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| Details |
| Author: | Alli |
| Summary: | Hespyth, Sandy, Sarandis, Syreithe and Velrin head north to the worgen settlement at Talonbranch Glade, to assist them against a recent influx of goblin environmental destruction. ~3600 words. |
| Rating: | T for Teen |
Arc: Kalimdor Newbies
Sarandis sits on the edge of the moonwell, her expression blank and her eyes distant, though her posture is relaxed.
Syreithe has settled a few feet away from Sarandis, in a similarly meditative state.
Velrin walks up to the group and smiles weakly to them all as she starts to stretch.
Hespyth arrives. Her energy, as usual, is nervous and chaotic.
Syreithe's eyes open, taking a steadying breath. Is she bracing for her sister's chaos, or trying to help her settle it? Same difference.
Gausandy arrives in Whisperwind Groves and looks around, trying to find the cobalt people. He's wearing his tabard.
At the sense of motion around them, Sarandis slowly brings herself back to the present. She notes Hespyth's chaos, and Velrin's stretching, and smiles very faintly, not enough to stretch her scars.
"Greetings, friends," Syreithe says softly.
Hespyth points at Sandy, eyes wide. "A human!"
Sarandis's gaze drifts over to the human man in the Cobalt tabard. She frowns slightly, but not unkindly, and says, "Yes, a human. Are you looking for the Cobalt Aegis?"
Moondrop notes Hespyth's point and flits over to buzz around Sandy's head…in greeting?
"Ah! There you are!" he smiles, running towards them. "Yes! I got last minute orders to replace Iphindra. She's busy in Pandaria!"
Flitwing is drinking from the moonwell. Rude.
"Ah… yes, you have found us," Sarandis stretches carefully, and then stands. "I'm standing in as leader for today, as Qelida is elsewhere — I am Sarandis Wildbloom. And you are? I should not call you Iphindra."
"Ah! Right, sorry about this!" Gausandy does a salute. "Gausanders Spellbond I'm a… priest!" He turns and smiles at Velrin. "Oh, I know you!"
Syreithe rises and shoos Moondrop away from Sandy's face. She dips her head in greeting. "Welcome. I am Syreithe Silverlight. This is my sister, Hespyth, and our companion, Velrin…who you seem to know."
Velrin waves and stands quietly.
"YES I AM HESPYTH," says Hespyth so loudly she frightens herself and ducks behind her sister.
Sandy is a little intimidated by all the tall elven women staring at him simultaneously. He startles at Hespyth's introduction.
"Ah, a priest," Sarandis nods. "That is well. Kaladris will not be joining us today. And now introductions are handled — our aid has been requested by a worgen. Is everyone prepared?"
Velrin nods.
A worgen man, James Hallow, waves from nearby. "Cobalt Aegis! I'm the one who asked for you!"
Syreithe nods in greeting. "James Hallow. How do we help?"
Hespyth seems a bit wary of the wolfman.
"I come from Talonbranch glade, barely a crow's flight to the north," James says gruffly. "The goblins ravage the forest there, clearcutting it to fuel the war machines of the Horde… and to line their own pockets."
Velrin clenches her jaw.
Sarandis frowns, and looks over at the nearby goblin. The goblin glances over with a smarmy grin.
Sandy shakes his head and whispers. "Goblins…"
"This one pays enough pleasant words and crafted lies to the druids here for them to turn a blind eye, afraid to disturb the tenuous neutrality here," James says in irritation.
"What can we do?" Sarandis asks, raising her chin slightly.
Hespyth shifts her weight nervously and puts her sister between herself and the goblin.
"I ask you to join us!" James says. "The hippogryph master can take you directly to our home. Denmother Ulrica will welcome anyone who wishes to fight."
"We will do so," Sarandis says, glancing to the others in case of objections.
Syreithe nods firmly to Sarandis.
Sandy shakes his head. He's got no objections. He just got here.
Sarandis speaks to the hippogryph master, securing our rides.
The team approaches a large, dark tree with streams of glowing water flowing through it. The interior appears to have been made into a settlement.
