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Kelidanya prowled nervously through the underbrush as she navigated the vast and unforgiving Barrens. She had accepted the dangerous mission eager to prove her worth, but she had been having second thoughts from the moment all four paws had left the safety of Astranaar. The Night Elf Sentinels had asked the druids for information on troop movement near the Crossroads, yet the most powerful druids were occupied in Silithus, investigating dangerous levels of silithid somehow breaching the Scarab Wall. Only the new recruits remained, and Kelidanya was one of the best new students.

She had stood in front of a council of elder druids, side-by-side with the other young druids offering their assistance to the Alliance. Each student extolled their virtues, the many reasons why they would be the best choice for this mission. Arlahan spoke of his fierce combat skills, Kavandar touted his expert stealth. Each of the other recruits had been studying the unyielding power of nature for years longer than Kelidanya. Yet it was she who had convinced the council to send her, an otherwise untested scout, deep into enemy territory. The council meeting ran through her mind, even as she concentrated on the rough terrain beneath her paws.

"I am the most able to sneak into the Barrens and return safely with information about troop movements," she had said confidently.

"You, of all these recruits, have the least experience," said Fandral Staghelm, Archdruid of Darnassus. "Why you?"

"While these other recruits might easily defeat me in a fight, this is a mission requiring stealth and subtlety. All of us can handle ourselves in the wilds of the Barrens, and none of us can stand against the strong guards at the Crossroads, much less wandering champions of the Horde. Our only hope at success is not to be noticed."

Raising a long, bluish-green eyebrow, Archdruid Staghelm had said, "Then you suggest Kavandar, whose panther form is all but invisible to the untrained eye?"

Swallowing nervously, she had spoken again. "His stealth is admirable. Keeping his distance, even the guards would not see him. But you spoke of the untrained eye. These days the Barrens are rife with activity, from the weakest of our foes, to their very strongest. They would notice his movements, and could see immediately by his bluish, black fur that he did not belong in the Barrens. Assuming the lunar symbol on his shoulder is not enough."

"I see. And how would you manage any differently? You would be even more likely to be seen," the elder druid had scoffed.

Kelidanya had replied, while transforming in front of the great druid, "I can assume the form of a Barrens lioness." She had managed to get all the words out before her mouth contorted into the firm jaws of a lioness. There she had sat, in front of the Archdruid, golden, tawny fur covering her lithe, feline body.

She was the perfect image of a feral lioness. While her peers concentrated on combat, stealth, and healing, she had been spending her every waking hour attempting to control the appearance of her forms. Years of training often passed before a druid could hide the extraneous Night Elf features that accompany many of their forms, particular long ears, strange color fur, and the lunar symbol. Most druids since the third war chose to neglect this study, preferring power over subtlety. Kelidanya's focus on controlling her forms made her perfect for the mission. At least in her opinion.

Fandral Staghelm had been less impressed. "And when one of these well-trained foes you mention sees you, you believe they will take you for a simple lioness?"

She had quickly transformed back, the delay covering up her hesitation. The audience might assume she was immediately ready with her answer. "I have studied lion behavior, and I will be indistinguishable from the real thing."

"Is that so? Most lions don't spy on troop movements."

None of the other recruits had received nearly as many questions as she received from the Archdruid. She had swallowed nervously, again, before saying, as confidently as she could muster, "I will be as subtle in behavior as I am in appearance."

She had looked up into Archdruid Staghelm's face, bolder than she felt. She had almost gasped when he said, suddenly, "Dismissed! We will make our deliberations now."

All of the new recruits had stepped down from the stage, though Kelidanya was still too stunned. Finally, she had exhaled, realizing only then that she had been holding her breath. She had walked over to the other recruits. The eager students had glanced back and forth at each other, not sure what to expect.

Kelidanya had prayed she had made a good impression on the austere Archdruid. His voice obviously held the most sway with the council of elders. Were his many questions a good sign? She wished she'd been better prepared. She hadn't expected him to question her ability to blend in with the other lions! Her answer had been quick, confident, and untrue. She had never been to the Barrens. Instead, she had studied the mountain lions of Mulgore during a recent visit to the abode of Hamuul Runetotem. She could only assume the lions of the Barrens behaved the same way.

Perhaps Kelidanya wasn't ready for this mission. She was, after all, the newest recruit. She would have trouble even defeating the lions she was to impersonate, much less a Horde threat. But she certainly looked the part. She may have to spend a day or two making sure that Barren lions behaved as she had observed in Mulgore, but she was ready to prove her worth to the Alliance, and to Darnassus.

There wasn't much of a wait. Less than five minutes had passed before the Archdruid alone returned. He said, simply, "This mission is Kelidanya's. May Elune watch over you, sister." Then the powerful, imposing Archdruid had turned and walked away, leaving the young druids frozen in his wake.

