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Liquidlight123
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Joined: 27 Aug 2012
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re: Secret Remedy

The silver moonlight glinted off of the druid's tusks as he heaved saddlebags onto the strider. The hawkstrider ruffled her feathers at the load, but did not make a sound. He offered a hand to the priest, and she took it gently; with one swift motion she was atop her mount.

“Dat's all for dis time, but we be gettin' more Dreamfoil at da full moon," he said, placing a hand on the bulging bags.

Lifting her hood off her head, she replied, "Thank you kindly for everything you have done."

The troll tilted his head and stared at her intently, then abruptly pulled his pouch open and started digging through it. He pulled out a leaf, pale shiny green with deep purple veins. He handed it to her and said, "Chew."

Liquidlight picked the leaf up gingerly. It felt heavy for it's size. She regarded it cautiously, then turned her gaze to the herbalist. "What is this?"

"Dat is me gran's secret remedy."

"Remedy for what?"

"Don' be takin' dis wit a mean spirit, but you look like one of dem wretched fiends."

The tips of the Blood Elf's ears went stiff and turned scarlet. A black hunger pinched deep in her stomach. She felt tears sting her eyes as she forced a deep breath into her body. In truth, she could not argue with the druid's assessment. The past few months were beginning to wear on her. Turning away quickly, she stuffed the leaf into her mouth.

The druid placed his hand gently on her back, and knowingly glanced away. The juice from the leaf was thick and viscous, and it slowly filled her mouth with a warm sensation. It almost felt as if she had swallowed a very tiny glitterfly, and her tongue felt tickled and soothed all at once. A quick sweep of her hand wiped her face clean, and she met the gaze of her companion.

"Shorel'aran, friend. May the light protect you."

The troll stretched to his full height, meeting her gaze straight on. He grinned, his tusks protruding, and let out a hearty laugh. His hand fell onto the hawkstrider's rump, and with a jolt the bird was propelled into the night.

The wind whistled in her ears, and the steady bob of her strider began to lull her senses. Or perhaps that leaf was the culprit. A soft smile formed as she felt her shoulders easing. Every muscle, just moments ago, had been coiled, as a serpent ready to attack. But she felt herself unwind, from her fingertips, now gently clasping the reins, to her toes, stretching in her boots. Even her hair seemed to relax, now flowing freely as the night passed by in a blur.

Just as the moon was beginning to nestle into the mountains, her hawkstrider slowed to a cautious trot. An ironbeak owl let out a faint call, and the priest felt as though awakened from a dream. Thought she had been riding all night, her body felt as though she had slept in her own bed. She stretched her arms and looked around, alert. She guided her strider off the path, into the woods. The trees began to crowd them, and she ducked close to it's feathered back. Moving this way and that, silently, they continued through the forest. They came upon a wall of sheer rock, jutting up into the ever-lightening sky. She closed her eyes and cleared her mind, and felt a small tremor to the right. She steered the strider straight into the rock face. A low humming noise sounded as they appeared on the other side.

Three tauren stood at the entry, armed and at the ready. Relieved to see a friendly face, they nonetheless inspected her document before unloading the hawkstrider and leading it to rest. The shortest tauren nodded for her to follow, and they paced wordlessly through a tunnel. The tunnel ceiling was very low, even for a blood elf, but it was a short journey. The tunnel rapidly became brighter until they arrived at it's end, where it opened into a small valley. The vale opened up to the sky, where dawn was effortlessly ushering in the day.

Several small buildings could be found throughout, and the hum of daybreak activities was beginning. Deep red embers were being fed fresh wood, and soon the crackle of fire could be heard. A willowy Cenarion made her way over to the priest and her escort.

"This way, please."

Liquidlight followed, and had to quicken her pace to keep up. At the edge of the valley stood a small dwelling with a large tent attached. Smoke rose lazily from the chimney. The door was ajar, and inside were two large tables, three cots, and numerous cabinets and shelves, stocked with bandages and potions.

"I would offer to let you rest a while," the Cenarion said, "but you appear to be quite revivified."

A thoughtful smile arced across her face as she nodded.

"You are aiding us for two nights, correct?"

"Yes, I fear that is all I can stay this time without being missed."

"Your service will be of great value. If you will follow me, there are more beds under the canopy that will have patients. Our medic is Brudak Spritwalker, and she --"

They were interrupted by a commotion coming from the tunnel entryway. In moments, a group of warriors was being aided to the clinic by the vale's residents. Many were able to walk, resting on the shoulders of the crowd who had met them. Liquidlight counted three who were being carried rapidly towards the tent before a pale brown tauren brushed past her. "With me, " she yelled over her shoulder, and Liquidlight burst into a jog after her.

