A/N - Sorry for the short chapter and the super long wait. I've had some massive writer's block here lately. I'm still working on it though!

Of Claws and Totems

Chapter 17

Kalimdor

This boat ride to the group's, and especially Miakoda's, relief was completely uneventful. The ship arrived in Lor'danel shortly after sunset. Blackheart, Kalara, and Miakoda departed the ship, carefully walking along the darkened gangplank. The only light on the clouded night came from some of the magical lamps that hung along the pier. The cargo, they had learned from Captain Solia, would be unloaded the next day. It was too risky to move all of the heavy cargo when there was insufficient light, at least if there was no pressing need to. Thankfully, for tonight at least, the group wasn't under attack. They weren't running from a horde of blood elves or demons, they weren't praying to be spared from a dragon. They were just passengers getting off an uneventful boat ride and looking for a place to sleep.

Though it was late when they arrived at the inn they had stayed at during the building of the port town, the inn keeper brightened visibly when he opened the door to see Blackheart's group. A short explanation about his transformation later, he happily led the way to their rooms which he supplied to them, on the house. They had, he said, helped to build that very inn after all. They each got their own rooms, though secretly both Blackheart and Kalara wished to share one again. They also both decided on a similar philosophy for them: Not too much and not too fast. They had all agreed to meet up in the common room of the inn for breakfast, and then set out on their journey. The room that they entered was much like the one that they had stayed in while they were at Lor'danel previously. There was a bed in one corner of the room and next to it a small end table with a lamp on it and a wash basin. Nothing too fancy, but they didn't need fancy. They needed sleep. They had a very long way to go the next day.

Even as Blackheart extinguished his lamp to sleep he knew it would not come easily tonight. The clouds had parted enough that a bright, full moon shone through the small window in his room. While the old myth about full moons and worgen wasn't exactly true, he did feel a… calling to the moon. He didn't plan to howl at it, but on a night with a clear, full moon he liked to sit, watch the moon, and reflect. It felt odd to Blackheart to be safe, to be at peace. He recalled how, when helping to construct Lor'danel it had seemed strange to be able to rest in a bed without the need to keep his senses keen for predators. He had still woken at every noise and hadn't let his guard down, but it was nice to know that he could have been off guard and would have made it through the night just fine. Even when he had slept next to Kalara, as comfortable as he had been, he had woken at every twitch she had made in her sleep. That hadn't been so bad, as it was another chance to spend relishing her presence. He had spent too long fighting every day just to survive to let those habits go in such a short time. One day, he mused, maybe he could just relax. One day he, and hopefully Kalara with him, would think of things like dragons and evil cults and horde armies and realize those things were in the past and nothing to worry about anymore. One day when he could sheath his sword, and his claws, he would be able to rest. For tonight though he figured resting in his bed would be enough, and bedded down for the night.

When morning arrived he awoke at his usual time, dressed quietly, and went to Kalara's door. He was surprised as he put his hand up to knock faintly that the door opened and a bleary eyed Kalara stumbled into him. She issued a sleepy murmur and clung to him.

"I didn't expect you to be up this early." He said, looking down into her sleepy eyes. Her hair was a mess; it was covering part of her face, knotted and sticking up in some places and laying flat in others. He marveled that even though her appearance was a sleepy mess, she was still beautiful.

"Mmm wanted ta' see sunrise." Her words slurred out. She still wasn't fully cognizant, and to her this was not a decent hour to wake up at, but she had wanted to see if what Blackheart had said about each sunrise being different was true. A slight gasp followed Blackheart sweeping her off her feet. She leaned her head on his shoulder and said, "You need to warn me 'fore you do that."

Outside the inn the small settlement was dark and peaceful. The magical lamps still burned, lighting up the streets and the pier. The soft sound of the sea lapping against the shore and the tinkling of wind chimes disturbed by the breeze the sea brought in were the only sounds that disturbed the silence. The breeze brought with it the salty smell of the sea. Blackheart did enjoy the sunrise wherever he was, but he would be glad when he could get away from the sea. The intense salty smell was harsh on his heightened senses. He walked to the edge of the pier, carrying Kalara with him. At the edge of one facing back East towards the mainland he sat down and plopped Kalara down into his lap.

As she nuzzled closer to him, she asked, "Won't the mountains block the sun for a long time? How will we see it?"

He nodded, answering, "It will be blocked for a little while, but the sun will still break over the edge of the mountains and it will have the same effect as it did yesterday morning."

