The Baby

It had been five days since her contact in the lower city finally delivered on his promise to get the potion she needed. It had been five days since she closed the door to her apartment, and drank the potion as soon as she got home. It had been five days since the first cramping had started. It had been five days since she first heard the cries of the small newborn baby girl in the Lower City Clinic. They had wanted to keep her and the baby a few extra days as the baby was early, but after five days the baby and Cyannah were both doing well. They finally allowed her to leave.

She hadn’t named the baby in those five days so she was allowed to take the paperwork home. They told her that she would have to send it to one of the addresses at the top. The Dalaran address had been crossed off, leaving just the Shattrath and Silvermoon addresses to choose from. She had given a fake last name at the clinic, and it, along with the rest of her fake identity, filled in one side of the top. Her first name remained the same. She hoped the baby’s father would recognize it. She left her name the same so that he’d know where the baby was from, and hopefully accept that she was his daughter. Cyannah thought the baby looked like him, so that should help. The rest of her information was falsified so that he wouldn’t be able to find her. On the other side of the top of the paper, she had penned in what she knew of the father; his name and where he lived was all. He’d have to fill in the rest.

She looked at the infant as she tucked the paper in the blankets in the basket she had put the baby girl in. The baby had just fallen asleep, and judging from her experience in the past five days, she guessed she had at least an hour or two before the baby would wake again. She touched one of the baby’s wispy curls lightly. She felt a little guilty about what she was about to do. She wanted children, just not this child. She regretted that day in the library with the baby’s father more than anything else. There was no way for her to keep this child, not now. She had already written home earlier during the day to let her parents know that she would be home soon, very soon, to meet the man they had arranged for her to marry. They weren’t even aware she had been pregnant. She had already spoken with the landlord, apologizing for the very short notice, as her rent would be due in a few days. She had been packing over the past couple of months, leaving out only what she needed. She was ready to go home, and leave this all behind her.

Cyannah got up and went to the bathroom. She had a bit of a trip ahead of her. She caught a glimpse of the mirror. She was looking okay. The weight that had come with the baby had mostly went with the baby, which she was thankful for as she had heard otherwise. Perhaps it was because she was early. Still, she thought she’d be best off wearing loose clothes for the next few weeks, and allowing her parents to believe she had a few too many sweets. She was feeling okay too, mostly. At least the wedding wouldn’t be for a few months. She could play the prude for a month or two.

She went back to her other room, and threw her cloak over her shoulders. She knew how to make a portal to Tranquillien, but she would have to walk to the father’s house. The Ghostlands were usually a bit chilly at this time of the year. She placed a warm blanket over the baby, then draped another blanket over the basket. She opened a portal to the town, and, taking the basket with her, stepped through.

It was more than chilly. It was freezing. She looked up and down the street. It was late in the day, and the sun had just dipped below the horizon, but there were still a few people out. She noticed a couple of new buildings had been added to the town. One of them was a clinic. She walked by it, toting the baby in the basket along with her as she headed south out of town.

The path leading off into the woods was long and winding. It started getting dark as she walked along. There weren’t many inhabited houses out this way. She was beginning to think she had taken the wrong path when she saw a bit of light through the trees. The undergrowth was heavy along this part of the path, and she had trouble keeping the light in sight. Then she spotted it again, through a small path off the main path that cut through the underbrush. She followed the path off the main path to discover a clearing with a house sitting in the middle of it. The house was built on a hill, with a steep incline covered with trees rising up behind it. The light was coming from one of the windows on the second floor of the home. Cyannah took a few steps closer before stopping to pull back the blanket to take one last look at her daughter. The baby slept, snuggled warmly in all the blankets. Cyannah bit her lip, and pulled the blanket back over the basket. She hurried towards the door of the small house.

She hesitated about halfway across the clearing, not because she was having second thoughts, but because she felt something. Her ears tingled. What was it? A ward? It was a weak one, not meant to keep anyone out. A proximity ward. That’s what it was, and that meant at least one of the inhabitants knew someone was outside. She hurried to the door, leaving the basket with the baby inside on the doorstep. She knocked loudly, just in case the ward wasn’t truly functional, and ran off back towards the main path.

She hid amongst the underbrush near a large tree at the edge of the path where she could still see the house. She had no sooner found her hiding spot when the door opened. She recognized the father’s boyfriend, even though she had met him only a couple of times. He looked around as he stooped to pick up the basket. He called out a hello, while he continued to look about the clearing. After a moment, he shrugged, and then carried the basket inside, shutting the door behind him.

Cyannah didn’t realize she had been holding her breath until after he closed the door. She took a deep breath followed by a sigh, and cast her teleport spell to return to Shattrath. It was done. She laid down on her couch, which doubled as her bed for now, and cried.

Cyannah’s Letter

Cyannah stared at her paper. She had written no more than the greeting, ‘Dear Father and Mother,’ but how was the rest supposed to go? She couldn’t tell them the truth. Especially after the letter she had just received. They had been talking with a man who would like to meet her, and they had invited him to a supper over the holidays. She was supposed to be there. She looked down. There was no way she could hide it now. As if on cue, the baby kicked. She couldn’t go home, not like this.

