The Bloodline

                The forest was darker than any she’d ever seen, the sounds emanating from it somewhat sinister and far less comforting than they’d otherwise normally be. The Twilight Grove in Duskwood was creepy to just about anyone, but to the silver-haired druidess that ventured through the darkened woods the dangers were magnified by her knowledge of the forest and the way it should be responding to her presence. The bushes ruffled, animals made unnatural noises, and a gloom seemed to hug the land that not even the enormous tree deeper within the wooded area could entirely erase.

                Saveenah Starfeather had come to see what there was to see here. No longer restrained by her father’s strict hand, she had set off on an adventure of discovery. Even as a child the petite druidess had enjoyed exploring her home in the wooded places and ancient Highborne ruins of Feralas, but now that she’d grown and finally found some measure of freedom the entire world was open to satisfy her curiosity.

                Despite this, something didn’t sit right with Saveenah, and she paused frequently as she wandered through the shadowed wooded areas, often stopping to listen for long, silent periods of time. It was not just the forest, it was something else that was bothering her, and a smirk played whimsically across Saveenah’s lips as she considered in disbelief what she had come to realize; someone was trying to follow her, a druidess, through the forest and thought they were being exceptionally clever about it.

                With this realization in mind, it was not hard for Saveenah to prepare a little trap. Quickly scrambling through a jumble of tumbled Highborne ruins, her form shimmered and changed, turning into a cat and darting forward into the heavier underbrush ahead. As soon as she was concealed within the thick branches and leaves, she turned and doubled back, climbing a tree with her cat claws and taking a position in a high branch that overlooked a clearing just beyond the thicket she’d entered. Her form shimmered again, and she watched in her night elven form as a figure emerged from the bushes, clearly having been following her.

                Tight leather armor hugged the muscular, tanned form of a Sin’dorei as he passed within view. Short cropped blonde hair capped his head, and a brace of daggers rode at his hip. Saveenah admired him for a moment from behind; he was a beautiful specimen of a male Sin’dorei and it was not until her gaze had lingered on him a moment longer that she realized he was familiar to her. She breathed a sigh of relief, jumping from the branch and landing softly behind him.

                As expected, even this slight movement and sound caused him to whirl around, a dagger in each hand and his fel-green eyes meeting hers. For a moment tension crackled between them and then the figure relaxed slightly, breathing out and saying her name at the same time, “Saveenah…”

                “Braeth’el!” Saveenah said warmly. “Of all of the people who would be stalking me through a forest, you would have been the last that I’d have guessed it would be. This must be extremely important for you to have come all of this way just to locate me.”

                Braeth’el nodded, a smile playing across his face briefly as he sheathed his weapons. He spread his hands wide in a gesture of peace as he replied, “It is very important. It has to do with your sister and events that have transpired recently at her home. I need you to come with me and answer some questions. Maybe even talk to her about things. I’m…I’m at a loss right now. Things have spun out of control and I need to put the pieces back together quickly for Kyliska’s sake and for the sake of those under my charge. You may be a key piece of that.”

                Saveenah felt her pulse begin to race at Braeth’el’s words. Her sister, Kyliska Sunfire, was her other half. Like night and day, one looked like and lived the life of a Sin’dorei while the other more resembled their father and lived amongst the Kaldorei. Separated at birth, they’d only just learned of each other and only even more recently reconnected. Saveenah knew that Kyliska lived in a world of politics and magic and wonder the likes of which she could not fully comprehend. She also realized how dangerous such a world could be. How could she not? She’d spent her entire childhood amongst the ruins of Highborne who should have known better.

                With only a second of hesitation, Saveenah nodded, stepping towards Braeth’el, “I will come with you. I wouldn’t want Kyli to be in any sort of trouble. You have a way to get back home I’m guessing?”

