Kaledain: Part 4

This part ends almost where Kaled is at in-game. There is one more part I'm going to write after this, then I'll have to play him for awhile for more inspiration. ^_^
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Kaled woke early the next morning and just lay in bed watching Khaotic while she slept, thinking about nothing but how happy he felt. When she woke she lay still at first, getting her bearings, then turned her head to look at him. She smiled sleepily and asked, "What are you thinking?" He looked away. "I don't know, I've never been this happy before that I remember. I think I'm kind of afraid it isn't real." She smiled again and touched his face. "Never fear that, my love," she said softly, and he chuckled, then pulled her close and kissed her.

Once they were up, dressed, and eating breakfast, Khaotic informed Kaled with a teasing grin, "Now don't go thinking I'm going to go easier on you." And she didn't, pushing him harder that day than she had before. He threw his all into it, determined to improve as quickly as possible. Khaotic seemed impressed, and that afternoon she had him spar with both of her animals, alone. He held them both off easily, managing to "kill" Gul, after which Vhid gave up and wandered off through the trees. Kaled watched him go, baffled, while Khaotic laughed at the look on his face.

That evening he moved his things into her room, since it was the larger one. As he was finishing, Jakobi and his sister showed up for supper again, and they sat gossiping with Khaotic for awhile. Kaled, done with his task, came in and dropped a kiss on the top of Khaotic's head, then sat down next to her. She looked at Jakobi and shared a grin, which stretched wider as they saw the disappointment on Silandril's face.

A couple weeks later they were back at sword practice. Kaled kept his lessons firmly in mind, and at the end of their bout he managed to disarm Khaotic. As her swords went flying, the look of amazement on her face sent Kaled into helpless laughter; then she whooped and jumped on him, wrapping her arms around him and laughing with him.

That night at supper she showed him a note. "This came a couple weeks ago, love. The Forsaken in Silverpine Forest are having trouble with creatures they call worgen, and they're looking for people to help. I didn't mention it before because I wasn't sure you were ready, now I believe you are." Kaled read the note over, then looked up at her. "Well then, when do we leave?" he asked. "In the morning sound good?" she replied with a grin. "Be sure to pack warm clothing, it will be winter before we are done."

Kaled found Silverpine to be depressing, but they were kept busy while they were there. Besides the wolf-man creatures called worgen that they hunted, they also cleared out a few pockets of Scourge undead that they found. Kaled was profoundly disturbed by his first encounter with the undead, and in the following fights he went about killing them very efficiently, but with his distaste plain on his face. After a particularly messy battle that lasted over an hour, with each of them killing over a dozen Scourge apiece, he woke up in the night with nightmares. Khaotic held him, murmuring to him softly, until he fell back asleep.

Khaotic knew what was bothering him, since she had gone through the same thing years ago. To the elves, the undead were a terrible blight, an assault on their senses, and Kaled, having been trained under the druids and shamans in Mulgore, was affected more than normal. The Forsaken were bearable, thank goodness, but she had seen other elves that had become physically ill in the presence of Scourge. She hoped he would adjust quickly, and it seemed he did, for there were no more nightmares.

They returned to their house in Eversong when their tasks were finished. But a few weeks later saw them heading out again, this time across the ocean to the Ashenvale forest.

That was their life for the next two years. They would spend a week to a month at home, then head out to whichever place needed help, or just caught their interest, staying on the road for up to half a year. Then Khaotic received a message from one of her former army commanders. They needed help in Arathi, and wanted her to come. So they packed up and hit the road again. This time Kaled could not go with her all the way. He stayed at the orc fort of Hammerfall, while she went on to the nearby Basin where the fighting was. He hated not being with her, but in a way he was glad, since he still had no desire to see what war was like.

(For the rest of this part, see Argus' story.)


Kaled returned home to Eversong with Argus and the others after leaving a message for Khaotic, and when her duties were done, she joined him there. Since Argus needed some training, they decided to take a break and stay home to rest.

Then, one evening in early summer, as Kaled was feeding the animals, Khaotic came into the stable, a pensive look on her face. She came up behind Kaled and leaned against the wall, then said, “They want me back in the field again, a letter just came today. I’ll have to leave in the morning, and they don't know when I'll be able to come back.” Kaled turned to look at her, stricken. “But, don’t they have enough soldiers out there?” “It’s not that, dear one. None of those soldiers have my experience, and they are orcs. They are brilliant when it comes to bashing things to death, but strategic planning is not their forte. I will have my own command. They need me Kaled,” she finished unhappily. Kaled sighed heavily, then turned to put his arms around her. “Alright, you know I don’t like it, but I know you’ll come back when it’s over,” he said. She smiled at him, then frowned again. “Just one more thing?” she asked. “I can't take both Gul and Vhid with me this time, this army won't provide for two animals when one would be enough. Vhid is tough, and can forage better than Gul can. Will you take Gul to a young hunter I know of? The Farstriders have been keeping an eye on him, even though he is a tauren and not an elf. I feel that he will take good care of Gul.” He looked in her golden green eyes, his heart clenching at what he saw there. “I will,” he said, not trusting himself to say more. She smiled and hugged him, then kissed him. “Supper is ready when you come in,” she told him, then slipped out the door. Kaled stood in the stable, feeling lost. He knew from the look in her eyes that she was afraid she wouldn't be coming home this time.