She had already gone to the lower city clinic to see if they could do anything about it. Months ago, on her first visit there, they had given her a vile-tasting potion. She had cramped and bled after ingesting it. She had thought that was it, but a few months later, it became very apparent that it had not worked. Now, they refused to do anything, saying she was too far along. The same potion would just cause the baby to be born early, and while she didn’t want a baby, the healers were adamant about not causing a premature baby to be born. They told her that she would have to wait, and give the baby to the orphanage if she or the father didn’t want it.

She did get the name of the potion and was exploring other avenues of obtaining it. None of them had turned up anything yet.

Of course, there was the problem of getting rid of the baby after it was born, and the time it might take to recover from the birth. Perhaps the father would want the baby, or maybe she could just leave it on his doorstep. It would be fitting. After all, she wasn’t being given any choice in carrying it. Why give him a choice in the matter?

She already knew that he had moved. There was someone else living in the home where he had said he lived. She had talked to them. He was renting it out, and was now living in the Ghostlands. She had gotten the new address from the current occupants as well. She had originally planned to write him to let him know, but she felt there would be a good chance of him denying everything. Had he even told his boyfriend about her? Probably not, and in that case, the baby showing up on the doorstep would be a perfect revenge.

She frowned again at the paper. Telling her parents the truth was out of the question. She picked up her pen and began to write.

I’m afraid I won’t be able to make it to Silvermoon for Winter Veil this year. I am very excited that you’ve found someone who wishes to meet with me, but there’s a ton of work to finish up in the library here before I return home. I hope he’ll consider rescheduling our meeting, possibly in early spring. I’m sorry it might be that long. If I had known ahead of time, I would have told you, but it’s rather sudden. I may not be in Shattrath much either. Some of the books are in other cities here in Outland, and I’ll need to travel frequently.

She paused thoughtfully. It was all made up, of course. She had already quit her job at the library, as she knew people would talk. Now she wore a hat and sunglasses when she went out so that no one would recognize her. She would hide here long enough to have the baby, drop it off in the Ghostlands, then go get married in Silvermoon. The travel was a good cover, as they wouldn’t be able to visit her in Shattrath. She smiled sadly as she closed her letter.

Your Loving Daughter,
Cyannah

Cyannah’s Diary

I’ve finally wrote home.  Mother is right.  I’m not getting any younger.  She and father have been taking turns writing me weekly to remind me.  As if I’ve forgotten!  I’ve agreed to let them arrange something for me.  I keep coming close to finding someone on my own, but nothing has worked out.  First there was that new guy who started working in the library.  Of course, he fell for Tywae over me.  He even cancelled our date to go have drinks just because she asked him somewhere instead.  Then she ditched him a month later, and he still thought he had a chance with me.  Like really? Then there was that blood knight captain.  Luckily, I found out he was married before anything happened.  He was very good at flirting.  Then a few months after that was when I met the fire mage, whose friend was actually his boyfriend.

That last one was a big mistake.  I don’t know why I have to be so desperate.  I didn’t know about the boyfriend.  They didn’t tell me.  Was I supposed to guess?  Of course, then he comes into the library, alone and goes upstairs to one of the rooms up there.  I followed him up, thinking I actually had a chance.  Things happened.  Then he told me about the boyfriend.

I was drinking that tea at the time, even though he was the first man I’ve been with in a few years.  It doesn’t taste bad, and it’s just easy to drink it every morning.  I was in the habit of having it.  I guess my body has gotten used to it or something.  At least I noticed early enough that it had no effect on the things it was supposed to be preventing.  The clinic in the lower city was able to give me some nasty tasting potion to take care of that.  I’m still cramping from it.

I guess that’s why I’ve written home.  I’m tired of looking, and always finding the wrong guy.  Maybe my parents have more experience to draw from that they won’t choose some lying jerk or idiot.  Even if they do, at least I can blame it on them, and if I get pregnant again because I guess the tea doesn’t work for me, well, at least I won’t have to have some nasty potion to get rid of it.

Other than that, things are rather dull and boring as usual.  I’m a fire mage working in a library, I don’t know how exciting that can get.  I did have some strange requests for books over the past month.  There was one guy who kept bugging me for books about Nagrand and stones or something.  I had no clue what he was talking about half the time.  Then there was another guy who kept asking about lizards.  Then he wanted to know if magic lizards could be caught with enchanted traps.  Like I would know?  I’m sure there’s something about enchanted traps in one of the enchantment books I found for him, but then he started asking about what moths eat.

The more I think about it, the more I can’t wait to get back to Silvermoon.

