Disclaimer- I do not own World of Warcraft or any of the places named here. The only thing I own is the name of my character and the plot.

Travel

Betaed by the wonderful RaeVenn-Chan. Thank you for boosting my confidence.

Going home, even for a brief period of time, felt slightly strange to her.

She blew out, watching her breath crystallize in the air. Waiting for the zeppelin to Orgrimmar was serious business, and although she'd been waiting for hours she was still fraught with nervousness. Plus it was damn cold here. She was glad to be going home.

She hadn't been home since she had been drafted into the war effort, and she still had quite a distance to travel. Her home lay not in Northrend where she currently was, but in the Eastern Kingdoms, far away from the current conflict that she was surrounded by. Summer pictured it in her mind: vibrant trees, beautiful buildings trimmed in gold, and dragonhawks roaming freely. But she hadn't been home in 30 years; she had no idea if the place she imagined in her mind still existed.

Silvermoon City didn't hold her family, or her lover. They were all long gone, casualties of time and war. She doubted that her young daughter was alive even, having been five when Summer had been pulled into the war. Two years after being drafted she had been sent news that her town had been destroyed and all inhabitants slaughtered. She'd been overcome with thoughts of vengeance.

Summer had started taking riskier missions, going out on her own more, often ignoring the pleas of her fellow soldiers to take someone with her. Three years later she'd been taken captive, killed, and brought back as a servant of the Lich King. She had no doubt Atheria had passed.

But she'd awoken 15 years ago, and she found little use for the feelings of regret she held from her past life. She still looked young, and for that she was grateful. It seemed that she had been frozen in time. All the stresses she had undergone did not show on her face or body.

Sure, she had her share of battle scars and wounds that littered her torso and limbs, but they did not affect her the way she knew wrinkles would have. Then again, she mused ironically, she wouldn't be old enough to have wrinkles anyway.

Summer glanced around Warsong Hold, taking in the warriors and oddities that had gathered here. Around her she could see strategists, blacksmiths, merchants, and even the occasional cook or two. It seemed that everyone wanted to help with the war effort, including the Goblins… as long as they were making a profit.

Speaking of the Goblins, she was still waiting. If it wasn't for this being the sole way of transportation in and out of Northrend besides the portals in Dalaran, she wouldn't be standing here. In fact she would have greatly preferred to use the portals in Dalaran, but luck wasn't on her side. The flight master at the hold had come down with a terrible fever, and until he was well there were to be no flights in or out. She'd been more than prepared to travel to a neighboring town, at least a three hour journey, which she'd heard contained a flight point.

She'd snooped around a bit more, looking for some rations to take on her trip and overheard a mage and a shaman talking about the zeppelin. Summer'd been lazy and she knew it. She had forgone the trip she'd had planned in favor to stay in the hold. After all, she was completely drained.

Scanning the area around her, she realized that herself and the couple she saw earlier weren't the only ones waiting. As her eyes traveled about, one or two weary adventurers nodded at her. A rather beat up Druid to her left grunted at her questioning look, no doubt headed to Mulgore.

He looked familiar to her, and recognizing him as Swift she turned her body and smiled, blowing a kiss. He was in her guild, and he must have not recognized her. She didn't blame him. Swift had a rather large gash across his left eye that looked like it hurt plenty.

She walked over to him and sat down beside him, leaning against his broad chest. He sighed approvingly and wrapped one large arm around her, protecting the Death Knight from the cold. He mumbled something about 'those damn murlocs' which she took as the reason for his eye being in the state it was.

Sighs were heard all around about three hours later when the zeppelin pulled into port. Summer had been sleeping on Swift's chest and he gently shook her awake and helped her to her feet. She glanced up at the Tauren towering over her before shouldering her pack and walking onto the vessel.

Summer wasn't sure when the last time she'd slept had been. The short rest that'd she'd had leaning on Swift was heavenly to her body and mind. Luckily she wouldn't have too much to do in the next few days and could catch up on the sleep that her body so greatly deserved.

She trudged her way to the lower deck, pulling her bag behind her. Summer cursed at herself. She really knew better than to carry her spare axe in her bag. The two handed weapon was huge, and it pulled down her already exhausted body. As she stepped onto the floor she felt her pack being lifted from her shoulder.

The reaction was quick as she dropped to the ground, rolling to get away from the threat. She brandished her mace as she came up, bracing for an attack. A chuckle was heard from the body in front of her. She glanced up to see Swift towering over her and groaned before relaxing her stance.

"I could have taken you, I swear." She muttered as he walked across the room, setting it on the floor near a bunk that seemed to belong to him. Summer rolled her eyes as she saw him peek into her bags, fingering her belongings and letting out amused snorts every so often.

He dropped her bag in a heap on the floor, moving over to his own bunk and laying back. The hammock swayed dangerously under the druid's weight and she was afraid for a moment that it would fall. "Yes little elf, I have no doubt that you could have 'taken me'." He let out a full throated laugh at the thought, rolling over in his bunk and falling into a light sleep.

Summer knew she overreacted to the action, and had she been in a better state of mind she would have scolded herself for it. As it was, she could barely keep her eyes open let alone think coherently. She shed her outer armor, displaying the bandages wrapped around her torso from her last battle. Magicking her cloak to levitate, hiding her from view she unbuckled her pants and slipped on a pair of short-shorts that she'd picked up from a cloth vendor while in the Hold.

Plate pants were incredibly difficult and uncomfortable to sleep in, and she let out a sigh of relief as she slipped into the makeshift bed. Even the tough wool blanket felt heavenly against her skin. She would sleep for the next few days. After all, it would take at least five to get to Orgrimar. Then she had another zeppelin to catch to the Undercity. From there it was a simple orb translocation and she was in Silvermoon.

She smiled as a snore was heard from Swift's bunk. Closing her eyes she let her mind wander to grassy hills, stalking lynx, and elves as pale as herself. They were reassuring thoughts to her worried mind and she sighed contently, wishing for a time when she knew she'd be returning to Atheria and her daughter's worried father.

So laying there she pretended that was what she was doing. Sieg's face was trapped into her memories, and so were their years together. She thought about walking into the modest house they shared and seeing her little girl running to her, arms spread wide, with a huge grin. She dreamt of falling asleep in her lover's arms and waking up to sweet good morning kisses.

Summer slept the best she had in she didn't know how many years, and when she awoke the next morning she woke up with a huge grin. She didn't bother getting dressed, stashing all of her armor underneath her bunk. The warrior snatched her bag from her druid friend's bunk, shoving it underneath as well.

Swift was already on the upper deck when she climbed the stairs. And she took her time walking up beside him, stretching her arms and shivering as the cold breeze whipped around her barely-clad body.

"Slept long enough…" Swift huffed at her, sparing her a quick glance, "You could have put more clothes on you know." Summer grinned, brushing up against his side and running a hand down his arm, "Now where would be the fun in that?"

The Tauren grinned at her, licking his snout "I have no idea."

As Summer stood there, grinning at her guildie, she decided that maybe going back home wasn't so bad. She decided that she could survive whatever lingered in the place she once called home. She wouldn't let her old emotions cripple her.

If she was going to survive… she needed to be stronger than that.