                Braeth’el nodded, his voice more confident now, “I have a portal spell on a scroll here. We’ll head back now and discuss matters. After you’ve answered a few questions I’ll take you to Kyliska and maybe you can help me once you understand the full extent of the situa-“

                Braeth’el’s sentence was cut off as an arrow sliced through the air. An expert assassin and spy, Braeth’el sensed the attack coming a fraction of a second beforehand. He flipped backwards and away from Saveenah, the projectile flashing between them and embedding itself in the ground, the butt of the arrow quivering. Saveenah gasped, falling back as a second figure dashed into the clearing, hunting spear held in one hand as he ran to meet Braeth’el in combat, the Sin’dorei already back on his feet with daggers in hand.

                The second figure paused only for a brief instant, giving Saveenah just enough of a glimpse of him to understand who else had been predictably stalking her through the forest. Deep blue hair cropped close to the Kaldorei’s head and a familiar, concerned expression met Saveenah’s gaze as Andissiel Moonblade charged towards Braeth’el. Clad in form fitting chain mail armor that hugged his muscles, Andissiel towered over Braeth’el as he reached him. Saveenah heard his voice call out once to her before they began to battle in earnest, “Saveenah! Run!”

                Saveenah’s scowl betrayed the thunderous anger roiling through her as the two powerful men began to do battle over her. Both of them had been trailing her in secret; Braeth’el for his own purposes and Andissiel because he was always watching her due to either his own desires or her father’s endless meddling. That they should both have met at the same time and place showed just how little freedom she actually had in the end.

                Daggers flew outward and were deflected with a deft parry of the spear’s length. The spear tip flashed forward only to be deflected by yet another dagger. Andissiel jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding being stabbed by Braeth’el’s weapon. Seeing an opportunity, Andissiel dropped his spear, grabbing Braeth’el’s wrist and forcing the dagger to drop from his hand. Braeth’el followed up by punching Andissiel in the side, drawing another dagger with his free hand and forcing Andissiel to grapple him in order to avoid being stabbed.

                The two men grunted and struggled, muscles bulging on their arms as they each sought to overpower one another. What Braeth’el lacked in size and height on Andissiel he more than made up for with cunning, forcing the larger Kaldorei to continuously regain his grip with carefully prepared moves. In another time, in a less serious setting, Saveenah might have even enjoyed watching the two men fight one another for her. The fact that they were fighting over possession of her for whatever plot each had in mind diminished such thoughts however, and her voice rang out over their grunting, “Stop it! ENOUGH!”

                Braeth’el grunted, his voice coming out in a gasp as he replied, “Y-you need to come with me. Kyliska…needs you…”

                Andissiel’s voice was equally restrained when he replied, “Y-your father said…can’t let you go back to Quel’Thalas…have to take you home.”

                Tears ran down Saveenah’s face now as two good men did battle for absolutely no sensible purpose before her eyes. She shook her head, her voice nearly hysterical now, “N-no! NO! Leave me ALONE! I’m not going with either of you! I want to walk my own path! I want to leave!”

                Even as her voice rang out, a tingling scent of ozone filled the air before a second later an explosion of arcane energy erupted between Saveenah and the combatants. She was hurled backwards, and Andissiel and Braeth’el were hurled in the opposite direction, separated from one another for a moment as they landed in the leaves of the forest floor.

                Saveenah blinked once in shock, her vision dancing with blinding light for a moment before her eyes came into focus. Before her stood a night elf with long, flowing silver hair, her pose almost regal as she glared down at the two men in the leaves. Her hands settled on her hips, her elegant gown flowing around her ankles and her voice commanding as she spoke, “Saveenah will go with neither of you, and you will not lay a hand on her. Remain where you are lest you force me to hurt you.”

                Braeth’el’s eyes widened for a moment and his voice was a whisper as he replied, “Biara…”

                The figure standing over Saveenah turned towards her, magical barriers flickering into existence around her as she turned her back on the two fallen elves. Her face bore a slight resemblance to Saveenah’s own, except for the scar that marred her right cheek. She reached down, extending a hand to the fallen druidess, her voice soft, “If you wish to leave, Saveenah, I will help you. If you wish to know more, both about what Braeth’el wanted and about who you are, then I will also help you with that. The choice however, is and always will be yours. I will leave if you wish, with or without you.”

