Hearts and Bones

Hopefully the transition between POV isn't too jarring here, I can tweak it later on.



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The Grimtotem underestimated me at first, but now they are no longer taking chances. When I first engaged them, they decided to toy with me. Little Blood Elf, what can he do?



Now several of them lie dead or dying at my feet. So I showed them what I could do.



Of course now they are surrounding me, trying to get me down fast. I block blow after blow with my shield, parry with my sword and keep my footing despite the blows from behind. I move quickly so that they can't get around me, but I'm running out of room, and energy.



I tap the Holy Light within me and it fills me up, then bursting outward. One of the Tauren to my side goes down, groaning in pain. Others back off quickly and I take my chance to get away. I realize instantly that I've made a mistake in turning around. The swamp is is too dense for me to run effectively in my armor, and Tabitha's hut is farther than I thought.



I know it only takes a minor mistake, and I've made it. A ringing shot hits me in the head, grazing my helmet and rattling my brains. I stumble forward and am greeted with another blow to my midsection. Again the armor absorbs it, but not enough, and I am down on my knees. I try to summon the Light again, but something heavy like a warhammer cracks at my back and I fall onto my hands. The blows keep on coming, and I am sure that its all over now. Unless a miracle happens.







I can't decide, save him, or let the Grimtotem pummel him to death.



He's Horde, which I knew before coming out here, Tabitha had said that someone from the Horde was also looking into the fire and had gone out to deal with the Grimtotem she was sure had caused it. She didn't mention that he was a blood elf, or even a Blood Knight.



Well probably not yet. He seems to young to be a full Knight, and a full Knight wouldn't have made an absurd bungle like that.



Maybe if I think about it long enough the problem will go away.



I really shouldn't. After all I might need a meat shield to pull this off.



Electricity crackles up my skin and onto my hands, forming a ball between them. I release it and it hits the closest Grimtotem in the back, just as he is about to deliver a blow to the elf's head. The others stop and look up and see me standing there, already preparing another spell.



This one isn't for them though, but they approach me cautiously, leaving the elf behind. Perfect.



I draw upon the earth and focus it toward him, healing his wounds and giving him new strength. The Grimtotem stop and turn as he stands up, fully recovered, and realize they've now been caught between us. My will pushes down again and four totems answer my call, sprouting from the ground. A second later my shield and my mace are in my hands and I am ready to fight.







The first thing I feel is her touch. Not a physical touch, but a magical one, an infusion of life. I have been healed by Shamans before and each one I think has a different scent. Hers is damp earth after a rain, most of the time there is a dry desert smell to it, probably because most of the shamans I've met are from the desert. I feel my blood pumping again, the pain goes away and I'm immediately on my feet.



That's when I see she's a Draenei.



Blood Elves and Draenei don't have a good history. The Sunhawks attacked them when they landed here, slaughtered many of their people. And then there was the business with M'uru. Great.



I swing at the nearest Tauren, taking them by surprise. I clip him on the back, an ugly crack answering my blade as he goes down in pain. The others realize they've been caught between two of us. There is another crack and I see another Tauren go down as the Draenei swings her mace at his leg and then again at his head. There are only two left.



One charges me, enraged. I stand my ground with my shield up and absorb him as he impacts in to me. He falls back and realizes that he ran right into my blade, and with another swing, I crack his neck. The last Tauren is sizzling with fire as the Draenei gives her final blow, getting him right below the jaw.



For a few seconds we both take in our surroundings, making sure there are no more reinforcements coming. I look back towards the village and see that the fires I started have spread, and the Grimtotem are now too busy to care about us now.



“Vell, ze leest you can do iz to thank me.”



I turn back to her and see she's standing with her hands on her hips, looking put out and impatient. She's tall, taller than I am by half a head. Her skin is a very blueish gray, with her hair being just a shade darker and loose just past her shoulders. Her horns curl around the top of her head, looking more like hair pieces and match the tone of her skin.



It takes me a second to recover, and then I give her my best smile and nod in appreciation, thanking her as graciously as I know how.



She snorts.



Typical.







The job is already done, I notice with disappointment. That means I saved the elf for nothing. Oh sure it was the right thing to do and all that, but I don't like the Blood Elves. I don't care if they had nothing to do with the Sunhawks, or if their precious Prince betrayed them. I especially don't like the so called Paladins, and don't particularly care that A'dal forgave them and accepted them into the Shattered Sun. What they did was wrong. Pure and simple.



I turn and make my way back to the hut, where Tabetha is waiting for us, then its back to Theramore with news about who burnt the inn. No war with the Horde this week it seems. Believe me I don't want a war, so this is good news, I just don't like them being so near.



The elf follows me and it makes me uncomfortable, so I shift into ghost wolf form and run on ahead, hoping to be in and out before he gets there.



Tabetha looks up as I enter and shift back into my regular form, clearly confused by my lack of mud and blood from what had to have been a vicious battle.



“Ze elf you sent, ee was on is way back, he set ze tents on fire,” I tell her matter of factly.



She looks pleased and goes through a chest to bring out a money pouch. I want to take it, I'm no idiot, but it doesn't feel right. After all I didn't accomplish what she asked, so I shake my head and start to make my way out.



And run almost into the elf as he's coming in.



He's taken his helmet off, and revealed a head of long, dark read hair, tied behind his head. He seems small, but I can tell that he's built solidly, he'd have to be to be able to stand with several Tauren beating on him. His face, while having the delicate features of an elf, looks hardened, as if by time and experience, and his green eyes glow with a certain focus which is rather unnerving when they're focused on me.



Which they are right now.



“Bronal ,” Tabetha chirps behind me, “Dotai here tells me that you did what I asked without any help from her.”



I feel a little uncomfortable and really just want to leave. Alright very uncomfortable, I showed up late for a job, didn't help and then was rude to him. It is a tad embarrassing to be called on one's behavior, especially before and employer.



Bronal raises an eyebrow and answers, “She's being modest, she saved my life while I was getting away. If she hadn't arrived, I would not have made it back.”



“It waz nothing really,” I say quickly, “If I had been zere earlier zere would hav been no need to heal you.”



Tabetha stands behind me and presses a few silver into my hand, “Well then, you deserve at least some reward,” she says it with the utmost sincerity. I nod to her, and to him, and make my way out of the hut. Before anyone else can say anything I summon my horse and ride back towards town.