The Hunters Journey - Part 14: Shadowmaw - A World of Warcraft Fanfiction

Traveling was a lot faster with the hawkstrider, even if she was bitey and pecky. Despite that, I decided to name her something cute.

"Greenbell would you stop please," I said. My protests meant nothing to her. It's a good thing most of the armor on my legs is mail at least...

Stranglethorn is a breath of warm salty air. Getting off the zeppelin felt warm and promising.

As we got into the jungle the feeling quickly changed. An eerie sense of being watched loomed over me. The shadows seemed to move but when I looked nothing was there. I got the sense that we were being hunted.

I heard a soft growl in a distant bush. Carefully Junelight and I peered inside. A badly wounded Shadowmaw lay inside.

Its gaze fell on us and it swiped at us, roaring, frightened it tried to fight us as best as it could. Once it realized it couldn't fight us it shimmered for a second and faded into the darkness.

It had tried to stealth right in front of us but its injuries were too severe. It quickly came back into vision.

"Shhhhh, It's okay we aren't here to hurt you," I said gently.

It fainted from the pain and blood loss. Quickly I had Junelight stand guard while I grabbed a cart from Grom'gol, Alchemy supplies, some rope, and a couple of other things.

I ran as fast as I could who knows if or when the panther would wake back up.

Once I got back I bound its legs and lifted it into the cart as gently as I could. As I hooked the cart to my Greenbell. She pecked at me.

"Ooouch. We have to be fast can you be bitey later instead?" I asked sarcastically.

After three more pecks I managed to get the cart attached. Junelight lay in the cart with the injured panther and I hoped we could save them in time.

In the safety of the camp I got to work, Junelight lay curled up next to the injured panther the whole time. I used a healing potion on them, cleaned, and treated their wound, and then all I could do was wait patiently.

It seemed like time passed so slowly. The orcs inside Grom'gol were confused by me putting so much effort into this dying cat but left me alone.

The panthers breathing was very shallow. I pet its head gently and Junelight stayed snuggled up to it all day. Dusk hit and I was sure that it would never wake up, but it did.

One eye opened slowly, confused it blinked up at Junelight and I. It breathed harshly, frightened by us all over again.

This time I was more prepared. I had fresh crocolisk meat, and fish to give to it.

Upset the panther lashed out at me but was dizzy because of the pain quickly stopped. It was also very thin, and despite its uneasy couldn't turn down the meat. It ate ravenously, keeping its eyes on its surroundings the whole time, it watched Junelight and I like a hawk. Only taking its eyes off of us long enough to blink.

It tried to leave after eating but even with its wound sewn up, it was too injured to move. The gash had gone from its left shoulder, across its ribs, all the way to its hind leg. If we had found it any later than we did it would have been dead for sure.

Throughout the night Junelight and I took shifts watching over the panther. She was much better at calming it than I was.

We stayed in Grom'gol for days feeding and taking care of the panther. On day five it didn't swipe at me and growl every time I gave it food.

On day twelve the panther made a cute chirp roar noise and bowed its head to me. Slowly I pet them three times before they decided that was enough and growled at me.

On day fifteen they still couldn't stand. I was worried the damage they had sustained had made it so they would never be able to walk again.

On day twenty, they proved me wrong and shakily stood for a few seconds. Then sat and eventually laid back down. Throughout the next few days, they kept trying. Standing for longer and longer each time and stretching out their muscles. Slowly they started to build up strength. By this time they growled at me less, and I pet them five times. I couldn't pet them every day but most days, they would let me.

I started to have hope that they would be okay and that this was the panther that would join our family...