Worgen in Darnassus: Watchin' Leaves
((FINALLY my muse isn't being a huge wench. Here's a bit more of Leanan's schooling. Foliage watching and admitting to her Shan'do how she came to be cursed.))
Leanan was watching leaves.
Fanny had mentioned this being one of her exercises in Darnassus, but Lea had thought the other woman was pulling her leg at the time, the old Kaldorei dislike rearing it's affronted head again. But no, her very first morning of training with her Shan'do, Juriam had told her, brightly, that they'd be going into the forest, to watch the tree branches. Wrapping a longshawl around herself, Leanan had followed him from the inn and under the great trees surrounded the elven city, and sure enough, sitting on the banks of a small stream, he instructed her eyes upwards.
"Observe."
And she did as she was told, to her credit, paws drawn up under her against the very faint autumn chill. At first, though, her worgen nose was far too easily distracted by the new scents around them, her ears by the new noises. Deer in the woods, wisps on the wind, cooking smells on the air. After a half hour, Lea was simply bored. They were leaves, on branches. They swayed in the breeze. But, glancing at Juriam, who gazed serenely upwards, his expression one of peaceful observance, Leanan tried all the harder, fixing the canopy above with a determined frown. The Night Elf chuckled briefly, and then was silent again.
Slowly, her expression relaxing, tension leaving her shoulders, Leanan began to see things, notice things, the sounds of the nearby stream lulling her more surface senses. Colors began to appear in the leaves, or rather she began to notice them, tell them apart. The flush green of new foliage, the darker, fading blue of the old. More moments passed, and it was as if she could sense the sap flowing through the branches, almost in time with her own heartbeat.
Juriam was suddenly watching her intently, but Lea didn't notice for a long while, eyes fixed above. There were insects tapping tiny legs along the greenery, there was chlorophyll in their veins, and she knew, she just knew, that if she asked, if she made her request of the earth, she could make it move faster, make them grow larger. It wasn't until the twins reacted, gleefully, to her rapid heartbeat that she paused, looking down, grinning. Her Shan'do smiled broadly.
"Patience." His deep voice spoke the one word knowingly. "Even with how little time you are allotted in this life, it shall be an invaluable tool in honing your connection to the balance of nature."
"Aye...never been very patient," She admitted, quietly, grinning. "Didn't have t'be with weapons though, that came naturally."
"As does this," Juriam dipped his head, "It is simply a more complex natural gift in you...." He tilted his head then, his ear twitching. "...You do not have a Gilnean accent."
Leanan blinked, quite surprised by this sudden subject change. Elves weren't very sudden, usually. But then again, she was swiftly realizing that her teacher saw every question as prudent to her studies. "I aint Gilnean, aye," She cleared her throat, "I grew up in Duskwood...I wasn't bitten there!" She added hastily, at his vaguely alarmed expression, "I ah, was bitten by their Pa." She patted her middle ruefully. The Druid's brows knit at that.
"Your mate, who is far away?" He tilted his head, "Had he been through the ritual?" Leanan nodded, her blush showing even under her fur. The Night Elf looked further troubled, "...Why would you consent to marry a man who hasn't yet mastered the rage the wolf lends? By Elune, your children, their safety..."
"Oh no, no," The young woman shook her head, sighing, "He aint that, he's onna the most in control Worgen I ever met, in fact, see I jest...." Lea swallowed, still never sure how to explain it to people, especially those whom she didn't care to disappoint, "..I asked 'im to bite me." She admitted, "Practically threw m'self at his jaws, while we was still courtin'."
There was a long, apprehensive silence. And then, "...But why?" Juriam rumbled, his face now calm, if perplexed, "It is no easy path, even with the rituals. It is a frightening, painful, and terrible form, and always has been. You asked him for this?"
"...I did," Leanan looked up again at that, lifting her chin, "He was....well, was like 'e was always payin' a penance, with me. Havin' t'watch himself, be careful. We was never equals, 'til he bit me," A small smile played at her lips, "Was more than bein' as strong as him though, as tough. I knew, almost soon as I met 'im, that whatever pains we were gonna have in this life, I wanted us t'share 'em."
Another long, thoughtful silence, the elf nodding slowly, reaching up to rub his bearded chin. "...I see the truth of it in you, aye," He smirked, "...Even so. To take a thing so readily, without question....and being brought up where you were."
"Choice was made quickly, but not without thinkin'," Leanan gave her teacher a wry smirk, "As you said, Shan'do. We humans aint given a whole lotta time t'consider things." The elf chuckled again, dipping his head to that.
"I suppose...ah, even so," He shook his head, "Best not traipse about the Circle, going on about how you begged for the most disastrous of our forms." Leanan shook her head vehemently in reply. She avoided telling most -anyone- who wasn't a dear friend about how she got the Wolf, as much as she could. The Kaldorei seemed appeased. His smirk widened. "...I can see that you'll likely be a student with whom even my patience shall be tested." The worgen looked down at her lap again.
