important. I'll be focusing on tryin ta calm the elements while we climb. You gotta go first, find the best handholds, an' guide us up the mountain."

Luuhk took the knife, looking at his uncle in shock. "Wut iv I mayk a mistayk. Uz awl die iv me fall."

"We'll all die if we stay here. If ya wanna see tomorrow with me, Bane, an' Dusty here, ya gotta climb. I can't guide us up while I'm tryin ta commune with the spirits." He didn't mention how weak he still felt, because he didn't want to scare Luuhk, but he could tell from the look on his face that he knew it as well as Chander did.

"Ukee. Fallo me." He climbed up onto a rock, and digging the dagger into the side of the mountain, he began reaching for handholds. Chander followed him slowly, his mind turned toward the elemental spirits of the area. He could feel the anger of both air and water as they battled one another, as well as the patience and calm of the earth under his hands and feet. He delved as deeply as he could into that calm, and pleaded with the spirits of the earth within the mountain to allow them to reach the safety of its peaks.

As the Orcs climbed, the wind assaulted them furiously. The lines holding the dangling canines swayed violently as the storm raged around them. Lightning crackled in the skies above them, and a sudden downpour began, making their climb even more treacherous. Luuhk struggled to find stable handholds that weren't so slick with mud that he couldn't take hold, all the while being pulled down by Dusty's dead weight as the animal yelped and squirmed in fear six feet below him. After what felt like an eternity, the drenched warrior reached up, and his hands found purchase on the top of the rocky plateau. He pulled himself up quickly, and tugged at Dusty's line, hauling the animal up next to him. "Unkul! Da top! Yoo almozt there!"

Chander gasped for air, his vision swimming as he looked up. All he could see through the rain and his own exhaustion was the green glow of Luuhk's eyes. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to continue reaching upward, one handhold at a time. When he was about a foot from the top of the mountain, he felt his right arm go numb, and very suddenly he lost his grip. He cried out sharply, but Luuhk quickly braced himself against a rock, and held the line tightly. As the line went taut, he heard a painful yelp below him, and looked down. The sudden jerk had made the rope dig into Bane's chest, and even in the dark he could distinguish the sight of blood on the rope where it had cut into the worg's flesh. "It's alright pal, we're almost up, jus' hold on!"

But Bane had reached his limit of tolerance. Dangling in the air with eight heavy packs tied to him, and a rope slicing his flesh like a knife every time the wind blew was more than he could bare. With a snarl he turned his head, and began biting at the rope. "No! Bane, stop it!" Chander began pulling on the rope, trying to lift the animal up higher to where he was, but it just caused the panicked wolf more pain, and he attacked the rope violently with his fangs.

"Unkul, I no can hold like dis much longur! Start climbin!" Chander's heart raced in fear. He looked between the top of the cliff, and Bane, then continued trying to pull the animal up to him before he could chew through the rope. Luuhk grunted with effort as the weight he was holding didn't let up, and unable to peer over the edge to see if Chander was alright, he gritted his teeth, and started dragging himself and the rope back.

Chander started sobbing. Bane was still several feet below him, and he could see the fibers of the rope starting to snap where he'd chewed through them. "Bane... yer my best friend... don' do this, don' let go." The wolf stopped attacking the rope and looked up at him, his liquid brown eyes filled with fear. "Bane..." He reached for the wolf desperately with one hand, though he was much too far away to touch him. The wolf lifted his nose with a soft whine, straining to reach Chander. Suddenly the rope snapped, and Chander heard someone screaming in terror. His eyes were fixed on the gray form as it plummeted downward, before it was swallowed up by the dark waters that raged below.

Luuhk had felt the sudden loss of weight on the line, and frantically tugged at the rope. He was relieved when Chander's form came up over the side of the cliff, and he grabbed him to pull him the rest of the way. At first he thought Chander had been injured further on the way up, because as soon as he made it to the top he curled up on the ground, but then Luuhk moved to pull Bane up, and his heart sunk into his stomach. He held up the shredded end of the rope, and stared at it in disbelief. He looked back at Chander as the heartbroken Orc threw back his head, and roared his grief. Luuhk watched his uncle, not sure what to do. He had never seen the stalwart shaman so crushed.

