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The Arbiter	By : mattulmen Category: +S through Z > World of Warcraft Views: 952 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own World of Warcraft, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 1-The Arbiter
- 1
I finally wrote this story after many years of it being in my mind. I thought it would be an adult story, but this fits much better I think.
I have seen a lot. After crashing on this planet I've fought through my home of Draenor twice, once as the barren Outland and once again in the past when it was still known as Draenor. I've seen the world ripped apart in a Cataclysm and wandered the lost land of Panderia. Through it all I have had a place I have called home in the frozen land of Northrend.
In the Storm Peaks is a village of warrior women, Brunnhildar Village. I came here initially to try and learn more of the land, helping the warrior women out was a means to an end. After I was done exploring what I was able to, and before the Cataclysm, I found myself wandering back to the village and living. There were many who came and went again, a couple stayed for some time. I have gone out again as I was called to action, but always found my way back to my frozen home.
It has been years since they bothered to call for me. New generations of heroes had taken up the banners of both Horde and Alliance. I had helped train some of the newer shaman having taken the spot outside Stormwind city where my teacher had sat by the outer gate. I didn't mind the city of course, but enjoyed being out of the hustle and bustle of Stormwind. It also gave me a much more intimate spot to teach which made things easier.
Now the only real person who talked to me, Gretta the Arbiter who was seen in her own way as the leader of the group, is dying. She is a very old woman and no one mourned her. She had been a strong leader so they took it as a insult to mourn her, instead drinking around a bonfire and telling tales of her.
I would sit and listen though everyone knew I was in no way able to contribute. I did enjoy learning about her, for obvious reasons people rarely talked, they are always training and don't seem to appreciate small conversation, or any at all.
I walk into the door of Gretta's hut, I am her caretaker at her request. Since all of the others have gone I am the only person in the Village other than her who doesn't focus on training all day. We didn't talk in the past, but I think she appreciated not being the only one not worried about fighting. She is laying on her makeshift bed and covered with a thick hide blanket. Hearing me enter she speaks.
"I'm glad you never fixed that door, hearing it squeak is the only way I can tell if someone enters. Of course you are the only one who would, the rest have moved on already."
I sit on the floor next to her. I know the illusion makes it look easy, but sitting with how my legs are can be irritating sometimes a doubly so in the cold. I simply nod "I learned a lot about you at the bonfire, I'm sorry we didn't meet long before now."
Gretta smiles looking into the low fire of her hut "you didn't know where we were, None of you did."
I look at Gretta oddly. She chuckles though she doesn't look "Yes I know you are not who you appear, none of you outsiders were. How the males of your various species felt taking the image of a woman is something I always meant to ask."
I chuckle at the thought, then realize I had blown my cover, if I ever had it. "The ones I talked to mainly saw it as a means to an end."
Gretta nods "I figured. There are still ones who come from time to time, though they are more interested in fighting in the pit. You are one of the few who seemed to like to be here. The rest left when I started to spend more time in my hut than out of it." Gretta looks over "So why do you stay?"
I think. I honestly have no real reason obviously to stay. The Exodar is fully repaired from the crash, and while they have no intentions of leaving they could. There were other shaman to train, or I could go back into my world's past and live. "I guess I just like being removed from everything. No one bothers me out here. Aside from Khadgar mentally contacting me I am safe from the chaos that never seems to end."
Gretta listens "You realize that if the women of the village knew who you were and why you stayed they would consider you weak. They can't imagine anything better than fighting for a cause."
I nod "I know, which is why I have stayed silent for so long. I have been in a lot of battles and have a lived a very long time. I am just at a point where I can't motivate myself to fight anymore. Even teaching others who I knew would be fighting got old. I have trained a couple generations of shaman, I even trained children of some I had trained. When I started hearing that both generations had died due to the never ending fighting I stopped. I got to the point I couldn't walk in the City without thinking of who I had lost."
Gretta nods "Your people from what I had gathered mourn death instead of celebrating life. I don't understand that, but I can see why you would want to leave it." turning her head and looking at me she asks "So before I finally rest, what is your true name?"
"Althenan. My people crashed on this world and were pulled into the battles. I was a shaman for a long time, one of the first of my people. I have been done with fighting and teaching for a while now, I just can't face that anymore."
