Foolish

Lately I have noticed I am more tired than usual, though I am unsure if it is a remnant of the cured affliction, or if I am attempting to do more than I am able. Last night I had come to a lesson on fire-weaving, held by Nystia in celebration of Midsummer, and made a fool of myself with an unlit torch. I had thrown it into the air and watched carefully where it had gone to catch it, but misjudged where it was in my fatigue... it landed on my nose instead of in my hand, and I fell down in surprise.

Tired and embarassed, I excused myself from the others there to retire to my hut for the night. I will seek out Nystia another time to learn how to juggle the torch, when I have my wits about me.

Midsummer Celebration

Last night the Burning Tusks gathered to celebrate midsummer, the time of the year when An'she's light has reached the height of its power, and when his light begins to yield to Mu'sha's. It is as much a time of celebration as it is a time of mourning, and like Noblegarden it is a celebration of life.

Siuliaruin hosted the tribe's celebration, and required that we wear as little as possible, or no clothing at all. We were brought to a forest with a lake and "faerie dragons", a type of creature I had never seen before. We were all given a circlet made from the leaves and sticks of the trees around us, and then we were brought to the lake. Siuliaruin told us to consider our bad memories, and to let the water take them away in its ebb and flow.

I thought of everything that had happened to me and Ferak over the past weeks... the nightmares, the whispers, the ritual... and fell into the lake. The water was refreshing, and I felt as if the weight of these painful memories was indeed cleansed from my heart. The others seemed to have felt the same way. I saw Ura and Pipiltin chasing one another playfully. Gren'mazi gave the tribe an interesting show of fire on the water's surface. Even Mukwa attempted to enjoy the swimming despite feeling tired, and later I would see that his spirits had been lifted greatly.

We bore witness to a rare and beautiful sight on returning to the forest: the faerie dragons had decided to bless our celebration. They gathered around the ring of mushrooms we had intended to enter and bathed it in a glowing light of many colors. I was struck with awe at this sight, and Siuliaruin noted that to see such a thing was very rare. We proceeded then to light a bonfire, feast, and dance. There were stories to be told, unfortunately I was too tired to join them to listen, or share. I excused myself and thanked Siuliaruin for bringing us to this place before dressing myself and returning home.

As the seasons change and An'she's light begins to dim again, I am reminded of the passing of time, of the families I have been a part of since I left my birth tribe, and of those I speak with or fight alongside. Faces, spirits, and the desires of those I know have and always will change, but one thing is absolute: I will do all I can to protect and aid those I know and love.

Until ash.

As It Was... Almost

It feels like it has been too long since I have been able to sit by the tree in Orgrimmar and relax. Last night I did just this, and encountered Za sitting among some friends. He came over to me and dropped a bag of smoking herbs into my lap, which I took gratefully and with thanks. We began to discuss recent events, but then the interruptions began... I believe Za called it "happy hour," and likened it to the tide of the ocean rolling out and leaving refuse behind on the sand when it was once clean. In retrospect, I understand this comparison now.

Our topic was lost, so I had decided to smoke some of the herbs in my pipe while I waited for this happy hour to end. I realized I had no fire to burn the herbs with, and asked if anyone could do this. A goblin behind me offered me a box of matches, though they were much too small for me to use. He lit the pipe for me and I thanked him. He seemed a nice fellow, despite feeling the need to attach a device to his bow that would launch small animals... I do not understand to this day why goblins feel the need to disrespect the Earth Mother and her creatures.

Pipiltin arrived not much later, after I started to feel the calming effects of my herbs. She had been away from us to tend to some work to please her Loa. We briefly discussed what had happened since I had seen her last, and what the tribe planned to do in the coming days. Meanwhile, Pipiltin gave Za one of her popcorn balls, the ones she made with a secret mix of herbs. The herbs had a fast and quite noticeable effect on Za, as he began to insist the goblin's companion animal was able to talk and fetch drinks. To my surprise, the latter proved to be true, and the animal returned to him with a cup of frog venom brew, and slice of a lemon.

In the midst of this, Urukha came to us, though she did not have much to speak of, and fell asleep on her mate's lap not long after her arrival. I had spoken with her earlier in the evening; her voice over the talisman lacked emotion and she seemed troubled. Having not seen her in the days since the incident at Storm Peaks, I had hoped that having her see me in good health would lift her spirits. Unfortunately, it would seem that it only irritated her. I asked if there was something I could do to help her with, but she asserted that there was nothing I could do. I wonder what is troubling her?