Vanesse's Story

Introduction
Vanesse's Story is a multipart story written as a closed roleplay backstory. There are two writters involved, Vanesse (Selariah/Lirima), and Kormok. This story was written over the course of several months, and has not been edited from the original forum posting from which it was copied. Each section will be labled at the top with the writer's name. Enjoy!

-By Vanesse

"Vanesse, hurry up, the portal summoner will be here any minute!"

The young blood elven woman ran about frantically, the hurried last minute packing leaving her hair disheveled and her room a complete mess. She threw a few items of clothing into a bag, and decided she was ready, running out the door to the cart waiting outside.

"Forgive me father, I had to finish packing. When are we leaving?" Vanesse said in a raspy voice, panting to catch her breath, as she placed her bags in the back of the cart with the other blood elven goods.

"The moment the portal summoner gets here, he'll be teleporting us off to Orgrimmar," the blood elven man stated. He did not seem excited at all, indeed, there was a complete lack of emotion in his voice. Vanesse's attitude could not be more different.

It was only a month after the treaties were signed with the other members of the Horde, and this would be the first caravan of goods being exported to be sold in the Orgrimmar marketplace. To Vanesse, this was more than just a special moment.

She had lived on the run from Alliance forces for the past few years of her life, but how things had changed for her, and her people. They had a home now, in Quel'thalas, a home until Prince Kael'thas sent for his people to take them to his promised land. But more than that now, the Blood Elves had allies, and today, Vanesse would be one of the first Blood Elves to see the Horde capital.

"Tell me about the orcs again, father? What are they like? What's Orgrimmar like?" Vanesse questioned excitably. She had asked these questions before, and always her father had dodged answering them. She knew he would never give an answer to satisfy her, but she asked anyway.

"Vanesse, if I were to tell you my impressions of the Orcs, it'd be of when I fought them in the Second War. They're a different people now, so there's no reason for you to hear about them from me," he stated irritably. By the tone in his voice, any further questions on the subject would not be tolerated.

Not that Vanesse really cared, she was far too excited to be put off by her father's cold attitude. She climbed up onto the cart, beside her father, her legs swinging from the cart impatiently, until finally a blood elven man in rich red robes blinked into appearance in front of the caravan.

"Its time. Everyone ready your carts, and I will open the portal to Orgrimmar! An entourage will be waiting for you outside the gates of the city to lead you in. Good luck!" At the words of the blood elven mage, the caravan burst into life, within a moment every cart ready to move.

"Oh, this is it, we're really going to see Orgrimmar father!" Vanesse bounced in her seat in excitement, watching the mage whisper an arcane incantation. After a moment, a portal opened before the caravan, and one by one, every cart of the caravan disappeared into the magical rift.

-by Vanesse

The Horde scouting party surveyed the wreckage before them. Scores of wagons lay overturned alongside the Ashenvale road, scattered down a long stretch of the stone pavement. Blood Elven bodies filled in the gaps between the wrecked wagons, many more lying away from the wreckage, killed while attempting to retreat from their assailants. Several orcs kept watch around the perimeter of the ruined caravan, staying near the ancient Ashenvale trees for cover, bows at the ready. Countless had died in the ambush...the first Trade Caravan to Orgrimmar never made it to its destination.

Tauren shamans and troll priests patrolled the wreckage, shaking their head sadly as they offered, one by one, prayers for those that had died in the ambush. To the side of the road, several of the stronger members of the scouting party had already begun digging graves to bury the dead. In vain, the rest of the party looked for any signs of survivors, but it seemed that there would be none to find.

A forsaken soldier knelt by one of the wagons, picking an arrow out of the wood, the first one the scouting party had found that had not been recovered by the assailants. It was clear now was responsible for this attack. "Night elvesss..." spoke the forsaken in an angered, raspy voice. The undead clenched his fist, the Kaldorei arrow snapping in two, as he rose to find the leader of the scouting party to deliver his report.

"Sssergeant, I found a night elf arrow in the wreckage...itsss as we sussspected, the night elvesss were resssponsible," growled the forsaken. The orc sergeant sneered, still wondering how this happened. The caravan was supposed to be teleported directly to Orgrimmar, yet somehow it had ended up in Ashenvale...right into the Alliance's hands.

"They will pay..." muttered the orc sergeant, lifting his head back and howling in rage. "The Alliance scum will pay for this! I swear it!" His sentiment was shared amongst the rest of the scouting party, the anger felt by the sergeant felt amongst all of them. Yet each of them went about their grim task dutifully, honoring those that had died and giving every last one of them a proper burial.

