A Trip

The city of Ironforge is immense and impressive in its own right. Having grown up in and around this massive city I had lost the awe I once felt for the town in the mountain. It was around this time that I'd grown enough in wielding the power of the Light that Valgar Highforge sent for me.

I approached the temple in the Mystic Ward with not a little trepidation. What could this master Paladin want with little ol' me? I couldn't help but feel my heart flutter a bit at the thought that maybe he is sweet on me, but I quickly shook that feeling off and approached him as a strong and courageous child of the Light should.

I bowed as gracefully as my stout body would allow, and my braids flopped over into my face and dusted the ground at his feet so that when I stood straight once more I looked quite the fool. My face reddened in embarrassment as I attempted to casually shake my head in order to return my plaits to their proper place, I stammered, "You- you- sent for me, sir?"

He chuckled deeply and warm-heartedly with a huge grin on his face and put his arm on my shoulder so that I quickly forgot my embarrassment and foolishness and warmed up to him. "Ye've done well, lass." He nodded at me. "So well, ye've attracted the attention of the Cathedral o' Light."

I gasped and stepped away from him, feeling better and worse all at the same time. "What does this mean?"

He laughed again, the deep laugh only one of my people could have, the kind of laugh you can feel vibrating through the earth beneath your feet. "Don't ye worry, lass. The Shadowbreaker done sent for ye. What he wants with ye, I don't know. I do know he wields the Light in the same manner as ye. Perhaps he can teach ye something I can't."

Still in shock, I looked at him with eyes wide, ignoring his gleaming armor and thick, beautiful beard, in search of some kind of comfort, and whispered, "The Shadowbreaker wants me?"

"Aye, lass. And he ain't the type of man ye want to keep waiting, so ye best be getting on the Tram and making yer way to Stormwind right away."

"But- I- I- "

"Shhh. Do as I say now."

"But I've never been on the Tram. I've never been to Stormwind."

"Shhh. Go now, lass. I don't want to hear another peep out of ye about it. Best to not think overly deep about it and just do it."

"Uh, yes, sir." I bowed again for practice. I had managed to fiddle my braids into my belt in the back in an effort to keep them in place, and this time I pulled off the bow, if not with grace, then at least without embarrassment.

I flew to my barracks and gathered up what little I might need for the trip, muttering to myself the entire time. "Take the Tram he says. It may be the quickest way to Stormwind, but I'll be damned if I trust some Gnomish contraption to take me under the ocean. If I get but a drop of water on me someone's head will roll."

And despite my fears, I boarded the Tram, and held onto the railing tight as we flew off to Stormwind.

When we reached the bit where the rail opened up to glass windows on the ocean floor, I had to squeeze my eyes shut tight, and it took all my training to remain calm in the face of so much water. We were past it quickly, but the nausea didn't disappear until I was on solid ground again.