Going Home (Part 2)

Bookh smiled as they stood at the railing of the zeppelin, watching the lush, green plains of Mulgore unfold beneath them.

“There is my birthplace," he pointed as they flew over Bloodhoof Village. He turned to look at his student, Ka'puna. He was looking forward to showing her many of the places he'd explored in his youth. He hoped that the peacefulness of his home would have a calming effect, and help the young Troll learn more focus in her druidic studies.

"I've never been so far from da Echo Isles before" Ka'puna muttered. "Orgrimarr was awful excitin' - what about 'dis Thunder Bluff place?"

The zeppelin was just beginning to dock at Thunderbluff Mesa, and Bookh chuckled softly. "Thunder Bluff is much more peaceful of a place, little one. You will find it a quiet..."

Bookh's words trailed off as his eyes widened in amazement. The normally silent mesa top was awash with clusters of elementals and Tauren defenders locked in combat. Elemental rifts dotted the entire city, as far as Bookh could see. As they cautiously disembarked from the zeppelin, a loud rumbling behind them caused them to turn quickly. A rift had formed virtually on top of them, and earthen elementals surged towards them.

The battle was brief, but violent. The two druids stood back to back in bear form, battling the stone elementals. Swipe, maul, growl, the two of them efficiently turning the hulking rock-like creatures into sprays of pebbles. They had defeated nearly all of them with swipes of their great furred paws, when a unlucky blow from the last, dying elemental sent Bookh flying backwards, even as the elemental burst into fragments. Ka'puna let out a roar of protest and ran to her fallen teacher.

Bookh faded in and out of consciousness as Ka'puna, still in bear form, dragged his bleeding body to shelter in a nearby tent. Tears ran down the young Troll's face as she vainly attempted to staunch the bleeding, but it was no use.The wound had torn through Bookh's armor and deep into his chest. Bookh shook his head slowly and struggled to speak one last time.

"Seek out the Browncoats, little one," Bookh gasped, the blood from his ghastly wound beginning to choke his breathing. "They will....protect you."

His last fleeting thought as he slipped towards death was a prayer to the Earth Mother that Ka'puna would survive this madness...