Chander threw back his head a second time, but he began shifting into his wolf form so his roar became a long mournful howl, to which Dusty joined in. The two howled their sorrow, and even though the storm assaulted their ears as much as their bodies, Luuhk thought he could hear the sound of wolves howling along with Chander from somewhere in the distance. Finally Luuhk walked up to Chander, and put his hand on his head. "Uz need get owt ov da storm."

Chander whined loudly, and hung his head, but with a slow nod he stood up and started walking toward a stand of pine trees ahead. Dusty started whining as well, and Luuhk took a moment to hug him tightly, grateful that he still had his trusted companion. The somber trio walked slowly toward the pines, their hearts heavy with the loss of Bane, and though Chander was too grief stricken to think about it, all of their supplies. As they walked deeper into the pine forest, the wind died down, and only a light drizzle of rain made it through the thick needle canopy. At last Chander slumped onto the ground, and curled up at the base of a tree, whining with every breath.

Luuhk watched his uncle sadly, then sat down next to him and removed his packs from his back and hips. "Uz gunna hafta get new suppliez. No evun haff tent no moor." Chander dragged himself over to Luuhk, putting his head on the boy's leg, and looking up at him with a soft whine. Luuhk was surprised by the action, but he put his hand on Chander's head, and began petting him as he would Dusty. Chander closed his eyes and curled up against the young warrior. A moment later Dusty curled up on Luuhk's other side, and pressed his head under the boy's hand, seeking comfort. "We awl mizz him. Him wuz a guud wulf."

Chander lifted his head and howled again, so Luuhk put an arm around him to hug him. Chander pulled away this time, and just continued howling, so Luuhk got up and started gathering all the pine needles he could reach in front of them. He pulled his fire making kit out of one of the packs, and carefully lit the needles. He scoured the area for a few larger pieces of wood, and after several minutes they had a comfortable fire burning.

Chander stopped howling as Luuhk fed some larger pieces of wood to the flames, and started staring at the boy. Luuhk watched his uncle carefully, unable to tell just what was running through the shaman's mind. "Yoo cold?" Chander didn't move, he just kept staring at Luuhk. "Weel, I cold, and wet. Yoo shud try tu git sum rest unkul, yoo still haff tu git yoo strengf back." Chander snorted and began pacing back and forth, growling and snarling under his breath. Luuhk had no idea what Chander was doing, but Dusty watched him, thumping his tail against the ground every once in a while, and making small yipping noises. Luuhk looked between the two, and finally came to the conclusion that Chander was talking, as much as he could in that form, to Dusty. "Yoo know, yoo can tawk tu me instead ov Dusti."

Chander stopped pacing and looked at his nephew. After several long seconds he shifted back to his Orcish form, and Luuhk was stunned to see the look of fury on Chander's face. "Stop actin like ya don' give a crap. Buildin a fire, talkin bout supplies. Well dammit, ain't ya got a heart boy?"

Luuhk was about to retort angrily, but something held him back, some sense of caution. Instead he picked up a stick and snapped it in half before feeding it to the fire. "Corse I du, but luuk wur uz am. Middul ov nowhere, no tent, no fuud, jus' uz wepunz, uz armur, and wutebur toolz uz alwaiz keep in owr packz. Hao uz gunna travul nao?"

Chander started pacing again, his expression filled with wild anger. "Ta hell with travelin, ta hell with the mission. I don' give a crap bout none of it no more."

"Kodo skah!" Luuhk jumped up and grabbed Chander's arm, forcing him to stop and look at him. "Yoo do give crap, or yoo no tawk lyk dis! I know yoo hurtin, but it yoo dat tawt me tu keep yoo mind on wut importint, tu put assyd yoo imeediate feelingz fur da sayk ov survyval. Yoo gunna turn yoo back un dat? Un momo? Un me?"

