Chapter Six
My name is Arrentai Bearheart. I am a druid.
I'll not tell you in detail of the fall of Gilneas and how my people were driven out of our ancestral homes by the Forsaken armies that attacked us. You'll know that story well enough from more skilled storytellers than me.
This is my story, just my small part in those events, my life. I was born thirty years ago in a tiny village not far from Gilneas, the second son of Taliesin Bearheart and Cara Firethorn. Both my parents were druids from long lines of druids. From childhood my brother and I trained in those abilities. It soon became evident that I was destined to follow in their footsteps. My brother Gillaen to his sorrow was not. Though he tried hard to learn the skills that we must all master he could not find the power within him. Eventually he abandoned his studies, left our home and enlisted as a paladin in the army of our king Genn Greymane. He made a good career for himself, rising through the ranks to a position of some authority.
The life of a druid was a good one for me. I loved the forests, the open spaces, the close contact with nature, the aloneness. I had few friends but I never felt lonely when I could feel the natural world all about me and draw its energy into me to use the healing spells that were part of my work.
It was through Gillaen that I met the woman with whom I would fall in love. Her name was Nerissina Moonshade. She was the daughter of a merchant family in Gilneas and like Gillaen had chosen to enlist in the army. Her reason, I later learned, was to escape an arranged marriage. He brought her among a group of friends when he came to visit us on leave. I'm afraid I scarcely remember the others. The moment I was introduced to Nerissina I was smitten. She was beautiful; a slender, fair skinned redhead with a delightful sense of humour and very strong willed. For the whole time she stayed with us we were together and by the end of a week we were lovers. We wandered through the fields, rode out in the hills or simply sat and talked. It was all the same to me so long as she was with me.
All too soon they had to return to their barracks. Before they left I took her to one side and asked her if she would one day be my wife. She smiled her sweet gentle smile, reached up to touch my face with her strong little hand and said, "One day, when there is peace and we can make a home together. For now we must make the most of what we have."
As I gazed into her lovely blue eyes I had no reason to doubt that it would happen. How wrong could I be? A few short months later I found out.
The worgen have long been a curse on our people. Summoned by Archmage Arugal to aid in our fight against the Scourge they had turned on our people and proved more of a hazard than a help. Now they were steadily increasing in numbers on both sides of the Greymane wall; attacking our farms and villages; killing and taking our people for their own foul purposes. Even our army wasn't safe from them; frequently being attacked at night as they carried on the war against the Scourge in the Plaguelands and Silverpine forest. Soldiers were being bitten or dragged off into the forests and never seen again. Nobody made the connection then that those who disappeared were usually those who had previously been bitten. Just three months after I met Nerissina Gillaen wrote to tell me that she too had been lost, taken by the worgen.
Gillaen was the only one who'd known how important Nerissina had been to me. With no one to talk to or to share my grief with I devoted myself to my studies, becoming ever more solitary as the months sped by. Then five months after her disappearance Gillaen again wrote to tell me that she had returned. She had changed though, he said, and she'd told him that she no longer loved me; never wanted to see me again. I couldn't understand it; I'd thought her love was as enduring as mine. Although it tore my heart to pieces I respected her wishes and stayed away. There were also, he said, several worgen in the army. Apparently they made good soldiers if they had enough self control to co-operate with people. It wasn't until much later that I had the knowledge to make the connection between those two seemingly disparate pieces of information.
My parents, growing older and wanting a more peaceful life, moved south to live in Stormwind where we had family. I stayed alone in Gilneas. Through Gillaen's occasional letters I learned a little of what was happening in the wider world. The Scourge were causing trouble again and several regiments including his were being sent north to deal with them. It was the last time I heard from him. Weeks later we heard that the Scourge had almost wiped out the soldiers sent against them. Worse still; they took the bodies of the dead and turned them into warriors for their own armies. My brother had fallen in battle and was among the missing. It was always the best that they took; race, faction, class made no difference but if a man or woman fell in battle after proving themselves to be an outstanding warrior they were taken to be made into soldiers for the Scourge's undead army; and paladins had always been the most valiant of fighters. All the worgen in their regiment had died. Only their ferocity had allowed any survivors to escape. I went into the city to find out more. I wish I hadn't. The names of all those lost was displayed outside the town hall. I stopped to read them. So many men and women, some of whom I had known. There was my brother's name and lower down... Nerissina! How could fate do this to me? It had torn her away from me once again and this time there could be no returning.
