• CHAPTER 1 - Memories


    Riika looked back over her shoulders, back at Teldrassil. She closed her eyes in remembrance of that day; the day her mother died. She still could remember it clearly in her mind like it was yesterday.

    ~

    “Riika?” a young boys voice said, low, “where are you!?” He whispered frantically.

    “Satoshi, is there something wrong?” A young girl with long platinum white hair turned, looking for the voice.

    “Hurry Riika!” The boy grabbed her arm, pulling her away.

    “Satoshi, what is wrong with you?”

    “This place is no longer safe Riika,” for a child’s voice, it was quite stern. She nodded, following him quickly. Together they hid in a thicket, Satoshi covering Riika with his body, since he was garbed well compared to her.

    Not too long after, a high-pitched scream was heard, and then men came into view, marching away from the direction of the house. Riika started to cry, now knowing what was going on. Silently Satoshi held his sister, as they waited for the men to leave. Falling asleep in each other’s arms, they woke up to the smell of burnt wood. Knowing the worst, the made their way silently back to the house.

    “No, no, no, no!” Riika suddenly cried out, as they turned the corner, seeing their old house now in a pile of burnt wood. Satoshi, holding her up, helped her walk to the entrance, his eyes too, like hers, leaking tears.

    “OOKA-SAN!” Riika called out, suddenly dashing out of her brother’s arms, and digging into the rubble.

    “No Riika!” Satoshi pulled her away, but she pulled out of his grip. “She’s dead Riika. Nothing you will do can bring her back.”

    “I won’t believe it!” She said, as she finally got past a bit of wood. Crawling under a beam, she hurried to where the largest room in the house would normally be. She dug in the ashes more, finally hitting something solid. Her eyes widen, before remembering the boxes for safekeeping. Satoshi had followed her, but she paid no mind to him, searching through the remains of the house for the other boxes she knew about. Coming to the last room, she stopped at the threshold, biting her lower lip gently. “Ooka-sans room.” Satoshi put a comforting hand on his shoulder, before they both moved in unison, to the intact bed, with the form of a human’s ashes lying on top.

    “She was so silly, putting a shield around her furniture, but not herself,” Satoshi mumbled, sadly. Riika knelt to the side of the bed, placing a hand on the ashes gently.

    “Ooka-san? Can you hear me? I’m sorry for not trying to help you. I’m a weak child,” Riika said softly, even her brother’s ears not catching her words. “I’ll be strong though, Ooka-san. I’ll grow up to be just like you. I promise.” Her tears escaped, leaving a few wet dots in the ashes, mixing.

    “Riika lets go now. They might check for survivors.” Her brother silently picked up all the boxes, grabbing his sisters hand, walking out. They never noticed the small kitten that followed them They kept to the forest, using their old game trails as pathways to some safety they should still have.

    ~

    She shook her head, before muttering a few darnassian words under her breath, morphing into her travel form. Running through the Terrance, she ran over the bridge. Her gaze turned the other terraces, and she sighed, remembering more.

    ~

    Two children, of what gender, could not be known, stumbled into Darnassus. Their clothes were ragged, and their voices barely auditable.

    Out of the large crowd that was watching them only one of them steps forward;. A huntress. Her soothing voice calls out, “Riika? Satoshi?”

    “Pavoleaf?” The girls voice was so rough, it cracked. The huntress nodded. As if that was a signal, the people started to help the kids, realizing they could not carry all the boxes themselves. With that, the townspeople scurried away bring the stuff to Pavoleaf’s dwelling.

    Pavoleaf took the two children’s hands, and slowly, walked them to her place. When she realized how much of her sisters death had taken a toll on Riika, she scooped up the child, starting to hum under her breath. She looked down at Satoshi, who walked beside her silently, carrying in his hands, a small kitten. He smiled when he saw that she was watching him.

    ‘What a strong boy.’ She thought, as she climbed the stairs to her home. Putting both children to bed, and by Satoshi’s request, putting the kitten beside Riika, she stepped out, sitting at the ledge. She noticed her companion came to sit at her side, purring low, as it’s nose pressed against her cheek. She sighed.

    “Poor children. Poor .” She said, placing an arm around her beast’s neck. “Good thing they came to me.”

    ~

    Riika slightly giggled, remembering the fun times she had with her Aunt, now known as her step-mom.