When he reached the house, he quickly washed up and they had a quick supper before retiring for the night. They lay in bed, just holding each other. Khaotic thought that Kaled had fallen asleep, until he stirred, then lifted his head and looked at her. “Why are you so afraid, love? It’s not like you haven’t been out there before, even after we met,” he said softly. She had to force the words out, they were so hard for her to say. “I've never felt anything like what I feel for you, Kaled. Before, I had nothing to lose, no one that I cared about or who cared about me. Now I feel like I have everything to lose, and I’m afraid I’ll never see you again.” After a long moment Kaled sighed, then replied, “Veldora, you will survive. If you think otherwise you’ll only make a mistake at some critical point. You have to believe that you will live, and believe this too, if anything happens I will come after you myself.” Upon hearing that, Khaotic finally smiled, relaxing slightly. “Well if that’s the case, I suppose I’ll be all right after all,” she said, pressing closer, and they forgot about sleep for awhile.

When morning came, Khaotic filled her pack, then came and put her arms around Kaled. She just leaned against him for a minute, while he held her and rubbed her back, then finally gave him one last long, gentle kiss before pulling away. She shouldered her pack and called to Vhid, who was rooting among the trees nearby, then quietly said, “I will be stationed in Alterac, if you need to get in touch with me. I will see you when I get back again, my love.” As she walked down the path toward Silvermoon, he called back, “Good luck, Veldora. You will come back again, and I’ll be waiting for you!” She raised her hand to show she had heard without looking back, then the path took her out of sight.

After Khaotic left, Kaled spent two more weeks at their house, knowing that if he left too soon to take Gulhalrathn to his new master, the ghostly cat would simply follow his mistress’s trail. He finally felt it was safe to leave, and packed for a long journey, for he would not be coming back here for a long time. Ready at last, he freed the animals from their stable, placed Argus’ pack on his back, shouldered his own, and headed off, the animals wandering freely around him but staying close. He headed for the teleporter to Undercity, then took the Zeppelin there to the orc capital of Orgrimmar. From there he hiked to the Barrens, a desert between the countryside of Durotar and the lush grasslands of Mulgore, home to the tauren. He arrived in the small outpost village of Crossroads in good time, and met the young tauren hunter Toorambar there, who immediately fell completely in love with Gul. Kaled left him and the cat with many thank-you’s and well-wishes, then traveled on to the Stranglethorn jungle.

He spent the next half-year there, helping the orcs against the savage jungle trolls and teaching them to deal safely with the wild animals. When he left he went next to the Badlands, a large desert where another small orc outpost needed help with wildlife attacks. From there he slowly traveled north, stopping at various places, sometimes overnight and sometimes staying for weeks, always heading in the general direction of the Alterac Mountains. He had reached the highlands of Arathi when he realized what he had been doing. After a fierce internal debate, he decided it wouldn’t hurt to see if he could find some news of Khaotic’s command; after all, it had been a little over a year since he had seen her. Maybe he would even find their location, and then wouldn’t she be surprised to have him turn up at her camp! That settled, he broke his camp, called to his companions, and headed off again.


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The next chapter was probably the hardest to write, since I've become very attached to Kaled. Not going to say anything else about it, you'll get to read it soon as I finish it.
-Happy Hunting!

Kaledain: Part 3

Just a warning, this is just a little bit more PG-13 than the last one. This won't be a regular occurrence though, and the next part will have more action-type stuff, don't worry.

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After the incident in Silvermoon, Kaled was no longer sure of exactly how he felt about Khaotic. When one of his new friends told him about it, thinking it a great joke on the elder, he laughed along with the other elf but inwardly he felt a bit confused. He had never known anyone that would do something like that for him, and it changed his opinion of her quite a bit.

Khaotic was relieved when several days had passed and the elder didn't seem interested in gaining revenge for the embarrassment she gave him. The attitude in the city had changed again, but this time definitely for the better. Her friends in town took great pains to greet her every time she came there, and she was even stopped by people she didn't know to exchange a few words. The topper came when the shopkeeper that had humiliated himself before, actually asked her one day about Kaled. She was so surprised it took her a minute to answer. All this gave her hope that Kaled was finally being given his due.

