Shadowhunter

[jawaa]

The heat and dust of Durotar had always been hard for Jawaa to handle. The fact that a robe covered nearly all of her body made the heat that much worse. She sneezed once as she entered the Valley of Trials.

"Ah could be wearin' ma chainmail... da's warma' dan dis." Jawaa grinned, and walked towards the gathering of orcs and trolls in front of the Den, where she had slept for so long. She gave a nod and a smile to Jen'shan, her old hunter trainer, who stared at her student, and the blindfold and robe she now wore.

Jawaa stopped and stood in front of Ken'jai, the priest instructor. She bowed and took a seat. "'Eya dere Masta' Ken'jai. Ah wishes ta learn about de magics dat priests use."

Ken'jai studied the blind troll seated in front of him. He frowned and stuck a finger under Jawaa's blindfold, pushing it up her forehead. He snapped his fingers in front of her face, and when she didn't flinch, he stared into Jawaa's sightless dull eyes.

"Ai rememba joo. Joo cuddun' heal notin' when joo tried to lern da firs' time. Joo turn away an' pick up a bow." He leaned close to Jawaa's face. "What makes joo tink joo got da knowhow to lern now, blind one?"

Jawaa reached up and pulled her blindfold down back over her eyes. "Chu rememba' meh. Ah suppose bein' called 'De wors' studen' chu eva' had' leaves a mark. 'Sides... ah's na' interested so much in de healin' magic.

The priest instructor pulled his head back and scowled. "Shadow. Why da shadow? Wha' good joo tink joo can do wit' shadow magics?" He poked Jawaa's chest hard, pushing her back. "Da shadow consume joo. It take ova' joor mind. Joor nawt strong enuff in da mind ta cast da shadows."

Jawaa leaned forward and pointed at her blindfold. "Ah -live- in shadow. An' in de last yeah an' some since chu las' seen meh, ah learned moah about magic dan chu could eva' teach meh. Ah jus' needs ta learn ta' apply it ta' ma arrows ta make meh a betta' hunta'."

"A shadow hunta'? Joo?" Ken'jai smiled slightly. He had heard about the hunter Jawaa had become from Jen'shan. If he could help her learn to be one of the few shadowhunters of the Horde... He grinned. "Well, da's sometin' differn'. Ai teach joo de shadow magics ta weave into joor arrows. Ai'll make joo inta a great shadow hunta'."

"Ah jus' need chu ta teach meh enuff magic ta get ta' Thunda' Bluff like dis. Da's all." Jawaa grinned as she literally heard Ken'jai's smile shatter. "Chu don' fool meh. Afta wha' happened a yeah ago, an' jus' now... Why would ah let chu teach meh moah dan ah absoluteleh need chu to?"

Ken'jai grumbled. "Fine den. Joo come back when joo have de moneh ta pay fo' trainin'. Joo won' last long in cloth anaways. Joo too used ta chainmail armah."

With that, Jawaa stood and handed the priest a few silver coins. "Dat should be moah dan enuff ta get meh started, an den chu will neva have ta deal wit' 'Cha wors' studen' eva'."

[kazlin]

" ... one of the few shadowhunters of the Horde ... "

Int'restin' path, verrah int'restin' ....

[jawaa]

It started out well enough, but then a quillboar had snuck up behind her and made Jawaa lose her concentration on her spells. The spell that had been on her lips to shield herself instead exploded in her mind. The quilboars squealed in their laughter as she crumpled to the ground.

The troll laid there quivering in the dust clutching her head, waiting for the pain in her head to recede. Every time something happened to break her focus, the resulting pain in her mind was stronger than the last. At least they seemed to be growing farther and farther apart.

After a time, Jawaa slowly stood. The pain in her head was still there, but bearable enough to move away from the quillboars. Finding a tree, Jawaa slumped to her side under it's shade. As hard as she tried, she always lost her concentration. She wondered if this was going to work. Of course it would... she would find a way.

Jawaa sat up and gripped the small mace given to her. She straightened her blindfold and marched towards a quilboar. She cast a simpler shadow spell at it then ran at it, cackling it and pounding it's face with her mace. She felt the rage building within her, and finally forced herself to stop, but not before the pig's head was a crater above it's neck. Jawaa sat back and felt the blood soaking through the front of her robe. She leaned her head back and sighed. This wasn't going to plan.

-

Miles Welsh studied the approaching troll curiously. She was taller than most, and wore a blindfold over her eyes. She was more muscular than the average magic user. But what drew the most attention was the bloodied front of her robe.

As she approached, the instructor noticed the calloused fingers on the trolls right hand. He looked over to Ursyn and muttered in Gutterspeak.

"Five silver says she is lost."

The Forsaken mage trainer glanced up at the troll then back to her book. "My five silver says that she wants your training."

"You're on."

Jawaa stopped in front of the pair and looked between them. Miles feigned a smile and spoke in clear orcish. "Greetings, troll. What brings you to The Pools of Vision?"

Jawaa looked sightlessly at Miles. "Ah's lookin' fo' priest trainin'. Which one a' chu is de one ah should ask?"

Ursyn chuckled quietly and pointed needlessly at Miles. "Him."

Miles cleared his throat noisily. "You look like you could use a bath and clean robes instead of priest training. Slaughterhouses are not the place for ones of our order to be."

Jawaa touched the blood-stiffened front of her robe. "Yeh... mah idea fo' lernin' about controllin' shadow magic isn' workin' de way ah planned.

Miles tilted his head with an audible pop. "Why would one so inexperienced in magic in general want to delve into shadow?"

"Ah had hoped ta use it ta make meh a betta' hunta'. Ah've been hit by arrows laced wit' shadow magics, an' dey does a lot a' damage. Ah jus' wants ta provide moah ta' de Horde."

Miles shook his head. "What you learn as a priestess about shadow magic can't be applied so simply. You are a hunter then, judging by your look and the callouss on your right hand from releasing the string." Miles paused and looked Jawaa over. "I can train you in priestly magic. However, for the type of thing you need, I believe Vol'Jin would be the one for you to speak with."

Jawaa smiled and bowed respectfully. "Tank chu. Ah'll take wha'eva trainin' is available ta meh right now." Jawaa reached into a pocket, pulling out the silver to pay for her training. She walked to Ursyn and grinned, handing the puzzled forsaken woman the coins before turning back to Miles.

"From wha' li'l ah undastand a' Gutta'speak, Chu owed hera cupple silva'."

Ursyn laughed loudly and Miles glowered. Who would have thought for a troll to know any Gutterspeak?