When I was first arrived in Dalaran I wasn’t sure what would happen to me. When you’re a young child and you lose your mother to an Orc raiding party, you’re not old enough to understand the horrors that await you, but you’re old enough to know that the horrors are there, lurking in the darkness. A small part of me assumed my father would show up, called back from the war by a thoughtful king to mourn his dead wife and retrieve his only son. I didn't know then the scale of the Second War or how close the Alliance came to losing.
I was put up at the local inn, given my very own room in the back where no one ever bothered me, and there I waited as time continued to pass. Meanwhile, the other survivors from our small group slowly gathered their strength and left on their trek to the capital of Lordaeron.
More time slipped away and I remained alone.
So, when I finally gave up hope on my father’s return, I turned my attention to what eight year old children normally do. I started seeking out things to do that might fill my time. At first it was little jaunts through the halls of the building where I was staying, spying on people that no doubt heard and saw me despite my best efforts.
Then one day, I wandered out of the building and into a large garden area. The plant life was beautiful and the garden was secluded from the rest of the city by large stone walls. They offered me security and I loved the sunlight.
I do not recall how long this went on. When you are a young child, the passage of time feels very different than when you are an adult. The days of slipping out of my small room in the morning and collapsing into the warm sunlight went on for what I thought might be ages. In all, it may have only been a few months. What I do remember, is that every day when I returned from the garden, there was a plate of food waiting for me. Nothing fancy of course, but it was food none the less.
I did not know it at the time, but the Council of Six had already investigated the incident that had led to my mother’s death and confirmed that I was indeed the grandson to Ciganis Sepher of the Southern Kingdoms. I don’t know how my grandfather got so much pull with the Council, having been dead for nearly two decades, but his name was all they needed.
They had assigned one of their youngest to care for me during my childhood years. Her name was Lady Sonea. I suspect she was only in her early thirties when I first met her. I caught her slipping out of my room when I came home from the gardens early one day. She had fair skin and deep black hair that was straight and glossy. The dark hair framed her pale face and made her bright blue eyes explode with color.
I wasn’t a foolish child. I knew someone was bringing me food every day, but I hadn’t really bothered to try and figure out who it was. When I saw Lady Sonea standing at my doorway looking at me, I felt a smile develop on my face. She smiled back at me and winked, then walked away without a word.
Soon enough I would intentionally change my schedule, returning from the garden at random times during the day just to catch a glimpse of the woman. You know how they say that sometimes you have a guardian angel that watches over you? That was Lady Sonea. She was mysterious to me, yet I knew I depended on her for every aspect of my life.
Eventually I decided to step outside of the building where I had been since coming to Dalaran. The garden still felt safe, but it had grown small and known to me. It had no secrets left to unravel and I was still a curious young lad.
If you’ve never been to Dalaran then you’re certainly missing out. The city was built from the ground up by those who knew how to harness the arcane powers. It was more than impressive. It was a cornerstone of civilization at its best. The roads were swept clean, horses were well groomed and trotted along with prideful steps. There wasn’t any cruelty or sinister dark alleyways in Dalaran. The entire city felt somehow purified by the magical energies found here.
I didn’t have any money and I didn’t want to wander too far, but something about the fresh air and bright light of the sun made me feel at some level of peace that I hadn’t felt since living on the farm. I decided that I would have to keep coming outside, if for nothing else than the refreshing lift in spirits.
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