I remember in one of my exchanges with Morgaine, I'd asked her in innocence where her children and husband were. She'd sadly shaken her head. "I'm alone my dear child. My life exists solely in extending and enriching the lives of others. It's an all consuming selfishness of an entirely selfless sort. Beyond that, I have nothing left to offer anyone, certainly not my heart”. At the time it seemed a very strange thing for her to say, but for a long time, I found wisdom in her words. Sometimes love hurts more than it’s worth.
I'd loved Zydin from the first time I'd seen him. He'd returned home for Winter Feast after a fierce battle with the Horde on the borders of Ashenvale. I was home for the same reason, but visiting Thalana and her parents the eve of the holy day. He'd walked in, garbed in his battle finery. Thalana had jumped up from her seat near the hearth and hugged him whole heartedly. When we were introduced, he remembered me as the muddy brat that stole his training swords with his sister. I simply remembered him as the champion who'd slain the wolf that terrorized us during our play in the woods.
During our mutual visits home, we spent increasing amounts of time together. Letters filled in the spaces when we were apart. A young love was born.
He made a visit to Moonglade once for my birthday, bringing with him a small white kitten.
"I wanted you to have some one to be with you when I am not." He punctuated his words with a kiss, and my world was changed. I felt as though our fates had been woven together and I was warmed by the thought. My existence wasn't entirely alone in this world.
I was at home the day Zydin left to join the army against Kel'Thuzad. He'd come over early that morning and spoken with my papa quietly outside, and despite my best attempts, I'd been unable to eavesdrop.
He returned that evening and requested that I join him outside under the moonlight. We walked hand in hand until we reached the stream that separated the land between our families. "Kaliye, I want you to wait for me, until I return. We've been promised the war will be long, and it will be ugly. But it will end, and when I come back, I want to spend that time with you." He held out a large garnet ring, in the shape of a heart. I nodded, words having escaped me, and I held out my hand. He slipped the ring onto my finger and embraced me tightly. "I must leave tonight, but my heart stays here with you. Take care with it."
That was the last time I saw him alive. Well, truly alive.
Nearly a year later, I received a summons from Aislyn. She was a respected Druid within the school, and was in charge of providing the war effort with healers. As I made my way through the halls of the Council, I wondered why I'd been asked to come. Although I'd technically 'graduated' several summers back, I stayed on in Moonglade to further my training and knowledge. I'd meant what I said when I told my parents I wanted to be the best in the world. But I hadn't achieved that goal quite yet. There was still so much for me to learn. Herbs to analyze, threads of power within the air to master, learning to bend.."
"Miss Shadowmend, whenever you're done with your daydreaming, let me know."
I looked up sharply, catching Aislyn's smirking countenance, and smiled sheepishly. I'd managed to get myself to her office without realizing it.
"It's apparent you're slightly confused as to why you're here." Raising an eyebrow in surprise, I nod slowly.
"Not that hard to see, your face is an open book. Your eyebrows were so mashed together in thought, I'd thought you were trying to stitch them together." She waves a hand. "It's of no consequence. I don't have time for explanation. You're to be ported to Light's Hope shortly. I've followed your progress and your accomplishments. You did an excellent job tending to those in Arathi Basin last month, only lost 2 during the entire battle. Quite an achievement." She walks to her desk and shuffles through a folder lying across her desk. "Excellent mana management, good judgement in your usage of heals. I think you've come farther than you think."
My jaw drops open in shock. "Um, well, I um. Wow."
"That's why you're being assigned in the war. We lost Brieda last week and we need you to take up her spot in the Plaguelands. You aren't ready for the battlefield, but you'll be dealing with those brought off the field. Go prepare your packs and meet me back here within the hour."
Nodding, still numb with shock, I ran back to my apartment and gathered my supplies. Slipping into my leathers and stuffing my journal in my pack, I rushed back to Aislyn's office, prepared for battle.
With no ceremony, she led me to the grove behind the Lunar Temple and tossed up a portal. Before I could step through, she grabbed my hand and pressed a kiss to my forehead. "Elune be with you my child."
Tending the soldiers proved to be a most daunting task. The injuries were never ending, it seemed as though we were surely losing the battle. The first couple of days blended into a month. It became second nature to bring a soldier back to life or heal him from fatal injuries, so that he or she could return to the battlefield. The faces blended into one, names forgotten, only wounds mattered. Until he ended up before me, far beyond gone.
"Kaliye, this one's bad. Shadowbolt and Mortal Strike simultaneously. Gallador carried him and kept him up best he could.. but I don't know if we'll keep this one."
I chuckled, "I've yet to lose one, I don't intend to start now." Reaching down, I started to pull back the destroyed armor, but found that part of it was embedded in the patient's flesh. "Well, that doesn't help matters. Help me get his helmet and the rest of his armor off, and we'll see what we can do."
Gallador tugged the helmet off with as much care as he could... and I nearly screamed.
"Oh my god not you. Not you." Pushing my hands down into the blood on his chest, I willed life back into him with all my power. His eyes popped open. "Kaliye." He breathed my name. Unwanted tears pushed themselves into my eyes. I kept pushing, pulling energy from the air around me until it nearly crackled. "You.. will.. not... die.." I grit out from between my teeth.
He reached up and touched my face. "When all the stars have gone out, you'll still be burning so.. bright." His last breath escaped, and his eyes closed. "NOOOOO!!" I screamed. Raising my hands to the sky, I called down every prayer I knew, and pushed that life into him. He did not return, he was gone.
Gasping for air and shaking from the effort, I stared numbly as his body. Gallador pulled me into his arms and hugged me tightly. I choked back the tears, not wanting anyone to see my weakness. But he tucked my face into his chest and whispered, "Let it go hon, I won't tell a soul." Quietly I sobbed, feeling as though my heart was broken forever.
We buried him a week later. Shortly after the ceremony, Thalana and I made our way towards the woods of our youth. Finding the clearing that we so often played in, we sat in silence. After a time, I took her hand and placed the heart ring in her hand and closed her fingers around it. She looked at me, a slow sad smile played across her lips. I laid my head in her lap and cried quietly. She sang softly as she ran her hands over my hair, "Cast me gently into morning, for the night has been unkind..."