Chander inhaled a swift breath, and lifted his hand to strike Luuhk, but he just held it there. After a few seconds he lowered his hand, and moved to the base of the tree, slumping down to the ground and burying his face in his arms. "He was more than a friend, he was a part of me. When we rode, when we fought, I'd barely hafta think bout what I wanted him ta do, an' he'd do it." Luuhk sat down next to Chander, and put his arm over his shoulder. "We were partners, an' no matter what I was feelin, what I was thinkin, it was like he knew. But I... I asked too much of him tonight. I asked too much... an' now he's gone."

"It no yoo fawlt. Yoo wuz tryin tu sayv him lyf, and owrz tuu." He reached his free hand to pet Dusty, who whined softly and licked his hand. "Iv yoo no told me wut tu du, awl ov uz wud haff drowned."

"I shoulda tied the lead shorter, that way he wouldn'ta swung so much, an' gotten scared. I shoulda helped ya force the packs on Dusty instead of puttin um all on Bane." His back began to heave as he fought to contain his sorrow and guilt.

Luuhk pulled his cloak off his back, and tucked it over the two of them as he sat next to the grieving Orc. "Shuda cuda wuda nebur changed nuttin. Nuttin ad awl can change dis. Awl uz can du am accept id, and moov un. Uz hab tu fokus un stayin alyv nao."

Chander's mind was still racing, his emotions going everywhere at once. As the full force of their situation struck him he let out a small sob, and was both surprised and grateful to feel Luuhk hugging him. He wrapped his arms around the boy, and for the first time since he was a young child, he allowed himself to show his grief around another person, and cried on his shoulder. Seeing his uncle's pain which reflected his own, Luuhk felt a few tears fall from his glowing eyes, and did nothing to check them. All they had to judge or comfort them was one another.

It was a gray dawn that filtered through the foliage the next morning. The storm had died out during the night, but the sky was still overcast. Luuhk twitched his ears and started his morning ritual of surveying his surroundings. As his mind traveled back to the night before, his stomach sank at the thought of how they would manage without Bane, or the supplies he'd been carrying. He opened his eyes slowly, and looked around. The ashes from the fireplace had already been cleaned out, and as he peered around the pines he couldn't see Chander anywhere. "Unkul?"

He stood up slowly, stretching the kinks out of his back, and picking up his cloak. He fastened it to his back as he looked around for Chander. His eyes settled on Dusty, who was lying near the remains of the fireplace. The canine looked up as Luuhk stood, and thudded his tail against the ground. Kneeling down, he hugged the worg, and allowed him to lick his face before standing back up. "About time ya woke up, we got lots ta do today." Luuhk turned around, relieved to see Chander standing behind him, holding a basket woven from tall grass.

"I no evun know wur uz gunna start. Uz need fuud, but uz can no stai owt in da cold eethur, zo uz need new tent." He frowned deeply, then his eyes fell to the basket. "Wut in der?"

"Water and ashes kid, it's what's gonna help us survive." Luuhk examined Chander carefully. His eyes were swollen, and his expression tense, but he seemed to have his emotions under control once more. "I gotta make another basket, so why don't ya go see if ya can't hunt down a buck or somethin?"

Luuhk tilted his head to the side curiously. "Yoo want me tu go huntin wyle yoo mayk basketz?Hao come I get awl da durti wurk?"

Chander's face slowly split into a grin, which secretly relieved Luuhk. "Cause once ya bring me a buck I'll have my hands full skinnin it, an' makin its hide inta part of our new tent. Jus' make sure when ya kill it ya don't spill its brains. Every animal has jus' enough brains ta preserve its own hide, whether or not its dead or alive." Luuhk blinked at the poem but Chander just shook his head and started walking back out of the forest.

