#lori stormtalon

[swiftmend]

Stormheim

Waking up in the early morning, in a vastly unfamiliar place, was absolutely no way Kei had ever wanted to spend his time. He was alone, for starters, after using up a great deal of magic sending Shinorian back to Dalaran-- judging by the intense fatigue he’s experiencing, it’s likely he’s on the verge of magical exhaustion.

There was a brief period of time before he’d fallen asleep where he’d begun to read a new book, attempting to distract himself from his overwhelming anxiety. To no surprise, he stirred with a heavy book covering his face, groaning quietly. He missed having a bed. He didn’t want to get used to sleeping on grass and dirt.

Kei reluctantly took the book off of his face, shutting it and glancing over the cover briefly-- it was obviously Darnassian, from both the language and the age, and the illustration depicted a young, adventurous-looking elf. He certainly wished adventuring were half as fun as the book made it out to be.

His eyes were quick to adjust to the dark outside, packing up his things and letting out another painful groan as he got to his feet. Everything was sore and he was so tired. He thought briefly about how Dalaran has beds with pillows, which was almost tempting enough knowing that he’d barely have the energy to get to Suramar.

Despite hiking most of it with Shinorian, Kei was really not cut out for navigating Stormheim. There were many places to climb and trip and fall-- not to mention the abundance of predators he planned on strategically avoiding. He began to wish Sparky was with him, but Sparky would probably be just as scared as he is.

At least it’s beautiful here, he thought, carrying himself along quietly. He began to make a habit of following the deer-- mostly because they made him feel safe, but also because he’s grown very fond of them since he got here.

After an hour or two, he found himself nearing a river, which could be either a safe place to rest or a very, very dangerous one depending on the inhabitants. Even the deer seemed a little hesitant to approach, Kei travelling not too far behind-- 20 yards, give or take-- before they begin to quickly flee. Kei swallowed hard.

There were more than a handful of spells that he could use in a situation like this, though whether or not he could pull it off without exhausting himself was another problem entirely. Eventually, he decided to get close enough to peer over the hill, being as silent as he possibly could.

His ears perked up quickly, eyes widening and suddenly he felt so much more awake. Or, perhaps he was just so tired he was beginning to see things, because he was almost certain a giant leopard did not belong in Stormheim. That is a leopard, right?

There was no questioning why his deer friends had fled-- the leopard’s white fur had been stained around its mouth and paws as if it’d just had a snack. Kei quietly wondered what the snack was, swallowing again, and suddenly he felt very faint. Leopards aren’t scavengers, right?

At that point, he was far too close to leave without alerting the cat of his presence. Instead, he found himself glued to the back of a tree, hugging his knees to his chest and leaning most of his weight on them. He was so tired. Maybe becoming cat food wasn’t the worst idea after all.

Inevitably, he began to doze off-- whether it was for a few minutes or an hour is unclear to him, although he’s abruptly awoken by the sound of a bow drawing. It doesn’t even register at first, and he keeps his eyes closed in attempt to get an extra few minutes of sleep. He opens his eyes for a split-second, though, shutting them tight as soon as he sees the point-blank arrow aimed at his head.

“Wake up, little elf,” a harsh voice says, and suddenly Kei feels the weight of a boot on his chest. He eventually complies, though, opening one of his eyes slowly.

The man wielding the bow was both tall and intimidating, and definitely a night elf, Kei concluded. He had the distinct markings over his eyes, and his ears pointed much farther back than those of a blood elf. Loose, wavy green hair draped over his face and shoulders in a way he thought was quite handsome, though he would never admit it.

“Are you alone?” The voice spoke again, although it seemed much gentler, perhaps thanks to the fact that Kei definitely resembled one of the scared little deer he’d seen earlier.

“...Y-Yes,” he replied, his voice coming out soft like a whisper. “I-I mean no harm. I-I’m just a scholar, I s-swear.”

The man raises an eyebrow, kneeling to get a better look at Kei. It was slightly uncomfortable-- likely due to the bow that was still pointed at him-- and he found himself forcing a nervous smile. The other elf did not seem too amused by it.

“I don’t trust mages,” he mutters, and Kei squirmed back a little on the tree. He knew that he carried an obvious aura of magic, although the chance of it getting him into trouble had completely slipped his mind.

“I-I’m-- I’m exhausted, please,” he says, turning his head away. The larger elf seemed a little amused by his begging, judging by the smirk on his face, and it made Kei feel even more ashamed.

“So you’re alone, exhausted, and in the middle of a war-zone-- if you’re not lying, of course. What is your story?”

The question initially startled Kei, although he suddenly felt the slightest bit comforted by his company. Is this night elf trustworthy? If he really was a threat, then why hasn’t he killed me already?

“I-I…” he begins, stuttering. “M-My… escort got hurt. I only had enough magic to send him back to Dalaran, without me.”

The other elf nods, still with an unsettling smirk on his face. To Kei’s relief, though, he places the arrow back in his quiver.

“How selfless of you. Were you planning to die out here? I can’t imagine a helpless little mage like you making it through the night.”

Kei paused for a while, because he knew he was right-- or, at least to an extent. He wanted to argue that he wasn’t helpless, but he couldn’t quite muster the energy.

“...I-- I don’t want to discuss this. I-I just want to get to Aszuna,” he confesses, coming off a little desperate.

“Aszuna,” the other elf muses. “You know, that place is cursed. You’re really making a death wish by heading there.”

“Why do you care?” Kei asks, sounding more innocent than demanding-- really, he just wanted to know. The night elf let out a soft little laugh in response.

“It’d be… irresponsible of me to leave such a helpless boy for dead. Are you sure it’s Aszuna you’re headed, or would you like an escort back to Dalaran?”

Many thoughts ran through Kei’s mind, at that point, most of which deciding whether or not he wished to return to Dalaran. The thought of whether or not he should even trust the night elf also lingered, but he was in no position to deny help.

“...Aszuna, please,” he mumbles, not quite meeting the night elf’s eyes.

“Ah, really? That easy?” The night elf laughs, ruffling Kei’s hair before getting to his feet. “You really don’t belong out here, little elf. Kal and I are headed to Val’sharah, though, and Aszuna just happens to be on the way.”

Kei, feeling antagonized by the hair-ruffling, wilts his ears before getting up onto his own feet, leaning heavily on the tree. Who was Kal?

He’d realized he forgot about the Leopard as soon as he began to hear the harsh sound of claw-against-bark next to his ear, almost jumping in terror. The look on the cat’s face when it sees the night elf, however, immediately answers his question.

“...U-Umm. Kal,” he says wearily. “R-Right.”