It was another lovely day in Hearthglen, the birds were signing, and the sun was bright and warm. Despite all the cajoling and subtle threats the instructors found that whenever they turned around, another couple of the initiates had snuck away, no doubt to laze around on this beautiful day and enjoy the beauty of late spring. Even more of the senior defenders and guards found them self's lax far more than usual, marveling out how such soothing tranquility could still exist in a land that was still so brittle and broken beyond their gates.

There was one however, who seemed unfazed by the charming weather, and stood resolute and tall at her guard post.

Outwardly, Leyla was the picture of a perfect sentry, alert and vigilant, unwavering in her seemingly dull watch. But secretly, she wanted nothing more to join the others, to strip of this armor that was getting uncomfortably warm in the direct heat of sunlight.

Yet she couldn't. Light knows how her parents would react if they found out their paladin daughter was found lazing about when she was supposed to be on guard duty. Just thinking about her mother shrieking about 'shirking her duties' made her cringe.

Sighing, she went to shift to try to move at least a little out of the sun, only to find that something latched onto her plate boots was preventing her from doing so. Startled, she looked down, only for her face to split from her stoic look into a wide grin. She turned to her partner on watch.

"Braelyn?" she asked, trying her best to keep the laughter from her voice.

Startled from her obvious daydreaming the hunter turned to her. "Yea?"

"Do you think you call Bitey off? He's making it hard for me to move." Leyla pointed downward, where the lynx was sprawled out on the ground, happily gnawing on Leyla's Truesteel boots.

"Oh! Sorry Leyla!" Braelyn quickly reached into the pouch on her belt and pulled out several treats and with a sharp whistle, drew Bitey away to her side where he happily devoured the morsels.

"Thank you." Leyla replied smoothly, sifting back into the minimal shade the tower provided. Well, at least it was something.

"Sorry about your boots." Braelyn grimaced when she saw the nicks her pet had left on them. "I'll pay to get them repaired."

Leyla waved it away, her armor clanking softly. "No, don't worry about it. If anything, it actually makes it look like I've seen battle, or the very least I'll say a vicious, and huge, wolf."

The hunter grinned, glad that her friend was not annoyed by Bitey's antics, but that grin quickly faded into a grimace.

"What about you mother and father?" she asked warily, knowing as well as Leyla how picky they were about their daughter looking 'presentable.'

"If they ask it wasn't a wolf, it was scourge, 50 of em. And I was rescuing orphans and puppies from a burning candy shop."

"So they viscously gnawed on your boots?" the hunter asked wryly.

"Hey, those ghouls are no quitters, I was too busy rescuing everyone and fighting of the undead that I didn't have time to notice one cut on half ghoul latched onto my boots."

"That seems like a pretty big thing to not notice."

"My determination and focus is unwavering." Leyla finished with a resolute look.

Silence followed for a moment before both women broke down into laughter.

Eventually their laughter subsided and they returned to their watch in content silence… which lasted all of three seconds.

"So," Braeyln began while bending down to starch Bitey's ears, "I hear we have some visitors in town today."

"Oh? Maybe it's your favorite blood elf death knight."

Braelyn cringed at that one, but she supposed she deserved it for letting Bitey gnaw on her boots…again. But she was never one to let something like that slide.

"Or maybe is your fiancée, Morin" she shot back, which caused the paladin to cringe in turn.

"I prefer the term betrothed." Leyla sighed and rubbed her face, just thinking about that pompous high elf made her glum.

Braeyln saw her friends crestfallen face and shook her head "why did you even agree to it?" she asked mystified, she had grown up in a relatively happy home and was baffled by the idea that one's parents could be so unpleasant and unloving yet still have the audacity to set up an arranged marriage.

"Duty, uphold the family lines and ties or something." She repeated tiredly, something she had said over and over again to herself to make this marriage seem less of a horrible trap with no escape.

Oh, how she had come to hate the word 'Duty.'

Braelyn however, was no longer listening, her attention drawn by the blood elf ambassador from Silvermoon making his way past them and towards the keep.

Or rather, her attention was on the scarlet and gold tabard he wore. Braelyn let loose a small, sorrowful sigh, and interactively went to touch the earrings hiding beneath her brown hair.

Now it was Leyla's turn to be mystified by her friend's actions. In the nearly six months Braelyn had been here, she had opened up to Leyla about her past leading up to her joining the Crusade, so Leyla knew about her brief love affair with the Grand Magister.

