Blood and Thunder!

[Zizikitty]

The ancient forest seemed to be on edge, the wind rustling the green and purple leaves restlessly. Even the shafts of light coming down between the massive tall trees was fleeting. More so than normal in this Night Elven forest, the limited light seemingly foreboding. Not that this was unusual in a forest like this. Trees taller than any building in Orgrimmar and trunks that surpassed even the girth of the fattest kodo. Lush vegetation seemed to cover the land evenly, even as the dirt road cut a winding path through it. The air was thick with the hint of smoke and death. Visually you'd never know the elements and spirits cried out from the blood shed. But the scent was only detectable because of the druid's sensitive nose. Cat like yellow eyes scanned the green but colorful forest. The tauren doe's ears perking to the slightest sound heard over the raucous rabble of the pair of squatty goblins she was to escort.

She sniffed the air deeper, her bovine nose twitching at the smell from the west in front of her. The wind blew through her burgundy fur, tossing the locks of dark auburn curly mane from her eyes. Revealing a deep scar down the right side of her face. A scar that matched with her broken horn and notched ears. Being a smaller tauren she had a smaller more delicate head. But her short body was stocky and strong, looking to be a young adult in age. The black faded leather armor she wore covered her enough that one might be fool enough to assume she was a traveler. The only extra armor she wore were a pair of leather bracers that covered her white and burgundy patched arms. She narrowed her eyes on the goblins as they laughed exceptionally loud.

The brown wolf she rode seemed to share her feelings at the moment and growled as he trotted after the kodo driven caravan. "You need to be a little more quiet." She barked in a young voice. The two goblins sitting at the head of the carriage tossed their hands flippantly at her. "And you need to loosen up, toots." One with a black pony tail said, trying to sound suave and dashing. This made the tauren sneer. The sneer only gained strength as the other laughed. "Yea got nothing to worry bout anyways. Hear Garrosh's little army took Silverwind Refuge." The blonde headed goblin said most cockily as he laid the map in his lap as he spoke. "Yea big victory for da Horde. What ev's. Long as we get to Zoram'Gar Outpost with out incident I'll be happy." The dark haired one replied. The tauren grumbled and sighed as she shook her head.

"Hey Zap." The blonde said as he looked to his dark pony tailed business partner. "Wha'cha got Zep?" The blonde haired Zep moved the map other to show it to his partner. "We can totally cut time off if we cut through here." The tauren didn't like the sound of a 'short cut' as goblins tended to have a poor sense of direction. Meaning their 'short cuts' always led to more danger. "Let me see." She demanded. "No way Lostpaw. Your gonna say 'no way! It's too dangerous!" He mocked in a whiney voice. But she'd seen where he was pointing before he tried to hide it from her. "What you can't be serious? Do you want to die? You want to hug Astrannar Lake right next to the Night Elven stronghold? No. We stay on the path I chose!"

"See! Told ya you'd say that. Look toots. Your our body guard. Not our guide. Look! It's the shortest route!" Zap said as he held up the map in front of both him and his companion as he tried to show her the route they wanted to take. A sudden silence took over them both as an elven arrow slammed the space between them, cutting a hole through the map. Both gasped as they looked at the arrow then one another. "Holy crap!" Zep said as he shot his head towards the lion like snarl that sounded beside him. "She ditched us man! I'm outta here!" Zap said as the wolf stood on edge with out his tauren rider. Both goblins darted into the back of the caravan, trembling as they listened to the silence of the forest.

Upon seeing the arrow Lostpaw wasted no more time. She shifted quickly into a sizable lion with burgundy fur and white patchy fur and a dark auburn mane. Her tauren horns still present in this form, even the broken horn. Her padded paws moved quickly and silently as she vanished in plain sight. In this form her sense of smell was far better, telling her there was more than just the one archer that fired the arrow. Five more to be exact, from the different smells she was getting. Silently she crept closer as she spied her Alliance enemies. Two humans and three night elves whom were clearly not a hunting party, but a well armed band. Had she met her match? Possibly. By all reason she needed to avoid this conflict. Getting the goblins to Zoram'Gar Outpost was her priority as well as the urgent letters she carried on her person. But she never listened to reason.

