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| Details |
| Author: | inkie |
| Summary: | White Squad offers their assistance to Zouchin Province with one final task. It's a rough one. |
| Rating: | T for Teen |
Anareline looks up from where she sits at a table with a gently glowing lantern, taking the last sip of her tea.
Colson descends the stairs at exactly the start time. "Good afternoon, everyone."
Arric stands in atypical silence, gazing out at the sea through the open round doorway.
"Good afternoon," Anareline says to Colson. She steps over towards Arric, noting his silence. She looks like she's going to say something for a moment, but then she just pauses by his side.
Shine enters the inn carrying Bun under his arm like a football. Bun is himself carrying a dried peach slice and gnawing on it avidly, and does not seem too put out by the football carry.
Arric drifts back over as he sees the group somewhat assembling.
Anareline nods at Shine and Bun as they enter.
Shine sets Bun on the floor and nods at the others.
Bun continues eating his peach slice and does not greet anyone.
"Good afternoon, Shine. Bun," Colson greets politely.
"Colson." Shine nods again.
Bun looks up at the sound of his name. Did someone say snack???
"I think we have very nearly done what we can here," Anareline says. "The Zandalari are pushed back, and the village is in a better shape for future defense. We might see if there is anything else we can help with, before we head back to meet up with Blue Squad."
"Understood," Colson says. He has no snacks. Sorry, Bun.
Shine nods at Anareline.
"Has everyone been well, since the battle and… the Isle of Reckoning?" Anareline asks. "I know our last mission was… somewhat intense."
Shine nods. He is always well.
Bun could use another snack but he's okay. He has no memory of last week.
"I am a bit weary today," Arric admits, "but I shall persevere."
Anareline nods to Arric. "It is good to acknowledge. I will keep a closer watch for you today."
"Oh, heavens, no need for that, Ana. I should not have mentioned it! But you did ask."
"I did ask," Ana says, looking puzzled. "There is nothing wrong with answering."
Colson looks over at Arric with what might be mild concern. "I am fine, thank you," he answers Anareline. "I shall hope for your best rest of fair winds and calm seas, Arric."
Arric smiles at Colson warmly.
Shine smiles faintly at Colson.
Gwen scurries downstairs, rotating her hat into a more Responsible orientation. "Sorry, sorry I'm late! Just some… wardrobe malfunctions. All good now."
Colson inclines his head. "Miss Whittle, good afternoon."
Shine looks faintly perplexed. Wardrobe malfunctions?
Anareline blinks at Gwen, and then nods. "We would not want further malfunctions out in the center of the village, certainly."
Gwen blushes fiercely. "Um…right. Yes. True."
Colson politely averts his eyes from Gwen's blushing, focusing on Ana.
Anareline does not blush. She seems to think it is time well spent.
Arric seems to be blissfully ignorant of what a wardrobe malfunction might consist of.
Bun perks up and waddles around Shine to go sit devotedly at Gwen's feet.
Gwen kneels and first offers Bun head scritches… then, one conjuring later, some biscuits.
Bun wiggles under the scritches happily and then snatches up a biscuit.
Shine eyes Bun and then Gwen a little cynically.
"I propose we circle around the town once more, to see if anything further is needed before White Squad officially returns to Onekeg," Anareline says. "Does everyone agree?"
Shine nods at Ana.
"I agree," Colson says.
A haggard-looking pandaren, his arm in a sling, approaches the group diffidently. “Travelers. May I ask your help?”
"Of course!" says Arric.
"Yes, of course," Anareline says, right on the heels of Arric's response. "That is what we are here for."
Shine looks from Arric to Ana.
The man bows with a slight wince. “My name is Li Hai. When the trolls came, they brought mercenary… friends with them. The mercenaries didn’t join the fight here. I saw them go past us, to the fishing village in the northwest. We have had no word from them since then. My cousin, a healer, lives there — can you check in with him and make sure he and his village are well? His name is Liao.”
Arric immediately looks fretful. He lets out a sharp whistle, and Rica comes running over from wherever she's been wandering.
Colson inclines his head, as he sends a [Flash of Light] over Li Hai, just in case.
"There was fighting also elsewhere?" Anareline says, and her ears droop. "We were needed here, but… yes, we should check on them immediately."