It wasn't that she mystified by how she could love a blood elf, being part of the Crusade taught her to look beyond the petty hates her parents had tried (and failed) to instill in her since she was young.

No, what confused her was that she obviously still had such strong feeling for a man who threw her away rather than fight to protect her.

Well, she had no room to talk, being eventually roped into a loveless marriage. But still…

"Honestly, what fine sentry's you two make" an amused voice spoke from the side.

Both women were snapped from their thoughts to the third woman staring at them, humor dancing in her golden eyes.

"Brae staring at the little blood elf, nearly sighing herself into a puddle of gooey angst and love hormones and Leyla, who still can't seem to wrap her thick head around the concept of Love."

Braeyln blushed and moved her hand away from the earrings so fast as if they burned her, Leyla just scoffed at the Warlocks comments.

"You're a fine one to talk, Crimmy. You can't even see a single human male paladin without drooling like a child in a sweet shop! No matter what you're doing!"

"it's not my fault their so… shiny!" she said, trying to remain composed, but even then her attention had shifted to the well-muscled paladin passing nearby. "Oooooh…" she sighed completely transfixed by his luminescent armor.

"Focus Crimmy! Focussssssssssss!" Leyla snapped her fingers to get the Warlocks attention.

Eventually she swung her attention back to the other two women who doing their best not to burst into giggles. The golden eyes narrowed.

"Problems?" she asked in a sweet voice, too sweet, almost as if it was drenched in honey, "because I have no trouble fearing you both into the gnoll nest down the road." She said, not once breaking from her sweet tone.

Shed do it too, of that they had no doubt.

"Is there a reason you're here Crim? I mean sides to ogle all the 'shiny' pallies of course." Leyla was the first to recover enough.

"Yes, I'm here for you." she said her attention now totally focused on Leyla.

"Me? I'm flattered that you deem me shiny enough to appease you, oh great Crimson, But I thought you were only into guy pallies?"

Braelyn was biting her lip so hard that she could almost taste blood, trying not to laugh. Leyla was not helping.

The Warlock just rolled her eyes.

"Don't flatter yourself, I'm here because Tirion is looking for you and didn't have time to send out a summon, so I lovingly volunteered to come fetch you."

"The Highlord is looking for me?" Leyla straighten up, all joking gone from her voice.

"Yep, so I suggest you go see what he wants. He and his ah, guests, weren't in the best of moods when I left."

"Right, thanks Crimson." With that, the paladin set off at a brisk pace toward the center of town and the main keep. Nodding, Crimson turned away as well.

"Hey! What am I supposed to do? Were both on watch for another hour!"

Crimson paused for a moment and then there was a flash of purple and her imp Dagnip stood before her. Grinning she looked up to Braelyn again.

"There we go, problem solved! Dagnip will help you keep watch for the last hour."

"What?!" both Dagnip and Braeyln echoed in unison, but Crimson was already walking away.

Both were equally befuddled by the Warlock, but only for a moment, as a blur of orange launched itself at the imp.

"This was not in my contract!" shirked the imp as he staring ruing in circles, with the curious lynx and frantic hunter at his heels.


As Leyla made her way into the upper reaches of the keep she could hear several voices from the Highlord's main study. Arriving at his door she hesitated only a moment before sharply knocking.

"Enter." Came the reply.

Leyla wasted no time and strolled into the room, her strides coming to an abrupt sop as she saw who else was within the Highlord's study.

Two orcs, once an elderly female, the other a young male, not much older than herself. Both wore similar mail gear and she deduced that were both Shamans. Teacher and student most likely.

Before she could even utter a greeting, the male orc took one look at her and said in Common, "No." In a deep booming voice, not bothering to hide the contempt in that one statement.

"I don't recall giving you the choice boy." The female said sharply, pinning him under her gaze.

The other orc growled and retorted, this time in Orcish, "She will just slow me down, look at her! She looks so frail and pale I bet a slight breeze would knock her over!"

The woman narrowed her eyes before answering, "You seem to be in awful hurry, boy, care to tell me why? I don't believe I said there was a time limit on this journey."

Leyla bristled at the orc's snide comments and wanted nothing more than to make a scathing retort.

But the Highlord was right there, not to mention she was bred better than that, she was a lady! She would not let this… asshat… get to her so easily!