"...Less so these days, leastwise, Shan'do."
Leanan was watching leaves.
Fanny had mentioned this being one of her exercises in Darnassus, but Lea had thought the other woman was pulling her leg at the time, the old Kaldorei dislike rearing it's affronted head again. But no, her very first morning of training with her Shan'do, Juriam had told her, brightly, that they'd be going into the forest, to watch the tree branches. Wrapping a longshawl around herself, Leanan had followed him from the inn and under the great trees surrounded the elven city, and sure enough, sitting on the banks of a small stream, he instructed her eyes upwards.
"Observe."
And she did as she was told, to her credit, paws drawn up under her against the very faint autumn chill. At first, though, her worgen nose was far too easily distracted by the new scents around them, her ears by the new noises. Deer in the woods, wisps on the wind, cooking smells on the air. After a half hour, Lea was simply bored. They were leaves, on branches. They swayed in the breeze. But, glancing at Juriam, who gazed serenely upwards, his expression one of peaceful observance, Leanan tried all the harder, fixing the canopy above with a determined frown. The Night Elf chuckled briefly, and then was silent again.
Slowly, her expression relaxing, tension leaving her shoulders, Leanan began to see things, notice things, the sounds of the nearby stream lulling her more surface senses. Colors began to appear in the leaves, or rather she began to notice them, tell them apart. The flush green of new foliage, the darker, fading blue of the old. More moments passed, and it was as if she could sense the sap flowing through the branches, almost in time with her own heartbeat.
Juriam was suddenly watching her intently, but Lea didn't notice for a long while, eyes fixed above. There were insects tapping tiny legs along the greenery, there was chlorophyll in their veins, and she knew, she just knew, that if she asked, if she made her request of the earth, she could make it move faster, make them grow larger. It wasn't until the twins reacted, gleefully, to her rapid heartbeat that she paused, looking down, grinning. Her Shan'do smiled broadly.
"Patience." His deep voice spoke the one word knowingly. "Even with how little time you are allotted in this life, it shall be an invaluable tool in honing your connection to the balance of nature."
"Aye...never been very patient," She admitted, quietly, grinning. "Didn't have t'be with weapons though, that came naturally."
"As does this," Juriam dipped his head, "It is simply a more complex natural gift in you...." He tilted his head then, his ear twitching. "...You do not have a Gilnean accent."
Leanan blinked, quite surprised by this sudden subject change. Elves weren't very sudden, usually. But then again, she was swiftly realizing that her teacher saw every question as prudent to her studies. "I aint Gilnean, aye," She cleared her throat, "I grew up in Duskwood...I wasn't bitten there!" She added hastily, at his vaguely alarmed expression, "I ah, was bitten by their Pa." She patted her middle ruefully. The Druid's brows knit at that.
"Your mate, who is far away?" He tilted his head, "Had he been through the ritual?" Leanan nodded, her blush showing even under her fur. The Night Elf looked further troubled, "...Why would you consent to marry a man who hasn't yet mastered the rage the wolf lends? By Elune, your children, their safety..."
"Oh no, no," The young woman shook her head, sighing, "He aint that, he's onna the most in control Worgen I ever met, in fact, see I jest...." Lea swallowed, still never sure how to explain it to people, especially those whom she didn't care to disappoint, "..I asked 'im to bite me." She admitted, "Practically threw m'self at his jaws, while we was still courtin'."
There was a long, apprehensive silence. And then, "...But why?" Juriam rumbled, his face now calm, if perplexed, "It is no easy path, even with the rituals. It is a frightening, painful, and terrible form, and always has been. You asked him for this?"
"...I did," Leanan looked up again at that, lifting her chin, "He was....well, was like 'e was always payin' a penance, with me. Havin' t'watch himself, be careful. We was never equals, 'til he bit me," A small smile played at her lips, "Was more than bein' as strong as him though, as tough. I knew, almost soon as I met 'im, that whatever pains we were gonna have in this life, I wanted us t'share 'em."
Another long, thoughtful silence, the elf nodding slowly, reaching up to rub his bearded chin. "...I see the truth of it in you, aye," He smirked, "...Even so. To take a thing so readily, without question....and being brought up where you were."
"Choice was made quickly, but not without thinkin'," Leanan gave her teacher a wry smirk, "As you said, Shan'do. We humans aint given a whole lotta time t'consider things." The elf chuckled again, dipping his head to that.
"I suppose...ah, even so," He shook his head, "Best not traipse about the Circle, going on about how you begged for the most disastrous of our forms." Leanan shook her head vehemently in reply. She avoided telling most -anyone- who wasn't a dear friend about how she got the Wolf, as much as she could. The Kaldorei seemed appeased. His smirk widened. "...I can see that you'll likely be a student with whom even my patience shall be tested." The worgen looked down at her lap again.
"...Less so these days, leastwise, Shan'do."