The next day that they needed to order supplies, Khaotic made Kaled come with her, though he argued quite a bit, obviously not wanting to. They went to the same store they had stopped at before, where Khaotic announced that Kaled would go place their order while she waited outside. Kaled stared at her in surprise for several seconds, then shook himself, swallowed hard, and ducked inside the shop. To his further shock, the clerk greeted him warmly and asked how he was doing. He stuttered an answer, then gave him the list and arranged the delivery. He stepped outside where Khaotic waited with a knowing smile on her face. "Now do you still believe that they would prefer you were dead?" she asked him. He shook his head, still incredulous. "Feels good to know someone cares about you, doesn't it?" she continued, and his eyes came up to meet hers. "Yeah," he said softly, his mood changing in a blink as something in his mind clicked into place. She seemed a bit surprised at his response, and stared hard at him for a second. "Let's head on back," she told him, and quickly started off, leaving him to catch up.

Kaled was beginning to realize how much his feelings toward his mentor were changing. When she asked that question, he suddenly thought of their last few months together, how she had taken him in and helped him when he couldn't have done anything to pay her back. And how she had stood up for him, not only against that elder, but against everyone, even a few of her friends. He had never imagined he would have a friend like this. And he thought that he just might be falling in love with her.

Khaotic was mildly disturbed by Kaled's reaction, and watched him closely the next few days without letting him notice. She didn't know exactly what was bothering her, though. The next few days, as she and Kaled continued their daily regimen, she tried to remain distant. Then one day her friend Jakobi said something that shook her up all over again.

Jakobi had come with his sister and another friend for supper. As Kaled chatted with the other two, he went with Khaotic into the kitchen to help. As he rummaged in her pantry, he casually asked, "So, do you love him?" Khaotic stopped slicing vegetables and stared at him. "What kind of question is that?" she demanded. He shrugged. "You do live with him, you know. You two are hardly seen apart, and people talk. Just rumors I'm sure, but there you go." He looked at her for a minute, then added, "I'm also simply curious, especially since if you don't have any claims on him, I think Silandril would like a go at him." He nodded out to the main room, where his sister was sitting very close to Kaled. Khaotic noticed that Kaled looked rather uncomfortable. "I... I don't know," she finally answered. "I just want to help him. It's not something I've thought about before." "Well," Jakobi replied. "You might want to, before someone else catches his eye." Khaotic kept silent the rest of the evening, responding only to questions directed to her.

She did think about it after that. Kaled was bright, open-minded, and amazingly intelligent, as well as quite good-looking. But she wasn't sure if she even wanted a mate, and Kaled still had some issues to deal with from his upbringing in Silvermoon. Still, the dilemma gnawed at her.

A few days later, she decided to work at swords with Kaled. The Farstriders had not neglected his weapon training in what he had wanted to learn, but hadn't expanded much on the things he didn't show interest in. Until Khaotic had started teaching him, he had used either two-handed weapons, or a single one-hander. Khaotic had been teaching him to dual-wield two swords at once, and although he was usually a fast learner, this was causing him some difficulty. It was a beautiful day; autumn was well along and nights were chilly but the days were still usually warm, and this was no exception. Khaotic was drilling Kaled hard, and both were quickly sweating. She came at him with both of her swords, which were dulled practice blades. He parried but she twisted her swords around his, forcing his weapons out wide. She quickly retracted one of her blades and poked him in the stomach. "You're dead again, Kaled," she informed him as he wheezed a bit from the blow. He shook his head ruefully. "You'd think I would have this down by now," he said. "You're shifting your grip again," she told him. "Look, I've told you a dozen times, hold the hilt like this." She stepped in close, adjusting his grip on his blades until he had it right. "Now, don't shift from that grip again, mister," she said, then looked up at his face. As their eyes met, they both realized just how close they were to each other.

Kaled suddenly found it hard to breathe. Time seemed to stand still as he hesitated, then leaned in slightly and kissed her.

Khaotic did not respond, but neither did she pull away. When he pulled back and looked at her, she was staring at him, her expression partly surprised, but mostly unreadable. He stepped back slowly as she gave herself a slight shake, then abruptly bent and picked up her blades. "I think that's enough practice for today," she said quietly as she turned to go. She paused and started to say something, then stopped herself and walked off.

Kaled could only watch her go. He knew now that he loved her, and wanted her with him for the rest of his life. He had no idea what she thought of him, though, and hoped he hadn't ruined everything by his moment of lost control. But he could still feel her lips on his as he gathered his gear and put it away.

