Shadow Chasing [Vera]

[Vera]

Very interested Vera listened to Vol'jin's explanations about Sauroks. She found it very interesting that there were people in his homeland who were capable of creating other living beings. If they used genetic experiments or other technologies, maybe even this shadow magic Vol'jin had talked about, was unknown to her, she only knew that she wanted to visit Vol'jin's homeland one day. The world where he lived had to be a very wondrous place, where obviously very developed cultures were living. Maybe she would even be able to learn something from the scientists or magicians there.

Obviously Vol'jin was able to exclude that this creature was a Saurok by the fact that it was not wearing any jewellery. But that could only mean one thing. Sauroks had not only been created by another culture, but they were also intelligent enough to decorate themselves with certain objects. She was only happy, that this was not the case for the creature lying in front of them, because otherwise it would mean, that they had killed an intelligent being and that would have been a terrible violation of the non-interference rule. Although if she wanted to follow the rule completely, she would not be allowed to work together with Vol'jin. So she was already bending the rule.

"Most likely it's a native species that just looks similar to the other one we know." Vera assumed and watched Vol'jin removing the arrows from the carcass. With a gentle touch she closed the creature's small eyes and stared at Vol'jin in surprise. He really wanted to eat this creature! But they didn't even know if its meat was edible. Somehow she found this idea abhorrent, but secretly she had to admit, that she was hungry, too. For much too long she had just eaten the berries and things she had found in the forest. The beast – Vera decided to call it an Eipirok to account for the similarities with both species – would be similar to a banquet, although a certain part of her was still unwilling to eat this creature.

"Yes, I think you are right. But are you sure that the Eipirok is not poisonous?" she asked and mentioned the combined name with a smile on her face.

When Vol'jin began a chant in a foreign language Vera went a few steps away and watched this hunting ritual. Only when he had finished his chants and began to remove the inedible parts from the Eipirok, she started a scan of the creature with her sonic fountain pen. According to the readout the Eipirok was not poisonous. But it also was not found in any database that was saved in the small fountain pen. If her TARDIS was nearby she could have accessed a much larger database, but sadly her timecapsule was lost somewhere between time and space. After she had finished her scan she turned away from Vol'jin and the dead Eipirok and held watch, because the view of all the blood made her stomach turn. She might be the adventurer, but still so much blood was nothing she liked to see.

Only when Vol'jin claimed that he had finished his work she looked back to him and was surprised of the troll's work. She hadn't expected that a troll worked as carefully as Vol'jin did. "Great." she praised him and nodded approving. It really would not be good to make a fire inside this cave. Though the air was moving slowly in the cave the smoke would not move away fast enough. Also there might be other Eipirocks nearby.

"I have a small camp in the woods. We can go there, if you want to." She suggested and nodded once more. He was right that they had not found the time to introduce each other properly yet. "My name is the Adventurer, but friends simply call me Vera. I'm from the planet Gallifrey." she introduced herself and thought about the troll's way to introduce each other. But when nothing came to her mind, she decided to use the human's way and just gave him her hand. Since he understood the human's language he might even understand this gesture.

[Vol'jin]

He had not slept at all soundly for a good few days and this feeling, added to the mixed conundrum he was currently going through thanks to falling quite literally into this world had left him a tad more exhausted than he was ordinarily used to. Vol'jin was not stranger to pulling all nighters, often going days without sleep to deal with important matters. However, he was feeling it more now and he wasn't entirely sure if that was due to how he had been pulled into wherever this place was called. Did it even have a name? Maybe that Mage had somehow amplified its existing effect.

Vol'jin doubted he would ever learn why he been pulled into this world, or even what had done it in the first place. Maybe she would know the name of this place, maybe she could add to his feelings of a strange fatigue. He would have to ask her later, he mused as he gutted the creature with a profound efficiency. He was a natural hunter and all hunters were good at dealing with their catch.

He glanced as she closed its eyes and pondered at it for a long moment before he nodded slightly, "Well, gotta be some similarity between our worlds... This looks like what I know an' you recognise me as a troll, mon," he replied sagely, there was much in the belief of convergence. He had experienced it to a level between the differing cultures he had come across, especially with aiding Thrall.

She seemed to think it poisonous then and it was something he has considered but figured he would just cook it to a really fine seal which would cook the poison out, rendering it void of harm towards them. He only just grinned before getting on with dealing with his kill. Vol'jin knew the importance of keeping peace with the spirits beyond. It also put the creature's spirit to rest. He startled when she used her funny pen, not used to such things and was completely alien to the notion of 'scanning with technology' such as hers. He didn't really keep much company with Goblins, they had a tendency to barter at every turn. Vol'jin's dusky yellow eyes watched it with wary suspicion before eventually deciding that it was not aimed at him and seemed to do nothing, at least physically.

