A/N: Ok, so I don't own World of Warcraft, Blizzard does, but I DO own the original characters in this story, as well as the add-ins that went unnamed ^_^ ENJOY!
Wild, frightened blue eyes darted around as men crowded in around her. She had known coming here was a bad idea, but her idiot twin sister had insisted. Now, her sister was lying unconscious at her feet and she was backed against the solid rock of a mountain outcropping. Tears sprung to her eyes as the cuts on her arms and legs burned. Her leather and mail was no match for their steel weapons. Her twin, who happened to be a reckless and boisterous warrior, had blood dripping from where one of the men had punched her.
"Too good for us, eh? Who's lowly and loathsome now?" one of the foot soldiers asked with a low, cruel laugh. Tears of anger dripped down her face. They had followed the sisters out of the post and attacked them. It was definitely sad times when humans attacked their own. The young gnome mage that had stopped to ask if they needed help had long ago been driven away. Bitterness and anger flared in her heart. This was how the Alliance repaid them after ten years in service? To be raped and beaten at the hands of its soldiers?
She dragged her sister closer to her, her bow keeping them at bay for now. She had a wicked axe she could easily equip and a pet she could readily call. However, her beautiful companion was rare and they would surely kill and skin the elegant cat should she call for him. That she would never allow. So, with determination, she lifted her bow and leveled it on the guard closest to her.
"You even think of coming closer and I'll unleash a volley unlike anything you've ever seen. You think Horde are frightening, wait until you meet a pissed off Delanysus." she hissed, her blue eyes blazing with anger and slight insanity. She knew she was sinking deeper into the beast within. It's why very few humans ever chose to be hunters…they just didn't have the connection with nature to maintain their sanity.
The soldiers halted for a second at the look of pure insanity in her eyes. They knew she was a rare one. Human hunters were almost nonexistent in this day and age. The fact she'd held onto her sanity for this long was a miracle. However, feeling the lives of her sister and herself in danger, it was no wonder that her sanity was starting to splinter. The leader, a greasy looking man with brown hair and a black-brown goatee, tried to reason with her.
"We merely want an apology, my dear. We are men, and thus we have our pride. Your dear sister's comments about our rank and standing has bruised that pride. We must be compensated for the insult. Surely you understand that?" he noticed a slight waiver in her eyes until an even brighter fire burned and insanity burned even brighter in her eyes.
"I understand that if you get your filthy hands on us you are going to rape and murder us. I understand that you've been in Grizzly Hills long enough to have picked up some of its savage ways. I also understand you think because you're Alliance military you won't have to answer for what you do." the man's eyes widened as she hit the nail on the head with every statement she made. But she didn't stop there. "You may think you can get away with whatever you want, whether it be raping a camp girl or killing a civilian that crosses you, but everyone…everyone…answers to someone." she growled, almost animalistic, as she glared them down.
Arrogant hazel eyes looked down a crooked hawk nose at her. "We are the Alliance. Without us, it is nothing but flags and stone. We are oceans away from anyone that could ever hold us accountable for anything. So tell me, sweet huntress…who are we going to answer to?" it was then that a shadow fell upon the group and all hell broke loose.
Those same blue eyes watched arrows sink into the chests of men that, just the week prior, had been kind and helpful to her and her sister. Screams drew her attention to the large, streamline beast that moved like lightning through the men, ripping their flesh. An odd sense of satisfaction gripped her and she smiled viciously, her insanity finally taking hold of her in the form of her inner beast. With a wild half scream, half roar, she plunged into battle, using her claws and even the fangs she now had to take out her enemies.
Vol'rokh watched his sleek spirit companion tear through the humans that had been cornering…something. He had thought it to be a female, but from the mad way the figure tore through the soldiers, he wasn't so sure. Every so often he'd embed an arrow into the chest of a man that tried to attack his feline's vulnerable back. He watched the graceful, fluid movements of the creature he'd saved. It was obvious that, whatever it was, it had ties to the way of the hunter. He noticed several times how its speed would increase suddenly, its agility, its aggression…but despite its obvious hatred for the soldiers, it never strayed too far from the rocks. A whistle caught his attention.
He peered over the side of the outcropping the small creature had darted from and found his best friend, Zin'thraze, crouched over a small form covered in plate with a huge shield and sword. He recognized the sword, Widow's Fury, as a trophy from the spider witch in Naxxramas and the shield as The Skull of Ruin, also from a filthy scourge bastard in Naxxramas. From what he could see of it, its helm was the Obsidian Greathelm. Now where had this unconscious little warrior gotten such a nice helm from? He heard a gasp from his friend and was drug back from his thoughts when serious red eyes looked up at him.
"Vol, dis be s'rous mon." Vol'rokh could only wonder what had upset his friend so much. He was about to ask when the other troll pulled off the helm and revealed short, shaggy chestnut hair. The first thing to cross Vol'rokh's mind was how this delicate little creature hefted such large weapons, defensive and offensive. The second thing that went through his mind was the fact she was human. Eyes widening, he looked at his friend, who nodded.
"Da human's be attackin dey own, mon. Dis gurl, she be huht reel bad mon. Don know bout da uddah wan, but dis wan need da doktah now, mon." Vol'rokh knew that if Zin'thraze said the girl needed help, she really needed help. The stubborn older troll never liked admitting when enough was enough. Only after losing his mate and all his whelps had the old troll admitted that enough was enough. Vol'rokh felt a pang in his chest when he thought of his sister and her young, who had sought refuge in a horde controlled city, only to be turned away and later hunted like animals.
Bitterness clawed at his heart as he remembered finding their bodies, burned and headless. He'd sworn then that he'd never help the Horde again…as had Zin'thaze. So, the two had set out, rogue and hunter, to find a new life in Northrend. They had slowly built up reputation with the Dragons at Wyrmrest, the mage council in Dalaran, and the giants in the frozen plains of Stormpeak. They moved around between the 'neutral' factions in Northrend and lived the lives of wanderers, never settling down for too long.
With a grunt, he nodded and called his pet back. "Atal'zin! We be leavin mon. Les go!" his large black feline lifted its head, its ghostly red eyes shining with satisfaction. Its fur was matted with blood and its muzzle dripped in the light covering of snow that had blown in from the mountains. The large cat was almost to him when a roar froze both the cat and the hunter.
The roar itself was not verbal, but more of a vocal, and primal, declaration of war. He looked up to see the other fighter, whom he assumed to be human now that he'd seen the other, pull back the empty string of the bow in its hands, only it wasn't empty when it did. Vol'rokh's eyes widened as he recognized the Thori'dal. He'd only heard about it and seen pictures of it in Orgrimmar, never actually seen it in action. He watched several men go down to the human's arrows, but one dodged. This seemed to enrage the hunter further, because the little human threw down its bow and pulled out an axe that was surely too large for it to handle.
"Ey mon, wha be dat ting it pull out jus now? Ah neva seen dat befo." Zin'thraze's voice slightly startled him and he couldn't help but jump a little.
"Ah don know mon, but me tinks da leetle human don like dat uddah human non." both trolls looked at one another before there was an angry yowl and a hiss. Vol'rokh watched his pet and how oddly it was reacting to the human before them. It was almost like the large cat wanted to assist the human. It was because of this strange urge that he paid close attention to the little human. While he watched, he thought it strange that there was a human hunter at all. It was said that humans rarely became hunters…something about not being able to maintain their sanity as beast masters.
It was when that thought hit him that he looked very closely at the way the human moved. It had now discarded its axe for something a little more…personal. It was then he saw it…claws. The human hunter was fighting using it's beast within…and was losing its sanity. Panic went through Vol'rokh and he looked at Zin'thraze.
"Dat be a human huntah, Zin. A beace mastah huntah. Dey say human's don train huntah no mo; say dat humans lose dem selves and nevah come back. Dat human's beace widin…it be Loque'nahak…da mate o' Har'koa." Vol'rokh noticed the panic in Zin's eyes and nodded. "We has tah get da gurl tah safteh. She be human, but she be female. Don hurt females. Ya take da gurl to da Undah Belleh in da Mage citeh. I follow when Ah has da uddah huntah unda control." Zin'thraze nodded, understanding what had to be done. When he touched the girl, everything went downhill.
Eyes like blue flame glared at the human in front of her. She knew she was falling into the fury and rage of her inner beast, but she had to protect her sister at all costs. Her sister was all that mattered to her. She attacked the human in front of her, the one responsible for injuring her beloved twin. When she finally swiped him and caught him in the thigh, tearing muscle and rendering him helpless, she gave a fanged smile and moved in for the kill. It was then she smelled the earthy, wild scent of another hunter. Her inner beast hissed at the thought of being subdued.
Without wasting any more time, she lopped off the human's head with her bare hands…hands that had long, lethal claws now. She spun just as the darker skinned of the two creatures reached down to pick up her injured twin sister. A roar of rage erupted from her throat and she charged the two males, intent on protecting her sister. She was cut short when the lighter skinned male jumped straight at her, knocking her smaller, albeit wilder, form to the ground. She heard him yelling in his native tongue and, oddly, she understood him.
"Dah huntah gone mad! Take da gurl tah da Mage citeh, dey heal huh dehr. Ah calm dah huntah down. We mee ya in dah Mage citeh!" Something stirred in her then. These two beings, clearly trolls of the Horde, were protecting her sister…from her? That thought extinguished the flames of her inner beast and her eyes stopped glowing. But, it was too late. The other troll had already taken off with her sister. The only thing she could do was reach up in their direction and scream.
"Surinia!" she let out in a heart shattering wail. The scream seemed to wake her unconscious sister, because golden eyes opened and met the vibrant, ice blue of their twin. When she realized she was not with her sister, she panicked.
"Ariella!" she screamed, clearly frightened. Those wild blue eyes flared with determination as she looked up at the troll on top of her. Without even realizing she was speaking his language, she yelled at him.
"Give me back my sister!" she roared and threw him off her. She noticed his shocked face, but then she had her weapons, her armor hiding her appearance. Without waiting for an explanation, she started swinging her huge, unknown axe at the troll male. It wasn't until the black cat with glowing red eyes put itself between its master and her that she paused.
Recognition flared in those, once again, glowing blue eyes. "Har'koa…" she said quietly, before her eyes rolled up into the back of her head and she slumped to the ground. The troll she'd been fighting arched one flaming red brow and regarded her. He shook his head and sighed. From her current half conscious state, she heard him speak.
"Dis gon be long day fo Vol'rokh." as she slipped into unconsciousness, she couldn't help but wonder why this troll was helping her and why it pleased her that she now knew his name.
Vol knew that the human was out, knew it was harmless while it was unconscious…but after watching the tiny human shoot like the best Amani shadow hunter, heft that inhumanly large axe on and off it's back, and take a human's head off with a mere swipe of its arm, he was a little reluctant to approach it, even unconscious. He edged closer and noticed that, despite being in such a place, whoever was under all that chain mail and leather had more experience than was required for a place like this.
He crouched beside the figure and looked it over a little better. He arched one flame red brow when he noticed that, not only did this human sport nice weapons, but was covered head to toe in the highest quality hunter gear available. Slightly envious, since he lacked two pieces of his own set and still sported less than remarkable weapons, he reached for the human's helmet. Carefully, so as not to wake the human, he pulled off the hunter's helm. Two things struck him at once…this human had long, thick chestnut hair, clearly well taken care of, and the fact this hunter was female.
Vol grunted and pushed the hair away from the girl's face and narrowed his eyes. This girl looked exactly like the other girl. Her words hit him then: 'Give me back my sister!' He nodded sagely and looked down at the tiny helmet in his hand. "Dey be lookin da same. Dat 'splains da madness dis one had when da uddah one hurt. Dey born same time…muddah carry same time. Dah beace pro'tet sista tah pro'tet huhself." seemingly satisfied, he looked around at the carnage. He quickly went to the bodies with his arrows in them and pulled the arrows out. He couldn't afford to leave any trace of himself.
Horde he may not be, but that didn't keep people from hunting him down. When he had gathered all his arrows, he gathered her things together and stuffed it into the bags she had with her. He took the bags from her body and strapped them to Atal'zin, who didn't seem to mind. With all that done, he gently picked up her unconscious body and the two of them, and the big cat, disappeared.
Ariella felt oddly warm. She'd been so cold for so long that the warmth was rather nice. Her cheek was on something hard, yet soft. There was a weight, right below her breasts on her rib cage. She wondered what it was…it was then she remembered that her sister had been taken by a troll to the 'Mage City'. She knew that meant Dalaran, but why had the troll taken her there? She slowly opened her eyes and was met by an odd mixture of colors and patterns. Her hand curled around her 'pillow' and she heard a noise. She looked down and couldn't help the blush that stained her face.
There, under her smooth cheek, was the large, leather covered thigh of the troll that had pinned her earlier. She tried sitting up and found that his hand was the weight on her ribs, just under her breasts. She noticed he was deeply asleep, but his feline was very much awake. It was watching her and when her fingers dug into his thigh in nervousness, she heard a moan come from him. This startled her and she looked up at him. He was starting to blink his eyes sleepily now.
Slight panic welled up inside her as he smiled down at her, his odd tusks making it look slightly frightening. She took the time to look him over. Light blue skin with plenty of scars to show he had experience in warfare. His thick, coarse red hair was standing up like a fan on top of his head and she was pretty sure that, should he head butt someone, it would hurt almost as much as his head. His hair was intermittent with beads, feathers, and brightly colored…other things…things she didn't recognize. Too tired and hungry to think about it, she just looked up at him, slightly curious now that her fear had faded.
Oh, she was still wary of this troll male, but her own kind had been about to rape, beat and kill her and her sister. This male had obviously saved them. For that, she was grateful. Then she remembered being able to understand him and she wondered about that. She looked up at him again and opened her mouth to say something, but he cut her off. "Ya feelin' bettah, leetle huntah?" Ariella was at a loss for words. She still understood him alright…but how? She wet her lips, not missing the fact his eyes followed the path of her tongue with interest. She cleared her throat and tried to speak.
"W-where…" she noticed him smile wider, making it seem like he was baring his teeth, but there was a softness to his eyes that belied any anger.
"We be hidin in dis cave fo now, leetle huntah. Humans wan kill Vol'rokh…dey tink me takes ya tah kill. Dey no' see dah soljas hurtin' huntah and huh sista." She listened to him and tried to piece together what exactly he meant. She knew they were hiding in a cave, she knew that soldiers were obviously looking for any survivors, and she knew that the only people who'd seen the Alliance soldiers attacking them were the trolls. So…why were the human soldiers after the trolls?
"You…you said that the humans want to kill you. Why?" she watched his big, strong shoulders twitch upwards.
"Dey see Vol'rokh wit leetle huntah, runnin. Dey tink Vol'rokh hurt leetle huntah and sista. Dey hunt Vol'rokh tah kill. Wants rev'ge." Ariella screwed her face up at his last word. What the hell was 'rev gee'? She noticed his eyes dancing and then he laughed…a deep, husky sound that built from his stomach and moved up. Ariella found herself smiling despite herself. He seemed to understand her confusion. "Humans tink Vol'rokh attack human soljas jus tah kill. Dey no know soljas attack huntah an sista." it was then that she realized that the human soldiers didn't know what had really happened. She gasped and looked at him.
"They think you kidnapped us. They're hunting you because they don't know you saved us!" she noticed him tilt his head and then hesitantly nod. She sat up quickly and instantly regretted it. Her head still hurt and the cuts and various wounds she'd gotten burned and ached. She felt his hand on her, pushing her back into lying down again.
"Vol'rokh no healah. Leetle huntah rest. We go Mage citeh when leetle huntah bettah." Ariella sighed and remained still, hoping he'd take his hand off her chest. He didn't. Instead, he started tracing the patterns of her armor. She couldn't help the blush that rose to her face when his large hands started tracing the pattern over her breasts. She almost screamed when he spoke to her again. "Leetle huntah don much fo da humans. Dis be highest huntah gear. Ah seen on uddah huntahs…huntahs dat seen dah most fightin." she was speechless…he could tell her experience from her armor? Most people thought it was just low quality garb she'd stitched together herself. She watched as he picked up her bow…one of the few items she'd viciously pulled rank for.
"Dis be da Tori'dal…ah seen dis in drawins. Neva seen real one, mon. Where ya get dis, leetle huntah?" he watched the emotions that played over her face. None of them were promising.
