The Search for Redemption

Bjorke woke, having settled down after she was sure Sorowyn was asleep. It was nearly dawn, and she could hear people gathering. “Hero, come on.” She frowned at her dog. It wasn’t like him to sleep past her. Kneeling, she put her hand on his back to roust him, and he lifted his head groggily. Looking up, she saw Sorowyn’s cot was empty. The druid must have hibernated Hero and left in the middle of the night. “Blast it!”

Sheathing her weapons, she raced out the door. Most of Sterling was assembled and waiting. She looked them over: Leiwyn, the strong Moonkin; Razorwyn, a tracker trained by one of the best in Azeroth; Lijana, one of the newer members, but strong and loyal; Arsonite, who had the Chrono-whatsit strapped to the back of his mechanostrider; and even Binni, who must have understood her message after all. They all knew the importance of this mission, and were ready. Feera hung at the back of the group, a look of shame and guilt on her face.

“Sorowyn left last night. She must have gone into the Caverns, and I have reason to believe her life is in danger. Here’s the plan: Razor, you track her, to see which portal she went through. Arson, you will set your device to scan for the most recent time fluctuation. That must be her. Lei, you take point. Feera, you’re our back-up, and Lijana, you stick close to her.” Bjorke pointed at the young Draenei. “I don’t need another getting lost. Understood?” They each nodded.

At the entrance to the Cavern, the mighty Anachronos blocked their way. “Enough of your meddling, human! You have caused far too many disruptions!”

Bjorke pulled herself up, squaring her shoulders. “My people are lost in time. I must find them, in order to stop the disruptions.”

“You will cause trouble. I know your kind.”

“I give my oath, as Ulfhedin of Clan Malcore, and as Turid of the Order of Sterling. We only wish to retrieve our people.” Bjorke pulled her dagger, and slid it across her palm, opening up the scar there once more. “I offer my blood oath.”

“Your blood I will have, human, should you fail this task!” Anachronos roared, spreading his wings, dwarfing them all. “Go.”

With a nod to her people, they headed into the Cavern. Razorwyn looked for signs of Soro’s passage. Her cat, Spook, caught a scent, and raced down the passageway to the portal.

“Arson, get that gizmo set up and running, now!” The gnome began twiddling knobs and twisting levers as the machine sputtered to life, belching smoke and sparks. The saucer-shaped detection collector swiveled, reading the energies from the portal. The machine beeped several times, and spewed out a punch-card, littered with holes.

Arson looked over the card, adjusting his goggles. He quickly and expertly begins a series of adjustments to various settings on the machine, referring with brief glances at the punch-card and muttering softly to himself. After what seems like an eon, he abruptly stood upright and looked sternly at Marshal Bjorke.

“Commander, I have purposed all the available data into the Chronomatic Temporal Continuum Seeker 3000, and I am confident the possibility of a resonance cascade scenario to be highly unlikely. You may proceed!”

Bjorke clenched her jaw. “Very well.” She looked at Leiwyn. “Take point.” The team entered the portal, one by one. All but Feera. Bjorke looked around, but the Draenei was nowhere to be seen. Bjorke cursed. “Arson, if she returns, send her along,” and she stepped into the swirling vortex as Arson monitored the machine.

“Inconceivable!” he muttered as the portal blipped and closed. He quickly set to work, fiddling with the knobs and tapping the gauges.

On the other side, all was calm and peaceful, on a hillside in Hillsbrad. Except, it was nothing like the Hillsbrad Bjorke knew. The trees covered the area, a thick forest.

“We seem alone, for the time being, Turid.” Leiwyn continued to keep watch, while Razor set to tracking again. She quickly picked up signs, but not of Sorowyn.

“Boot prints, looks like a male elf to me, and heavy, probably in armor.” She indicated the direction they went. “You think it’s Jiv’undus?”

“I think it’s the only sign we have, and we follow it.” For three days they did just that. They saw where he had stopped and camped, leaving odd remnants of bandage behind. The trail led to a small clearing, and a spring.

Spook mrowed deep in his throat, not liking the scents he picked up. Razor searched the area carefully. “There was a fight here. Can’t tell how many, but … at least three. One looks small… female, maybe. And… oh, by the gods… “ She stood up, and pointed into the bushes.

Bjorke came and looked. A dead troll lay, his face bloodied and smashed, one tusk broken. “Looks like he’s not been dead too long. Less than a day, I’d say.” Razor nodded in agreement. Bjorke turned to Leiwyn. “See if you can’t give us a bird’s eye view on things, will you?” The druid shifted, and soared above the trees. “Razor, how alone are we?”

“I’ll have a look.” She carefully examined the area around the spring, with Spook sniffing for signs.

“Bjorke, I see a camp of trolls to the east. A band of them appear to be headed our way.” Leiwyn shifted into Moonkin form as she gave her report, preparing for battle.

“Is bad, yes?” Binni piped up.

“Keep her quiet and out of the way, Lijana!” Bjorke barked. The armor-clad Draenei spoke softly to Binni in their native tongue, explaining things.

“Commander! Over here! Quick!” Razor waved her arm at them, beckoning them over. Bjorke raced through the underbrush to Razor, who pointed to a pair of young elves huddled over a golden-armored body under a bush. She was at his side in a moment, and the young male notched his badly-repaired bow, pointing an arrow at her.

“I’d put that down, if I were you.” Razor had her rifle leveled at him, Spook crouched and ready to pounce. He turned and saw the Moonkin, and then gasped at the Draenei. It was not her gun that scared him.

“Eredar!” he gulped, and lowered his weapon.

“Jiv! I can’t believe we found you!” Bjorke’s eyes welled with tears. He was badly hurt, barely conscious. “Lijana! Come here, he needs healing!”

