Episode 26: You Heal... I'll Stab

As I sat inside my small tent, I looked at the crinkled piece of paper in my hands and tried to read over the note to myself again.

Remember her.

The night elf named Keaira; she had been my companion. After cultural divides had continued to separate them, Keaira had left years ago… and yet just three days after seeing the ruins of her home I could still not remember her face. The memories of the life before the worgen infection seemed fuzzy at best. For the first few days of my time in the refugee camp I had remembered the earlier life rather well. Still, with each day that passed, I felt like something was blocking my flow. It was all fading to darkness.

The sounds of voices outside made my tent caused me to move so I could hear what was being discussed. As the only connection between Astranaar and Darnassus, this small camp had become a hub of all the information flowing through Kalimdor.

“What have you heard huntress?” the guard outside the tent asked a nearby soldier.

“Mount Hyjal is being assaulted. Sabelia sent word that a rabid worgen may be in the area but she seems to think she was mistaken.”

“What would make her think a wild worgen was all the way by Mount Hyjal?” the guard asked.

“She didn’t say,” the huntress replied. “She just asked that we send more soldiers when we are able.”

“More volunteers are pouring in from all over the world,” the guard said. “It’s an amazing sight. I haven’t seen this many people gathered since the assault on Northrend.”

“We weren’t at war with the Horde when we went to Northrend,” the huntress added angrily. “They continue to encroach on our woods from multiple fronts. We need to get into Blackfathom Deeps as soon as possible. I heard that a dark group has taken several of our most powerful druids captive. We will need to free them so they can get to Mount Hyjal.”

I felt a surge of energy and quickly came out of the tent so that the two elves could see me.

“Hello, I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation. I would like to go to help free the druids.”

“You would?” the huntress asked, looking me over. “You’re a warrior?”

“I am.”

“Then I welcome your help, though you will want to find someone that can keep you safe and healthy.”

“That would be my role,” Amidone said, coming out of the tent behind me. “I’ll go with you.”

“You sure you’re up for it?” I asked. “You’re looking pretty beat.”

“I can do just fine. It’ll be a bit of a ride down to Blackfathom Deeps anyway.”

“When can you go?” the huntress asked. “I will gather other fighters.”

“Let’s move out in the morning,” I said as I glanced at Amidone. “I want my healer to be in good shape.”

Surprisingly, she didn’t argue. Instead, the group broke up and I was once again left alone in my tent with nothing but time to think about my distant past.

When morning came I was the first one ready to go. Surfal, the horse that had come to me after my arrival here, had just returned from Darnassus and I was able to get him back under my control for the trip to Blackfathom. As a worgen I put on some extra weight and I was reluctant about Surfal carrying me and Amidone, but that was put to rest when Amidone revealed she was rather good at sprinting through the woods. A quick test at the beginning of our journey proved that she could keep up with us with minimal effort on her part.

By lunch time we were at the entrance to Blackfathom Deeps I wasn’t sure of what to expect, but Amidone pointed toward the doorway and pushed me forward.

“You stab. I’ll heal.”

For the next three hours Amidone and I tore through mob after mob of animal and enemy, fighting onward until they literally fled from us in fear of their demise. The harder I fought the more energetic I felt and the more energetic I felt the more I wanted to fight. We pushed all the way down until we reached the vicious Hydra, Aku’mai. We found the druids there, attempting to hold the beast back. One of them had already fallen victim to the monster’s destructive power, but I jumped into combat a moment before it was able to do the same to the second druid.

The beast came at me with monstrous jaws and I held up my shield so that it would bite down on the spikes along the edges. It reared up in pain but ripped my shield free in the process. The huntress and her forces assaulted the beast from other sides but I had the monster’s full attention. Its massive head came down to strike at me and I slammed it with my blade. It jerked back and when it did I saw the huntress go in for the deathblow. Her blade landed true, sliding under the monster’s scale and into its chest.

A few moments later, we were all in the silent den with two mortified druids that were barely clinging to life. One of the night elf magi rushed forward and took their hands. “I’ll teleport them back to the camp. They need real medical attention.”

Amidone nodded in agreement and with a flash, the three were gone. I turned to look at the huntress and she smiled. “You’re quite a warrior. It’s too bad you’re not stronger. We could use your help up at Hyjal.”

“If you want,” I said, “I will go.”

“No,” she replied. “For now, you two should make your way to Astranaar. You’ve helped the refugee camp get established. There will be more need for you at the fronts. She looked at both Amidone and I and then added, “Make sure that you both watch out for one another. Together you are practically indestructible, but apart you are vulnerable.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I replied. “Which way to Astranaar?”

“Southeast of here,” she replied. “Keep your eyes peeled for night elf encampments and horde soldiers that might be scouting the area. Ashenvale is not a safe place anymore.”

A short time later we were on the road to Astranaar. We walked in silence together down the road. I was still sore, though Amidone had done a great job of healing my cuts and bruises, and I was more tired than I originally suspected.

Then, Amidone stopped and let out a sharp gasp. “Astranaar…”

I looked up and realized what she saw. Plumes of black smoke were climbing into the sky.

Astranaar was in flames.

TO BE CONTINUED!