Hours stretched by as the small scouting party went about its task, until finally, late into the afternoon, the final body was buried. After a brief ceremony from one of the shamans of the group, the scouting party sat down to rest, weary from their toil, yet each one of them eager to return to Orgrimmar. They had long since given up on finding any survivors, the Night Elves were exceptionally thorough, not one trade good left behind, nor even one Blood Elf left alive.

It was only after quiet had settled over the camp, after the labors of the scouting party had finished, that a faint crying could be heard. The Night Elves had not been as thorough as the scouting party had intially thought...there was one Blood Elf left alive.

-by Kormok

The forest floor was damp from the moisture of the hours before dawn. Each boot sank into the loam a fingers width after every step, but it made little sound. Next to the lean, armored figure, a large wolf padded with uncharacterisitic obedience.

Inhaling the misty air deeply, the shape turned a bit and regarded his lupine companion. "There was a battle near here last night," he said, to which the wolf simply stared. Sharp red eyes scanned the woods surrounding his position, lids narrowed with typical wariness. His green-skinned face was covered from the nose up by a fierce, furred mask. A horned, bone bow was in his gloved left hand, grasped tight in anticipation. Thick mail and leather armor was anchored to his lean body by numerous straps and buckles, most of which were muffled by the thick charcoal-gray cloak he wore on his back and the proud red tabard on his torso. He seemed unafraid of any lack of camouflage it granted him.

The wolf's golden eyes sparkled and his nostrils flared. Without warning, the muscles of his legs coiled like springs and he launched himself forward into the mist and brush. "Wraith!" the orc hissed and set off after him, muttering curses under his breath.

They emerged from the brush in the wreckage and aftermath of a battle. Many tracks lay about, both elvish and orcish, though the fighting had been over for many hours. Keen ears twitched under the mask when sound drifted through the fog. He followed it.

-by Vanesse

Vanesse opened her eyes slowly, stretching as she blindly crawled forward. Her hand found a root, using it as leverage to lift herself from the hovel at the base of a tree she had used for shelter. The blood elven girl rubbed her eyes, shaking away the moisture from her restless sleep. The grass was wet with the morning dew, but the sky was still dark before dawn.

As the girl rose to her feet, she felt a pang of hunger. She had not eaten for many hours, and she was beginning to feel it. Hunger, however, was the least of the Vanesse's pain. Her hand reached back, finding the hard bark of the tree behind her as she slumped back against it, her eyes staring blankly. The reality of what had happened to her was finally setting in, after the hectic escape last night.

She had been too preoccupied with her own survival last night to truly take in the night's events. Yet as Vanesse leaned back against the tree, the death of the members of the caravan, of friends, of her own father became a weight too much for her. Her knees weakened and collapsed beneath her, and she buried her face in her hands, sobbing uncontrollably. She was far away from her home, in a place she neither knew nor recognized, alone for the first time in her life. Her family and friends were not here, there was no one here to support her.

After a time Vanesse's tears were emptied, and she wiped her eyes, finally finding the strength to stand. Her grieving would not make her hunger fade away, she needed to find something to eat. She started forward, dawn finally breaking and lighting the forest. She barely made a step before the brush in front of her moved, and she froze in her steps, a sudden fear overtaking her as she gazed into a pair of feral, golden eyes.

-by Kormok

The orc emerged from the bushes just behind the gray and white wolf to find him with his lips curled back in a feral snarl, staring down a slim shape matted with dirt and dew. She appeared unarmed, but that meant precious little in these times. Her skin was pale and her ears long, which suggested only a few possibilities to the hunter.

He took a risk and growled out what would have to pass for a greeting. "Identify yourself. Quickly, longears." The orc kept his right hand out and away from his body, but his bow was still clenched tight in the other. The next few seconds would decide whether this would be a meeting or an altercation.

-by Vanesse

Vanesse crawled back on her hands at the sight of the wolf and the orc, her eyes wide with fear. The blood elven girl had never actually seen an orc before, and had little idea of what to expect. Even worse, she was still shaken from the previous night's events, so much so that the orc's words did not yet register in the girl's mind.