Kelidanya kept thinking and rethinking the council meeting, even though a week had passed. She had walked through the familiar dangers of Ashenvale, and since sneaked into Horde territory, facing hundreds of unknown threats. She would reach the crossroads today! But doubts plagued her mind. As she walked along the side of main road, careful not to look suspicious, Kelidanya noticed waves of Horde champions travelling both directions. Some of her foes even sported extravagant cloths and armors, intricately wrought weapons and staves, and rode massive, powerful mounts. She had almost recoiled and fled when she first observed the mighty Kodo beast, ridden by a massive Tauren warrior. So far, none had shown the drab lioness any heed, but Kelidanya knew that were she recognized, she would be slain, tortured, or worse.

Still, it was too late to turn back. She couldn't face her peers, should she return with no information out of fear for her own safety. Kelidanya was doing the work of Elune, for the glory of the Alliance. She would have to remain strong.

An hour later, she saw the crossroads, ahead. Sure enough, a large military force patrolled the area, making it difficult to count the numbers. The young, Night Elf druid had to resist the urge to scout the base quickly, count their forces, and flee back north as fast as her paws could carry her. The guards would notice her for sure, behaving like that. As much as Kelidanya wanted to return to Ashenvale, she had to find the Barrens lions, learn how to blend in, and then discreetly observe the enemy troops.

Thankfully, she soon discovered prides of lions within view of the small settlement. She was amazed the Orcs allowed wild killers to reside so close to a city with children, but she supposed that was merely due to the savages that comprised the Horde. She had every respect for the Tauren, but she wondered if the Trolls, Orcs, and Forsaken even cared for their children. Or whether the undead could have children at all.

Kelidanya approached the pride slowly, her tail held low in submission. This was the posture she had seen the mountain lions of Mulgore adopt. At first, none of the lions took notice of her, which was heartening. Perhaps these lions were not so different after all?

Then the male appeared. He growled loudly at the Night Elf intruder, leaping in front of her and baring his teeth and claws. Kelidanya instinctively cowered in fear. It worked! Though she had never seen such a challenge by the mountain lions, her gut reaction calmed the beast down. He sheathed his claws, standing tall in front of the Night Elf, who flattened herself against the ground.

She swallowed nervously as the large male approached her. These lions were clearly different than the mountain lions she had observed, both in appearance and behavior. Though she looked enough like the lionesses to pass for one, she could not predict their behavior. Still, it was too late now; the lion stood over her, sniffing her head. She tensed all her muscles.

But the male did not attack her. Instead, he kept smelling her, running his wide nose through the fur on her back as he walked around her. She tried to slow her heavy breathing, but she was too nervous. Soon, he stood behind the prostrate druid.

Her eyes opened wide when she felt his snout under her tail. She glanced over her shoulder, watching as the dangerous male lion pushed his nose between her legs, lifting her effortlessly off the ground. Her hind legs dropped beneath her, and soon only her front half was lying down. Her haunches were raised in the air, and she dared not move them.

She was holding her breath again, not sure of the male's intentions. She had observed the mating behaviors of both moonstalkers and mountain lions. She had never seen a male force himself on an unwilling female, but she knew first-hand that the Barrens lions were quite different from the other large felines. The young Night Elf had never taken a mate, herself, and she was disinclined for this male to be her first. Especially considering the immense pain male cats seemed to inflict upon their partners!

The large lion inhaled her scent, exhaling warm air against her feline vulva. She shuddered, certain now that he would attempt to breed her. But what could she do? If she ran, she risked angering the ferocious beast. If she refused his advances, he might force the issue anyway. But if she did nothing, she feared her decision would soon be made for her.

He slathered his rough tongue against her tawny entrance, and she gasped, frozen in fear. She knew she had to do something, but the young druid could not make a decision. So she stayed put, holding her breath with her hips in the air, presented cordially to the lion. She felt him moving forward, and knew that he would mount her, but still she could summon the willpower to move or resist. She was powerless to stop him, her body his to do with as he pleased.

As she readied herself for the inevitable, she gasped. His fur had brushed up against hers as he walked alongside her. Alongside? The lion had not mounted; he had walked by her toward the rest of the pride. Several paces further, he turned around to look at Kelidanya.

She was stunned. She had been certain the lion would claim her body, yet he hadn't. Perhaps his actions had merely been part of a meeting ritual, not a mating ritual. She had seen similar amongst wolves and dogs. Now the male watched her, cocking in his head. She quickly stood and followed him. He turned his back to her and led the way to the other lionesses. She had been accepted into the pride!

A small victory, a credit to luck. If she had been stronger willed, she would have run or fought, and the lion would have shunned or killed her. Kelidanya found it difficult to cheer for her indecisiveness, though it had paid off in the end. Now, as a lioness with a pride, she would be much more difficult for her foes to recognize. On top of that she could observe the behaviors of the lions. In a day or two she would be indistinguishable from a true lioness.

