#nivaya

a belated draecember day 3: dancing

As the two new parents prepared to leave her home, Iva frowned.

“Are you certain you do not wish to have an escort back to Auchindoun?” she asked, reaching forward to tuck in a loose corner of the newborn’s blanket.  “My daughters are not far, and I can call upon them to do so.”

The baby’s mother, clad in reinforced leather armor rather than the usual plate armor more commonly donned by those of her vocation, smiled.  “We will be fine, but your offer is appreciated.”

“I sensed great discomfort in the younger one, besides,” added the father.  “I would not want her to be troubled by accompanying us.”

Iva pursed her lips, then smiled politely.  “I apologize for Freiha’s... prejudice.”

He shook his head.  “We are accustomed to such things.”

“People often fear what they don’t understand,” the mother added.

“Blessedly, I have lived too long to do so myself,” Iva said.  “And a good thing, too, else I would not have been granted the opportunity to aid this little one into the world.”  She smiled again, this time with fondness as she stroked the baby’s cheek with her finger.  Realization dawned upon her, and she looked between the parents.  “Oh!  Have you decided on a name for him?”

The mother and father looked at each other and smiled, then nodded.

“Rurik,” the latter announced.  “The name of my departed mentor.  A great spiritualist and dear friend to us both.”

“Without him, the two of us would have been lost,” the mother said, a mix of fondness and sorrow in her voice.  “Many of us were left orphans when our parents perished on a lost world we were later forced to flee.  He took most of us in and cared for us.  Several went on to join the Auchenai order alongside him, including us.”

“He met his end on the world before this one,” the father explained.  “I believe he would have loved the grand temple we built here.  Now that he is with the Light, and we are all born with a part of it within us, then perhaps someday he may even stride their great halls through the one who bears his name.”  He looked to his son, fast asleep and nestled safely in the arms of his mother.

Iva adjusted the cloak around the younger woman’s shoulders.  Being a mother of three herself, such gestures came naturally to her.  Again, she smiled.  “You should be on your way if you wish to be within Talador by nightfall.”

Kasmia had told her of a handful of nighttime ogre raids throughout Nagrand in the past four days, which she had in turn reported to the new parents, knowing they had traveled alone.  Because of that, she wished they would allow an escort.  But the mother was a hardy vindicator who had surely weathered many battles despite being barely older than Iva’s youngest daughter.  She had expressed a strong will and unwavering confidence in her ability to fight, despite being pregnant upon her arrival — and even now, with her newborn son along for the journey.

He was the one Iva was most concerned for, however.  Strong as a mother may be, and no matter how willing to sacrifice her own life to protect that of her child, it was still particularly dangerous for a young one, especially an infant.  They could be crushed in the heat of battle, killed before the eyes of the parents to torment them — or any other countless, terrible fates.

Thinking about this caused Iva to frown, and impulsively, she hurried to the two parents, who had turned to leave for good.  But she stopped herself from saying what she wanted to, sensing they would decline again.

Instead, she offered them a farewell.  “Light guide your path and keep you safe, Isuni and Toralun of Auchindoun.”

“Thank you,” the father said with a smile.  “Be well, Iva of Telaar.”

As Iva watched them approach the stables where their mounts had been kept for the past week and a half, she couldn’t help but feel annoyed with herself for not demanding they take escort; after all, for every bit maternal and gentle she was, Iva was also seen as imposing and almost regal, never backing down from anybody.  Her word, more often than not, was absolute.

But she had met her match in the will of this new mother.

And yet, she just could not shake the bad feeling she had about their journey.

She turned back toward her home, pulling a crystalline amulet from the front of her dress.  It hung on a braided silver chain and looked much heavier than it truly was.

It served as a communication device, fashioned by her eldest daughter’s husband, and enchanted by her own impressive magical skill.  Despite having mostly given up her arcanist ways to avoid detection by the Burning Legion, she still utilized her powers here and there for small yet important things.

Her youngest daughter, Freiha, carried a similar amulet, gifted to her not long ago by her mother.  The amulets allowed them to contact each other as needed, although the amulets’ range was restricted to Nagrand.  Only Kasmia traveled beyond the land’s borders, being part of the Rangari order, and she was more than capable of handling herself.  Freiha, however, remained in Nagrand, save for the occasions she accompanied her father to Shattrath; in Telaar, she served as a hunter and occasional guard.  She was far less experienced than her sister, and Iva constantly worried for her safety, despite the fact that she was a grown woman a little over two millennia in age.

Sometimes Iva thought she worried too much, but now, she was thankful for such vigilance.

“Freiha,” she said into the crystal.  “Freiha, can you hear me?”

There was a pause, then, Freiha answered, “Yes.  Is there something wrong?”

“No, not particularly.  I would like to make a request.”

Freiha paused again, and Iva heard muttering on the other end, which she quickly recognized as the voice of her second-born, Kasmia.

“Kasmia wants to know what it is, so that we may oblige.”

“The couple who recently welcomed their son into the world has headed back to their home.”

