Pilgrimage

"There are a few moments in your life that you will always remember. They uplift you, define who you are, and emphasize the best of what life has to offer. For me I know that those moments include the day I met my husband, the days my children were born, and of course the moment when I first truly began to feel the Light's love and warmth. Until yesterday, I believed that I had experienced the last of such wondrous moments. The moment I first laid eyes upon the holy city of Light, I felt again the thrill of the Light's embrace, as if for the first time. I am truly blessed to have such an opportunity, and I will not forget this feeling, this moment in time, for as long as I live."
~An excerpt from the memoirs of Britanielle 'Britany' Dawnblaze, Paladin of the Argent Crusade. 


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The warhorse's hooves made a steady rhythm on the pine covered pathway as Britany rode along the outskirts of Terokkar Forest.  Although she rode in silence, the wilderness around her was alive with the exotic sounds of the wildlife that called these strange lands their home. Given her previous experiences upon first entering the Outlands and traversing Hellfire Pennisula, Britany eyed the foliage around her with some degree of caution as she rode, her hands never far from the mace that hung at her belt.

Just as the forest looked to be about to open up in the distance and the path began to wind downhill, Britany heard a sudden sound in the nearby bushes. Before she could react, a round spherical object bounced onto the path followed by a small figure that darted after it. Realizing in an instant that it was a child chasing a ball and that said child was about to be crushed by the hooves of her warhorse, Britany yanked back on the reins, causing the animal to stop in its tracks and rear up, neighing in protest.

It took several moments for Britany to bring the animal back under control and calm it. She patted its neck as it settled down, murmuring soothing noises at it as her gaze traveled down towards the ground. There, standing in the center of the path and holding a stitched leather ball, was a small Draenei boy with an almost comical expression of shock on his face. He stared at Britany so hard that she paused, her own mouth hanging open in surprise for a moment.

"Er...You. Okay?" Britany said in Common. Her grasp of the language was poor at best, learned in scraps from the other Crusaders as they performed their patrols in Northrend. She was proud of her small skill with it, even if her lack of education often lead to confusing or amusing conversations.

The little Draenei boy laughed and nodded before replying in perfect Thalassian, "Yes miss I'm fine! Are you a real knight?! That horse is amazing! I've never seen silver armor like that before! And you wear white over it! What is that symbol for? Do you have a sword too? Are you on a quest?!"

Britany smiled at the boy's enthusiasm, a light chuckle escaping her as she continued to pat her horse's neck reassuringly, "Yes child, I am a knight. I suppose you could say that I am on a quest of sorts. I am seeking the city of Light at the heart of this forest. Please, tell me, how is that you know my language?"

The boy nearly jumped up and down in excitement as Britany answered him. He dropped the ball he'd been playing with and turned, cupping his hands to his mouth and shouting into the forest, "Eva! Eva you have to come see this! There's a knight here!"

A moment later the bushes near the side of the trail began to shift and a little red-haired Sin'dorei child poked her head through the leaves, blinking at the boy, "Nas! Did you find the ball? What...oh my! That horse is beautiful! Can I ride on it? Who are you? You really are a knight!"

Britany blinked in surprise for a moment as the little Sin'dorei girl stepped onto the path near her friend. It took a minute to absorb the fact that there was a Draenei and Sin'dorei child in the forest, and that they were playing together. It was heart warming to see them, and it was obvious from the way they stood side by side and babbled questions at her that they were truly the best of friends.

With a soft smile on her face Britany carefully shifted, slipping her leg over the saddle and hopping down. She gave her steed another pat as she began to answer the barrage of questions the two children were sending her way, her heart truly at ease for the first time in many months.

"Yes as I told your friend, I am actually a Knight. This is my warhorse, and you can certainly ride on her if you'd like. Why don't you walk with me and help me complete my quest? I've a city to find after all..."

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Fifteen minutes later Britany walked on the path, her hands gently guiding the reins of her warhorse as the two children sat in the saddle, gleefully shouting and laughing together. The well trained steed took it all in stride, plodding along behind the knight as they finally broke free of the confines of the forest.

In that moment, Britany paused, her breath leaving in a gasp as the city of Shattrath unfolded before her in the valley below. Her eyes did not see the ruins of a once great Draenei city. They did not see the tents and camps of those who had been driven there by war or the perils of the dying world upon which the city sat. Instead she saw only the beacon of Light that pulsed from the city's center, heard only the beautiful and majestic song that flowed from the city, bringing peace and well being to those who heard it.

Where some might see poverty and desperation, Britany saw only a place where those of many races had come to seek out the Light's embrace, to feel the protection and love it afforded them. This was not a place where despair dwelled, but was instead was a beacon of hope for the future. The Light would make its stand, and it would bring together all of those who were brave enough and pure enough of heart to stand beside it and face down the darkness.

As she stood frozen on the trail, Britany felt tears streaming down her face, and she murmured a prayer to the Light, thanking it for bringing her to this point, to this moment in time. She felt uplifted, and knew that this renewed purpose would see her through many hardships and trials ahead.

The moment was only broken when her warhorse leaned forward and began to nuzzle one of her long tapered ears, the snorting of its nostrils making her jump. With the children giggling in the saddle behind her, Britany wiped the tears from her face and turned with a bright smile, "Thank you children for helping me complete my quest. I owe you both a debt of gratitude for leading me here."

Both Draenei and Sin'dorei grinned, awed by the fact that a real knight had said that they'd helped her. As Britany turned and lead her mount towards the gates of Shattrath, the jubilant laughter of children heralded her arrival in that holy city.

It would be a journey she would never forget, and a pilgrimage that she would recommend to other Crusaders for years to come.