"Skah I tink him headdress am tuu tyte, it kuttin ovv him bluud frum him brayn. Come un Dusti, letz gu huntin." The worg stood up and followed Luuhk as he left the campsite, wandering deep into the pine forest. He kept his senses alert, his shining eyes darting around the trees as he tried to spot something suitable enough to hunt. He often stumbled upon fresh deer tracks, but he never caught sight of the elusive creatures. After an hour of walking circles, Luuhk roared in frustration, and drew his axe, striking the nearest tree. "Skahurz, wai yoo no come meet me lusk? Coward deer!" He wasn't entirely surprised that nothing came out to face him, but it still didn't make him feel any better.

He growled and tried to tug his axe from the wood, but it was imbedded deep in the bark. He gripped the axe with both hands, and placed a foot on the trunk as he tugged. As his plate boot made an almost inaudible sound against the wood, Luuhk paused in his attempts to free the weapon, and looked at his foot curiously. Lowering it, he tapped his foot lightly against the forest floor, where it thudded and crunched against the pine needles and hard packed dirt. Very slowly, he began to understand why he could never see any deer, no matter how fresh the tracks were. With a bit of hesitation, he began unfastening his armor, and removing his packs from his hip, piling it all into a bush.

At last he stood wearing nothing except a loin cloth. He curled his toes against the pine needles on the ground, trying to get used to the feel of them under his feet, then very slowly he began to follow the tracks again, trying his best not to make a sound as he moved through the forest. His heart was pounding with excitement as he began picking up the pace, moving faster through the foliage, and still making hardly a sound. Never in his young life had he felt more wild, more like an Orc, then at that moment. This was how his ancestors had hunted for generations, success or failure measuring to something much more simple than life or death, meaning food or hunger, clothing or nudity, shelter or exposure.

His nostrils flared as he picked up the musky scent of a buck nearby, and he slowed his pace, moving carefully between the trees. Suddenly he heard a loud below echo through the pines, followed by what sounded like a gunshot, and much scuffling. Cautiously the Orc moved closer, and at last he peered through the bushes to behold a wondrous sight. Two bucks were locked in combat, their magnificent antlers pressed against one another as they kicked at each other with sharp hooves. Luuhk watched in fascination, trying to decide which of them to take down and how.

Dusty crouched down at Luuhk's side, the tip of his tail twitching with anticipation. Before Luuhk could take any action against the stags however, the wolf raced out of the bushes, and leaped for the two animals. Luuhk swore under his breath as the worg landed on the back of one of the bucks, digging his fangs into the tender flesh of its neck, but then his heart stopped. At the sight of the attacking canine, the other buck had turned to run, and it was running right toward Luuhk. Gripping his axe tightly, the young warrior waited for the animal to come closer, then he jumped out of the bushes, and charged at it. The stag was in a frenzy, first seeing a wolf attack its foe, then running straight into an angry Orc.

Before the beast could stop its momentum and flee in another direction, Luuhk had reached it, and buried his axe into the animal's neck. As its life blood spilled onto the dark soil below, the light left its eyes and it fell over dead. It took Luuhk a moment to realize what had just happened. He had gone out looking for one deer, and somehow wound up with two! He threw back his head, and roared in victory, releasing the last bit of pent up excitement from the hunt. A moment later Dusty joined his voice with the boy's, and the two exalted in the success of their kills. As Luuhk lowered his head, his shining eyes fell on the wolf, who was sitting on top of the first buck. "Dusti! Yoo wunderful animul!"

Dusty yipped at the tone of approval in Luuhk's voice, and ran over to him, putting his paws up on his shoulders and licking his face. Luuhk grabbed the sides of the worg's face, and ruffled it affectionately before pushing him down. He looked at the stag lying at his feet, then grinned. "Ukee Dusti, stai put. Yoo can carri dis one." He lifted the buck onto Dusty's back, but it started sliding off. Frowning slightly, he looked around for something to tie the buck to his worg, but all he could see was trees, and pine needles. His hand moved to where he usually wore his hip bag, but all it found was the pliable material of his loin cloth. His cheeks burning with embarrassment, but unable to think of another solution, he removed his loincloth, and tied it around the buck, and Dusty's back. As quickly as he could, he raced toward the other stag, slung it over his back, and began walking to where he had hidden his armor, more than ever resembling his oldest ancestors in all their glory.