Silently she stalked towards the party as they now moved quickly to over whelm the caravan, circling around till she came behind. With a mighty leap a roar erupted from her as she became visible again, clamping her jaws down on the night elf rider that fell behind. Their saber steed roared in shock and darted away from it's fallen rider and the druid that pinned him to the ground. Lostpaw was savage in her attack as she killed the unlucky man, the others turning back in surprise. They shouted in a tongue she didn't understand but it was clear they aimed to avenge their comrade. Lostpaw drew them away from the caravan, away from her idiotic charges. An arrow cut into her side but she didn't react to the pain or blood. Instead she whirled around, shifting into a great burgundy bear as she stood up and roared. Her wide paws dug into the ground as she charged the group, slamming her massive body into one of the men and knocking them to the ground. Even as arrows cut into her shoulder she still attacked the human on the ground. His plate gauntlet punched her and gave him enough time to grab his great sword.

Lostpaw decided to quickly change tactics as the two archers were hitting her hard and fast. She charged again this time aiming for an archer. She managed to knock them to the ground but the others were quickly taking their toll on her. She'd be able to kill at least one more but she'd die during the fight. Was this it? She briefly wondered, if this was the epic battle that wound honor her memory. To die in combat like this was a great honor but she regretted that she might not ever know her past.

 

[Z'Greel]

Another big, damned forest, once more filled with those sneaky Night Elves. Trees bigger than any building he had ever seen, and with more hiding spots than a wolf's fur for a flea. Yet they had managed to establish a outpost in its depths. And even if they had warriors and walls, yet even that isn't always enough.

And so, the light skinned Orc was slowly riding through the forest, heading for the outpost, to assist them in any way he could. And with Rogdush being a trained warrior, it would most likely involve killing some of the Alliance's people. Nothing he hadn't done before, and nothing he had a problem with. Fighting the Alliance was one of the more honorable things a Orc could do, after all.

Suddenly, he heard a loud roar further down the road, sounding like that of a bear. It could mean that someone was under attack from a bear, or that a druid was attacking someone. He gave his raptor, Blackclaw a nudge with his heels, making the green scaled mount pick up it's pace. As he rode, he pulled his shortsword from it's sheath on his back, preparing himself for what might lay ahead.

And that was when he saw it. A bear with horns, obviously a Tauren druid, fighting Humans and Elves! Rogdush charged forward, letting out a battle-cry to get their attention away from his ally. Blackclaw lunged at one of the men, and Rogdush jumped off onto another as he did, piercing the chest of his target. In one swift move, Rogdush pulled free his sword, at the same time as he pulled his axe from it's sheath, only to start swinging at the nearest enemies.

"Lok'Tar, Tauren! I hope you don't mind some help?!"

 

[Zizikitty]

Lostpaw did her best to avoid the onslaught of arrows coming from the remaining archer but also avoid the attacks coming from the other two men now within melee range of her. She opened her mouth to deliver a fatal bite to the archer in front of her but her paw landed in a well placed trap. Freezing her in place as the archer darted out of range. The situation was dire but she'd go down fighting in bloody honor. Her yellow eyes caught movement behind her, she pivoted her body quickly to see only a blur of green and talons leaping beside her. The beasts screech and the orcish roar set fear into the eyes of the Alliance before her.

But the sound was welcoming to the druid. Before she could do much the orc was beside her, slaying the human before they had a chance to attack her. A smile met her bear face as she broke herself free of the ice trap. "Lok'Tar, Orc! I would love some help." She replied as she shifted once again into her lion-like form. "It's just these two left." She said as she quickly dodge an arrow. She ran quickly after the one she'd already wounded. With a loud roar Lostpaw leapt in the air at her prey, an arrow grazed her cheek and cut into her shoulder. But she didn't react, only biting with a crushing blow as she landed on her target.

The last Night Elven archer seemed to be furious with his comrade death and was now attacking the Orc with all he had. Tossing a trap in front of himself in hopes the green skinned warrior would run over it. He pulled back and arrow and let it fly at the Orc.

 

[Z'Greel]

With another roar, the druid changed to a lion rather than a bear, a transformation that Rogdush never quite got used to seeing. Yet he concentrated on the Night Elf still alive in front of him, who just shot an arrow at him. It struck him just under his large shoulder-pad, piercing his flesh, yet invoking no reaction from the Orc.

With a trained hand, he threw the axe at the Elf, striking him in the shoulder, making him stagger back, allowing Rogdush to quickly step around the trap and serving the Elf with a heavy kick to the gut from his armored boot, sending him to the ground. With a slight grin, Rogdush stepped on the Elf's chest, holding him down, as he pulled free his axe. "Lok'Tar Gol'Kosh!" He roared, before swinging his axe down at the Elf's head, splitting it open, and ending his life.

