A Wild Hunt

The Hunt

Ashaani spent most of her life on her own.
Many years ago, her parents were among those who were cast away from Night Elf society for practicing the arts of arcane magic, forbidden long ago.
She spent much of her early years learning how to hunt and track, how to provide for herself and how to survive in the wild.
Over the hundreds of years, which were nothing to a night elf, Ashaani had lived out of sight, blending in with the wilderness around her. She had a special connection to it, one that might hold promise in the druidic arts, but she lacked one to teach her.

Quietly, she waited in the shadows of the bushes, watching a young stag as it fed on the mossy grass beneath it. It's coat was still full and long from the winter, glowing in pure white as if it were a gift from mother nature herself.

Ashaani waited for her moment, quiet, watching with the focus of a night saber.

Her ear twitched, watching the stag as it lifted it's head quickly, looking around as though it had been suspicious.
He chewed...Once. Twice.

Slowly, his head lowered back down as he took a step toward another mossy patch, his muzzle moving hungrily back and forth between the patch. Ashaani pulled her knife from it's sheath, holding it firmly in her hand as she began to slowly move forward to place her footing.
She crouched, watching the stag as it continued to graze, unaware of the danger that lurked just behind it.

One deep breath, and Ashaani launched herself as the stag reared it's head, moving her blade up, ready to strike a killing blow.

A sudden sting ripped through her as she felt a force knock her back.
Just as she stood to regain herself though, the stag bucked, kicking her back before it started off into the forest. She staggered to stand, falling back to the ground in pain as she looked at her shoulder for the cause of the horrible sting.

An arrow, lodged just beneath her collar bone, stuck out but before she could reach up to pull it, she could hear shouting.
She couldn't make out what they were saying, but one voice sounded harsh, as if it was angry, while the other sounded panicked.

Two night elf males ran into view, both were tall and toned, but one had broader shoulders that were well built for a fight. Ashaani thought just by looking at him that brute strength was all he needed. His skin was a deep purple, and his hair was a dark midnight blue, pulled back into a long, loose pony tail. As he got closer Ashaani could tell he was the worried one, his purple eyes giving away a soft nature behind the brutish figure.
The other had a dark pinkish purple skin, with a vivid tint of earthy green hair that traveled down past his shoulders. He looked thinner compared to the other, though his arms and chest were still defined with harsh contours of muscles, he looked more agile and quick than the other. Ashaani could see the white tattoo on his shoulder, marking him as a druid, explaining his more slender form. Both had handsome features that were very similar, however Ashaani's assessment of the two males quickly ended as she ripped the arrow out.

"Hey! Don't just pull it out like that!" The first night elf hurried over a stump and quickly dropped down to her as she ripped off the bottom part of her clothing, placing it over the now open wound to stop the bleeding.
"I'm sorry, I didn't see you until it was too late!" He said in a panic before she tied it off.

Ashaani glanced at him and narrowed her eyes as he looked at her, his mouth gaping in awe as if he'd never even seen such a being before.
"That was my game!" She sad angrily as the other elf caught up to his companion.

He seemed to pause as well as he watched her for a moment.
"Are you alright?" He asked. "We're very sorry. I brought my brother out for a hunt and he's not been very patient." He explained, glaring at the one who had been so worried.

"Here..." The second brother stepped down and took some salve out of his pocket, placing some on his hand as he moved to undo her makeshift bandage.
Ashaani flinched, pushing the man's hand away as she looked at him like he was an idiot.

"I'm just going to help ease the bleeding. This will heal the wound faster. I have some fresh cloth as well, if you'll allow me." He said softly, watching her as she cautiously watched him for a moment.
After a few seconds, she slowly placed her hands down, allowing him to untie the dirty cloth and place the salve on her shoulder.

She let out a cry and pushed his hand away. "That hurts!" She shouted at him, narrowing her eyes again as she clenched her side.

"Hey, don't-"
The first brother reached out to try to comfort her, but when she turned her gaze to him he stopped.

"I said it would help didn't I? It's going to sting a little bit but that only means it's working." The second brother explained. "I'm guessing you've never used this before." He said, curious about where she came from.
She obviously wasn't from Darnassus, her behavior was more primal than anyone he'd ever meet.

She was rather scrawny to be considered healthy, though she seemed to be doing well. Once he finished he reached into his pouch again for clean cloth and wrapped her properly. His eyes glanced down to her ribs, seeing the bruise form from where she'd been kicked. It certainly didn't look good, and he moved his hand to press gently.

She let out a cry and pushed him away again.

"It would seem as though your ribs are cracked at the least. Does it hurt to stand?" He asked, moving back just a bit as he held his hand out to help her try to stand. The other one did the same, staying a bit closer to her as he held his arms out, ready to catch her if she fell.

Ashaani didn't move.
She looked between them and started on her own, refusing their help.
"I can take care of myself." She said, biting through the pain as she placed her hand over the bruise, putting all of her weight on the opposite side. She huffed through the pain but it was too much for her to walk on her own. It hurt, and the stag had kicked her a lot harder than she realized.

The druid looked to his brother. A stern glare stuck on his face as the younger one dropped his ears slightly, looking down at the ground. This wouldn't have happened if he had just listened to his brother in the first place.

Ashaani stumbled, reaching out for the nearest tree as the brother quickly moved to catch her.
"Please, this was my fault...Let us help you, then you can do whatever you like, but I would at least like to apologize for the trouble I've been...Our home isn't far from here, it's just on the outskirts of Darnassus, you could-"

"Kaldreaus, enough!"
The druid interrupted quickly, and watched him with reprimanding eyes.
"No, brother, this was my fault-"
"We don't even know who she is, and you're inviting her into our home! She could be anyone!"

The one called Kaldreaus furrowed his brows, a clear intent to defy his brother's wishes.
"I'm Kaldreaus Nightsong, and this is my brother, Thaleon...."
"Kaldreaus!"

"Please, let me help you, at least allow me to invite you for dinner, since I interrupted your hunt." He said, bowing her head slightly at her as his brother gave a long sigh.

Ashaani watched the two for a moment, and looked over at Kaldreaus as he slowly held his hand out to her. "One meal." She said, standing up as straight as she could as she took another painful step.
Kaldreaus held his hand out again.

"Please..." He said as Kaldreaus shook his head and walked towards the two.
Ashaani couldn't understand why he wanted to help so bad. She could sense the sincerity of his concern, and she almost felt bad for him. He would be easy to take advantage of, however she wasn't one for using others to better herself. Anything she did would be on her own strength.

She gave in, if not for herself then for him, allowing him to help as she took his hand cautiously. Kaldreaus gently lifted her, carrying her as his brother walked slightly in front of him, leading them back to their home.