Chander sat cross legged in a field of tall grass just outside the forest. There were several bundles of grass lying next to him, and at his feet was a basket made of the same grass, woven expertly together. His fingers moved swiftly over the basket, tugging and twisting the pieces of grass, tying pieces together, weaving them in, out, and around to build up the sides of the container. It was repetitive work, which left his mind free to wander, and it wander it did.

With his minds eye he could still see the first time he met Bane, how the animal had approached him timidly in the breeding pens, and licked his hand. He remembered all the days and nights he spent with the Skulldance clan, his and Jureth's clan, training themselves and their worgs in mounted combat. He had been a cavalry fighter, a strong second in command, and though he was respected and loved by his troops, it was Bane who made him a mounted fighter, and helped him guide others down that path.

As time went on, one by one his comrades disappeared, their bodies never recovered and perhaps taken by the swarms that plagued Northrend during that terrible war. Even Jureth and his son Naxian had vanished, leaving behind a mate, two unborn children, and Luuhk. Yet despite all those who had worn the standard of the Skulldance, just to become casualties of war, he and Bane had endured. The winning team who fought, ate, slept, and risked their lives together were at last torn apart, and the weight of that loss hung heavy on his heart. As he had grown used to doing whenever things became difficult, Chander did the only thing that made sense. He talked to Jureth.

"How'd it happen pal? How'd I go from havin a trusted friend at my side, an' enough supplies ta last six months, ta suddenly bein stuck in the wild with nothin at all?" Chander didn't expect an answer, his old friend's spirit had been silent since the day he vanished, but it still made him feel better just to think he might be listening. "If it weren't fer Luuhk, I'd probably still be curled up an' howlin, instead of doin somethin ta make sure we survive. Luuhk..." He smiled softly, and set aside the basket, which was finally complete. "Ya'd be proud of him. He's growin up, an' learnin more every day bout what it means ta be a man."

Luuhk walked out from the trees just then, a stag on his back, and wearing his full armor, but walking a little awkwardly. Chander's nostrils flared as he caught the boy's scent behind him, and he turned around to face him. He grinned as he caught sight of the two bucks, and Luuhk returned the smile, putting a hand on Dusty's head. "Brainz awl in dem headz, juzt lyk yoo wantid."

"Good, bring um on over so I can get ta work." As Luuhk hobbled over to him and dropped the buck on his shoulders in front of the Shaman, Chander's eyes fell on Dusty and the loincloth. "Innovative. Ya might wanna wash that before ya put it back on."

Luuhk growled and smacked Chander upside the head, causing the shaman to burst out laughing. "Shud up, I no expekted tu fynd two deer. Had tu du sumtin tu get id back tu camp, then me git der, and see yoo no back yet."

"You crazy? Ya can't tan a hide or preserve meat in a forest. The predators are gonna be drawn ta the scent of blood, an' the less cover we give um the better." Chander bent over the first buck, and started removing its hide, careful to take it off in one piece.

Luuhk untied the buck from Dusty's back, and set it down next to the other one, folding up his loincloth. "Zo wut? Uz git dem tanned, cook sum meat, mayk a tent, then moov on tumorow?"

Chander blinked at the boy stupidly, and paused in his work. "Tomorrow? You kiddin me? Do you even know what it takes ta turn a hide inta leather?" Luuhk shrugged indifferently, and Chander sighed. "First I'm gonna hafta soak the skins ta get um clean, that'll take about six hours, then I gotta wring it out, an' make sure no blood's left on it." Luuhk rolled his eyes as though he didn't think that sounded too hard, but Chander continued. "Then we soak the skins overnight in a container of water an' ash ta loosen the fur an' fat particles, an' in the mornin I gotta stretch it out over a log, an' use my knife ta scrape off the rest of the hair, an' fat. After that comes the tough part."

