Warcraft Fan Fiction ❯ Bloodstained Shadows - Chronicles of a Lost Soul ❯ Scarlet Dawn - Chapter 3 ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter 3:

 

 

The last two days did not pass easily. I did only little more than standing at my window and staring at the sky. The day after the departure of the caravan was again full of rain. But yesterday it cleared up for once.

As a child I loved the clear blue sky of these areas, but after the Scourge was here even nature itself has been altered. The trees in the forests have strange mutations, green fluid is dripping out of the branches and some of them even look like screaming faces. The grass has turned brown. And in some areas, in front of Stratholme for instance, the mushrooms grew to gigantic sizes overshadowing the trees. Some say these mushrooms feed on blood, therefore they grow so big now in places where a lot of blood was shed.

Even the sky has changed colour. Yet we don't exactly know why, some people think it's because of the spores of the huge fungi, but well, they just guess. We all just guess what exactly happened. All we know for the moment is that the once blue sky now has a tone of light brown, almost orange.

I feel sad for the animals in this area. This strange magic, we just call it plague, did not only afflict humans, but also the animals in these lands. Now the wolves and bears roam around suffering, their flesh rotting as they breath. The pain of it all making them more aggressive than usual. It's a wonder we didn't run into one or two of them some days ago when we went fishing.

But nature is making its stand already. I heard rumours that in the lake near the destroyed village of Corin's Crossing more and more water elementals have been spotted.

I hope that they are not just going crazy like the animals do.

I turn around from the window and walk to the little table at the wall next to my bed. I prepared everything for the departure later. My scarlet robes are already placed on the table so I can change quickly when they call upon me. The guards told me to stay inside the house until I am summoned, last night there was another attack of the ghouls, this time the group of them was bigger than ever. Usually they attack in groups of five to ten, last night there were twenty.

I still have to thank the young master Fordring for letting me stay here in Hearthglen for so long. I actually don't want to leave, but I feel useless as always, I can't help anybody around here.

On the other hand I'm excited to go to the Scarlet Monastery. Some of the heroes of the crusade live there, the mighty warrior Herod, the arcanist Doan and the Mograines, the Ashbringer himself with his sons.

The Scarlet Crusade hasn't existed for long, yet there have already risen such great heroes in the fight against the Scourge. I hope I'll find my way, my destiny there.

I haven't eaten for two days now, Correns and Keiras departure left a mark. I hope the field trip of the Crusade will be here soon.

I'm anxious to leave.

I stare a few moments at the robes lying in front of me, then I decide to put them on.

The cloth smells good, the clothes are rather new. I go downstairs to the front door. I know that two guards are standing in front of my house, just like everywhere.

I open the door and take a look left and right, the guards greet me friendly but the tone is somewhat annoyed. They probably think I want to wander off somewhere. My first question is how long it will take the scarlet field trip to arrive here. "Well, I don't know, but I'm sure they still need a while. I would guess they started off at Tyr's Hand maybe an hour ago." the guard replies. I take a look at the big clock of the town hall and notice it's not even one o'clock in the afternoon. Still this early, I lost my sense of time. I'm staring a bit bewildered at the town hall, I don't want to know what the guards must be thinking according to my looks.

I gather myself then I ask if I could go and see lord Fordring. They hesitate, telling me I'm not allowed to walk around alone, not even in the village. I roll my eyes and ask if one of the two could escort me on the way to the landlord. They agree and one of my protectors steps forward.

Actually it's only a walk of two or three minutes, but well, it's an order so they have to follow. I will soon have to get used to this fashion myself. I'm not too good with this kind of authority, I bet that will be a bit of a problem.

As I predicted, we arrive at the keep in the centre of Hearthglen only a minute later. I thank the guard and make my way in. Before he leaves, he talks to one of the other guards here to ensure I will be guided back to my house when I'm done. I reach the staircase to the upper level. Everybody I meet on my way is heavily armed, it's a bit frightening. I greet them all friendly.

The young lord Fordring is in the big hall in the upper level as usual. I enter, the doors are wide open. He is sitting at the long table at the end of the room with two of his advisers. I approach slowly, the three of them are talking and laughing, so I guess it's nothing too important they are addressing to at the moment.

"Ah, young Master Fipps! My greetings to you." I hate it when people call me that way. "It's good to see you, but may I ask what brings you here?" His voice is strong, yet as calm and gentle as Correns, they are very much alike. This fact eases my nervousness. "I...", I struggle for words, "I just wanted to thank you for letting", I fumble for more words, "for letting me stay here for so long..."

"Nonsense boy!" He is barely a few years older than me, still he addresses me as if I'm a child. "Come closer Master Fipps." As ordered I take a few more steps, the young lord doesn't look too pleased with me so uneasy, so he waves to me signalizing that I should come directly to the table. "We all knew your father, I met him personally, my father met him and he was close friends with Uther, so tell me - why on earth shouldn't we take you here?" At first I want to speak up, complaining that he only speaks of my father and not me, but I hold myself back.