Without being aware of what I was doing I shapeshifted to my bearform. Rearing up onto my hind legs with an anguished roar I tore at the list of names and the board to which it was pinned with my claws, shredding them both to pieces. I turned, dropping to all fours, and dashed away through the crowds swatting aside anyone who got in my way. I was lucky the guards wouldn't chance shooting me with so many people about or I might have died that day. I was almost home before I calmed enough to slow to a halt. Shifting back to human I sank to the ground and gave in to my despair.
In my grief I became ever more withdrawn until I was virtually living the life of a hermit. Two or three years passed and I began to hear rumours of a new kind of warrior that was appearing in the armies of both the Alliance and the Horde. They called them death knights, Knights of the Ebon Blade. Former minions of the Lich King and the Scourge they had somehow found the strength of will to break free of his influence and earn the return of their souls by fighting against him. Although generally viewed with even more antipathy than the worgen they were accepted back into the ranks of their former armies by both King Varian and the Horde leader Garrosh Hellscream as a valuable resource in the battle against the Scourge. I never once dared hope that Gillaen or Nerissina could be among their numbers.
Meanwhile the worgen depredations became worse. They began invading our capital city and driving out the people. It seemed they could not be beaten so the king called for all able-bodied citizens to help evacuate the city. I volunteered and did my part. I even had the honour to be noticed by the king for my deeds. However the worgen fought viciously and many people fell to their attacks. I was unfortunate enough to be bitten on my arm. The wound was not serious so I bound it up and continued fighting. I didn't know then that it meant the end of the life that I had always known. Eventually the city was evacuated and those of us who were left were told to report to Lord Crowley in the cathedral. There were so few of us. As the worgen forced their way in we fought back but it seemed so hopeless. I was exhausted and I could feel the poison from the worgen's bite burning through my veins. I scarcely had the strength to cast another protective spell. Another worgen rushed at me and a paladin stepped forward to defend me as I raised my hands to begin casting.
Suddenly everything went black.
I came to my senses in a cramped cage. For some moments I did not move, my body ached from the awkward position I was in, slumped in one corner with my back against the bars. But my senses, how heightened they were. I was aware of so much that I would scarcely have noticed before; sound; birdsong, the gentle sighing of the wind in the trees, the chatter of water over the stones of a nearby stream; scent; the fragrance of a few late-flowering plants, fish on the ships of the distant fishery, and closer the body odours of men and women, animals and other less pleasant smells; touch; the bars of my cage pressed against my back, I felt each individual one, the touch of the breeze on my skin, the dampness in the air. I didn't understand this. I opened my eyes and looked about curiously. Even my vision seemed enhanced. I could see every minute detail, every blemish on the rough iron bars of the cage, every blade of grass, leaf, flower petal. It was incredible. Even when I was transformed into my druid animal forms my senses had never been this acute. I wanted desperately to know what had caused this change.
All around me were other cages, like the one that held me, most of them holding snarling feral worgen. I could smell their fear, their confusion. Beyond the cages were the derelict seeming buildings of a Gilnean village that seemed vaguely familiar. I lifted my arms to push at the bars; but they weren't my hands. These were covered in coarse dark hair, the elongated fingers ending in long vicious claws. Light protect me; what had happened to me? Had I become that which we most feared? Was this how worgen multiplied; by turning ordinary men and women into beasts like them. I raised my head and howled wolf-like in my distress before darkness once again took me. The darkness was interspersed with rare moments of lucidity and memories of being forced to swallow foul tasting liquids. Eventually reason returned and I began to wonder what would become of me. Would I have to spend the rest of my life in a cage to keep me from being a danger to my fellow men? Accustomed to roaming freely I didn't think I could bear that. Death would be more welcome to me than captivity. And I wondered how long had I been like this and what awful things might I have done in the time I could not remember?
