Akesha

[Gorek]

As the Hunter opened his eyes and saw the grey spirit wolf, he realized that he had forgotten to mutter the ritual’s phrase, that only a wordless sacrifice of some Alliance insignia he had kept as hunting trophy lured the Great Spirit to him. Like a child being caught at doing something forbidden he quickly lowered his head to avoid the Spirits angry gaze. What troubles Gorek, the Wolf-Lorekeeper so much he cannot even perform a simple ritual anymore?!

“I think I have lost the path, father.” The hunter said, his voice deep and more thoughtful and sad than usual. The Spirit Wolf’s gaze turned into something different, hard to classify. Do you no longer believe that the spirits have lain a path for each orc, a path they are destined to walk, a path they can only feel with their hearts but never see with their eyes, a path that only reveals it’s meaning once an orc comes to its end?

The hunter blinked in surprise and vehemently shook his head. “I always believed in the path, and will always do. But I am no longer sure my heart and instincts can feel the path anymore. All reason says that I have left the path I was destined to walk, that there is no purpose, no meaning in what I am doing, just foolishness.”

Suddenly the Spirit Wolfs look turned into something furious, it’s eyes almost glowing like burning coals. Since when does a Wolf listen to reason?!

Although a part of the hunter told him to soothe the Spirit’s fury, he could only meet him with fierce defiance. A Son of Aronuk never retreated from anyone’s anger, not even a Spirits. “Since the instincts started to lead him into embarrassment and failure!”

Aronuk, the lone Wolf started to growl in fury. I have watched you, Gorek the Wolf-Lorekeeper, and I have not seen any failure. You better explain what you are babbling about!

“A few days ago I was offered to bind myself with an oath to my new pack...” The Wolf-Lorekeeper explained. “... reason told me to accept, but my instincts warned me to take a vow on a pack I do not know and do not understand yet. So I refused...” The Wolf nodded. Like any Son of Aronuk should.

“... so to better understand the pack I challenged the Alpha, hoping the fight would make me understand him, and with him the pack.” The orc had to clear his throat before he could continue. “But I only made myself a fool, I did not have the right words, nor the required knowledge or wisdom. Now even being part of the pack is at stake, I doubt Kozgugore will offer me the oath again.” The Spirit Wolf’s anger seemed to be replaced by something else, by amusement. None of my Sons is good with this. We are the hunters who roam alone. We are born for the loneliness of the wilderness, not the company of others. And certainly not diplomacy.

Knowingly the hunter grinned. They WERE not good at this. “Unfortunately my folly runs deeper than that. Kozgugore talked about Akesha, the old Matriarch who he sees as the true leader of the pack. Again reason told me to focus on just taking the oath, but my instincts and my heart felt that this is the way I am supposed to walk. So I agreed to make it my mission to find and know her. For knowing her means to know the pack.”

Again the Wolf nodded. Then why are you uncertain? Why do you doubt the path that you started to walk instead of embracing it?

“Because Akesha is a spirit, and the mortal cannot track them down like we do with our prey...” The hunter replied grumpy. “... The Spirits approach us, but we cannot approach them. My mission seems to be a fool’s errand.”

The Wolf’s amusement seemed to become stronger with every word the hunter said, as if the solution was so plain even a child could see it. Do you remember the day everybody told you not to hunt in the part of the mountains we knew was claimed by that vicious bear which attacked any hunter on sight? The Hunter nodded.

And? Didn’t you still went out to hunt in this part of the mountains, knowing you will most likely provoke the wrath of this bear and still feeling it was the right thing to do, although all reason demanded to hunt at a different place?

Again the hunter nodded. And wasn’t your hunt successful?

Puzzled that the Spirit Wolf did not know this the Hunter shook his head. “I met Gera on the way and she was impressed by my recklessness. I spent the whole day with her... it was a good day, one of the few days we did not argue.” Knowingly the Spirit Wolf nodded. Had you listened to your reason, planned to hunt in a different area, you would have taken another way and missed her. Just because a path does not seem to lead to your goal, it does not have to mean it is wrong to walk it. You never know if you maybe find something far more important while travelling it.

Sighing the Hunter nodded. “How can I find Akesha then?”



But his Spirit Guide was already gone.

[Greggar]

(( again a nice story really you're good at it. ))

[Tirnak Lynxclaw]

(( I like this. I want more. *nodnod* Gief! ))

[Hakon]

((Very captivating. Good work!))

[Rehbande]

((Very good story! This should be put on our wiki as soon as possible.))

[Ugluhk]

(( indeed a good one!