Sarandis looks around the giant tree with interest, noting the sparkling magic. Denmother Ulrica waits on an island in the center of a small pool.
Hespyth stares nervously at Ulrica.
"Denmother," Sarandis nods. "We are here to assist with the goblin troubles."
Ulrica, in worgen form, looks over the elvish and human team and nods. "Welcome to the home of my pack. Prepare yourself for war."
"Can you explain the situation further?" Sarandis asks. "What you need from us exactly?"
Sandy blinks. War? That seems a little extreme.
Velrin stands taller, "Tell us what we can do to help."
"The goblins are already upon us!" Ulrica says harshly. "We have tried everything in our power to warn the goblins to leave Irontree Clearing before we resorted to violence. As they turned a blind ear to us, we struck, and now rather than spare the forest they would lay down their lives for greed.”
Hespyth mouths, blind ear.
"They will soon know the full extent of our fury!" Ulrica says, clenching one paw. "The battle rages just beyond our northern gate. Join our pack in glory and slay any goblin who dares come before us!"
Lyros, a nearby kaldorei man, waves the team over. "If you don't mind, I have something gentler to ask of you as well."
Velrin salutes.
"Gentler?" Sarandis asks.
Hespyth hurries to Lyros.
Velrin turns to Lyros and perks up her ears.
Sandy looks around nervously. Has that kaldorei noticed his reaction to the mention of war?
"I have toiled long here with the Denmother to spread the teachings of Cenarius and the ways of the wild," Lyros says, looking over towards Ulrica. "She has gained much of my trust, and in return, I have been allowed to introduce the spirits of the forest to her students."
"The spirits… wisps?" Sarandis asks.
Lyros nods. "The company of wisps is a great honor, as well as a useful blessing. But now the goblins descend on us, and seek to steal the wisps for nefarious use. Please, prevent this blasphemy!"
Sarandis looks horrified.
Hespyth's ears droop.
"Wisps… Can be stolen?" Sandy asks, confused.
"I would hope they could get free, but…" Sarandis frowns. "I believe there are those who practice binding of souls in this world."
Velrin's eyes flash, "Thoughtless logging is one thing, but to abuse the spirits of the forest itself…" Vel growls.
Lyros holds out a small branch for whoever will take it. "Call the wisps back here from the western woods with this blessed branch, and keep them safe."
Syreithe frowns deeply.
Sandy takes a step back. He's not taking the branch. He is not going to culturally appropriate today.
Hespyth studies the branch with interest.
Lyros shifts it toward her, should she want it.
Hespyth smiles nervously and takes it.
Syreithe nods encouragingly at her sister.
The team heads out into Irontree Clearing. As soon as they are out of the immediate settlement, they run into goblins and worgen in conflict.
"It would be a shame, after all we have done," Sarandis says. "To allow another to harm these lands."
Hespyth frowns when she spots the worgen and goblins fighting.
Sarandis spots a wisp amongst the battle and points silently.
Hespyth holds the branch out, and says softly in Darnassian, "Come, lost one, we will keep you safe."
Sarandis smiles as the wisp floats over to Hespyth.
The branch Hespyth is holding now has a little satellite, as the wisp orbits it lazily.
Hespyth giggles softly in delight and wanders off to find another one, absently aiming a lethal spell at a goblin on her way.
Syreithe chuckles softly in Hespyth's wake.
"I'll help you protect your forest!" Sandy nods. "I, uh… Please remain calm even if I turn into a shadowy monster. I will be in total control, nothing to worry about!"
"Shadowy…. monster?" Sarandis blinks at the priest.
"Have you ever seen a priest go into their shadowform?" Sandy asks.
"Ah… I have heard of such things," Sarandis says, with a touch of uncertainty. "Like the dark side of Elune."
Velrin hums thoughtfully.
"That, yeah! Probably." Sandy clears his throat. "Anyway, that's what I'm going to do now, so I hit the goblins harder!"
Sandy closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and goes into his shadowform. Shadow tendrils float around him, and he begins to levitate.
Hespyth watches Sandy with interest.
Sarandis flinches at the change, but then nods. "I thank you for the warning, in advance. I might have thought you cursed."