"Wayt, I seen yoo walk intu da tannerz in Orgrimmar, and come owt wid new armur, saddlez, packs. It no can tayk dat long!" Luuhk glared at his uncle, obviously not willing to believe him, but Chander barked a laugh.

"How do ya think I get hides so fast? Thousands of Orcs come in, bringin fresh hides ta be processed, an' the tanners trade um fer finished leather. We ain't gonna be ready ta pack up an' leave in one day kid. I jus' hope them brains are gonna keep till I'm ready ta use um in the final steps of makin leather." Chander had finished skinning the two bucks, so he started dragging one of the animals toward a river, then looked at Luuhk. "Don' think yer work's all done now that ya've killed a couple beasts. Help me get the other one to the water."

Luuhk looked at the bloody pile of muscles, tendons, bones, blood, and hooves that rested on the bloody mass his uncle said would become a piece of leather, then did as he was instructed. By the time he reached the water, Chander had already taken the buck off of the skin, and placed the hide in the water, securing it with a few rocks. Luuhk looked down at the bloody mess on the sand. "It awl durti nao. Hao uz gunna eet dat?"

Chander rolled his eyes, and moved toward the second hide to begin soaking it. "Ya wash the meat, that's how. Take my knife an' start guttin that one. Be careful with the organs, some of them got fluids in um that'll taint the meat if they spill."

At first Luuhk was very indignant about removing the animal's innards, and he grew irritated when Chander berated him for pausing in his work to wash his loincloth, but after a while he became fascinated by the task of cleaning an animal, as well as the instructions Chander gave him. "That's it, jus' hold it so the water passes through, an' it'll be clean in no time. We can use that stomach as a water skin if we tie off the bottom with a piece of tendon, an' let it harden. We can even give it a bit of a spout if we clean one of the vertebra from the spinal cord, an' stick it in the hole up top, an' use a piece of leather as a stopper."

Luuhk set the cleaned stomach to the side, and began pulling out the several feet of intestine. "Hao bowt dis? Wut we do wit it?"

"Heh, yer gonna love this. Those intestines should be jus' long enough ta hold all the fat from the animal we take it from. See, ya tie off the bottom, scoop a bit of the fat inta it, then give it a little pinch an' twist. They'll look like white sausages, but they'll hold all the fat fer if we wanna give our food some extra kick, or add some fat to a torch ta get it burnin longer." Chander looked up at Luuhk, his hands deep in the chest cavity of the other deer. "The spirits that made the first animals made sure that every part of it could be used fer somethin else. It's natures way of waste management."

Luuhk nodded as he coiled the intestine around his arm, a difficult feat given that the stag had at least thirty feet of intestines. As he took it to the river, he fixed Chander with an inquisitive gaze. "Hao yoo know zo much bowt wut parts yoo uze fer wut on a animul?"

Chander's smile turned a bit sad as he removed the lungs of the buck. "Yer grandma. Back when yer ma an' me were pups, she'd often go hunting fer food an' hides in the afternoons. She'd bring back whole carcases, an' teach us everythin I'm teachin you right now. There weren't no outposts back then 'cept fer Ratchet, an' it was only a small port an' tradin post. Ya couldn't jus' ride ta Orgrimmar an' pick up supplies, ya had ta take what you could find off the land, an' survive as best ya could. Her an' yer grandpa taught us how."

Luuhk had been bent over the coil of intestines as Chander spoke, positioning it so the water could flow freely into the thin tubes, and flush out the muck inside. A small smile played over his tusks. "And heer I thot I know enuff tu survyv on me own. Yoo teech me awl yoo know bowt survyval in da wild?"

Chander grinned at Luuhk and nodded. "All I know an' more kiddo. I guarantee you, by the time this is all over, both of us will have learned a few new tricks ta wilderness survival. You jus' about done removin that one's organs?" Luuhk nodded and Chander rinsed his hands in the river before standing up. "Good. I'ma borrow yer axe an' cut down some saplings ta make a meat rack. I need ya to start a fire, then start slicin off the meat from their bones, an' put the fat inta the intestines." Luuhk nodded, and Chander picked up the axe starting to walk away, but he called over his shoulder, "an' keep an eye on them hides! Don' let any fish nibble on um."

