The Death of a Name (Open)

[Barke]

(A small article posted in all neutral cities, the Moonglade, The druid camp in Felwood and among the Timbermaw.)

The monster dead!

Barke Daertha who was known as a monster among the Sentinels in Ashenvale was found dead by Raene Wolfrunner. There is some speculation towards how he died and rumors that it may have been Raene herself. The Sentinels refuse to let anyone see the body and will be holding a private burial for the fallen Night Elf.

Raene refuses to speak with anyone on the matter and has orders all Sentinels to let no one into Astranaar for the time being.

It is said he will be buried with his family.

((This is open to anyone. I'll be doing my best to be on MSN through the duration of this in case anyone on Horde need to talk with me.))

[Barke]

The last of the soil was patted down and the headstone put up. The Sentinels were crowded around Raene as she watched the grave. It was done. He was laid to rest next to his brothers and others from his blood. The stone was set. It was simple and written in Druidic.

"Barke Daertha" She read the stone out loud.

The Sentinels formed defensive perimeter around her and the graves. She kneeled down and offered a silent prayer. No one had spoken since they entered the cursed forest. She felt a hand squeeze her shoulder gently. She turned to regard the person attached to the hand. She met her friends golden eye and almost offered a smile. He smiled softly and patted her shoulder once more.

With a nod her friend turned and walked through the line of sentinels. He waved his hand lazily over his shoulder towards them. His long purple hair hung loose and blew freely in the wind. Slowly he faded into the distance.

Raene smiled and gave the order to start the trip back to Astranaar.

[Laron]

There was a funeral for you, and I wasn't informed?

/salute
/farewell

[Barke]

"Concentrate!" His voice echoed through the trees. "Remember why your out here..." He shut his eyes trying to focus again....

Those eyes.

That icey glare.

The words that followed.

His golden and silver eyes opened again. "Blast!" His fist connected with the nearest tree. Then again. And again. He would have continued but something stopped him. What was it? A noise. Laughing? But from where?

You've been ignoring me.

"Get out of my head." He stated flatly.

And go where? I want to go and get away from YOU. Driving away everyone you cared about. And that poor dwarf who caught the butt end of you frustrations. How is he fairing?

"I don't have time for this" He sat himself back down and closed his eyes again.

Those cold eyes.

She is your friend you know. You should not push them away like that.

He jumped to his feet. "Gahhh!!" The sound of metal rang through Felwood as his fist connected solidly with his forehead. He managed to knock himself off his feet and hit the ground heavily....and unconscious.

Again that glare Kurohane gave him and the last words she spoke echoed through his mind.

He should have just told them the truth.

Too late now.

A panther crossed in front of his vision.

He sat upright suddenly awake and holding tightly to a something that hung loosely around his neck.

The troll charm.

Still holding that charm he settled himself back. He closed his eyes ignoring the pain in his head and the blood trickling down the side of his face. He pushed that voice back down where he could not hear it.

He had to do this.

[Barke]

He slumped back against the pillar beathing heavy. He had made progress. Words from an old friend helped him settle down enough to focus on the task at hand.

But thats still not enough.

"Your still here? Don't you have better things to do? Another brother to torment?" He sighed.

I just like you.

"Go away." He sat himself back down.

*Laughter* You really think they still care?

He closed his eyes ignoring the voice.

There was a time when you weren't such a grouchy old man.

Twitch.

Your mood has been spiralling down ever since you lost sight in that eye of yours. When you lost your little love there.

Twitch.

Your better off without. It really is a good thing she died.

He opened his eyes. "Gahh!!!"

Struck a nerve there.

He opened his mouth to say something but paused suddenly. "I know how to get rid of you." He smirked. A dagger flashed into his hand. The fire enchanted casting a flickering light over the dark area.

How?

"The eye." He flipped the blade once before driving it into his silver eye. He howled in pain. He pulled the dagger out tossing it aside as he fell back still howling.



Well that was stupid.

[Kurohane]

He was dodging her questions. She knew her gaze must have been like ice, but she was beyond caring about that. Dirt still clung to her knees and gloves from digging up his fake grave. She wouldn't believe it when Raene told her where to find him, confirmed his death. Having to talk to the woman how had betrayed her had been bad enough. Seeing the lie in her eyes was worse.

So she had gone to Felwood. She had dug up the grave labeled with the name Barke Daertha. She had found it empty, and she had set out on the hunt. It hadn't taken long for her to find him. But when she finally did, angry and bitter as she was, his responces were simply to avoid questions or stare at her blankly.

It was all she could do not to deck him then and there. She'd even taken her gloves off, she'd been so ready to at almost every pass of the conversation.

Barke sighed. "I don't expect anything from you. Barke Daertha is dead. Raene can vouch for that." He shifted his gaze in the direction of Ashenvale.

