Lena lay back, fully clothed, in the strange little bed in the inn at the Shrine of Seven Stars, hooves dangling over the edge – once again, a place where she was too tall, too lanky, and, according to the rotund Pandaren, too thin. They were always trying to get her to eat – and she had to admit, their cuisine was exotic, interesting, and delicious. But she was far too busy trying to uncover the secrets of Pandaria to stop and eat much. The Tillers at Halfhill urged her to come by every day so they could teach her another recipe, and with a shy grin, Lena agreed. The female Pandaren smiled serenely and tugged gently at her tendrils, patting her cheek, telling her that her mate must be a lucky man. Lena didn’t have the heart to tell them she was a fair disaster in the kitchen, and that Kras was usually the one grilling and assembling the meals they didn’t have out at taverns and restaurants, or that Trisiana would bring over to their home. Lena specialized in conjuring sweets like cake and cookies. But the women tried, with some success, to teach her their ways of cooking.
Lena had had a long day of traveling and studying, working with Lorewalker Cho in the Seat of Knowledge, researching the old texts. Never in all her time had she seen a so carefully documented history of a race, aside from the draenei. Of course, she could say that because she herself was a draenei, and lived the stories and lived the history, and often assisted in documenting it. Either way, she was interested in furthering her study of the Sha and what led to the infestation of Pandaria. Pandaria had once been, as she gathered, a part of the continent of Kalimdor. Lena was sadly a little behind, though still quite proficient, in her studies of the Kalimdor races and history, but she was surprised to hear such a thing. Why would the continent break off and be hidden? What force is this? She mused as she tipped her conical hat over her face, muttering to herself as she tried to connect the dots.
Cho had told her that once, before the Sundering, a few Pandaren explorers had visited Aszhara, giving her a box that they told her would fulfill her people’s addiction to the arcane. Lena had grimaced at the thought of being addicted to magic like the blood elves, but listened intently. The box, Cho said, was empty. It was to serve as a warning to the high elves. Clearly, as history told, they didn’t heed the warning. This was where the mysteries of Pandaria seemed to catch up with Lena’s knowledge of Azeroth, but there was still so much to figure out. Cho, with his serene smile and penchant for reminding her in his drawling Common to “slow down” was frustrating her. But he seemed to sense it, and would immediately stop what they were doing, and ask Lena to meditate. ”Find your center,” he would say. ”Focus. Concentrate. Let your mind be free.” She was still struggling with the concept, and it often left her a little drained, but noticeably calmer.
Lena stretched an arm over her head, intending to reach for the notebook she kept on the table bedside to write down some ideas, but instead yawning and letting her eyes slip shut, the strange little hat that Krastos had purchased her and plunked onto her head still tipped over her face. She knew she looked ridiculous in it, and she hoped it wasn’t offensive for an outsider to wear what seemed to be a traditional piece of clothing, but Kras grinned so widely at the sight of her wearing the thing that she kept it. It did, after all, seem to work well in all the kinds of weather in Pandaria, keeping the sun from her face, letting rain roll away without impeding eyesight, and still warm enough for the peaks of Kun Lai Summit.
She was still ahead of Krastos, having been much more eager about the Shadows temporary relocation. He had joined a second wave of Shadows once a few matters were wrapped up in the rest of Azeroth. She was certain that for a few days, Krastos sat grumpily in the chair on their front porch, missing her, and after much sighing and rolling of eyes, had begrudgingly decided to join her in the Jade Forest.
He would see. Eventually, he would see what an interesting place Pandaria was. She nodded to herself and rolled onto her side, falling fast asleep.
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