Laughing slightly as he looked over his shoulder while pulling free his axe once more, Rogdush laughed slightly. "It seems I got here just in time! What are you doing out here, wandering alone through the forest, druid?" He asked, glancing towards Blackclaw, seeing him tearing pieces off one of the dead, feeding of the dead. "On your way to the outpost as well?" The Orc asked, as he sheathed his weapons again. A small trickle of blood was running down from his shoulder, inside his dark grey platemail. He reached up and with a slight groan, pulled the arrow out from his flesh, tossing it aside. He stroked his short braided beard as he walked towards her, trying to see if she was very wounded, before giving his bald head a tap as he remembered that most druids could heal themselves with the help of nature.

 

[Zizikitty]

Lostpaw held her prey for a moment until she was sure his life had ended. She gave one last snarl as she opened her jaws and let him drop to the ground. Her yellow eyes scanning quickly for any remaining Alliance. Much to her relief the enemy party was dead. She frowned slightly at the raptor as it feasted upon an elf, making her think back to her wolf which guarded the caravan. She pushing herself to her feet, shifting in a moment into her normal tauren form.

She winced as she ripped the few arrows in her shoulder. "Yes that was perfect timing if I might say." She softly touched her wounded shoulder and whispered in Taur-ahe. A green light acting like tendrils of a vine spiraled around her body only a fleeting moment. Glowing brighter around her own wounds. The light faded but her wound slowly continued to heal. She looked to the Orc as he spoke, a small smile reaching her face as he laughed. "I'm headed to the outpost yes but... I'm not alone. I am escorting a goblin caravan."

The smell of Orc blood touched her nose, though after looking him over a moment she realized it must have been nothing more than a scratch to him. She briefly held her hand out towards him, casting the same slow healing spell on him. She was not a healer by any means but to such a minor wound her spell would be quite effective. She clasped her fist over her own chest in an Orcish salute to him, dipping her head in respect. "Lostpaw of Splinter Tree Post." She said before standing normal once again. "You can join us if you like. I know we can certainly use another hand if the damn Alliance attacks again."

 

[Z'Greel]

Rogdush stroked his hand over the suddenly healing wound for a moment, before turning to Lostpaw. "Well, I'm heading there too, so tagging along would give me some company on the way!" He said, suddenly realizing that he hadn't introduced himself. "Oh, and my name is Rogdush, son of Gardosh Axeshatterer." He said, before he walked over to Blackclaw, stroking his head slightly.

He jumped back onto the green raptor, smiling at the Tauren. "So, are the Goblins far away? I mean, if they attacked a caravan, you'd expect it to be nearby." He said with a toothy grin. "Or were the little buggers scared of the attackers and fled?" He asked, waiting for her to lead the way back to the caravan. He looked around, attempting to see any greenskins, yet seeing neither Goblins nor caravan.

 

[Zizikitty]

After the slight smile Lostpaw resumed her usual serious expression. Her brows furrowed even more as Rogdush mentioned the goblins. Hopefully they were where she left them. "I drew the Alliance scum away from the caravan. They should be down the road a bit here." She groaned in annoyance at the thought of the goblins fleeing. They wouldn't be that stupid... Would they? She led them down the road towards where she left her wolf and the goblin caravan.

Anxious whimpers from her wolf made her grimace. Sure enough her wolf stood on the road, alone, pacing anxiously looking off the road into the distance. Wheel tracks led off the road and led into the wilderness. "Looks like it's that second guess, Rogdush. Cowards up and fled." She groaned as she greeted her brown wolf with a pat before climbing on his back. "Do you mind coming with me to find these idiots? They wont last five minutes alone in the forest."

 

[Z'Greel]

Rogdush couldn't help but to chuckle slightly at Lostpaw's frustration. "What did you expect of Goblins? Unless they're warriors, they don't tend to stay and fight." He said, as he slowly rode up to the side of her wolf. "But I'd be more than happy to help you find them. If I don't, I might see you arriving at the outpost alone, or not at all, and I'd know it was my fault. So yes. You have my support until we find the little ones!" He said with confidence, grinning at the Tauren. "And I couldn't truly call me a man of honor if I simply let you ride of to your death, could I?"