A brief, soft shuffling sound was heard, and the next voice Iva heard was Kasmia’s.  “You said ‘has.’  So they declined an escort?”

“I am afraid so.”

“Then what’s the request?”  Kasmia’s tone carried not annoyance, but genuine curiosity.

“I was wondering if it was possible for the two of you to follow them and ensure they make it.”

“You sound very troubled,” Freiha said, though she sounded somewhat distant.

“I am.  With what Kasmia reported a few days ago, and the fact that they chose to travel alone, particularly with a new baby... I feel tremendously anxious.  I hope to prevent tragedy from befalling them, even if it is broad daylight.”

“We’ll do it,” said Kasmia with no trace of hesitation.  “We were on our way home from patrolling, and the road to Talador is only about two hours from where we are now.  Unfortunately, even if they’ve already left, we’ll still be about three, maybe four hours behind them, depending on how fast they’re traveling.”

Iva sighed.  “I suppose it cannot be helped.  It is better than having no hope of protection at all.”

“We’ll do our best,” Kasmia said, her tone much softer than usual.  There was another quiet shuffling sound as the crystal amulet was handed back to Freiha.

“Listen to your sister,” Iva told her youngest.  She knew Freiha likely did not agree with Kasmia’s agreement to undertake this small mission, due to the former’s dislike of the Auchenai.

“Yes, Mother,” came Freiha’s reply, spoken in an almost formal manner.

“Light be with you, my children.”

Both girls bid her farewell, with Kasmia’s shouted.

With that done, Iva dropped into her plush cushioned chair.  Sergius was occupied with the ongoing construction of a new irrigation system, and she would not expect to see him until evening.  After she allowed herself a few moments of rest, she would get up and visit a neighbor, or at least go for a walk.

Anything to try and soothe the nagging feeling of unease that seemed to have taken hold of her.

• • •

Isuni and Toralun were grateful to have such a clear, sunny day on which to travel.

Having spent nearly two weeks in Telaar, they were looking forward to returning home to Auchindoun.  Telaar was a pleasant town, certainly, but neither of them were accustomed to such rustic surroundings.  For the past few years, they had resided within the great halls of Auchindoun, which was still relatively new amid the red-orange forests of Talador.  Even on worlds prior, they had rarely stepped beyond this temple or that.

Those were always the first things built whenever the draenei had had the opportunity — temples.  Settlements would rise up around the same time, or soon thereafter, but temples were ever the priority.  Even on worlds they only remained upon for as little as a quarter of a century, at least one temple had been built.

With nowhere left to go after Draenor due to the crash of the Genedar and the debilitation of the naaru pilot within, the draenei had built two large temples.  The Auchenai had never had so big a temple as the one constructed on Draenor; it was on par with Karabor in Shadowmoon Valley.  Due to the lingering attitude of the general draenei population toward their people — very similar, in fact, to that of Iva’s youngest daughter — the Auchenai could hardly chalk it up to the the possibility that they had all seen the importance of the order’s work and purpose.  It was merely done for necessity; since Draenor looked to be their permanent home, they needed to prepare accordingly.

Draenei were long-lived, of course, but they were not immune to disease, nor were they invincible in the face of wildlife and other terrible accidents.  Several had perished in the crash alone, but no less than five times that number had died in the subsequent settling of the planet.

And most of them had been sent to Auchindoun.

But it wasn’t a macabre, gloomy place like many seemed to think it was.  In fact, its priests celebrated life just as much as they embraced the grim finality of death.  The latter was a part of the former, and without it, the former would not be as thoroughly enjoyed.  Living a long life was a goal for all draenei, but none lived forever.

“We will need to have Rurik properly blessed when we return home,” Isuni said, looking over to her husband.  “Do you think Maladaar himself will do it?”

Toralun chuckled.  “Perhaps.  The Auchenai see fewer children than any of the rest of our people, so I would say this would be a special enough occasion to warrant his presence.”

Looking back to their son, Isuni smiled.  “I regret not having been able to give birth to him within the temple.  He had to be born so far from home...”  Again, she looked to Toralun.  “But I understand why.”

Her husband took on a solemn expression.  “I was not willing to risk that spirit’s threat coming true.”

The couple had experienced firsthand a few months ago that not all departed spirits will pass gently into the afterlife.  Some resist, but rarely are they particularly nasty.

But that of a man named Thalkaar had been.

He had been a criminal in life — not tremendously common among draenei, but still not unheard of — though such transgressions were things the Auchenai paid little heed to.  One facet of the order was to ensure restless spirits did not remain in the realm of the living; whether the Light accepted them or their crimes were so deplorable that the Twisting Nether took them instead was up to fate to decide.

Thalkaar had attacked Toralun and Isuni on their way from Shattrath to Auchindoun, somehow thinking them easy targets for robbery.  As Toralun’s sworn guardian as well as his wife, it was Isuni’s duty to protect him from harm, even above herself.

And protect him she had — right down to Thalkaar’s death.