 

Aeramin’s Notes

• I’ve done something I don’t want anyone else to know, so I’ve already made plans to burn this page after I’ve written.  I especially don’t want Imralion to see it, though he’s the first person who should know.  I’m afraid he’d leave me if I told him, so I’ll stick with burning my guilt, and hopefully being able to forget about it.
• Anyway, we’ve been looking for a girlfriend, and I just really messed things up.  Things were going okay at first.  There was one that Imralion was interested in that we met at one of the places near home.  Her name was Cyannah.  I thought she was okay, but we hadn’t told her yet that we’re a couple looking for a girlfriend.  We found out she works in the library a lot, and that’s where I saw her next.  Im was off with the blood knights, and I had chosen a quiet room upstairs in the library to work on my lesson plans.  I’ve been trying to find ways to explain things better to the students who are having difficulty with fire.  I think it’s mostly they’re afraid of doing it wrong.  If you cast a frost spell wrong and get ice all over, it’s not really a horrible thing.  Just messy.  If you cast a fire spell wrong and get fire all over, then there are problems.  They have to know how to conjure fire even if they never plan to conjure fire again after going for their mage testing.  It’s on the test for all specializations.  I remember having great difficulty with my frost portion of the test.  I think they went easy on me.  I can’t guarantee my students will get so lucky.  They need to learn.
• So I was in the room going through some books and taking notes, and she just walks in.  I don’t think she was expecting anyone to be there, but there I was.  She recognized me, and said she could leave if I was busy, but I said it was fine.  She sat at the table with me, but instead of sitting across from me, she sat next to me.  Then she had to switch sides because she sat on my blind side which was a bit weird because I couldn’t see her.  I tried to work, but she asked me what I was doing, so I explained.  Then we started talking about the students.  She thinks I’m right that some of them are just scared of making a mistake.  That’s usually why people are bad with fire.
• She said her father was a fire mage, and that she had learned from him more than anyone else.  So she shared some things her father had taught her, then she started asking about my family.  I lied.  I told her that my father had been a magister who died in the Scourge attacks, and that my mother had died at the same time.  That sounded better than saying my father is a drunk and my mother died from dementia.
• She said she was sorry to hear about my parents.  I guess both of hers are still alive.  I miss my mother sometimes, but I didn’t tell her that because I don’t really want to talk about it with someone I just met.  Luckily, she changed the subject, and asked me about my scar and blindness.  I told her I got too close to a demon in Shadowmoon.  She said people usually don’t want to get close to demons at all.  I said I was observing it.  She asked if I’m a summoner.  Who the hell comes out and asks things like that?  She does obviously.  I denied it, calmly.  I admitted that I was looking for a friend, and made up a somewhat believable story that I wanted to make sure the demons hadn’t taken him.  She seemed to believe me.  She asked if I ever found my friend.  I didn’t, but he did come back.  He’s safe and sound in the Ghostlands now.  I mentioned he’s a ranger and she laughed.  Rangers aren’t found unless they want to be found.
• That’s when she started with the touching.  I had just absently turned the page in the one book I had been reading before she came in, in an attempt to get back to reading and taking notes, when I felt her hand on my knee.  I stopped looking at the book, and looked at her.  That’s when she told me she had been thinking about me since she first met me and couldn’t get me out of her mind.  Very flattering.  I thought if I kept making that impression on her then she wouldn’t be able to help but to fall for me and Im.  The whole time it was happening, I told myself I was doing it for Im.  Well, until I stopped thinking.
• Anyway, she kept up with the flattery.  Her hand went from my knee and slowly slid up my thigh, which kept something else up, and I stopped thinking.  Soon enough we were rolling around on the floor with our robes half off.
• Because I was doing it for Im right?  No, I was doing it because I can’t keep it in my robe when a pretty girl tries to touch it.  I had myself believing Im was the reason though.  She wouldn’t be able to resist being with both of us if knew what half of it was like.  Light, I’m so full of myself sometimes.  I’m an idiot.
• It was after, we were both on the floor still, robes still half undone, when she said she was so happy because she thought there was a chance I was gay and with Im, and I wouldn’t want to be with her.  I was still deluding myself into thinking she’d go for it anyway and told her that he is my boyfriend and that we both want to be with her.
• She got mad.  She slapped me, yelled a few things that weren’t very nice to say.  Maybe they were true in the past, but I don’t do that anymore.  She did up her robes while she continued to yell.  I did up mine because I was afraid of being caught by the people at the library because she was yelling so loud.  Then she stormed out, and that’s when it kind of hit me that I had just messed up big time.
• So here I am, writing about something I swore I’d never do again.  I still remember how it felt before when Zarellina found out about the reason I wanted to go get baked goods all the time. That was a little different because it was an ongoing thing, and I hadn’t slept with him yet.  This was just once, and judging by her reaction, it’s not going to be an ongoing thing.  But Im liked her, so I don’t know what to tell him.  I hope she doesn’t say anything to him.
• I can’t really tell Im because I think he’d really be upset, but I feel like I need to make it up to him. I don’t know how.  Maybe we could switch things up in bed.  I think I’m ready to do that with him.  It’s been awhile since I’ve done that, but I want to with him.  Maybe he won’t want a girlfriend after that either.