 

[Zizikitty]

Lostpaw frown at her Orc companion's chuckling, though she wasn't honestly annoyed by it. He had a valid point. Most goblins were cowards, only looking out for themselves. She was mildly surprised at his pledge to help her. She'd always seen the Orc race as honorable warriors, but this one seemed more so. It made her smile, something the young taureness did little of. "I can't thank you enough for the help then." She said as she allowed her wolf to follow his nose after the kodo driven caravan. "Grimhowl seems to have picked up on the scent but... I think I know the way their going. They seemed to think traveling lose to the Night Elven outpost was a good idea."

 

[Z'Greel]

Rogdush couldn't help but to chuckle once more. "Going close to the enemy's camp is always a good idea. If you're a spy, a army, or something along those lines. But for a caravan with no warriors?" He shook hid head as rode alongside Lostpaw and her wolf. "Unless we catch up to them before they get there, or they somehow manage to pass by without being spotted, they're probably dead." The Orc looked around the trees, just in case there were someone hiding among them somewhere. "And we don't need that they get whatever the Gobbies got in that caravan and use it against us." He said, rather sternly. Food could be eaten by both sides, after all. And a Orcish sword could most likely be used by a Elf as well... Unless they had some of their strange inventions with them...

"What exactly, are the Goblins transporting?"

 

[Zizikitty]

"They're too noisy to pass by unnoticed." She said more to herself than to Rogdush. She hoped that she would be wrong and that they might have just gotten lost. But Lostpaw was sadly pessimistic. She looked too the Orc as he asked what was in the caravan. She thought about it, unsure how to explain. She'd seen the artifact but it's design was a bit more complex than she could grasp and the goblins didn't rightly explain what it did. Only that it would turn the tide in the war.

"It's... it's small and unassuming but... The artifact... I'm not exactly sure what it does." She frowned as she confessed to the Orc, looking at him with slight worry in her face. "But I'm sure it wouldn't take a gnome very long to figure it out. C'mon. We have to find them." She softly nudged Grimhowl and the wolf ran faster after the scent he trailed.

 

[Z'Greel]

Rogdush nudged Blackclaw in the sides to keep up with the Tauren and the wolf, a slightly annoyed expression on his face, yet as he spoke, it turned to a more amused smirk. "If I know the Goblins right, it's something that is going to explode, go really fast, then explode, or shoot an explosion at something. And then it explodes." He chuckled softly to himself.

"So, if they've been caught by the Elves, should we try to free them, or is attacking the whole camp a little too crazy for you?" He asked, trying to keep himself next to her, so they could hear each other. "There is little honor in throwing one's life away at something that has little chance of doing anything good, after all."

 

[Zizikitty]

Grimhowl cantered along the scent trail but not so far ahead that Blackclaw wasn't able to remain beside him so their riders could continue to talk. Lostpaw found her self giving an honest chuckle at Rogdush. His explanation might have seemed excessive to others but she found it to be a very accurate description. "Hell it might do everything you said at once." She mused looking at him with a smile.

Her smile turned dangerous as he mentioned storming the camp. The thought of tasting Alliance blood in a great battle was most certainly thrilling to her but in the end their prognosis of getting out of the situation alive was grim. "As much as I'd love to storm the camp, there is a fine line between bravery and stupidity." She looked forward as her wolf slowed down and started to trot as he would when stalking prey. "I agree with you, there is little honor in dying so quickly."

The smell of night sabers and horses stung her nose and she scrunched her face as a result. "No... Damnit I think they've been captured..." She said as they came upon a formidable group of humans and night elves. In the shadows of the forest she watched. Frowning deeply, her ears lowing in annoyance. Of course the Goblins had been captured. By a larger war band than they had encountered on the road. There was no way Lostpaw could see taking on this group and surviving. She turned to her new friend. "What do you think we should do, Rogdush? We can create a diversion now and try to take back the caravan... Of follow them to the camp and try to be more stealthy?"

 

[Z'Greel]

Rogdush made Blackclaw crouch down a bit, attempting not to get spotted. "As tempting it is to follow them to their camp, if only to find out where it is, I think striking now would be better..." He looked around a bit more. Fighting them didn't seem to be a option, with their greater numbers.