While Toralun had rushed a short distance toward Shattrath to inform a pair of vindicators of what had transpired and to secure the body for transport to Auchindoun — how convenient that was, at least — Isuni had remained behind.  She had to ensure, first of all, that the criminal was truly dead, and secondly, that no one would come take the body for whatever reason.

What neither of them had expected was that his spirit would manifest so quickly.

His body hadn’t even cooled by that point.  But his vengeance was so great that somehow he had managed to break free from his mortal shell with the sole intention of harassing his killer.  Though he could do no real harm to her due to the wards she had erected around her mind and spirit, that had not stopped him from threatening her.

“I can sense that you’re pregnant,” he had snarled.  “I’ll be waiting for the whelp to be born, then I’ll get him and ruin him.  Turn him bad.  Maybe I’ll possess him, and get him to kill you for killing me!”

Isuni had not been intimidated by his jeers, which she knew were only an attempt to upset her, and had nonchalantly cast a spell to keep his spirit shackled until Toralun returned.

But Toralun had been terrified after hearing her story, and, knowing full well that such a thing could happen, had urged her to travel away from the temple to give birth.  She had assured him that after the ceremony to usher Thalkaar’s spirit from the living world, there would be nothing to worry about, but still Toralun insisted as a precaution.

Good thing he had, because Thalkaar’s spirit had been as slippery as the criminal had been in life, and had escaped them.

WIth the help of a skilled priest named Telvaar, they later located the disgruntled spirit, brought it to Auchindoun, and banished it for good.  Even if any part of it lingered, it would not be able to leave the confines of the temple; there were special wards to prevent that.

Toralun had remained leery, and after his relentless pleading, Isuni had finally agreed to do as he suggested.

And so, in the safety of Telaar, Rurik had been born, and Toralun had not detected any spiritual anomalies.

Instead, Toralun thought he had detected a trace of spiritual prowess within his newborn son.  It would take a special ritual to know for certain, but if his suspicions were correct, little Rurik would be a natural-born spiritualist.  Such a gift was rare; the majority of Auchenai had to imbibe an elixir to induce spirit sight, and undergo a ceremony to open them up to the spirit realm.  Very few could see spirits or communicate with them naturally.  The only one he had personally known had been none other than his son’s namesake.  There were surely others, but they were encouraged to keep quiet about it, so as to remain humble and not appear boastful.

As if on cue, Isuni spoke up on the topic.  “Perhaps we can have him divined to see if he possesses the innate spiritual ability you thought you felt.”

“Not this early in his life,” Toralun replied, shaking his head.  “Nor for some time after.  I do not want him growing up feeling like something is expected of him.”

“A wise decision, my love.  Let the child be a child, hm?”

Toralun chuckled.  “Of course.  But we will encourage him to come to us if he discovers any—”

Isuni suddenly cut him off with a sharp turn of her head and a motion for him to silence himself.  She slowed her talbuk, and he slowed his own alongside her, turning his head as if to question her.

“I heard voices in the distance,” she said quietly.  “Could be orcs.”

“They do not tend to attack us.”  Truthfully, orcs seemed to be wary of their mysterious neighbors.  The draenei typically behaved in a manner that clearly expressed their lack of malicious intent, but the orcs still never seemed quite sure what to make of them.  To the brown-skinned residents of this world, the blue-skinned newcomers were strange, even if they weren’t aggressive.

“No, but that does not mean there are not some who will.”  She passed Rurik to Toralun and looked around.  Though she was not in her heavy armor, she still carried her shield and mace.  There had been times when she’d been forced to fight in robes and had still managed to hold her own; thick leather was a considerable step up.

The talbuks kept along, urged back to their previous steady pace, but Isuni remained vigilant, frequently surveying their surroundings with keen hearing and even sharper sight.  She was certainly no Rangari, but perhaps if her path had not led her to the Auchenai, she could have been.

“They are getting closer,” she said lowly.  “They may be following us, but I do not see anything.”

In the distance lay the lush, red and orange forests of Talador.  All they had left was another hour, if Isuni’s quick calculations were correct.

Perhaps if they spurred the talbuks into a run... but then Rurik would most assuredly awaken and begin wailing in discomfort as he was jostled about.  That would do little to help them evade detection or pursuit.

Looking around quickly, she spotted four trees surrounded by several large bushes close by.

“Pull off toward those,” she told Toralun, pointing at them.

“The talbuks are not going to be hidden, even in those bushes.”

“I know.  Regrettably, I must send them off to their fates.  We will remain hidden here until the danger passes.”

Toralun opened his mouth to speak, but stopped himself.  He didn’t like the notion of having his wife walk the rest of the way to Auchindoun after having recently given birth, but he knew better than to contest her on the matter.  “You are the guardian,” he said, a hint of humor in his voice.

The pair dismounted and gathered part of their things, then Isuni smacked the talbuks on their hindquarters to send them off.  Afterward, the two draenei ducked down into the bushes.  Rurik remained silent, though he stirred in his mother’s arms.  Since his birth, he had not cried often, except when hungry.  Isuni had asked if he could be ill, but Iva had assured her that he wasn’t, that some babies were just naturally quiet but were otherwise healthy.