After some time a group of men approached my cage. Four of them were heavily armed guards; the fifth, I recalled, was the royal chemist Krennan Aranas, a man I had helped to rescue not long since. He stopped at a safe distance and studied me. I stared back in silence.
"So you're back with us," he commented. I didn't try to answer; my throat felt dry and sore. Instead I snarled beastlike at him.
"Bring him," he ordered the guards. One of them pushed a spear through the bars, forcing me back, while a second kept his gun levelled at my head. The others unlocked the cage, bound me with chains and dragged me out to the stocks in the nearby village square. Once they had me secure they poured more of their foul drink down my throat. I couldn't swallow quickly enough and began to choke.
"No more," I gasped; my voice hoarse, deeper, rougher than it had been before.
"Do you remember who you are?" Krennan asked. For a moment I hesitated as I collected my thoughts.
"I am Arrentai Bearheart, son of Taliesin Bearheart and Cara Firethorn."
"Good. Your memories are returning. These chemicals we've been dosing you with have enabled you to regain control over your body. They're not a cure, you must continue to take them, but it does mean you can be let out to get on with your life."
"What kind of life can I have looking like this?" I demanded as the guards set about freeing me from my chains.
"I can't go back to my family."
"You can still serve the king. The Forsaken have taken advantage of our troubles with the worgen and are attacking our borders. We need every man we can get, no matter what he looks like, to help defend us."
I shrugged. "Maybe."
At that point I didn't feel much loyalty to the king. I felt that he had betrayed the trust of his people by keeping the truth about the worgen secret and leaving us vulnerable to their attacks. It was in his service that my life as I had known it had been destroyed. Why should I give him more of myself?
"Well; when you make your mind up speak to someone at the town hall."
For a few days I just hung around the village doing very little, getting used to my new body, learning what I could do. I found that I still had my druid abilities; I could even shapeshift but I couldn't master the worgen's reputed ability to change back to my human form. Maybe I never would. One of the guards had been in the cathedral in that last hopeless battle against the worgen. He told me what had happened to me and so many others. I'd been part way through casting that last spell when I'd changed without warning. Before anyone could stop me I'd turned on the paladin defending me and ripped his throat out. I'd joined with the worgen and fled with them into the forests. Weeks later I'd been captured by a hunting party when someone recognised the shredded remains of the Gilnean tabard that I still wore. I had no memory of that time, mercifully; I don't think I could have borne the agony of knowing what I'd done.
At last I made my mind up. I was still a powerful druid and as such I could be useful in the war against the Forsaken and maybe atone in some small way for my sins. I headed to the town hall, one of the few intact buildings in the village. It was only then that I saw my reflection for the first time as I passed an unbroken window. It was quite a shock. Gone was the face I knew, replaced by the long muzzle and fangs of a wolf. My blonde braids and neatly trimmed beard had become a shaggy dark mane. I turned away sadly; I didn't know if I would ever get used to my new appearance.
Over the following weeks I was given many varied things to do; helping out people, looking for things that were lost, fighting against the Forsaken. And all the while the area was rocked by earthquakes. The land became increasingly unstable until it began to crumble into the sea. We had to leave Duskhaven village before we too were swallowed up. We moved eastwards to Stormglen, still fighting the endless hordes of Forsaken. It was then I learned that there might be more help for my condition. The night elf druids had a retreat deep in the forest of the Blackwald. In the heart of Tal'Doren were three magical wells. If I drank from each of these wells I would regain complete control and would never again have to fear the beast within me. I swore then that I would earn the right to ask that help, no matter what it took.
While we worked and fought for our survival more victims of the worgen's curse were brought in to Stormglen and to others of our refuges. All were treated as I'd been with Krennan's foul potions. Many of them eventually recovered but some did not. Once I asked what would happen to them. They would not be harmed I was told but would be taken to a safe and secure place where they could harm no-one. That reassured me, for who knew when a worgen that could not be treated might be somebody's friend or relation. I was fortunate in that I knew my parents were safe, but so many in the countryside around us were still at risk.