After stowing her own gear, Khaotic went off by herself, to try and sort out her confused thoughts. She realized that he wouldn't have dared something like that just a few short months ago; he would have been too afraid of her response, too afraid of losing her approval. He had come a long way, from the shy, cringing young man she had met, to a confident, intelligent, full-fledged hunter. She thought back to the question Jakobi had asked her: Do you love him? She realized, now, the answer was yes. She went to find Kaled.

She found him by the beach, watching Ashke and Gul romp in the fading daylight. He glanced over briefly as she came up quietly behind him, then started slightly as she took his hand. "You can probably guess that Khaotic isn't my real name," she said. "My given name is Veldora. Only my family and a few close friends know it. I keep it secret, to avoid getting close to people. It's hard to trust when your life is one battle after another, among soldiers that you never get to know, because you don't know who will be alive at the end of the day, and who will be dead. Do you understand, Kaled?" Mutely, he nodded, then took her hand in both of his, rubbing it gently. "Thank you," he said finally. They stood like that for a few long minutes, then turned and went back to the house.

That night, Kaled lay in bed in his room, thinking about what she had told him. A whisper of sound at his door caught his attention. In the darkness he could see a shadow that he recognized as Khaotic. Veldora, he told himself. He sat up, letting her know he was still awake. She came and sat on the edge of his bed, then reached out and found his hand. "I lost my heart, during the wars, never thinking I would have a friend, or even knowing if I would be alive at the end of the day. I think I've finally found it again," she said softly. Her other hand came up to stroke his face, and he reached for her and pulled her close as she joined him on the bed.


After she had fallen asleep in his arms, Kaled lay awake for a long time, thinking. He knew she was a warrior, and he had to be her equal; anything else wouldn't be fair to either of them. As sleep finally took him, he resolved to make himself worthy of her.

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Part 4 is already pretty much done in my head, just need to type it out. I'm also thinking of Gwyn's part 4, will post whichever of those I finish first in the next few days.

Kaledain: Part 2

Well, here it is. I have to confess I'm pretty nervous about finally sharing Kaled's story, and I hope you like it. I tried to keep it as short as possible, but there's a lot of stuff that happens, as you'll find out.

To catch up a bit first, Kaled is about 19, and has just been "graduated" by the Farstriders, so he is on his own now. He's feeling a little lost now, since they were the only family he has known, but things are going to get a bit better.

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Kaledain left the retreat late that spring with a heavy heart, for the Farstriders had treated him well enough, accepting him as a student though not quite as an equal. He briefly returned to Mulgore, since the tauren were the only race that had shown him complete acceptance, but homesickness for the forest soon called him back to Eversong. He became something of a hermit, living outside with his animals, and camping at night under the stars. The other elves continued to shun him, and he had to find his supplies either by hunting, trading with the Farstriders, or from traders on their way to Silvermoon.

After a month or so of this life, he was out exercising Ashke one day when he saw another elf, a young female a few years older than him, whom he had never seen before. She saw him at the same time, changed her direction to come toward him, and waved. Kaled looked around for a moment before he realized that she was actually waving at him. She walked up, her cat following at her heels, and stopped in front of him. “Hey, stranger, I don’t think I’ve seen you before. I am a hunter too, you can call me Khaotic,” she said, a friendly smile on her face. Kaled had to swallow before he could get any words out. “M-my name is Kaledain, most just call me Kaled,” he finally managed. She raised an eyebrow, whether at his stutter or something else he has no idea. “Well,” she said. “I have no plans for the rest of today, mind if I walk with you for a bit?” Kaled gawked. “W-with me? Umm, I guess not, sure.”



They wound up spending the rest of that day together, just roaming the forest. Her cat was a white leopard she called Gulhalrathn, who looked normal enough, except when the light hit him it seemed to pass through him. She told him also of her boar, named Vhid, whom she had found in a cave while helping to fight monsters called Quilboar. Kaled found her fascinating, and the fact that she treated him as an actual person, an equal, was astounding to him. She seemed to like him as well.

The two elves spent most of the following weeks in each others company. Khaotic found Kaled to be refreshing after all her time spent in one battle after another, while Kaled just enjoyed the fact that one person in his life actually behaved as if he were a person and not walking dead. But he found it hard to be comfortable around her after his self-imposed isolation, and avoided any contact with others while she was with him, fearing to let her see how the other elves treated him.

One day, though, she finally talked him into going into Silvermoon for some supplies. He followed self-consciously at her heels as they walked down the main street, trying to avoid looking at any of the passers-by. Khaotic walked along confidently as always, but noticed many of the elves giving her strange, unreadable looks. She wondered if Kaled had anything to do with it, since she had never seen him enter the city.