                Saveenah paused for a moment, her eyes traveling between the two men, both Kaldorei and Sin’dorei, that had been fighting over her. Her gaze returned to the Highborne standing over her, to her face. Although she didn’t know why Braeth’el had called her ‘Biara’ since Biara was a Sin’dorei, something about her smile was familiar, something in her eyes called to the druidess. Slowly she reached out, taking the elf’s hand, “Take me away from them. I’ll not be someone’s trophy.”

                Biara grasped her hand tightly and smiled, dipping her head once before speaking a word of magic. The clearing was again blasted with blinding magic, and when the light faded, only Braeth’el and Andissiel remained. The two warily rose, backing away from one another, neither taking their eyes off the other until they were far enough away to avoid further attacks. As one they turned and dashed away, their individual missions having failed.

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                Saveenah’s eyes opened and she gasped in wonder as she found herself within a magical sanctuary the likes of which she’d never imagined. It was as if all of the ruins of the Highborne she’d explored as a child had been pieced back together with magic and made whole once more. Marble walls with delicate carvings of stone leaves and trees surrounded her, the circular chamber where they had reappeared containing a glowing swirl of arcane energy at its heart that was held in place by glowing wards on the floor.

                Beside Saveenah, Biara stirred, turning to smile at the druidess and gesturing towards a nearby stone bench within the chamber. The dazed druidess followed, both of the elves settling down on the seat as Biara turned to face Saveenah. A thousand questions roiled through Saveenah’s mind, but the most pressing of them burst forth first, “You’re really Biara? Like Magistrix Biara Dayfire?”

                Biara nodded and smiled slowly, “I am. I…would like to apologize, Saveenah. I have been deceiving you and your sister Kyliska for some time. Actually, mostly Kyliska. I didn’t really know of your existence until Kyliska herself discovered it. Sassariel was very intelligent and very wise to hide what she’d done from the citizens of Quel’Thalas. None would have understood, although I do. I very much do.”

                Saveenah sucked in a deep breath, taking a few moments to process this. She instantly realized why Braeth’el had been trying to coerce her into going to Quel’Thalas. Not only was Kyliska likely upset, but they probably thought Saveenah knew something about it, given that she was living amongst the Kaldorei. A viewpoint that Biara had probably further reinforced with her sudden appearance unfortunately. She nodded at Biara, mentally cataloging the information and accepting it at face value for the time being, “Why? Why were you disguised as a Sin’dorei? And what are you going to do with me now?”

                Biara tilted her head and smiled, “Do with you? Nothing at all. In fact, if you wish to leave at any time, merely say the word and I will use magic to send you wherever you would like to go. If you wish never to see me again, I will respect your wishes. I am not here to ‘do’ anything to you but tell you the truth; something that I’ve been trying to do more of lately. There is something I would like to tell you though, if you will hear me out. Words I need to say.”

                Saveenah nodded and then folded her arms across her chest, hugging herself, “You didn’t answer my question. Why were you disguised as a Sin’dorei? Answer that, and maybe I will listen to the rest of what you have to say.”

                Biara considered this for a moment, the smile fading from her face as she replied slowly, “I was there to watch over your mother and Kyliska. I wanted to be close to them, to guide them and aid them in time of need. I did this because I am a distant relative of their bloodline. Of your bloodline.”

                Saveenah nodded a second time, remaining silent for many long minutes as she processed this information. It made sense to her in a way; if Biara really was related to her mother, Sassariel Spellfury and to her sibling, then there would have been no other way for the Highborne to get close to them except to use a disguise. While it was deceitful, it was not necessarily evil and she might have had good intentions. The fact that she was telling Saveenah any of this made her trust the other’s words, if only a little. “I see. And what was it that you wished to tell me then?”