“How… do you know… my name?” the young male addressed Bjorke.

She looked up at him, ignoring his odd question. “My friend here, how did he get like this? Did he fight that troll?”

“Yes! He saved us!” the young female elf spoke. “He was very brave!” She looked at the other elf. “So was he,” she smiled, blushing slightly.

Lijana looked at the prone figure, and bowed her head in prayer, directing her healing energies to Jiv’undus. He moaned, and opened his eyes. “Turid,” he mouthed.

Bjorke grinned broadly at him. “You’ve led us on a merry chase, old man!” She pulled out her flask and held it to his lips. He coughed and sputtered and tried to talk. “Easy now. Time enough later for you to tell us how this girl saved your life. We’ve got to get you home. Where’s your stone?”

“Do you mean this?” The female picked up shards of a hearthstone. “It broke in the fight.”

Lijana looked at Bjorke. “I have done all I could. I wish I was more skilled.”

Turning her head to look at Lei, Bjorke asked, “Can you try? We must get him well enough to travel.” She stood and moved out of the way. “Binni, start gathering branches, and make a travois. We’ll get him home that way.” Lijana began helping Binni, much to the fascination of the young elves, who had never seen Draenei before.

Lei shifted to elf-form, and knelt to examine Jiv. She looked up at Bjorke, her face grave. “I’ll do my best.” She channeled a green glow over him, concentrating. Again, and again, and his color returned slightly. Lei sat down next to him, drinking to replenish her energy.

“Razor, I need a report on those trolls. How much time do we have?” Razor had lowered her gun, and now slung it on her back as she left to the east.

Bjorke tended Jiv, and she had instructed Lei to speak to the young elves. “See what you can get out of them. Who are they, and why were they with Jiv, and have they seen Soro, or a child.”

Leiwyn led the pair away. They did not want to leave their savior, but moved enough to let him rest. She spoke to them in Darnassian.

“Jiv, have you seen Atolli? Or Soro? We think she came this way.” Bjorke hate to pester him, but needed to know.

He shook his head. “No, alone….” He coughed, and Bjorke wiped the blood from his mouth.

“It’s alright, we’ll find them.” She kept her voice firm, even as her heart sank.

By the time the travois was ready, Razor had returned. “We have a couple hours head start, no more.”

Bjorke frowned. With Jiv dragging along behind them, they would be moving too slowly. The sound of his voice brought her back to kneeling by his side. “… leave me…” he whispered. Bjorke grinned at the stubborn old elf.

“Not bloody likely. Razor, you and Binni here pull. Spook can lead us back, and Lei and I will bring up the rear. If the trolls reach us, you go on ahead. No stopping, understood?” The women nodded. “Now, get him loaded.”

“Bjorke…”Lei motioned to Bjorke. “This is…. Jiv.” She looked pointedly at Bjorke, who nodded slowly, understanding the ramifications. “And this… is …tell her,dear.”

“My name is Atolli.” The young female had deep purple eyes, blue hair and her ears were shorter than most elves. Bjorke grabbed her, hugging her close, much to the shock of the girl.

“I can’t believe it! By the gods! You’re here! Alive and … and… well, er… rather more grown than the last time I saw you.”

“Ready, Bjorke,” said Lijana.

“Well, we’d best be getting home. Hurry now, before the trolls get here. We’ll have time to catch up later.” She still hoped they would find Soro and Ava, but knew they had to get out now.

“I… I… um… what about me?” said the young Jiv.

Bjorke looked at Atolli, who was staring at him, and then back at the elf. “You’d better come with us, too. It won’t be safe here soon. We’ll … er… sort things out later.”

The group made good time, with the young elves taking a turn at pulling the makeshift carrier. They’d left his armor behind to lighten the load, and Bjorke thought he looked so frail without it. They only stopped when absolutely necessary, and managed get to the portal safely. But the trolls were gaining on them, now the band was visible, and running, whooping war cries at them.

“Is portal always different color on ot’er side?” Binni asked.

“Go, go!” Bjorke yelled to her team, ignoring the Draenei. “Get through!” Lijana and Razor hustled the others through, while Lei shifted form, readying to fight. “Come on, Jiv, we’re almost home.” She put his arm around her neck, pulling him up, supporting him. “Lei, go now. I’m right behind you.”

“Bjorke…”

“No arguments, dammit! Go!” She staggered towards the vortex, half-dragging, half-carrying her Blood Guard.

“Leave me,” he said, over and over, as they fell through the portal.

“Arson, get that portal closed!” Bjorke collapsed, keeping Jiv in her lap, cushioning his fall.

“He’s not here!” Lijana said in surprise. It wasn’t like him to leave in mid-mission.

“Lei, help me with Jiv. He needs a bit of healing after landing on me.” She grinned at her old friend, but it didn’t reach her eyes. Leiwyn knelt and channeled her energies once more, joined by Lijana. Bjorke watched his face, and the color slowly drained from it. His body grew limp in her arms. Bjorke looked imploringly at Leiwyn, but the druid shook her head sadly.

The pair of healers stepped back, giving them space. Bjorke bent her head down, to touch her forehead to his. “Jiv’undus, you old fool… you can’t leave me like this,” she whispered. The tears dropped from her face onto his cheeks. “What will I do without you? Who will I drink with?” She laughed, choking on her sobs. The others stood back, silent. “Jiv…. Goodbye, my friend.” Bjorke kissed him gently on the forehead.

A roar from a dragon pulled her from her farewell. “Your time is up! Leave! Now!”

Bjorke whistled and the sounds of Blastit’s hooves on the sand heralded his approach. Lei helped Bjorke place Jiv’undus’ lifeless body on the ram, and the group headed for Gadgetzan.