Post by Benga on Oct 20, 2009 22:00:24 GMT -5
IT had been three days since Benga had left the rotten shack. Within those three days, he had traveled across the Barrens and had taken the boat from Ratchet to Booty Bay. He hadn't stayed long; his Stormwind destination foremost in his mind.
While in Booty Bay he had bathed and shaved, the smell of his own odor replaced by the salty air of the southern seas. He had gathered what food he could carry and filled his water sack.
Now he was nearing the border of Stranglethorn Vale and Duskwood according to his map- coming ever closer to his goal. The leather sole of his right boot had mostly decayed, holding up only at the arch of his foot. The elf's heel was bleeding, and the future of his toes seemed grim. He accepted the pain, knowing it only as temporary.
As Benga crossed an unstable wooden bridge that suspended over a river, he remembered what the inkeeper in Darkshore had told him.
'Take heed in your travels hunter; the road takes what it wants from you.' Those were the last words he had heard from her before he left.
Shaussiy, the inkeeper in Darkshore, had held his hand through the life he had known after his parent's death in Warsong. He held no emotion towards that fact, as they had died before he could know them.
The hunter walked forward, echoes of his early seasons coming back to him.
'Your companion, when it comes to you, will be your most favored ally throughout it's course. This,' she had said, 'is your second.' Shaussiy would pull back her own bow before letting fly an arrow at a target on a nearby tree. Benga would copy her actions, failing before his progress had started.
As far as he knew, his parents were killed in Warsong by an orc rogue. His father was felled by the orc's blades, his mother by the orc's poisons. Shaussiy was a trusted friend among his parents, and Benga was placed under her wing as a result. Shaussiy had taught him since he could communicate the ways of nature, how to preserve its ways, and respect them. The inkeeper had allowed him to practice meditation to center himself and clear his mind before she placed in his hands his bow and sword.
'You must first learn to master your self before your body, as they go hand in hand.'
From here Benga could now see the looming trees of Duskwood, seemingly a few hundred paces away. The pain in his foot lessened; the gratification of progress foremost in his mind.
For most hours out of a given day, Benga was training. He would wake up and meditate until the sun was at it's peak, then go through a stretching exercise to prepare his body. The day would continue with a hunt to feed himself which completed last step that prepared him for his training with Shaussiy.
Their training started in the woods, where they would meet. Benga would be carrying his poorly made shortsword, Shaussiy her beautify crafted dagger. They would start by sprinting forward throughout the forest, dodging fallen trees and other debris. This enhanced his focus, sharpened his reflexes, and lengthened his stamina. Shaussiy would then surprise attack him, forcing the hunter to improve his combat skills.
His life continued in this fashion until his 20th season in which he left Duskwood and Shaussiy behind to explore the rest of the world, and to continuously challenge himself.
'And it worked.' Benga said to himself as he crossed into Duskwood, the light of Stranglethorn replaced by an uneasy static dusk.
While in Booty Bay he had bathed and shaved, the smell of his own odor replaced by the salty air of the southern seas. He had gathered what food he could carry and filled his water sack.
Now he was nearing the border of Stranglethorn Vale and Duskwood according to his map- coming ever closer to his goal. The leather sole of his right boot had mostly decayed, holding up only at the arch of his foot. The elf's heel was bleeding, and the future of his toes seemed grim. He accepted the pain, knowing it only as temporary.
As Benga crossed an unstable wooden bridge that suspended over a river, he remembered what the inkeeper in Darkshore had told him.
'Take heed in your travels hunter; the road takes what it wants from you.' Those were the last words he had heard from her before he left.
Shaussiy, the inkeeper in Darkshore, had held his hand through the life he had known after his parent's death in Warsong. He held no emotion towards that fact, as they had died before he could know them.
The hunter walked forward, echoes of his early seasons coming back to him.
'Your companion, when it comes to you, will be your most favored ally throughout it's course. This,' she had said, 'is your second.' Shaussiy would pull back her own bow before letting fly an arrow at a target on a nearby tree. Benga would copy her actions, failing before his progress had started.
As far as he knew, his parents were killed in Warsong by an orc rogue. His father was felled by the orc's blades, his mother by the orc's poisons. Shaussiy was a trusted friend among his parents, and Benga was placed under her wing as a result. Shaussiy had taught him since he could communicate the ways of nature, how to preserve its ways, and respect them. The inkeeper had allowed him to practice meditation to center himself and clear his mind before she placed in his hands his bow and sword.
'You must first learn to master your self before your body, as they go hand in hand.'
From here Benga could now see the looming trees of Duskwood, seemingly a few hundred paces away. The pain in his foot lessened; the gratification of progress foremost in his mind.
For most hours out of a given day, Benga was training. He would wake up and meditate until the sun was at it's peak, then go through a stretching exercise to prepare his body. The day would continue with a hunt to feed himself which completed last step that prepared him for his training with Shaussiy.
Their training started in the woods, where they would meet. Benga would be carrying his poorly made shortsword, Shaussiy her beautify crafted dagger. They would start by sprinting forward throughout the forest, dodging fallen trees and other debris. This enhanced his focus, sharpened his reflexes, and lengthened his stamina. Shaussiy would then surprise attack him, forcing the hunter to improve his combat skills.
His life continued in this fashion until his 20th season in which he left Duskwood and Shaussiy behind to explore the rest of the world, and to continuously challenge himself.
'And it worked.' Benga said to himself as he crossed into Duskwood, the light of Stranglethorn replaced by an uneasy static dusk.