A day later, she had learned a great deal about lions, and learned almost nothing about enemy troop movements. The savannah stirred with activity, but the young druid dared not investigate the action too closely. Instead, she followed the pride, trying to blend in with the other lionesses. She'd been in the form of a lion for three days straight now, and her bones and muscles ached from the unfamiliar stresses on her flexible body. She itched to return to her true form, but doing so would be suicidal. Either the lions or the Horde would do the honors.

The lionesses cared for the cubs, who lay secret amongst the savannah brush. Kelidanya, as one of the lionesses without cubs, participated in the hunt. She joined the group in hunting down prey. That morning, they sought plainstrider meat, and though the great bird put up a fight, Kelidanya's own jaws suffocated the bird into submission. What struck the young Night Elf as most odd was the patriarchal nature of the pride. Only one male tended the pride, and he sat around all day, yawning. When the food was dragged before him, he ate until he had had his fill, followed by the lionesses, and finally the cubs. Night Elf culture was strictly at odds. For many millennia, women had controlled the most important aspects of society, while the male druids slept.

As far as Kelidanya could see, the male's only real purpose was to breed. That morning one of the lionesses came into heat as evidenced by the scent saturating the brush. The Night Elf wasn't the only creature to notice, as she observed the male walk with a purpose, checking each lioness until he found the one in heat. They mated dozens of times; short couplings with short breaks in between. Kelidanya doubted even a Night Elf could compete with his stamina. She paid close attention to the female's behavior, so that Kelidanya would know precisely what not to do if she somehow found herself in a similar situation.

As the sun began to set behind the distant mountains, the pride grouped up in the bushes to prepare for the cold night. Kelidanya took her place in the circle of lionesses, running her rough tongue through her fur to clean herself of dust. She had found the procedure strange at first, but she had no other way to stay clean, and the taste of dust was far preferable to the disgusting clinginess of matted fur. When with lions, do as the lions do.

One of the lionesses suddenly emitted a sound Kelidanya had never heard before. A sharp chirp, the creature's head was up, and her ears were perked. The other lionesses followed suit, and with commanding grace, the male sprang to his feet. Something was coming, and now even the druid could hear it. Loud footsteps and breaking branches!

She turned to look, and her heart stopped beating. There, visible above the grass, were two figures. The first was a male Tauren, speaking casually to the other, a female orc hunter. He wore pleated leather with a beautiful red and green pattern with a matching leather kilt, and his shoulder pieces were almost as big as his massive head. Kelidanya could almost feel the magic seeping from his equipment. The huntress wore strange mail that was purple and gold, clashing boldly against the night sky, with what appeared to be dragon skulls adorning her shoulder plates. Orcs were not renowned for their subtlety. Needless to say, Kelidanya was no match for these Horde champions. She had to pray they could not see through her guise.

Kelidanya couldn't understand a word they were saying, but they were conversing amiably. The black-furred Tauren, Kaduum Grimtotem, said, <You already have the beautiful, black-furred lion. Why bother with another cat?>

<Gren needs companionship. Besides, what can I say? I like cats. They remind me of me,> the robust Zagna Deathblade replied, her iron-wrought shotgun slung over her back.

Chortling, the massive Tauren joked, <Picky and lazy?>

Playfully, Zagna struck her heavy-set companion on the arm. <Strong, graceful, and deadly.> She waved her hand in a semi-circle, adding, <Gren, up! There'll be lions in this underbrush if my middle name ain't Orgotha!>

Gren suddenly burst into view at the hunter's side, and time passed in an instant. As soon as the black-furred lion appeared, Kelidanya's male sprang forward, roaring a threat. He would tolerate no strange males. The druid saw the Tauren and Orc reach for their weapons. Meanwhile, the other lionesses were grabbing cubs by the scruff of the neck, and fleeing the underbrush. She knew she should follow, but the male of the pride would stand no chance in this fight. Her instincts got the better of her as she leapt between the black and yellow lions, snarling at both of them.

Kelidanya wasn't sure what she expected to happen as a result of her bravery, or why she was risking herself for a mindless animal she had met no more than a day ago. In truth, she must not have been thinking at all, but her bold action did have the result she was seeking: her male, confused, turned and ran. Her actions had spooked him into saving himself.

The young druid turned to the others, realizing suddenly how much danger she was now in. An angry black lion and two hunting Horde champions were looking straight at her. Kelidanya knew this moment was as good as any, and she turned and ran after her pride. She heard the click of the shotgun as the hunter prepared her shot, but Kelidanya had no choice but to run blindly away, counting the seconds until she would lay dead on the savannah, a testament only to her own foolishness.

Only the shot never came. Behind her, Kaduum waved his heavy hand to lower his ally's weapon, instead clasping his hands together in a burst of green light. Kelidanya took only two more steps before her legs failed her and she crashed to the ground. Desperately, she tried to claw her way forward, but she was quickly losing consciousness, as sleep began to overwhelm her. She was familiar with the spell, and attempted every trick she knew to avoid succumbing, but soon her heavy eyelids closed around her. The last thing she heard was the two champions talking, surely discussing their unusual catch.