The Fire Lit

A silent village. Even from the outside it's plain to see that the village is poor.. the huts are in disrepair, the land around the village which was once teeming with life is now lifeless. No movement is seen. Inside the village, the silence is not broken. Here and there a very dirty, beaten looking orc stares aimlessly at the lifeless scenery around them. Once this village was thriving. Once orcs from Orgrimmar came to trade for skins and leather goods. Once, hunting parties of Blood Elves came through here looking to hunt the game, in exchance for a portion of the meat of course as this village survived on trade and animal meat. The orcs were too greedy though and game is now scarce. What game there is, is mostly older animals who have gotten seperated from the rest of the herd and have little to no meat on their bones. It is said now that things come here to die. No longer do the orc villagers work industriously to make their village beautiful. No longer are they heard singing in the woods as they chop down trees for their evening meals. No more is there a big gathering as the veterans of war tell their amazing stories of blood and glory. No more are there random shouts of "For the Horde!" or "Blood and thunder!" nor even "Victory or Death!". We come to the second biggest hut. the biggest one being reserved for the chief himself. Within this hut, Tenttan, his lovely wife and his two children Groush and Mischa are huddle around eatting their meager meals. Tentans face has grown beaten and weary as the toll of having to journey further and further to fetcfh enough meat to feed not only his family, but supply for the entire village grows further and further. Where once he could within an hours time be back with enough meat to feed the village and trade for supply's, he is now some times gone for days, as far once as Mulgor. On the mantle, standing above the family, are the ashes of Tentans father, Lurtz, killed in battle before the twins were born.

After finishint their meal, the children wander off to play half heartedly as their mother sets about cleaning the hut and Tentan himself paces in front of the mantle. The silence is broken by a gentle knocking at the door. Tentan opens the door to find his father-in-law, the village chief. "Lok'tar father." says Tentan, pounding proudly on his chest in greeting. "Lok'tar my favorite son-in-law." says the ageing chief, returning the proud chest pound. "I come to discuss importan matters, may I come in?" "Of course father. Please make yourself comfortable." says Tentan, gesturing towards the comfort of the chairs surrounding the fireplace.

The old chief rests his weary bones and enjoys the fire for a moment, his face preoccupied and care ridden. It is obvious he is conflicted. "Tentan, what I come to ask for, I do not ask lightly. As you are well aware, we are dying here. Our village is in dire straits and we may not survive another cold season if we do not replenish our stock of meat and skins." the chief grimlu says. Tentan nods "Yes.. Tentan very aware. Just return from hunt... find no beasts. All gone. Tentan gone 3 days." The old chief nods, sighs, and turns his eyes towards the fire, avoiding the caring gaze of Tentan. "My son, I just received word from our scouts that the game is plentiful in and about Silvermoon City. I dispatched a messanger to speak with the Blood Elves. They say they are willing to allow us to hunt on their lands, however they are asking in return that we allow them to keep the skins as they believe the animals of their land to be of higher quality than others and feel they can fetch a good price for it. Yet another example of their greed." the chief says bitterly. Tentans eyes fill with distate at the mention of their Blood Elf allies. The chief continues, "I have agreed to their terms. I must ask that you go, fetch as much meat as you can, as you are the best hunter we have to offer. You are also the last who's spirit has not been broken by this terrible draught. I realize it is a long way away and you just got back from a hunting trip, but we are desperate and I am afraid that if I tell the Blood Elves no, we will lose an annoying, greedy, slefish, yet importan ally. Their magic users are beyond compare and they pay well to hunt on our lands when there is game." Tentan's wife, who has been subtly moving closer and closer to over hear the conversation pipes up, "I can take care of the children my love. Althoguh I do not like you being gone for so long, I know it is for the good of the village. Besides, I think the longer we are not hunting in our lands, the less disturbance there, the more likely it is that the animals will return and in greater numbers." Tentan looks lovingly up at his wife "Yes.. Tentan think this too." He slowly nods before saying "zub zub.. Tentan go. Make nice with pointy ears. Tentan come back much meat. Tentan give skin pointy ears." The old chief, looking relived yet still pained nods "zub zub... you do the village proud Tentan. Spirits watch over you." With that the chief s;owly departs as Tentan and his wife go about gathering Tentans meager belongings for his trip. Having packed, his hunting and camping gear, Tentan turns, kisses his wife lovingly, and embrasses his two children who have begun to cry at learning that their father is departing again. Tentan says "No cry. Father be back soon. Love you all." Groush, looking tearfully up at his father says "Father, I want to go with you. I can learn to hunt as you do." Chest swelling with pride, Tentan scoops up his son up into his arms, Tentan says "No son.. you stay. Take care of mother. Father be back. Then teach hunt. You bring father much pride. You be good orc." With that he debarts, waving to his teary eyed family. He turns as he is leaving the village and sees his son standing alone,watching him with love in his eyes.

