Chapter 3

When she opened her eyes, the first thing Karis noticed was that it was dark. The sun had finished its travel across the sky and the creatures of the night were starting to make their usual noises. With a slight yawn, as well as a shiver, Karis sat up and looked around her.

She was lying on a bed with a single cover and pillow for comfort. From what she could tell, she was in a clearing in a collection of trees. The only light source present was from a couple of lanterns that were hanging a short distance away. The stars and moon above were hidden from view by thick cloud cover. Turning her head left and right, panic started to flit its way into Karis as she noticed that Tylira was no where to be seen.

Getting up, holding onto the simple cover that offered her a little warmth, Karis stepped away from the bed, looking around the clearing some more.

"Tylira?" she called out, the only response being the chirping of bugs in the bushes and trees near by. As she moved, Karis' foot got caught on something on the ground, causing her to almost fall over. Looking down, her eyes still adjusting to the poor light, Karis managed to make out the shape of Tylira's bag.

Bending down to pick it up, she let out a slight yelp as she heard a rustling from behind her. Spinning around, looking in the direction of the lanterns, Karis waited with baited breath. The bushes rustled again, Karis now taking a step back, unsure of what to expect. All of a sudden, the bush just behind the lanterns bursts apart, a deep purple Nightsaber bounding through.

Letting out a high pitched scream, Karis fell onto her back, the Nightsaber pausing for a moment as it looked at her in the darkness. As Karis tried to scurry backwards, the Nightsaber let out a slight howl before seeming to stand up on its back legs. Karis stopped as she watched the Nightsaber change shape before taking on the form of a Night Elf.

"Karis, its ok" the figure said. With the light illuminating it from behind, all Karis could make out was the general shape of the person, but the voice she recognised. With her heart still thumping madly in her chest, she slowly stood up.

"Tylira?" she said quietly, taking a step towards the figure. There was nod and the figure held out its arm.

"Yes, Karis, it's me" she responded in her soft voice. Karis instantly relaxed, stopping just short of the outstretched arm. "I don't suppose you would mind passing me that cover? I am standing here without anything on you know…" Tylira sounded like she was laughing slightly as Karis hurriedly passed the cover to her. Wrapping the cover around herself, Tylira moved over to where Karis had been sleeping and lit another lantern.

In the extra light, Karis could now easily make out Tylira's features. She noticed that her dark green hair seemed to be soaked through, and her body glistened as if it was coated in water. Moving over to the druid, Karis asked her where she was.

"Seeing as you were asleep, I went for a quick run and swim" Tylira responded as she reached down and picked up her bag off of the floor. "It is something that I occasionally like to do. It is just a shame that the moon isn't out tonight…" Tylira glanced upwards at the thick cloud cover and let out a slight sigh as she pulled out a towel from her bag before using it to dry herself down.

Karis watched her quietly for a moment, looking away as Tylira slipped on some proper clothes that hung loosely on her body. Turning back, Tylira was now sitting down on the ground, wiggling her toes slightly as if stretching them before she started up a small fire.

"Where are we?" Karis asked finally, sitting on the edge of the bed. She didn't remember them landing at all, nor being taken to the small clearing. She must have been in a very deep sleep.

"We are in Ashenvale" Tylira said as she held out her hands to the small flames that were now building up in the fire. "A short distance from Astranaar, actually. That is where we landed." Karis nodded slightly, even though she had no idea what was in Ashenvale. She had never been there herself, and the only time it was mentioned was during her history lessons, which she never really paid attention to.

"Once the sun starts to rise" Tylira continued, folding her legs underneath her and placing her hands on her knees. "I shall take you to Raynewood Retreat, just to the north of us. You will find shelter there, and somewhere to rest. From there, you will be able to decide where you are going."

Karis went quiet as Tylira told her of their next destination. She watched the Night Elf woman quietly as she closed her eyes, seeming to go into a meditative state. Karis didn't want to be alone any more. She liked spending her time with Tylira, and that was already ending.

Letting out a miserable sigh she lay down on the bed, rolling onto her side so that her back was facing Tylira. She closed her eyes tight, wishing that morning wouldn't arrive. She remained so focused that she didn't notice her pet raven land beside her, not did she see that sad look present in Tylira's eyes as the druid looked over at the young girl.