When they reached the shop she usually frequented, she approached the counter and gave the clerk her list, then turned to Kaled and asked him what he needed. The clerk gaped at her, while Kaled muttered the items he needed. Khaotic turned back and saw the clerk’s face. “What?” she asked. “Is it too much trouble to get things for two people instead of one? You haven’t had any problem with me before.” The clerk flushed, then murmured to her quietly, “Lady, why are you with this.... young man? He is useless, and shouldn’t even be here. It is an affront to my store and my customers.” “Why?! What on earth is wrong with him?” she demanded. He stammered then said, “My lady, he has no ability to do magic! He lost it years ago when his parents had that awful accident. He should have died with them; it would have been easier for us all.” Khaotic merely looked at him as, realizing what he had said, his face paled, then turned beet-red, while Kaled cringed behind her, also turning red. Finally she turned, grabbed Kaled by the elbow, and marched out of the shop.

Once outside the city she turned to him. “OK, what was that about? You lost your ability to do magic?” she asked, incredulous. Kaled just stood there, head hanging, afraid he was going to lose the only friend he had ever had. Khaotic put a finger under his chin, lifting his face to hers, and softened her voice. “Kaled, I am not mad at you, I’m mad at these senseless, ignorant people. If you can’t do magic, then you can’t do it. It doesn’t change who you are, and it shouldn’t matter to others either.” He gaped at her for a second, and then suddenly words were spilling out of his mouth. He found himself telling her of his entire boyhood, what he had been told of the accident and how it had left him, how he was ignored by almost all the adults and tormented by his peers, was abandoned at the Retreat and finally found acceptance among the other hunters. As he talked, she just stood there, listening. Finally he ran out of words. Khaotic studied him for a moment, then said, “Look Kaled, I mean no offense, but you need help. Would you like to have a mentor? And, um, would you want to come stay at my house? I have the time, and a spare room. And camping out isn’t going to be much fun when winter hits.” Kaled considered for a moment, then nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

Kaled moved his meager belongings into his new room that afternoon. Khaotic had a house to herself on the forest’s edge near the coast, south of Silvermoon. She showed him around the house and grounds, then helped him get Ashke and Kechara settled into her stable alongside Gul and Vhid. Once that was accomplished, she left him in his room, telling him she was going to another shop to get the supplies they needed.

Kaled busied himself putting his things away. He found he had mixed feelings about the new arrangement. Khaotic was perhaps the most fascinating person he had ever met, not to mention being stunningly (to him) beautiful, with her long red hair and green eyes, with the golden magic glow typical of their race. But he felt painfully shy around her, and a little afraid of her. He finally decided he could do nothing but wait and see what happened.

After she returned from the shop, Khaotic began putting him through his paces that very afternoon, having him show her his archery skills, then doing a few practice bouts with melee weapons. She told him when they were done that he had a lot to learn yet, but she seemed satisfied. She told him her few house rules, and informed him that breakfast was at daybreak and he had better be up if he expected any of it, then left him in his room.

Early the next morning found Kaled out shooting arrows at targets again, but this time the target was thickly padded and strapped to her boar, Vhid. Vhid was also wearing armor to protect his vulnerable spots, but Khaotic still told him, in no uncertain terms, what she would do to him if he missed and hit her pet. The boar was quite nimble and made the practice a challenge, but Kaled was confident with a bow and managed to do all she asked. They stopped for a quick lunch, then Khaotic had him sit down and tell her extensively what he had trained in, how well he had done, and how far he got in each segment of his training. That afternoon, she sent her cat Gul out into the woods, and an hour later told Kaled to track him down. Kaled followed the ghostly cat’s trail until dark, when Khaotic said that it was too dark to see, and they returned to the house to find Gul lounging on the front step waiting for them.

That was how summer passed for Kaled. Khaotic kept him out from dawn until usually full dark, doing archery, tracking, hunting, and weapons work. She was a skilled hunter and gave Kaled a challenge every time, even as his own skills improved. And as time went by, his shyness decreased as his respect and admiration for her grew.

They often sat together after supper and just talked for awhile, before retiring for the night. Kaled found out much about Khaotic’s life, from when she first left the Farstriders at 16 to when they first met. In those eight years she had done hundreds of missions for the Sin’dorei leaders and the other leaders of the Horde. She had also fought in many, many battles against the Alliance, leading her own commands in the last few. Hearing her tales and thinking of all the fighting she had seen frightened him; he decided he had no interest in war or desire to see it. Khaotic didn’t see his point of view, but after a few arguments she came to understand a little of his feelings toward it, and no longer talked about the battles. She was still very interested in hearing tales of his own life, and was suitably impressed with his story of traveling halfway across the world to study with the tauren, and his tale of finding and bonding to Kechara.

Khaotic in turn found herself strangely drawn to this young elf. The hurt that the other elves had caused him by their rejection hadn't done anything to his innocence, and he harbored no grudges toward them. She hoped she would be able to help him find some self-esteem, while they honed his skills.



