<1> "I want to help any way I can, ma'am. It is a privilege to simply be allowed to remain in Teldrassil." The sharp-eared worgen stood as straight as an arrow when addressing the woman who was essentially his newest senior officer. Gilneans were often more used to militia-esque hierarchies, but druids in night elf lands were considerably less formal. "Relax, Nathan," the night elf woman remarked with a laugh. "We're not gonna kick you out if you botch a simple patrol or sneeze during our briefings. We were happy to accept the worgen among our ranks... well, most of us were, which is exactly what I wanted to see you about this morning." Nathan relaxed his posture just a little bit and ran a clawed hand over the dark, almost bluish fur along his arm. "Oh? Have I caused some trouble, Portia?" "Not intentionally," she returned. The woman in question proudly wore the leaf-laden, elegant robes of an archdruid, much of which quite tightly hugged Portia's matronly figure. The greenery of her garb contrasted starkly with her blue skin, which was just as uniquely different as her glowing, golden eyes and short, violet hair. "One of our best druids has been having difficulty adjusting to the changes, so I want you to rendezvous with her in the ruins of Auberdine in an hour. She's been out there for two days already, and she refuses to return." "You want me to bring her back?" "Eventually, but not for a few more days. Our ranks are stretched thin, and we still need eyes down South." The archdruid casually walked over to a small footlocker, opened it up, and produced a small stone with the etching of a five-pronged leaf upon it. "Take this with you. Our ranks are not so clear-cut, but possessing this will give you seniority over her." The worgen male took the stone with a confused look. "With all due respect, ma'am, what does this mean exactly?" "It means the moment you show it to her, she will have no choice but to respect your seniority," Portia stated plainly with the faintest wisp of a smirk on her face. "She won't listen to a word you say without it, and it is unlikely she would return at all otherwise." The worgen druid pocketed the stone and bowed his furred head respectfully. "Very well, ma'am. But... why go to all of this trouble? And why me?" The night elf appeared to have a mischievous sparkle in her eye just before she turned away from him. "You will understand when you meet her." * * * * * It didn't take long for Nathan to make the short flight from Teldrassil to the mainland, and from there it was a brief, albeit somewhat depressing, ride from Lor'danel Southward. The Cataclysm had done much to ravage the once-beautiful elven lands, and the occasional Horde excursions and deforestation efforts had only accelerated its steady demise. His gently-glowing, orange eyes couldn't look at the trees too much as he bolted through the woods on all-fours, making his way down the main path until he found the ominous fork in the road to the Southwest. With a deep breath, Nathan uprighted himself and decided to jog the last bit of trail, until the sight of the ruins of Auberdine laid spread out before him. Night elf huts and buildings were in shambles, most of which had remained untouched in the wake of Deathwing's destruction. The bodies had been removed and buried, but all the buildings and structures had been abandoned. It was a veritable ghost town that only the bravest scavengers might bother with, and while the dangerous creatures and elementals had been cleared out years prior, one couldn't help but wonder if the spirits of the deceased yet lingered there. Nathan stood and scanned the bleak display for countless moments. His canine face merely grew sadder the longer he looked, but at the same time the pragmatist in him realized this was a prime place to make camp and set up a scouting post. He understood well why the druids would want to take advantage of it, even considering how many perished here. "HEY! Don't move!" a feminine cry suddenly split the silence behind him. Nathan's spine straightened right up as he felt the vaguely-sharp point of something-or-other press into his lower back. "Are you a druid?" he returned as calmly as could be. "What's it to you? Looking for another one to kill and steal their robes, beast!?" His brow furrowed a bit at this. "I've trained for [i]years[/i] in the art. Commander Portia sent me to join a scout here for a few days." The point drew away from the worgen's back. "Tell me you're fucking joking." Nathan shook his head and slowly turned, and his eyes went wide at the sight before him. A slender, violet-skinned night elf had drawn back her spear and planted the butt end into the ground with an angry grunt. Her long, deep blue hair was tied back in a sharp ponytail that hung nearly halfway down her back, keeping her glowing white eyes free from any stray hairs. Thin cheeks and a short, pointed nose led down to a set of tightly-drawn lips, all of which was contorted into a rather frustrated expression. Rather than the usual, formal druid attire, however, the woman wore a tight, brown cloth wrap over her chest and matching loincloth skirt, while the former garment made her chest look exceptionally wide and streamlined. Her exposed abdomen showed the faintest hints of muscle tone, as did her arms and legs, making her an obviously-seasoned scout. She wore no boots or gloves, and the only other accessory of note was a dark blue band wrapped around her right wrist. Her pointed ears were also relatively short compared to most other elves, and her left ear had a slight chip in it near its tip. Nathan took all of this in over the course of a few seconds, but he quickly regained his composure to respond. "No joke at all, ma'am," he insisted and slowly produced the stone he'd been given, offering it slowly to her in his open palm. The night elf snatched the stone from him and turned it over quickly, the anger in her eyes deepening by the second. "For fuck's sake, mother! Can you leave me alone for one Elune-forsaken week!?" With a growl she hurled the stone to the ground, spun on one heel, and began to march away from Nathan.