#warcra

The Story of The Traveler, Little Gem of [Lore]

“You two will protect each other, serve each other, die together if that fate is to come.

You will carry her into battle once you have grown, you will fight at her side like your mother has fought at mine for so many years.”

Lorkus bidding his byes to Lo'tuk, the daughter of his own Frostwolf Lak'tuk. Lo'tuk and Manata were already forming a strong connection with one another before Manata lost Loska, and after the death of the latter, the time was eventually right for the unlikely bond between a Frost wolf and Warsong.

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What if Bolvar put on the helmet and realized he was not alone? Wait. Hold my cinnamon coriander tea. What if the Lich Kings weren't Blizzard's cardboard figures, allowed characterization and, Light forbid, emotions?

Largely inspired by "The Minds of Billy Milligan" and identity struggles in general. A study in sleepwalking. Same universe as Redeemed AU.

+song from one of the chapters

It always felt like walking into a dream. A very cold, yet beautiful dream. WInterspring.Trees as tall and old as the forests of Ashenvale, if not older. These trees though, were decorated with blankets of white snow, garlands of winter, shining and glistening in the sun and even more so in the moon. The dots of hot springs throughout the land seemed impossible in a place as cold as the Stormpeaks in Northerend. Yet here these springs were as at home as the trees. The wild life was as beautiful and mysterious as the scenery. Amoung the rolling hills and frozen lakes, were rocks and prides of the famous Winterspring Frostsabers. In the rolling snow covered planes and deep in frost built caverns were the moonkin. Venturing beyond the paths that curve through the land like a river, ruins of a long past civilization dot the landscape.

Alexia stopped on her way, staring up to the mountain and the limbs of a great tree, Hyjal. History ran deep and tall in the land of Kalimdor, especially in the Northen Kalimdor. Alexia took a deep breath and sighed at the mountain then looked at a frozen lake. She pulled her shawl closer and stared at the thick ice holding ruins from falling in. She imagined a teal haired handsome elf dancing in the moonlight on ice skates with a red haired woman in a wedding dress. They skated together, as one, beautiful, happy as if no one else existed in the world but them. She sighed and turned away with a grumble.

“What?” Elu’dela lifted her head and blinked her silver eyes at Alexia.

“Nothing. The contact should be in Everlook. Let’s make haste.”

“I wouldn’t mind a little nap by a spring, if we’ve got the time.”

“We’ll see.” Alex grunted and picked up her pace.

“What’s got you in a bundle.”

“your puns....”

Elu snorted and trotted to keep up, keeping her head down the remainder of the road in silence to Everlook. Alexia made her way quickly to the inn to speak with a goblin about a contact. She was pointed at a young elf in a corner, with white hair as soft as the snow that lay about the ground. She couldn’t make out if it was a man or a woman. She gave a nod to Elu who made her usual post by the door to keep a look out. She soon found company with a young frostsaber cub and te two kept each other occupied while Alexia made her work.

The figure, shrouded in yeti fur leathers from head to toe raised a mug of steaming hot spiced mead to his lips. Yes, Alexia could see now it was a he. Strong masculine facial features. Most of the previous trainers of the winterspring sabers had all been male. She eyed his features, his stances. He was keeping secret, silent, hidden. Curious. Most knew of the frostsaber rock. Perhaps elves from Winterspring all just icicles up their bums. She blinked at why she should have thought such a thing. This place....made her very angry and very sad. She sat down in front of the man with her own mug of hot mead. There was tense quiet for a few sips from each of their mugs before anyone spoke.

“I’m not one to share tables. I’ll take my leave.” The stranger said as he stood.

“Let me accompany you. There are some nice hills to take great prides in.” Alexia repeated, as she’d been instructed to via the contract sheet. The man looked up, peircing silver eyes that melded into his soft albino white skin. This man was as much a yeti as the outfit he wore. Perhaps that is why he wore the oufit. an outcast an albino, living amoungst the Frostsabers. The two made eye contact then the man led Alexia out through the back of the inn, right to the wall. Elu looked over her shoulder as Alexia left. When Elu went to follow Alexia at a distance, the cub followed the wolf.