One morning in the last days of summer, Kaled found himself trotting through Eversong with Ashke, scanning the forest around him. Khaotic had told him at breakfast to go out into the woods and expect anything, but had given no further instructions. So he tried to watch everywhere at once, and had Ashke keep alert as well.

Suddenly a white blur rushed him from the side. He had just enough time to recognize Gul before the cat hit him. He heard Ashke’s snarl as his pet came to his defense, but was too busy avoiding the sharp claws of the leopard to see. Just when Ashke reached Gul, there came a squeal from the surrounding underbrush and Vhid charged out to intercept the red lynx. Kaled found himself alone against the big cat, and quickly dove into a sideways roll, then pulled out his axe as he came to his feet. Gul spat out a snarl and charged him again, but Kaled headed him off with short sweeps of his axe that didn’t break his guard, as he set his feet and prepared an attack of his own. He heard Ashke and Vhid tussling to the side but didn’t dare look away to see how his companion was doing. Gul circled him, growling under his breath, then leaped in to swat at him. Kaled used the flat of his axe to knock the paw wide, then reversed his stroke, making the ghostly cat leap back or else receive a slash on his chest. Ashke appeared from his left suddenly, with Vhid on his heels, and sideswiped Gul, bowling him over and rolling across the ground in a tangle of claws and fur. Vhid swerved in his charge and came at Kaled, who was forced to jump up high in the air over the slashing tusks, coming down into a forward roll before springing back to his feet to face the boar.

Vhid had paused and was standing still, breathing heavily, but Kaled knew how smart the boar was and watched for any clues of the next move. He saw Vhid shift his weight back slightly and prepared to meet the charge, grip tight on his axe. The big boar snorted and charged at him, but veered at the last second to dart to Kaled’s right, slashing as he went. Kaled side-stepped away and brought his axe out, smacking the boar’s muzzle with the flat. Vhid squealed as he rushed past, then halted and turned to glare at the elf. Then Kaled suddenly heard a thunk and felt a blow to his lower back. He spun around, wincing, to find Khaotic standing next to a tree with bow in hand, another blunted arrow already nocked. She laughed as the animals all ceased their attacks and became quiet. “Always be aware of your surroundings, even in battle. You don’t know when another enemy might come up and decide to take advantage,” she told him firmly, but with a smile on her face. Kaled grinned back. “If I’d had Kechara, you would never have gotten a shot off,” he replied. “Maybe so, but you will often find yourself outnumbered and need to prepare for it. Besides, you should never have both your companions with you all the time; if one gets injured you will need the other to be fit until it heals.” She regarded him for a moment, then added, “I’m rather surprised the Farstriders left so much of your training incomplete. If something like this had happened for real after you left them, you might very well have been killed.” Kaled’s grin faltered, then became forced. “They might have planned it that way. It would have been more convenient for everyone,” he said. Khaotic instantly sobered, looking at him sharply. “Don’t ever believe that, Kaled. No one deserves to die; everyone is worth something in some way,” she said forcefully. Kaled matched her stare. “Even the people you killed during the war?” he asked. She didn't back down. “Even them,” she answered quietly, then turned and left, her animals following. Kaled waited a moment, then followed her back to the house.

Over the next several weeks Khaotic began to have her few friends that lived in Silvermoon come over for short visits, during which she introduced them to Kaled. She took them aside at the end of each visit and asked their opinion. Their answers were all pretty much the same as the first, who told her, surprise in his voice, "There's nothing wrong with him at all. I wonder why the elders are all so set against him." She was quite satisfied with their response, and even happier when they began coming over regularly, often joining their sparring practice.

Kaled's confidence was growing by leaps and bounds, but he still avoided going into Silvermoon after that failed supply trip, and Khaotic didn't think it was a good time to press it. She continued going by herself when they needed things. After her friends had been visiting regularly for awhile, though, she noticed a marked difference in the city elves' attitude toward her. The shopkeepers, thank goodness, didn't change, but most of the elders she saw would see her and either turn away, or sneer openly. She knew why they did it; it was because of Kaled, and her support of him. She got pretty tired of their superior attitude though, and finally one day she had enough.

She was leaving the city after arranging delivery of her purchases, when an elf she recognized as a council member passed by her and stopped. She glanced at him, coming to a halt herself when she saw his expression. "If it isn't the mongrel-lover," he sneered. "When are you going to give up on that waste of breath and let him die as he deserves?" That was it. Khaotic turned away from him and took a deep breath, then spun around, fist leading. Before the elder knew what happened, he was laid out on the pavement, with Khaotic glaring down at him. "Listen, you blind bigot," she snarled as she leaned over him. "Kaled is a better elf than you will ever be! If losing his magic kept him from turning into a self-centered, arrogant urfe like you, then it's the best thing that could have happened to him!" Then she straightened up, glared at the bystanders around her, and stalked off out of the city.