"You've got the ability to grow plants and wines, right?" Rog asked, with a sligh smile on his face. "Because I've got an idea. I ride in, getting them to follow me. When they're distracted, you get in there and rescue our little friends, before I return. When I do, you trap them, or block their way, or something, so they can't follow us, and we withdraw, and attempt to get to the outpost with the Goblins and their little toy!" He suggested, getting his raptor to stand, readying to run.

 

[Zizikitty]

Lostpaw nodded. His idea sounded good enough, in theory. Splitting them up would make it easier to take them on. "My nature magic is not strong but..." She nodded again as she looked at him. "It should buy us some time." She slipped from her wolf's back, standing silently as she crouched on the ground. "Grimhowl will go with you to help draw them away." As soon as her hands touched the soft grassy ground she shifted into a lioness.

"Ready when you are." She said as she crept towards the caravan. All while making sure she was still hidden in the brush as she moved closer.

 

[Z'Greel]

"Alright.... Lets do this, Grimhowl!" Ragdosh said, before nudging Blackclaw up and forwards.

"LEEEEEROOOOOOOOOY JEEENKIIIIIINS!" He roared loudly, as he charged forward, straight towards the group, holding his axe ready. As he passed them, he started swinging his weapon at them, hitting a few, before charging off towards the undergrowth, away from the group. He didn't want to make it too obvious that he was just a distraction, so he didn't taunt them to follow him, feeling it'd be to obvious, even if they didn't understand his language.

 

[Zizikitty]

Grimhowl followed the Orc and his raptor into the fray. Rushing over to know a rider and his horse down with a body slam. He left out a vicious snarl as he snapped at the terrified horse. But the wolf was quick to follow again when Rogdush steered his steed away. Making sure to stay with the Orc. The tactic worked and all but one elf chased after the Orc. Yelling in their language which Lostpaw didn;t understand. But due to their enraged looks they were no doubt saying something along the lines of 'kill him'.

Lostpaw looked on curiously, rather amused by Rogdush's strange battle cry. What ever it meant it caught the Alliance dogs attention. The lone elf would be easy to deal with. That much she knew. Slowly she stalked behind the man waiting till he was distracted to leap onto him. With one swift bite she snapped his neck. Killing him quickly. Wasting no more time she moved to the caravan, leaping up onto the seat she shifted back into a tauren. She only briefly looked for the goblins before steering the kodo away from the scene. She urged the beast to move quickly.

 

[Z'Greel]

Blackclaw sprinted through the undergrowth, caring little about the arrows and bullets flying past him, nor the shouts or bangs from the people following him. He was trained to ignore petty distractions like that, and he had learned that getting distracted by them usually lead to being hit, something he truly did not enjoy.

Rogdush couldn't help but to laugh slightly at the Humans and Elves following him. None of them seemed to be able to shoot well from their mounts while on the move, and none of them seemed to be able to catch up to the raptor and the wolf, yet there was times they got closer, mostly because of slippery terrain, or a bad turn from the Orc's side. Yet as he had gotten far enough away from the caravan, he started a long turn, which some of the Elves seemed to understand, allowing them to get a fair bit closer than he had wanted. At this range, some of them might even hit him!

 

[Zizikitty]

Lostpaw disliked the hit and run tactics but she couldn't afford to battle them all. Least of all she couldn't afford to let the honorable Rogdush to take the fall for her mission. Wouldn't seem right if he died on her mission. She urged the kodo to run as fast as if could to catch up with the army of Alliance that chased the Orc and their steeds. She heard the unmistakable yelps of the goblins. "Are you two still alive! Get up here and steer this damn thing!" She reached back to grab one of the goblins and plop them next to her. "And you better follow me or so help me I'll kill you myself!" She snarled. Zep nodded quickly.

Lostpaw leaped from the moving caravan and shifted instantly into a lithe cheetah. Sprinting quickly after the sounds of combat. A few of the Elves aimed their bows and let arrows fly at the Orc.

 

[Z'Greel]

Rogdush kept pushing Blackclaw as hard as he could, attempting to lose the followers, yet it didn't seem to happen. Especially as arrows started flying once more, the first of which hit his shoulder plate, quickly followed by another, hitting him in the back, piercing his armor, and making the Orc grunt in pain. More arrows seemed to follow rather quickly, two more hitting him in the back, and one hitting the raptor's tail.

He turned to look backwards, spotting something horned coming up along the elves, which he could only assume was Lostpaw. He hoped she'd kill a few of them, either so they'd stop chasing him, or he could turn and help her.