Shaurria: Goodbyes

I started thinking this one up, and then I wondered when it would actually occur. Then it hit me- I don't know what might happen with Teldrassil in Cataclysm, so it might be better to do this sooner rather than later. So, when Lark mentioned that Pitch was out of town a couple nights ago? This is what he was doing.

And Shaurria really needed the closure from this anyway. Poor baby.

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Alanon looked up with some surprise as Shaurria came up to where he sat, kneeling in the grass beside him. "C-could we go on a trip?" she asked hesitantly. "We could," he replied, raising a questioning eyebrow at her. "Where would we be going?" Her answer was a whisper, just loud enough to hear. "T-Teldrassil?" Alanon blinked, then set down his notebook and the herb he had been examining. "Shaur," he said gently. "Why do you want to go to Teldrassil?"

She wouldn't meet his eyes; her voice was still soft. "Cause I used t' live there. In Starbreeze." Alanon reached over and gently tilted her chin up, making her finally look at him. "What is it?" he asked her simply. Shaur took a deep breath, seeming to find some courage in the process. Her voice steadied, and she met his eyes squarely. "Long time ago Arvoss asked me if I wanted t' go back home'n say goodbye," she said. "I-.. I think 'm ready." He looked back at her searchingly, then nodded. "I'll get Pitch," he said, then stood up. Shaur reached out to touch his arm. "Just us three," she whispered, and he nodded again.

Pitch met them at the boat to Auberdine. The trip was accomplished in silence, for the most part. Shaurria assumed that Alanon had told Pitch where they were going and why, because the normally garrulous druid didn't say a word. Soon enough they were facing the path that would take them to Starbreeze. They left their mounts there- Shaurria had been adamant about taking Finnall; the white saber could only offer her so much comfort, but he was a comfort all the same.

Shaur stood and stared down the path toward the village for a long time before starting off. A small part of her couldn't believe that she was here, that she was even thinking of going back to her old home, but the rest of her held steady. Thanks to Pitch and his furbolg friends, she no longer thought of the furbolgs as monsters. She knew now that they were simply sick, corrupted, and not truly evil. She still felt a bit surprised each time she realized that she wasn't afraid of them anymore.

Alanon, who was also in his cat form now, touched her shoulder with his nose. Shaur shook herself out of her reverie and started down the path.

She led the way to her old house unerringly, only stopping to make sure the furbolgs were a safe distance away before slipping through the door. Pitch and Alanon waited outside, guarding the door and also giving her some privacy if she needed it.The smallish blue-gray cat stepped through the doorway- and the Night elf entered the house.

She paused to look around. There were no bodies, at least- apparently the local Night elves had found time to clean the village up, although they hadn't done much to chase away the furbolgs. The interior was still a mess, with wrecked furniture, torn books, and broken dishes littering the floor. Suddenly unsure of what to do, Shaur hesitated, then went to the hearth and knelt down.

It had been so long, with so much happening since she had last been here, that she had trouble remembering what the house had looked like while she had lived here. While her parents had been alive. Now there were just dim flickers, half-remembered visions of a happy home with people who loved her.

Finally she just shrugged to herself and started talking, saying whatever came to mind. "I don't know if you can hear me," she began hesitantly. "But I just wanted t' let you know that I'm okay. I... I have people to look out for me now. I'm not alone, so y'don't need to worry about me.

"You'd probably like Pitch and Alanon, and Arvoss, even if he is a death knight. But I guess you wouldn't know what that is, would you? He.. He's real nice. He still looks out for me, even though I live mostly with Alanon now. He's taught me t' be a druid. A real druid, with healing skills'n stuff. He says I'm pretty good at it, though I'll always be a feral first, whatever that means.

"I... I miss you both." Now the tears started, falling fast and thick. She went on with hardly a tremor, though, determined to say what she had to. "I love you, and I'll never, ever forget you. I guess that's what I was afraid of- that if I said m'goodbyes, I'd just forget about you, and I don't want t' do that. But.. You're a part of me, right? So you're always with me in a way. That's how Alanon described it, anyway, and I think he's right.

"I don't know if I'll ever see you again. No one seems t' know what happens when we Night elves die. Th' humans think that they go to be with their "Light", whatever that is, but I don't know if it's th' same for us, or if we just kinda... disappear? But I wanted you t' know that I'm fine, and that I l-love y-you..." Now she finally broke down, burying her face in her arms and sobbing brokenheartedly.

A gentle touch on her shoulder told her she was no longer alone, and she turned to lean into Alanon's arms. He simply held her, making quiet shhing sounds and rocking her gently.

After what seemed like hours, though it was really less than one, Shaur's sobs quieted. She sat up straight, sniffling and rubbing at her nose. Alanon gave her a few minutes more, then lightly squeezed her shoulder. "All done here?" he asked her, and she nodded. They left the house to find Pitch still on guard, and all three druids made their way back to their mounts.

Shaurria was silent as she pulled herself up on Finn's back, then nudged him down the road. Pitch watched her with concern, finally breaking the silence. "You alright, Fuzzy?" It was Alanon who answered. "Yes, little brother," he said quietly. "She's all right." And Shaurria, feeling truly peaceful for the first time in a long, long time, saw no reason to disagree.