Tauren Tale

Chapter 12: The Ancient

Sanja's dreams were frightening and surreal. The elves had fled during the night and taken her brother with them. She tried to chase after them, but the thick, jungle air slowed her movement. It was as if trudging through the waters surrounding the campsite.

When she awoke, Meridia smiled at her. Jorga was sleeping with his head in her lap and she was idly petting his mane. Ellemayne had snuggled close to Sanja as she slept. She pushed her huge head underneath the Tauren's hand.

Meridia mouthed some silent, Darnassian greeting when she noticed that Sanja was awake. Not recognizing what it could be, Sanja mouthed Good morning, in reply.

Kazbo's face looked more normal today. He sat beside the fire and warmed his hands around Tanavar's mug. He sipped at it between satisfied smiles.

“May I?” Sanja whispered, trying not to wake her brother. The Gnome shared the mug, but she nearly spit out the surprisingly bitter drink.

“If you do not care for the taste,” he said quietly, taking the mug back, “I'll keep it from going to waste.” Sanja sensed that if anything, he seemed relieved that he would not have to share it.

When it was all gone, he returned the mug to the Night Elf. “I don't suppose I could have a... little more java?” Kazbo asked sheepishly.

# # #

“I wish you luck on your journey,” Tanavar said to the Gnome. He made a deliberate effort to look Sanja in the eye. “Elune-adore...” a pause before explaining, “May Elune watch over you, all the way back to Mulgore.”

“Thank you. May the wind always be at your back,” she replied. “I hope your meeting with the princess goes well.”

“Now you be careful,” Meridia said to Jorga. She knelt in front of him and buttoned his vest, even though he preferred to leave it open. “The Stonetalon Mountains can be a dangerous place.”

She frowned for a moment before reaching in her pack. “I want you to take this,” she said. Meridia removed a perfectly tanned hide and draped it over the small boy.

“Wow!” Jorga gasped. The skin was from some sort of huge cat that he had never seen before. The thick, orange fur was decorated with stripes of black, and had a belly that faded to white. The paws, tail, and head were still in place.

Sanja was confident that whoever had prepared this hide was certainly an expert.

“But your mother...” Tanavar started to say.

“...will be happy to know that her gift is keeping a young boy warm,” she finished for him.

Meridia draped the hide over Jorga like a cloak. She adjusted the cat's head over Jorga's and the cat's paws over his hands. “Oh goodness!” she giggled. “It's a tiger!”

“Rawr!” Jorga growled. He swiped a floppy paw at Kazbo. “Rawr!” he growled at his sister. The boy tried to pounce on Ellemayne, but the jungle cat seemed far more interested in being scratched. She butted the boy with her head and knocked the small Tauren on his tail.

Sanja took Meridia's hands in hers and lowered her forehead to them. “Thank you, Meridia. You have shown us such generosity, that I could never repay.”

Sanja lifted her head and the druid looked her in the eye for the first time since they had met. Whether it was magic, or just a sense of empathy they shared, she could feel the strange woman's thoughts. That tiny vest will give him no warmth this winter, she seemed to say.Although I hate to see it destroyed, please use this pelt in whatever way you must to keep him safe.