"I was once a high ranking member of a guild founded by my father. He passed the mantle of leadership to a warrior…a man he trusted." Vol noticed disgust and anger fill her eyes. "He was a horrible leader. Many of our members died trying to complete his idiotic raids. Horde towns, outposts…he didn't care about fighting the greater evil…he just wanted to kill horde." sadness seeped into her eyes. "My sister, Surinia, didn't agree with him. She said that instead of losing more members on his 'hair brained dreams of heroic exploit', we should concentrate on the bigger picture. Vallinius didn't take kindly to that…he hit her." she sighed and looked away from him.
"Much like I did with the soldiers today, I snapped. I attacked Vallinius, and defeated him. He was older, more experienced, and better geared than I. His defeat at my hands made it impossible for him to lead. For the alliance, it is unheard of for a hunter to beat a warrior…especially when the hunter is a woman and the warrior is a man." she seemed very bitter about this. Vol'rokh wondered about her.
"I was appointed the new guild master and Vallinius was banished. We started concentrating on the Betrayer's forces and we managed to get all the way to Illidan himself but…" he noticed the pain in her eyes then. He put his large hand on her tiny shoulder and she looked over at him. Had he been the type to openly express his emotions, he may have cried for her. There was such sadness and pain in her eyes, on her face.
"When the time came for us to face the Betrayer, horrible things happened. Suri and I were once the eldest of six children. Two of my brothers followed our father's path…became warriors. Suri did too. My sister, Trinity, followed the way of the paladin, joining the Silver Hand. She joined the guild, along with my younger brothers. Our youngest brother, Mikel, was studying to be a priest, like mother." she laid on her back and stared up at the rocks above her. She could still see her brothers' smiling faces, the pride in Trini's eyes. Tears threatened to spill then.
"We were on our way to face the Betrayer when we were ambushed by the Dragonmaw. Several of our people fell almost immediately. We hadn't been prepared for an all out assault from the Dragonmaw. We sought shelter with the Scryers, but because some of us were allied with the Aldor, they turned us all away." she sat up and put her head on her knees, wrapping her arms around herself. "That day, both my brothers died protecting us. We managed to make it to the temple steps, where a few of the Shatari were. We begged them to help us, and they gave us shelter, driving the Dragonmaw back." Vol noticed her muscles tense and knew something had scarred this woman horribly.
"We were dressing the wounds of the remainder of our party and Trini went to scout out the area…making sure we would be safe. I heard a scream and the next thing I knew, Trinity, she…" he could hear the quiet sobs coming from her and he slid closer to her and put his hand on her. She leaned back against him, still curled tightly in on herself. "By the time we reached her, there was no saving her. A demon had…it had…" she was sobbing now and shaking violently. Unable to think of anything else, Vol pulled her into his arms, murmuring to her. It was an odd sound to be coming from this large, troll male, but also somewhat comforting.
"Vol'rokh know pain of losin' da leetle sista. Me leetle sista, Hai'sang…she be Zin's mate, long time go. Dey happy…have whelps. War break out…dey run, try fine sef place. Dey be hunted by humans. Horde no pro'tet…dey say 'Go way, we fight da humans dat pose us'. Dey fine sista…kill huh. Dey bun huh body…kill da whelps. Zin and Vol neva fine humans dat kill, only fine trail back tah human citeh where Mage woe'man at." he noticed she stopped crying and looked up at him.
He was struck with how beautiful the tiny human was. He'd never in all his years thought of a human as pretty. But this one, with her wild eyes and barely leashed sanity made him realize that he had a thing for humans; or at least this one. 'Dat no good, mon…' he thought to himself as he stared at her. She seemed to see something in his eyes as well, because she blushed and cleared her throat, her eyebrows knitting together.
"You mean Lady Jaina. She's not like the others…she has respect for your Thrall and his forces. She's constantly diverting attempts to assassinate him, saying that doing so would disrupt the balance. So, they don't actively send people after the Orc King, but instead offer rewards to anyone willing to try and kill him." she noticed a scoff twist his face, slight petulance in his eyes.
"Dat woe'man mo crazy dan leetle huntah. Trall kill huh furs chance he git." He heard her make an affronted noise and then she poked him. He looked into those icy blue eyes and couldn't help but wonder what they'd looked like darkened by passion. He shook his head and arched a brow at her.
"First off, I'm not crazy. I just have a hard time controlling my beast within." Vol stifled a laugh when she scowled at him, arms over her chest. She stuck her nose in the air and continued. "And secondly, I was in Theramore when the dragons attacked under Onyxia's orders. When Thrall came to help, he saved her. Had he wanted her dead, he would not have come to her rescue. Nor would he have looked at her like he wanted to throw her over his shoulder and take her back to his city and have his way with her." her face turned even redder as she realized what she'd just said. She noticed the smirk play over his face and felt the heat crawl all the way up her face and down her neck. She was sure she looked as red as his hair.
With a slight cough, she turned away from him. "U-uhm, I-I need to feed m-my pet." she murmured and closed her eyes. Suddenly, the white form of Loque'nahak appeared. However, she did not call him by his given name. "Le'koa…are you hungry boy?" Vol was stunned. Not only had she tamed the large cat, but they had a relationship like he'd never seen between hunter and pet.
"How ya know it be male?" he asked carefully. Spirits didn't generally outwardly display their gender. The girl looked at him with a slight nervousness.
"You mean besides the fact that when we talk, his voice is a male's?" she shrugged and reached down to the large cat, a smile on her face. "He found me. He chose me as his master…not the other way around." she noticed the confused look on the troll's face and giggled lightly. She started to explain, rubbing the large cat down as she did.
"I was in Scholozar Basin, doing a little hunting, when I was attacked by a blood elf warlock. He tried to kill me, but for some reason, he couldn't seem to land any hits on me. I ran, not really wanting to fight him. Fighting against those that are supposed to be fighting the same evil I am just doesn't appeal to me." Vol nodded, understanding her reasoning. When he didn't laugh or speak, she continued.
"The warlock chased me to a cliff. At the time, I hadn't had the money to train Maya in cold weather flying. Her poor wings are so delicate." He noticed her rubbing a black stone, much like the purple one he had in his bag…the one to summon a nether drake. He understood what she meant. Nether drakes didn't fare too well in this cold climate without being taught which currents to glide in to keep their delicate wings from freezing. And that cost a pretty penny. She cleared her throat and put the stone back into her pouch.
"I dodged one of his attacks, but in the process, I fell from the cliff he'd chased me to. I went tumbling into the trees below. I was certain I wouldn't survive. I must have passed out, because I woke up some time later. The sky was dark and there were the noises of night creatures all around me. The most alluring noise was of the creature right by my side." she looked down at the large cat then, love and pride shining in her eyes.
"After the death of my faithful friend, Mikayla, I hadn't taken another pet. I believe hunters have a bond with one animal, and when that animal is taken from you, you have to search to find another animal you can bond with like that. Le'koa was that pet. He found me, lying there unconscious. He must have pitied me, because he stayed with me while I was out, protecting me. When I put my hand on his head, thanking him, he spoke to me. Only Mikayla had ever been able to do that. She was special to me. I knew then that Le'koa was my new companion. I didn't even have to tame him. He just came with me of his own free will. He's free to leave whenever he feels the need." the large cat butt heads with her and she giggled. Vol just knew they were talking. He let out a low chuckle and looked at the little black cub sitting at his feet, staring at the larger cat.
"Atal'zin…he be wan o' Har'koa's whelps. He neva seen he fathah. Dis gift fo Atal'zin." the large white cat seemed to understand, because he swished his tail, his eyes on the smaller cat. Carefully, the smaller cat crept over to the large. Their noses touched and the smaller cat started purring, rubbing up against the larger one. Vol watched with mild interest, until Ariella giggled again and shook her head. Vol arched a brow and she shook her head.
"You're young one isn't a boy. Atal'zin is a girl." Vol'rokh couldn't believe it. He'd been certain he'd picked a boy. However, this explained a lot.
"Mon, dis tell Vol'rokh much. Now ah knows why dat oac huntah's big cat chase Atal'zin. He wans make whelps wit me Atal'zin." the big troll shook his head and laughed, clearly disturbed by this. Ariella giggled and shook her head.
"I believe you may be right." she said lightly and then looked at the young feline. She held out her hand and wiggled her fingers. The young cat put her head in the woman's hand and purred louder as the woman scratched her head. Vol watched with slight amazement. Anyone else that tried to touch the cat, even Zin, was instantly swatted at. A smirk appeared on Vol's masculine face, but was quickly hidden. He realized then what had been making him feel funny since he'd met this girl…he was attracted to her.
Not willing to scare her, he just smiled when she looked over at him. They sat there in companionable silence for a while. That is, until the storm started. The first crack of lightning, followed by the rolling boom of thunder sent her seeking his comfort. Vol'rokh had honestly never seen a human move so fast in his life. One minute she was halfway across the cave from him, and the next she was in his lap, clinging to him.
He could feel her shaking and he wondered what had caused it. When a second flash and roll followed the first, he had his answer. She yelped and buried her face against his chest, uncaring that he was male and not human. In her mind, she was afraid, and he was the closest thing she had to safety. He stared down at her as she rubbed her face against his chest. Since she'd woken up, he'd shed his protective mail and leather armor and kept his simple, soft cloth and leather clothing that was under it.
He could feel the exhaustion radiating from her. She'd gone into a state of berserker and then cried herself dry. He was amazed she was still awake. No sooner had that thought crossed his mind than he felt her exhale against him as she sank into slumber. He looked down at her, curled up in his lap, pressed tightly against his chest, and he felt a sense of peace wash over him. He adjusted her so that she would be more comfortable and then settled himself down to sleep. As he was drifting, he couldn't help but wonder how it was they could understand one another.
Noise caught his attention and he slowly opened one eye half way. Both cats were extremely quiet, curled up together on the other side of the fire. However, both were alert to the noise. He heard whispering and narrowed his eyes as he understood broken pieces of common.
"I'm telling you, Drake, I saw it! It was one of those rare cats from Scholozar! I've heard the pelt fetches a pretty penny back home." came a rather young voice. It had a whiney quality to it. Vol looked over at the human hunter's pet-he reprimanded himself and told himself her name was Ariella-and noticed the cat's ears were perking. So what the boy said was true. 'Le'koa', as Ariella called him, had been out prowling. It was very likely they would have fresh kills in the cave with them when light came.
"Scruff, shut up. We don't know what's in this cave. For all we know, there could be a tauren or orc in here. Or worse, one of those strange male blood elves." Vol sensed the older male shiver and wondered. The soft laughter of the young male was foreboding.
"Oh, come on Drake. Just because that one blood elf rogue fondled you and then left doesn't mean you have to be all uptight. Besides, he didn't kill you when he was done. Only thing he damaged was your pride." there was the sound of metal clinking on metal and then the younger male whined again. "Ow! That hurt Drake!" the older male was muttering under his breath.
Vol didn't know what to do. If they came in any further, they were sure to find the little camp he and Ariella were using. He shifted Ariella so that he could sit her down without waking her up, but that shift caused her to moan in her sleep. He realized too late that her pelvis had just ground against his. Silence met him and he could sense the weapons drawn. The small whisper didn't make him too happy either.
"W-was that…a woman?" there was a giddiness to the younger male's tone and it made Vol growl low in his throat. This, also, was heard by the intruders.
"I think we stumbled onto someone's camp site. Maybe we should just-" a cry of triumph cut him off.
"SEE! I told you Drake! It's a rare cat from Scholozar!" Vol growled low again and crouched over Ariella, who decided at that moment to wrap her arms around his waist.
"Shri, shaddup…too early…kill murlocs." she grumbled and buried her face against Vol's stomach. She was deeper asleep than Vol thought. He couldn't help the smile that appeared on his face.
"Scruff, I think we are intruding on someone's camp. We should leave before they wake up more." the younger male screeched in protest, saying they'd finally found the cat and he wasn't leaving without its hide. As soon as that left his lips, Ariella was instantly awake, her icy eyes glowing dangerously.
"You dare to come after my pet and threaten to skin him?" she growled menacingly. Both intruders were caught off guard. Light suddenly flared when she raked her claws against the side of the cave and the sparks hit the remainder of last night's coals. Before them stood a half dressed male troll with a bright red mohawk, his red eyes looking nervously at the female. Both males noticed her next.
She was in nothing but a thin sleeping shirt and a pair of thin leather pants. Her armor seemed to be scattered around where she'd been sleeping…with the troll. The boy name Scruff pointed this out. "Hey! She's human! Why is she sleeping with a troll?" Vol openly blushed at the accusation, though it was practically true. She, however, didn't even flinch.
"Answer me, boy. Why have you invaded my camp and threatened my pet? I will not allow you to harm Le'Koa. I will kill you if you try." It was only after she held up her hands that the older male noticed she had lethal, and slightly bloody, claws. His eyes widened.
"It was you! You're the one that took out Mathias's contingent! I'd never forget claw marks like that!" this seemed to frighten the youth, because he hid behind the older male. Ariella glared at both and snorted.
"Had that bastard not struck my sister, he would still be living. No one hurts my sister and lives." She tossed her head and glared at them more. "Tell me, paladin, is it customary for human males to rape, beat and murder their own kind? Did my sister deserve to be knocked unconscious by your 'Mathias' because she told him that she was not interested in him? Is respect limited only to men? Is it condoned by his majesty for his army to rape and murder women in passing, as if they were not even people?" she noticed the boy gaping, his face pale and his green eyes horrified. The older male pulled the younger to him, shielding him.
"I know not of what you speak, woman, but I will not allow you to hurt the boy. He is young and new to the ways of the paladin. As my wife's younger brother, I will protect him to my last breath." this sent something through the woman and tears formed in eyes that were suddenly startling blue and very much human.
"M-Mikel…" she whispered and then dropped to her knees. She cried, and the sadness radiated from her, encompassing the newcomers and Vol. Vol went to her side and whispered to her, stroking his oddly shaped hands through her hair. The youth seemed to feel sorry for her, because he slowly crept over to her and, hesitantly, poked her. Vol growled at him, thinking perhaps the boy was trying to prolong her pain. He pulled the young woman against him and glared at them, obviously wanting to protect her.
This confused both paladins. The boy, Scruff, turned and looked at the man, Drake, and pointed at the two. "Why would a troll protect a human? I thought Horde hated all Alliance." Vol snorted and gave them a dry look. He shocked both of them by speaking.
"Vol'rokh no Horde. Horde no pro'tet muh sista, ah no pro'tet Horde. Ah pro'tet woe'man. Woe'man huntah, like Vol'rokh. Females only oneses ah pro'tet. Ah don care dey human o' uddahwise. Females is females. Dat man ya say…he hut leetle huntah's sista…make huh mad…beace too strong, he take ovah." Vol then looked at the large white cat that was creeping over to his mistress, his eyes bright and his tail bristled. The cat was growling low in his throat and let out a hiss when all the males looked at him suddenly.
The youth didn't dart back to the older paladin, like Vol thought he would. Instead, he shook Ariella's shoulder. "You said something…just now. It was a name…I recognized it…" Ariella's crys faltered and she looked up at the youth that reminded her so much of her youngest brother. She reached out and cupped his cheek.
"Mikel…you look exactly like Mikel…" was all she said before the tears started again. The youth looked over at the older Paladin, who had narrowed eyes.
"How do you know that name?" the older of the two newcomers looked rather skeptical. Ari turned to the older male and blanched as he walked into the fire light completely. She almost climbed up and over Vol as she stared in utter shock.
"Y-you're d-dead! I w-watched them bury y-your ashes in the orchard back home!" tears were streaming down her face and she was shaking. "H-he said you d-died in his arms…he…he went m-mad after the hunting party killed you. The k-king put him in prison b-because he started attacking people in Theramore…he watched you die!" she wailed and turned away from the older looking male. Vol looked at the older of the two paladins and noticed he had strands of chestnut hair framing his face and there, in his round face, were the eyes of his little hunter. The same ice blue eyes that must have been prevalent in their family.
The older paladin looked shocked and took a step back. He composed himself, cleared his throat, and spoke. "Mikel was my name when I was found in the marshes of Theramore, aimlessly wandering. It was the only memory I had. A traveler by the name of Magnus picked me up and raised me. I believe I was perhaps sixteen or seventeen at that time." confusion was written all over the man's face and Ariella let out a sob.
"Your name is Mikel Valourous Delanysus. You were born June 15. You were fifteen when a raiding party from the north came down and attacked the settlement right outside of Theramore. You were there training with father, Lord Ares Valourous Delanysus. You had three older sisters and two older brothers." she said as she stared at him, a slight piece of hope nestled there. The older paladin scrunched up his face and put his hand on his sword.