“Tell me about this yeti? You obviously don’t look like you have much trouble killing them.” Alexia made a motion towards the yeti leathers outfit the elf wore. He flipped his hood off and revealed the full brunt of the whiteness. Silvery fluffy white hair with moon like white skin. Alexia  stood almost enraptured by his beauty. She could be distracted once the job was done. She grinned at the thought. The elf saw her grin and came to the same conclusion. The firey red to his white. The autumn and fires of summer with the youth of spring and the white of winter. Colour rose to his white cheeks.

“It is attacking the pride rock. Taking the young cubs. killing lionesses. and Harassing the pride leader.”

“How do you know its not just another elf or a goblin hunter?” Alexia blinked, staring ahead to the vastly growing large rock formation. small movements of white skittered on the ground. She couldn’t tell if the snow was moving or if it was beasts. her instincts told her it was the frostsabers.

“Because I know humans and other elves. This isn’t like them. Look for yourself...” The elf held out his hand in a wide sweep, inviting Alexia to his place, his home that he shared with the frostsabers as his ancestors before him. ALexia bowed deeply in respect, as very few were welcome to wander amoung the pride rock. It took only a moment for Alexia’s eyes to find their Ranger’s vision. She blinked. 

Then the hunt was on.

As the wolf took over her body, her senses erupted. The wind in her fur was intense and fierce. The snow and ice beneath her padded paws was stinging. The smell of frostsabers, cats, elves and....something else. that wasn’t a yeti. She smelled the yeti on the elf, his armour was made only some time ago. But the blood and fur scraps she found tucked in crevices along the pride rock were not of a yeti. She knelt to the ground, her clawed fingers outlinging a few tracks. humanoid looking at first. but huge. bigger than a yeti. four feet not five. half covered in fur, half not. It was a monsterous beast, judging by the stride. She barked a command at Elu, who burst from behind the elf, startling him. The little frostsaber cub trotted after the wolf. The elf moved to stop the cub but decided it was safe with these two women. 

Alexia followed the tracks, bounding after then, following the smell of blood, warm saber and...something she couldn’t quite figure out. an her. earthy. and only few grew in such harsh climates, but she couldn’t pin in. Until she ran into a patch of Black roses beside a small hut near Starfall Village. Between the hut and the barrow dens was a long forgotten garden of Black Roses. Legendary in Winterspring. rare and usually very powerful. Alexia stopped, her heart  beat against her chest then stopped and she felt an overwhelming need to cry. She shook it off and followed the tracks, looking over her shoulders at the garden and the barrow dens then back to the road ahead, following the tracks of the beast. 

As she came bounding around a corner she met the beast. Her face pummeled into its huge stomach. It looked like a much older version of a yeti. A beast of legend, typically found in the farther north. Or...in Draenor. The only reason such a beast would be here, would be a mage....

“Blackbriar....” Alexia murmured as she peeled herself from the beast, ducking its massive swing. She smelled an overwhelming smell of roses again. Black roses...thats where she recognized it. Not that garden. But from him. Briarthorn. Black Briars. She growled then found herself being locked in a magic cage. Dimeretium. She couldn’t break out of it with magic. Elu couldn’t transport her out.

A foul laughter tickled her senses. The rumbling was low, shaking her very bones. and yet it sounded shrill as howling wind and made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. A face as foul as the laughter peered through the bars. Milky pasty white face of a man who saw the sun far too seldom held eyes as withdrawn as the man himself, piercing deep yellow eyes. HE smiled a wicked grin, all his teeth quite in order. He didn’t really look like a villain. just like another of her order. well trained, the more scholarly protective types. Blackbriar leaned away from the cage and raised his hands. He muttered a small spell and winds as howling and fierce as the cry of the lich king circled him, the yeti and the cage that held Alexia. 

He image of the mage, not really there again, faded. Alexia was left feet tucked into ice, hands tucked in blocks of ice. she was pinned. trapped. and freezing. Elu was no where to be seen. The only thing she could see was a giant yeti looking fiend staring at her with a grumbling tummy and large pointy stick. 

“Hey there big guy...”