She placed her hands in front of her and turned her eyes away, as if it would make the wolf and orc go away. Vanesse shrieked in fear, "No! Go away! I don't want to be eaten!" The young blood elf turned and tried to crawl away on her hands and knees, not really having the strength to stand at the moment. She only reached the roots of the tree she slept in the night before, when she turned onto her back, sitting up on her hands, her eyes wide, believing in that moment that there was no escape. She looked about frantically for an escape, for anything she could use to escape the creatures before her...but there was nothing.

-by Kormok

He narrowed his eyes and whipped his head about, sniffing the air. There was no sign of anything else alive, except perhaps some crows and other scavengers. If it was an ambush, they were very well hidden. Wraith continued to snarl until the hunter laid his free hand onto the scruff of the wolf's neck. There was a long moment of indecision before the orc finally slipped his longbow across his shoulder.

Her words had been little more than frightened utterances, and she was young from all telling. The orc knew, however, that this was little indication of her true age, as elves were extremely long-lived. She had crabbed herself back against the bark of one of the ancient Ashenvale trees, and seemed to be too terrified to make any effort at fighting or fleeing. He took another risk and stepped towards her. "Longears. Do you speak Orcish?"

-by Vanesse

Vanesse stared into the eyes of the orc before her, shrinking back, until finally the orc's words sank in...she recognized the tongue clearly, her father had taken great care in teaching the orc language to her. Her fingers clenched around one of the roots, as if trying to gain some degree of calm or control over her emotions. She swallowed, and spoke as clearly as she could, her voice still stuttering.

"Y...yes, I speak...o..o..orcish..." she said barely above a whisper. She tried to sit up, the lump in her throat causing her to breathe quickly and deeply, almost as if gasping for air. The orc had not yet tried to kill her, but to the terrified blood elven girl, rational thought was the farthest thing from her thoughts. Yet somehow the voice soothed her...for the moment, she was not alone, and simply hearing something she could understand brought her a little comfort, even if she was unsure whether the creature before her would harm her or not.

-by Kormok

Her response had been short, but at least it was understood. "You are a long way from your lands, longears. These woods are not safe for you." The hunter relaxed his posture somewhat, shoulders squared and head turned slightly in her direction. His face was still mostly obscured by the mask he wore, and he made no motion to remove it.

"There was battle here. I think you have some explaining to do, but that can wait until after we find shelter. It won't be long before my tracks are found and followed, and I would prefer to speak to you without arrows in my back."

Three long strides brought the orc to her, Wraith close at his heels. An armor-clad hand was extended down towards her. "Decide quickly," he said, his gaze intense and unwavering upon the blood elf huddled at the base of the tree.

-by Vanesse

She listened intently to the orcs words, focusing on them, and finding comfort in them. There seemed to be no ill intent in what he said, and he had plenty of chances to kill her if he wanted to. In these woods, she had no one, no food, no shelter, and it would only be a matter of time before she would be found and killed by the same people who destroyed the caravan. Only a brief moment passed before her choice was made.

Her slender hand reached up to grasp the orc's, and she slowly drew herself to her feet. Still weak from hunger, her knees trembled; she still would not be able to move very fast. However, the support of even one other person would be enough to sustain her for a short distance.

"I...I...t..thank you...who are you...?" she whispered meekly. Her thoughts were a jumble, a million questions mixed with a million things she wanted to say. Yet even if she could not think of what to say, her stomach could, as it growled rather loudly, to Vanesse's embarassment. "Lets hurry, yes..."

-by Kormok

He slipped an arm around her to support her weight, then headed back into the brush. "There is a safe haven not far from here. We will get you some food and shelter, and you can explain what happened." He kept his attention focused ahead of them, with the wolf following close behind. "I am known as Kormok. That is all you need know for now."

The elf was light, and he barely felt her weight against him. If this was a planned ambush, they certainly took the time to wear the bait down to exhaustion.

-by Vanesse

"Kormok..." she whispered the name to herself quietly, memorizing the name of her rescuer. She attempted to keep up as best she could, her feet stumbling now and then, not moving with the ease that the hunter did. She looked at the strange mask the orc wore, as she wondered if she should try to make conversation while they travelled. The orc seemed wary of danger however, and seemed convinced that there would be an ambush around every corner, behind every tree.

Judging from the events of last night, such suspicions were not unfounded, she decided, and she kept her mouth shut, focusing on keeping up with the orc's pace.