Several moments later, the voices grew louder, and finally the two saw what they belonged to.

Ogres.

“So much for their activities being restricted to nighttime,” Isuni muttered.  “The sun still has another hour or so before it sets.”

Toralun frowned, then watched as two ogres ran ahead to catch the released talbuks, who had apparently not gone far.  They had, unfortunately, been trained too well, and seemed to think their riders were merely taking a break — one the talbuks themselves were all too happy to take as well.

The two draenei looked on in horror as both talbuks were slain, their necks broken by the massive ogres.  Laughter erupted from the group.  Isuni counted five, but for all she knew, there were others close by.

A few minutes passed, and then the ogres turned to head back to wherever they had come.

But one stopped short and began sniffing the air.

Not too much longer after that, it began heading toward the very bushes Isuni and Toralun had chosen as their hiding place.

Isuni cursed, then gently placed Rurik on the ground between two of the large tree roots, covering him with her auxiliary buckler, which was much smaller than her ornate metal shield.

“I know you hate using mind control,” she said to her husband as she quickly cast blessings upon them, “but this is a case in which I think we will benefit from it.”  With that, she charged out of the bushes, ramming the oncoming ogre hard enough to stun him and little more.  It was her crystal-encrusted mace that did the real damage, cracking the beast’s skull so audibly that it made his companions briefly shrink back.

Toralun sighed, knowing she was right.  He emerged from the bushes soon after her, then closed his eyes, reaching out with his mind to that of one of the other ogres.  It wasn’t hard for him to overtake the much simpler brain, and he commanded the hulking monstrosity to first beat one of its companions to death, and then to smash its own head in.

Two ogres remained, and while Isuni and Toralun had had the element of surprise to their advantage at first, the surviving ogres had become enraged upon seeing their comrades fall.  Toralun was rather drained from his mind control venture as well; though it had been easy, he was severely out of practice and lacked endurance.

Isuni fought fiercely against the creatures that were a great deal larger than she.  Her muscular physique — on par with some of the female orcs Toralun had seen — made her no less agile than those with leaner constitutions, and her constant whirling and dodging frustrated the ogres to no end.

However, that frustration also meant wilder, stronger swings from the ogres, and one swung so hard it put a large dent in Isuni’s thick shield.  The impact also shook her, and she had to take a moment to recover.

Toralun called forth a shield of Light to protect her, then fortified her with a blessing, but otherwise he could do very little.  He was on the spiritual end of the priest spectrum, the direct opposite of those who could smite their enemies with the Light, and just shy of those situated around the middle who could heal.

One of the ogres managed to gather that the male draenei in the long tunic and pants was as much of a threat as the female with the mace and shield, and charged after him.

Not really knowing what to do — after all, Isuni always handled the combat, and with incredible efficiency — Toralun stood frozen for what felt like far too long.  At the last possible second, he cast a shield on himself and dodged the ogre barreling down upon him.

Though Isuni had been briefly distracted by the ogre charging her husband, her reflexes were quick enough to save her from the hard swing her opponent had directed at her.  Agitated that they had dared attack him, and wanting to be finished so she could confront his assailant, she spun and struck upward, the ogre’s jaw cracking under the force of her mace.  It howled in pain and collapsed to the ground, clutching both its jaw and nose.  Isuni chuckled, commending herself on inflicting the second injury.

Then she charged the other ogre.  Four had already been bested rather quickly, and she was still feeling rather spry.  Only a little out of breath, and her arms still felt like they were vibrating from the force dealt to her shield, but she still had plenty of energy.  One ogre would be nothing.

With its attention still on Toralun, the ogre didn’t even hear Isuni approach.  She struck it between the shoulder blades, the only target she could reach at her angle.  It spun quickly, swinging its club in a wide arc.

In that fraction of a second, Isuni immediately cursed herself for not preparing accordingly.  The blow struck her hard in the ribs, and she heard the crack before she felt the pain.  She cried out, and with the pain radiating through her right side now, she found she could no longer hold on to her mace.  It fell to the ground with a thud.

Toralun, although distressed upon seeing his mate take such a massive blow, took advantage of the ogre’s distraction, and cast a healing spell on Isuni.  It was too weak to mend her broken ribs, but it was enough to dull the pain and allow her to grasp her mace once again.

Deftly, Isuni reached down to pick up her mace, having just enough time to roll away from the ogre’s downward swing and deflect it with her shield.  Though her pain was significantly dulled, she still felt it, and grunted as she rose to get back on the offensive.  A fast upward swing of her mace ended in the satisfying crunch of the ogre’s elbow, and the giant creature bellowed and clutched it.

She was prepared to deal the killing blow when a roar behind her caused her to freeze.

“Three more!” Toralun shouted.  He hadn’t even seen them coming.

