Tanielle gripped her hammer tightly, her whole body tense. Over the past months she had grown fond of her strange night elf companion, and to see him locked in a life-threatening ordeal and her being unable to intervene was almost too much to bear. Her hands glowed with the powers of the holy light, desperate to provide him with aid, but she resisted. She was asked to not step in under any circumstances. The ritual was of great importance to him, and he had been searching for this beast for what felt like ages. But the draenei were a patient people, and she believed in his ability.
Vardal Oakenshadow circled the leopard ahead of her, it's eyes glowing a misty, otherworldly blue. It seemed to fade in and out of existence, as if it wasn't entirely of this world. A spirit beast, he called it - an ethereal being that was the embodiment of the natural realm of the unforgiving lands of Northrend. It darted in, swiping with razor sharp claws, but found only empty air as the nimble elf sprung backwards to avoid the attack. He lowered his body to the ground, long hair hanging low over his fire-ravaged features, a wound from which he never fully recovered. The imperfection painted him as a fierce figure, and both he and the great cat each found respect in the other.
It lunged again, missing the mark once more as Vardal leapt over its paw, sliding across the dirt and springing back up before the animal had a chance to correct itself. Sweat beaded on his forehead, the extended fight - almost more of a dance, seeing as how neither had landed a blow on the other - was an exhausting ordeal. The cat sprung forward, this time closer than before as the night elf began to slow, breathing heavily. Tanielle took a step forward, struggling to hold herself back.
And then as abruptly as it began, it was over. The cat dipped his head down in deference to its new master. In return, Vardal did the same. The relationship between hunter and pet was more akin to mutual respect than ownership.
"Never in doubt," he said to Tanielle with a wink from the unharmed side of his face. "This powerful animal will be a great asset when we take the fight to the Lich King."
Tanielle looked over her shoulder. Even in Sholazar Basin the Lich King's presence was strongly felt. The towers of Icecrown Citadel loomed on the horizon, grim black spires breaking the veil of peace that fell over the otherwise tranquil tropical forest. The corruption spread like a plague, reaching the northeast region and threatening to push ever outward. Soldiers of the Scourge, shambling, undead monstrosities, turned the land from vibrancy and life to one of death and desolation. "Yes," she said softly. "Another to fight the evil of this place. It feels like there is so much of it." She sighed. "Just seems to go on forever."
Vardal raised his long, elven eyebrows in surprise. "And here I am thinking you're a paladin. I thought you were meant to see good in everything."
"No," she said firmly. "I mean to make the world good, and to do that means a purging of evil. Retribution," she said, lifting and dropping her hammer into her palm like a gavel. "But when there is as much evil here as there is, it feels..." She closed her eyes. "...so daunting. Impossible. This land feels all but lost."
Vardal ran a hand through his hair, shifting it to the side that wasn't shaved. "I can't say I agree. I almost feel like we're seeing two lands when we look at the same place," he said with an easy chuckle.
She opened up her hand to the north, towards the blighted region, since dubbed the 'Lost Lands'. "How can you look out at that and feel that evil has not gripped this place?" Even from a distance the difference was notable. Lush greenery gave way to death, a very tangible split through the land itself.
In response, he opened his hand up in much the same way, but to their west. "And yet..." He looked out upon a nearly untouched wilderness, full of wonder and beauty. Distant waterfalls promised peace and calm, while gently swaying treetops covered the land in quiet shade. It was tremendously beautiful - as long as one did not look north. "You know, Tanielle, I believe this may just fall to perspective. A part can be damaged and still yet allow the whole to be beautiful." He tilted his head to the side to more clearly show the scars and burns he carried on half his face. "Am I not living proof?" he said with a wink.
She blushed, just slightly. "You have your charms, I'll admit."
"I certainly do. Now, lets pack our things. We have a long road ahead of us, and Grizzly Hills awaits."
"Grizzly Hills?" she said incredulously. "Our guild awaits us near Icecrown. We should find them-"
"It'll be weeks, still. We have time. You said you struggled to see the good in Northrend." His new travelling companion, the leopard, came to his side and nuzzled up to his hand, already well acquainted. "I mean to change that. A change of perspective, as I said. After all, isn't it better to have something worth fighting for?"
--
There is not a soul alive that could look upon Crystalsong Forest and not be awed by its beauty. The land itself has turned to crystal, giving the entire landscape a pristine, shimmering purple hue. During the hours of the morning sun, the light catches each glimmering surface and casts the place under a kind of calming glow. There are few places in Northrend - or the whole of Azeroth, for that matter - that have the peace and serenity that Crystalsong Forest has. Very little moves. All is quiet.
One of the few figures breaking the silence and stillness were the night elf and draenei, and of course the leopard that now was along with them both, that had just climbed over the mountain range that separated the forest and Sholazar basin. They gasped for air from the difficult trek through the mountains, having eschewed the use of the gryphons the Alliance had brought to Northrend upon Vardal's insistence. He said it was better to hike, and to see the land for what it was.
Vardal looked over at Tanielle expectantly. "Is it not as stunning as I had described? A whole forest, frozen in crystal - truly a sight to see, no?"