Brudak's voice carried across the valley as the injured approached. She yelled directions for each patient, and her orders were obeyed with calm and speed. The first of the three severe injuries met with Brudak, and after a glance, she instructed the bearers to bring the warrior into the medic's building. A blink of her large eyes told Liquidlight to stay with this one.

Arriving back at the cottage, the porters placed the patient on one of the cots, and departed instantly. The warrior, an orc, was quite large and muscled. He let out a low weak moan. He bore many small scrapes and cuts, many of which were not fresh, but the largest injuries were to his shoulder and his abdomen. The priest grabbed a wet cloth and cleared away as much blood as she could, but it pulsed from the tears to his flesh. The color was drained from him, and the pulse was slowing. Liquidlight inhaled sharply and pulled at her core, feeling a cool burning stretching out to her fingertips. She cast a greater heal, and the color returned to his face. But his heartbeat was thready, weak. Another heal, the heart responded with an electrified flutter.

She pushed a bandage into his shoulder, forcing the wound to stop gushing. Another moan, this time louder. Concentrating on the pale green flesh beneath the cloth, she built a shield and cast a renewing spell. Focusing now on the abdomen, the priest wrang out her cloth and swiped at the gash again. The slice was not long, but deep, and made with a sharp blade. But something about the wound was amiss. The flesh felt cool, almost cold. The very edges of the skin were ashen, but not from loss of blood. No, this was as undead skin, lacking any lividity, as if it had been made days, not hours, before. An enchanted blade had done this.

Whispering words with focused intent, she cleansed the magic from the wound. A surge of blood flowed from the cut, but the skin returned to green, and with great relief, Liquidlight applied a bandage and began humming her heals. Inspecting the shoulder wound, she found it, too, had begun to putrefy, but a quick whisper revived the flesh. Before she had finished bandaging the warrior, two more of his allies were deposited in the cabin. She made quick work of purifying the corrupted flesh, and the three were soon resting peacefully.

Liquidlight washed speedily, and joined Brudak under the tent. "These warriors were attacked with weapon enhanced by a curse."

Brudak's eyes widened. "I have eight here who are cut, they may also be tainted." Her eyes cast downward. "I am not very skilled at magic."

The blood elf nodded, and turned to the first patient.

After nearly two hours, all of the warriors were convalescing under Brudak's matronly watch. Brushing her hair out of her face, Liquidlight heard her stomach rumble. The sun was swiftly approaching the apex of the sky. She stood, surveying the valley for the tell-tale smoke rise that would mean food. But instead, her eyes fixed upon two figures, an orc woman and a small orc boy. They were cautiously walking a perimeter around the tent, clearly not wanting to disturb anyone. Liquidlight pusher her hunger pangs downward and approached the two.

"How may I aid you, friends?"

"My son," the woman said, clutching the boy gently. "He was injured on our journey here last night. But we can come back another time."

"This is a fine time. Let's have a seat on this bench and have a look, shall we?"

She led the boy to a short wooden bench and crouched down next to him. He gripped his mother's hand fiercely.

"His leg was hurt," his mother offered. The boy hesitantly lifted his leg for the priest to see. A large scrape, mostly superficial, but reddened and swollen with infection. Liquidlight put her hand under his leg gently. An easy ailment to heal, but there was something more. This boy had been living with fear for a long time. His very soul was stretched, taut as a skin on a drum, just waiting to be pounded.

"I'm going to get a bandage for you," she said, standing. A quick trip inside to get the supplies, but on her return, she saw the mother holding her son, a pained look in her eye. The orc woman bit back tears and smiled brightly as she sang to her boy quietly.

"This may hurt a bit," the priest said.

"I am brave, brave like Garrosh," the young orc snarled in as deep a voice as he could muster. The two women exchanged glances, first humored by the boy, then lamenting his idolization.

Liquidlight worked quickly, wrapping the wound and expelling the infection. For good measure, she calmed herself and called up a spirit shell, guarding the boy from harm. He seemed to sit up a little straighter at this.

"Don't tell anyone," she said in a low voice, "but you were much more brave than many of these warriors. They carried on terribly, but you were quite brave."

"I was?" His smile beamed.

The blood elf smiled and let out a lilting laugh. The boy's mother grasped her hand in gratitude, and they set off into the valley,


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