"How do you now all of this? I don't recognize you." tears streamed down her face and Scruff was the one that punched him in the arm.
"You really are dense Drake. Can't you see it!" the older paladin looked at the girl as she got to her feet and stumbled to him. He stiffened, but did nothing further. She reached out and touched him and smiled, her tears coming faster. And then she caught him up in a bone crushing hug.
"It really is you…you've come back to us from the grave. I can't believe it. My little dragon hawk has come back to me." She cried and held him tight. Those words seem to hit him, because he stiffened and pulled away from her.
"I remember someone that always called me her little dragon hawk. Are…are you my mother?" he asked, not quite sure about this situation. The girl laughed and shook her head. She cupped both his cheeks in her hands, and smiled.
"I am Ariella Nicollette Delanysus…your eldest sister." she noticed the glazed look in his eyes and smiled, leaning her forehead against his as his body unconsciously reacted, seemingly knowing what to do. He gasped and stared at her.
"A-ari? I thought you were dead. Everyone in Theramore said that the entire party sent by the guild was wiped out. Vallinius returned to father with Trini's shield, Morvin's helm and Gerold's sword. He said he'd been unable to retrieve anything from the two of you because you were still inside the black temple…he brought things from several of the extended family too…" the young man looked at his hands, as if just remembering who he was. "I…I can't believe I didn't remember anything…how could I forget?" Ariella smiled and reached up to kiss his cheek.
"It's alright Mikel…dying, or in your case near death experiences, shake a person. You were probably in shock and too frightened with what was happening to realize what was going on." she hugged him again and chuckled lightly when he tried to dry her tears.
He looked down at her, brotherly love all over his face. He then remembered the troll that was there. He looked up at the troll, who had pain in his eyes. Mikel wondered about that. He looked down at his sister, who had seen the look as well. She looked up at him, sadness for her new friend there. "He lost his younger sister to human vigilantes. She and her children were horribly murdered and the Horde would not protect them. The ones that killed his family are the ones responsible for bringing the raiding parties that attacked you and father." Mikel's eyes widened and he looked at the troll, who was now looking away from them. He was gathering his armor together and preparing to cook the morning meal.
Mikel kissed his sister on the top of her head and walked over to the troll, who just looked up at him. "I am sorry for your loss, Vol'r-rock?" the troll smiled half heartedly and waved him on. It was obvious he was trying. "Thank you for saving my sister. In return, I offer you my friendship." he held out his hand, waiting for the troll to make some kind of gesture.
Vol stared at the hand, then at his little hunter, who nodded. He smiled and grabbed the human male on the arm, right under his armpit. He clasped the human's hand around his bicep and shook. "We be bruddahs now. Ya sista be unda muh pro'tetion…now ya and ya famly undah same. Vol'rokh and Zin'thraze…we has many allies. We take Ori an' Shuree ta mage citeh…dey be safe dehr and get da healin' from da doktah." He noticed Mikel's eyes light up and he looked back over at Ariella.
"Suri's here too? Where is she?" Ariella's eyes darkened as she looked at her brother, who had just recovered years worth of memories. She looked at Vol, who shrugged and spoke to her in a language only they seemed to be able to speak. She then looked over at Mikel.
"I wasn't joking when I said those things before. It wasn't just my inner beast. What I said was true…those men attacked us and were going to rape, beat and kill us…not in the particular order either. Had it not been for Vol'rokh and his brother, we would be dead. Zin'thraze took Suri because they thought I'd hurt her in my madness. He's heading back to Dalaran with her. She's safe with him. He'd never hurt a woman…not after losing his wife and children." she hurriedly reassured him. She could see the shock in both her brother and the young paladin with her brother.
Her eyes caught something about his helmet and she gasped and looked back at her brother. "You never told me he was a bloodelf!" the boy gave her an annoyed look and pointed at her, his hand on his hip.
"I'm not a bloodelf. I'm only part. My mother is bloodelf and my father is human! That makes me and Kisaria only half." he said and looked over at Mikel, who was chuckling. He shook his head and looked at his sister.
"Magnus was a neutral salesman, even if he was human. When he met Bellandary, it was love at first sight. She did not believe in what the Horde were fighting for, so she fled Silvermoon with Magnus. They moved far away from there, had Kisaria and Yondolius-" he was interrupted by the boy, who glared.
"It's Scruff. I hate that name. It sounds like some perverted sexual act…" that made them all laugh, and then Mikel continued.
"They had kids and were left alone…until he found me. He was traveling back to Theramore from Tanaris when he found me. He took me to his home, where I met and fell in love with Kisaria." Scruff made some kissing noises and lovey eyes at the older paladin, who growled good naturedly and shook his head. "When I was eighteen, I asked Magnus if I could marry her. He agreed, but before the wedding was to take place, our home was invaded by blood knights. They were going to kill all of us, but I managed to escape and draw on the power of the light to frighten them away." He looked down at himself and smirked.
"After that, Magnus picked up the entire family and we moved to Northrend. We have a small home, along the shoreline where no one goes. There, Bell does her sewing, and Magnus continues to be a neutral tradesman, welcome everywhere. I got trained by a retired paladin, and now I teach Scruff. Kisaria goes to Dalaran twice a month to get supplies and sell our wares. No one knows that she's half human." Ari noticed the smiles on her brother and Scruff's faces and couldn't help but chuckle. She shook her head and put her hand on her cat's head. It was still ready to protect her.
"After daddy was put in prison, we disappeared. We figured that since we didn't believe in the Alliance anymore, we shouldn't drag mother into it. She retired from the priesthood, but they won't take their claws out of her. She can't travel to look for us, because she's afraid if she does, they'll execute daddy." her eyes were sad as she looked up at her brother.
"He took Morvin and Gerold's deaths hard…Trini's even harder…but when you died in his arms, and he couldn't save you…" she shook her head and walked over to him, cupping his cheek. Her eyes softened for a second before they hardened to icy steel. Mikel gasped, shocked at the change in her.
"Mikel, I need you to take this and go to Dalaran. Find Suri in the Under Belly. I want you to meet us on the island where the Kalu'ak live right off the coast of Howling Fjord." she took off her necklace, a genuine dragon's talon…azure dragon, if they all weren't mistaken…and handed it to him. "That's from a rare drake that flies over Stormpeak. Suri will recognize it instantly, if she doesn't recognize you first. Tell her that Ari's little dragon hawk has come to roost." she then started rummaging for things and even toppled Vol'rokh when she found him standing on her mail pants.
Mikel watched his sister with a returning sense of familiarity. He smiled and chuckled, looking at the troll that seemed to be his sister's current traveling companion. "Good luck, Vol'rock…you're going to need it with her." he pointed to his sister and then yelped when she knocked him on the back of his head.
"Get gone, dragon hawk, or I'll turn you into roast." she growled affectionately. He chuckled again, rubbing the back of his head. Both Mikel and Scruff left the cave, setting out on their new assignment. This left Vol and Ari all alone. Vol was wondering what she was in such a hurry for now, when she hadn't been earlier.
"Wat ya doin, mon? Why da hurreh?" she looked at him over her shoulder as she wiggled into her tight mail pants. Vol couldn't help but watch the spectacle and drool. She snorted, but said nothing about his blatant staring.
"You're going to teach me to control my beast. I can't rescue my mother and father if I can't control it." Vol's eyes widened and he stared at her. She was going to break her father out of jail and practically kidnap her mother from the cathedral…all by herself?
"Ya can' be doin dat, leetle huntah. All dis geyah…mean noting ta da human armehs in dat citeh." She gave him a smoldering look and he threw up his hands. He couldn't say too much…if it were him, he'd try the same.
"Okey…Vol'rokh teech leetle Ori tah tame da beace." he held up his hand, his face suddenly very serious. "Bu' no' gonna be easeh…and Vol wan sumting back." she looked at him, knowing he meant compensation. From the look on his face, she wasn't so sure what he meant. However she knew males, human or not, were easily manipulated. It didn't hurt that he was obviously attracted to her, so she used what she had…her body.
She smiled up at him, the smile of a woman about to get what she wants. She walked over to him, her chest guard half on, half off. She saw how his eyes were drawn to her body and she felt a slight tingle…almost like she enjoyed his attention. Her mail pants were still open, showing the crotch of her soft leather pants beneath. Her hair was in wild disarray and she watched him swallow hard before looking her in the eyes again.
"You teach me to control my inner beast…and I'll give you something of your choice in return." she said quietly, looking first into his eyes, and then down his chest, all the way down. She arched a brow and looked him in the eyes again, but then walked away. Vol didn't understand until he looked down and found he'd developed something he'd hoped to hide from her. He groaned and shook his head, gathering his things. It was going to be a long day.
Ari was panting as she looked over at her feline companion. The cat seemed disgruntled, but otherwise alright. She turned her eyes from her cat to the sky, staring up at it as she fought for breath while lying on her back. When Vol had told her it wouldn't be easy, he hadn't been joking. They'd set out right after eating and he'd been teaching her while they traveled, sometimes electing to do quests for the neutral factions that allowed them both to speak with them in order to attain errands.
She rolled over to her side and stared at the troll that had taken to teaching her on their journey. He was crouching beside his own pet, patting it on the head and praising it. She smiled lightly as she watched him, admiring his devotion to his pet, his skills as a hunter and, surprisingly, she found herself admiring him on a physical level. Unlike humans, who stood tall and tried to look bigger than they were, trolls were perpetually hunched over. She wondered about that. Why did they hunch over? Was it painful? How tall was he when he stood all the way up? How was his hair staying up?
All these questions darted through her mind, causing her to giggle. This, in turn, drew Vol's attention to her. She blushed and rolled over onto her other side so that he couldn't see her face. However, she heard his deep chuckle and that was more than enough. When she had her blush under control, she rolled back over, only to find him much closer than he'd been before. He was now lying on his side, about a foot from her. He had his head in his hand and was watching her.
"Ya be feelin' okey, leetle huntah?" he asked in a low, soft voice. She'd only ever heard night elves sound that sexy, and even then, she hadn't been this affected. She blushed again and swallowed before looking him straight in the eyes.
"What would you like, Vol'rokh, in exchange for teaching me to control my inner beast?" she asked in a low, husky voice. She was tired from their training, so she hoped it would be something she didn't have to get up for. She could see from the look in his eyes he was contemplating, but she didn't really pay attention to that. She reached out and started picking grass clippings off his shirt, her fingers occasionally brushing his chest. They'd long ago shed their heavy mail and leather armor in favor of light, flexible clothing.
She noticed his red eyes dilated slightly before narrowing on her. He reached out and spanned her small waist with his large hand, pulling her to him. She gasped at the sudden, rather bold move. He leaned down and whispered to her. "Dehr be many tings Vol'rokh be wantin leetle huntah. But Vol need leetle huntah ta teech him 'ow ta speek common bettuh." he noticed the intense blush on her face she tried to hide by clearing her throat and looking away.
"Alright…I'll teach you how to speak common. But I also want you to answer me one question first." she noticed the arch of his brow and the tilt of his head. She continued, taking this as his yes. "How, if you even know, are we able to speak as we are now?" Vol's eyes widened…he'd been wondering the same thing. It was a general rule that neither faction had this good of an understanding of any of the other's main languages. And yet, here they were, talking as if they were speaking the same native language. Vol shrugged and ran his large, rough hand up her arm, feeling her smooth skin beneath his fingers. He noticed her blush return full force.
"Ah no shur, leetle Ori. Vol wundah same ting, but Vol no ask…jus tankful fo da undastandin." Ari nodded and gulped as his hand continually caressed her arm. She gave a light shiver and noticed the smirk that appeared on his face as he lightly ran his fingers back down her arm. She sat up quickly and scooted a few inches from him, unsure of what she felt.
"Maybe we should get back to work…" she muttered lowly under her breath. She noticed the laughter that sparked in his eyes and she rolled her own, rolling over onto her stomach to try and ignore him. She closed her eyes and sighed in exhaustion.
When he spoke, she could hear the thickness in his voice and it made her freeze. "Leetle Ori tiuhd…no good tah weah yaself owt. Vol know jus da ting tah help leetle Ori feel bettah." his voice was smooth, relaxing. She heard him shift closer and opened one eye, coming face to face with what appeared to be his crotch. She would have bolted upright, had it not been for the large, unusual shaped hands that started kneading the muscles in her back. She gasped and then groaned, her tired muscles giving way under his skilled hands. She sighed and closed her eyes again, relaxing and allowing him to spoil her just a little.
They were on the road again, this time traveling close to the sea. It wasn't safe to stop anywhere in Howling Fjord. They would have to camp, hunt their food, and hope they made Kamagua before their supplies ran out. Ari, herself, was exalted with the gentle, walrus-like race, though she didn't know about her traveling companion. He seemed eager to get there, however, so she decided to ask. "Vol, why are you so excited to get to Kamagua? Do you still have errands to run for them for gold?" she noticed him arch his brow and he chuckled low in his throat.
"No, leetle Ori. Vol been zalt'd wit da Kalu long time. Vol jus miss da fesh. Ah has uh test fo fesh." Ari stared for a second before she burst into laughter and shook her head. She smiled at him and his giddiness. However, it didn't last long as clouds passed over their heads. Vol's red eyes narrowed and he growled, pulling Ari under a stand of trees with him. They watched, from the safety of the dense forest, as a dragon touched down not far from where they'd been.
A rider jumped off and looked around for them. The rider dismissed its mount, which flew up into the air to find somewhere to roost until it was summoned once more. Vol was pulling out his bow and knocking an arrow when he heard the rider shout something in orcish.
"I know you're still here! Come out now and I won't force you out of hiding!" Vol looked over at Ari, who looked slightly afraid of the large orc.
He hissed and threw his heavy cloak over her, disguising her scent with his own. He handed her the whistle of his spare raptor mount and reached into a pouch at his side, smearing black stuff on his fingers and then on her face. He put one white line down the center of her nose and then handed her something oddly shaped. To her surprise, it was some kind of mouth piece. He took it from her and put it in her mouth. She closed her mouth and gasped as she felt small tusks protruding from her mouth. She looked up at him and he smirked.
"Jus don look up and we be fine. If yah feel treatened, use da hand sig'nals I tawt ya and call fo ya pet. Call da rapta I hand ya and we go see who dat be." as she pulled her hands up to use the whistle, her chest became exposed and he noticed her skin was pale. He hissed and reached into his pouch for more paint. He smeared it on her chest and drew a symbol in it. What it was she had no idea. He also handed her a spare set of gloves, far too small to be his own.
"I fine deese on won da trollses I keel fo moneh. Weah dem tah fool dat oac." she did as she was told and was thankful that the stirrups of the newly arrived raptor hid her feet. She allowed him to help her mount and, as a side thought, stuffed her rather large knapsack under her loose fitting cotton blouse. It looked like she was about to pop. He arched a brow at her and she just glared at him to be quiet. He chuckled lightly and led her raptor towards the orc.
"Shaddup ya loud oac. 'Lliance been auhl ova da place letly and heah u be hollin like a bahnshee." he growled in orcish. The orc turned on him, weapons ready. What he saw was a male troll leading the raptor of a female that clutched her extended stomach when he whirled around. He immediately put the weapons away and gave a slight bow of apology.
"Sorry for the rude welcome. I thought you were alliance. Like you said, friend, there be many of them this way lately." Vol narrowed his eyes on the orc, who was staring blatantly at the way Ari was caressing her 'stomach'.
"Ah see. Now dat ya know we no be 'Lliance, we be on oah way. Muh mate be whelpin soon…she be needin a doktah." the orc smiled kindly at them and nodded. Suddenly, there was a grunt and Ari started to lean heavily to the front. When the concerned orc moved closer, he and Vol noticed the arrow sticking out of her shoulder. The orc hissed and looked at Vol wildly.
"Get your mate out of here. I'll hold them off long as I can." Vol was surprised at the behavior of this orc. He'd never seen someone of the Horde willing to help him so readily. With a nod, however, he turned and whistled. His large black raptor ran swiftly to his side, his pet and Ari's following stealthily. All their things were hanging from the black raptor's neck as he ran for cover as the orc charged the enemies at their backs.
They made a stand of trees and Vol worked quickly. He hissed and broke the arrow off before yanking her knapsack out of her shirt and searching through it. He sighed in relief as he found what he was looking for. He gently inserted it into the wound and cleanly pulled the arrow from her shoulder. She hissed in pain, but her eyes were clenched shut and she was biting her lip.