"If would soothe both your minds honored Shaman," she interjected smoothly in perfect Orcish, "I am a lot tough then I appear, we can't all be born blessed with the strengths of orcs, but none the less, I'm more than capable of holding my own." She finished politely with a glare at the younger orc, daring him to challenge her again so she could show him up… again.

Both orcs were speechless for a moment, but then it was the elder who regained her composure first.

"You speak Orcish?" She asked in a slightly accented Common with a soft, gravely voice. Yet Leyla could see the spark of interest in the older woman's eyes.

"Yes mam," she replied smiling slightly, "I can speak several languages, and I find it essential for the work of the Crusade." Still smiling, Leyla dipped into a bow. "My apologies for inputting your discussion but I thought it prudent to ease the young one's mind about my skills. But that does not excuse my terrible manners. I am Lady Leyla of the Argent Crusade. It my pleasure to make your acquaintance, honored Shaman."

Smiling as well, the orc returned the bow. "Greeting Lady Leyla, I am Elder Geyla. And this, she said gesturing to the other orc, "is my thick headed student, Arsiok."

The other orc, Arsiok, simply said nothing save for a disgruntled snort. Geyla turned to the Highlord who had been calmly observing them.

"She's perfect." She said still smiling

At this, Tirion broke out into a smile as well. "I'm glad you were able to finally find someone suitable among our ranks. I will admit I was surprised when Crimson suggested her, but I guess I shouldn't be. She has never steered my wrong."

Leyla frowned at this. Crimmy had 'suggested' her? But why? And for what?

Noticing the confusion on the young paladins face, Tirion began to speak again, "apologize if we're not making sense her Leyla, the simple jest of it that Arsiok needs a guide, a companion, on his journey and it is apparently imperative that they are of neutral faction."

This did not ease Leyla's confusion, Companion? Journey? To where? Neural faction? She was startled from her musing by a gentle hand on her shoulder, Geyla.

"I know this is confusing right now, but unfortunately the way from Ogrimmar is long and have grown weary. I have not the strength to give you the answers to tonight. But would you be willing to hear me out tomorrow young Paladin?"

Leyla's face instantly smoothed into her small smile once again. "But of course, should you travel far for such help, I would be honored to help you in any way I may Elder." She heard Arsiok scoff, and murmur something in Orcish about her being a kiss ass. One she was about to reply to, before the Highlord head her off.

"Very well, I will have someone show you to yours and Arsiok's chambers for the evening. sleep well."

Leyla was about to add in her own good night when a guard burst into the room.

"Sorry to interrupt Highlord, but there's a bit of a kerfuffle in the town, something about a lynx and an imp."

Leyla's eyes grew wide and she groaned "damn Hunters and Warlocks" she grumbled.

Fordring simply chuckled and said "Leyla if you could go sort this out?"

"Yes sir." She replied with a crisp salute and turned out the room and practically sprinted out of the keep.

Fordring chuckled again while shaking his head before addressing the guard "Please escort these two to guest quarters and see to it that everything they need is attended too, they've had a long journey."

Yes sir," the guard nodded and turned to the two orcs to show them to their quarters.


The moon had risen high over Heartglen; the only souls stirring were those unfortunate enough to have night duty.

And the Shaman pacing her quarters.

What she said was true, she was weary, but now she found herself unable to sleep again due to worry.

But, now it was for the little Paladin, Leyla.

Arsiok needed this journey, it could be the last thing to save him, the only thing to save him, nothing else had worked.

Of course, she had no proof of her claims; he and more importantly, his loathsome brother were very clever about not leaving any evidence. But suspicion remained, even Thrall suspected as such.

Geyla knew that all was not lost, there was still a sliver of good left in him, but it was fading rapidly. She needed to get him somewhere safe, somewhere away from his brother and the… others influence and could think of no better place than among fellow Shaman in the Twilight Highlands.

She didn't want to involve anyone else in her problems, her mistakes, but she had little choice.

As soon as she saw Leyla, she could feel the elements approving of her, she was a righteous soul that had a far better chance of saving him then she did, ancestors knows she tried. She sighed and moved toward her bed, she could do nothing in this state.

Her last thought before she succumbed to exhaustion was that elements were the ones who had chosen the girl, may they protect her from this evil as well.


woo! new story! came from no where really, plot included! brains are weird.

Both Crimson and Braelyn belong to AMCM74 and Mythique respectively, i do so love using them. XD

Next chapter: details of the trip are revealed, and Leyla still has more questions then answers. Also, Arsiok continues to be a dick.