-by Kormok

The two of them traveled for perhaps a mile, maybe less, their passage hidden by the bushes and fallen leaves. Kormok appeared to take great pains to walk in places that would make following them difficult, and only after a long journey did they emerge in a small basin. The air here was wet and smelled strongly of rich earth, and was quite removed from the trails and paths that most would use.

Kormok led the blood elf towards a dangling curtain of ivy along the face of a mound of rocks. He made no effort to slow as they approached, reaching out his hand and pulling aside the leafy vines to reveal a small cave. It extended perhaps only a few meters in, but would suffice as a shelter until the elf regained her strength.

"I have used this shelter often during my travels in these woods. You will be safe here." Kormok paused to help her settle on the mossy cave floor and turned to the wall, kicking aside a mound of moss to uncover a small crate of supplies. He smiled and knelt to open it, his wolf companion sitting on his haunches and watching the elf cautiously.

-by Vanesse

Vanesse found a spot along the wall, sitting down and stretching out her legs. The cool, dampness of the cave was comfortable, although it did little for the mess she was currently. Her clothing and skin were covered in dirt, with scrapes and small cuts covering various joints, her hands, and her feet.

Her eyes fell on the wolf watching her, and then moved to the orc as he searched through the supply crate. She looked towards the cave entrance, and then closes her eyes. "Thank you...Kormok, wasn't it? I'm Vanesse..." she spoke meekly.

A thought came to Vanesse, and she suddenly spoke up, almost excitedly. "Was I...the only one you found? Were there any other survivors?" Her voice seemed hopeful, that maybe some of the others had survived. If she had escaped, surely others might have as well. Her fingers squeezed the fabric of her shirt nervously.

-by Kormok

Kormok rummaged around in the crate, removing some cloth-wrapped firewood and a battered tinderbox. He did not turn at her desperate question, a heavy sigh escaping his lungs. "I sensed nothing else, though admittedly I did not search for very long. I will get a small fire going, and return to the site to investigate."

Spinning on his knee, Kormok began to stack the firewood on a dry section of stone. A few scraps of tinder and a spark later, a small flame began to smolder in the wood. It would grow with little tending. "Vanesse," he murmured, repeating the name several times. "Before I search, I will need to know more." Kormok raised his attention from the growing fire to stare intently at the elf. "What were you doing out here?"

-by Vanesse

"I...I don't know..." Vanesse whispered at first, as if trying to figure out just what happened herself. After a moment, she continued. "We were supposed to arrive in front of Orgrimmar, but we didn't...we ended up in the forest, and we were attacked...I...I got away, and they didn't find me...but..ever..everyone else..."

The girl began to shiver, sniffling as she tilted her head up, gathering her courage. "I did not see anyone else make it out. I don't know what happened to the rest of the caravan...whether my father made it out...or anything...we were supposed to be the first trade caravan to Orgrimmar...but, something went wrong. This wasn't supposed to happen..."

The girl's eyes shimmered with curiousity. "W..where are we, anyway? This isn't Durotar, it can't be, this is nothing like how it was described to me..."

-by Kormok

"You are in Ashenvale, near the center of what used to belong to the night elves. Their settlement is some miles to the west of here, but we are safe in this place." Kormok made a vague gesture to the cave walls. "You say you were supposed to be going to Orgrimmar... you were part of some trading endeavor? I have heard the rumors of talks between your people and mine, but I am at a loss to explain why they would send you here.

"These woods are the territory of enemies of the Horde. It is little wonder you were attacked, given the rumors." The orc scratched his beard, pondering, then reached behind into the crate and tossed a rumpled wool blanket onto the floor next to the elf. "To ward off the chill."

-by Vanesse

Vanesse gathered the blanket and warmed herself in it, shaking her head. "Ashenvale...we weren't supposed to go here, no. We took a portal that was supposed to take us to Durotar, just in front of Orgrimmar...but instead we ended up here, and we were attacked instantly..."

"We were supposed to be the first, you know...the first trade caravan to Orgrimmar...it was..was supposed to be the beginnings of friendship between our people..." Vanesse shook her head sadly. "I don't know now...what will I do? Where will I go, if my father..if..if he didn't..." she went silent, the thought of her father's probable death weighing heavily on her. She curled up in the blanket, feeling colder than ever.

-by Kormok

The orc shook his head. "Do not lose hope until I've had a chance to scout the area. I will return soon enough." He rose to his feet and adjusted the buckles and straps of his armor. "Wraith will remain here with you. He is harmless, don't let his size or appearance alarm you."