Kalara nodded, content with his answer for now. She felt more than heard Blackheart's breathing slow and she closed her eyes, mimicking him, trying to tune things out and sense the sunrise coming. It seemed like it was taking longer than it should; it seemed like the sun should have risen already. It was then that she realized that it wasn't just her that was anticipating the sun's arrival. All around her she could sense the earth anticipating it as well, as if it knew that the sun should be up by now but something, namely the mountains, was keeping it held back. She sensed the pressure of anticipation building and was slept along with it and just as she thought she couldn't wait any longer the first rays of the sun swept over the mountain top and struck the land around her. She was instantly warmed by the sun's rays caressing her face and she felt the land awake in front of her. When she opened her eyes and turned to look at Blackheart he was watching her, a smile playing at his lips. "What?" she asked.

"Nothing." He said before kissing the top of her forehead. "Nothing at all. I was just enjoying the view."

The two of them returned to the inn before Miakoda was up and were packed and waiting for her when she exited her room. After a quick breakfast the group bid goodbye to the inn keeper, thanked him once more for the free lodgings, and set out to their immediate destination: Astranaar, Ashenvale. The group hoped to make it to Astranaar by the end of the day. On their way out of the village there were calls of recognition for Kalara and Miakoda by villagers that recognized them from the work they had done to get Lor'danel on its feet. As they reached the edge of the settlement they were hailed by a familiar night elf: the guard who had stopped them on the night after the Cataclysm and almost instigated a fight among friendlies. Blackheart saw her and mused that if it had not been for Tyria speaking up the situation would have been much worse.

"Ho Kalara, Miakoda. Who's this with you?" the guard captain said as she approached, flanked by two of her guards.

"You almost put an arrow through me once, though I've lost some hair since then." Blackheart's voice was definitely not the same as it was when he was a worgen, it wasn't quite as deep and husky, but his tone, inflections, and general accent made it clear who he was.

"Blackheart! I am pleased to see that you seem to have gotten your situation straightened out. Where might you three be headed?" The captain asked, standing at ease with them.

Blackheart answered. "We're right now to Astranaar, but eventually we'll be on to Thunder Bluff to return Miakoda to her tribe and then on to Menethil Harbor. Why do you ask?"

The captain looked over to her two guards before nodding, as if settling and internal debate, and continued. "We haven't heard anything from Astranaar for a while now. I sent two of my sentinels a week ago and they haven't came back. After that I sent a squad, fifteen sentinels, to see what had happened. That was three days ago. They should have at least sent someone with a report for me. Something has gone wrong down that way, and we have no idea what. I know I shouldn't thrust my problems onto you, and I don't discount the prowess of my sentinels, but if half of what I've heard about all of you is true I would greatly appreciate it if you could keep your eyes open, both for your own safety and to look out for my sentinels. I have a bad feeling about the whole situation."

Blackheart looked to Kalara and Miakoda, both who nodded. The peace he had thought about the previous night fled from his mind, replaced with the sense of pride he was starting to get accustomed to having that stemmed from helping others in need. It had been nice when he was helping to build Lor'danel that helping didn't also involving killing, but he knew all too well he could handle sword and claws better than a hammer and chisel. Even if he hadn't been headed that way, he realized, he would have went anyway. This new life of adventure, while much more dangerous than living alone in the woods, was definitely more exciting. With a quick look at Kalara he realized it was much more rewarding as well.

He looked back to the captain. "Of course we would be happy to keep an eye out for them, and thank you for the warning. If we get to Astranaar and find nothing, we'll send back word somehow to you."

The captain bowed slightly. "My thanks to all of you. I've held you up long enough. Be safe."

The captain and her guards went back to their post and allowed Blakcheart's group to leave the village. They walked along the road mostly in silence for a few hours, passing through the peaceful forest. Blackheart could still smell the saltiness and dead plant matter that was the aftermath of Deathwing's emergence. It was in this reflection of the destruction that Blackheart noticed something strange about the wind. Until now there had always been a slight breeze coming in from the coast. Now though, the wind was being drawn away from him, to the South along the coast instead of from it. He also sensed a… wrongness ahead. He slowed and looked to Miakoda and Kalara. The tauren's eyebrows were furrowed and she looked perplexed. Kalara looked around, her eyes slightly wide, a classic sign she felt something was wrong.

"I don't know what this feeling is," the tauren said, "but it's making the hairs on my neck stand up. Whatever is up ahead is not a good thing, that's for sure."

Kalara nodded her assent. "It feels as if the wind is being… hurt, if that makes any sense. I definitely don't like it."

The group slowed their pace now, warily keeping an eye on the forest around them. The wind continued to pull away from them with every step they took until soon their tabards were flapping out in front of them and Kalara's hair was making it difficult for her to see. The further they progressed, the louder it got as well; a dull but constant roar was able to be heard and only grew louder with each step they took. As they rounded the next bend they understood and were stopped in their tracks. Beyond the broken ground that looked as if it had been shattered was the largest vortex of wind that any of them had ever seen.