Tanielle bent down and picked up a piece of the glittering landscape that had blown up to the cliff-side peak they stood upon. She held it in her fingers, inspecting the piece with the distinguished eye of a draenei, a people who well know the value of crystals. "Peculiar..." was all she said.
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Vardal shook his head. "That can't be all you think when you see-"
"Oh, no, it's beautiful - truly, it is," she interrupted softly, giving him a smile. "And as with all things, the light only serves to make it all the more entrancing. But... how? I've never seen anything like this in all my days."
The night elf hesitated. He knew how it came to be, and unfortunately it didn't much support what he was setting out to do. Nevertheless, she asked, and with Tanielle being ever the inquisitive type, she was likely to find out one way or the other. "Some time ago, the black dragonflight fought with the blue. The resulting bursts of magic left a residue behind, coating the forest. Now it's the crystal you see today."
It was Tanielle's turn to shake her head in disappointment. "So even this beauty is born out of pain and warfare."
"It's a matter of perspective," says Vardal. "All you need is to change how you see this place. 'So even out of pain and warfare, beauty can be born.'"
She looked back out at the magnificent, purple-tinted trees and the undeniable sense of peace that fell over the landscape, frozen in time. A quiet breeze passed over them, relieving them after the long, difficult hike up to the perch from which they viewed the land. Eventually, she nodded. "In the darkness the light appears brightest. A change of perspective, as you say."
"There's the paladin in you," he said, petting the leopard that came up to his side. "Come, then. We have much more to see."
---
There's a change in the air when one enters the Grizzly Hills. The smell of pine from the lumber camps mixes with the freshness of the water from the glimmering streams. Deer dance through the tall trees, prancing through the thick vegetation. Eagles stand triumphant in their perches, their calls echoing across the brisk Northrend air. Such tremendous forests are truly a night elf's dream. For Vardal, it was a simple choice to make his home here during the Alliance's expedition north.
"We're almost there," he said, passing by Amberpine Lodge, the Alliance's base camp in the Grizzly Hills. A few of their guards nodded their hellos, recognizing the hunter as one who brought back meat and pelts to help them survive the cold nights. This land had no shortage of beasts large and small.
They leapt over streams and walked through the vast, rich landscape, humbled by the great shadows cast by the mighty
trees above. Finally, Vardal stopped walking, both of them enjoying the bountiful wilderness but ready to reach their final destination. They came upon a strange collection of trees. Three pines, closely spaced in a triangle, wrapped their lower branches together to form a makeshift roof. The trunks of the trees, and the boughs on the outside of the triangle, formed walls. Soon, Tanielle realized this was Vardal's home. Inside were a small amount of supplies; a few furs to combat the cold Northrend nights, a healthy supply of arrows, and miscellaneous tools.
"How did you make this?" she asked, staring in wonder at the strange architecture.
"Druids - they're a helpful lot, and they seem to make good friends of the trees. It might not be Darnassus, but it's home," Vardal said with an unmistakable sense of pride. He noticed Tanielle hadn't given her thoughts on it. "What do you think?" he asked, nervously.
She paused for a moment. "I think it's beautiful."
--
A week went by with Vardal and Tanielle passing the days fishing in the nearby streams. They learned of each other's cultures and heritage, telling of the trials of the night elves and the tragedies the draenei had faced. They swapped stories about heroic deeds and comical misadventures. Vardal would speak of his favourite places around Teldrassil, and Tanielle would talk about the beauty of Draenor. It was quiet and peaceful, the two greatly enjoying the other's company.
Yet time caught up with them both. Soon, their guild would be meeting at the base camps surrounding the Lich King's citadel, and the great threat that loomed over their heads was to be dealt with directly. With reluctance, but knowing the importance of their duties, they packed their things and left the quiet home Vardal had made in the Grizzly Hills and made their way towards the cold, unforgiving land of Icecrown. They both knew the trials ahead would be of great difficulty, and the time of peace and tranquillity for them both will have passed, for a time. But when they looked back at the small, twisted boughs that composed Vardal's home, they knew that the good places in the world were those worth fighting for.
---
There was no protection from the wind and cold of Icecrown. Snow drifted across the ground, biting at any skin that lay exposed to the elements. The grand shadow of the mighty citadel, it's cold bluish metal standing imposing above them, blocked all hope of sun and warmth from their position beneath it. Their guild was with them now, the quiet solitude of the Grizzly Hills having long passed them, exchanged for the bustling community of warriors, magic wielders and healers that composed their raiding party. Diminutive gnomes went about tinkering with strange mechanical devices while dwarves taunted the races that were more accustomed to warmer climates.
In the distance, flapping banners of the Argent Crusade marked where the combined forces of the Alliance and Horde had pushed the undead monsters back. The final task lay ahead of them now, and the group readied themselves for the battle ahead in any way they could.
"Now, this place," Vardal said, seeing patches of snow discoloured by the blood of those fallen in the fight against the Lich King, "this place I struggle to find the good in. There are no great forests here to look out to. No majestic creations of nature. This is a land without hope or mercy."
"No," Tanielle agreed. "But look around you. We've come together - all of us - to fight against this evil, and to purge it from this place once and for all. That togetherness," she said, taking his hand in hers, "is what makes us strong." She added one final comment before setting out for the citadel. "It's all just a matter of perspective."