The origin of Blooddance

Suramar, the jewel of the world, of my world. I loved going down to the stream in the nearby woods dipping my toes into the water, teasing the fish to bite.

I caught an armful of colorful fish with this little trick. My small purple toes always clad with a colorful sandal encrusted with shiny pearls worked better than any rod.

My father was a merchant and a master tradesmen had never approved of my behavior he said I ruined my sandals but from my mother, I would always get a playful hair tussle and a small soft laugh.

My mother was my idol, a real huntress, a Sentinel!

One day I would grow up to be just like her I said proudly every day as I raced out with the other children of our area.

Another girl named Tyrande Whisperwind wanted to be like my mother too and serve Elune as a priestess with the Sisterhood of Elune.

I was never good with her skills in the art of healing but I did compete with her in combat with our bows.

There were the twin brothers we also ran around with named Malfurion and Illidan Stormrage.

They were twins but really different!

Malfurion had eyes like us girls but Illidan had amber eyes.

The elders said the brothers were going to be trained to be druids and learn nature magics by Cenarius.

I was going to be a sentinel like my mother and train with them once I came of age.

The brothers lived close to me so every day I or they would meet the other to go pick up Tyrande and we’d go play in the woods.

She and I always snuck off with a bow and we’d all practice.

Tyrande and I were an even match next was Illidan but Malfurion never got the hang of it.

Tyrande tried to show us the healing spells she’d been taught by her mother and only Malfuion could get it down properly.

Illidan and I went off and hunted during those times.

Whenever Tyrande and Malfurion started in on healing spells we knew they’d be at it for a long time.

We were fine with that it gave us a lot of time to gather food for home and practice with the stolen bows. We had so much fun together and the day that Illidan brought a pair of swords and Malfurion a staff we never knew what it would lead to...

Tyrande saw the steel and was scared but Illidan and I each took one and took our stances.

Malfurion did all he could to calm her as Illidan and I locked eyes and started our first dance. The metal clashing made my hands tingle as his blade came down on mine.

I parried and jumped back and sliced at him and he blocked it and went for a low attack to my mid section.

Tyrande gave out a muffled scream as the blade barely missed my belly.

I did a round about kick and sent Illidan falling to the ground and as he fell I jumped over knocked his blade away with mine and pointed down at him.

“Point for me!” I cheered.

Illidan grinned up at me and I extended my hand to him and as he grabbed it he pulled me down, rolled over on top of me and pressed a hidden dagger to my throat.

The others stood stiffly with fear but not me. I looked into his pretty amber eyes and smiled.

“I will remember this,” I said grinning.

It was him this time to extend the hand and as I took it we were dancing again.

Tyrande and Malfurion cried for us to stop it before one of us got hurt.

We ignored them and kept up the slashing, dodging and laughing.

It ended up being dusk when we let up. Our blades both had small nicks in them. We all went home in silence.

The next day I went to meet the brothers but only found Malfurion.

“Hey, Mal, where is Illy?” I asked looking around confused.

“You mean he didn’t come get you? He said he went to go get you.” Malfurion looked very confused.

But I knew what was going on.

“You go get Tyrande today Mal, meet us at the spot!” I said and ran off.

It had begun the start of our hunter training that week for us and Illidan and I had been some of the top students in our classes. I knew he’d be hunting me and so I had to hunt him just as well.

I jumped up into a nearby tree and jumped from limb to limb not making a sound all the while I looked down at the ground and kept my ears alert for even the slightest noise.

I made it to our spot with ease and waited there in hope to catch Illidan off guard.

But he wasn’t there but the swords, and dagger were.

Odd where was the staff? Then right as the question left my mind it hit me. A musky smell of earth rises up around me.

Vine from the tree shot out at me and wrapped around me.

The air was knocked out of me as the vines entrapped me and out of the shadow of the very same tree came Illidan.

“Shadowmeld and a rooting spell, clever.” I smiled.

“Yeah, I hoped you’d like it.” He smiled back and snapped his fingers and the vines dropped me.

I found myself fall out of the tree my balance had been knocked off by the roots.

My butt found the staff then. I felt is snap and something inside me as well did.

I looked up dazed, I had fallen a good distance and was in a lot of pain.

Illidan was by my side and looking me over, tears in his eyes.

