The Wounded Pack

#4 - Sight

— So, your brother saved your life, and your mother gave hers so you could live on — Gorgonna summed up — . Was it worth it?

— You tell me — Dunris answered — . I've payed my debt with my brother many times, and regarding my mother, I do everything within my power to honor her and carry on with her legacy.

— I don't know yet. You managed to live until now, so I guess you aren't all that bad — she laughed.

— Hold still — Wolfeye told her — . If you move, I won't be able to heal your wounds properly.

— Aren't you supposed to be a battle Shaman? — Gorgonna replied — . How do you help your allies in the midst of a battle?

— By killing my allies' enemies.

— I see... — Gogonna smiled — . So, what about that eye? You told me you lost it to the wolf, but you seem to be just fine.

* * * * *

You are right. For a long time, my right eye was blinded, which made many simple activities harder than what they should be. But the bright side was that I had never received a proper training before, so I didn't really missed my sight when it came to fighting; "one eye is more than enough when it comes to killing", as Horatok was used to say. Naurosh, Korghan and I were too young to fight, but as you know the Horde needed all the warriors it could muster. And for the first time I felt whole, as if all I had been missing in my life was an axe. Which orc needs an eye when you have a weapon to smite down your enemies?

I had lost my mother, but my new family was all I had ever wanted, healthy, strong and united. Naurosh and the wolf that had fought by his side became an outstanding team, the beast receiving the name of "Winter". I too had bonded with the worg that saved my life, who's still here by my side. I named him Kelvar, as the father of my mother. Korghan also found a wolf for himself, a keen and clever female whom he named Oru. The six of us joined the Raider corps, and we won a good reputation for ourselves.

We followed Thrall to the west, and we fought in many battles during the Third War. Do you remember the Battle for Mount Hyjal? I'll never forget the first demons we saw, their relentlessness, how they struck fear into our hearts. We learned quickly how to deal with them, but they were still a formidable opponent to fight against. Horatok died heroically during Archimonde's assault, trying to buy our people more time to get to safety. I can't seem to bring to mind how we survived... the memories of the strife are blurry, as if everything had been a bad nightmare. Still, it was as real as it could get.

After that, it followed a relative peace. You already know the story: Thrall lead us back to the most severe, harsh and dry part of the Barrens and founded Orgrimmar there. We helped as much as any other orc, fighting against the razor winds, dealing with the wild threats of the land recently named Durotar. And even though there wasn't even a slight hint of snow, we enjoyed our new home. Well, at least for a while: Naurosh got tired of Orgrimmar real quickly, and he left to travel the Horde's lands. He wasn't much time at a single place, visiting the Oasis of the Barrens and even going back and forth from Ratchet to Booty Bay. He never forgot his duties to the Horde, though.

Korghan and I took different paths, but much like our older brother, we had our people's best interests in mind. While the youngest of us decided to learn Demonology, ensuring he did it to "fight the Legion with its own weapons", I became increasingly interested in the way of the Shaman. During the Third War it was impossible for me to find the time to really learn Shamanism; the only thing I could do in between battles was learning the spiritual teachings of our people's renewed faith. But once it was over, I dedicated my life to become a Shaman, to commune with the elements and asking for their guidance in the battle.