One day as I was passing the cages one particular worgen caught my attention, a young female who'd been brought in only the previous day so she'd only had one dose so far. Unlike most of the others she wasn't trying to break the bars of her cage. Instead she was crouched in one corner looking alertly around. As I watched her I was aware of Krennan coming up behind me. "She's canny, that one," he said. "She looks as though she knows what's happening."
At the sound of his voice she turned her head to stare at him and gave a short snarl.
"I'd say her treatment will be successful."
"Good." For some reason it seemed important to me that she recovered.
I watched her treatment closely, making a point of being present when she was given her doses. If Krennan wondered why he never asked me. If he had I couldn't have told him. It was just a vague feeling. My patience was rewarded within a week. I stood back watching as she was compelled to drink the liquid. For some moments nothing happened then she turned to glare at Krennan. "Are you trying to poison me?" she demanded.
The old man smiled."Welcome back," he said. "Who are you?"
"I'm Vanesta," she said calmly. "Who are you?"
I knew that name. Vanesta Allaisson had been a childhood friend. Gillaen and I had spent all our free time running wild through the woods with Vanesta and her brother. Of course in those days there'd been no worgen to worry about so close to home. I strode forward and she flinched, maybe thinking I was about to attack her.
"Vanesta," I said gently, "don't be afraid of me. I'm Arrentai."
"No! Stay away from me. You're a worgen."
"So are you now. I was bitten by a worgen while we were evacuating Gilneas and I changed. I guess the same happened to you."
"They came to our farm," she said sadly. "They killed my parents and Tobi; and left me for dead. I stayed there alone, and then... I don't remember what happened after that."
"That's quite normal," Krennan said gently. "Nobody remembers. I believe it's a defence mechanism to protect your sanity. Most people couldn't cope with knowing what they'd done."
While we were talking the guards had removed her chains and moved away.
Krennan smiled at us.
"I'll leave you to explain things," he said to me before walking away to deal with his next patient. I reached out to take Vanesta's hands; not an easy thing when you have razor sharp claws. I led her to the room that I had chosen as my refuge and I explained everything to her. Unlike me she had no hesitation in making a decision about her future; she joined us in working towards the survival of our people.
Not long after that we were sent to Tal'Doren to work with the night elves and we ended up helping them to retrieve something called the Scythe of Elune from a group of Forsaken at their hideout in the Blackwald. Our reward for that was to be allowed to take part in the ritual that would bring balance to our natures. We drank from each well in turn while the druids spoke the invocations. It was simple yet we could feel the power involved. I could feel a control over my body that I hadn't felt since I became a worgen. I searched deep within myself until I found that which made me human and I boosted it until it filled me. Then I shapeshifted. Slowly I raised my hands in front of my eyes; they were my own hands once again not the wolf's claws that I hated so much. I touched my face; it was smooth apart from the beard. I was human again. Sure, I knew I was still a worgen; that could never change but at least I could wear the form that was truly myself. I was to find out later that I would always have to be worgen when I went into battle; the adrenalin triggered a physical change that I could not control, but my mind was still my own. I could live with that; in a way it was an advantage for worgen are much stronger than humans.
I turned to Vanesta and smiled.
"Easy," I said. "Let me teach you how."
It took her longer to learn. Not being a druid she had never learned to shapeshift whereas I'd been doing so since I was a child. Eventually though she got the hang of it and she stood before me, a beautiful woman once again. I bent and gave her a brotherly kiss on the forehead.
"See. Nothing to it."
Lord Crowley was at Tal'Doren, conferring with the druids and he took time to speak to us. He had more tasks for us and the other recovered worgen. We found ourselves going from place to place gradually getting closer to Gilneas city. The Forsaken were overrunning the city and the king wanted them out. We gathered together in a fighting force and battled our way in. The battle seemed to be going our way and we had their leader Sylvanas Windrunner cornered. She tried to kill the king but his son Liam died instead, defending him. She fled and a group of us pursued her to the cathedral. I was beginning to hate that place; for a so-called sanctuary a lot of bad stuff was happening there. What we heard there was even worse; Sylvanas was planning to release a plague amongst the people and we had no way to stop her.