She never mentioned the incident to Kaled, but news traveled, and she was pretty sure he heard of it. He never mentioned it either, but there were a few times she caught him looking at her, his expression unreadable.

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For the sake of avoiding an Overly Massive Wall of Text, I'll stop for now. Look for the next part soon, there's still alot to cover.

(Those are the only 2 pics I have left of Khaotic and her pets, so unfortunately the only other pictures will be of Kaled. :( )

Technical difficulties, we has them

Just a short post tonight. I haven't played much because I've been writing Kaled's next tale, but I did log on Boogga to help my sister kill a fel reaver for her Shattered Halls key. That was interrupted by our power going out, We hiked over to our parents' house and continued there.

I had a major panic attack though. I had gotten Karda out since he's my only 80 tank pet (Samahe still hasn't leveled). But I spotted another hunter with the blue saber kitty, so I got Samurai out to show her off a bit (which didn't work, he was afk :P). When I went to get Karda back out, he had disappeared. The stable slot he should have occupied was empty. I panicked, threw a fit in guild chat, and put in a ticket asap. This all happened right before we lost power. Shortly after we got to our parents', a GM contacted me, and we managed to fix it. Karda was ok, and i /hugged him silly for a few minutes. :P

Will post Kaled's story as soon as I'm happy with it, til then Happy Hunting!

Gwyn Part 3: Authir

Blogspot failed at uploading pictures, but there is a pic of Gwyn and Authir at the beginning of her first post, if you want to see him. :)
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Gwynifar trotted along the faint path, sweating in the heat. She wondered if any rain ever fell in this desert called the Barrens. She glanced at Haiden to see how he was doing, then scanned her surroundings for any sign of the harpies she was supposed to be hunting. Spotting the distinctive ball-like nests in the trees to the north, she adjusted her course and plugged on.

After finishing her task, Gwyn collected the insignia rings the harpy leaders had worn as proof of their demise, then dropped them in her belt pouch and whistled for Haiden. The big wolf had taken only a few cuts and scratches from the vicious but rather frail harpies, and was ready for the long trip back to the Crossroads. Together they set off across the desert again.

Gwyn chose to cut straight east this time and reach the road coming from Ashenvale for easier traveling. When they neared the road, however, Haiden's sharp woof alerted her that they were not alone. Trotting down the road out of Ashenvale's edges was the strangest-looking person Gwyn had ever seen. The female humanoid had blue skin, horns, and a tail! And her legs bent all the wrong way. She had a bow in hand and quiver strapped to her back, and Gwyn realized she must be another hunter. Gwyn looked around for her pet, just in time to spot it as it left Ashenvale's shadows. She stopped and stared.

It was a moth! Instantly Gwyn was smitten. As she stood and watched the tawny-colored insect fluttering after its mistress, she suddenly decided she had to know where it came from. So she started running after the huntress, yelling for her to stop.

The draenei heard her shouts and stopped, looking around for the disturbance. Spotting Gwyn pelting up to her, she crouched into a defensive stance and swiftly nocked an arrow. Gwyn quickly slowed and held her hands out, away from her weapons. She stopped a few yards away and pointed at the moth, breaking into a huge grin. The draenei cautiously relaxed her bow and stood straight. Looking from Gwyn to the moth, she abruptly seemed to understand, and also grinned, then held out her hand and called to her pet in a strange, musical language. The little bug fluttered over and lit down on the ground next to its mistress, who beckoned Gwyn to approach.

When Gwyn left her new friend she still had no clue where the moth had been found. The two strangers couldn't understand each other, and hand signals were not enough. She would have to ask one of her fellow Horde members, if she could find anyone who knew.

Back in the Crossroads, first thing she did was track down Treng. She found him sitting by the east gate, Derk lying next to him. "How's his foot doing?" Gwyn asked her adopted brother as she sat down, gesturing to the bandage wrapping Derk's right forefoot. "The infection is clearing and it's healing, but they said it will still be about a week," Treng said morosely. "Well, I have an idea for something to do in the meantime," Gwyn said, excitement making her eyes shine. Treng looked at her, then rolled his eyes and grunted. "What are we gonna get into trouble for this time?" he asked, then ducked as Gwyn swung her fist at him.

It took almost the full week before Gwyn and Treng found anyone who knew anything about the moths. The old orc that they finally tracked down was happy to answer all of Gwyn's questions, but when they left him, Gwyn was feeling far from happy. "How are we ever gonna get that far?" Treng moaned as they walked away. Gwyn didn't answer, but she felt the same way. But she was still determined, and Treng by now knew better than to try talking her out of it.

