Mariskka smiled happily
to herself as her hooves clattered on the paving stones of Old Town. She
was heading away from the command center and her recent encounter with
Olow Domin, the large but seemingly friendly worgen warrior who was one
of the first to approach her after she'd arrived in the city.
As she made her way across one of the stone bridges that spanned the many canals of Stormwind, her smile widened as she took in the sights and sounds of the busy trade district of the city. Having spent the past several years in Nagrand by herself, the sight of so many bodies packed so tightly together was an experience that she was unaccustomed to. Although she had a mission in mind, her natural curiosity drew her eyes in every direction as she made her way through the press of people.
Ahead of her, a tall stone structure rose above the surrounding buildings, the crowds of people gathering in front of it even thicker than elsewhere in the district. Mariskka pressed onward, now occasionally bumping into others as the crowd ebbed and flowed around her. Taller than many of the other races, she was still short compared to other Draenei and had a hard time seeing past all of the people to the interior of the structure. With many "Oof! Am being sorry!" and "Pardoning me please!" she managed to squeeze her way into the building.
Within, her senses reeled with the onrush of sound as people shouted, argued, bartered, exclaimed over goods, or simply made small talk as they browsed the wares within the main auction building. Eyes wide, Mariskka moved further into the building, her gaze barely resting in any place for more than a few seconds as she soaked up the sights and sounds of the busy trade area. Not watching where she was going, she soon collided with a man that was carrying bolts of fabric, knocking both of them to the ground. She landed on her rear, her tail out behind her and a swatch of silk cloth dangling from one of her horns.
"Eee! Am being so sorry! Vas not vatching vhere going!" she exclaimed from the floor as the human hastily tried to pick up his bolts of fabric before they were stepped on. The man grunted at her apology, not bothering to reply as he snatched the cloth from her horns and neatly folded it back onto the pile. Mariskka scrambled to her feet backing up quickly to give the man room to gather his things.
Right into a family of four that had been walking past.
Her tail, swaying behind her as she regained her balance, smacked a lollipop from a child's hand right as he had been about to bring it to his mouth. The child began to wail, and Mariskka whirled, surprised at the sound. The parents gave her dirty looks as they tried to soothe their yelling child, and Mariskka's face flushed with embarrassment.
"Ack! Am thinking I should be leaving soon!" she mumbled to herself before bowing to the family. "Am being sorry, yes. Vill buy child new candy, yes!"
"Miss, that's really not nec.." the father of the child began. Mariskka cut him off, waving her hands about frantically and pulling her coin purse out. She quickly grabbed a fistful of coins and presented them to the man. "Is being enough, yes?"
The man's eyes widened as he saw five gold coins sitting in the palm of her hand. He shook his head and sighed, "Miss, that's far too much money for a simple piece of candy. You aren't from around here, are you?"
Mariskka's face fell as she realized she'd made yet another mistake. "Vas only trying to...how you say...make right? Am being vrong?"
The man sighed again, and with a little ribbing from his wife who stood nearby with a smile on her face, he looked at Mariskka and shook his head again. "No, you're not wrong, it's just too much money. Here, what are you trying to buy now? You're going to get totally fleeced if you just start flashing that much money around at everything you're interested in buying!"
Mariskka blinked at him, tilting her head and setting her pigtails bouncing. "Am not looking to buy fleece, no. Vould not be vanting this!"
The man rolled his eyes and sighed; it was going to turn into a very long afternoon he was thinking.
************************************
Mariskka sighed happily as she slid into a chair at a table within the Blue Recluse. She took care to make sure her tail was tucked out of the way to avoid accidents (A lesson she had picked up that very day!) and then waved at a serving girl as the other made her rounds through the tavern. The human she'd met earlier in the auction house had been quite helpful, and had directed her to this inn for the night. Previously she'd been camping in Elwynn forest, and although the weather was nice, the inn provided shelter from the bandits that still roamed those forests.
"One vater please! Vould love if it vas being cold!" Mariskka smiled at the serving girl. The girl nodded and hurried off to fetch the drink, leaving the shaman to her own thoughts. She'd stay for the night perhaps before returning to her duties in Hyjal and along the fronts where the Alliance did battle.
As she waited for her drink, Mariskka pulled out her worn pouch from its place within her armor, taking her scrying cubes out and handling them reverently. With a look of concentration on her face, the shaman threw the cubes down on the table before her, looking to read her own fortune. (Something she did only rarely.)
Wind whispered around her, an unnatural breeze of the elements as the small cubes bounced and then settled down before her. The Draenei leaned forward, studying the images carved onto the glass surfaces with care.
Home, Friendship, Destiny
Mariskka smiled as she looked over the sigils that had been presented to her. Her eyes wandered from the cubes to the comfortable inn around her, and her thoughts wandered to the interesting things she'd done that day.
"Home," She said softly. "Am liking this. Is nice city vith nice people, yes." She looked around the interior of the inn and nodded in satisfaction. "Could be staying avhile, yes. Maybe fortune is being right. Destiny is being adventure here for a time."
She smiled to herself, remembering again her conversation with Olow Domin. Maybe she would find more than a place to stay here. The word 'home' meant so much more than a place to rest one's head after all. Maybe there were many more friendships to forge, and another chapter for her to write in the story of her life.