Li Hai nods gratefully. "Thank you."
Anareline nods a greeting to the raptor. "Rica will be joining us again, I see."
Gwen peers at Rica, considering whether she would want biscuits as well.
"Of course," says Arric. "I went back for her as soon as I could."
Rica trills softly.
Colson murmurs a blessing of the Light over the group.
"Perhaps it was good for her not to have to fight her own kind," Anareline says. "I hope these mercenaries are not… well, let us go with all haste." She clicks her tongue, and her nightsaber slinks out of the shadows. She got here somehow during the last week.
Arric says, "Rica, follow."
Colson goes with all haste.
It is obvious on approach that all is not well in the fishing village. A hut on stilts at the water’s edge is burning, and two others still smolder. The roof of one has collapsed. The sand has been churned by many feet, and is stained a rusty hue in patches here and there.
"Damn it!" Arric snaps.
Gwen gasps with a dramatic hand over her mouth.
Anareline slows as the team approaches, and then says, "We look for survivors."
Colson says a brief prayer to the Light. "Understood."
Shine drops down from his horse and fades into stealth at once.
Anareline approaches the burning village cautiously, but no one attacks.
The sand is littered with pandaren corpses.
Colson moves swiftly across the sand, hands glowing brilliantly with golden Light, as he attemps to heal and resurrect the fallen.
Down at the waterline, a man in orange robes lies prone in the sand. His chest rises and falls unevenly.
"There is one still alive," Colson calls, as he moves towards the wounded man.
"Quickly," Anareline says, moving to the injured pandaren's side.
Arric hangs back, not particularly useful in this situation.
"We are here to help," Colson says gently.
The man struggles to open swollen eyes. “I… am alive… but barely. They killed the rest. My friends… and family. I would… go to the village to the south, to my cousin and his family, but… I fear I do not have long, and I cannot move on my own.”
"Colson, is it too late?" Anareline says, looking over his wounds.
Colson summons a Divine Light as his eyes glow briefly golden. "Hold on. It is not too late to try," Colson says, as he attempts to heal the pandaren.
Arric keeps his eyes on the water for any emerging wildlife or enemies.
Liao pushes himself up carefully in the sand, and then settles back on his heels to pat himself experimentally. He exhales and bows his head gravely. “Thank you, travelers.”
"Ah, capital!" Arric says in pleased surprise. "Well done."
Gwen lets out a relieved breath she didn't know she was holding.
Anareline lets out a sigh of relief. "We were in time for one, at the least."
Liao looks around them despondently. “I must… may I ask more aid of you before I go to the village? I cannot leave the bodies of my friends and family here.”
"Of course," says Arric.
Shine looks from Arric to Ana.
Colson may have a small, visible look of relief. "I understand." He looks to Ana.
Gwen shoves many biscuits into the sage's hands. "Here. Eat. Get your strength back."
"Yes," Anareline says. "We would not want to leave your loved ones in this state. I only regret we were not here for the defense."
Liao’s eyes fill with tears. “Many have perished here. We will need to honor them properly, which means gathering the makings of incense of life. It doesn’t just smell nice — it has restorative properties, and can bring peace even to restless souls. The mercenaries took most of our goods, though, when they ransacked the village. We will need the spices they pillaged. Do you think you can recover them?”
He accepts the biscuits from Gwen absently and shoves one in his mouth. Bun looks on with envy.
"Of course!" says Arric.
Gwen nods emphatically. "Yes!"
Colson inclines his head. "We will honor your departed. I am very sorry for your loss. If there are any that can return, I promise I will do my best to try."
Liao nods and then his expression tightens. “After the mercenaries robbed us, most left. But one of them… after the others took all we have, he stayed behind to hunt and kill our people. For sport! Please, get justice for our fallen.”
"Water," Colson suggests. "Blood loss can linger in sensation, and water helps."
"Yes," Anareline says, as if everyone were waiting for her decision. "We would, in any case, seek to slay the mercenaries, before they do further harm."
Shine nods. He was, in fairness, waiting for Ana's decision.
As was Colson.
"We will pursue justice and honor for your fallen," Anareline says, in what seems to be meant to be a reassuring tone.
Bun sidles up to Liao like he hopes the man will drop one of his biscuits. Shine steps over to pick the tanuki up by the scruff and cart him away.