                Biara sighed and looked away from her a moment, her gaze going over the strange magical energies dancing in the center of what must have been a portal room. When she spoke, her voice had some strange emotion in it, “All of your life, you grew up without knowing your mother, without a mother to raise you. What I wanted to say was, that had I known of you, had I known that you even existed, I would have been there for you. I would have moved the seas and mountains if need be for you. Everything that you have suffered alone, I blame myself for, because I was not careful enough to ensure that Sassariel was not keeping secrets from me. You’ve been deprived of your birthright, of knowledge of your family, and of the loving care of a mother, all because I was careless. I wanted to tell you that I’m sorry, and that in the future, no matter what, you will have at least one family member looking over you that you can call on for aid.”

                Saveenah’s eyes opened wide in shock, and she felt a little stab of sorrow in her heart for the other elf. In the words were a depth of timeless sadness that she couldn’t fully place or understand. Instinctively she reached out, placing her hand on Biara’s arm to comfort her, her voice soft, “You have done nothing to me, and I hold you blameless. I am not your daughter, and you’ve no reason to take on such a responsibility in your own mind. Feel free of guilt, Biara, because my life has been fairly blessed and I do not mourn any piece of it.”

                Biara turned and met her gaze, a soft smile on her face and an expression that looked to be one of relief. She patted Saveenah’s hand once as she spoke, “Thank you, Saveenah. You don’t know what that means to me to hear you say that. I…have had a very long time to think about these things and regret is always the hardest thing to let go of.”

                Just then, another elf appeared in the doorway to the portal chamber, the elf wearing a silken nightgown and leaning heavily on the stone portal. Beautiful cyan hair cascaded down her back and a bright smile lit her face even though it was obviously painful and tiring for her to walk, as if she’d been injured. She gazed into the room until she spotted Biara, the words she said next sending a chill up Saveenah’s spine the likes of which she’d never felt before, “Kerriel! I’m up and walking! Although…I totally don’t know how long I’ll be able to stay this way. Still, it’s a super great improvement, right?”

                Besides Saveenah, Biara’s voice whispered out softly, “Malandrae…you need to rest more my friend. Your physical wounds are not even completely healed yet. Let me take you back to bed.” She paused, turning to look at Saveenah, “I am sorry Saveenah, but my friend Malandrae was gravely wounded recently and I’ve been caring for her. I need to return her to her bed before we continue our conversation.”

                Saveenah’s heart raced in her chest as she stared up at Biara. She breathed in deeply, calming herself and swallowing a lump in her throat as she nodded at Biara, keeping her emotions buried inside her, “It is alright, Biara. You’ve already done so much for me. Do you want to send me on my way for now and then come and see me after you’ve been able to see to her? I don’t want you to worry about the two of us at the same time.”

                Biara smiled at Saveenah, her tone grateful as she replied, “That…that is kind of you, Saveenah. I appreciate it. Mal’s wounds….they were bad. Both inside and out. She means the world to me and I need to make sure she gets better. Where would you like to go? I’ll come and find you and we can talk more in the future.”

                Saveenah smiled, “Back to Feralas please. Maybe to one of the ruins? That way no one knows where I am for a while.”

                “As you wish, Saveenah. Step through the portal and it will take you to any destination you picture in your mind. We’ll talk again soon, I promise. And I will answer any questions you may have,” Biara replied.

                Saveenah stepped forward, giving Biara a brief hug before turning and striding into the portal, the whole time her heart was racing in her chest. As the magic flared around her and took her away to a private place that only she knew of in Feralas, her mind continued to race on and on. The name that Malandrae had called Biara. The name that had crashed over her like a thousand howling gnomish sirens breaking the silence in her mind. A name that she had heard only once, in a vision shared between her and Kyliska given to them both by their mother Sassariel Spellfury.

                A vision showing the founding of their line, all the way back to the beginning. A vision that began with an outcast Highborne who was thrown from Azshara’s court for her indiscretions. An elf that had lived countless centuries before Saveenah had ever been born.

                Kerriel Spellfury, matron of her bloodline.