“Oh, Shadowdance I’m so sorry I never meant to get you hurt!”

I tried to speak to him...but I couldn’t move anything.

My eyes moved but I felt everything going dark and cold for some reason. Was it night already? I guess so because of the cold and dark coming on and I was getting sleepy.

Spending the night here might make me feel better...

It was bright when I woke up and I saw I was not in the woods but a druid’s tent.

“Let’s have a look at you child.” I heard an older man say.

He came over to me and ran his hands over my body and it tingled and I laughed from it.

I guess this was good cause he smiled and gave a sigh of relief.

“I’ll fetch your parents, just stay there for now.” he said and walked out.

I was confused on what happened. Why was I here and where was Illidan? Were we in trouble?

“Oh, my baby!” My mother rushed in and kissed my forehead and brushed hair out of my face.

“Mommy, what happened?”

All the worry in her face was changed to a stern look.

“That damn Stormrage boy did this that is what!”

I heard my father say as he came in.

“Papa, Illidan didn’t mean to hurt me I fell...”

He waved his hand and I knew he didn’t care to hear any more.

“You are to stay away from him do you hear my Shadowdance!”

It wasn’t a question, nothing ever was with my father.

“Darling, the boy has no full fault here, children play and get hurt all the time.” My mother cooed at him but he just looked even more upset.

“YOU OF ALL PEOPLE KNOW THE DANGERS!” he roared and I felt scared for the first time with all of this.

“We’re moving at dawn away from that troubled boy, I hear he acts up in class as well. We don’t need that rubbing off on our ONLY daughter.” Father said this to mother a lot. It made her sad and when he did it, we always ending up doing what he said...

We moved into the woods on the other side of the city. I was closer to Tyrande and my father urged I spend more time with her she was a good student and idol on me.

Little did he know we all still saw the brothers in secret.

The day I was released I went back to school and noticed Illidan and Malfurion were no longer in my classes like before.

I didn’t see them at all.

After classes, I ran to find Tyrande and she hugged me till it hurt.

“Shadow! I thought you were dead when Illidan found us!”

I looked at her confused.

“What do you mean? Where are the boys?”

She lowered her voice.

“Not here, come to my house after checking in at home.”

With that, she walked away with a wave.

I was very lost and ran home so I could get my check in done an over to go see the others.

Mother was just getting home and putting away he armor in her chest.

“I’m home mother, may I go to Tyrandes?”

My mother looked me over and with a smile said yes.

I bolted out the door and back into the city through the streets down to Tyrandes home on the edge of the city.

I saw her on the beach near her home and called out to her.

She waved and stayed there till I got there by sliding down the sandy bank.

“So tell me everything!” I said out of breath.

“Come down here.”

She led me down into the water and she dove and I in after her.

We swam till we reached a coral with an underground cave.

We popped up under it and took in a gulp of air.

The swim to the bank was short and as we got close I saw the brothers sitting there.

Malfurion reached out for Tyrande and for my was Illidan’s hand.

As soon as he had my hand he gripped me hard and pulled me out of the water. I landed on top of him and as I went to get up on one arm I locked eyes with him.

His pretty amber eyes were stained with red from tears.

He grabbed me and pulled me back down onto him in a bear hug.

I was confused but I hugged him back as best as I could.

I put my arms around his neck and let him bury his face into my neck and sob.

Hearing him so upset must have made the others upset too.

I heard them slightly sobbing.

After awhile Illidan stopped and got up but kept me in his lap.

He put his arms around my shoulders and looked right into my eyes.

“I saw your eyes go dim...I saw you die!” “It was my fault! I didn’t mean to please forgive me Shadow.”

I looked at my friend and did what my mom always did with me.

I tussled his hair gave him a smile.

“Everything is fine Illy.”

The others sounded off with happy sighs and then out of nowhere Illidan still holding onto me by my shoulders pulled me in and gave me a kiss on the cheek.

Tyrande gasped and Malfurion I bet did too.

I blushed not knowing what to think or do I never been kissed before.

“Promise me something Shadow?” he said barely a whisper.

“Anything.”

“Promise me that you won’t ever let your eyes die.”

I was confused and stared into his pretty amber eyes.

A feeling stirred inside me that I didn’t understand yet but gave him a kiss on the cheek too.

“I promise Illy.”