Hethurin’s Notes

• We’re in Shattrath this week.  I’ve been spending a lot of time in the library.  Renner has as well.  He wants to look for things about infinite flight magic.  We’re not having much luck.  I don’t know what he hoped to find when he himself claims that the majority of books about dragons are mostly inaccurate.
• If there are books about the infinite flight, I don’t think we’ll find them in Shattrath.
• I’ve also been looking for other books as well.  Things to help me with teaching and stuff like that.  Those are a lot easier to find, but still there’s some that aren’t the right fit for my teaching style or they’re too out-dated, or they might not be right for the students, and things like that.  I’ve been going through them slowly to make sure I get the best ones for both me and my students.
• Anyway, that leaves me in the library most of the day.  They still have lessons in the morning too.  Luckily, Raleth and Aeramin both live in Shattrath so they’re able to make it for their classes.  We use the rooms upstairs in the library for the classes so that we don’t bother anyone trying to read.
• Vaildor is with us this week.  Lani and the Confessor left for their trip after the wedding.  My father stayed with Vaildor for the first couple of nights, but he had to go back to Silvermoon and we were going to Shattrath, so Vaildor is here with us.  He wanted to come anyway, so it works out well.  Terellion doesn’t know how much I appreciate that he’s been taking time to go with him to the Lower City and keep an eye on him.  Lani would kill me if anything happened!
• I did show him the art books in the library the other day.  I think he liked those.  Terellion said he really likes exploring the Lower City, and he wants to see all the shops.  They’re buying things with my money.  I don’t mind really, but I don’t think we should just give him everything he wants.  He should learn he has to work for things, right?  I don’t know.  I didn’t tell Terellion to stop letting him get things.  I guess it’s only for a week so it can’t hurt anything.
• Two of my students have been “sick” since arriving here.  I took them to the healers and found out that they weren’t really sick.  The healers talked to them both a bit and determined it wasn’t anything contagious and that they were both just upset about things.  They wouldn’t tell me what things though so I had to talk to them myself.  Keyalenn is still upset about Linarelle, and now he thinks he wants to talk to her again but he’s too far away and time is passing, but at the same time, he thinks she hates him.  It doesn’t really make much sense.
• Maerista’s upset is much more understandable, at least it is to me.  Her parents want her to marry someone who she doesn’t want to marry.  She likes one of the rangers and is afraid to tell them about him because rich families don’t really like rangers much because they usually don’t have a lot of money.  I understand completely.  I was forced to marry someone when I loved someone else, and I didn’t feel like I could tell them because the person I loved was far from who they expected me to be with.  I told her that she’s in charge.  She doesn’t have to marry anyone if she doesn’t want to.  I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure she doesn’t have to get married unless she wants to, including allowing her to stay at the school for free.
• I know I’m risking her parents saying bad things about the school because of that, but it will be worth it to know that she doesn’t have to go through that.  They may be angry for a while, but I think they’ll get over it in time, just like my father did.  He was really unhappy with me at first, but now I think we’re closer than we were before.
• She said her parents aren’t crazy, so she won’t be dealing with anyone like my mother.  I think she’s still mad at me.
• Anyway, she can stay at the school for as long as she needs.  She’ll be safe there, and free to make her own decisions.  The worst thing that she could do is to get married to make her parents happy.  She needs to do what makes her happy, and everyone else will just have to deal with it.
• Speaking of being happy, I’ve been wondering what it would be like to be Terellion’s husband.  I guess nothing would change really.  Maybe that’s why he doesn’t ask.  I ordered flowers to be sent to the room because I know he’s in and out of the inn all day.  I think he’ll like them.
• Maybe Aeramin would know more about stuff like that, but if Imralion’s around, I guess asking about how to get Terellion to ask me to marry him could get awkward. What if Imralion wants to marry Aeramin!  Maybe I can talk to him in the library after lessons.  That way, I won’t upset anyone else.

Atonement 2

Magister Hethurin Fairsong was skipping lunch again.  He wasn’t hungry, and decided to take advantage of the time to work on atoning for the lies and the secrets he had kept over the years.  The one he had chosen today was one of the bigger ones.  He had teleported to just outside the inn on the Scryer’s Tier, near the small house where he used to live with Aeramin.  He could have waited until Aeramin had come to the school this week to teach his fire classes, but after taking the matter into consideration, he decided he’d rather not have an angry summoner at the school.  He took a deep breath, walked up to the door, and knocked.

Aeramin opened the door, his brow raised, “Hello Hethurin.  I didn’t know you were bringing the students to the library this week.”

Hethurin smiled slightly, trying to hide how nervous he felt, “Hi.  I’m not here with the students.  I came to talk to you.  Can I come in?”

Aeramin hesitated, studying Hethurin’s face before answering, “No.  Imralion isn’t here, and I don’t think he’d like you coming in while he’s gone.  It’s lunch time though, did you want to go grab something to eat somewhere?”

“I’m not hungry, but I do need to talk to you.”

“Well, I am hungry, so I guess you’ll just have to follow me to get something to eat.” Aeramin smiled.

Hethurin sighed, “Fine.”