As promised, Colson moves carefully over the sand, attempting a resurrection on every fallen Pandaren they come across.
He is not successful.
"If… it's not unkind of me to ask," Arric says softly to Colson between attempted resurrections, "I have always wondered… why sometimes people can be brought back, and sometimes not."
"Ah, it is not entirely known," Colson answers. "We can only speculate. Some believe it is a quality of the soul itself, while others believe that it is something that is known within the soul at the time of death."
"Some who can be brought back at one time may not another, if they have changed or altered in some way since, or if the death is such that they let go," Colson continues, as he tries another.
Gwen’s voice goes uncharacteristically somber. "Some of it is just… the will to return. When you're on the other side, you can feel the pull to come back. But… it can be refused."
"I see. That stands to reason," Colson says, as he stands.
Shine nods at Gwen.
"And the one reaching can make a difference. The better the healer knows the departed, the more likely they are to succeed. It is much the same with healing in general," Colson adds.
"I am afraid that I am not the best choice to call these pandaren back. I do not know them, and they may find it difficult to take such a strange hand in death," Colson says softly. "But I am the one who is here, so I must try."
Anareline nods. "It is good for us to have some knowledge of one another's souls. Squads have been called on to go into the spirit world before, and to return."
"Fascinating," Arric says in a softer, more reverent tone than his usual.
"Gnolls?" Shine sounds puzzled. "The mercenaries are gnolls?"
Arric looks in the direction Shine is stabbing, and looks as puzzled as Shine sounds.
Colson looks up at that. "Gnolls? Here?"
Anareline looks around in puzzlement herself. "The Zandalari hired… gnolls."
"I have died fourteen times, and been successfully resurrected each time, as is likely obvious," Colson says casually. "I would come back if there is any possible way to do so."
"I have died before as well," Anareline says. "As has my shalan. We both returned."
"Aye," says Shine. It is not clear what he is agreeing with.
"Fourteen times…" Arric murmurs in disbelief.
"Ours is a dangerous line of work," Anareline nods.
Colson lives a dangerous life.
"I cannot imagine. Once was struggle enough." Gwen looks at Colson with a newfound awe.
A troll pacing on the rocks above the gnoll camp yells, "Work harder, ya lazy mongrels, or I'll roast ya alive!"
Anareline points silently at the Zandalari Overlord.
Colson nods to Ana.
"We take out the ringleader," Anareline says, and charges.
The ringleader is tooken out.
"The first death was the strangest," Colson says to Gwen. "It was after Mt. Hyjal. I perished from my own lack of attention to my body's needs, and overextended myself as a healer in a sense of guilt."
Anareline looks over at Colson. "I hope you take care of your limits now. That is a harsh lesson to learn."
"Yes, I do. It was significant, and I have never repeated it. I have also made vows to Mordecai. I will never act with such disregard for myself again," Colson says.
"It seems to me that Colson is very good at keeping balance now," Arric observes.
"But it is difficult to survive as a healer when so many have perished. I believe it will be painful for Liao," Colson says softly.
Gwen smiles warmly. "Mordecai seems like a powerful anchor to this world. His incredible compassion is what brought me back."
Colson smiles gently back. "He is a Beacon of Light."
"He certainly is," Gwen agrees.
"I got told to come back, I think," says Shine offhandedly.
"I hope Liao will have those at Zouchin who can strengthen his own spirit," Anareline says, and then looks over to Shine. "By someone you know?"
Shine nods. "My brother. Guess he's dead."
Arric gasps.
"I grieve for your loss," Anareline says.
Arric looks a bit pale, but does not question Shine further on the subject.
"Ah. I am sorry for your loss. Some people do see others across the veil when they are part of it," Colson says.
"Thank you," says Shine.
"I find the Light to be such a powerful and beautiful thing," Arric says a bit wistfully. "I wish my people were not so … averse to it."
"Not everyone," says Shine mildly. "There's Drustvar. But they've got witches."
"I… never spent much time in Drustvar," Arric admits.
"Don't recommend the place, honestly," says Shine blandly.
Arric shivers subtly.
"Witches?" Gwen perks up curiously.
Shine nods at Gwen.
"All are children of the Light," Colson says as a man of faith. "Whether acknowleged or not. The Light is within all living beings."