Isuni simply looked at her mate, silently signaling him to be fully on the defensive.  Shields would be particularly beneficial to counteract the magic she sensed one of these new arrivals wielded.

He did as he was asked, casting shield after shield upon Isuni, protecting her from every spell the ogre mage threw at her, as well as buffering some of the physical blows inflicted by the warriors.  But it was a battle of four against one aided by a second, and although they made no attempt to directly remove him from the equation, he was tiring quickly.  Even after he had collapsed to his knees in exhaustion, she was fighting strong, but even she couldn’t hold out forever.  Her swings were getting sluggish, and Toralun’s spell was wearing off; the sharp pain in her ribs was returning in full force.  A chance strike at her legs shattered the bones in both, and while she refused to falter, she sensed her end.

The two shared a mental link, though they rarely utilized it.  However, such was a time when they felt it necessary to do so.

I am sorry, he told her.

You are not at fault, my love, she replied.  You did what you could, and we lasted this long because of it.

You aren’t giving up, are you?

No, I intend to die fighting.  But I do know I am going to die.

And then it will not be long before I do, too.

I have failed my sacred duty.

Don’t say that!  You have been my guardian for hundreds of years, and you have done it very well.

Then... I am grateful that we at least go together.

Indeed.

May the Light watch over our son, then, since we cannot.

No, we will.  We will become the Light, and through it, we will protect and guide him.

Isuni smiled at her husband’s final words, just before her shield was knocked from her hand.  One of the three new ogres brought its mace down upon her head.

After she fell, Toralun was an easy target.  He attempted to fight back, his instinct to survive preventing him from simply accepting his death, but he ultimately failed.

The ogres left them where they lay, but made no waste of their supplies and the slain talbuks.  The ogre mage teleported its comrades, both alive and dead, from the scene.

Several feet away, still hidden in the brush and covered by his mother’s buckler, Rurik lay oblivious to the fate of his parents.

• • •

The sun had set nearly two hours ago, and Kasmia and Freiha were still an hour and some minutes from the Nagrand-Talador border.

Freiha did not like being out at night, particularly with reports of ogres marauding about under the cover of it.  Despite a full, bright moon and starlight illuminating the land, she was uncomfortable.

“Do you see any sign of them?”

Kasmia’s question sliced through her unease.  “Uh... no.”

“You do remember what they looked like, right?”

The vague derision in her sister’s voice was not lost on Freiha.  “Yes...”

“They must have made it through here fine, then.  Not much trouble you can run into this close to the border, and it’s only about an hour away besides.  They ought to be a good distance into Talador by now.”

Freiha found herself torn between being glad they could go back home, and still being anxious about being this far from it at night.  “So what do we do now?  Turn around and go back?”

Kasmia shrugged.  “If you want to gamble with encountering ogres, sure.  Otherwise, we can just head into Talador and stay at that little outpost we usually stop at on the way to Shattrath.”

Of course!  Freiha mentally chided herself; how could she have forgotten?  “And head back home in the morning.”

“That’s the idea.”

They continued on, not saying another word to each other, focused on their surroundings and on the lookout for any potential threats.

Suddenly, Freiha jerked her talbuk to a halt.  Her eyesight was only slightly less sharp than Kasmia’s, but she was certain she had seen it before her sister.

“What is it?”  Kasmia also pulled her talbuk to a stop, then followed Freiha’s gaze.  She squinted at the forms on the ground, trying to make them out.  The moonlight had caused a small cluster of trees to cast a very dark shadow on the area, hampering her ability to determine what they were.

Wordlessly, Freiha guided her mount toward the dark spots on the ground.  Behind her, Kasmia hissed a warning of caution; they could be sleeping orcs, and though the native species had not posed a threat to the draenei yet, she did not want to risk it happening now.

As she drew closer, she gasped.

They were not orcs.

They were draenei.

Dead draenei.

“Kasmia!” she called, belatedly aware her sister would disapprove of such a loud voice.

Her sister was quickly at her side, gazing down at the bodies in mild shock.  She dropped from her mount and approached, Freiha following suit immediately thereafter.

The younger reached into her pouch and pulled out a long, thin, pale crystal, then turned the metal ring at its base.  It began to glow, serving as a decent light source.  She held it out over the bodies, and gasped again, this time jumping back in surprise.  “They’re the—”

Kasmia didn’t need Freiha to finish.  “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.”

“Light’s mercy...” Kasmia muttered, taking Freiha’s crystal gently and kneeling over the bodies for closer inspection.  “Heads bashed in.  This is the work of ogres.  I’m positive.”  She reached out to touch the bare arm of the deceased female.  “Getting cold, but still mostly warm.  This was relatively recent.”

“Then we just missed them.”

“That means they were attacked during daylight.”  Kasmia rose, then kicked the ground hard, her hoof sending a chunk of earth flying.  “Damn it!  Mother should have forced an escort on them!  Why did they think they would be fine without one?”