"There is the retreat" Tylira said as she pointed towards a building over the next hill. Karis, who was walking just behind her, looked up at the building, letting out a slight sigh. Tylira looked down at the girl, trying to give her a smile but failing to do so.

She knew very well that she couldn't take the girl with her. Eventually, her parents would want to see her and she would return to them in Darnassus to live out her life how she was meant to. Tylira had no right to stand in the way of that.

For the rest of their journey, the two of them remained quiet, the only noise being from Karis' pet raven, which the young girl wasn't sure what to name. Tylira had tried offering a couple of suggestions to her, but each response was met with a stubborn silence of a child who had been denied their latest toy.

The silence held firmly in place until they were at the foot of the path that led to the tower. It was then that Karis decided to talk to Tylira.

"I want to go with you" she said, looking up at Tylira. Tylira looked down at Karis and opened her mouth to respond but stopped as Karis carried on. "I don't want to go with some strangers. I want to go with you! Maybe you can teach me to be a druid like you!"

Tylira smiled slightly, noticing that her smile also made Karis smile. Such a sweet smile… Tylira knelt down slightly, so that she was level with Karis, placing her arms on Karis' own before pulling her into a gentle hug.

"You should be back with your own family, Karis" Tylira said gently, making sure to keep her voice soft and calm. "They will come looking for you eventually, you realise."

With her head buried in Tylira's shoulder, Karis started to sob quietly, holding the older Night Elf tightly. Tylira could make out that she was saying she didn't want to leave or go back to her family, and gently rubbed Karis' back to soothe her. Standing up, she scooped the girl into her arms before walking up the path to the Retreat.

As she walked up the path, Tylira met the eyes of a couple of the sentries that stood guard. The Night Elf women looked at Tylira with slight suspicion, throwing quick glances at Karis as she sobbed in her arms. None of them, however, made any motion to stop her.

Tylira was thankful for the ease at which they let her past. She knew that there had been trouble in the area from Horde raiding parties, so everyone was on edge. She didn't want this to be any harder than it already was.

Stopping at the base of the Retreat, Tylira looked down at Karis, who lifted her own head to look up at Tylira. Her eyes were turning a darker shade of purple from the crying and Tylira struggled to keep her own emotions in check. It's the right thing to do, she reminded herself as she helped Karis onto her feet.

"You will be ok here, Karis" Tylira said to the young girl, smiling gently at her. She thought she heard Karis mumble something, along the lines of "I'd be better with you...", but chose not to query it further.

As the two of them walked towards the door, a rather bulky, heavily armoured male Night Elf blocked their path, exiting the Retreat. Tylira looked at the man, who was only slightly taller than she was. His skin was heavily darkened, as if he had been in the sun a lot. Half of one of his ears was missing, and his face and hands were covered in small scars and scratches. His hair was a pale white and slicked back behind his head before being tied into a smart knot. He looked at Tylira with a slight snarl before looking down at Karis. At the sight of the girl, his features seemed to soften slightly.

"Karis!" he said before crouching down in front of the girl. Gripping Tylira's hand tightly, Karis manoeuvred herself so that she was behind Tylira's legs. "Come now Karis, is that how you treat your Uncle?"

Tylira looked down at the man, keeping her eyes on him as he stood back up again. The man kept his eyes on Karis for a few moments before slowly moving them towards Tylira. He looked at her for a moment before giving Tylira a sneer that made her feel quite uncomfortable.

"Thank you for finding my niece" he said to her, his voice drawling slightly. "The moment she vanished from the Hold, I sent people to look for her. Thankfully, a goblin in Un'goro was able to provide us with….assistance in where the young one had gone."

Tylira nodded slightly in response before looking down to Karis with a gentle smile. She crouched down before pulling Karis into a tight embrace.

"I told you they would look for you" Tylira whispered to Karis, who hugged back just as tight as the older Night Elf.

"I don't want to go with him…please…" Karis whispered back. Tylira slowly pulled back from their hug, still smiling gently. If Karis had been looking into her eyes, she would have noticed the tiny droplets of water that were forming at the edges. Blinking to get rid of them, Tylira stood up, turning towards the man.