When we reported back to the king he decided that we had to get all our people out of the city. A few of us created a diversion while everyone else, Vanesta among them, escaped through a secret passage. By the time we made it through they were well away. The king was with us, bringing his son's body. With his concern for his people he hadn't had time to grieve. Out of respect for him we took time to arrange a burial in the graveyard at the end of the tunnel.
By the time we fought our way to the harbour the others were gone. The Horde were everywhere; was there no end to them? They were like a plague of rats. I was so angry, so mad with everyone that I was constantly in worgen form. I just wanted to get out of there; to find somewhere away from all the fighting. I wasn't a natural fighter; druids usually follow a more peaceful way of life and I had had enough. There was a ship waiting to take us away but the king would not leave until he was sure that there was no one left. So we waited and fought on. I hated this rage I constantly felt; hated the people who caused it.
Eventually no more stragglers arrived. We were given the order to embark. The last of our equipment was loaded, the war machines that were too large to take were disabled and we boarded the ship. I hadn't even bothered to ask where we were going. It was enough for me that we were leaving behind the scenes of battle. The crew of the ship were night elves, not the most talkative of people. In time though, someone told me that we were headed for Teldrassil. The night elves had offered us sanctuary and a new home with them. For the most part the voyage was peaceful and I was able to rediscover my inner calm and return to the form that I favoured. I had plenty of time to think about the life that awaited me. I only wished that my beloved Nerissina could have been there to share it with me.
Teldrassil was everything they promised; a peaceful, beautiful place with welcoming people. They had prepared a home for us, a great hollow tree surrounded by gardens and freely wandering creatures. Someone with a sense of humour had named it the Howling Oak. It should have been paradise but Nerissina wasn't there. I tried to make a new life for myself. I continued my studies; there was so much I still had to learn. But some days I couldn't see the point. I was too restless to settle to this new life and they didn't need another druid.
In time I moved to Darkshore where I was able to be of use rebuilding what had been destroyed in the cataclysm that had shaken our world. To earn a living I learned the trade of leatherworking. There were plenty of beasts to provide skins and I found that being a worgen made skinning easy. It's the claws; they make great skinning knives and you don't have to worry about sharpening them.
After some weeks the night elf sentinel in command of the Darkshore detachment asked me if I could take some messages to Stormwind and Ironforge for her. She couldn't spare anyone else and she could trust me to complete the errand. It was a long time since anyone had said that to me; my appearance doesn't usually inspire trust these days. Of course I agreed. I was curious to see the capital and maybe I would be able to see my parents as well. So loaded with parcels of letters and copious instructions I set off.
I flew first by gryphon to Rut'theran village, and from there caught the ship to Stormwind. I had plenty of time on the voyage to relax and think about things. My family occupied a lot of my thoughts. I'd had no contact with my parents since they left Gilneas; I didn't even know if they knew about the manner of Gillaen's death, or that I'd been lost to the worgen. I was uncertain too whether I should meet them as I was now. How would they cope with learning that I was essentially the same as our enemies?
When the ship arrived at Stormwind I soon learned what people generally thought of us. Even when we wore human form people still didn't like worgen. The king had accepted us into the Alliance but that didn't mean his people were willing to do the same. From the moment I stepped ashore I was treated with suspicion.
I asked directions of a guard and headed for the barracks. In the city I could see that here too the cataclysm had wrought destruction. The area they called the Park had largely fallen into the sea and was little more than burnt rubble. As I walked through the busy streets I could feel the antipathy of the citizens and I had to struggle to keep my own feelings under control. One moment's loss of control and I could so easily change and become what they feared so much.
When I reached the barracks of course I was challenged to identify myself. Fortunately the sentinel's name and the papers she had given me were sufficient to get me in. I was taken to a senior officer to whom I handed the papers addressed to his commanding officer. This man, apparently, didn't have a problem with worgen, and he was obviously bored with his administrative duties for he invited me to join him for lunch. He took me to an inn in the Old Town area of the city whose customers seemed to be mostly military personnel. As we ate he asked me about my work in Darkshore. It turned out he had family there that he hadn't heard from since the cataclysm and he was anxious for news about them. As it happened I knew the people, a fisherman and his family from Auberdine. Although they'd lost their home they were all safe so I was able to reassure him. I even offered to take any messages for him; I could collect them before I left on the boat.