They left Haiden and Derk with the stable keeper in Crossroads, since Derk's foot wasn't quite ready for such a long journey. Leaving without their pets felt rather strange to both of them, but neither was worried, they knew they would watch each other's back. They collected some supplies and struck out, heading north toward Ashenvale.

They passed thru Ashenvale without incident and reached the Night Elf territory of Darkshore, with Gwyn consulting the map that the old orc had drawn for them often. Darkshore proved trickier to cross, as they had to avoid the Night Elf patrols that seemed to be everywhere. But they finally reached the next point in their journey, and stood looking down at the village of Auberdine and the boat that would take them to Azuremyst Isle, home of the moths. But, how would they get on the boat?

Gwyn thought that maybe they could approach the Elves and ask for passage, but when they tried, walking out slowly with hands held out wide, a flurry of well-placed arrows at their feet sent them scurrying back into hiding. Next they tried sneaking thru the village, but there weren't enough hiding places and they were chased out again. Finally Treng suggested swimming out to the boat and seeing if they could climb aboard.

The two youngsters paddled out to the boat, keeping it between themselves and the shore, and looked for a way up. All they saw was a ragged rope hanging near the back, just low enough for them to reach. Gwyn managed to shimmy up and peer over the side, but she quickly slid back down again. "Elves up there everywhere," she hissed to Treng, eyes wide. Then they both heard the captain shout a few commands, and the boat started moving. The two friends could only hold on tight to the rope and hope they wouldn't drown or be discovered.

The trip to the island didn't take long, but it felt like days to the young hunters. They arrived at Azuremyst half-drowned and bedraggled, but still had the sense to let go of the rope and swim to shore away from the dock. They climbed out on the beach and crept into the nearby woods to find a campsite, where they built a small fire and dried off. Then they started their search for the moths.

They covered the entire isle, carefully avoiding the huge, misshapen bulk that appeared to be a city of some kind, before they found the moths. Gwyn was beside herself with excitement, and Treng seemed to catch some of it himself. They stayed within sight of each other as they started looking for their new companions. Gwyn didn't take long to choose and tame her moth, then helped Treng with his. Their goal accomplished, they used the magic portal stones their trainer had given them, and were soon back in the Crossroads.

Their trainer was amazed at their new pets when they showed him, but quickly reminded them of a half-dozen errands that needed doing, then Treng wanted to go check on Derk, so Gwyn followed him to the stabling area. Derk and Haiden were overjoyed to see them, and after their enthusiastic greeting, the wolves were introduced to the moths. Gwyn watched cautiously as Haiden sniffed her new pet over, then sneezed as he got wing dust in his nose. Then he looked at his mistress, and Gwyn felt his approval and affection. Derk was equally accepting of his master's new friend, and Treng happily announced he would call his moth Dusty. Gwyn thought over a few names for hers, mentally discarding several before deciding. Then she held her hand out to him and watched contentedly as his little feelers examined her fingers.

"His name will be Authir."

Mission Accomplished

Kaledain dinged 50 today and is out of rest. His herbalism is maxed at 300, gonna keep working on his inscription. Kechara got a boost to 50 when he dinged, compliments of the level 50 owls in Felwood. ;) Probably gonna do the same with Argus when Kaled hits Un'Goro, so Ashke will get most of the attention now.

I'm working on Gwyn's next story, couldn't finish it tonight 'cause I was falling asleep. Will hopefully post it tomorrow. I've decided to go ahead and keep Kaled's story the way I've been writing it. Yes, it involves someone that technically doesn't exist anymore, but Khaotic plays an important role in making Kaled who he is, and in the end I can't make myself change it. I'll try to post part 2 of his tale a day or 2 after Gwyn's.

Going to bed now, I'm still trying to fall asleep. Zzzzzz......

/Bask

Kaledain is now 49, one level away from steady shot and 9 from Outlands. He did all the quests for Jintha'Alor and got some new gear to boot. Ashke is caught up with him, gonna start grinding Felwood furbolgs with the other 2 so he can get thru the tunnel without being attacked.

Quae the shadow priest has reached 40 at last and has Shadowform now, plus some new gear of her own.

Boogga had another heroic UK run, this time with a PUG. It was actually a good group and a nice fast run. Crossbow still didn't drop though. :( We were going to try heroic UP after, but the tank left, so it kinda fell apart.

I know my last story was kind of a tear-jerker, I've been in a mood lately and wanted to write that one since I've been thinking about it for ages. Next story will probably be Gwyn's part 3 so it will be much more cheerful. :)

I'm also beginning to think of Kaled's next part. This one will cover the time from when he left the Farstriders til I'm not sure when, gonna try to do about a year in his story (this won't be as long as you might think). Just need to figure out a few details then I'll start writing it.

Til next time, Happy Hunting!