Memorial Day Weekend (30 May) - Ruffling Feathers

Memorial Day Weekend (30 May) - Ruffling Feathers

Normally we stay close to home and look forward to a quiet three days over the Memorial Day weekend. Didn't quite work out that way this time. On Friday we took the dog, Sheila, out hiking. We are planning a trip out to Arizona in a few weeks and plan to hit some hiking trails that we haven't been to in a long time. Sheila loves hiking, but tends to tire and we've been working on building up her stamina for longer hikes. We went out to a favorite wilderness park of ours up in the "mountains" a couple of hours east of where we live. We hooked up with a piece of the Pacific Crest Trail, which runs for literally thousands of miles, from Mexico to Canada. We did about seven of those miles on Friday, on a pretty warm day cut with brisk cool air, under a surprisingly clear sky for what we call the May Grey time of year. On Saturday our cul-de-sac decided to stage an impromptu block party. On Sunday we were back to painting for the first part of the day (we've got to run out of rooms to paint pretty soon), and then had our own private BBQ on another super nice day.

In another world a suddenly re-appearing Naithipe turned the Wild family weekend upside down. Rumors that Naithipe had surfaced in Orgrimmar were confirmed by Mery, who caught a glimpse of the glowing red embers and surrounding black cloud of that two hand weapon Naithipe always has at the ready, conducting who knows what business at the Auction House.

Later, Melashand, who was on safari, saw a dust covered and grimy Naithipe skulking about the fringes of the ogre infested mountains of Nagrand. Hoping to learn what Naithipe was about, Melasahnd got more than she bargained for when Naithipe accosted her and demanded she turn over whatever ore she still had laying around. Melasahnd was once a miner, but had long lost interest in the cobwebbed pile of rocks leftover from those days. Naithipe held a badly used and worn mining pick in one hand and seized Melashand's vest with the other. That raised Melashand's hackles and her hand reached for her own greatsword. Melasahnd hissed a warning, but Naithipe pushed her aside and began taking great swings at a node of fel iron with the mining pick. Shaking her head, Melasahnd told Naithipe to take whatever rocks she had left and told herself she'd give Naithipe a wide berth while this new obsession possessed the crazy undead.

More Wild family members were drawn into Naithipe's single minded mission. Bearing newly acquired gear from who know's where and under who knows what circumstances, Naithipe dumped the gear at Wild's feet, curtly told Wild what enchants were needed, and stalked off without another word. Happy was relieved of a rather large pot of gold, and Philly was put to work making gems and glyphs. JB, who perhaps Naithipe trusted somewhat, as much trust as was possible from Naithipe, anyway, huddled with Naithipe for a time, but did not reveal what task or favor Naithipe asked of her. When Wild returned the enchanted gear, though, he delivered it to a calmer (and freshly bathed) Naithipe.

Naithipe then disappeared into the wild country again, and it was assumed she was out there mining rocks somewhere, for purposes still unknown.