#95

Pictured is Eish and her two kodos.  Eish looks worn out, with her left arm in a sling. 

We suffered a massive loss. Sethrak Faithless came in the night at a secured camp, near the Terrace of the Devoted. They killed most of the team, the Devoted guards, the kodo and burned the wagons. Myself, and two goblins made it out of the chaos to watch the Sethrak take what they could. I broke my left hand in the initial skirmish, and took the survivors into hiding as we waited for the dawn.

The Faithless really did us a number. The wagons were a complete loss. We picked through the wreckage, salvaging what the Faithless missed or left behind. The Devoted came to investigate in the morning and were dismayed to find the carnage. We buried the dead and worked to clean up the mess. The Devoted have been nothing but kind, though vengeful. Apparently the Faithless have been emboldened by the increased Alliance in the area, using the tensions to make attacks in the hopes it sparks more factional fighting.  At least, that's what the Devoted are telling us. They managed their own dead, as we did ours. I had to bury eight goblins, three Vulpera and cremate three Zandalari. I have so many letters to write when I get back to Orgrimmar, so many saddened families to notify. In one family, they sent both sons and their daughter to travel with us - tragic. I hope their spirits are resting.

The Devoted hosted us for a few days we mourned and made arrangements to get back to Kalimdor.  They bound my hand, saving their healing magics for themselves. They are generous hosts, if unusual. I am not familiar with their beliefs but did make an offering to their Loa Sethraliss. I made an offering to Jani, too, since we were able to scavenge from the wreckage. We'll be able to trade still, though on a much smaller scale. All our earnings are thankfully banked back in Thunder Bluff, so we should be able to rebuild. I sent a letter to Ginja, who was not with us for this journey - she was in Zuldazar negotiating for supplies. We were just coming to trade with the Devoted, who appreciate Kalimdor goods. They are very fond of our leathers and furs. 

A traveling Vulpera lent us a wagon to carry what we could salvage back to Zuldazar.  When we made it back, I found the letter I posted to Ginja hadn't made it to her, so her anguish at the news was very loud. I'm not sure what happened to the letter. She immediately arranged for a trip home, working with a snooty elf for a portal. He charged us an astonishing fee, more than normal for a portal..but we managed to talk him down - people will do anything to make themselves a coin. He sent us to Thunder Bluff - Orgrimmar would have been too much noise after such a dreadful loss. Im writing from the inn in Mulgore. The goblins - a brother and sister pair called Ikwil and Sanni Driztsik departed for Everlook after spending the night here in Mulgore. I don't think we'll see them again. Ginja left for Orgrimmar to start the sad work of notifying the families - unusual for her, as she usually she leaves the emotional work for me to do, preferring to handle the finances. I'm glad for it - I don't think I can bear the strain this time. The last time we were attacked I did the notifying of families and next of kin. She said she felt responsible, sending us out in to the desert without appropriate backup.

I can't think that she's specifically responsible - it was her turn to stay in the city and negotiate. We had guards from the Devoted temple. Maybe they were too lax, being so close to the temple.. I'll never know. I'm just grateful I survived. My hand aches terribly, I haven't been able to find a healer yet - I can't afford to slowly heal this - though I think we'll rebuild after we all recover from this loss. We had a successful thing going and now it's all gone. I spoke with Vik'wa; she's on her way from Orgrimmar. She said she was waiting for something like this to happen - that it was only a matter of time, much like the Dark Iron attack near the Temple of Akunda. I do agree - Vol'dun is a dangerous region. 

We'll be on standby as Ginja and I meet up to discuss our next steps. We'll have wagons to replace, kodos to purchase and stocks to rebuild. We can still do this, I think maybe in the future we'll have better defenses - maybe we were too relaxed. My hand hurts so much - I'm making my way to the Broken Horn Tribe's village this afternoon- I trust them, they should have a healer that can help me with my hand. The healer in Bloodhoof is busy with a birthing mother, so I can't ask them. Someone gave me some painkillers that takes the edge off, but this will need to be handled and soon.

I took stock of what we have left from the caravan; it's not much. Two bales of furs from Winterspring, some cast iron pans, bags of bones and teeth for trinkets and charms and finally a barrel of smoked fish. Everything else was looted or destroyed. I'll buy new kodo from Harb Clawhoof.. in the meantime I can trade using Tusok and Tulk, they've been stabled in Thunder Bluff this whole time - I send gold to pay for handling and feed. Bhenta and Sufa were stabled in Zuldazar, and so escaped the carnage - losing either of them would have been dreadful.. we lost so many as it is.