Freiha reached out to touch her sister on the arm.  “Don’t blame them or Mother.  It was the ogres.  They have grown bolder.”  As she attempted to calm her sister, she looked around the area.  There was no sign of the couple’s child.  She shuddered as she considered the possibility that the ogres had devoured him.

Kasmia exhaled sharply and shook her head to clear her mind.  “You’re right.  And this will be important to pass along to the Rangari.  But still, I—”  She straightened and turned her head in the direction of the trees.

“What is it?” Freiha whispered.  She didn’t hear anything aside from the distant howl of wolves, and the occasional cry of a night bird.  While her hearing was good, she knew it wasn’t as good as Kasmia’s.  Her sister’s senses were significantly keener than her own, due to her Rangari training.  Besides, Freiha was content knowing she had spotted something before her more experienced sibling.

With Freiha’s illumination crystal still in hand, Kasmia strode off toward the cluster of trees and bushes not far from the bodies.  Freiha debated whether or not to follow her or stay with the bodies, but ultimately decided the latter wasn’t going anywhere, and her sister may need her help.  She drew her rifle from its holster across her back, keeping it low but at the ready.

“There it is again,” Kasmia murmured.  Freiha still didn’t hear anything out of the ordinary, but trusted her sister’s perception.

“I think it’s just a bird,” she offered.

Kasmia scoffed.  “That’s no bird.”  As she reached the bushes, the sound got louder — and not because of proximity.  Whatever was within them ceased its soft whimpering and began to wail.  Loudly.

Suddenly, Freiha realized what it was.

The missing child of Toralun and Isuni.

She didn’t need to speak her revelation to Kasmia, who was already pushing aside the branches of the bush to retrieve the crying orphan.  After a few moments, her sister emerged with a tightly wrapped and loudly sobbing baby, along with a small buckler.

“His mother was a vindicator,” Freiha said quietly, taking the buckler in her hands and looking it over.

“And a smart one, at that.”  The vaguely mocking tone in Kasmia’s voice was not lost on Freiha; the Rangari-Vindicator rivalry was older than either of them.  “Hid her baby well, then tried her best to fight off the attackers.”  She let out a sigh.  “Either he didn’t make any noise, or they saw him and left him to die to the elements.  I’m surprised no animals got to him.”

Freiha nodded, then fell silent for a long moment as her sister tried her best to soothe the bawling infant.  “Well, what do we do now?  We can’t just leave their bodies here.”

“No...”  She handed the child to Freiha, who seemed perplexed as to how to handle him.  Kasmia was practically a natural, but Freiha supposed that was due to having dealt with her when she was a baby.

“What—”

“First of all, support his head,” Kasmia instructed, pulling her sister’s hand into the correct position.  “Secondly, I need you to ride down to that outpost just beyond the border.  Stop there for the night, get some rest, and get him fed and cleaned up.  It’s too dangerous to try and ride back home now.”

Freiha looked at her sister incredulously.  “You’re going to stay here?  Alone?”

“Only for a little while.  I’ve got some Rangari colleagues about two hours northwest.  I can summon them and have them here in half that time.  I’ll have them guard the bodies while I head to Auchindoun.”

Nodding, Freiha handed the baby to Kasmia so she could climb atop her talbuk.  Once settled, she took back the infant, and, at Kasmia’s suggestion, placed him inside a large, empty pack, which she left open and secured over her shoulder.  The pack rested across her belly, and she held it with her left arm to prevent too much shaking as a result of her mount’s movement.  Besides, that’s where his head was, and Kasmia’s voice in her mind kept repeating to support it.

“Be safe,” Freiha told her sister, still not liking the idea that she was going to be here by herself, even for a short time.

“I’ll be fine.”

Freiha hesitated for a moment, then lifted the communication amulet from her neck and handed it down to Kasmia.  “It only works in Nagrand, so it won’t be much use for me soon.  You should probably get in touch with Mother.  I am sure she will want to know about this.”

Kasmia frowned, she and Freiha now both realizing their mother’s concerns had been valid, and she would certainly be distraught.  “Sure,” was all the elder sister could manage.

Silently, Freiha pulled her talbuk’s reins to urge him ahead, setting his pace at a steady run.  If all went well, she would make it to the outpost in a little over half an hour.

• • •

At dawn, Freiha set out for home.

Kasmia had passed the outpost sometime during the night on her way to Auchindoun and had returned Freiha’s amulet.  As usual, the elder sister had been thinking much further ahead than the younger; Freiha had not considered how useless it would become to Kasmia upon reaching Talador, and Freiha would have been without it upon returning to Nagrand.

The infant had been fed and changed, courtesy of a man at the outpost who had raised two sons of his own.  He had looked at her strangely when she had been awkwardly attempting to care for the child herself.

“Are you not his mother?” he had asked.

“No,” she had replied, aware of how odd the answer was, but uncertain how to elaborate.  She had decided there was nothing better than the truth. “His parents were recently killed by ogres.  I have been charged with his care.”

The man had frowned.  “Unfortunate.  Light bless their souls.  Well, here, let me see if I can teach you a thing or two about handling babies.  Might come in handy someday.”

