"Hush you."
"Have you seen her do something like this before?" Jenny cocked her head to the side.
"Oh, loads. No one hides an injury like "the Whore"."
Jenny put her hands to her mouth. "Why do you still call her that?"
"Because I want him to." Elunara shrugged. "The word only means my career at this point."
"Oh."
"Can you both move away?" She waved her hand. "I just can't stand on my own, I don't need nursemaids."
Jenny took her hand. "I'll be nearby if you need me."
"Yeah, sure." Once they were off a distance, she sighed and went back to her drawing. Spotting Lydia, she pointedly ignored the girl. There was still a little limp in the girl's step, but Elunara could heal her no further.
Lydia halted in front of Elunara and bowed. "I'm sorry I made you so angry."
"Do you know WHY I was angry?" Elunara looked over her board.
Her parents stopped to the side where they could not be seen. Both boys stood with them, and Varian was on the opposite side of the platform.
"No, Miss Elunara."
Elunara continued to sketch, but turned her focus on Lydia. "Lately, I have felt like you rely on me too heavily. I knew, without a doubt, that I had gotten all of the spores this time because of Malfurion's help, and I knew that I had healed you well beyond what my capabilities were. I left you in the hands of your parents, with Tyrande herself looking out for you. I have my own life to live, and I cannot spend it coddling you."
Several people stopped to listen, and even Grogek raised his ear.
"Do you know the difference between you and Bradly?"
Lydia opened her mouth, but closed it and shook her head.
"You have ALWAYS had loving parents. When you were born, your family knew that you would have problems with your legs. As you grew, the problem became worse, but still they loved you. At any point in time, they could have taken you to the orphanage, dumped you, and walked away, but they didn't. They did everything in their power to help you. They took you to healers, and they followed every little scrap of advice they could find, in order to make your life better. They well and truly love you, with everything they have."
"I..."
"Bradly never had that. He had a mother that actively hated him, and a father that was so clueless as to not see what was going on. Oh, Harvard loved Bradly as well as could be expected, but he was absent and didn't pay enough attention. A bruise here, a scratch there, kids get those all the time. But Bradly's mother? Wanted to punish him for existing. Bradly grew up in hate, and it almost ruined him. So when he found love, and genuine affection, he leapt at the chance. As a result, he is more grateful... he has experienced both hatred, and love, and knows what he prefers. He's in this beautiful place, where he will grow and be stronger for it.
You, little missy, have not experienced this. Sure, you've probably been made fun of, or picked on, but your parents were always there to support you. Your parents have always loved you and always will... loved you, cared for you, and did everything needed for you. I healed your legs, so what?" She shook her head. "Ok, so no other healer could touch the damned things, but I was able to, and ok that's pretty cool, but I did no more than a healer would. I felt bad for you, that much is true, but I did not seek you out. I had no thought in my head, other than "Hey, let's try this". Yes, I worked with you afterwards and got you good and running, but that was out of the kindness in my heart. I like you, kid. I really do, but I am by no means trying to replace your parents. They're the ones who love you."
Elunara flipped her page and continued to work. "But the end all be all, is that YOU are stronger than you think. You are capable of SO much more. I'm still seeing you limp and favor your legs, when I know they no longer pain you. You just got used to how your body was, and YOU need to be the one to push past that. You have a support group in your family and my boys, and you should take advantage of that, but you can't rely solely on that. You should know that I was thrown out of my home, and for thirty years of my life, I had no support, I had nothing."
By this point, everyone had stopped what they were doing, and many were gathering around.
"I had to forge myself into something, or I would always be nothing but a disgraced night elf. I took what I knew how to do and I made it work for me. Using my art, and my skills, I became a mission specialist like no other. No one could do what I did. They still can't replace my ass." She grinned. "You, missy, have a unique opportunity in life. I have healed your legs, and you can build yourself up. You have a support group of your family, and your friends, and you can make something of yourself."