“We’ll go to the one just in the next building with the terrace.  They have juice made from the berries from Netherstorm.  You might like that even if you’re not hungry.”  Aeramin turned away from the door and went to the table, leaving Hethurin standing just outside.  Hethurin peered inside.  It was much the way he remembered it when he lived there.  Some of the paintings that Aeramin’s mother had made before she died hung on the walls.  Aeramin noticed Hethurin looking in.  “Let me just leave a note for Imralion to let him know where I am, just in case he comes back early.”

Hethurin nodded and turned to look at the other buildings while waiting for Aeramin.  He would have to bring the students back to visit the library soon.  He had a feeling he’d be coming back within the week anyway.  He had to, unfortunately, pay a visit to Vallindra as well.  He would rather not, but he had wronged her in the past.  He did wonder if her wronging him had evened things out, and made it unnecessary to apologize for his wrong-doing.  He couldn’t be sure, but he figured if he did admit to what he did and apologize, then he’d be ahead of her.

“I’m all set.”  Aeramin locked the door and joined Hethurin.  “It’s right here.” Aeramin pointed as he walked towards the building.

Despite having lived next to it for a few months, Hethurin had never gone inside to eat.  He followed Aeramin to one of the tables on the terrace overlooking the city below.  He sat down, thankful that Aeramin had chosen one not too close to the few other tables with people at them.  He decided to order the berry juice after all, and found it was very good.  He wondered if they sold some that he could take home.

“What was it that you wanted to talk to me about?” Aeramin asked before taking a bite of his sandwich.

Hethurin frowned as he looked around to make sure no one was listening.  He lowered his voice, “Remember I told you I’m learning chronomancy?”

“Yes, and if you’ve done anything to get in trouble with it, I don’t think anything I can do can help.”

“I’m not asking for help!” Hethurin exclaimed, then lowered his voice again after a quick glance around at the people at other tables, “But I did do something.”

Aeramin lowered his voice as well and leaned in closer, “What did you do?”

Hethurin hesitated, and looked down at his glass of juice, “It was during the middle of last summer, and I hadn’t met Terellion yet, and I guess I was lonely.  I didn’t even mean to do anything, I just wanted to see you without, you know, being weird.”

Aeramin raised a brow, “So you did something concerning me?”  He paused, then added, “With your chronomancy?  And this was last summer?  I suppose I wouldn’t know about it if you changed something for me, would I?  So, I’ll ask again.  What did you do?  How are things supposed to be?”

“Umm,” Hethurin hesitated.  There wasn’t any easy way to put it.  “Your father is supposed to be dead.”

“Why would you go back and save him?” Aeramin almost laughed, a bemused expression on his face.

“No, that’s not what I did.”

“You just said you did.”

“I did, but I didn’t mean to.”

“Oh, so you didn’t mean to save him.  How was he supposed to die?”

“He was supposed to fight against the Scourge attacking the city.  He was supposed to die then.”

“He couldn’t fight because of his…” Aeramin’s voice trailed off as he remembered the night his father’s leg was injured with arcane magic.  He had just been trying to make some money, but his father had arrived home early that night.  He had been drunk, of course, and had started a fight with Aeramin.  He had never approved of the ways Aeramin had found to make sure they had the gold they needed.  Aeramin’s client that night just happened to be a magister who believed in vigilante justice.  He had cast his spell, and disappeared. Because of the injury his father received that night, he was unsuitable for combat years later when the Scourge attacked the city.  Aeramin twitched an ear, “That was you that night.”

Hethurin nodded.

“You were blond.  I had to give a description to the guards.  I remember you were blond.”

“A disguise so that you wouldn’t recognize me in your future.”

Aeramin sat in silence a few moments, staring at his half-finished sandwich.  Finally he spoke, “He was supposed to die.  Do you realize how much shit I’ve gone through because you… you… what were you even doing there?  Can’t you control yourself?”

“I just went to see you from a distance, then the next thing I knew you were dragging me down an alley and into that place you were living.”

“This is hardly my fault!” Aeramin said loud enough that some of the other restaurant patrons turned and looked at the two.

Hethurin frowned and looked down again.  He replied quietly, “No, it’s not.  I shouldn’t have been there in the first place, and when you tried to get me to go with you, I should have been better at saying no.  I really messed up.  I’m sorry.  I’m also sorry for keeping it from you for so long.  I should have told you last summer after I did it.”

“You shouldn’t have done it.”

“I know.  I’m sorry.”

Aeramin appeared to calm down a little, though he still looked irritated.  His ear twitched as he picked up his sandwich and took another bite.

“Do you forgive me?” Hethurin asked.

“Why don’t you spend a week with my father, and tell me how quickly I should forgive you?”

Hethurin looked up from his juice and replied, “I’ll do that if you want me to, but I need to take care of this thing with my brother first.  Will you still give your lessons at the school?  This isn’t the students’ fault. They shouldn’t be punished.  You’re really good at teaching them fire magic.”

Aeramin sighed, “For them, I’ll be there.  I can’t say how long it’ll be before I’m ready to talk to you again.”

“Thank you.”  Hethurin left his money for his drink on the table and teleported back to the Ghostlands.