She had indeed learned something from the stranger, but she wasn’t so certain it would be information to store away for “someday.”  Having children of her own had not been something to cross her mind in all her life; it was not an option for her, and she was content with that.  Dealing with the complexities of caring for a newborn for even so short a time had turned her further from the notion, anyway.

The sun had risen over the horizon by the time she approached the scene from the previous night.  The bodies still lay there, but were now covered with blankets.  In the light of day, she could see clearly the blue blood of the victims... along with the red blood of the ogres.  She now found herself wondering where the bodies of the latter had gone; they hadn’t even been present the night before.  In fact, it had seemed as though the draenei couple had simply been ambushed and hadn’t endured too much of a struggle, but the abundance of red blood told a different story.

Three draenei dressed in the green and tan garb associated with the Rangari stood vigil over the bodies.  One of them noticed her gazing at the scene and ran toward her.  Knowing better than to try and ignore him, Freiha remained where she was, waiting for her soon-to-be visitor.

“Kasmia said you would be by here,” he said.  “I was told to inform you that your mother has been told what happened here, and she anticipates your return.”

“Thanks,” Freiha said, a little uncertainly.

The Rangari nodded, then peered up at the bundle Freiha kept close to her body.  “The orphan?”

“Yes.”

“He’s a quiet one.  My baby sister cried at all hours of the day when she was that small.  I suppose that’s what saved him, though, huh?”

“Perhaps.  But given the amount of ogre blood shed at this location, I would say no small part of his survival lay in the hands of his deceased parents, who clearly gave their lives to protect him.”

He smiled, either ignoring the correction, or not noticing it.  “Good eye.”

“Good sense.”

The Rangari paused, nodding once.  “Both are necessary and welcome among the Rangari.  That, along with who your sister is, leaves me surprised as to why you are not part of our order.”

Freiha sighed, irritated by this impromptu attempt to recruit her.  It was not the first time, and she suspected it would not be the last.  “If that is all, I have a journey to continue.  Light be with you.”

“And you,” he said to her back.

• • •

With the knowledge that ogres were now attacking during the day, Freiha was thankful to have made it home safely.

She handed the infant to her mother, who had been waiting anxiously near the entrance of the town.  After hugging Freiha tightly, Iva turned her focus to the baby, who surely needed something to eat after the lengthy journey.

Though she followed her mother around curiously, Freiha knew better than to interfere with what she was doing.  Iva had raised three children of her own and helped deliver several others; she was an expert on a level Freiha knew she herself would never even remotely achieve.

After her mother had settled down to feed the little one some nutritious concoction she’d whipped up, Freiha finally  took the chance to speak.

“What will become of him?”

Iva raised her head to look at her daughter.  “I do not know yet.  His parents mentioned being orphans, so that leaves out grandparents.  I heard them mention no siblings, either.”

“...Do you think the Auchenai will want him?”

“They may.  It would only be right, I suppose, for him to be raised in the home of his parents.”

Freiha clenched her jaw at the thought, and she wasn’t even sure why.  What business of it was hers?  The boy’s fate was not hers to decide.  He was not her child, nor her blood at all, and therefore she had no right to his path.

Even if he was to be raised among and eventually become one of the Auchenai.

“We will find out whenever your sister returns,” Iva added.  “Until then, he will remain here, and I will care for him.”

Freiha’s contemplative expression changed to a smile.  “There is no one better suited for such a task.”

• • •

Kasmia arrived home nearly three days later.

She had personally accompanied the unit of Auchenai who were sent to retrieve the bodies of their fallen brother and sister.  It had been a process that proved slower than expected, for there had been a small ritual performed before the dead were loaded up and taken back to Auchindoun.  There, Kasmia had been told, a longer ceremony would be held to honor the lives of the deceased, as well as to officially inter them.

Unlike her sister, Kasmia was happy to learn something about the order of enigmatic priests.

She had never been prone to prejudice, anyway.  Not even the orcs bothered her, despite their distinct differences from her own culture.  They were more primitive, certainly, but they had their own semblance of civilization, and from what she had observed, they were incredibly spiritual.

The only thing that she found perplexing was their odd worship of the Genedar’s remains.  Of course, that had not concerned her too much; the ship was beyond repair, so what did it matter what they chose to do with it?

Kasmia also carried a message, another reason she had taken so long.  Not only had she ridden with the Auchenai back to Nagrand, but she had also returned to the grand temple with them.  The retrieval contingent had been informed that Isuni had been pregnant upon leaving, and Kasmia had confirmed a son had been born to the couple prior to their deaths.  She had gone on to explain that the infant had been taken back to Telaar by her sister, and was being cared for by their own mother, who had helped to deliver him.

It had been recommended that she share her statement with the leader of the Auchenai so that a decision could be made regarding the boy’s future.

Kasmia had expected them to want him back, so that he could be raised among what qualified as his own people, but the leader — along with a few senior soulpriests — had decided it best for him to be taken in by a true family.  They did not see it fit to essentially force him into a path he may not wish to take; it would be favorable for him to grow up and someday decide for himself.