"Weel du!" he yelled back, then with a glance at the hides he began slicing the fat off the meat, pushing it into the cleaned intestine as he had been instructed, and cutting slices of meat in fairly even chunks, laying them on the sand next to him. Over the next hour Chander came and went, carrying several bundles of wood, and depositing them near Luuhk. At one point he gave him instructions on how to start building a rack, then left again. This time he didn't return for another hour, and Luuhk began to wonder if he was alright. At last he heard his uncle grunting, and turned around, his jaw falling open in shock. Chander was dragging a part of a tree, perhaps four feet high and ten feet long. "Dat much tuu big fer da rack unkul!"

"I told ya, I need a log ta drape the hides over when I remove the hairs an' fibers. I saw it on my last trip fer wood an' decided I may as well get it over here." Chander dropped the log a few feet away from Luuhk, and leaned against it, wiping several beads of sweat from his brow, and massaging his right shoulder. "Ya got that rack ready boy?"

Luuhk watched Chander with a hint of concern as he rubbed his shoulder, but he nodded. "Yup, jus' lyk yoo told me. Two piecez tied diagunali wit sum tendon, and moor piecez tied akross."

Chander moved over to the rack and nodded with satisfaction as he examined it. "Good. Now you jus' keep cuttin the meat, an' I'll rinse um, an' put um on the rack." By mid afternoon the sun had broken through the cloud cover, and as the sky began to change color. The two Orcs had removed most of the meat from the two bucks, leaving only the right hind leg off the larger one untouched, had filled the intestines with animal fat, and piled the bones and tendons into stacks nearby. Chander looked around at all they had accomplished, and patted Luuhk on the shoulder. "Not bad fer our first day up here."

Luuhk looked around as well and grinned. "Yup. Iv it no fer da lethur, I tink uz wud still be redi tu leev tumorow tho."

Chander laughed, and picked up the empty basket. He started scooping the ashes from the fire pit into it, then filled it with water and stirred it with a stick. "Well the meat should dry if we keep the rack near a smokin fire through the night. I gotta start wringin out them hides, an' get um ready ta put inta the baskets. Think you can set up a spit over the fire, an' start cookin that leg?"

Luuhk grinned widely and rubbed his stomach. "Aftur tuday I luukin forwurd tu eetin dat ting. I no tink I evur been around zo much meat, an' still be dis hungry in me life!" The two laughed, and as Luuhk started making a spit and preparing the roast for dinner, Chander began pulling the hides out of the water, wringing them out carefully.

By the time Chander had put the hides into the baskets to lime them, his entire body was shaking with exhaustion, and his mind was hazy. Stress, weariness from the turbulent night before, and a day of hard labor had taken its toll on the shaman, but he knew he still had a lot of work left to do. His eyes drifted over to Luuhk, who seemed to be holding up well, still wide awake and full of energy as he set the leg on a spit. He chewed his lip thoughtfully, then moved toward the log and pulled out his skinning knife, starting to slice the bark off the top of it. "Lemme know when its ready ta eat kiddo."

"Shur ting unkul." Luuhk leaned back as he turned the spit, relaxing as best as he could as he prepared a meal for them. By the time Luuhk called him over to eat, the log was completely smooth with no bark left on it, and the sun had set. With a definite note of relief, Chander sauntered over to the fire, cutting a slice off the roast and devouring it hungrily. Luuhk watched him, unable to contain the worry in his eyes. "Yoo pushin yooself hard. I tayk furst watch tunyte."

Chander nodded slowly, and took another bite of meat, the juices dribbling down his face as he ate with gusto. "Was gonna suggest that anyways." As Luuhk nodded and dug into his own meal, Chander watched the boy, debating whether or not to bring up something that had been running through his mind for most of the evening. Finally he sighed and set down his food. "You really did a good job today Luuhk, those bucks had some good skins on um, an' if we dry the meat right it should last us about a month."