As he drank more he became more talkative and I learned that he had served in the same regiment as Gillaen and Nerissina. I encouraged him to talk about my brother and he was happy to do so. According to my companion Gillaen had been well-liked. He had fought valiantly in his last battle killing a large number of Scourge soldiers before falling himself. More than one survivor owed their lives to him. I didn't ask about Nerissina; I wasn't ready to hear how she'd met her death.
It was well into the afternoon before we left the inn. I was still sober; I still had errands to do; but my companion was rather less so. I hoped he made it safely back to the barracks and didn't end up in the canal.
I next had messages to deliver to the keep. That was quicker; I simply left them with the officer in charge of the watch saying that I would return next day to see if there were any replies.
My last errand was to deliver a package to Ironforge. I'd been told that the quickest way to get there was to use the Deeprun tram. Asking directions of a guard I headed for the Dwarven quarter and the entrance to the tram's tunnel. I wasn't sure I liked it down there. For someone who spent most of his time outdoors the tunnels seemed very claustrophobic. I hoped the journey wouldn't take too long. When the tram reached Ironforge I hurried out of the tunnel from the tramway only to find I was still underground. Nobody had bothered to tell me that the dwarves' city was subterranean. Such a life wasn't natural to me; I didn't like it at all. The place was big enough but there was no natural light; everything was lit by torches. I hurried to make my delivery so I could get out of there as soon as possible. They had nothing for me to take back so I left right away. I was glad to get back to Stormwind and out into the open air.
By then it was late in the evening and I needed to find somewhere to spend the night. I could have stayed at the inn where I'd had lunch but it was noisy and crowded with off-duty soldiers. So I just bought something to eat and headed towards the gates of the city. I'd heard that Elwynn Forest that surrounded the city was a beautiful and restful place. Passing out under the scorched and damaged turrets atop the main wall and over a bridge lined with statues, one of which was broken away, I went out into the forest. I wandered in the cool shade becoming more at one with nature. Stopping out of sight of the walls I shapeshifted; not into worgen form; but into druid cat form. With the added speed it gave me I ran, covering miles and a great deal of the forest, becoming more at peace with myself. As it grew dark I slowed and sought a sheltered place to spend the night. Still in cat form I slept, curled in a mossy hollow, until sunrise.
I shifted back to human form and returned to the city. After buying breakfast from a canal-side shop I headed back to the barracks to collect any deliveries from there. There was no sign of the officer I'd spoken to the previous day but he'd left a letter and a parcel for me to take. He was ill I was told. That amused me; if he'd drunk as much later in the day as he did for lunch he probably had one hell of a hangover. Leaving the barracks I went to the keep to see if they had any deliveries. Expecting to be given them at the door I was told to go in as the king wanted to see me. It turned out he wanted first hand information on how things were going in Darkshore as they hadn't seen anyone from there for a while. I told him what I could and answered his questions; then I left and headed out into the city. I hadn't seen much of it the day before and like any visitor I wanted to do some sight-seeing. I wandered around the city, exploring, filling in time until my ship was due to depart. I'd decided not to contact my parents; if they believed I was dead maybe that was better than knowing what I'd become.
Eventually I found myself in cathedral square. For a few minutes I watched the children from the nearby orphanage playing in the gardens. They were so carefree, as I remembered once being. On impulse I mounted the steps of the cathedral and went inside, pulling the hood of my cloak up to conceal my face. Almost deserted, the building was peaceful and full of the light that gave it its name. I could hear gentle voices in some of the side rooms but the main aisle was empty. I strode forward toward the altar, stopped and stood there bathed in the warmth of the light that streamed through the crystal clear windows. Raising my face to the light I closed my eyes and prayed for my loved ones; for my parents that they would forget the pain of losing us and learn to live in peace; for Gillaen and Nerissina that they would be spared the torment of an eternity of service to the Lich King. Lastly I prayed that I would have the strength to continue to lead my life serving others and not to give way to my bestial half.
