Coming to Stormwind (part five)

The humans had constructed an area of Stormwind just for the Kaldorei. They had spent hundreds of thousands of gold to construct a moonwell for my people.

It was an incredible gesture to solidify the newfound friendship. It was still fragile at best, but the humans were gracious hosts doing this.

When the Ambassador arrived the humans had turned the area around the moonwell into a mini night elf encampment. Tents of all colors, shapes, and sizes had sprung up like mushrooms. Inside the tents were furs, silks, incense, fruits, and all things of comfort. The humans used all their resources to please us an ensure our place among the Alliance.

I was taken to the tallest, largest tent.

The Ambassador was sitting an elaborately carved chair. A huge mirror with gnarled vines encircled around it reflected her figure. Her hair was long and the same green of sunlight shining through a leaf. It was being combed by a very small human shaped creature. She looked up.

She was very beautiful, there was little doubt. But her full thick lips were set to a hard expression on her face. She wore a long flowing white gown that made it seem she had walked through mist.

The little person stopped combing the Ambassador's hair, and the Ambassador and I stared at one another for some time. She had tattoos all along her eyes, but her face was also decorated with makeup. Her lips were red, her skin pale as ivory.

"You are that. That Druid of the Talon that was found." she stated coldly. She turned, looking suddenly disinterested, or perhaps disappointed by me.

"Silwyn, Ambassador…"

"Lalynthia Mistcrest."

"Ambassador Mistcrest." I greeted her formally.

"They tell me you are searching for your sister."

"Amilya Hollowind. Yes."

She paused as she filed her nail, sitting before her twin in the mirror.

"Never heard of her." She said.

I frowned.

Lalynthia sighed dramatically, putting down her nail file. "Look, Hollowind, you shouldn't be here. It doesn't matter that your sister is missing, your presence, the commotion you caused, it could severely jeopardize the relationship we are trying to deve--"

"What Lalynthia is trying to say…"

I was suddenly jostled aside as the tall thin elf barged into the tent. He was a night elf, but he looked slightly distorted. He was dressed entirely in cotton and human clothing. He reeked of human smells, milk, yeast, cologne. He could have had a muddied elfish blood line, I am not sure. But he was crass and loud. He grinned like a crescent moon.

"Is that your savage kind isn't welcome here and can skunk the deal. We have the humans desperate. We could get a pretty payoff to join them. So scoot, druid. SCAT!"

"Dayton, please. Be kind…" Lalynthia pleaded with a sigh.

"What, be kind to this druid? He's probably not even house broken…"

Lalynthia narrowed her eyes at his comment, "Leave, Dayton--" He paused, smirking. Then she shouted, "GET OUT!" And with that he chucked and left.

"I can't help you, druid." The Ambassador finally said with a frown. She turned to continue to file her nail. "I've asked the councilors in Stormwind to grant you political asylum as so you can not be prosecuted for that butchers shop job, however if you do ANYTHING close to that again, I can't say we can offer the same grace."

"I…I understand, Lady Mistcrest."

We met eyes. I bowed, and left her tent.

As I left the tent, I heard her voice follow me. It was cold and hard as rock.

"I do not want to see you prowling around the city again, druid."

I knew what she meant. She felt that if I were seen again searching for my sister, I could, as the other had said, "skunk" the deal between the humans and the elves. I was needless trouble and trash. Were she not as merciful, she could have killed me to ensure peace in the Alliance.

I once more shifted into my feline form, and stalked out.

The search for my sister seemed to become bewildering. I had no idea the human lands were so large. The city was confusing and complicated. The smells, the sound, … and most of all the -noise- was overwhelming. There was a week in which I simply wandered the city, lost and alone. It felt like a labyrinth and each turn only lead me to a darker, danker area of the city.

I scoured the Stormwind harbor. I watched and waited for any that had night elves upon it. I also listened to the chatter of the sailors. I was listening and waiting for something relevant, something relating to kidnapping, trading, or selling Kaldorei people.

However, nothing came.

Ships were constantly sliding in and out of harbor. Trade ships, ambassadors, travelers, commercial, military ships, all sorts of them were sailing two and fro. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, not even at night.

She could not have simply disappeared.

Weeks passed. Then months. I had not forgotten my sister, not for a moment. But as more time passed, my focus became diverted. At first there was only a handful of Kaldorei in the city. We all knew one another by name.

Then more ships from Kalimdor arrived in droves as the Alliance solidified. Soon it was as if there were as many elves as there were humans.

I had noticed myself change. I was becoming more irritable and angry. The deep seeded frustration from not finding my beloved kin was taking root within me. People and faces passed, they were laughing and carrying on with their lives. However I felt I could not.

Seasons changed. I was becoming complacent. I soon learned to carry on. I made friends within Stormwind. As much as I hated the city I continued to return to it over and over. At first I told myself it was because it was the most likely place to find Amy. But then it became a familiar, safe place to me. I never allowed myself to call it home aloud, however I knew deep down that it was becoming just this. I resented the city.