He leaned down and kissed her forehead, assuring her things would be fine. He quickly bandaged her, wrapped her in his cloak, and put her on his black raptor. He put all their supplies on the smaller raptor and then mounted his large black war raptor. He'd traded for the larger mount with a neutral salesman who'd happened to come across it. Surprisingly all the goblin had wanted was a few bottles of mojo from some trolls that were, he had to admit, rather hard to kill.
He spurred his large raptor and it took off, carrying them far away from the orc and even further away from the enemies that had shot Ariella. With angry eyes, he looked down at his cat and gave it an order. He stopped in a stand of trees a good mile and a half from where she'd been shot. The cat snuck back to the scene and found the orc kneeling and several humans around him, their swords drawn.
Vol caught parts of their taunting and, surprisingly, understood it. "You would sacrifice yourself for a troll and its worthless mate?" the man taunted. Vol memorized his face, noted the arrows in his quiver and the bow that was in his hand. Red eyes narrowing as he watched through his pet's eyes, he slowly made his way towards them. He heard more taunting. "No matter. It will only be a matter of time before we find them and kill them. Your efforts will have been in vain." Vol noticed the orc curse and wondered if he understood what was being said. The orc then smirked and pushed up to his feet.
"Just like a human male to think more highly of himself than he should. If you haven't noticed, captain, you and your men are surrounded. You should have killed me when you had the chance." Vol was surprised to hear the orc speak flawless common. The orc suddenly jumped up onto a roaring dragon and flew up into the sky slightly. The orc laughed and yelled down to them. "My father may have been an orc, but my mother was human. See how well that fits into your idyllic society!" the captain bared his teeth and drew back his bow, about to shoot the orc. That was when Vol struck.
He used his pet to viciously mangle the man that had shot Ari. The attack had been a surprise to both the humans and the orc sitting on his dragon. However, he smiled and sent a salute, via the cat. He then flew away, leaving the orcs that had surrounded the group to take care of them. Vol called his cat back only when he was sure the human that had shot Ariella was dead. His cat quickly disappeared and made her way back to him. He patted her on the head and gave her a treat for doing a good job. He noticed Ari groan in pain and he pulled her closer to him, wrapping her in his thick hooded cloak more tightly. He spurred his raptor again and they set out on a nonstop trip to Kamagua.
Ari cuddled into her soft pillow and grumbled as the sunlight shown in her face. She squinted an eye and glared out the makeshift window at the sun. Feeling a sudden draft, she tried to pull the covers further up over her, but she hissed as her arm throbbed. She closed her eyes and took deep breaths and the pain finally subsided. She felt heat radiating from an unknown source behind her, so she snuggled into that.
She had just barely gotten back to sleep when the warmth behind her shifted and the pillow under her head flexed. She didn't understand until she felt a hand caress her stomach…an oddly shaped hand at that. She blushed and closed her eyes, not wanting to look behind her. However, when the warmth produced another hand and started pulling down the covers, her eyes snapped open and met concerned red ones. She blushed even more at his close proximity. He smirked, his tusks giving him a devious look.
"Leetle Ori no wayk up fo meny dez…Vol worry huh no wayk up eva." His voice was soft, raspy…showing he had, indeed, just woken up. As if the hardness poking into her behind wasn't evidence enough. He smiled gently at her and cuddled back up against her. He did, however, see to her bandages first. Her exhaustion overrode her embarrassment and she fell asleep again, cradled in Vol'rokh's arms.
Two days after she'd first awoke in Vol's arms, she woke to find herself alone in bed. She rolled over, seeking his warmth, only to find him missing. She groaned and pulled the covers over her head, trying to get warm. Commotion outside had her looking up and out the window for the first time since she'd arrived. She could see very little, thanks to the skin hanging over the makeshift window. However, she did manage to make out large, booted feet…that were heading her way.
She curled up under her covers, hoping the owner of those feet would go away…sooner rather than later. She heard the Tuskarr speak to the being, telling him that if he caused trouble, there would be consequences. The laugh he gave made her blood run cold. It was an undead…and a large one at that. She didn't understand the language they were speaking, but she had a feeling it wasn't good. She heard a pounding on her temporary haven and whimpered, hiding under the covers.
There was a shout and then she recognized Vol'rokh's voice, talking very angrily and hastily. She also recognized the voice of the orc from yesterday. Vol was obviously chewing them out for whatever they had been about to do. The orc tried to reason with him, apparently, but Vol said something that sounded rather final. The orc said something in a low, reverent voice and obviously called the undead away from the hut, because the undead was saying something that sounded rather nasty.
She heard the door open and peeked up to see Vol entering, something bundled up in his arms. He quickly handed it to her and gave her a concerned look. "Ah don know how tah help it, leetle Ori. Ah find in da snow on da main land-" he was cut off by a pitiful cry, which came from the bundle. Ariella quickly unraveled the bundle and gasped as she saw an infant, no more than a few months old.
Its tiny face was tinted blue, from the cold or natural skin color she didn't know. She did know if she didn't feed it soon, it would die. So, she did the one thing she could think of…she pulled her blouse up and offered it her breast. The baby latched on, making her blush and yelp at the same time. The vigorous sucking, which she was sure would produce nothing, seemed to calm the baby down somewhat.
With a blatant blush on her face, she looked up at Vol, who was staring at where the blue tinted child was latched on to her breast. She kicked at him, dragging his attention away from the suckling babe to her face. She glared at him. "Go to the local trader and see if he has any type of milk safe for a baby." she hissed at him. He nodded absent mindedly and tried to walk out the door, only to walk into the frame. He grunted and rubbed his sore head before closing the door and doing as he was told.
Ariella stared down at the suckling babe. It made a few noises, its tiny hands kneading her breast, trying to feed. Ariella shook her head, sad that she couldn't feed the child as it wished. She laid back against the headboard and fell asleep once more.
She opened her eyes as she heard yelling. She recognized Vol's voice, and the other seemed somewhat familiar, but her brain was too muddled to recall where she'd heard it. She looked around and found a note on the table beside her…well…kind of a note. It was a drawing of milk, an equal sign, and two letters…NO. She sighed and looked down at the child, which was now sleeping, curled up against her. Her nipple was still in its mouth and, every once in a while, it would suck on it.
Her breasts seemed extremely sensitive at that moment and she carefully removed the child from her breast and pulled her shirt back down. She winced at the sensitivity. She had just sat in a chair with the child when the door to her hut was thrown open and malevolent eyes stared at her. The undead from earlier stomped up to her and grabbed the baby from her arms, nearly crushing it.
On instinct, she screamed and attacked the undead, wresting the screaming child from his hands. She clutched the child to her and stared, wide eyed, for any way to escape. The undead smiled cruelly at her but she growled menacingly at it. Suddenly, her eyes glowed ghostly blue, almost white. Her canines extended dangerously long and her nails became claws.
She hissed at him and growled; a rather feral sound. She clutched the child to her and hunched over, making sure the undead couldn't harm the baby. With a roar of anger and hatred, she charged the large undead male, startling him, and sent him flying out of the hut. When she stalked out, even the Kalu'ak stepped away from her. Her fangs were bared, her hand was flexing and her eyes were fixed on the undead that had threatened her cub's life.
In a growling, grating voice, she hissed at him. "Bastard… hurt cub… kill…" she hissed and let out a roar. Her companion, Le'koa, and Vol's companion, Atal'zin, materialized by her side. Glowing blue and red eyes stared along with the glowing white at the undead. He drew his sword, a maniacal smile on his face. He said something in the rough language the undead used and Ari's eyes narrowed on him. Regardless of what he said, he'd put his hands on her cub…he would die now.
Vol had taken a short walk with the orc from earlier. His name was Bakkura, and he had lost his wife and children to humans, just like Vol had lost his sister and her kids. He'd hated humans, but he'd learned that not all humans were the same. He did, however, hold a specific hatred for Alliance soldiers. Vol hadn't managed to find out what that stemmed from, but it obviously wasn't from losing his wife and children.
They were on their way back from their walk when a roar split the air. Vol's head snapped up and he looked towards the village where he'd left Ari. He looked over at Bakkura, who also looked startled and worried. Both took off back to the village, Vol praying this had nothing to do with his 'Ori'. However, when they got there, the sight that met them was shocking. Ariella was clutching a screaming child to her chest and one of her arms, the one she'd been shot in, hung limply by her side. She was panting and her eyes were glowing maniacally. Le'koa and Atal'zin were at her side, making sure that her enemy didn't attack her while she was down.
Across from her, the undead that had come in with Bakkura was smiling evilly at the two. When he spoke, both Bakkura and Vol'rokh understood. "Thought you and your hellspawn could hide from me, fleshling? I smelled you as soon as we entered this village. But for Bakkura ordering me to stand down, I would have ended your pitiful life then. However, your troll and Bakkura are no longer here to save you. I will tear you limb from limb and watch the light fade from your eyes." Vol stiffened as he saw her eyes flicker.
She carefully leaned down and handed the screaming child to Le'koa, who took it and ran into the hut, Atal'zin right behind him. The undead smiled at this. "You only delay the inevitable. Once I tear out your heart, your babe will follow you." a growl met this. Before Vol or Bakkura could say anything, Ariella charged the undead, with much more speed and ferocity than when she'd held the baby.
She swiped at the undead's decaying face, taking the lower half of his jaw off. He hissed and swung his sword, but she managed to dodge him, slide around to his back, and take a chunk out of his shoulder. She hissed and jumped over his head so that she was once again between the hut where the baby was and the undead warrior. Surprisingly enough, when Ari spoke this time, Vol, Bakkura and the undead understood her.
"Don't think for one second I will allow you near my cub. You have already laid your bloodstained hands on him once…I will rip your heart out for that." she launched another attack at the undead, driving him further and further back; away from the hut that contained the child she protected so fiercely. Bakkura watched as one of his strongest guild mates was driven back by a slip of a female. He leaned over and whispered to Vol.
"What in the name of Thrall is that thing?" Vol stared at her as she viciously defended the babe he'd brought her nigh four hours ago. Her maternal instincts seemed to have been triggered somehow, and there was no way she'd lose. She'd fight until there was nothing left of her. He heard his new friend, but absently answered him.
"Dat be muh mate, mon." he noticed, absently, that Bakkura stared at him, then at the female that took another chunk out of the growling undead warrior. He arched a brow and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Well I'll be a gnome's uncle…I thought there was something off about that little mate of yours." this caught Vol's attention and he growled menacingly.
"She no be wit de 'Lliance…she don like dem any mo dan I do. Ah seved huh from souljahs dat weuh gon'ta rape huh. She be muh mate, and I keel any won dat tries huht huh." He noticed the look that passed over Bakkura's face, but whatever the orc was about to say was cut off by a scream of intense agony. They both looked up to see Ariella with her fist buried in the chest of the undead. The warrior's yellow eyes glowed with surprise as he stared at her and then down at his chest. She withdrew her hand and jumped back away from him. She threw her head back and roared in triumph as the undead warrior fell to his knees before he fell on his face, dead.
Bakkura sighed and shook his head. "I was wondering when someone was going to teach Mawrius that he can't just do whatever he wants and get away with it." he shook his head and approached the undead, only to hear a growl directed at him. He looked at the female and he gasped. She was human, yet…not. He could see the power of something behind her eyes…something feral and dangerous. His senses tingled and his magic called out to her. He extended one hand to her and she sniffed it. She reached one clawed hand up to him and instantly his magic flared.
She once more stood before him, only now her claws were gone and her eyes were that startling blue…but she had slight fangs hanging over her bottom lip. Her eyes never left the undead as she released his hand and cocked her head. Bakkura could hear it too…the child was still screaming. She rushed inside and came back out, tears in her eyes. She looked at him with what could only be a mother's desperation.
"P-please…heal him…I beg you." Bakkura looked down at the small child that had a gash in his head and several broken bones. He looked up at the female and looked deep into her eyes. Whatever he saw there, he must have approved, because he reached out and easily healed the child. The child continued to cry, but that was more because he was scared than harmed now. He noticed the tears fall down her face and she cuddled the babe close to her, cooing to it.
Without another thought, she pulled up her cotton blouse and started nursing the child. She purred at the child, telling it how much she loved it. Bakkura just stared, a slight blush on his face as he witnessed something he had not seen since his own wife had nursed his children. Something inside him softened towards this human woman. She had not cared that she was injured nor that he was there. All that had mattered to her was her child. Bakkura looked up at Vol, who couldn't take his eyes off the little human nursing the tiny child.
Ariella could feel the small child feeding at her breast and was surprised to find that she was actually producing milk now. Perhaps the trigger of her maternal instincts had caused this…perhaps her transformation had. Whatever it was, she was glad for it, because the child would have the nourishment it needed to survive now. With a croon, she looked up, searching for Vol. She met his surprised red orbs with her wild, albeit sane, blue ones and she smiled.
She walked over to him and pressed her front to his, hiding the view of her breast from everyone but him and the child feeding at it. She crooned at the baby and smiled when it cooed back. She turned so that her side tucked under his arm and he got a good look at the baby he'd given to her earlier this morning. He was mesmerized…so much so that had Ariella not jabbed him in the ribs, he'd have missed what Bakkera was saying to him.
"Wha'cha wan mon?" he asked irritably, his eyes darting from the breast feeding child to the chuckling orc shaman, and then back. The shaman shook his head and smiled at the two.
"I said it would be in your own interest to seek shelter on the boat over in the harbor. I'm sure that the Kalu'ak will understand your needs. I cannot leave Mawrius dead, or the others in my guild will revolt against me. I will, however, be knocking him down a peg or two, and when the guild hears of how a human female without armor or weapons defeated him, he will be humbled." Vol nodded and turned Ariella to the hut they'd been staying in. She willingly allowed him to pull her inside and allowed him to sit her down on the bed while he gathered their things. He told her to stay put while he went to talk to the leader of the village.
She nodded, too preoccupied with the babe to really argue. He walked up to the leader and started explaining their situation, what had happened, and why they needed the boat as their new temporary residence. The leader agreed after little convincing, having been present when the undead had stormed the little hut and taken the child. Vol thanked the leader and went back to the hut and picked up their things before leading a preoccupied Ariella to their new floating residence.
Ariella woke with a start, bolting up in bed and immediately checking on the quiet child beside her. The baby had been sleeping only a few hours, but ever since the attack Ariella had a hard time getting to sleep. She heard Vol grumble and pull her closer to him, tucking her small frame against his body unconsciously in his sleep. She reached out and pulled the baby into her arms.
She felt the low rumble of something against her back and suddenly she felt Vol's hand against her breast. He was kneading it and it made her gasp. They were extremely sensitive what with the baby constantly feeding. She whimpered and the hand went from her breast to her stomach. She heard him growl and his entire hand spanned her abdomen, right above the line of her pants. She blushed, but just closed her eyes and went to sleep again.
She awoke again, several hours later. Vol was no longer in bed with her, but she could hear the troll male's laughter. She picked up the baby and walked out on the deck of the 'boat' which was actually a structure built on top of a giant turtle. As she made her way down, she reached out and petted the turtle, smiling at it and thanking it for its help.
It made a noise and she smiled again, looking at the owner for permission. He nodded and she held out a rather large carrot and fed it to the equally large turtle. The creature made a happy noise, which made the baby giggle. Ariella smiled and looked down at the baby, who was not as blue as he'd been yesterday.
She looked up and found Vol conversing with a female blood elf. She had black hair and those vibrant green eyes that marked her as the magic addicted cousin of night elves. Something went through her as she saw the blood elf touch Vol's arm. She knew it for what it was though…territorialism. Vol was hers, and that blood elf bitch was intruding. Well, she'd squelch this right now. She slowly made her way down to where the two were talking, the blood elf giggling at the large blue troll.
She couldn't understand the female, but the way her eyes hooded as she looked at Vol and the way she touched him, Ariella knew she was assessing what the male would be like in bed. With a smirk of pride, she told herself that Vol slept with her every night, though she was pretty sure it wasn't the kind of sleeping the little blood elf had in mind. So she touched the baby's little blue lips, making it whine slightly. Soon, it was making all kinds of fuss, obviously hungry.
Both Vol and the blood elf female looked back at the half dressed human woman that was walking down the platform. The blood elf's eyes narrowed and Ariella could see the cold calculation there. She curled her lip, revealing her dangerous fangs. The blood elf gasped and took a step back, but Vol's eyes were centered on Ariella now…he could see that she wore only her sleeping top as she made her way to him with the child.