Arric beams at Colson.
An enormous gnoll armed with a cutlass is pacing the sand ahead.
"There were so many of these in Elwynn," Arric says, sighting down his rifle at the gnoll, "but it surprises me to see them here."
"I've met a witch," Gwen says. "Actually, a lot of mages know her. She lives in Dustwallow Marsh, in Kalimdor."
Shine looks sharply at Gwen. "Is that so?"
Gwen nods to Shine, smiling brightly. "Mmhm! I mean… some people call her a witch. I don't actually know if she self-identifies as such. But she knows things about magic most people have only an inkling about, at best."
Shine looks Very Neutral.
"Witches feature heavily in… tales meant to frighten children, in Kul Tiras," Arric says.
"Oh, Miss Tabetha? Is she still doing well?" Colson asks.
"Witches pervert the natural order," Shine observes mildly.
"I will confess that with all I've seen in the last year or two, I'm no longer certain what is natural and what is not." Arric laughs uneasily.
"It may not mean the same thing in Kul Tiras as it does in Dustwallow," Anareline says, and then seems to realize she just defended a practitioner of the arcane. She looks baffled at herself.
"I do not believe Miss Tabetha has such aims. But I did not speak extensively with her. She was known to us as we patrolled Dustwallow, and always pleasant," Colson says. "Cressidha would perhaps know more than I."
"The way I've been told," says Shine, "ye take the magic the druids use and… turn it inside-out, and that's witchcraft."
"Hmm. That doesn't sound like what Tabetha does," Gwen considers.
"Inside out is generally never pleasant," Arric concedes.
Colson frowns faintly. "I do not believe that is what I have witnessed of Miss Tabetha, either. Perhaps the word is used differently, as Ana suggests."
"Mm," Anareline says quietly, thinking through that. "Druid magic is… a part of nature. That is what called me back, when I died in… well, it is a confusing place. It was during the War of the Ancients, but… my second experience of it."
"And then there are the harvest-witches of Gilneas," Gwen adds. "I don't know a whole lot about them, but apparently a lot of them actually became druids."
"It does seem like a word with perhaps … an unfixed meaning," Arric ponders aloud.
Shine shrugs. "Never met a Drustvar witch. Heard it said they may not exist anymore. But aye, different word, maybe." He nods at Gwen. "Harvest witches of Gilneas are more like… aye, like druids."
"Yes, then that does seem to be a word used for very many different things," Anareline says. "Someone supporting a harvest hardly seems a perversion of nature."
Colson inclines his head. "There will always be different beliefs in how to worship, but they seem to find the same center of respect for nature at the core."
"The only thing the usages seem to have in common," Arric says, still incidentally looking down his rifle sights at the gnoll, "is that they all involve magic others are not familiar with."
"Language is a funny thing," Gwen says. "It's interesting how the same word can evolve into different connotations and definitions within a different cultural context."
"Yes. There have been those who call themselves 'paladins,' while perveting the very thing upon which we base our powers upon," Colson remarks with a deceptive mildness.
"Indeed," Anareline nods. "And… whatever word we choose to call him, I believe that is the gnoll leader, below."
"I do not think he is a witch," Arric says lightly.
Shine fades into stealth.
Colson readies the Light.
"I do not think this gnoll is a paladin, either," Anareline says.
Arric laughs.
"No, he is not," Colson agrees.
Anareline charges in.
Captain Ripflesh vanishes. His voice cackles, “Mirror… IMAGE! Let’s see if you can figure this out!” Two crude gnoll decoys from the Darkmoon whack-a-gnoll carnival game pop up. “Which one is real?!”
A moment later, Captain Ripflesh himself appears between the decoys, grinning.
"I can do that, too!" Gwen laughs.
"What in the –" Arric blinks.
It is not difficult to figure out which one is real.
As he falls, the gnoll gasps, “How did you… figure… it out?”
Arric facepalms.
Shine eyes the decoy barrels.
"Perhaps he… was a witch…?" Anareline says, staring at the barrels as well.
"No," says Shine. "Pretty sure witches aren't that stupid. Lot of things, but not that stupid."
Gwen tugs a bit of paper from the fallen gnoll's body. She reads it and suddenly laughs aloud. "He definintely wasn't a witch."