With the ties she and her family already had to the deceased and their orphaned child, they were the primary choice for placement.  However, of course, there had to be consent.

“I’ll... see what my mother says,” Kasmia had told them, a bit stunned by the verdict.  “I can’t say with certainty that she would be willing to raise a fourth child, but I do feel it is a strong likelihood.”

A letter had been written and sent along with her to give to her mother.

Now, Iva read the letter aloud, holding it in one hand and the baby in the other.

“‘The holy Auchenai order has deemed it so that the child of the two deceased, Soulpriest Toralun and Defender Isuni, be placed in the adoptive care of a family outside of the order.  His destiny is not ours alone to determine; too, it would be beneficial for a child so young to be raised within the nurturing bond of a strong familial unit.  Given your commendable parental experience, the Auchenai inner council has chosen you, Iva and Sergius, as primary candidates for the adoption.  We cannot, however, force this duty upon you — it is your choice only.  Please reply accordingly with your decision.’”

Both Kasmia and Freiha, along with their father, Sergius, stood by and listened to the reading.  While Freiha appeared attentive, and her father thoughtful, Kasmia was visibly excited.

“We should do it!” she said only seconds after her mother finished.  “I’ll raise him myself if I have to, but taking him in is something that should be done.”

Freiha turned to face her.  “You are away from home too often, and your duties are demanding.  I don’t think you are a viable option for raising a child.”

“I’m going to have one of my own someday,” Kasmia stated matter-of-factly.  “Grandmother Seraat managed to raise a child — our very father — and be not only one of the best Rangari in history, but help establish the order itself.  I’m confident I could do just as well.”

Freiha shook her head, but said nothing further.

“Girls,” their father interjected, “this is no time to be arguing.”  He looked to his second eldest daughter.  “I appreciate your enthusiasm, Kasmia, and truthfully... I agree with you.  This is something we should do.  The child needs a home, a family... and all three of my girls are grown, even my littlest.”  Smiling, he stroked Freiha’s hair fondly.  “While I am glad for that, I must admit that I do miss having a little one around.  Your mother and I are now beyond the age where we can have more.”

“That’s what you thought before Freiha was conceived,” Kasmia reminded both parents.  This earned her a mild glare from her younger sister.

Iva finally added her voice to the conversation.  “Yes, but you may recall how risky that was.  The troubles I endured both while pregnant and then giving birth were a very clear indication that three was my limit.  I am grateful to have been blessed with that many.  It is more than most tend to have.  I am content with what I have been given.”

The last statement made Kasmia’s heart sink slightly.  Was her mother saying that she was happy that she had had three children of her own, or that three was enough?  “Does that mean you aren’t going to take him?”

“Quite the contrary,” Iva said, smiling.  “Like your father, I miss caring for a baby.  I am a woman of many skills and achievements, but above all else, I have always been a mother, even before the birth of my first child.”

Sergius bent slightly, his voice lowered specifically for his daughters’ ears.  “She has had an impressive collection of pets in her time,” he said, humor in his tone.

Kasmia smiled at her father, then turned her attention back to her mother, brimming with excitement that she tried very hard to contain.  “So... that means I—”  She glanced to Freiha.  “—we are going to have a little brother?”

Iva nodded.  “I have been prepared to say ‘yes’ ever since Freiha planted the notion in my head that there was some chance, however small, that the Auchenai may look beyond their temple walls for someone to raise the child.”

Freiha smiled, and Kasmia swore she saw a hint of smugness.  But she didn’t care enough to dwell on it — she was finally going to have the little brother she’d always wanted!  Not that she disliked Freiha; indeed, she cared for her younger sister despite the stark differences in their personalities.  She only wished she had been born a boy instead.  After growing up with an older sister, she had hoped to have a brother.

Kasmia stepped over to her mother, delicately pulling back a small portion of the blanket to look at the baby.  “What’s his name, anyway?”

“His parents named him Rurik,” Iva replied, then carefully adjusted the infant before handing him to Kasmia.  “The name will be kept to honor them.  They had named him after an important and dear friend of theirs.”

“She mentioned to me that they had told her he took them in when they were young orphans,” Sergius added.  He sighed and smiled sadly.  “And now it appears the cycle continues...”

“So it does,” Iva murmured.  “In truth, I wish it had not come to this.  I mourn for the parents little Rurik will never know.  They were good people, and I know they were happy to have him, even for so short a time.”

"My Empirical Epitaph (Photographer Remix)" by Nivaya

TOO MANY QUESTIONS FOR ME TO ANSWER IN CHARACTER because that’s too many words for Freiha to say in one go

so…

“Above all else, she loved to tell stories.  Most were old ones from Argus that she had memorized, but there were a few that I know she made up on her own.  My mother was generally a very creative person.  She was always writing, painting, or playing music.

“So... the last time we talked was kind of awkward. How are you Ni?”

"Why must you Lockwoods insist on pestering me?"