Turning back Gretta looks up at the ceiling. "Your kind bear resemblance to creatures we heard of in Kalimdor. I have to wonder what the others would think if your illusion faded and they saw you as I always have. I would hope their curiosity would win out and they would want to learn from you."
I smile "Well I don't know how much I could teach them here, I think they would end up teaching me."
"That is the best relationship a teacher can have with her students. Once the teacher stops learning they run out of things to teach." She shifts under the blanket returning her gaze to the fire "I have talked to the ones who have come inside. All have asked who will take my place as Arbiter. I have asked every one of them if they would want to do it. All of them are more than qualified, but they don't want to stop training in the hope they will be called to battle."
I nod following her gaze to the fire. Gretta seems to look suddenly weaker. She used to just sit in a chair or pace about. Now she is in her bed all the time. "I admire their dedication to their training. With what has happened in the world I don't know that the call will ever come for any of us anymore."
Gretta nods "I know. Various others told me of the happenings in the world. From the downfall of the Litch King, to Deathwing, Garrosh..." she sighs "The world has moved on without us, and there is no safe way to bring them out into it. The best that can happen is we will slowly fade." Gretta looks at me "I have mentioned this to everyone who has come here and they all agree. You are the only one who can fill my role."
I look at her. Part of me is not surprised by this, though I still never expected to hear it. "Do they know about who I really am?"
Gretta shakes her head. "I have told them you are one of the sisters who was lost when they were captured. You were wandering for a long time before chance brought you back to us. All you know is this is home."
I nod slowly. This is probably one of he only places that explanation could work. "What would I do?"
"You simply keep things running. You make sure people hunt when the food stores get low, the bears are well kept by those whose job that is." Gretta looks over "an when others come, you are the one who has the responsibility of dealing with them. Now most of the world has forgotten us since the fall of the Lich King, but some still come from time to time. There are some recently who have even started coming who never were gifted with the illusion. It was quickly learned that men aren't safe here, but some women come. Some looking to trade, some looking to learn the past of this place."
Gretta then slowly sits up, I move to stand but she signals me to stay sitting. She walks over to a large chest and opens it. There are reams of parchment, all written in runes similar to those found around Northrend. "This is the history of our tribe. Since I started realizing I was dying I have been in here writing it all down. When one of the last people to come visited I gave them two letters. One member of each faction will come here and spend time transcribing the notes. The letter also carried my request that no one ever visit again."
I lean over looking at the parchments. I think with some practice I could learn to read it, fortunately I have plenty of time. As she closes the chest Gretta lies down and covers up again. "You are curious about our past?"
I nod "I would love to know it. If I am to help here it should be something I know."
Gretta smiles to herself, "There is another chest in the cave. There is enough parchment there to copy everything, and a parchment that will help you translate it. You are not to show these to the others of your world. If they find a means to translate it then that is fate. Only those who live here will be taught it."
I look at the door. I want to start now, but my place is here with Gretta. "It will take a long time, but I look forward to learning it." I look back and notice that Gretta looks to have fallen asleep. As I get up it becomes clear she has died. I wonder how long she held on before I returned before heading out the door.
As I came out I saw the familiar scene of women training in various places. I walk over to the place where I stayed when I came and Embla,the woman who kept the lodge, walked over seeing me enter. "Has Gretta passed on then?" I nod and sit down. Embla sits down next to me "She told me you would come here. I know you were lost to us, but you are here now. Whatever you learned in your wandering of the world, death isn't anything to mourn. You were at the bonfire. You know she will never be forgotten."
I nod and can't help asking "You visited her. What did she say about me?"
Embla shrugs "She said that your state of mind was good for her job, you were no longer interested in fighting and thus had the mindset to keep things running." she leans over and smiles "And she did say that while you were an outsider that you proved yourself here. In doing that you have earned the respect that many others take for granted. You will do well."
Embla stands "She told me of the chest in the cave, you will find a quill and ink, as well as a lantern brought from one of the traders that never needs to be lit. She knew you would want to relearn your history and has given you the tools. I suggest after we dispose of her body and you learn what is needed, that you start your work in learning."
The next month is spent learning of the good hunting areas, how to hunt in such a way as to never deplete the resources available, and how to make sure that things ran smoothly. I now sit in the cave transcribing the past. I may outlive them all, but if I do they will never be forgotten.
- 1
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The Arbiter