He remembered how Ariella had rolled into him and used his body to cradle the child while it fed. He'd watched with fascination as the baby had fed at her breast while she slept on, oblivious. It had been that sight that had fueled the dreams he'd had all night long. He'd imagined himself at her breast, cuddled up to her as she held him to her.
He'd woken this morning hard and had retreated to a cold dip in the ocean to cool his desires for her. He knew she was shy, and even more, she was human. She'd have to get over her preconceptions before she'd come to him willingly. He watched as she came down the ramp and their eyes met. There was something in her eyes…something he'd never seen in her before. He could have sworn he caught a bit of jealousy, but there was nothing in her eyes to hint at that. So what was the gleam in her eyes that foretold of unmentionable pain should he not comply with her wishes?
She walked up to him and put the bundled up child in his arms and then turned to walk over to what appeared to be a large fresh water pool. She had something in her hand as she made her way over. However the little blood elf stood between the human woman and the pool. With a growl, Ari advanced on the other female, using her height to her advantage.
Her eyes flashed dangerously and the little elf gasped, moving. Ari snorted and looked over her shoulder at Vol, her eyes promising this wasn't the end. Vol let out a loud laugh and shook his head as Ari pushed past the little elf and walked to the pool. With a rude gesture at the little elf, she jumped in, clothes and all.
The little elf returned to his side, her eyes still on the human. "What the hell was that?" she grumbled, her arms crossed under her ample bosom. She looked over to see Vol cradling the little bundle and smirking while shaking his head.
"Muh mate don seem verreh happeh wit me righ now. She don like tah wayke wit me no dehre." he chuckled again and shook his head, playing with the small child. He noticed it had four fingers…not a human, but not a troll. He shook his head and looked up at where Ariella had gone. She was scrubbing herself clean and seemed to be washing her clothes as well. Vol shook his head and watched her.
Her eyes were glowing again, much to his interest. She seemed to go into that state over three things: her siblings, the baby, and…him. A smirk formed on his face and he waved at the blood elf. "Tanks fo da updayte. Tell Bakk'ra dat Vol and Ori be seein 'im soon." the blood elf scowled as Vol walked over to the little human and sat by the pool the human was washing in. Something was apparently said, because the male troll threw his head back and laughed. The blood elf narrowed her eyes on the two and then pulled her hood up, disappearing. She wasn't above a little espionage.
Ari watched as Vol approached her. He knew something was up with her, but she refused to tell him she didn't like him talking to other women. He sat down, right on the edge of the pool, the baby in his lap. The baby was lying there, contently batting at Vol's fingers.
She smiled at the baby and waded over to the two. Her shift top was soaked to the point that it hid nothing from view and the baby seemed to recognize her breasts because he started crying, apparently hungry. Ari shook her head and pulled her sopping wet top off. She picked the baby up and cradled him, covering her upper portion with the baby's blankets.
He latched on, feeding vigorously, and Ari gasped at the still unfamiliar feeling. Her breasts were still sensitive, and Vol's teasing last night/this morning hadn't helped any. She looked up and gave Vol a glare as he stared at the feeding child. She snapped her sharp teeth at him, drawing his attention. "Stop staring…I'm not going to feed you like this. You're perfectly capable of feeding yourself." she noticed the smirk on his face until he leaned in and teased her.
"Leetle Ori…Vol no wan tah feed like da whelp. Vol wan sumtin mo." he noticed the blush that flushed her face and he threw his head back, belting out an amused laugh. Through her aroused haze and embarrassment, Ariella felt a presence. She growled and backed away to the far end of the pool, away from Vol'rokh.
Vol watched her cradle the child protectively and he stilled himself, reaching out with his senses. Faster than even Ariella thought possible, Vol had a cloaked figure pinned to the ground by its neck. His fist was drawn back and his teeth were bared. A screech from the figure halted his would be death blow. The hood fell off and it revealed the blood elf he'd been talking to earlier. Vol growled low in his throat and shoved her away. His eyes were extremely feral.
"Ori, tayke da whelp tah da room. I be dehre soon." Ari looked from him to the blood elf and then back at him. His eyes were dangerous and for the first time, she realized just how untamed he really was. He could kill at a moment's notice. But he never turned that ferocity on her.
She nodded and waded out of the pool. She looked back once before running up the ramp and to their room. She went inside and slammed the door, but ran over to the window to watch. She watched Vol'rokh stretch up to his full height and she gasped. She'd never seen a being so tall…except maybe a tauren.
She heard him say something harshly, but the little elf retorted with something that seemed equally snide. She watched Vol advance on the female menacingly, but he looked up and caught her eyes. He backed down and glared at the little female before pointing up towards Ari, who blushed and turned away.
There was the sound of a whistle and Ari heard a bird…a large bird…squawk. She heard the little blood elf say something and then the sound of the bird rushing out of the village. Seconds later, Vol appeared in the doorway, his eyes wild. She gasped and stepped away from him. He stalked over to her until he had her pinned against the wall.
His breathing was heavy and he seemed somewhat desperate to touch her. She relaxed, knowing he'd never hurt her. She looked up at him with those big, trusting blue eyes and he sighed, resting his forehead in the crook of her neck. He hugged her close to him and mumbled something under his breath that she didn't catch. She merely allowed him to hold her until he lifted himself up, determination in his eyes.
He brushed her hair from her forehead and put his forehead against her, looking into her eyes. "We no safe heyah, leetle Ori. Dat female da fursa many dat comin heyah tah keel ya. Dat foosaykin bittah. He wan keel muh leetle Ori an da whelp." Ari stared up at Vol, who had something in his eyes she'd never seen in any other male's eyes. She lowered her head and nodded. She looked back up, her eyes flashing with fire.
"We're not leaving, Vol. I won't run from him." pain flashed in the large male troll's eyes and he hugged her to him so tight she was afraid she'd suffocate.
"Ah can no lose ya, leetle Ori. Ah loss evating ah love befo…I woen lose ya too." he growled out. Ari was surprised to say the least. She'd known his body reacted to hers…that was a primal reaction. Something neither of them could control. But for him to admit that he was afraid of losing her…that was something different.
She looked up into his adamant red eyes and searched long and hard for something. She gasped as she realized that, deep down, Vol'rokh loved her. She closed her eyes and nodded in understanding. He let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and loosened his grip on her. When he stepped away, she tugged at his arm, making him look down at her.
Before she thought any more about it, she stood on her tip toes and kissed him smack dab on the lips. With a blush, she pulled away and started packing their things; anything to keep her from having to look at him. Vol just stood there, stunned, as he stared at her. She'd kissed him…not on the cheek, like a friend. No, she'd kissed him like a lover would…like a mate would. Wicked thoughts danced through his head involving him, her and those breasts of hers.
They decided to wait for nightfall before they'd make their move. They'd gone about the village like nothing was wrong, but they'd steadily been gathering supplies for their trip. They had no way of getting in touch with Suri and Zin or Mikel and Scruff. So, they did the only thing they knew to do…they left Suri a package. With that accomplished, they had retired for the night, though the village leader knew what they were doing.
Around midday, one of the Tuskarr came to their room and handed Vol a letter. Confused, the large troll opened the letter and sighed, shaking his head. Concerned, Ariella put her hand on his arm. He looked at her and smacked the letter with the back of his hand. "Bakk'ra don been run off by 'is guil. Dey no like he side wit leetle Ori an no stooped foosaykin. Bakk'ra wan know he can come wit us. He say he hep wit da leetle wan." Ari looked down at the child, then up at Vol, who just stared at her. She finally nodded and smiled.
"It would be nice to have a healer with us for our travels." was all she said as she quieted the child. Vol smiled and sat down at the small desk to write back to Bakkura and tell him that they would love for him to join them. The troll also added that his ex-guild mates were after them, so he'd have to hurry. Vol opened the door, handed the letter to the Tuskarr, and then shut the door again. Deciding to get a little rest before they were supposed to set out, they laid down. Vol cuddled up to Ariella's back, holding her close to him, while she held the child close to her.
It was sunset when a knock on the door woke the two hunters. Vol'rokh was the first to rise, while Ariella took a dagger and hid it under the covers by her hand. She held the baby to her, turning her body so that any sneak attack would catch her and not the infant. Vol stood in front of the door, his massive body blocking the doorway. He cracked the door and gave a deep chuckle before moving out of the way.
A large, blue wolf walked in and slowly started changing shape. When it was finally done, it stood up and looked at Ariella with a kind smile. "Ah, the little mother tiger. Good to see you again." he said courteously. Ari arched a brow and leveled him with a cold stare.
"Wish I could say the same, Bakkura. However, the last time we met, you had friends with you and they tried to kill me and my baby." she saw something flash through his eyes before he looked at the ground and apologized. She waved it away and sat on the bed more comfortably. "Regardless, you made good time. We are leaving soon." Bakkura's eyes widened and he looked at the two hunters.
"Leaving? But where will you go? Kamagua is the only neutral town in the Howling Fjord!" he looked between the two and Ari was the one that took control. This intrigued Bakkura.
"Kamagua is the only neutral town around here…if you don't have connections." she said in a light voice. She continued to pack her things up. Bakkura was definitely intrigued now.
"What do you mean, little tigress?" she gave him a droll stare before picking up the baby and handing the little bundle to Vol, who crouched and started playing hand tag with the small child.
"My name is Ariella…Ariella Delanysus." she heard Bakkura suck in his breath and then snort out a laugh. He laughed until tears sprang to his eyes.
"Delanysus? You're Ares' pup are you? I should have known from the eyes. You and your father look a lot alike, Miss Ariella." Ariella stood taller and looked at him, menace in her eyes.
"How do you know my father!" she demanded, her hand on the large axe she was so fond of. The weapon seemed to draw the attention of the shaman. He smiled warmly.
"I wondered whether he would keep that or not. Ares never did take much I offered him, even before Valourous died in the war." He saw the confusion in Ariella's eye and smiled gently at her.
"Aye, I know your father. Very well, actually." he smiled and took out a small painting. It was well kept and pressed under thick gnomish glass. In the painting, there was a tall, blonde woman. Ariella smiled as she remembered her grandmother.
There was a baby in her arms, a small, dark haired baby. It had to be her father. At the woman's feet was a toddler, no older than five. He had raven black hair that was in braids and pale green eyes. The child had what appeared to be small tusks as he sat at his mother's feet. Ariella looked up and saw those hauntingly pale green eyes in the face of the orc before her.
She gasped and looked at the photo again. He looked more like a tan human in the picture than an orcling, however the tusks gave him away. Now, as a grown male orc, he had the facial hair, the long braids, and the strong physique of an orc male. She looked at the child and then up at the grownup once more. She did not, however, seem to be able to wrap her mind around the connection.
"Why…what…how…" she just stared at him with scared, albeit confused, ice blue eyes. Bakkura shook his head.
"I was born Demetrix Bakkura Blackbone. I later became Demetrix Valourous Delanysus, when my mother married a young foot soldier when she was rescued from the imprisonment camp. I was only an infant then. I became Bakkura Demestes when I left home to ensure the safety of my mother. Your father, Ares Valourous Delanysus, is my younger half brother." Ariella just stared at the shaman, unable to wrap her mind around the fact that she had an uncle…that was an orc…or at least a half breed orc. She looked at Vol'rokh, who looked just as shocked as she did.
His only comment, however, was a dazed "Dis be a small worl aftah auhl."
In order to travel faster, Bakkura was the logical choice to hold the child. Ariella, however, still did not trust him enough to hand over her ward to him. She told him, with a bit of strain in her voice, that due to the maternal instincts of her inner beast, parting from the child would be impossible.
So, logically, Bakkura put her on his mount. The large wolf seemed to not understand, and shy away from her. Bakkura could only figure it was because her inner beast was so strong. So, he got out a mount that feared nothing…his dragon. He patted his strong dragon on the neck and pointed to Ariella.
"That's my niece there, Itoile. Take good care of her, please. If anything attacks, take her into the sky and stay there till I call for you. I will not risk her and her child. And if you see anyone from the guild, let me know." the dragon nodded and extended its leg, offering it to her like a step. She blushed and ran her fingers over the dragon's neck and murmured a thank you. The dragon made a rumble and swished its tail. It seemed to really like her.
Bakkura chuckled and shook his head. "You are the first person he's ever let ride him besides me. He's very picky when it comes to allowing people to ride him. You should feel special." he noticed the look of reverence on her face as she climbed onto the dragon.
"I feel special just being able to meet such a noble creature, much less ride him. The dragons I encountered all wanted to eat me." she said distractedly. Vol just laughed and shook his head.
"Ya can no blame dem fo dat, leetle Ori. Ya be lookin mighteh tasteh." he noticed the blush on her face before she cleared her throat and shifted in the saddle. Bakkura chuckled and shook his head, knowing that it was going to be a long trip with the two of them if they were going to be lovey dovey like this.
Bakkura looked over at Vol, who was looking at Ariella like he could eat her alive himself. The orc arched one brow and pointed at Vol. "You got a flying mount with cold weather flying?" he asked curiously. Vol shook his head and held up his small coin pouch.
"I neva mayke nuff gol tah buyh. Har livin witout helpin da horde won way o da uddah." Bakkura nodded and held out his hand.
"You guys may not work for a faction, but I still have good standing. I may not agree with everything they do, but until I find out who killed Marsalla and my kids, I'm going to continue to work for the Horde. I'll make us the money to survive. Here, let me see how much the two of you have." Vol looked at his hand for a while before handing over his pouch of gold. Ariella threw hers to him from atop her mount. Hers was significantly larger.
"I'm exalted with every faction around except Vanguard and the Alliance factions. I do a lot of errands for the Hodir and the Ebon Blade. Plus, I make a lot of money in Dalaran selling my wares." she blushed when they both looked at her in question. She pulled out a bag and threw it to Bakkura, who caught it and opened the top. Looking inside, he saw a multitude of sparkling gems. He looked up at her and arched a brow.
"You're a miner?" Ariella nodded and pulled out a book and threw it to him. He looked at it and admired the stitching on it.
"I've never seen a jewel crafter with their patterns turned into a book like this. Whoever did this is a very skilled leatherworker." She chuckled and shook her head.
"Thanks. I used to be a leatherworker, back when I had to make a lot of my own armor. I used it to save up enough money to send back to my parents and keep in a safe place so that I can give something to my children when I have them." She looked down at the baby and cooed at it.
Bakkura noticed the way Vol acted around her when she talked about babies. Seemed the troll had plans concerning that aspect of her life. Bakkura remembered his own father's adamant refusal to give him anything at all and looked at her. "You would leave your legacy in the hands of a half breed?" he asked quietly, his eyes guarded. She looked up at him with blazing eyes.
"Any child of mine will be just that…my child. In my eyes, there are no half breeds. What you do determines who you are, not who brought you into this world." she growled and looked down at the baby in her arms. "Just like this little one. I may not have birthed him, but he is mine. I will kill anything that tries to harm him." Bakkura stiffened and looked at the two of them.
"He is not yours?" they both looked at him and then at one another.
"No…he is not. The morning you and that Forsaken came into town was the day Vol brought him to me. His parents were dead and he was left in the snow to die. He would have, if Vol hadn't found him and brought him to me." she said quietly. Bakkura stared in utter shock.
"You…you defended that child with your very life…you feed him like you bore him…you love him…and he's not even yours?" Bakkura could not fathom how she could take in a child not her own, feed it in such a personal way, and love it when she knew nothing of it except it was abandoned.
Ariella looked at him, and then at the child. She smiled. "How could I not? He's a baby…innocent of what his parents may or may not have done. He hasn't been given the time to determine who or what he will be someday. I was the same way over my younger siblings when we were growing up." she stopped as she remembered that, aside from Surinia and Mikel, her siblings were dead. Tears formed in her eyes and she held the baby closer to her.
"I failed to protect my brothers and my sister…I almost failed Mikel and Suri. I will not fail this child." she vowed and kissed its forehead. She felt a hand on her leg and looked down to see Vol looking up at her with gentle eyes.
"Leetle Ori can no blame huhself fo da defs uh huh bruddahs and sistah. Ah lurn no tah blame muhself, tanks to leetle Ori. Muh sista…she no wan meh blame muhself fo wha happen. She no wan Zin blame hisself…we no lurn dat, bu now I has…tanks tah leetle Ori." she could tell this was strained, and coming straight from his heart. He knew the pain of losing siblings as well. She nodded and looked down at the baby, then back up at Bakkura, who was watching them carefully.
"As you can see, Bakkura, I am unusual for one of my kind. I hold no prejudice for race or gender. I look at what is inside a person. For me, that determines if they are friends or enemies…not what flag they carry." She smiled and pulled Vol's cape around her to keep the baby warm. He was pressed up against her, his head on her breast and his body curled against her left side. She tied the cape so it made a kind of hammock for him while he slept.