Theronil’s Log

I’ve been awful at keeping my log updated recently, but it’s not without reason.  I’ve been quite busy.  After returning home from Kalimdor, there was a lot of work to finish before the baby arrived.

And that’s the biggest news.  I’m a father now.  We have a son named Iannor.  Isandri wanted to name him after me, but I think it’s important that he has his own name.  He may grow up and be nothing like me.  That seems so far off, though I know the time will pass quicker than I realize.  He’s so tiny now, but already, I can tell that he’s grown.  His neck is a bit stronger now and he tries to lift his head when he’s on his belly so that he can look around.  I can already tell he’s intensely curious about the world and the people around him.  He’s so quiet and content to just watch and listen.  I suppose I can only hope he’s as well-behaved in a few years!

He and Isandri mostly stay at home right now.  She’s still recovering, and I try to make my own trips away from home short.  Despite that, I have managed to find a place to set up shop for my enchanting business.  I suppose I could have gone back to being a ranger, but I think I can provide for them better on an enchanter’s income.  Besides, I spent a lot of gold and time learning, so it would make the most sense to use it.  It hasn’t been easy trying to get things set up so I can open the shop because I’m usually home.  I spend about an hour at the shop per day.  I figure I probably don’t want to have to be there all day just yet, anyway, so it’s okay to work on it just a little at a time.  I’d rather be home for a few more weeks.  Iannor won’t be small forever.

I also spend time out at other shops, getting food and other things we need.  I don’t like to be gone long.

Arelanis has taken to guarding the house.  She knows how precious Iannor is, too.  When he’s older, I’m sure she’ll be perfect for teaching him how to ride a dragonhawk.  That’s a few years off too.  It’s easy to make so many plans for the future.  They’re just little things, teaching him how to ride a dragonhawk, teaching him to shoot a bow, going camping with him in the woods– things like that.  I’m sure Isandri is making her own plans too.

Letters Home

Minn’da,

I hope all is well in Silvermoon.  I’ve been unable to send you mail directly as I am still staying in Stormwind, though things have gone back to normal here.  The increased security has lessened now.  I heard they got the orc who caused it all, and that is good.  A lot of people left for that alone, but now that they are back, Stormwind has gone back to how it was before all of this happened.

I hope they have not bothered you too much about my whereabouts.  I know they must still be looking for me, and that I will likely never be able to return home.  I’m getting along just fine here though.  I’ve made some friends who don’t hold my race against me, though I do have to exercise extreme caution while going anywhere.  I pass well enough as a tall human if I wear a hat and tuck my ears in it.  Lately, I’ve been making sure they press against my head by putting a bandana on first, then the hat.  I can wear a cowl that way sometimes too.

My landlady is blind as a bat and has seen me without a hat, bandana or any head covering one day a few months ago when she came to collect the rent.  I was afraid she might still see my eyes, but I didn’t look directly at her.  It seemed to have worked.  She never said anything, and no guards showed up, though I was on the look out for them over the next few days!

I feel safest with my friends.  I do hope that if I’m discovered, they deny ever knowing me.  I wish not to cause them trouble, though, even more, I wish not to be discovered.  I have had some close calls, such as with the landlady.  Children and gnomes are able to see my eyes if I’m not careful.  I’ve learned never to let my guard down.  Even while at home, I’m careful about looking out at the street.  In the winter, there is often frost on the windows, but I keep the curtains drawn all the same.

Hopefully this letter will not take too long to get to you.  One of my friends has agreed to leave the city and send it through some neutral acquaintances.

Again, I hope all is well.

Love,

Alinash

***

Dear Minn’da,

I was so relieved when I got the letter from father saying that you had made it back from Kalimdor okay.  Hopefully, there wasn’t that much work for you to do there, but I do know of a few people who were injured, so I guess you must have had some work.  Did your unit go in the tunnels?  One of Magister Fairsong’s sisters was hurt really bad in the tunnels, and the baker lost his father.  The butler was there, but came back with a bunch of stitches on his head.  One of the Magister’s friends stayed here for a while when he came back after being trampled by dinosaur or a dragon or something.  I guess there were both there!

We’re in Shattrath right now, staying on the Scryer’s Tier.  I’m sure you remember it from your own travels.  I think the most impressive thing is the library.  Was it so impressive when you were here?  I really like the city, but I was kind of hoping we would go to Silvermoon first.  I’ve missed you!  Maybe our next trip will be home.

My studies are going well.  I’ve improved a lot with arcane since coming to the new school.  It is weird not being able to visit home more often.  Maybe when I learn how to teleport.  I’m already learning the basics.

I do hope to see you soon!

Your son,

Keyalenn

Stories

Aranae Lightmist sat at the top of the stairs along one of the paths at the Peak of Serenity.  Her foot still hurt when she walked, but with the help of her staff, she was able to get around okay.  They had tried to convince her to stay, to go home with the rest of the elves.  She was certain Lani had already written home about her by that point.  She was glad no one had come to take her back to Silvermoon before that orc had been found.  She was free to go then, as it was time to take down the healer’s tent.  She had slipped away from the group heading towards the portals back to Silvermoon and was fortunate enough to find a mage who knew how to make a portal to Pandaria.