Shine looks over at Gwen.
Gwenivene shows off the [Crumpled Bill of Sale], and then reads it aloud: "’Darkmoon Faire Bill of Sale. 6X Super-Effective Gnoll Decoy. 60 gold, 20 silvers, 300 copper.’"
"He… purchased… those decoys…" Arric is flabbergasted.
"I see," Colson says.
"Gnoll decoys?" Anareline raises her eyebrows.
Shine snorts.
"Is it strange that I almost admire his initiative?" Arric says. "Incredibly stupid initiative mind you, but initiative nonetheless." He shrugs and smiles.
"It is a mark of respect to see something in the enemy to admire, even if it is brief," Colson says.
"With the decoys," Anareline says. "With the other work on this beach, I do not admire."
"Agreed," says Arric more soberly.
Gwen squints, "There is small print: ‘Effectiveness of Super-Effective Gnoll Decoy may depend on intelligence of opponent. Not warranted for use against Humanoids, Dragonkin, or other semi-sentient creatures.’"
"So he isn't much of a reader," Arric observes dryly.
Shine looks down at the tanuki. "Bun, were you fooled?"
Bun looks hopefully up at Shine. Snack?
"Wait there, Rica," Arric says, pointing.
Anareline walks down to Liao on the shore. "We have recovered the incense, and brought justice for those lost here."
Sage Liao nods. “Thank you, travelers. It is better not to need to bury our friends, but if we must, it is good to know we have brought them justice, and can offer them peace.”
Colson bows respectfully, holding it a beat longer than necessary.
Liao considers the incense spices and sighs. “I do not wish to dishonor my friends and leave them in unmarked graves. But we have never needed to bury so many at once, and I am in no condition to make proper markers for each of them right now. Please, if you will visit the lakes along the mountains’ edge, beneath the waterfalls you will find stones polished by the falling water. They will make suitable memorials. Will you bring me some?”
"Of course!" says Arric.
Shine looks from Arric to Ana.
Anareline looks at Arric for a long moment, and then says, "Yes, we will do this. Your people will be remembered."
Liao bows.
Colson bows again in return.
"Ah, enormous bugs," Colson remarks mildly. He's not making a face. It's fine.
Arric glances at Colson sympathetically.
"I see stones below the water," Anareline says, peering down. "Let's collect them."
Arric prepares to do as asked.
"Understood," Colson says.
Oh, good. More enormous waterbugs. This is fine.
Arric strips down to dive into the water. Not completely down, just, more swimming-appropriate.
Rica dives in with him. She likes picking up shiny stones. It's a raptor thing.
Colson wades in all the same, respectfully collecting stones.
Anareline does her best to keep the giant waterbugs away from her healer.
Arric completely submerges in the crystalline water, seeming delighted by the chance for a swim.
"That should be enough," Anareline says. "For the memorials."
Rica narrows her eyes. She suspects they are going to give away all the shiny rocks.
Anareline approaches Liao, showing him a sample of the collected polished stones.
Colson respectfully presents the collected stones to Liao.
“Thank you, my friends.” Liao hoists himself to his feet. “After this tragedy, fortune has been kind to send you. I will gather my friends’ bodies and prepare the funeral materials, and meet you at the graveyard south of Zouchin Village. Will you go meanwhile to my cousin and ask him to gather the villagers for the funeral?”
"Of course!" says Arric.
Shine looks from Arric to Ana.
"We're just glad we could do something to honor them," Gwen says soberly.
"We will gather the villagers," Anareline says solemnly. "I hope you will not mind us also attending, to honor them."
Arric smiles warmly at Ana.
"I hope that you will," says Liao. "You will do them great honor."
"The honor is ours," Colson says, as he murmurs a blessing of the Light to encompass the squad and Liao.
"I think it is important," Arric says quietly once they're out of earshot of Liao, "for us to learn how they honor their dead."
"Yes," Colson says. "It is a mark of respect. Mordecai will also want to know, for the future."
"If the war continues here, it certainly will be," Anareline says solemnly. "War exacts a heavy cost, even on those who are merely near it."
"And even in peace, death is a part of life. It is important to honor the dead as they wish," Colson adds.
"That… is true, now," Anareline nods. "I have not always been used to thinking in such a way."