Tentan was gone for a week, and found much luck hunting the beasts surrounding Silvermoon City. He kept his word and delivered the skins of all of his kills to the Blood Elf leaders as he was instructed to do. Not wanting to insult the Blood Elves by not accepting their hospitality, Tentan boarded within the city walls which his found he enjoyed more than camping in the wilderness. His final evening there, the Blood Elves invited him to stay, one more night to celebrate his good fortune in hunting. Tentan politely agreed and spent the night drinking and feasting. Being as such, he woke up the next day, too late for the early Zeppelin from Undercity to his home so he spent part of the day exploring Silvermoon and listening to the Blood Elf stories of their time before joining the Horde. As night drew on, Tentan was transported to Undercity where he waited for the zeppelin to Durotar.

Upon departing the zeppelin, Tentan noticed orcs on wolf back rushing from Orgrimmar south, shouting about the Scourge and fire. Hitching a ride with one of the riders, Tentan soon spotted his village, red with fire against the black night sky. Sprinting ahead of the rushing orcs, Tentan entered his village to find the huts on fire and chaos reigning all over. Scourge were running about killing any and all orcs that crossed their paths. Rushing towards his hut, Tentan was startled to see the burning corpse of the old chief laying on the ground in front of it. Barreling through the burning door Tentan entered the hut yelling and searching for his family. Hearing his son crying outside, Tentan dashed through the flames to see Groush being dragged away by a drooling, slobbering ghoul. With a howl of rage, Tentan drew his blades and raced after the undead creature. Slitting the throats of any undead that got in his way, Tentan almost got to within reach of his son. At the last moment he flung himself at the ghoul carrying away his baby boy, only to hear a loud cracking as a hut collapsed on top of him.His last glimpse before settling into darkness, was that of his son, still reaching for him and crying for him as he was being dragged away.

Tentan was awoken looking into the eyes of a aged orc. Sitting up with a cry of panic, he looks around to find the village nothing more than burning embers. Grabbing the orc that revived him by the shirt, he yells "Where they? Where family? Where son? Tentan get ugly smelly thing dragging him away?" The old orc shakes his head sadly and says, "No son, you're the only one we've found alive so far." With a howl Tentan jumps up and races to embers that were his hut. Entering the smoldering ruins, Tentan looks panicedly around. In front of the remains of what was his fireplace mantle, Tentan finds the broken shards of the jar that held his fathers ashes. With a cry, Tentan falls on his knees in front of it. Looking towards what was his quarters, he sees the skeletons of an adult and child orc. Crawling over to the corpses, Tentan collapses, his mighty chest heaving with sobs as he grieves. Turning his head towards the sky, Tentan bellows his rage into the night. Grabbing his blades, Tentan finds the orc that revived him. Grabbing him again, Tentan says with rage in his voice "Where them take son? You see smelly drooling thing with young orc? You tell Tentan now!" Snarling at being grabbed, the old orc replaies "Sonney you grab me again, I'll make sure you get knocked out again, only this time no one will bring you around and we'll leave you here to rot. I've seen no one leaving here other than the orcs from Orgrimmar which helped extinguish the fires before they lit all of Durotar on fire." Letting the old orc go with a snort, Tentan turns on his heels, gathers up his meager belongings, and starts making his way out of the embers that were once his proud little village. The old orc shouts to him from across the way "Hey! Where you going? " Without turning around, Tentan yells, "Tentan go.. think son alive. See him dragged away. Tentan try find. Kill smelly, drooling thing." Shaking his head hopelessly, the old orc continues searching for survivors as Tentan walks slowly away, alone.