Elunara pointed with her pencil. "I believe in you. You need to learn the balance between standing for yourself, and asking for help. That's actually a really hard thing for people to learn. Hell, look at me, I got so used to surviving on my own, that it is a royal bitch for me to ask for help. I have my own little network, and I can't easily decide when to use it. I won't lie. I am a total pain in the ass to deal with. I know this. You, little missy, should learn from my mistakes."
She snorted. "Hell, there's a tiny part of me that's jealous of you. I would have loved to have grown up as a normal kid with loving parents." Her voice became reflective. "I have no idea who my father actually is, and pretty much from birth, I was pushed into the priesthood. I could never be what was expected of me. I couldn't find that magic spell that would make my mother proud of me." She shook her head as if clearing a fog. "I've lectured you long enough kid... as usual, my mouth got away from my brain. The point of all this shit; is that you have a family that loves you, use it. Everything in your life, you need to use, and build yourself into something spectacular. I ask the same of my own kids."
With a sigh, Elunara closed her board. "You have the potential to be great. I am willing to help, so long as you don't cling to me, don't expect to rely on me. I do not want to replace your parents; I'm not even going to try. I have enough kids of my own."
"Yes, miss Elunara."
"Now, I'm told, that kids like hugs." She opened her arms. "So come over here and hug me, because it's ok."
Lydia ran over and threw her arms around Elunara. The crowd erupted in cheers.
"Shit, I forgot we were in public. Sorry, kiddo." She sighed. "Now, go give me some soft runs. I know your lungs are still healing, so don't over work yourself."
"Yes, Miss Elunara." Lydia ran off.
"I never knew you felt that way." A quiet voice made Elunara jolt.
"Mother!" Elunara grabbed her board like a shield.
"I followed Lydia to make sure she was still well, and then decided to speak with you since I am here."
She put the heel of her hand to her eye. "Geez, why didn't I think of that?"
"I never knew you felt so strongly about... that."
"Not really. I mostly said it just to get through to her." Elunara popped open her board.
"Elunara..." The warning was clear.
"I'm serious. When I was younger... yeah, it kind of bothered me that nothing I could do met your approval. After awhile, I just gave up, because I realized the thing you wanted, I didn't have. I never got to see a "kid my age", but over the years, I'd come across a family like Lydia's and wonder, why couldn't I have had the same? If things had been the same as other people, would we have never had this? Would I have never been this way?"
"I'm so, so sorry."
Elunara gave a shaky shrug. "It never hurt. Not one little bit. That was the main reason I believed my emotions to be dead. I knew it SHOULD have hurt, but it never did. Still really doesn't. I can look back on it and go "huh, well, that was awful... what's for lunch?" I just don't have an emotional response to it."
"That's... disconcerting."
"Try living with it." Elunara muttered.
"I don't know what to say..."
"Don't try. You'll only make me more annoyed, and I know that's not why you came."
"Admittedly, I came over because I'm getting a kick out of being called "Grand Momma"."
Elunara grinned. "Well, there you go."
Tyrande ran a hand on Elunara's ankle. "They said you were injured."
"Yeah, was doing a demo and a connect with Grogek's axe shattered my ankle. It'll be a few days before I can heal myself properly."
Tyrande concentrated. "Yes, I agree with that assessment. You don't do anything by halves, do you?"
"That's what I said!" Jordan popped up.
"Hush, you." Elunara stretched her neck."That's enough, Lydia. Don't hurt yourself!"
"You do care for the girl." Tyrande murmured.
"Yeah, I do. However, I don't want her punching her mother in the throat over it."
"That is a kindness all its own."
"Jenny, I know you're hiding nearby to be helpful... can you get me something to drink?"
"Right away!" She turned and fled.
"Speaking of caring too much... I don't know if it'll work, but Jenny's finally pregnant again, and desperate to keep it. I think I... shielded her, somehow. I can't explain what I did. I wondered if you had any ideas."
"I haven't heard of such a thing. Perhaps I can look in our texts."
"Well, anyway, I don't want random strangers trying to get me to bless things." Elunara snorted.