As she gathered her scrying cubes up, the shaman nodded to herself; adventure would always call to her, would always teach her new things about herself. It would begin again, here in this place.
As she made her way across one of the stone bridges that spanned the many canals of Stormwind, her smile widened as she took in the sights and sounds of the busy trade district of the city. Having spent the past several years in Nagrand by herself, the sight of so many bodies packed so tightly together was an experience that she was unaccustomed to. Although she had a mission in mind, her natural curiosity drew her eyes in every direction as she made her way through the press of people.
Ahead of her, a tall stone structure rose above the surrounding buildings, the crowds of people gathering in front of it even thicker than elsewhere in the district. Mariskka pressed onward, now occasionally bumping into others as the crowd ebbed and flowed around her. Taller than many of the other races, she was still short compared to other Draenei and had a hard time seeing past all of the people to the interior of the structure. With many "Oof! Am being sorry!" and "Pardoning me please!" she managed to squeeze her way into the building.
Within, her senses reeled with the onrush of sound as people shouted, argued, bartered, exclaimed over goods, or simply made small talk as they browsed the wares within the main auction building. Eyes wide, Mariskka moved further into the building, her gaze barely resting in any place for more than a few seconds as she soaked up the sights and sounds of the busy trade area. Not watching where she was going, she soon collided with a man that was carrying bolts of fabric, knocking both of them to the ground. She landed on her rear, her tail out behind her and a swatch of silk cloth dangling from one of her horns.
"Eee! Am being so sorry! Vas not vatching vhere going!" she exclaimed from the floor as the human hastily tried to pick up his bolts of fabric before they were stepped on. The man grunted at her apology, not bothering to reply as he snatched the cloth from her horns and neatly folded it back onto the pile. Mariskka scrambled to her feet backing up quickly to give the man room to gather his things.
Right into a family of four that had been walking past.
Her tail, swaying behind her as she regained her balance, smacked a lollipop from a child's hand right as he had been about to bring it to his mouth. The child began to wail, and Mariskka whirled, surprised at the sound. The parents gave her dirty looks as they tried to soothe their yelling child, and Mariskka's face flushed with embarrassment.
"Ack! Am thinking I should be leaving soon!" she mumbled to herself before bowing to the family. "Am being sorry, yes. Vill buy child new candy, yes!"
"Miss, that's really not nec.." the father of the child began. Mariskka cut him off, waving her hands about frantically and pulling her coin purse out. She quickly grabbed a fistful of coins and presented them to the man. "Is being enough, yes?"
The man's eyes widened as he saw five gold coins sitting in the palm of her hand. He shook his head and sighed, "Miss, that's far too much money for a simple piece of candy. You aren't from around here, are you?"
Mariskka's face fell as she realized she'd made yet another mistake. "Vas only trying to...how you say...make right? Am being vrong?"
The man sighed again, and with a little ribbing from his wife who stood nearby with a smile on her face, he looked at Mariskka and shook his head again. "No, you're not wrong, it's just too much money. Here, what are you trying to buy now? You're going to get totally fleeced if you just start flashing that much money around at everything you're interested in buying!"
Mariskka blinked at him, tilting her head and setting her pigtails bouncing. "Am not looking to buy fleece, no. Vould not be vanting this!"
The man rolled his eyes and sighed; it was going to turn into a very long afternoon he was thinking.
************************************
Mariskka sighed happily as she slid into a chair at a table within the Blue Recluse. She took care to make sure her tail was tucked out of the way to avoid accidents (A lesson she had picked up that very day!) and then waved at a serving girl as the other made her rounds through the tavern. The human she'd met earlier in the auction house had been quite helpful, and had directed her to this inn for the night. Previously she'd been camping in Elwynn forest, and although the weather was nice, the inn provided shelter from the bandits that still roamed those forests.
"One vater please! Vould love if it vas being cold!" Mariskka smiled at the serving girl. The girl nodded and hurried off to fetch the drink, leaving the shaman to her own thoughts. She'd stay for the night perhaps before returning to her duties in Hyjal and along the fronts where the Alliance did battle.
As she waited for her drink, Mariskka pulled out her worn pouch from its place within her armor, taking her scrying cubes out and handling them reverently. With a look of concentration on her face, the shaman threw the cubes down on the table before her, looking to read her own fortune. (Something she did only rarely.)
Wind whispered around her, an unnatural breeze of the elements as the small cubes bounced and then settled down before her. The Draenei leaned forward, studying the images carved onto the glass surfaces with care.
Home, Friendship, Destiny
Mariskka smiled as she looked over the sigils that had been presented to her. Her eyes wandered from the cubes to the comfortable inn around her, and her thoughts wandered to the interesting things she'd done that day.
"Home," She said softly. "Am liking this. Is nice city vith nice people, yes." She looked around the interior of the inn and nodded in satisfaction. "Could be staying avhile, yes. Maybe fortune is being right. Destiny is being adventure here for a time."
She smiled to herself, remembering again her conversation with Olow Domin. Maybe she would find more than a place to stay here. The word 'home' meant so much more than a place to rest one's head after all. Maybe there were many more friendships to forge, and another chapter for her to write in the story of her life.
As she gathered her scrying cubes up, the shaman nodded to herself; adventure would always call to her, would always teach her new things about herself. It would begin again, here in this place.
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