Note: Before you start reading keep in mind this story uses some terms not in canon Warcraft lore. For example "Sin Sholai", which is the alliance between the Blood Elves and Forsaken. If there's some things that are confusing it's because this was written originally for the private server "Conquest of the Horde". Now that's out of the way read on!

Maulbane was finally ready to go back out into the world, after the very long Arathi Highlands expedition. The game there was decent as always, but he was more interested in the huge amount of Humans migrating to the newly captured city. Every day for a week, maybe two, he would sit on a sharp incline near a road and just observe the Humans. Time well spent, except for the times they saw him. He also made a "Friend" of sorts, but that's another story for another time.

So, this Tauren had spent enough time back at Thunder Bluff. Suddenly, after maybe five days resting in his home, he suited up, packed his things and left to Ratchet. It was three days hard riding to the port city, but he was up for the challenge. The boat trip to Booty Bay was another two after that... But he was there in good time. He arrived in the middle of some kind of shouting match, Corsairs running around and flinging insults like... Well, sailors. The only reason he was here was to find something to do. He decided, resolutely, that if there was no work for him in three hours he would take the next Zeppelin to Winterspring, a place he loved yet had neglected for a very long time. However, it wasn't to be, for not half an hour after he disembarked the ship he was approached and stared at by an unusual Forsaken. Without small-talk the offer was given and readily accepted, and as Maulbane read the document it began to look more and more like a grocery list... A dangerous one.

He had been there for thirty minutes, and still had no idea what he was going to do. Bloodvine? How the fel am I going to get that? This is already more trouble than it's worth... He already knew two things. One, Bloodvine is only found in Zul'Gurub, and two, you can't get into Zul'Gurub. Which means he was already stumped, and this was the first item on this damned list.

"Think, Maulbane, think..." Near him a Human was sneaking around, hoping to pickpocket the distracted Tauren. Things didn't go the Human's way as a Troll bumped into him. A few minutes later the Troll, Kuweshi, was climbing on top of him and sitting on his large shoulderpads.

"What'cha doin'?"

"Thinking." After that, the Troll bopped him on the head.

"Bout' wut?"

"How to get Bloodthistle." Once again, the bopping was inevitable

"Think 'arder!"

And he did just that. He looked up at the sky to think, then he noticed something. The Gurubashi were Trolls. He needed to get Bloodthistle. This Troll looked like a Gurubashi...

"Say, Troll... Do you want to make some money?"

Raptor foot-beats ran through Stranglethorn as Kuweshi's raptor propelled him through the thick foliage and undergrowth of Stranglethorn Vale. He was fast and swift, avoiding many of the dangers that the vale possessed to get to the most dangerous part of all... Zul'gurub. His goal was set, and the sound of gold jingling in his pocket kept his reasoing for going to "The bad place" strong. It wasn't long before he could see the ruins not far off.

He pulled a dagger from his hip and began to stalk around, hiding where he could until he spotted a single Gurubashi Troll. It was away from the ruins, thankfully.. Kuweshi moved quickly, grabbing the face of the Gurubashi and slitting his throat in a brutal fashion before taking the clothes of the Guru abd putting them on himself. Some kind og thick leather with metal plates on it. It would do as a guise, but he'd need prey to seem a successful hunter back from his trip..

He peered around, watching others dressed similarly attacking the Kurzen compound, taking away screaming Human captives. He did the same, the Gurubashi alongside him thinking him to be one of them. So far, success. He pulled away a human woman as a captive, hefting her over his shoulder and taking her up to the bad place, following the others.

Soon he would be heading up the dreaded slope, heavily armed Gurubashi staring at the captives, grinning and licking their chops. He dragged his Human girl up the slope, and soon he was standing at the gates. His heart was pounding /furiously/ as he stepped inside, keeping his breath low. He knew that the Blood God could smell fear...

After depositing the Human in a hole filled with bones, he saw the first bit of bloodvine and saw it looking rather... vile to the touch. He looked around and saw others harvesting such with knives. He nodded, and reached up with a gloved hand, then harvested a piece, only to be tapped on the shoulder.

The robed man spoke in Zandali. "Headhunter, what are you doing? You are not one to collect the vine."

He looked up to it, then to the man, then sheathed his knife. His heart was racing, and he had to keep himself from passing out...

"I am sorry.." Kuweshi began. "I must have gotten mixed up." He mimicked their accent as best as he could. "I am just of age to be a Headhunter, and that one-" He pointed to a harvester. "Told me I should be doing this."

The robed man moved over and began speaking. "I will not tolerate laziness and sloth among my collectors."-and then slew the other Troll on the spot. Kuweshi stopped himself from cringing. He fled the scene in a quick walk.

Night fell before long, and most of the Gurubashi and Hakkari had gone away. Kuweshi sprung into action and silently killed a straggler with his dagger, kicking it's body into the lake. He found the Bloodvine, and began harvesting. Lookouts were too far away to see him as he did so, filling a pot with it.

He grabbed another pot and moved quickly, dousing the torch of a lookout with what seemed- to the lookout- to be rain. Kuweshi dodged by him to the next bit, pulling it down and killing the pot. He thought for a moment, and knew that two pots would be about one crate.

He pounced the doused lookout and killed him, taking his clothes and torch. He lit it with a wave of his hand, walking calmly to the next bloodvine. He would get there rather safe, and harvested not-so-safe. A raptor popped up and began sniffing him, as if it knew what he was doing. It moved close to his face, then left him be. Kuweshi harvested the bloodvine quickly, moving to the last node.

He got there with no interaction from others, but suddenly heard a terrible voice in his head. He harvested through the voice, which was speaking in some ancient tongue.. something he didn't understand. He knew exactly what was happening.. He had been sensed by Hakkar.

He tried to keep his cool, strapping the last pot to his back, and began heading for the entrance quietly, but it was at the entrange that the voice would overpower him. He collapsed, still conscious as he rose to his feet, opening the front. He ran down the slope and away, lucky to have not been caught. As soon as he was a decent ways away, he fell to his knees, rubbing his face and panting. He had did it...

But at what price?

Was it Hakkar that was speaking? Was he cursed? Was he hexed? He didn't know.. but he did know that fifteen gold was SO not worth it.