"I read a story when I was a boy," Arric says, "about two warring peoples with different burial traditions, and how one side made sure to bury the fallen from the other side in the proper way, and it made a profound impression on me."
Shine nods once at Arric.
"Even in war, you can respect your enemies," Anareline says.
Arric nods thoughtfully.
Colson smiles faintly. "That is a tenet of the Light. Respect. Even for one under another banner."
Anareline slows as they approach Li Hai. "Friend, we have some good news and much worse. Liao has survived. Only Liao. We are to gather for a funeral."
“I… see.” Li Hai bows his head heavily. “We will meet you at the graveyard to honor the fallen. As the ones who have done so much for Zouchin, and now to honor our friends, are you willing to be the ones to light the Incense of Life and usher their spirits to the life beyond?”
Arric is wearing his goggles, so for all you know, his eyes aren't tearing up at all.
Shine looks Very Neutral.
"It would be a profound honor," Gwen says.
"We would be honored," Anareline lowers her head respectfully.
Colson inclines his head in agreement.
Li Hai gestures to a nearby hillside. "The graveyard is there. We will gather and meet you."
Anareline nods, and turns to heads towards the graveyard.
At the small graveyard, Liao waits among polished-stone cairns. Sticks of incense have been set in the ground before them. Behind White Squad, villagers begin to gather in solemn, silent groups of two or three at a time.
“Good,” says Sage Liao quietly. “Let us begin the funeral. You must light the incense to honor the dead.”
"Rica, it's quiet time," Arric says gently to his 'daughter.'
Gwen bows respectfully to Liao.
Shine picks Bun up like a football again.
Colson bows respectfully to the sage, ready to Light the incense.
"We should each light one?" Anareline confirms, looking at the sticks of incense.
"Yes, if you will." Liao bows.
Arric waits to see how someone else does it, first.
Gwen nods solemnly. She snaps her fingers above the incense, conjuring a lick of flame to ignite it.
Watching that did not help Arric.
Colson lights the incense with the spark of the Light. Oh, literally Light the incense.
Anareline steps forward and sparks a match, lighting her stick of incense.
Shine takes a small device from his pocket and flicks it open to light the incense.
Arric glances at the pandaren to see if the modern lighting methods offend him before using his own engineered lighter to follow suit.
As the smoke from the incense curls gently upward, small blossoms emerge before each stone cairn, and then stems curl upward like the smoke, unfurling beneath the sky into small, blooming trees.
Arric gasps!
“Do you see?” Sage Liao asks. “From their graves, life grows. What you have done is a tribute to a truth we pandaren hold most dear. None of us approaches death with joy — but neither should we feel fear, nor anger, nor doubt. Though we may die, from our passing blooms new life.
“This is the truth that we live, work, and die for. May these trees always stand for the sacrifice they made, and the honor you have done them.”
Liao bows his head in respectful silence. Behind White Squad, villagers stir and then begin to filter away as gradually as they arrived, in a like quiet.
Colson bows his head in prayer, hands clasped together.
Arric lifts his goggles to wipe away some manly perspiration that has gathered around his eye area for some reason.
Anareline bows her own head in respectful silence, though tears glisten in her eyes.
Gwen's hands come up to cover her mouth as her eyes overflow with tears.
Shine looks Very Neutral. Maybe his other eye is the one that tears up. He strokes Bun's head gently as he watches the trees in somber silence.
Colson seems to be deep in prayer, eyes closed.
Arric moves to put a comforting arm around Gwen. Since she, and only she, is crying.
Gwen sniffles and murmurs softly, "This is so beautiful."
"It is," Arric says, voice roughened slightly. From the incense.
Anareline blinks back her own tears. "From death, life."
Gwen leans into Arric, letting out a shuddering breath. Yes, definitely only her crying.
Shine glances over at Gwen. He stoops to set Bun on the ground, and Bun goes trundling over to Gwen to peer up at her, flicking an ear anxiously.
Anareline steps a little closer to Gwen and Arric, uncertain, but seems to conclude that they are set to comfort one another. She raises her chin, to make her own emotion less apparent.
Colson is like a paladin statue. He seems like he could stand there all day, in respectful, patient prayer for the dead he never knew.
Arric is at peace, being the Comforter of Small Lady. All is right in the world.