"Yeah… I get that a lot." Sandy shrugs.
"Does it… hurt?" Sarandis asks. She's still staring at him.
"People were afraid of my magic once too," Hespyth says in accented Common to Sandy. "I hope you do not care, as I did not."
Sady shakes his head. "No. I mean you can… die doing it or lose yourself to the void, but that's a side effect, not a feature! And I'm doing it pretty safely, so there's nothing to worry about!"
"All magic is dangerous," Hespyth says reverently.
"Indeed. Our people know that more than most," Sarandis says seriously.
Velrin nods in agreement.
"I did care about if people were afraid of my magic," Sandy nods. "Now, not so much anymore. A little bit, still." He smiles at Hespyth. "If it helps, I'm not afraid of your magic either. My mom is a mage, too!"
Hespyth smiles shyly at Sandy.
Sandy drops his shadowform as they enter the settlement again.
"Humans are nicer than people say," Hespyth says in Darnassian to Syreithe.
Sarandis's ear twitches, and she smiles slightly.
Velrin smiles at Hespyth, "They can be very kind and open-minded when they want to." She responds in Darnassian.
Hespyth nods in enthusiastic agreement with Velrin.
Syreithe nods to her sister, and Velrin's comment.
Sarandis bows to Lyros as they approach, and gestures to Hespyth.
Lyris looks to the branch with relief. "Thank you. Now the goblins will not be able to defile these poor spirits to aid their brutish ways."
Denmother Ulrica gestures us over as Lyros retakes the branch. "May their blood water our tree. You fight well."
"Yes, we have fought. Now what must we do?" Sarandis asks.
"The goblins in Irontree Clearing must be stopped. We can afford no mercy if we want to prevent the goblins from spreading their destruction through the entire forest," Ulrica says grimly.
"Alton Redding, my most trusted protector, has already led much of the pack around the enemy line to strike while they are distracted here," Ulrica says, gesturing out of the tree. "Seek him out to the west, overlooking Irontree Cavern."
"We will," Sarandis confirms.
"Let us go find this Alton Redding?" Sarandis glances at the others.
Velrin nods.
Hespyth nods.
The ladies mount up on their predatorial cat mounts, and Sandy hops on a mechanostrider.
Sarandis's saber shows no interest in eating Sandy's mechanical mount. Sarandis pulls to a stop near a worgen man on a cliff. Clearly this is the one.
Hespyth seems a little less nervous this time, given the number of worgen who have not yet bitten her.
Alton looks over as they approach. "You’re from the Denmother? Good, let’s get to work."
Sandy casts a blessing on everyone as Alton tells them to get ready.
Alton turns back to look down at the goblin operation. "Disgusting, isn't it? Look at them. Pathetic little things that can't even toil with their own bodies."
Sarandis raises her eyebrows.
"Pathetic little things," Hespyth echoes softly, without feeling.
"They stomp around in their massive metal shredders, carving the forest to splinters," Alton says bitterly. "I bet they think they're safe in there, all warm and cozy."
Vel's face goes pale as she views the bare forest floor, "So many trees… I remember playing here before…"
Hespyth's ears droop and she gives Velrin a sympathetic look.
"I used to be pretty scared of them, but it was all based on an elebarote jokes my brother were pulling on me," Sandy nods.
Alton turns back to fix the team with a steely gaze. "Prove them wrong. Blaze north through the camp and destroy as many shredders as you can."
"Gladly," Sarandis says, with a glance to Velrin.
Sandy's eyes widen as he realizes his comment on goblins had pretty bad timing. He looks sadly at Velrin.
"I can see being frightened of them," Sarandis says. "They cause such destruction. "But we are reclaiming the land from the influence of the fel. We will stop this, too. May it regrow in time for your own daughter to play here."
Sandy points at a ballloon spilling oil on the ground. "They're using a symbol of joy and fun for evil!"
Hespyth keeps a great distance from the enormous shredders.
Sarandis grimaces at the oilspilling balloon, anger flashing in her eyes.
