When the eyes of the paladin finally opened light was already pouring in through the windows of the ramshackle hut. His vision was bleary, the results of many sleepless nights. Already not one who slept often, the limited number of hours of sleeping he had been able to obtain in the past, had sharply decreased since that night in the not so distant past. As Himni raised his head from the crude pillow he looked about the hut, taking his bearings as one does, even in the most familiar environments, whenever they are awakened without truly being rested. Reaching up he slapped his own face with one hand fiercely, seeking to shake the remaining sleep form his brain.
"You do that much longer mon, and ye're gunna knock yer brain from yer head."
Himni turned to face the back of the hut, where the troll woman, E'jaza, was watching him. She was stirring a pot of thick looking stew, and she smiled at him softly. Himni didn't smile, and his tone didn't bear any hint of amusement when he replied.
"Perhaps I'd be knocking some things back into place. I don't for an isntant believe anyone is thinking clearly right now. We've got a whole new world around us. Things have been turned upside down, and we can't even take the time to get used to it, because we have one of the most ancient and deadly evils ever to exist doing high speed flybys like he was a rookie goblin zeppelin pilot, belching fire and meting out death wherever he goes. So you'll forgive me if I'm just a little confused."
E'jaza glared at him, and after a moment rolled her eyes.
"Look mon, I ain't saying things be easy right now. I ain't even saying they be right. No one be knowing what's gunna be happening in da world about now. But that ain't much in the way of unusual. This be the time for legends ta be made. Seems that Azeroth be needing more legends than eva."
Her tone had softened through her speech, clearly she'd hoped to buoy the spirits of the young sindorei' paladin. The expression on his bleak face, however, told her she'd failed. However, when he spoke, his voice wasn't harsh, in fact quite the opposite. As irregular as it may be, in the past several weeks since the event many now had termed "The Shattering," the two had grown quite close. Himni reached out and clasped the woman's hand, giving it a soft squeeze.
"E'jaza, I want to thank you. I doubt I've been the easiest of company, let's face it, I know I haven't. But you've been the very soul of hospitality. But - "
The mage reached out and placed a hand over his mouth.
"I be knowing what ye are gonna be saying mon, and I understand. I'd hoped it wouldn't be so. I'm hopin' ye remember that Thousand Needles be filled with water these days. Mighty deep water I be hearin'."
Himni slowly pulled her hand away from his mouth, now holding both of them in his own.
"I have to find him E'jaza. Something inside me... I can't explain it, but I have to find him."
The troll lowered her head, and nodded. The pair stood, and moved outside into the sun that beat down upon the Northern Barrens. Himni hauled himself into the saddle of his charger. The paladin turned to the woman he'd grown to care for in the past few days, and in deference to her, he yanked on the reins of his charger, which reared and pawed the air with its hooves dramatically. And then dramatically he spurred the horse, and headed south, bound to the last place he'd seen his friend alive.
I'll find him the young sindorei' promised himself inside his mind, no matter how long it takes. I'll find him
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