Kormok moved to the ivy curtain that cloaked the entrance to the cave. He glanced over his shoulder to the elf, nodded, and disappeared into the woods beyond.

-by Vanesse

Vanesse was unsure about what Kormok said. Despite his reassurances, Wraith did not exactly look like the friendliest of creatures. She curled up tighter in the blanket, warming herself by the fire as she waited in the damp cave.

She would not leave the cave, certainly. The orc had been kind to her so far, and this was the safest place she could be, in an unfamiliar land. Still, she was worried. If Kormok found nothing, then she would be alone, an orphan, thousands of miles from her people. She would have nothing...no home, no family, no friends...no food, nor shelter. Vanesse suddenly felt very worried and alone. Even if she did survive Ashenvale, her future was looking very bleak.

-by Kormok

It was over an hour before the orc returned. When he swept aside the ivy, he was carrying a cleaned rabbit carcass impaled on a stake and had his waterskin slung over his left shoulder, tiny beads of liquid dribbling from the battered cork stuck in the end. Kneeling before the small fire, he added a few more scraps of wood before setting the hare over it to cook.

"I searched for a good long while. If there were other survivors, they have long since . I found no one else alive." He watched the elf carefully, laying the waterskin on the ground next to her.

-by Vanesse

The blood elf looked up as the ivy was swept aside, and she actually smiled to see the orc return. She glanced at the rabbit, and then to the waterskin, taking it and opening it, taking a long drink of water, before closing it and setting it aside. She did not seem the least bit surprised at the orc's news.

"I'm not...really surprised. I sort of knew, I think...I really am alone now," she stated matter of factly. She was still concerned and worried though, it was written clearly on her face. Vanesse was silent for a while, watching Kormok as he cooked the rabbit. After a while, she finally spoke up.

"So what will happen to me now?" she asked. "My home is an ocean away, and I have no family anymore. I don't know what I'll do..."

-by Kormok

The hunter swatted the wolf away as he attempted to sniff the slowly-roasting rabbit carcass. He pulled the mask off of his face and laid it aside on the rocks, shaking his head to let down two long braids on each side of his green, lined face. Kormok was young, for an orc, though worry and battle had taken its toll on his features.

"I am sorry for your loss, longears," was all he said for a long moment, the crackle of the flames and the rustle of Wraith angrily scratching at his ear the only noises to break the silence. He watched Vanesse impassively during that time, studying her as a curious predator might survey another.

"As for what you will do," he continued at last, "you will regain your strength. Drink more water. When this is ready, eat. I only make one admission, however." A slight grin creased his face. "I am a terrible cook."

-by Vanesse

Vanesse smiled at last at Kormok's last comment, and she shakes her head. "I doubt I'd do much better, and I'll take anything over nothing. Anything to fill an empty stomach right now." She took the orc's advice, picking up the waterskin again. She pulled the cork out and took another drink, before corking it again.

"I suppose I'll figure things out as they come...I have to now. I can't be a little girl anymore, can I. I was so used to living comfortably, with so few responsibilities...that all has to change now.

"I'll try not to be a burden on you. You've been more than kind to me, more kind than I could ask for," she said with a smile. She spoke orcish remarkably well, obvious accustomed to the language. She slipped out of the blanket, folding it and putting it aside, finding that she was warm enough now.

-by Kormok

Kormok shrugged a bit, armor creaking with the movement. "Even if you were an enemy, you would still receive the appropriate treatment. It seems, however, that you are not a threat to me." His words belied the fact that he was still quite well-protected and heavily armed, and kept his front to Vanesse. Still, he lowered himself into a sitting position, legs folded and hands resting on his knees.

"Tell me more of yourself, Vanesse."

-by Vanesse

Vanesse closed her eyes after Kormok's request, and she began. "My father was a farmer...he used to be a great wizard though, or at least that's what everyone told me. After the second war though, he gave that up...he never told me why. He taught me a lot of things though...he taught me how to help on the farm...how to speak your language too.

"My father wanted me to come to Orgrimmar with him...kept talking about how I should see it for myself, how it'd be good for me. I would take any excuse to get off the farm, and see something new. I think a lot of it was that my father wanted to get away from all the talk about the Promised Land that the other blood elves found in the Outlands. He never really believed any of that..." Vanesse paused a moment, realizing she had started rambling.

"I'm sorry, I'm probably confusing you...this talk about the Promised Land and everything..."

Vanesse's Story is continued on the next page.