    ~

    “Ooka-san!” A young girl called out, running towards an adult. The huntress, apparent by her gear and tamed beast at her side, scooped the child up, as she came running.

    “Hey Riika, how was training?” She said, walking into the house, carrying the girl.

    “Boring. I can’t seem to learn anything!” Riika said exasperated, stretching out in a feline way in her aunt- no now stepmother’s arms.

    " You mean, you couldn't get a single good heal?" She asked, looking down on the girl, before grinning and dumping the child on the bed. The child gasped.

    "Eeep! No, I can't get any holy at all! And then, they sent me to the hunters, and I got mangled by a night saber, trying to tame it." Riika sighed as she plopped back on the bed.

    "No... You got nature. You are going to be something. Have you tried the druids?"

    "…Druids?" Riika sat up, peering into the older woman’s eyes.

    "Yes. Like I said, you got some nature in you, or I wouldn't of made you try the hunters. We do use nature to connect to the animals where they connect to the land.”

    "I never thought of that!"

    Pavoleaf giggled, patting the younger girls head affectingly. “Now rest up, and go to them tomorrow. I’m sure that they’ll try you out.

    “OK!” Riika said with enthusiasm.

    ~

    Riika giggled as she jumped amidst a bunch of squirrels. ‘A druid. Never would of believed that with a priest and hunter as parents.’ Running over the bridge connecting the entrance with the great tree, she raced around heading to the back portal. ‘Gotta love them though.’

    Leaping over a few branches, she ran through the portal, shivering as she passed through, racing to the Hippogryph keeper of Ruther’an Village

    ~

    “SATOSHI!!!” Riika yelled at her brother as she jumped off of gates of the city, landing beside her brother. She saw her brothers worried look, and giggled, twirling around, showing that she was okay.

    The boy took the Riika into his grasp, pulling her into a hug. “Hey Rii.”

    “How was hunting?” She asked, smiling as she was placed on the dark blue cat’s back that companioned Satoshi.

    “Took a few birds and spiders. Had some sabers attack me, but Puresa here helped me take them off. “ Riika patted the cats head affectingly. “Oh, by the way Rii, I got some things here for you.”

    Bring to view his bags; he pulled some leather items out, passing them to his sister.

    “Oh pretty!” Riika exclaimed, as she held the gemmed studded leather suit. “You made it for me?”

    “Of course! Had to get you something for your birthing day!”

    “You remembered!” Riika said with delight.

    “Of course, now could I forget my dear sisters birthday?”

    “Well you have been quite busy, training hard and all. I thought you might of forgotten…”

    “Rii, I’d lose my arm if I ever forgot your birthday.”

    Riika grinned. “Well lets hope that doesn’t happen. You need your arm.” She giggled.

    “Your right. Well, go try that on,” Riika went to get off Puresa but Satoshi stopped her, “No, Puresa will take you there faster. I’ll meet you at the house.” Satoshi helped her back on the cat, keeping her steady as she regained her balance before saying something in Darnassian to Puresa.

    ~

    Arriving at hippogrpyh keeper, she morphed back into her regular appearance taking a ride to Auberdine. Passing by others, she remembered the gemmed suit. She was still quite small back then, so Satoshi had fixed it, so for the time until she grew, she wore the suit, a prefect fit. But his skill in leatherworking would soon come to an end.

    ~

    “As the matter continues, we need more!” Said one male.

    “Not possible. Riika in the only one left!” A female said this time.

    “Left in what?” Asked a younger female voice.

    “Left in training, dear.”

    “Oh,” said the younger voice again, “but why cannot I not go? I’m strong! You do need more people!”

    “NO!” The first female said.

    The girl stood up. “I have just about as much right as anyone here to defend our home!”

    “These men will kill you Riika! They will not hold back because you are young or a girl. They will torture you and out your head on a stake!”

    “They can have my head if it comes to that!”

    “You will hold your tongue!”

    “Where were you when I was learning speech and how to talk?”

    “Not while I’m your mother!”

    “I do not know you ma’am.”

    “SIT DOWN!” The woman said. “I will go. Arria will come with me.”

    “Very well... Any objections?” The first mans voice finally spoke up again.

    “Councilman Starblade, I will go also. I can throw heals to Arria,” another man said, nodding towards the womans pet, “And Pavoleaf, while casting some damage spells.”