He was finally done, using twine to tie what were the wrist and ankle joints together which would make it easier for him to carry. The creature was of some weight and he was not sure she could hold its mass. No, easier for her to lead the way. She praised him then and he grinned with gratitude, "No need ta be wasteful. Nature always takes care of tha' rest," he replied, knowing it was a universal law.

"Yes, camp be better. Smoke can fly free and not choke us," he nodded as he stretched out his lanky but languid frame. It was clear he had a thinner waist than average human men.

She offered him her hand and he eyed it for a moment before recalling that Jaina had done it on the few times he had joined Thrall on a diplomatic meeting. They were few and far between, especially with him being also present since all matters of state were usually left in his care when Thrall went away. Course, Garrosh came and everything changed. Bitterness clad Vol'jin's face again before he forced a happier outlook.

"Nice ta meet'cha, Vera," he replied, extending the 'e', "I be Vol'jin of da Darkspear," Trolls did not have surnames of any kind but they did apply titles depending on what they had done in their life. He was grateful for what he had seen between his friend with the Dalaran mage and did the gesture in kind, his hand completely swallowing Vera's own despite only being two-fingered and one thumbed.

Vol'jin then hefted the carcass upwards and carried it over a shoulder, "We should get movin' before we attract attention. Darker it gets, the tastier we be," he said, wary of what night time had to offer here.

[Vera]

Slowly Vera nodded. She also supposed that there were serveral similarities between Vol'jin's and her world. Possibly they were even from the same universe and her people just had not visited Vol'jin's planet yet. On the other hand it was also possible that her new friend came from a parallel universe, which was so similar to her home that the beings living there were similar, too. Whatever it was, their universes seemed to have a lot in common and she was already looking forward to learning more about his world. Maybe they could talk some more about their worlds, while they were at her camp and ate roasted eipirock.

"Yes, evolution tends to use established concepts over and over again. Besides my people have travelled very far, so it is very likely that someone else already met a troll and survived it.", she answered saucily, because sadly there were also reports about timelords who had not survived the encounter with a troll.

"Also it seems as if trolls have been common on several planets. But strangely they are only known from myths on earth and several other planets by now." she continued and watched him tying the eipirock's legs with twine, so that he was able to carry it.

"Can I help you?" she asked him, although she supposed that he did not need her help. After all he looked much stronger and much likely he was also able to carry such a heavy thing much longer. "That's right. Nature is not able to waste anything." she replied and sighed. Too many cultures she knew had not understood this concept yet and possibly half of it would not learn it until it was too late. Trolls obviously were different from most of these cultures and it was fascinating that most people always described trolls as dumb although they weren't.

"I think so, too. It's not nice to choke to death." she answered with a seriousness in hear voice that showed that she only partly meant it as a joke, because her memories of one of her earlier deaths were still just too present in her mind.

The human's ritual of greeting each other obviously was not known to Vol'jin, because otherwise he would not look at her hand the way he did. For a moment she still held her hand to him, until she lowered her hand again. "I'm very glad to meet you, Vol'jin of the Darkspear. Is Darkspear your home?" She couldn't help asking him about his surname, because to her understanding it could mean everything from the name of his clan to the place he lived or it could even be a title.

After Vol'jin had lifted the dead eipirock to his shoulder, Vera started to go to the cave's exit. "There aren't a lot of monsters in this part of the wood. But in other areas there are a lot of creatures who just wait for sunset to eat us." she explained, while she left the cave and went to her camp.


tbc: Forests - Campfire stories

[Vol'jin]

Evolution meant different things to Vol'jin's understanding but the way she seemed to describe was from that of an observer's perspective and he found that a curious thing in itself. She had clearly been places, where he didn't know but he found himself wanting to find out. Maybe she knew more than she realised, one could never really tell with me. You'd think you know all there is to know and they still end up surprising you.

Vera seemed to mentioning his kind a lot but he didn't know that she was referring to a species that probably looked nothing like his own by comparison. He sat back on his haunches, inspecting his work on the ties as she spoke again, "No, I got dis." After all, she had the more important job of leading the way and Vol'jin was one of those leaders who led by example.

He adjusted the carcass on his shoulder, he had made sure most of the blood had drained away from them when he had gutted and cleaned out the truly inedible parts so not that much blood dripped onto his pauldrons. Vol'jin took pace behind her as they worked their way out of the cave system back towards the open world ahead of them.

"No, da Darkspear be my people. Da Echo Isles be where ol' Vol'jin lives," he replied, grinning toothily from ear to ear, which were large lobed and elongated. "Darkspear be our Tribe," he added for clarification. He often did that now when around other races. Even though Thrall was largely an exception, Orcs weren't known for their patience when it came to understanding the words Trolls spoke.

Moved ; Campfire Stories. Thread Finished