The cracks in the facade began to show. It started with small things. Borin would ask him to fetch a specific tool from the rack, and Leon would stare blankly, his mind momentarily lost in a memory of foraging for edible roots. He would flinch…

The first few days were a blur of tears, laughter, and endless questions. His father, Borin Baros, clung to him as if he might vanish into smoke. Neighbors and friends from the village streamed into the smithy, their faces a mixture of relief and avid…

The voyage to Stormwind was swift, aided by favorable winds. The sea air cleared the last of the marsh-damp from Leon's lungs, but it did little to lighten the weight in his heart. He kept to himself, speaking little to the other passengers. The dwarf…

The ship that would carry Leon back to Stormwind was a sturdy, broad-beamed merchant vessel named the Stormchaser. It sat low in the water, its hold packed with bolts of Theramore linen and crates of exotic spices from the south. The air around it smelled…

The three days in Theramore passed with a strange, suspended quality. Leon was housed in the barracks, a clean, orderly building that smelled of soap and polished leather. He was given three meals a day—simple, hearty fare like stew and bread—and a cot to sleep…