    “Very well. Huntress Pavoleaf, and druid Silversong. Your contribution to the clan is appreciated-“

    “PAVOLEAF!!” A yell cut through what Starblade was going to say next. Both Pavoleaf and Riika stood up and looked over the top of the tree. Glancing down, they saw their neighbours pointing towards the entrance to Darnassus. There, when both Pavoleaf and Riika looked, were two men holding a makeshift sling between them. Carried on that was…

    “SATOSHI!” The two females yelled at the same time. Pavoleaf jumped over the side of the tree, landing on one of the ramps. She cast aspect of the pack as she ran, jumping down a few more levels of the ramp. Riika followed after, she quickly thought of speed, and morphed into her feral cat form, dashing after her surrogate mother.

    ‘Not Satoshi. Not my brother!’ Riika thought sadly, as she raced after Pavoleaf gaining the speed from the spell, aspect of the pack.

    Pavoleaf reached the two hunter’s side first, the tears vivid in her eyes as she looked at the mangled body of her adoptive son. Riika reached the group last, as she went back into her normal form, standing beside the body of her brother.

    “Oh gods, Satoshi…” Riika muttered, sadly, as she gently lifted Satoshi’s hand, gently cradling it to her face, remembering when Satoshi had touched her cheek softly, although with both hands, kissing her forehead, when she had gotten injured. His hand was cold as ice, his soul already passed into the world of above. Riika closed her eyes, and turned away, dropping her brothers’ hand without a pause for ceremony.

    She tore away from the gathering group to her home as fast as she could with her legs, throwing herself onto the bed, pulling out from underneath the leather suit that he had given to her as a birthing day suit, those many years ago. It was time for her to move on. Pavoleaf was good mother, but it was time to find her father, or at least people that knew him.

    Jumping down the back of the house, where she and Satoshi had made a path, she doubled around to the Cenarian Enclave, where she met with her trainer one last time, with a promise to come back often for training. She ran off the trees ramp into the water, where she transformed into a sealion, and went to the entrance, never once looking back on her home.

    ~

    Riika sighed. In her bags was the last item that tied her back to Darnassus. That and the fact she was a night elf.









    CHAPTER 2 – Heartbroken

    She giggled as she jumped up the ramp and inside the tavern. Her travel form faded from her as she moved inside, waving to the company taht greeted her. “Commander Cylus, E’an.” She said, formally greeting her friends.

    “Evening Riika. How are you?” A lady said to Riika, gesturing to chair beside her.

    “Eh, good. Slightly tired. Just came back from Darnassus. My teacher was not happy for me to be gone so long. How about you Cylus?” Riika replied.

    “I’m good.” Cylus replied.

    “Exalted…”

    Riika turned her chair to face the male. “E’an, what have I told you? Stop calling me Exalted! No buts! The other Kaldorei will forgive you if you do as I say. I want you to call me Riika, and look at me! I’ll stand up to them, I’m telling you to do this.” She said, bitterly. She saw Cylus wince out of the corner of her eye.

    E’an finally looked up. “It’s good you went home for a visit.”

    The barb hurt, and Riika tried not to show it. “It’s no more my home than the wild.” She muttered, as she took a sip of the drink that appeared in front of her. “Mention of homes, you guys know where Halvard is?” She sighed as she was rewarded with heads shaking ‘no’. “Well, if you see hi, tell him I’m looking for him.” She said before she drowned the rest of her drink. Leaving a few silvers beside the glass, she walked out.

    She smiled as she heard her name being called from far away, so she stopped, and turned to the direction of the tunnel that head to the Canals. Her gaze caught on to a figure, human, dashing towards her. Her eyes then caught onto the design of her tabard, and new the human to be Silvianna, her top rogue.

    “Lady Riika!” The rogue called as she pelted to a stop.

    “Commander Silvianna.” She said, giving the one handed salute she gave to all her subordinates.

    The rogue sketched a salute, before embracing the druidess tightly. “Welcome home.” She said after pulling away.

    “Glad to be home. Any messages?”

    "A few. Pavoleaf needs a hand with Diredream, Halvard is out for a while, said to give you this," the rogue said, handing her a wrapped package, "And that resto druid was asking around for you. Apparently they want you to tank Black Fanthom Deeps for them."

    Riika nodded. "Thanks Sil. In that case, I got a few meetings here in a few moments for potential recruits, take over for me, will you? I'll go contact the group and fly to Black Fanthom Deeps." She transformed into her travel form, and ran towards the canal.

    (All I got so far.. rest is in storage)