Velrin nods and then shadowsteps on top of a shredder, smashing open the hatch with her elbow and ripping out the goblin inside.
Hespyth gasps in amazement at Velrin.
Sarandis moves over to another, using her blade to shatter its knee and then do something worse to the occupant inside.
Sandy nods. "And you know, the Fel is kind of forever, so if you've managed to heal even a little bit of it, this goblin stuff is going to be child's play!"
Syreithe leaps into a roll, rising up from it to punch the shredder right in the groin.
Hespyth aims a spell at a nearby balloon, sending it crashing down. It's still polluting, but less offensively.
Sandy gets into his shadowform to fight goblins, slashing at their minds with shadow ravens.
"Oil is very not easy to clean," Hespyth says sadly.
"The Emerald Circle," Sarandis says, and then frowns faintly. "The Emerald Circle now, has made a study of removing the fel from the land. There is much progress. New ancients are growing. Oil… we will clean the oil. Somehow."
Hespyth nodnodnods.
"Perhaps we can try and enlist the help of the Earthen Ring as well. Surely the Tauren don't approve of this…" Velrin says hopefully.
"If anybody can cure any land, it's the Emerald Circle!" He pauses, tilting his head. "And the Earthen Ring, yeah!"
"I would hope they do not," Sarandis nods. "And yes, I think the Circle may have contacts there. The tauren are a part of the Cenarion Circle, after all. And the Emerald."
"So many circles…" Hespyth murmurs.
"I have heard they worked together to good effect in Hyjal, for Nordrassil," Sarandis says.
"Circles within Circles," Sarandis says with a brief smile.
Hespyth giggles.
Sandy chuckles. "Right? Everyone is a circle! Maybe I'll start my own group… The Round… table? How does that sound?"
Syreithe gives Sandy a skeptical squint and shakes her head.
Hespyth begins softly singing a haunting little song in a minor key, something in Darnassian about circles in spirals and wheels within wheels.
Alton looks towards them eagerly. "I saw your handiwork below. Well done! And this is but the first strike."
"The workers in Irontree Cavern below us have been driven out already. Something else has overtaken the cave," Alton seems altogether too unconcerned about what that might be. "I spotted at least a few of them dropping explosives as they fled…" he frowns. "…explosives that could destabilize the land in this area. Enter the cave and recover any abandoned bombs you can find. "
"Something else?" Velrin asks, "I know there at least used to be shamblers in there…"
Alton shrugs. "I just saw them running. But when you're finished with that, we'll begin our final assault."
"We will see," Sarandis nods. "In any case, we cannot leave ordinance carelessly discarded."
Hespyth continues singing in Darnassian, "Like the circles that you find… in the moonwells of your mind…"
Sarandis's expression softens at Hespyth's singing.
Syreithe smiles at Hespyth, swaying gently to the song.
"What's that song about?" Sandy smiles. "I mean, um… are those lyrics? Or just sounds, like when we go 'lalala'?"
Hespyth blinks at Sandy, only then fully realizing she was singing out loud and not just in her head. "Oh…" she says, thinking. "They are words. It is about when your mind goes in circles and you cannot rest."
"Also it is about a love affair that is ended," Hespyth adds.
Sandy scoffs. "Ah! Tell me about it. You'll need to teach me that o— oh."
Sarandis frowns at the moss flayers who seem to have taken over the cave, and then looks over to Sandy. "Is everything alright?"
"The saddest line is, hm, something like, 'When you knew it was finished, you quickly realize: the trees in the fall were changing to her hair color.' It sounds… more good in Darnassian," Hespyth says.
Sandy nods very rapidly, repeatedly. "Sure, yeah! Just… focusing. On work."
"A lovely song," Sarandis says. "Very evocative."
"Mhm," Sandy scratches his head, and drops his shadowform. Keep the bad out of the void.
As the team collects bombs and fights or avoids the flayers, Hespyth’s song leads her to thinking of troubling times. Syreithe makes their farewell, and the twins head back to Whisperwind Grove.
"This seems so careless," Sarandis says disapprovingly, as she collects one last bomb, before they head out. "Even with the moss flayers unusually aggressive."