Lani had done everything she could to keep Aranae there, even telling her that Nessna had been severely injured.  Aranae wasn’t sure how much Lani was exaggerating.  She could make a big deal out of a stubbed toe sometimes.  Aranae decided it would be safer to send a letter home after she returned to the Peak.  Her foot would be healed soon, and she would be able to leave if they came looking for her here.

She smiled a little as she watched the monks training in the area below the steps.  She wasn’t sure where she would go when she could leave, but she did hope to see Tsi Ku again.  Maybe Master Cheng would know where to find her.

***

Theronil Whitemorn woke.  It was still dark, but it was something he had become accustomed to in Kalimdor.  There, it had been most convenient to wake early and take advantage of the cooler morning temperatures.  It was less convenient in Shattrath.

He put his arm around Isandri, who was still asleep, and rested his hand on her belly.  If the baby was awake, he or she wasn’t kicking.  Theronil kissed Isandri’s cheek.  They would soon be parents.  With that would come responsibility.  He wanted to have everything ready, but the one thing he didn’t have yet was work.  He had, before being drafted to support the efforts in Kalimdor, found the perfect shop to set up as his own.  He opted to wait until returning from Kalimdor, and when he did, the shop had already been sold to someone else.  He had to start his search all over again.

For now, he would try to sleep a little longer.  He cuddled close to Isandri and closed his eyes.

***

Keyalenn Goldbrand wrote a few more lines in his notes before making a slight change in the spell and recasting.  The Magister had given him lots to work on lately, though the total amount of work had seemed to lessen in the past week.  Keyalenn hated it all the same, no matter how much there was of it.  He didn’t see the point of casting multiple spell variations, and writing down the results if you already knew what would happen.  The worst part was that the Magister always checked his notes, and took notice if precise descriptions and measurements were not used.

Then there was Des.  He was able to finish earlier over the past week, and had been able to make it to supper in the grand dining hall instead of eating alone in his practice room.  She was almost always there.  Had she been looking at him and flipping her hair on purpose?  She had, so far, managed to ignore any of his advances, or so he thought.  Perhaps he had been wrong.

***

Lanthiriel Lightmist  walked down the stairs of her new home.  Rylad had woke early this morning.  She decided to stay awake after helping Nessna tend to him.  Nessna would need help daily as she recovered from her injuries.  She had already made so much progress since leaving the tent in Kalimdor where she had almost died.  Lani hadn’t told anyone about that, and all her help had been out of the tent at that point, but Nessna had stopped breathing for almost a minute.  She really had almost died.  Lani was relieved to see her doing better each day.

Lani walked into the kitchen, and put a log on the fire in the stove.  The stove in the kitchen served two purposes in this home.  It was used both for cooking and for heat, and she needed it for both right now.  The nights were getting cooler, and breakfast needed to be made.  It was a small house so only the heat of one fire was needed to warm it.  Tik had told her that it was previously the home of the stable master, and that the man had spent more time in the stable than in the house.  He had truly loved the animals that he cared for.

Lani got out the eggs that she had bought the day before.  She wondered briefly if there were chickens here before as she cracked them and started making breakfast.

Letters

Dear Mother,

I hope all is going okay in Kalimdor.  I’m doing okay here in the Ghostlands.  Sometimes I think the magister just doesn’t like anything I do.  You know my tendency to doodle?  Doesn’t everyone do that?  Anyway, he saw my doodles and didn’t like them.

He has a butler who was sent to fight.  He just came home with a nasty injury recently.  I thought before that the sooner you came home the better, but now I don’t think so.  I think if you come home with everyone else, that’ll be the best.  I do hope that is soon though.

I’m doing well in my studies, despite the magister hating me.  He keeps giving me more and more work to do.  I was in my practice room until almost bedtime last night!  Luckily, the workers here often bring food to the practice rooms for us, so I didn’t miss supper.

It’s starting to get cold here at night.  My room is above the big sitting room with the big fireplace though, so I get some heat from that.  I think some of the other rooms have their own fireplaces.  Mine’s too small for that.

We haven’t visited Silvermoon much recently.  Maybe I’ll see if one of the other students will ask the magister.  I have a feeling that if I ask, he’ll just make us wait longer.

Be careful, and come home with everyone else, which I hope is soon!

– Keyalenn

***

[[ This letter arrives from Pandaria to Shattrath along with a small package to the Whitemorn household. ]]

Theronil,

I hope all is well.  I’ve been doing well in Pandaria.  I’ve been working with the local metals and gems here.  I’ve sent along some ear cuffs for Isandri.  I hope she likes them.

The people here are very strange.  They’re big bears and have fur all over, and sharp teeth.  They seem welcoming though, for the most part.  Once in a while you meet a grumpy one who doesn’t like “outsiders”.  I can’t say I blame them much.

Kit and I have been staying in a place called the Jade Forest.  I’m not sure if it’s because trees are green, or there’s a jade mine here.  Maybe neither, or maybe both!  It is nice here though.  Sometimes we make trips to the Vale.  Our last trip came with a shock.  It was a beautiful place, a bit like Eversong, but now it’s been destroyed.  There’s a big blackened hole in the ground where the pools used to be.  I heard multiple sources describe it as that orc’s doing.

