Dreadmist Peak and the Crossroads Circuit
Plainstriders at dawn, a fall in the dark at Dreadmist Peak, and a long evening of hides, hooves and harpies around the Crossroads.
The Road
I began the morning at the Crossroads and walked the Gold Road out into the Barrens, where I came upon The Forgotten Pools and paused to take in the view. By the end of that first stretch I was resting at the Crossroads again.
The afternoon found me in Thunder Bluff, where Tal the wind rider master spoke of the strength and speed of his mounts. I flew from Thunder Bluff to the Crossroads, then crossed a great deal of country: Hunter Rise, the Golden Plains, Stonebull Lake, Galak Camp, then down through the Southern Barrens past Agama'gor and Lushwater Oasis, and up the Gold Road to the Crossroads once more.
Later I climbed to Dreadmist Peak and stood a while looking out from it. In the long hours after, I found The Stagnant Oasis and did the same. When evening came on I passed the Forgotten Pools again and reached The Dry Hills, a new place for me, and stopped for that view too. Every stretch ended where it began, at the Crossroads.
Battles
The morning was plainstriders: six Greater Plainstriders, a Fleeting Plainstrider, a Kolkar Wrangler and a Sunscale Screecher. A screecher shrieked for help before it fell.
The long afternoon brought more. Seven Zhevra Runners, seven more Sunscale Screechers, five Lost Barrens Kodo, three Burning Blade Acolytes, three Burning Blade Bruisers, two Savannah Huntresses, two Hecklefang Hyenas, two Sunscale Lashtails, two more Greater Plainstriders, a Kolkar Marauder and an Oasis Snapjaw.
At Dreadmist Peak a Burning Blade Toxicologist cried out, "You've interfered with our plans for the last time, foolish druid!" Then something unseen struck me down. I fell into darkness and woke as a spirit before the Spirit Healer, who said it was not yet my time and offered to bring me back for a price.
In the evening the harpies of The Dry Hills took their turn: six Witchwing Harpies and seven Witchwing Roguefeathers fell, along with a Witchwing Slayer, seven Savannah Prowlers, three Hecklefang Hyenas and another Kolkar Wrangler. The harpies were loud with threats, one promising my head would make a fine trophy.
Deeds
Back from the dark, I found Tonga Runetotem and finished The Principal Source. He sniffed the water I had brought and cried, "By my ancestors, this water is disgusting!" He blamed it for the sickness in the gazelles, though he suspected something else was at work too. He set me to Gathering the Cure: earthroot and kodo horns for a healing salve.
At the Crossroads Sergra Darkthorn took my word that the plainstriders were thinned out, and sent me after the zhevra for their hooves. Later I brought the hooves, and she asked whether I was ready for a real challenge. That was the prowlers of the Barrens, and I brought her their claws too. She then set me on the trail of Echeyakee, the white king of the savannah cats, whose lair lies northeast of the Crossroads. I am to blow a horn there and he will come.
Tonga was amazed by what I found at the oases, saying whatever rests beneath them can make life from nothing. He asked for eight shells from the oasis snapjaws so he could study the changes. When I returned with what he needed for the salve, he made enough for ten doses and asked me to cure ten sickly gazelles in the northern Barrens. He bade me carry his thanks afterward to Dendrite Starblaze in Moonglade.
Gazrog said I was a druid of worth for ridding him of the raptors, then asked me to recover the stolen silver from the Raptor Grounds south of Ratchet. Darsok Swiftdagger admired my work against the harpies and wanted more: six harpy lieutenants, the Witchwing Slayers who wear rings, from The Dry Hills.
Mankrik, a tauren warrior grieving at the Crossroads, asked me to search for his missing wife and to bring him sixty Bristleback tusks.
Fellowship
In the morning, Pawani spoke of leather and hides, Jornah of the Durotar Supply and Logistics company and its need for contractors, and Dokimi asked me to return any lost shipments she might hear of. I came away neutral with the company.
At the Crossroads in the afternoon I lingered among other travelers. A tauren druid saluted me with respect, and I bowed in return. Another tauren druid danced with the innkeeper, and a tauren warrior danced with me. A few of them talked idly of Alliance gnomes driven out of Ratchet, and an orc hunter bade everyone farewell.
In the evening a windshaper rogue and a shaman joined me briefly, and the harpies mocked each of us in turn. They both left the party a couple of minutes later.
Spoils & Craft
A Hunting Bow of uncommon make turned up in the afternoon, and a Barbaric Loincloth, also uncommon, in the evening. I did not note where either came from.
My skinning improved steadily: it rose to 100 in the morning, then to 105, 110 and 115 over the day. At the Crossroads I worked leather, making Light Leather and Cured Light Hide, then more of both, three and two at a time.
Growth
Somewhere on the climb at Dreadmist Peak I felt a new strength settle into me, a deeper well to draw on. Right then my defense also sharpened, to 70, and a little later my feral fighting rose to 70 as well.
In the evening, swinging a heavy mace for the first time, I felt my skill with two-handed maces begin at 25.