((AN: Another little ditty from World of Warcraft. Galerunner is my 70 hunter on Thorium Brotherhood. Copyright Blizzard blah blah blah don't sue me.))

Serendipity - A Coming of Age Story
A World of Warcraft fanfic
By Kristin Renee Taylor

Part 4 -

Dawn came to the Barrens, shrouded in a veil of clouds that spoke of coming rain. However, long before the first touch of grey graced the sky, Galerunner was up and about, gathering the final items for her journey.

She had decided to travel light. In addition to her knife, she had only a small pack loaded with a couple of waterskins, some dried meat and a few loaves of hard, coarse traveling bread, and some bandages she had filched, in the event of an emergency.

As predawn stole its way across the eastern sky, Galerunner snuck past the ring of tents that encompassed her camp, past the two large kodos that served as pack animals, to the top of a small hill. From here, she figured, she could survey the surroundings and choose a suitable starting direction before the rest of the camp roused themselves in a couple of hours.

That is, until a shadow moved into her path. "Going somewhere?"

"Greatmother!" Galerunner laughed and surged forward, hugging the elderly matron of the Fartotems. "You scared me! I did not know anyone was awake!"

"This old body does not need as much sleep as it once did." Amaka was barely taller than Galerunner herself. Her mane and muzzle had long since gone grey with age. But her grip was still strong, and she moved with the grace of one half her near-century... even though she had long since gone blind.

Amaka gave her granddaughter an affectionate squeeze. The two of them crested the hill together, arm in arm, and Amaka, moving as though she could still see, sat down. "Now, granddaughter, tell me what is wrong."

Galerunner did. Seated across from Amaka, she poured out her thoughts and dreams and fears. She recounted the conversation she had overheard last night. Her restless, sleepless night. And her ultimate decision, arrived at only a few hours before.

Amaka listened in silence, rheumy eyes fixed on Galerunner with an intensity, a sense of "seeing", that many strangers found disconcerting but the young Tauren found comforting. When Galerunner was done the sky was noticeably lighter and Amaka sighed. "That is quite a decision you have made, granddaughter... to go on a journey of self-discovery. But you are young, and smart, and very spirited. I am sure you will do well." She kissed the top of her granddaughter's head. "I give you my blessing, granddaughter-"

Galerunner beamed.

"-and I'll do my best to keep your parents from hunting you down and strangling you to death once they have discovered that you have left," Amaka finished blithely.

Galerunner's jaw dropped open. She blanched. "They- they wouldn't..."

"Well, no, not your father. But most certainly your mother would, yes. I suggest you start running." The old druidess cackled.

Galerunner bleated and scrambled to her feet. She recklessly plunged down the side of the hill, and had managed two steps before-

"Mikala!"

At the sound of her true name, Galerunner whirled around and nearly fell. A hatchet thunked into the grass at her hooves, blade sunk into the soil, haft still quivering slightly from the force of Amaka's throw. Amaka called out, "Take it, Mikala, and know that the Earthmother guides you in your journey!"

Galerunner bent and tugged the axe free, slipping the weapon into her belt opposite her knife. She waved to her greatmother. "I'll be back soon!" And took off in a steady, ground-eating lope.

By the time her mother's outraged "SHE DID WHAT?!" echoed through plains, Galerunner was miles away.

Fin Part 4