"A druid?" I looked at my mother quizzically. "Me? But I'm just a girl; I'm only sixteen summers Mama. I don't have to choose my path in life until I'm well past my thirtieth... right?"
She rubbed a hand over her face. "Normally yes sweetie, but some people are...” she seemed to be searching for a word. "Born into their lives. Your father chose to follow his heart and become a great warrior. I chose to follow the path of a healer. But you, you're special. You were born into yours. You have a gift."
"But I don't WANT it." I slammed my hand down on the table. "I want to find out what I want to do, this isn't fair! Thalana gets to be whatever she wants."
"You don't always get to do what you want and you know it." Mama's eyes flickered with fire. "Don't turn your back on this; you've received a boon greater than you know. You'll anger the gods, and you'll bring the wrath of Elune down on all our heads. Don't you dare shame this family, YOUR family with your selfishness." Sabryel's wailing from the other room signaled the end of our exchange.
"I'll tend to her, mother. Papa will be home for midday meal soon." I walked into the darkened den and retrieved little Sabre from her cradle and held her to my chest, holding her as tight as I dared, choking back tears of frustration. "My sweetest little Sabre."
She cooed up at me, a wide toothless grin. Touching my nose to hers, I found my serenity and calm in her big brown eyes. "I'll make sure you're proud of your big sister, I won't let you down." She giggled, seemingly to encourage to me. I settled her in my lap with a skin of warm milk, thinking over how to proceed with my future. Fight my mama over this... druid thing, or embrace and see what mysteries it holds.
After lunch, I told my mother I wanted to go visit my Grandmamma Faera. She consented, and sent me with a package for her aging mother.
During the long walk through to the other side of the forest, my head was filled with thoughts of what druids truly were. Feared, respected, magical, mysterious, but ultimately alone. When I was very young, an age wizened woman had visited our house when my mother had fallen very ill. She had dark blue tattoos on her hands, face, and all the way up her arms, disappearing under her tunic. She'd brought with her a few herbs and a battered staff. She stayed but a few days, but when she left; my mother was well, perhaps in better health than when the druid had arrived. During times when my mother was resting, I would speak with the old druid about her path of life and what she'd seen and done. She always spoke with a heavy heart, as though the weight of her past was painful.
When I reached Grandmama's house, she was sitting on the porch, as though she were awaiting my arrival. Chilled moon berry juice in a flask on the table beside her, and a weave of wool in her lap provided the picture of comfort I'd been looking forward to during my journey. I sat with her a while, telling her of Sabryel's newest accomplishments, of the mundane things, easing our way into conversation. Finally she stabbed her sewing needle in the pillow on her lap and turned to me. "Child, it's obvious you've come here for a reason. You're far too old to come up here for fluff and nonsense and cookies any longer. What's on your mind?"
Grinning, but with tears filling my eyes, I told her of the previous days events, and of healing Mama's hand with what seemed to be only my mind. By the time I'd finished, the tears were falling freely. Faera dropped her sewing on the porch and hugged me against her ample chest, and I sobbed. "I'm so scared Grandmamma, even if this is what Elune wants of me, what if I'm no good at it. I became a cat on accident, I healed without really trying. What if I miss, what if I mess up? I'll hurt someone, I'll fail someone."
She simply held me while I cried, and brushed her hands through my hair, letting me get it all out. When I finally raised my head, she tipped my chin up and looked me square in the eye. "You won't fail because you're my Kaliye. And I've never known you to fail at something you put your mind to."
I returned home the following day after settling my mind and heart into the future I now saw in front of me. Mama was just setting the table for the evening meal and Papa was in the den playing with Sabre when I pushed open the door. The toddler ran screaming towards me, "Nali!" Scooping her up with a hug, I tucked her on my hip before turning to my parents. Mama stood with her hands on her hips, waiting expectantly. "Well?" Without preamble, I stammered out: "I want to go to Moonglade to study. If I'm to be a druid, I'm going to be the best Azeroth has ever seen."