Trynda’s Test

Droplets of dew discoloured Trynda’s boots as she strode along the shadows of the Mage quarter in Stormwind.  The summer sun had dried the grass when its tendrils of light reached, but blocked by the buildings water droplets shone.  A clocktower tolled in the distance notifying Trynda of the time, half-past one.  She had an appoinment to keep at The Slaughtered Lamb at two, but it was always good to be early or so she thought. 

A little boy holding a girl’s doll tightly clenched in his tiny fist ran passed Trynda.  No soon after a little girl followed him.

“Give me my dolly!” she cried as tears stained her pink cheeks, flustered from running. 

“Maybe she wants to go for a swim with the crocodilisks in the canals?” the boy teased.

“NO!” the girl replied.

“What a little brat,” Trynda thought as the boy doubled back toward her.  She summoned up her magic and cast a simple fear spell on the boy, it turned the doll into what he feared most.  A spider.  With a shriek and a doll toss the boy ran straight out of the Mage Quarter.  “Here you go sweety,” Trynda said as she knelt to picked up the doll and give it back to the little girl.  “Thank you,” the little girl replied with a shy smile and ran off.

Trynda stood up and as she was brushing off her robes she spied the man she was supposed to be meeting standing outside the pub.  His eyebrow raised at the event that had just occured.   With a devious smile he points to the Stormwind guards whose plate armour was clanking a warning to them.  He wagged his finger in disapproval at her and turned toward a booth that was set up selling magical trinkets to the magi of the city.  With a way of his hand he had set the booth on fire and yelled “Guards!” and pointed at Trynda. 

Alamar Grimm, Trynda’s old warlock trainer had mentioned that a test like this might be part of the appointment.  It was to see if Trynda could be trusted.  She wasn’t going to give up this easily, not after all she’s been through.  So she did the only thing she could to salvage this meeting, she ran.

Trynda ran all along the streets of Stormwind till she got a stitch in her side from running, but she kept at it.  The plate armour was slowing the guards down, but Trynda being a gnome put her and her short legs at a disadvantage.  She needed to find a place to hide, a place where she could rest and figure out how to get back in contact with the warlock who set the guards on her.  She quickly ducked behind a corner and was blown by a gust of wind into a canal.

Trynda quickly held her breath and submerged herself deep below the water’s surface.  She kicked herself for not bothering to learn the spell that allows you to breath underwater.  She then did the only thing anyone would in a situation like that: hold your breathe, hope the guards pass the area quickly, and pray that what the little boy said about crocodilisks in the canals isn’t true.