She looked at them again before sighing. "Back to the leatherworking, I traded in my skinning knife for a miners pick when I was twenty. I'd already been traveling and running errands for various people throughout my homeland since I was fifteen. I was a young child when the path of the hunter was chosen for me." she smiled as she shook her head, remembering.
"I got lost in the woods late one night. In the foothills of Hilsbrad, that's a dangerous place for a human child to be. I tried to find my way home, but I just got more lost. I tried to find Suri, but she'd wandered off much earlier, saying she heard mother calling for us." she smiled and shook her head.
"I was so naïve back then, so unaware of the world around me. I guess that's one of the reasons I went into training to be a hunter. I never wanted to get lost again." she smiled and looked at her hand. There was a large white scar on the back of it. "I stumbled upon a tauren druid when I was trying to find my way home. He glared at me and turned into a cat. I was terrified when he rushed at me, but I managed to run from him long enough to save my life. I was quick, even then." she sighed and looked up at the stars.
"The only thing that saved me was a large wolf. I had heard tales of the wolf living in the mountains near the Hinterlands, but I'd never actually seen him. He was the biggest silver wolf I'd ever seen. His paws were as big as my head was back then. He stood maybe sixteen to eighteen hands. Despite his size, he was gentle." she smiled and shook her head.
"He scared away the tauren and herded me back to the village where I lived. Before he left, he took my hand into his mouth and bit down, lightly." she held up her hand and showed them the scar. It was two long scores with four slightly smaller scores and two more even shorter scores.
"From that day forward, the only thing I could think of was becoming a hunter. When I went to school, and the teacher asked me what path I wanted to follow, I told him I was going to be a hunter. He told me that human hunters were rare, and there were few hunter trainers that would accept me." She lifted her chin, making Vol have to stifle a chuckle.
"He was right. Every trainer I went to told me they didn't train humans as hunters. But I was determined. I outmatched everyone they put against me, even a few seasoned hunters. I can out track some of the best and my ability to control animals is 'astounding'." she said in a mocking voice. She rolled her eyes and put her hands on her thighs.
"I'd finally beaten so many of their challenges that the council in Ironforge finally had to agree to me being trained as a hunter. I wasn't especially strong or exceptionally smart, I was just damned determined. I wasn't going to let a bunch of people tell me what I would be able to do with the rest of my life. I was born to be a hunter, and I will die a hunter." she said proudly. Vol chuckled and put his hand on her calf as he walked beside her large temporary mount. There was pride in his eyes at her accomplishments.
Bakkura chuckled as he watched Ariella blush and shake off Vol's hand, glancing back at him. He waved to her and she blushed again before glaring down at Vol. Bakkura heard her hiss at him. "Keep your hands to yourself. We have company now." Vol gave her a wounded look and Bakkura could not help the laugh that escaped him.
Both looked back at him with blushes, Ariella's brighter than Vol's. Vol sighed and stretched his arms above his head, causing his entire body to crack. He made a happy noise and continued walking, though he never strayed far from her side.
Vol watched Ariella covertly. He could tell she was getting sleepy. She was having to hold herself upright with her hands against the saddle of the giant dragon she rode. It walked smoothly, never jarring her, and that just seemed to make it easier for her to sleep.
Just when he was sure she was going to fall out of the saddle asleep, the baby woke and started crying. She bolted upright and opened the cape to check on him. She smiled at him and moved him so that he could feed at her right breast. Vol was so mesmerized by this that he didn't watch where he was going and walked into a low hanging branch.
With a yelp, he sat down in place and held his nose. He could feel tears forming at the corners of his eyes. That had been a thick branch he'd walked into. Ariella was looking down at him, her eyes concerned, and Bakkura…Bakkura was trying to keep from laughing at the poor troll. With a glare, Vol rubbed his nose once more and stood, trying to act fine. Bakkura stifled his amusement and managed to ask him if he was alright.
With a glare, Vol answered him. "Ah leeve…bu ya migh no ya keep laughin." this only made Bakkura burst into snorting chuckles and shake his head.
"Boy, I'm Bakkura Demestes. I've faced thousands of Burning Legion, bested hundreds of Horde and Alliance alike. You don't scare me." he pointed at Vol, who glared. He then pointed at Ariella, who looked slightly annoyed. "Now her…she scares me. So for her, I will hush." he chuckled at the offended look on Vol'rokh's face. Ariella couldn't help but smile and shake her head.
"Alright you two, no fighting. Where we're going, it doesn't matter if you're friends or not. You get caught fighting, and they kick your ass." this caught both their attention. There was only one race that was neutral that had such strict rules.
"I didn't know there's a goblin town in Howling Fjord." Bakkura said as he pulled out a map he'd drawn up of all the places he'd been. He'd explored every nook and cranny of this place when he'd been here. He heard her sigh and looked up at her.
"It's not in the Fjord. It's an island far enough off the coast that, should trouble ever arise, they'll never be caught up in it. I met Havald when I was in Netherstorm, right outside of Tempest Keep. That was when I was still the leader of Deus Helios." she sighed and closed her eyes. She heard a whistle and looked down into Bakkura's wide eyes.
"You were the leader of Deus Helios?" she nodded and he noticed the pain in her eyes. He didn't push, but he did tell her why he'd brought it up.
"No wonder every horde in the area wants to kill you. You've got a bounty on your head almost as big as Illidan himself. Your dead body is worth at least 115,000 gold in Orgimmar…even more to the Forsaken and Bloodelves." her eyes widened and she looked at him in shock.
"What! Why!" she demanded, not sure she trusted anyone now. However, when Vol growled, she knew she could trust him. Bakkura she wasn't so sure about. Her paternal uncle he may be, but even the best of them could be turned by that much gold. Bakkura chuckled and pulled out a few leafs of paper. He pulled one out and showed it to her.
"I know you can't read it yet, but the writing says that there is a reward for the leader of Deus Helios. 115,000 gold dead, 130,000 alive in Orgrimmar and Thunderbluff. In Undercity and Silvermoon, you're worth 125,000 dead, 150,000 alive." she was thoroughly shocked.
"But…why?" she asked, uncertain of herself. Bakkura laughed and shook his head at her cluelessness.
"Because, my dear, you are a threat to the Horde. Your tactics made Deus Helios one of the top ranking guilds in all of Azeroth, and Outlands. Your efforts to stop the Burning Legion has made you the talk of many different races. It is because you are a good leader that you are a threat to them." he chuckled at her wide eyes. She'd not known they'd been that advanced as a guild until just now. It had been a while since she'd last contacted her guild. She and Suri had just disappeared.
"But…I'm not the leader anymore…not really." she said and looked down at her hands. She'd sent strategies to her second in command, Rorick, in order to keep the guild from falling apart. She'd told him that she needed time to recover from the deaths of three of her siblings. He'd told her he'd make sure things ran smoothly until she came back. She'd yet to return. She shook her head and looked at him. "Did Deus Helios ever make it through the Black Temple and defeat Illidan?" she asked. She knew it was an odd question coming from her, but Bakkura seemed to understand.
"Actually, yes they did. From what one of my sources say, there was some internal trouble, but in the end, the guild managed to pull together and be the second guild to make it through…right behind Noctus Infinity." She noticed the bittersweet look in his eyes and she gasped.
"Noctus Infinity was your guild!" she looked slightly horrified. He didn't blame her. Noctus Infinity was known to be ruthless in their dealings with the Alliance. If someone from Noctus Infinity came across a member of the Alliance…that person was dead…no matter what. Bakkura shook his head.
"I'm not proud of the reputation my guild got when we first made it out here to Northrend. Many of the members were disgusted by the way the others were acting. The Forsaken became really aggressive towards us, saying we were being too soft to the living, while being callous to the living dead." he snorted and shook his head.
"Tensions had been rising since we first came to Northrend. It was only a matter of time before someone challenged my authority." his eyes were gentle as he looked at Ariella and the baby. "I'm glad I was able to choose for myself what I was going to do." Ariella gasped and blushed, not sure what to make of that.
"The spirits have given me a gift…they led me to you and to Vol'rokh. It may be unconventional, but I believe that we can become our own guild…a fresh start for us all. And the best way to ensure our safety is to ensure our mixing of races is kept a secret." Ariella noticed his smirk and wondered what he was going to propose.
"I think we should make our own guild…establish ourselves here, and commit to making a safe haven for people like the two of you…for people like me. No special invitation needed." he chuckled and noticed the look that passed between Vol and Ariella. He held up his hands. "There's no rush…but it would be nice to know that others who feel the same way we do don't have to suffer like we have." He noticed the fire that leapt in Ariella's eyes and knew he had a stalwart ally.
Ariella nearly collapsed when they reached the small port that would take them to Haven. They'd traveled all night and reached the small port just before sunrise. The goblins there had eyed them suspiciously, until she'd removed her cape and the head bouncer had recognized her. The small, sturdily built female goblin had bustled over to her with motherly concern. "Aw, Kitten. Don't tell me you rode all night to get here!" she fussed, helping Ariella to a nearby seat. Ari had smirked and gave a tart retort.
"Alright then, I won't." she smiled when the small goblin female snapped her sharp teeth at her.
"Don't get tart with me, Kitten. I can just as easily kick your ass as I can sit it on this bench." Ari shook her head and yawned. She pulled the cape tighter around her, careful of the child now curled against her right side. The goblin woman seemed to notice, because she pointed at it.
"Kitten, what did I tell you about that kind of thing? Hooking up with random males is a bad idea. Look at my brood…ain't none of them got the same sire." she motioned towards the six larger male goblins that were busy working at the small port. Ari shook her head and opened her cape.
"He's not mine, Gilly. Vol found him lying in the snow. His parents had been killed. You know I couldn't just let him die." the small woman looked into the cape and her eyes widened.
"Well I'll be…it's the little half breed babe that came through almost a month ago!" she exclaimed and leaned down for a closer look. She smiled gently, her sharp teeth making her look slightly menacing. "I wondered what happened to that elf and her troll. They were afraid of something, yes they were. Begged us to cover up their passage. So, I did. Guess whatever they were running from found them. Poor child." she shook her head and looked at them.
"Well, I'm sure you'll be a good mother to him, Kitten. You always did have a way with kids. By the way, Gelkin wanted you to stop by next time you were in Haven. I suggest you go see him. I don't think he'll be nice if you don't." Ariella rolled her eyes.
"Gilly, you know I despise Gelkin. He's a human that thinks he's a goblin. He talks like you guys, dresses like you guys, thinks he's smart like you guys…do I really have to say more?" Gilly smirked, her teeth looking wicked.
"Nah, you don't have to say anything more, Kitten. But you do know he will make your stay in Haven a living hell if you don't swing by. And since Gelkin is Havald's adopted brat, there ain't much we can do about it, Kitten." Gilly shrugged and patted Ariella's leg. It had been almost three years since she'd last been to Haven…and it was all because of Gelkin.
Ariella looked down at the sleeping baby in her arms and wished that she could claim he was hers, that way Gelkin would be forced to leave her alone. The idiot man thought she was in love with him. He said it was his goblin looks…which he had none of.
He was tall, blonde, and had brown eyes. Besides his eyes, he had no goblin features. He had both his ears pierced and allowed no facial hair to show…not even his eyebrows. She groaned at the thought of seeing him again. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Vol there.
"Who be dis 'Gelkin' da leetle gooblin be talkin bou?" he asked. She groaned again and shook her head.
"He's a pain in my ass, that's what. He's the only human to ever notice the difference between me and Suri. He says my eyes are prettier. Basically, he's the founder of Haven's adopted son. As such, he's pretty much exempt from the typical rules. He's been trying to make me marry him since I met Havald in Netherstorm years ago." she noticed Vol's eyes darken and he crouched down low to her, his head near the baby and her chest.
"Ah no shayuh my leetle Ori wit dis 'Gelkin'. Leetle Ori be mine." he growled possessively. She looked at him with wide, shocked eyes. He'd just claimed her…in front of a pack of goblins and Bakkura. She blushed and tried to come up with an angry retort, but nothing came to her. Bakkura said nothing, just walked up to Gilly and started talking.
"Miss Gilly, I am Demetrix Delanysus, Ariella's paternal uncle. I am escorting her to Haven so that she can be safe from people who would kill her. As is usual in our family, she is required to have a chaperone at all times. I'm sure you understand. She is the heir to a large fortune back in Hillsbrad and Elwynn." the goblin female looked at him, then at Ariella, and then back at him. She shrugged.
"I wondered why her and the little warrior were never far apart. I guess when all you have is your twin, you have to make due." she noticed the shock on his face and she chuckled. "You aren't really her uncle, are you? You're trying to protect her." he pulled himself up to his full height then, but it was Ariella that spoke.
"You're wrong Gilly. He really is my father's older brother. I just never knew of him until he saved the baby's life. He is now chased by the same people that want me dead. He is mine and Suri's guardian while we are here." Gilly nodded and dug around in her pocket for something. She pulled out a small pendant on a long silver chain.
"Very well. Since Ariella can vouch for you, I'll give you an entrance token. Whenever you need a safe place to stay, Haven is open." she looked at Vol, who was obscenely close to Ariella right now. "As for that one…I doubt he will go very far from Kitten. By the way, Demetrix…" she said with a grin, showing her sharp teeth again, "Or should I say Bakkura Demestes." he looked shocked, but she waved it away. "We goblins make it our business to know every potential ally. That's how we came across Kitten."
Bakkura shook his head and put the pendant around his neck, tucking it under his armor. He decided to lay some wards, just in case. He'd been getting increasingly uneasy the past few minutes. He put up several totems and pulled his hood up.
He leaned down and pulled the hood up on Ariella's cloak. She looked up at him, but he just shook his head. She didn't argue, just shifted closer to Vol. The large troll sensed the tension in their shaman companion and covertly called out his feline companion.
"See wha be maykin Bakk'ra unezzy. Ya fine sumtin, sen fo meh." the cat seemed to understand, because it disappeared. Gilly saw what was happening and walked over to them.
"Kitten, you know the rules. While on goblin territory, there is no fighting." Ariella smiled, but it was strained.
"I know Gilly, but something is making Bakkura uneasy. It's only natural they want to find it before it creeps up on us." Gilly nodded and looked at Bakkura, who bowed his head. She then looked at Vol, who leveled her with a vicious glare.
"I no let dem huht muh leetle Ori anuddah time. I don kayah who don like." he wrapped one large arm around her possessively and pulled her so that her back was to his front, her much smaller body in his lap. He was becoming more and more feral the longer they sat there. Ariella reached her hand up and touched his face, making him look at her.
"It will be alright, Vol." she said, kissing his cheek. He calmed slightly, but he still kept his body wrapped around her. He felt a stirring and then his link with Atal'zin was severed. That meant one of two things…the cat was either dead or unconscious. For the sake of whoever was out there, it had better be the second. Vol was just about to get up when a crack went through the air. Acting on instinct, Vol threw himself onto his side, cradling Ariella with his body. This jolted the baby awake, who started crying.
Ariella was shocked, but she managed to recover quickly. However, she heard the running of feet and the chorus of 'MA!' and looked up to see Gilly lying on the ground. Ariella let out a shriek and tried to get away from Vol to get to Gilly. The goblin female groaned and rolled to her side, clutching the side of her head. Tears were coming from Ari's eyes as she watched the six goblin males try and help their mother.
"Get to your posts! We are under attack!" the burly female growled. She looked at Ariella and the human girl swore she saw something in that one black eye. "Get Ariella on the boat…protect Ariella at all costs. If she gets hurt, I'll kick all your asses, got it!" all six of her sons started rushing around and preparing the boat for departure. Another crack and the ground near Ari and Vol blew into the air a bit. Vol growled dangerously as the baby continued to cry and Ariella tried to shush it. With adrenaline pumping through his veins, he stood, ignoring the sting as several bullets bit into him. He shielded her from the gunfire and put her on the boat. He turned to Gilly, who was still clutching her eye.
"Ya mayke shure muh mate be safe in Haven. Me an Bakk'ra fine ya. GO!" he roared and pulled his bow out. He pulled it back and aimed it into the air. He shot an arrow into the sky and suddenly hundreds were raining down. He let out a whistle and felt the link with Atal'zin stirring once more. He called her back to him, intent on giving her a rest. When she was back, he put her on the boat with Ariella. He looked her in the eyes. "Tayke kayah huh, leetle Ori. I be seein ya in Haven." Ariella screamed and tried to get back to him, but a bullet hit the boat right at her feet and bounced off, imbedding into the armor on her shin. She sat down quickly and rubbed it…it stung.