"Take care of her" She said before taking a step back. The man stepped forwards, placing a hand on Karis shoulder. Tylira couldn't help but notice the slight shudder from Karis at the touch. It's not my place…

Karis and Tylira looked at each other briefly, a look of pleading in the young girls eyes. Tylira mouthed the words good bye before turning around and walking back down the path.

As soon as Tylira had turned around, Karis' uncle tightened his grip on her shoulder, causing her to whimper in pain. He sneered at her, crouching down and pointing one of his fingers in her face.

Turning around, Tylira glanced back at the Retreat, seeing the man pointing at Karis. Even though she was not in ear shot, she could tell he was shouting at her, his face contorted in anger. She could also see the pain and terror on Karis' face. A flash of anger worked its way through Tylira's body and she promptly moved back up the path.

"What are you doing?" she called out, trying to keep her voice in control, trying to keep it calm. The guards all turned to look at Tylira, then at Karis' uncle as he slowly stood up and looked at the woman who had just interrupted him. His eyes were flashing with anger as he looked at Tylira.

"You stay out of this. It doesn't concern you" he said through gritted teeth. The grip he had on Karis' shoulder tightened, his fingers digging into her skin, causing the young girl to cry out in pain. All of the guards were now looking at the scene, unsure of what to do. Their duty told them to obey Karis' uncle, who was their superior, but their hearts were telling them to intervene. Many were thankful that Tylira was there.

"Let her go…"Tylira said slowly, feeling the anger rise through her again as Karis sobbed and clawed at her uncles hand, trying to break free. The man, not noticing Karis' attempt at freedom placed his free hand on the blade that was hanging at his waist.

"Make me…" he growled at her. To the shock of all present, his lifted Karis from the ground by the shoulder before flinging her backwards against the wall by the doorway of the Retreat, a loud cry of pain echoing in the area as she hit the ground. Several of the guards physically winced in pain, whilst others quickly moved to help the young girl, no longer caring about their "superior" officer.

Tylira on the other hand, reacted differently. Karis' cry of pain tore through her body and she felt her anger reach a point where she could no longer contain it, not that she now wanted to. Reaching inside herself, she grabbed hold of the anger and let it fuel her. Tapping into the rage within, she let out a deafening roar, her body rapidly shifting and warping as she dropped onto all fours, fur sprouting from her body as it grew in size, tearing her clothes to ribbons in the process.

All the guards were locked in a state of surprise as Tylira took on the form of a bear, snarling and bearing its claws as she stood on her back legs. Even Karis' uncle was frozen at the sight and made no attempt to move as Tylira's rage fuelled the large paw that swept round and collided with the side of his face, sending him flying through the air before colliding with the ground and losing consciousness.

Feeling immense happiness at the result, Tylira quickly moved over to Karis, still in her bear form. The guards quickly moved out of the way, none of them really wanting to get hurt. As soon as she was next to Karis, Tylira shifted back to her Night Elf state.

"Karis?" she whispered, gently running a hand through her hair. One of the guards slowly stepped forwards, obviously slightly nervous and not sure what to do.

"There…there appears to be some scratches and cuts on her back" the guard said quietly, shuffling her feet slightly. Tylira simply nodded before placing her hands gently on Karis and closing her eyes. A green glow started to emanate from her hands which then enveloped Karis. After a few moments, Tylira stopped and pulled her hands back slowly.

"Will she be ok?" the guard asked, crouching down on the opposite side of Karis. As if in response, Karis let out a slight groan before slowly propping herself up on her elbows. She looked at the guard, then at Tylira, whom she quickly looked away from again.

"Tylira! You're not wearing anything!" she cried out, causing a slight laugh from Tylira. Reaching out, Tylira gently pulled Karis into a hug, glad that the young girl was safe. Behind them, the other guards were quickly moving to deal with Karis' uncle.

"Please, come inside" the guard next to Tylira said, offering a hand to help her up. "You could do with some fresh clothes, I imagine."

Tylira nodded and smiled gently. It was one of the downsides that she often encountered whilst shape shifting. She always ended up with ruined clothes afterwards. She was going to have to look into that.

With the aid of the guard, Tylira stood up and walked into the Retreat, Karis once again asleep in her arms.