The elves whispered among themselves, and Ela wondered about things as she groomed. She, like everyone at Shadow Watch, was concerned about Lena. She still wasn’t talking, barely eating, barely moving. They still had no idea what had happened.
Ela often crawled into the bushes late at night, watching the hunter standing guard. She took it upon herself to approach and wake him when he seemed to start dozing off, sliding out of the underbrush and nosing at his knee. She wondered, though, when the last time he had gotten a full night’s sleep. It had been several weeks since Lena was back. During the day, Nhadi would take over duties, and the others would rotate in as necessary, but Thuleos was her sole guardian at night. Nhadi would often shoo him away, ordering him to get a few hours of rest, at least, and sometimes, Ela would see him ambling in the direction of his home.
Something about the way Lena often screamed at night made them all nervous, wary of her, but Thuleos seemed to take it in stride, weathering most of her thrashing as he would try to calm her before Nhadi would arrive with her teas. It was duty, Ela thought, that kept Thuleos up all night. She didn’t know much about the hunter, but she knew he was Krastos’s kin, and didn’t seem to have other family. In the old days, when they were part of the Sha’nash, she recalled him being youthful and bombastic and sometimes overly charged. But he was a serious marksman, and always focused when on the battlefield. Perhaps that was what made it hard to see him now, notably aged, and much more subdued than before. Was it time alone, or the recent grief?
The others didn’t notice, but a soft noise from the direction of the mage’s home drew her attention. Ela glanced at the elves and found them deep in conversation, not likely to miss her. Shadowmelding into the dark of night, Ela crept toward the house. Lena was awake, and standing on her own, outside the door, holding Thuleos’s rifle. Eladea’s eyes widened as she drew closer, unsure of what was about to happen. Had Lena snapped? Was she going to try to hurt herself? Or Thuleos? Though she was undetectable, she crouched behind a large bush, peering through the leaves at their exchange. He finally stood and wrapped an arm around her, guiding her back into the house.
The druid sat still, apprehensively watching the house for hours until Thuleos finally reemerged. She followed him at a distance, suddenly realizing that he was headed toward the vaults of storage for Shadow Watch. Where was he going? Still stealthed, she quickly leapt into the room before getting her tail shut in the door, and she watched him gathering supplies.
As he stuffed items into bags, she realized – he was taking Lena somewhere. The armor he had packed was far too small for him… but it would probably fit well enough on Lena’s emaciated frame. And the rifle. What on Azeroth was going on?
When he finally crept out of the vaults, she followed, lest she get locked in, and sat in the dark at the turn of the road, watching them go. She glanced back toward the settlement, then north toward the pair of retreating talbuks.
She paced nervously as they faded from view, even as the sun rose. She should have followed, she admonished herself. But she had to tell someone. But they would only force Lena back to her home. The pair had headed north, which bothered her. Not toward the dock for a boat, not even attempting to leave the isles.
Suddenly, it dawned on her: Thuleos was going to train her. She had no more magic with which to fight, so he, or she, or they both together decided that she needed a way to fight.
But surely they wouldn’t take on the Underground alone…
Would they?
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