I'm back with Chapter 3! I'm hoping to be able to post at least once every two weeks, but life rarely goes the way anyone wants it. WARNING: Don't get used to the length of this chapter, I wanted to do a fairly descriptive account of Saeuruk's past, but the more I wrote the more I wanted to share, so I apologize for the length now. Obligatory stuff now. I don't own WoW, I have no official affiliation with Blizzard, the characters mentioned in story are either mine, used with permission, or are NPC's.

Saeuruk spoke with Black Wolf-eye about each of their travels, and how they had been captured. Black Wolf-eye had been furthering his shamanistic training, a young Tauren, and in stark contrast to his name his fur was a deep brown instead of black from what Saeuruk could see, he was gathering the required materials to learn to summon the cleansing powers of water. "I was sent here to gather water from an island in the middle of Lake Mystal by an orc simply known as Brine, she is deeply in tune with the elemental waters. I traveled for many days and fought many beasts trying to find her, she sent me to gather essences of water to create a sapta for me. As I was preparing to fight the corrupted elementals my way across the lake a patrol of Sentinels happened upon me and brought me here, for the sun was about to rise and the orcs are the masters of Ashenvale by day. " Sae listened for a long time, and then related the details of his capture, culminating with his entrance into the way station.

The two conversed and examined their dark little cell, it was built out of stone so they couldn't just use the shaman's fire to burn their way out and escape. Their conversations drifted to their pasts, Black was freely sharing about his past, apparently he was the youngest bull in his tribe. One of his tribemates, Blue Wolf-eye, was an accomplished warrior that had been present in all of the Horde campaigns in the fabled Outland, and had fought through the endless legions of undead scourge in Northrend. One of his communal sisters, Red Wolf-eye, was training with him, but they split up for a time, he to pursue his shamanistic training more closely, and she to purse learning more of the art of the Hunter. Black's parents were powerful shaman, his father was talented in the elements, while his mother was skilled in enhancement magics, while his calling was of a more restorative nature. As he continued Saeuruk learned that he was in almost every way a polar opposite to himself. Black seemed to abhor the violence inherent in the warrior's trade, while Saeuruk accepted it as a necessary action. Saeuruk believed that the only way to make sure that your enemies never bothered you again was to leave their bodies on the ground, while Black blissfully hoped that you could reason with anyone. Despite these glaring differences, Saeuruk found himself liking the young shaman. It was soon his turn to tell his story.

Saeuruk had been born in the years following the events on Mount Hyjal, where the combined forces of Humans, Night Elves, and the New Horde had defeated Archemond and the Burning Legion. His mother, Halfa, was a druid of some power, but she had become disillusioned with the life she had lead as a druid, settling with the life of a simple Kodo farmer in the Barrens. His father, Turok, had been a hunter, and had stumbled across his mother's farm after being severely wounded after being attacked by a band of centaur. She patched his wounds and helped him to recover his strength and health, but they had fallen madly in love in the short amount of time they had spent together, and he elected to make her his mate. They spent several years living alone in the Barrens, selling their kodo to the orcs for pack beasts, and passing tauren for mounts. His older sister, Serga, had been born, and thing son the farm had changed somewhat, now that there was an extra mouth to feed, but Serga grew fast and was soon as independent as a child could be. Five years later Saeuruk had been born, and almost died at a young age when he wandered off and was found by a pack of hyenas. His sister, foreshadowing her role for the rest of her life, found him and slew three of the hyenas before driving off the rest. When they had returned their parents literally tied Saeuruk to his older sister and charged her in making sure he didn't get lost while the adults were working with the kodo.

Saeuruk told Black of several adventures he and his sister had undertaken, he quite willingly, his sister usually chasing after him. How they chased the Gazelle as far as they could and then got lost for three days as they tried to find their way back home. His mother had been furious with him, but she was more glad to have them both home after three days. He loved his family, especially his sister, she was always there for him when he needed her. When he had broken his leg, she had carried him home to have their mother fix it. She had been the one that had comforted him when his pet prairie dog had died. He would have done anything for her. As he shared more and more he grew closer to the day that had forever scarred him, and that changed him more than any other single event.

"It was early in the morning, they had been up for hours, moving their herd of Kodo around. We were used to seeing the occasional Alliance scouting party pass by on its way to the Crossroads, so we didn't pay any attention to the noises of shrieking metal from gnomish Mechanostriders and thundering hooves of Human horses and Dwarven rams. As the first farm on the road from Ratchet to the Crossroads we were in the forefront of any attack coming from Ratchet. I was leading the new calves away from their mothers so they could be washed, when I suddenly noticed the sounds of the alliance riders grew quite, I looked to see them arranging themselves into groups. I asked father what they were doing, and when he look, he recognized it for what it was and got a fearful look on his face, this wasn't a scouting party, this was an assault force. He grabbed us children and lead us inside, grabbing his old gun from atop the door and ran outside with his prairie wolf companion, Lo'gash, close in toe. I... I... watched as father ran back to stand by mother, her hands glowing a strange green color, the first time I knew of her using her druidic power since I had been born." The course of the next few minutes were painful to remember, to say the least, he had to stop and shake away the tears several times, he eventually continued. "They... they fired first. Human and Dwarven warriors and paladins leading the charge as their spell casters prepared to cast their spells. My mother and father took out many of the warriors and paladins before they were overwhelmed by the spell casters. It wasn't until just before my sister knocked me over and shielded me with her own body that I noticed a group of several warlocks, demons in toe, preparing to cast a volley of spells, not at our parents, but at us and our home. Their fire and shadow spells rained on us and our home like a dark rain. My sister... she was... she was killed almost instantly, and for that I am thankful, she didn't suffer. I don't think I could bear the pain if she had..." By now Saeuruk wasn't even concerned about the tears falling from his eyes, it was too dark for Black to see them anyhow. Saeuruk stopped talking, he was too busy replaying the scene of his sister dieing over and over in his head, and thinking of all the things he should have done to save her.

When Sae was quiet for a long time Black closed his eyes and said quietly, "I don not know why the Earth mother tests you so, but you will be stronger for it." Saeuruk was still quiet, he didn't have anything to say, her hand was not in the alliances actions. They were not her followers, but he was right, it made him stronger than he would have been otherwise. It was then that the cell door opened again, a heavily armed band of Sentenials stood, Saeuruk's captor amoung them, in the door way. They grabbed the two tauren and tied their hands again, blind folding them as well, before shoving them back out of the Waystation.