"Bombs are usually pretty reckless, but when they're made by goblins? That's ten times worse," Sandy shakes his head.
"The goblins' meddling is no doubt agitating them." Vel says.
Sarandis nods. "I thought so as well. They have brought this on themselves."
Sandy begins to hum a much happier song. The Tauren Chieftains.
Sarandis looks over curiously. "Is that a traditional human tune?"
"That? Oh, no, that's from a band that performs at the Darkmoon Faire!" Sandy explains.
"Ah," Sarandis says, blinking. "I don't believe I've ever been."
"Oh, you should! It's pretty fun!" Sandy smiles. "There's food, and games, and shows, and snacks, and prizes…"
"Maybe I should," Sarandis considers. "I could suggest it to my daughter, when she is home…" as they approach Alton, Sarandis hands over her bundle of bombs.
"Thanks," Alton says. "It’s a full-time job trying to prevent them from destroying everything."
"It was moss flayers, by the way," Sarandis says. "Likely agitated by the goblins' activities."
"Hah," Alton says. "Well, we've got them on the run now. It's our chance to make sure they don't regroup. Kill the workers throughout Irontree Clearing without mercy… show them their greed has a price!"
"Certainly," Sarandis says. "They will learn they cannot despoil these lands."
Sandy sighs. "I don't think we can teach anything about greed to most goblins."
"Perhaps we can at least teach them the price here is too high," Sarandis suggests. "That it is… unprofitable, to go against us in this place."
"Eh! That might work," Sandy nods.
"It's no matter. They will either learn or die." Velrin says coldly. She's not feeling patient today.
"The ones here, now, will be the latter," Sarandis says with a nod of agreement.
There is a powerful final assault. The goblins will not be clearcutting this forest. Then the team returns to Alton once again.
"It is done," Sarandis says. "Those left alive are fleeing, hopefully never to return."
Alton straightens, his teeth bared in triumph. "Serves every last one of them right. Let's hope those in charge send the rest of their greedy scavengers somewhere else. With the goblins scattered, they'll either get the message and leave, or be easy pickings if they choose to stay. We've won here. You've fought as fiercely as any member of the pack. Return to the Denmother and let her know of our success. I'll be maintaining my watch."
"Sounds good," Sandy nods. "I like worgens," he says, as they leave.
Velrin salutes, "We will. Thank you for your service here." Velrin offers him a smile.
Alton returns the salute, and the smile… as much as he can with his jaw.
"I think they work well with our people," Sarandis muses. "They've already recruited some into the Sentinels."
"Oh, really?" Sandy looks at her, surprised. "I thought that was a pretty closed thing!"
"Unlike the Round Table!" Sandy adds.
"It used to not be done that women could be druids, either," Sarandis says with a one-shouldered shrug. "Our people are beginning to learn where they can safely change, I think. I worked with them in Feralas."
"Change is good!" Sandy smiles.
As they approach Denmother Ulrica, she turns to look at them. "Is it done? Are our problems with the goblins at an end?"
"There may be some mopping up to do, but yes," Sarandis nods. "They are scattered."
"Let the goblins and all the Horde know we will not have offers of peace and sanctuary abused… most of all not in our new home," Ulrica says firmly, and then looks at the team with warmer eyes. "I am grateful my people have found allies as bold as you. You will always be welcome here."
"Thanks!" Sandy nods. "I got to bring snacks, next time!"
"Snacks?" Ulrica blinks.
Sarandis does not face-palm. There might be a little wince there, though.
"Yeah, to share with everyone. It must be pretty lonely, to live in a new settlement, in an area that's hardly accessible," Sandy nods. "I'm sure everyone would love snacks!"
Sarandis lets out a breath. "That is a kind thought."
Ulrica nods slowly. "Yes, we will welcome you and your snacks, whenever you are here."
Velrin pauses to think for a moment. Maybe it *is* lonely here. She didn't see many people growing up after all.
"It is good, not to be lonely," Sarandis says.
"Y-yes…" Velrin snaps out of her thoughts.
"Maybe I'll stay here a while longer, just in case more help is needed," Sarandis says.