She watched as Vol's eyes blazed and he looked at Gilly again, who had all her sons on the boat and was looking at Vol. She handed him a flare gun. "I'll take her to my place. Havald will want to know what happened. When you are sure it's safe, use this, and we will be back for you." Vol nodded and put the flare gun in his pack before looking at Ariella again. Her eyes widened and tears came to her eyes. As the boat took off, he saw her scramble to the back and reach for him.
"NO, VOL!" he could see the desperation in her, the fear…the love. He smiled at her and then turned back to their attackers. They would pay for hurting her.
Ariella refused to come out. She had gone into the room Gilly had shown her to and had locked herself inside, refusing to come out for any reason. Even Havald couldn't get her out. She lay curled up around the baby on the bed in her room and let the tears fall from her eyes. She didn't even have to cry, the tears flowed freely. They'd left Vol'rokh behind where he could be hurt, captured or worse…dead. Memories of their times together while they were traveling to Kamagua went through her mind. All the times he'd teased her, their training together, the nights they'd spent talking…she then thought of all the times she'd slept in his arms. Oh how she missed his warmth and the way he made her feel safe.
There was a knock on the door, but she didn't move. The door handle jiggled, but to no avail. The being on the other side cursed and finally spoke. "Ari, you need to come out. Gilly and pops are getting really worried about you. Are you listening to me? Stop moping over your body guards and come out." something went through her as he so callously talked about Vol and Bakkura. Faster than even she had thought possible, she was at the door and yanking it open. Outside were Gelkin, who looked extremely satisfied with himself, Havald, who looked worried, and Gilly, with a bandage on her head covering her injured eye.
Ari's eyes flashed dangerously. "I have never given you permission to call me Ari, nor will I ever, Gelkin. And those "bodyguards" as you so callously called them are my family!" she growled, her inner beast starting to show through. Gilly reached up and touched her.
"Kitten, I sent my boys back about half an hour ago. Havald said the lookout spotted the flare I gave your troll. I'm sure they will be fine." she tried to sooth Ariella, who was glaring with loathing at Gelkin. For his part, the human didn't seem to understand why she was angry. Havald, noticing that Gelkin was only a hairsbreadth from getting torn to shreds, sent the young man away.
"Gelkin, go to my office and get me the package off my desk. It's for Ariella." the blonde human made a face, but did as he was told. When he was gone, Havald turned to Ariella. "Ari, please, calm down. You know I don't want any violence here, and you know why." he gasped when Ariella looked down at him, tears in her eyes.
"Why do you let him do this to me Havald? You know I don't like him, and yet you do nothing when he pesters me like this. Vol'rokh isn't my bodyguard…I love him." she said, her tears falling down her face. Havald sighed and shook his head.
"Honestly, Ari, I thought he'd stop after a while. I had no idea he'd pull something like this. I'll ensure he stays away from you after he gets back with the package." Havald was about to say something else when crying erupted in the room behind Ari. She whirled and ran to the baby that had been sleeping on the bed behind her. She cooed to him and looked down at Havald, who looked shocked to say the least.
"Ari, when did…" he trailed off as Gelkin came back with the package. He noticed the baby in Ari's arms and stopped dead in his tracks and stared. He took in the pale blue skin, the four fingered hands and the light dusting of blackish red hair. His eyes widened and he looked up at Ariella, who wasn't even looking at him, but at the baby in her arms.
"You…you cheated on me?" he asked in a dumbfounded voice. Ariella looked up at him with an arched brow. Irritation colored her face as she bared her teeth at him.
"I was never with you Gelkin. Cheating on someone means you're involved with them." she said in a low, angry voice. Gelkin just stared at her.
"But, I thought…what about us!" He asked desperately. Ariella sighed and looked down at Havald, who had his head in his hands. Ariella looked up at Gelkin, her eyes hard and colder than he'd ever seen them.
"There is no us Gelkin…there never was. I told you back in Netherstorm that you weren't my type. Not once have I ever encouraged your attentions or accepted them. Why do you think I left three years ago and didn't come back? I got all those ridiculous letters you sent me and the gifts, but I always sent them back unopened. The money you tried to send me, the engagement ring you talked that jewelcrafter in Dalaran into making for me…you can't buy love Gelkin. I don't love you and I never have." tears misted her eyes and she looked down at the baby. He looked more like Vol'rokh right now than he ever had. "I love Vol'rokh…I think I have since he saved me and Suri in Grizzly Hills…"
She felt warmth at her back and stiffened. "Dis be muh leetle Ori…muh mate, mon. Ya wan tayke muh mate, ya gon haf tah keel meh fuhst." came a thick, rough voice from behind her. She whirled and came face to face with those red eyes she'd come to adore.
Tears fell down her cheeks as she saw him. He had a cut on his right cheek and blood was slicked down the left side of his face from a cut somewhere in his hair. She could smell his blood, and knew he was probably hurt in other places, but the fact he was standing there in front of her, alive, made her heart soar.
"VOL!" she screamed and ran into his arms. The baby cooed contently now that both Ariella and Vol were there with him. She cried against his chest, telling him how stupid he was for sending the boat away without him and Bakkura. She gasped and looked up at him.
"Where's Bakkura? Where's my uncle?" Vol smirked and pointed past the two goblins and the human with a package in his hand. There was a chuckle and then a thud as totems dropped.
"Now now, little human, I don't think my niece appreciates your obsessive behavior. I'd hate to have to tell the Steamwheedle Cartel about this place because you didn't leave her alone. I'm pretty sure this place isn't sanctioned." Gelkin gasped and looked at Havald, who crossed his arms over his chest.
"Well I'll be gnomes uncle…if it isn't Demetrix Bakkura Blackbone." Havald gave a vicious smile and shook his head. "The Cartel is more interested in your head than mine, Blackbone, and you know why. It's not often Bella falls in love, especially with someone like you. You broke her heart, and they'll break your face they ever catch you again." Bakkura chuckled and shook his head.
"Not my fault that I fell in love with Marsalla. She had me at Ishnu Alla. I did name our youngest daughter after Bella, but when the raiders came through and killed everyone at the refugee camp, I lost Marsalla and our children." Havald shook his head and apologized to the orc male.
"I'm truly sorry, Bakkura. I wish we could have done something. However, you know what the times were like back then…even for us. We were being hunted by those human pirates as surely as you were being hunted by the Alliance." Bakkura nodded and then smirked.
"True enough. However, it has recently come to my attention you've finally settled down with a woman of your own. Isn't that right, Miss Gilly?" Ariella noticed Gilly blush, but then the female goblin put her hands on her hips.
"Yeah, what of it? Havald's a good businessman and he's good to me." She touched her face where she'd been injured and smirked evilly. "And those bastards that shot me…they better hope my boys don't find them. I got more than just six sons…I've got four sons by Havald alone." she smirked with pride and put her hand on Havald's shoulder. Havald was blushing but cleared his throat.
"Well, regardless, there's no fighting permitted here, so put your totems away Blackbone." Bakkura snorted and put his arms over his chest.
"It's Demetes now. Bakkura Demetes. I haven't been a Blackbone since the brute that sired me put my mother in a cage like a common dog. I'll never use that name again." he shook his head and waved his hand, his totems disappearing.
"I'll warn you once, Havald. We may be old friends, but Ariella and her siblings are the only family I have left. My wife and children are dead, as is my mother. I know not what happened with Ares, but I do know even his children have not all survived the wars that have raged through these lands. You keep your visitors away from Ari, and I will ensure this place is even better protected than even Gilly can provide." there was a hint of promise that caught Havald's attention.
"What did you have in mind, Bakkura?" Bakkura just smirked and shook his head.
"We can talk business later. Right now, I think you have a package for Ari?" that brought everyone's attention to Gelkin, who was just standing there, shocked. He then handed the package over to Havald and retreated silently. Vol snorted and put his hand on Ariella's arm.
"We be mo comfahbul in da room. Ya auhl com in wit us." everyone nodded and went in the room Ariella had been staying in, waiting for Vol. Vol sat on the bed and noticed there was a large wet spot that smelled of tears.
He smiled internally…she'd been worried about him. He remembered what he'd heard her say when he'd walked up behind her. 'I love Vol'rokh…I think I have since he saved me and Suri in Grizzly Hills…' He was purring on the inside at the knowledge that she felt the same way he did. He'd known for a while he was in love with her, but he'd been waiting for her to figure herself out. There'd be no more waiting.
As everyone settled down, Havald handed her the package. She took the letter off the top and looked at it. It was dated back almost a year ago. She sighed and tore open the letter. It was in an elegantly scrolled handwriting. She read it aloud. "Dear Ariella, I must thank you for the detailed strategies you have been sending since you disappeared to mourn the loss of your family." her eyes narrowed…this didn't make any sense to her. She'd stopped sending strategies almost a week before this was mailed.
"However, I regret to inform you that your trusted second, Rorick, is dead." she gasped and put her hand to her mouth. If it wasn't Rorick that had sent her this then…who was it? She kept reading.
"As such, you have surrendered your rights to Deus Helios, as you have not returned to claim the mantle of leadership. I am writing to inform you that I will be leading the guild from here on out and that if you dare show your face near our sanctuary, you will end up like your second." tears started forming in her eyes and she looked at the small P.S. at the bottom.
"P.S. The package is a little incentive to stay away. Hope you enjoy." she noticed at the bottom, there was an embellished signature. She hissed when she saw it. "Vallinius…" she hissed and threw the letter on the bed. She handed the baby to Vol, who took him and let the baby grip one of his fingers. Ariella took the package and ripped it open. A half decayed head fell into her lap, causing her to cry out.
She picked it up and noticed that, even with it half decayed, it was Rorick…her father's childhood friend. She felt sick, but looked at the skull. "Oh Rorick…I'm so sorry…" She put the skull back in the box and went to the window. She had to take a few deep breaths before she calmed down.
She felt Vol behind her and looked at him, wondering where the baby was. She noticed a yelp and looked over to see Bakkura holding the baby, one of his braids in the child's strong grip. She noticed tears gather at the corners of his eyes as the child gave another yank. The baby giggled while Bakkura yelped again. Ari was about to go to them when Vol stopped her.
"Ori…" his voice rumbled in a way she'd never heard before. She looked at him and blushed. She knew there was no way she was going to be able to get out of this. She'd confessed to loving him and she knew he loved her. They were going to have to talk things over tonight, before they made any more plans of going anywhere. She nodded and watched as a disgusted Havald and Gilly left, muttering about humans and their petty jealousies. Ari didn't blame them in the least.
Ariella looked at Bakkura again, who seemed to know what was going on and took the baby with him, though the child seemed to be oblivious to what was going on around it. When they were alone, Ari turned to Vol again and looked at him. "Vol, I-" she was cut off when he grabbed her and totted her over to the bed. She looked surprised, but Vol didn't care. He needed her, and he needed her now.
Vol'rokh had never been overly aggressive. He'd always been laid back and easy going. But right now, he needed Ariella with every part of him. He dropped her on the bed and before she could sit up and protest, he was on her. Her small frame lay beneath his larger one, effectively dwarfed as he ran his hands over her.
He had to be careful around her with his tusks…he could hurt her with them. With passion only dampened by caution, he found her lips with his. He initiated the kiss this time, and waited for her to respond. He noticed her gasp as he kissed her and waited for her response. He wanted her to let him know this was okay with her.
He stayed where he was for several minutes, until he felt her hands creeping up into his hair. He felt her leg wrap around one of his, rubbing against the back of his calf, and her arms were rubbing along a path that led up to his head. He heard her groan and he smiled to himself. She wanted him, just as much as he wanted her. Very gently, he ran his hands from her waist and down her legs until he cradled both her thighs in his hands. He lifted them, and her, and ground himself lightly against her. He heard her gasp and then her arms tightened around him, her hands clenching in his hair.
He gave a breathless chuckle when she clenched her thighs closed around his hips, urging him on unconsciously. He could hear her panting and it was making him harder. She was wriggling under him, trying to find completion, but it was evading her. She tossed her head, little croons coming out now and again. Vol stared down at her with intense ruby eyes. She tossed her head and he heard something escape her, something that sounded like a plea. He smirked and started striping her clothes from her.
He noticed how she eagerly sat up and allowed him to remove her simple white cotton shirt. It was billowy and loose, and it was frustrating Vol in a way he'd never realized clothing could frustrate. He growled low in his throat and grabbed the front, popping buttons off as he removed it, rather forcefully. He heard her gasp and then groan, rubbing herself against him where he held her lifted against him. He looked over her bare upper half and savored her.
She was arched like a bow, her head lying on the pillows on the bed while Vol's large hand held the small of her back, keeping her lower half close to his. She was baring herself to him, allowing him access to her. With another growl, he leaned down, gently running his tusks along her bare skin. He watched chills race over her bare skin and chuckled. He heard her croon again and knew then why the baby was so fond of the noise. He rubbed his face against her soft skin before rolling his head just enough to take one breast into his mouth, his tongue caressing the nipple.
She bit back a scream as he did; her breasts were still extremely sensitive from the baby's feedings. Through passion narrowed eyes, she regarded her soon to be lover. His wild, flamboyant mohawk was as alert as ever, the beads and feathers she'd seen only when he was sleeping showing. She'd even woven a few things in his hair herself. And they were still there, she noticed.
Her narrowed eyes took in his face as they perused his person. He had a strong, handsomely built face with lines of gold and black tribal art on it. It was similar to the paint he'd put on her when they'd first met Bakkura. His nose was only slightly shorter than most trolls she'd encountered, but she thought it was cute.
His tusks were not as large as Zin'thraze's, or some of the trolls she'd seen in Dalaran. They were nicely curled, just enough to show he was out of his adolescence, but not enough that he seemed old. Without warning, she reached up and caressed his tusks, one of which seemed to be chipped, now that she looked at it. She heard a rumbling noise and noticed that, like the cat he had tamed as his companion, he was purring. She ran her hands from his tusks to his lips, where she traced a small cut. She made a noise before leaning up to kiss his wound. She licked it and then suckled it, causing him to moan.
The scent of his blood filled her and she looked him over with eyes that were decidedly feline. She ran her hands from his neck, down his chest and to his abdomen. She caressed him and he felt himself melting against her gentle touch. His mind became clouded as she caressed him and, before he knew it, he found himself on his back. He looked up at her with shocked ruby red eyes as she sat up on him, straddling him intimately. He watched as she closed her eyes and held up her hands. His eyes widened in shock when he noticed the green light she was molding between her hands.
When she opened her eyes again, they were that bright fluorescent blue/white. She reached down with light encased hands and ran them over his body. He noticed the stinging and the pain ease and felt his skin closing. The ache in his head disappeared and the throbbing in his jaw and tusks tapered off.
He watched as she leaned down, her eyes still glowing, and took his mouth with hers. She growled and the light disappeared, leaving only his wild little huntress astride him. As she kissed him, she ran her hands all over his chest, as if checking him over again. She purred when she found him whole once more and he felt her hands clench in his simple linen shirt before it was shredded, lying useless in her hands. She threw it to the floor and turned those blazing eyes back to him. This time, they were the ice blue orbs of the human Ariella. She had a smirk on her lips as she leaned down, her bare chest pressing against his.
He heard her moan as he hissed at the contact. Her nipples were pebbled against his hot skin, his naturally high body temperature affecting her body pleasantly. He could feel her hands on his chest, but one slipped down his chest to the band of his pants teasingly. He felt her fiddling with the latch of his pants and growled as he felt the single button pop open. He could feel the flush that raced up his face as even more blood rushed south. He could feel himself getting bigger the harder he got.
He opened one eye and looked at Ariella, who had a blush on her face as well, but her eyes were glazed with passion and love. She seemed to be enjoying herself as well. He watched her as she bent and started kissing his neck. He lifted his chin so she had more access. She kissed, nipped, and licked her way from his neck down to his chest, where she added the caresses of her hands. Vol had a hard time letting her do what she wanted. He wanted to explore her, but he wanted to give this to her.
Ariella was so focused on what she was doing she didn't see the affect she was having on Vol. However, that soon changed when her caresses and tongue found his abdomen. She heard his groan and looked up at him and how his muscles were tensed, his eyes hooded and staring at her intently. She noticed the large bulge in his tight leather pants and she crooned at him. That noise was all it took to set him off.