"He was a great man, strong and full of compassion!" Fordring continues, "By my father's name, I am happy that we have his son here. That we could protect you from harm. In the name of the Holy Light, it is an honour." he smiles at me in the same way as Corren always did.

I can't bear that everybody here thinks I'm going to be a hero one day just as my father was. At the present moment I'm not even good as a priest. I'm nothing actually. But if I said that, he'd probably tell me that this is why I'm going to the Scarlet Monastery.

"Why so quiet, Master Fipps?" I interrupt him, "Please don't..." I look to the ground. "Don't what?" he asks. I stutter "P-p-please don't call me that way, just `Marc`, Master Fordring." I feel so embarrassed. “Well if that is your wish, Master Fi...” he stops himself, “My apologies, if that is your wish, Marc, I will address you with your first name from now on.” I thank him. It makes things a lot easier for me.

“Well, I see you already wear your robes for departure. I'm happy you joined the Scarlet Crusade. I would be pleased to have you here after you finished your apprenticeship as a priest of the Crusade.”

I don't know what to say, the son of Tirion Fordring and head of the Scarlet Crusade in the western plaguelands wants me to join him here. He clearly overestimates me.

“May the Holy Light guide you on your venture. But you have to excuse me, Mas..., Marc, I have to address myself to unfinished business. We have to bring a stop to the ongoing attacks.” I nod. “I'm sorry I would have loved to talk to you longer, but time is short and we don't have to hesitate with these matters!” His voice is clear and strong, yet he smiles to me like everything is just a joke. He is a lot like Corren, another reason why I am so uneasy in his presence.

“I understand, lord Fordring. My.., my apologies if I interrupted you when doing some..., some important planning. After all...” I swallow, “After all, all I wanted to do is thank you, and I wanted to know if I could repay you in some..., some kind of way.”

“Believe me, my boy. You don't need to repay me.” He stands up. “You will always be welcome in Hearthglen and Mardenholde Keep. It was an honour!” He bows.

I back off quickly without a word. As I leave the room I hear Fordring already talking to his advisors again, I want to hear what they are saying, being afraid they are making fun of me. I just walk on slowly. I don't understand what they are saying but the words are clear and strong, not like when you are making fun of somewhat.

I reach the lower level in an instance, at the outer gate a guard is already waiting to guide me back to my home.

What on earth did I do to deserve this?! The landlord of this area bows to me!? I'm just the goddamn coward of a son of a hero... I didn't do anything to deserve such treatment!

I'm back at my home, I thank the guards, all three of them. I guess they wouldn't do such things for everybody.

Back in my home I head directly to my closet, packing more things together for departure in a few hours.

That man is very much like Corren. It's frightening.

For the first time since Corren and Keira have left, I feel hungry. I take the stairs down. In the small kitchen area I try to gather something to eat. All there is left is a lump of salt meat and a bit cheese from Alterac, not even a chunk of bread.

Just for a moment I think of asking a guard to escort me to the bakery, but no, I suppose one of them would do it, but if feels wrong to make use of the situation. So I sit down and eat what is left.

I wonder who will live in this big house after I've left. It was presented to me on the first day when I arrived here, one of the higher officers recognized me because of my father. When I moved in, this house basically lay in ruins. Lord Fordring ordered the workers to fix it up as fast as they could. You could live in it from the first day on, they fixed the roof, then the stairs and the floors and then the walls. After everything was done, they presented me with new windows and even furniture. I didn't know why, but I was so desperate after roaming the countryside for a day with all the undead, I didn't think of the `why'.

I believe it's wrong that they did all this just because of my father, well at least, because of me being his son. A few days later I met Corren and Keira, I don't know why Keira was here in the first place but it was obvious she got stranded here, Corren on the other hand was simple to recall, he lived in the City of Lordaeron, with its destruction he had no place to go to. And after all, Hearthglen belongs to Taelan Fordring, son of the great Tirion Fordring - one of the first five knights of the Silver Hand! Mardenholde Keep, inside the town of Hearthglen, is property of the Fordring family.

Everybody around here is far more, well, grown up than I am. I always feel as if I'm still a child, defenceless and only in the way of everybody. Most people also respond to me like this. Corren talked to me as if I'm his son - he is barely 4 years older than I am! I'm twenty-one after all...

Almost seven years have passed since I moved from Northdale to Brill. It feels as if I haven't changed a lot since that day.

Somebody knocks on the door. “The scarlet field trip has arrived, Master Fipps. Prepare yourself for departure! They arrived here early.”

“Thank you.” I reply.

So destiny takes its course.