The sound of the hourly bell reminded me that time was passing and I should head to the harbour. Making sure my hood was in place I left the cathedral. My path would take me near to my parents' home and I did not want them to see and recognize me. I boarded the ship and stood on deck watching as the city slipped away behind us. I doubted that I would return. I would return to Darkshore and live in the wild places that best suited my nature. Once the ship arrived in Rut'theran I handed over all my deliveries and returned to my solitary life.
For weeks my life went on as before. There was so much to do. The cataclysm; whatever had caused it I didn't want to know; had wrought havoc in Darkshore. The land was torn apart, villages wrecked, people homeless and injured, and off course opportunistic troublemakers had moved in. All this had to be dealt with. My druid healing abilities were in demand; and it turned out that people in need were usually happy enough to accept the help of a worgen. When I needed some time alone I'd take myself off on a hunting trip. There were a lot of bears in Darkshore. Usually they stayed away from people but many of them had been infected by some sort of corruption that made them unusually savage. To keep the area safe they needed to be destroyed. That was a job that I and any hunters passing through Lor'danel could do. I skinned them and used the leather to make good strong clothing. A little bit of enchantment and they were as tough as armour. I had reason to be thankful for that.
One day I felt more than usually restless. Only the absolute freedom of the wild would calm me. Stowing my kit in a safe place I shifted into bear form and ambled off into the mountains. Not the brightest idea, I know, but I didn't always think before I acted. Still it was peaceful enough at first. Feeling hungry I went down to the river to catch a fish. I'd just hooked out a beauty when the arrow hit me; left shoulder, just above my heart. Only the toughness of my jerkin stopped it going all the way. With a howl of pain I fell, forcing a shift back to worgen as I passed out. It was all that saved my life.
When I came to my senses I could smell cooking fish. I lay unmoving and assessed the situation. My shoulder felt stiff but not overly painful. The arrow was gone and it had been bandaged. I could hear movements and the crackle of a fire close by. I guess whoever it was didn't mean me any harm for I wasn't bound in any way. I moved slightly and drew their attention. The face that appeared in my line of vision was that of a young night elf with white-blonde hair. She smiled, obviously untroubled by my bestial appearance.
"Hello," she said. "How do you feel?"
I reassured her that I was fine. Sitting up I flexed my shoulder. The stiffness was not enough to cause me a problem although it might make running in animal form difficult until it healed. She handed me a plate of fish and vegetables then sat nearby with her own food. I thanked her and she grinned.
"Least I could do as you caught it."
We ate in silence; then she put her plate aside and looked at me.
"You know you were lucky you changed as you fell," she said. "I thought you were a bear and I'd have finished you off."
I grunted vaguely. There wasn't really much I could say to that.
"What on earth possessed you to choose bear form here?"
"Momentary stupidity or a death wish. You decide," I replied.
We talked for a while. I learned that her name was Maelinastra Silverleaf. She had been passing through Lor'danel on her way to Ashenvale and had decided to offer her help here for a while. Being a hunter, she'd been sent out to do her bit with the ongoing bear problem. I told her a bit about myself, but made no mention of Nerissina; that pain was still too raw to share. Because we got on well we decided to spend a few days hunting bear together. To give my shoulder a chance to heal she and her cat did the hunting and I dealt with the skinning. We only headed back to town when we couldn't carry any more. As Maelinastra would be moving on I offered to buy her skins off her. She agreed and named a price that I was sure was less than their real value, but she wouldn't accept more. We left the skins and my kit at my workshop and then I went to see her off at the flight deck.
I stood watching as she disappeared into the distance on a gryphon then turned to walk away. I became aware of muttering voices nearby and turned to look at the speakers. A pair of gnomes who'd just dismounted from their ride were eyeing me suspiciously. I realised that I was still in worgen form as I'd been all the time with Maelinastra. Out of sheer annoyance with the silly creatures I snarled menacingly at them, shifted to human and strolled away casually as if nothing had happened. It wasn't my fault they felt intimidated by me; I hadn't been doing anything wrong. Unfortunately a lot of people these days seemed to have a lot of trouble coping with the concept of live and let live.