I also heard that there is a war on Orgrimmar now.  Do you know anything about that?  I suppose if there is one, you might be there now.  If that’s the case, hello Isandri.  I hope you’ll forward this letter to my brother and that you like your ear cuffs!  And Thero, if you are there, be careful.  This orc is extremely dangerous.  What happened in the Vale is a testament to that.

– Teniron Whitemorn

***

Dear Lanthiriel,

Forgive me for not writing sooner.  Things have been rather hectic here since most healers have gone to Kalimdor.  I have not only taken on your patients, but it seems half of Silvermoon’s patients as well.  Not many healers were left behind.  Isandri’s help has been invaluable these past weeks, but I refuse to let her stay past the time she would have normally left.  On the other hand, I find myself staying in the office later and later.

Not only are we taking care of the patients who were already here, but we need to keep a few emergency spots open each day.  Many of the people being sent home due to injuries still need a healer’s attention.  I’ve heard news from Kalimdor from some of them.  Lately, they’ve been saying that they’re in the city now.  If that’s true, then maybe it won’t be much longer.  I worry about you being there.

Your mother is still staying with her sister, and Esladra is with her.  I had hoped Esladra would want to help out in the office as well after her studies were done for the day, but I’ve heard little from either of them.  Esladra did mention that she only has one class now.  The few instructors who stayed behind are still giving their classes.  Her apprenticeship is on hold for the time being.

Have you heard from your brother recently?  I want to get out to visit him, but I don’t see that happening anytime soon.  I’ve been scheduling some patients for the weekend!

I am doing well, just very busy.  I hope you are doing well too.

– Isturon

***

My Love, Isandri,

I hope all is well at home.  Our camp is usually quiet, though there has been a steady increase in injuries being brought in over the past few days.  The news is, they’ve made it past the gate, but the orc hasn’t been found yet.  My group is still holding its position as a supply camp, so that’s good news.  If they’ve cleared out the front of the city and still want to keep us at the same distance, that’s fine with me!  Our mage, the one who conjures our food, said it would be more difficult for the others if the spot to make the portal to kept changing.  I guess that makes sense a bit.

Is the baby growing well?  I’m so excited to hear it might be a boy.  How sure are they?  I’d love a girl too.

I miss you so much.  I think Arelanis still misses you too.  She’s been a good dragonhawk though, and has saved us from the mage’s poorly conjured food a couple of nights by bringing us boars to cook and eat.  I miss your cookies too.

Is everything okay in Shattrath?  How is everyone else doing?  I hope they’ve been coming to see you and make sure everything’s okay.

I love you.  You’re so beautiful.  I can’t wait to be home to hold you again.

Love,

Thero

***

Confessor Morthorn,

Hi!  I wanted to let you know that Tik is here at home, and is doing well.  He’s taken up doing most of his normal duties, except killing the spiders.  I’m still doing that.  He and Terellion worked out their duties together, and they both decided I should have less cake.

I don’t like that last part, but I’m glad he’s back.  I think he’s very lucky, considering.

My students enjoyed the trip to Shattrath.  The library is always the highlight of the trip there, but I’m trying to figure out a way to safely take them out of the city next time.  With more students now, I’m afraid I might lose one!  One in particular likes to wander off a fair bit, and usually finds trouble when he does.  I can only hope he resists the temptation to do so on any field trips there.  I wouldn’t want him to be dinner for a Netherdrake!

Oh! Tik went to get the recipes from the death knight.  I guess death knights don’t know how to write or something, because he refused to put it on paper.  He did let Tik watch and take notes as he made some though, so now we have the recipes in the house.  I bet they’ll be the best cakes ever.  It’s too bad they won’t let me eat more of them!

I did have the talk with the new hired person, and we are getting to know each other better.  He thought I hated him!  I don’t know where he got that idea.  We’re not being too serious yet, but oh he’s so tempting.  I think it’s better to take it slower though.  He hasn’t done things like that before, so that’s even more reason to take it slow.  That, and I’m nervous about it, for a variety of reasons.  He’s a bit younger than me, and I’m pretty sure I’ll be the first time for him.  I want it to be good for both of us, and I think we should be in love.  I don’t know how to make sure of that though.  I want him to stay here, is that like or love?  Is it when we say it?  I don’t know.  I like him a lot, and I don’t want him to leave, but maybe I don’t know him well enough to love him yet.  I don’t think he feels that for me yet either.  Maybe soon.

We haven’t been very open about our relationship with the others.  Sometimes I feel like I’m a bad secret to him.  I understand that it’s probably not best to tell everyone, but I don’t like having to sneak around about it.  I want to be able to kiss him in the sitting room by the fire there, and not have to worry about who sees us!  I guess if he loves me someday, we’ll tell people.

Anyway, that’s news from here.  Tell Lani her house is almost ready!  I hope everyone is back home soon!

– Magister Hethurin Fairsong