"Then am I to mourn the loss of one of my closest friends? Is that what you are telling me?" she hissed in reply, her eyes narrowing. "Forget that he's standing right here?"

"I didn't mean..." he started, but trailed off, clearly holding his tounge again.

Too much. If he wanted her gone, fine. It was too much. She lashed out. "Forget it. I'll leave you be... after all, a ghost doesn't need people searching for them and pestering them. Take care...whatever you call yourself now."

She showed no sign of noticing his flinch as she waved a hand in his general direction, leapt back onto her mount and head towards the griphons. She could see when she wasn't wanted around, and she sure wasn't going to force her friendship on anyone. She didn't realize how tightly she was gripping the reigns until the warmth of blood alerted her that her nails had pierced her skin.

[Noury]

The fishing rod quivered with the struggles of the little silvery fish as Nouri hauled his catch ashore. He had only recently rediscovered the joys of fishing and found the little lake in Elwynn to be an ideal spot to relax and practice his new hobby.

Of course there was the occasional distraction of some rogue Defias brigand emerging from the underbrush, but they didnt stick around long once they realized the lone priest was not to be trifled with.

Nouri grasped the slippery fish and began to remove the hook. Suddenly, he felt the tell-tale lightheadedness that preceded one of his 'visions'. Letting the fish drop to the mossy ground on the lakeshore Nouri sat down before he went too far under and fell.

His sight blurred, the lake surface breaking up and dissolving into multicolored mists. The mists swirled until they coalesced into solid forms, painting a moving three dimensional picture in his mind.

Dark forest greenery, dense mists on the ground. There stood two beasts, not cats nor bears but some strange mix of the two. Dark purple they were. Both missing an eye. One missing the left eye while the other missed the right. They stood facing each other, like mirror images.

With a nod they parted.

One beast walked towards a large pit which had just appeared in the forest floor and without a backwards glance decended into its cold, dank depths. There it lay its head down as if in death. Its only remaining eye dissoved into a little wisp of smoke.

The second beast walked away from the pit and emerged from the dark forest into a well lit glade with a solitary treeless hill in its center. The beast ascended the hill to the summit, sat down and surveyed the lands around. Light bathed the beast in warmth. A wisp of smoke appeared around the socket of its missing eye, condensing to form a new glowing orb.

With a start Nouri came back to himself. He was lying in the mossy ground on the lakeshore. Slowly his grasp on his surrounding returned, his sight clearing and the fuzziness retreating from his head. There beside him the fish was still flipping in its struggles to get back to water, its mouth working, gulping.

Nouri picked the fish up, walked down to the waterline and plopped it back in the lake. It floated there for a moment, dazed from its trauma. Then with a flick of its tail it was gone.

Nouri gathered up his fishing gear and went back to Stormwind, having had his fill of fishing for one day.

[Barke]

His golden eye stared at the vial of blue liquid the tauren druid had given him. He glances up the ramp at Nouri. The priest was prepairing the stage for the coming event. He sighed and looked back down at the vial rolling it around in his hand. He had no doubts this would work but he couldn't help but wonder if they were ready for this.

"One way or another this is over." Kurohane gave a reassuring pat on his shoulder.

He managed a smile and looked back up to Nouri who was now waving them to come up. Both night elves came to the top of the ramp. Nouri nodded to him. It was time. He noticed as he downed the liquid Kurohane readying an arrow. He tossed the vial to the side.

"I don't feel anything." He looked back at the other two with a questioning look. Nouri was already in prayer and Kurohane had an arrow pointing just past him.

He turned back only to face the mutilated face of his brother who was already chained fast to the ground. He looked at Nouri who was focussed wholly on his ceremony. His head started to throb. The ghostly figure howled in pain. His eye felt like it was on fire. Nouri was praying, the ghost howling, he didn't hear any of it. He felt his mind getting tugged. The ghost howled one last time before completely fading away.

He stood for a moment. His golden eye watched where the ghost had been. Kurohane said something behind him and Nouri collapsed in front of him. Kurohane was at the young priest's side in an instant. Barke shook the throbbing pain away. He went over to the priest to make sure he was alright. Nouri was breathing and after a few moments he was awake again. This must have taken a lot out of the young priest.

They kept asking how he was. To be honest he was not sure yet but he told them he was fine to keep them from worrying.

The three left the grove quiet and exhausted. He and Kurohane paused as they past Lupa's grave.

"What is that mound of dirt over there. I never noticed it before." Nouri said looking at the grave then to the other two.

Barke let out a sigh and continued down the road to Darkshire with Nouri behind him who didn't push the subject at all. Kurohane stayed back saying she needed to meet with an old friend who he could only guess was probably Lupa.

He closed his eye the rest of the trip letting Kadian take him home.