Luuhk swallowed a mouthful, and grunted. "Two iv uz reeli kayrful wid them. Da fat shud lazt sum tym tuu, an' uz can pick ruutz az uz travul tu mayk soops wit."

Chander cut another piece of meat off the haunch, but he just held it in his hands. "Yeah, well I ain't worried bout food, there's always food enough everywhere ya go if ya know how ta look fer it. I'm more concerned about how we're gonna carry it all, as well as the tent once it's made."

"Yoo haff da hides tu mayk lethur. Stai a kuppul dayz, mayk sum packz, and we be guud." Luuhk took a large bite out of the haunch, a few strands of meat hanging out the side of his mouth as he chewed.

The shaman smiled with a hint of amusement at the boy, who still looked so young with his cheeks full of too much food, and his face sticky with juices, but it just made his next words even harder to say. "There won't be any more packs, or a tent, or even blankets ta sleep under. At least not with what we got now." Luuhk's mouth fell open, a bit of food falling from it in shock. "The hides we got today are maybe enough ta make the top of a tent, but we'll still need one more fer a ground cover, at least two more fer each of us ta have a blanket, an' one, maybe two more of that size ta make enough packs ta hold everythin." He looked at Luuhk over the fire, his expression grim. "I've asked a lot of you in the past three days, but if we wanna get movin sooner I'm gonna hafta ask more from ya."

Luuhk regarded his uncle carefully. He could see the weariness in his stance, the sorrow that still lined his features after Bane's sudden death the night before, and he grunted. "I kud haff turned back da furst day. I kud haff stayed back in Orgrimmar, and helped momo gu intu hydin. I kaym wid yoo, and wutebur I haff tu du fer uz tu succeed, I du it. Yoo jus' haff tu ask."

Relief and gratitude washed over Chander at his nephew's words. At that moment he knew there was no way he could have completed the journey alone, and he was proud that the one who had agreed to come with him was Luuhk. "Alright, here's what I need ya to do over the next few days. Every mornin I need ya to go huntin, an' jus' like today after I've skinned it, ya gut it, clean it, an' prepare the meat. It's gonna be a lot of work, an' after a couple days it might get tiresome, but if we wanna have a tent, packs, an' sleepin furs, I'm gonna hafta focus most of my time on the hides. Can ya do that fer me?"

Luuhk thought back on the entire day, the thrill of the hunt, and the way they had talked and laughed together as they worked to prepare the animals. He looked at Chander, and smiled. "Am dat awl? I thot yoo wuz gunna say yoo needed moor hides, zo yoo wuz gunna tayk myne!"

"Well the thought did cross my mind..." Luuhk tossed a piece of meat at Chander across the fire, and Chander retaliated, tearing off a chunk of venison and throwing it at Luuhk. They launched into a food fight for about a minute, laughing boisterously all the while, but at last they settled down, and Chander took a few more bites of meat before curling up on the ground next to the fire. "Ya wanna do me one more favor kiddo?"

Luuhk gulped down the last bit of his food, and moved the remainder of the deer leg away from the fire. "Jus' one moor?"

"While yer on watch, see if ya can't figure out how ta make baskets outta the tall grass. I'm gonna need two wide ones fer tomorrow." Chander yawned widely and closed his eyes as he gave in to the weariness that had plagued him through the day.

Luuhk blinked at him curiously. "Wut da skah yoo need moor basketz fer?"

"For the brains kiddo. For the brains, an' the hides," he yawned before passing out entirely.

"Brainz an' da hidez." Luuhk looked to where the two deer skulls were lying on the ground nearby, their brains still in tact since Chander had insisted on saving them, but they had nowhere to put them. He picked some of the dried grass from nearby, and tossed it on the fire until it began to smoke, then pulled the rack of meat closer to it so the slabs of venison could dry into jerky. "Yoo reeli am krazi unkul. Smart, but skahin krazi." Chuckling softly, Luuhk started gathering more strands of dried grass, and attempted to figure out how to weave baskets as he kept watch.