With a feral snarl, he flipped them over so that he was on top of her. His eyes blazed with passion as he ran his hands over her, careful not to hurt her. He eased her tight leather pants off and the linens she wore under them. He stared at her body for the first time and thought about the troll females that had tried to entice him to their beds with their bodies similarly bare. They'd been hairless down there, as they often walked around naked.
His little huntress, however, was as wild and natural as the lands he was born in. She had a neat thatch of hair that matched the hair on her head, if not a little darker. Her hips were wide, something he'd never noticed before. Good whelping hips. A purr ripped through him at the idea of her belly round and extended with his child. He remembered the arousal he'd felt when she'd stuffed her knapsack under her shirt to feign pregnancy. It returned to him now, tenfold, at the idea of actually whelping her.
He laid himself on his side beside her and rubbed his large three fingered hand over her waist, down her hips and to her womanhood. He noticed the flush that came to her face as he looked at her, touched her. He briefly wondered if she was a virgin, but that thought was quickly lost when his hands met wet, curly hair as he touched her.
He purred again at the feeling and carefully cupped her. She gasped and he looked at her as she watched what his hand did. Her blush increased as he used one finger to delve between the protective outer lips of her femininity. He noticed her body jerk as his finger played over her clit and a moan ripped from her lips, followed by gasping and panting. He gently strummed her clit a few times before he lowered his finger to her entrance. He gently started probing the tiny slit with his finger and heard her gasp. He looked at her face and noticed her eyes were wide with wonder and slight fear.
Again, he couldn't help but wonder if she was virgin to any man's touch and he was about to ask her when she spoke. "T-that seems…a bit large…" he smirked and rolled a bit, so that he was lightly lying on her, his hand playing with her. He purred at her and smiled.
"Troll be big, leetle Ori. Ah don wan huht muh leetle Ori. Mayke esiuh dis way." she still looked uncertain, but said nothing. He nuzzled her as he slowly started slipping his large finger inside her. He felt her breathing stop and knew she was slightly shocked by the size.
He inched the large appendage into her and he had to close his eyes at the feeling. She was tight. Tighter than anything he'd ever felt. He'd fooled around plenty of times, but he'd always stopped before it went any further than that. He'd been waiting to find his mate. He'd never admit he was inexperienced, but he was unique.
With a slight growl, he pushed his finger in all the way and watched her face as her eyelashes fluttered. She was unused to such a large object inside her. This made him smile. This would be a first for her. He slowly started moving it in and out, watching her expression as she writhed under him. He could feel the passage of his finger being eased the more and more he played with her.
He smiled and leaned down, his head right beside hers. "Leetle Ori sa sof…feuhl sa gud." he whispered to her. She moaned and he felt her passage ease a little more.
He watched her face as he continued to prepare her for their union. The utter pleasure on her face was flattering and he couldn't help but feel like he'd accomplished something. He continued until she was breathlessly pleading with him.
He watched as her body started twitching the closer she got to completion. Her thighs clenched around his arm several times, but he just watched her face. Her eyes fluttered, her back arched, she was panting, gasping…it made him feel extremely virile to have that affect on her without having actually consummated their relationship.
Suddenly, her eyes popped wide open and he knew she was about to fall over that precipice into oblivion. Gently, he took her lips in a kiss and held it as she screamed her orgasm to him. She whined, moaned, grunted…and he loved every minute of it. He withdrew his finger, bringing it to his mouth and sucking the juices from it. He noticed the bright red blush that came to her face and he smiled. However, he was more than ready to have her and she was more than ready to receive him.
Quickly, he removed his tight leather pants to show he wore nothing underneath. She didn't seem to notice, because she was still looking at his face. He smirked and laid himself on top of her and he noticed her eyes widen at the feel of him against her. She turned even redder and her breathing picked up again. He leaned down and tried to calm her. "Be okey, leetle Ori. Vol no huht…jus luv." He heard her gasp and look at him, her eyes dark with desire and uncertainty.
"You…you…love me?" she asked, insecurity lining her face and voice. Vol couldn't help but chuckle.
"Vol don ben luvin Ori fo long tiuhm. Meh tinks mehbeh befo ah know muhsel." He whispered to her. He felt the shiver go through her and was shocked when she wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly.
"I love you too Vol. I don't know when it happened, but it did." she whispered to him and he felt his heart soar with joy. He felt the rhythm of his homeland beating through his veins and a wildness he'd never known before. He wanted to take this woman, mark her as his, and dare anyone to try and take her from him.
With that wildness coursing through his veins, he positioned himself and started to press into her. She gasped as she felt his thickness being pressed into her and tightened her grip on his shoulders. He was too big…she couldn't take him…she started shaking her head. "Vol…t-too big…it's too big…" she whimpered.
Her soft cries broke his daze and he looked down at her. There was pain on her face and he withdrew slightly. He knew it would be a tight fit, but he truly believed she was made for him. He would fit; they just had to find the right position.
He finally pulled out completely and laid down on top of her, nuzzling her. "Ori…Vol and Ori mates…mayde fo won annudah. Mates fine way." he whispered and flipped her over onto her stomach.
He positioned her to where her butt was in the air and he couldn't help the rumble of pleasure that went through him. He leaned down so he was pressed to her back. He rested his forearms on the bed, her arms resting on the bed pressed against the outsides of his. His head was over her left shoulder, whispering comforting things to her. Very gently, he started easing into her. Her eyes widened as she felt him again, but this time he seemed even bigger.
However, it didn't seem nearly as painful as the other way, so she let him ease into her slowly. She whimpered as she felt him stretching her and bit her lip at the uncomfortable burning she felt. However, she yelped when he was in far enough to reach her hymen. She felt him tense up then. Tears were pricking her eyes as she looked at him over her shoulder.
"V-vol…what-" she didn't get to finish as he suddenly thrust his hips forward quickly. She screamed and crumpled to the bed, pain flashing through her. She could hear him whispering, almost as if to himself, though her pain clouded mind couldn't process the words.
"Vuhgin…muh leetle Ori be vuhgin…" he whispered over and over, though in his mind, there were many things going on. He was crowing with triumph…no man had touched her this way…she was his and only his. She'd been blushing because she'd never allowed a man this far with her. He was her first and, he swore with everything in him, he'd be her last. This was his sanctuary…a place only he would be allowed to worship her.
He noticed the painful heap she was in and held still, not wanting to hurt her further. He nuzzled her and purred to her like Atal'zin does when she wants to comfort him. This seemed to stir her slightly. A moan slipped from her lips and she started pushing back against him.
With a growl of passion, he started pushing forward, not really pulling out, but rather just a sway of the hips, pushing him into her further. He felt her arms tense as her fists clenched in the sheets on their bed. She pushed back against him, their hips just swaying a few times.
It wasn't until she growled at him that he started a slow, rhythmic thrusting. He was gentle with her, taking care not to get overly passionate with her virgin body. He could hear her moans and it spurred him on, causing him to go a little faster, without thrusting any harder.
He could feel her muscles around him, holding him tightly. As tight as she felt to him, he must be more than a little uncomfortably big to her. However, she didn't seem to mind and just moaned as he continued his gentle thrusting.
He worshipped her body slowly, whispering things to her that would sometimes cause her to gasp and blush or other times cause the muscles surrounding him to tighten, almost unbearably. However, it was she who surprised him with a sudden hard thrust back against him.
He felt a flutter as her muscles tightened over his shaft and he gasped, unsure what was going on. Suddenly, she did it again…one quick, hard thrust backwards against him. She gasped and moaned, making it hard for him to control himself.
He could hear the blood thundering in his ears and could feel the pull of the rhythm of his nature, but he tried to restrain himself. However, that restraint snapped when she whispered to him. "I can feel it…I can feel the wildness…the rhythm…I…I want it…" all thought fled him and he started pounding into her wildly.
He could hear her screams, the way it sounded like she was singing to him. He felt her flesh slapping his, her muscles gripping him so tightly he was sure it would eventually kill him. He could feel her nails digging into his arms, her soft bottom pressing back against his hardness…and then he felt nothing. He felt weightless, like he was freefalling.
He absently heard her scream and the clamping of her muscles around him so tightly it was almost painful. How her muscles milked him, greedy for whatever he could give them. He could feel his hips thrust spasmodically as he came, his warmth filling her so completely that a little dripped down. He could feel her body drawing him deeper into her, almost like it was trying to make them one person.
And then he felt the weakness and exhaustion hit him. It was all he could do not to fall on top of her and crush her. He could feel her muscles still squeezing around him and looked at her face, the utter rapture there. A smile came to his face as he watched her.
Ariella was shocked…she'd never known such a thing existed. Sure, she'd heard Suri talk about having orgasms, but she'd never known this was what they were like. Or perhaps this is just what they were like with Vol. She could feel him, deep inside her, his warmth filling her.
She absently felt something rolling down the back of her thigh, but the utter pleasure she felt drowned everything else out. She felt like she was flying. Like she could conquer anything, do anything, be anything she wanted. And most of all, she felt loved. She could feel her muscles around him and wondered what would happen if she…
She got her answer when her troll gasped and she felt another pulse inside her, hot and powerful, and the dripping sensation down the back of her thigh becoming more prominent. She heard him say something in Zandali and she smiled, looking at him from where she was pressed against the bed. His eyes were squeezed shut and he was shuddering.
This filled her with pride and she sighed in satisfaction. She laid her head down on the bed and nuzzled the pillows tiredly. She felt a growl on her back and looked back over her left shoulder to see him kissing her left shoulder.
"Dat mean leetle Ori. Vol no rehdeh fo dat…no use tah da preshah." she smiled in feline satisfaction and stretched her body, making him moan as the muscles around him tightened slightly. She could see him fighting for control and she smirked. She twitched her hips slightly and she heard him choke, warmth filling her again. She crooned and circled her hips, helping to ease him. She felt him gasping against her shoulder and his hands holding her still.
"Ori…" he growled and she couldn't help but giggle. He'd done such delicious things to her body and this was her revenge.
She felt him pull from her and she felt instantly bereft. She missed him already. She stayed on her stomach, watching him from the curtain of her mussed up hair. She watched his hunched form reach down and nab his pack, which he brought back up and dug through. He came back with a small pot, water, and a small piece of cloth. She watched as he gently turned her over and spread her legs.
She blushed, but said nothing. She suddenly felt the cold cloth against her and yelped. She looked at him and noticed the amusement in his eyes and she growled at him. He chuckled and shook his head, but continued to gently clean the blood from her thighs.
When she was cleaned, he opened the small pot and dipped his finger in. A clear salve coated his hand and he reached down, gently applying it. She hissed at the slight burning, but he kissed her knee and explained what he was doing. "Ori small…dis heal dah teah dat Vol mayke." she said nothing, knowing he wanted to pamper her after what they'd done.
She just let him, watching him carefully as he put the stuff away and then stretched his body over hers, his head on her chest, his fingers caressing her stomach. She knew exactly what he was thinking and wondered about it herself. However, a knock on their door had Vol on his feet, pants on and a dagger in hand.
Ariella managed to slip a long sleeping shirt on and cover her lower half with the sheets. She noticed the bloodstain and flipped the large black coverlet overtop it right as Vol opened the door. She heard him grunt and he put the dagger on the nightstand before walking back towards her.
Bakkura walked in, child in hand, and shut the door behind him. Ariella could see the light blush on his face and wondered if he'd heard them being intimate. His advice made her blush brightly when he finally managed to speak.
"I suggest a safe place before you two do that again." he cleared his throat and then took the baby over to Ariella. The baby was whimpering and when it was only a few feet from Ariella, it started crying. She took the baby, who seemed to recognize her scent, because it stopped crying and immediately nuzzled against her breast, hungry. With a smile, she looked up at Bakkura.
He seemed to understand, especially with the way Vol was now looking at him, as if telling him to get out. Respecting the troll's rights to Ariella as her mate, Bakkura patted her head and left, shutting the door behind him. When he was gone, Ariella pulled the nightshirt off and brought the baby to her breast. It latched on and started feeding, making little cooing noises as it did. Ariella looked up and noticed Vol watching, seemingly fascinated. She patted the bed beside her and smiled.
With only a little hesitation, he walked over to her and sat down, his eyes never leaving the nursing child. He watched the baby's four fingered hands knead his mate's breast. He felt a bit of anger well up in him at the thought of something touching her other than him, but reminded himself that this was a baby…a baby Ariella had adopted as her own. Which would make the baby his as well.
That thought brought a purr out and he reached down, cupping her other breast in his hand as he watched the infant boy feed. Ariella gasped at the feel of his hands on her while the infant fed. It was like he was marking her as his, but also that only the baby could touch her there aside from him. She said nothing, just closed her eyes and started humming as the baby filled its small belly.
When the baby's hands stopped kneading, she opened her eyes and found the small, light blue boy sleeping. She wondered when he'd open his eyes and look at her and then wondered if the reason he didn't was because he couldn't. This worried her and she ran her fingers over the small ridges that would be his eyebrows one day.
The baby looked human, except for the blue tinted skin and long ears. He had dark hair with a red tint and four fingers. Not five like a human, or in his real mother's case a night elf, nor three like a troll, but four. He was also big for no older than he was. He'd been smaller when Vol had brought him to her and now, he looked like a human child of eight months or more.
She slowly unwrapped the blanket from around him, sure that the warmth of the room would keep him sleeping. He was curled up with his knees close to his chest and he had two toes on his little feet. She could tell his diaper had recently been changed and smiled at the thought of Bakkura having changed the child. He must have gotten diapers and pins from Gilly.
What made her face crinkle was the fact the baby had no clothing…only the dirty, travel worn blanket Vol had found him in. She looked at the blanket and then at their sheets. She arched a brow and lifted the baby enough so that she could pull the nasty blanket out from under him.
She then stood up and handed the baby to Vol, who had stood up when she'd unwrapped the baby. He looked down at the mostly naked baby and smirked. The baby was sleeping, it's small-at least for a troll it was small-fists curled on either side of its face.
Vol watched as Ariella stripped the sheets from their bed and balled them up, taking the baby's blanket with her. She threw them in a pile and went to her pack, grabbing fresh clothes. She then went to the basin in their room and washed herself. He noticed with pride that she moved only a little stiffly as she washed and put her clothing on.
He also noticed her strapping small pieces of armor to herself. She looked at him, and the confusion on his face, and she chuckled. "I never go around without my armor on. Only around you." she gave him a sly wink and finished putting her armor on. She slipped her dagger into her boot and reached back to pull her hair up. Instead of putting it up, she pulled it to the side and started braiding it.
Vol watched in wonder as a waist length braid appeared where wild, tangled of hair had just been. She tied it off and smiled over at him. "I'm going to wash these. I don't know about you, but I'm not sleeping on bloody sheets and I refuse to put him back in this blanket until it's been cleaned." Vol nodded and turned the baby until it was leaning up against his shoulder, its face against his neck. He then picked up the bundle with one hand and looked at her.
"Leetle Ori go fuhst. Ah folla." Ariella smiled and nodded, gathering up their dirty clothes while she was at it. She opened the door and walked out, Vol right behind her. Before she forgot, she sat their clothing down and turned to him, her hands going to his pants. He arched a brow, a gleam in his eyes, until she arched a brow back and buttoned his pants, hiding him from view. He seemed confused until she blushed brightly and turned away from him.
"That part of you is just for me to see. I don't want others looking at you the way I do." Vol blinked a few times before he let out a joyous laugh. She wanted him all to herself and that was her way of blocking others from seeing him. He then remembered what she'd said earlier, about how she never went without armor unless they were alone. It made his heart swell that she trusted him like that.
They made their way down through the town, which reminded him of a mixture between Booty Bay and the number of other goblin towns he'd seen. He also saw many people from both the horde and the alliance here. None of them gave him a friendly stare. Instead, they seemed disgusted with him for following Ariella, and some sneered at him when they caught sight of the baby.
One orc stepped out in front of them, his armor gleaming and his eyes full of hatred. "Why are you following a human like an obedient dog? Are you a slave?" he noticed Ariella stiffen, but just shrugged at the orc.
"Leetle human female…ah folla fo da view." he replied in orcish. The orc's eyes widened and he looked at Ariella, as if just noticing she was female. The orc also noticed she was wearing tight clothing and armor. His lips twisted into a leering smirk.
"I can see why you would willingly follow a female such as this." Vol's eyes narrowed on the orc and he stepped up behind Ariella, who didn't like the way the orc was looking at her.
"An huh be muh mate. Ah folla tah pro'tet huh. Don mayke da mistayke uh tinkin ah don know ya be lookin fo. Ah keel ya fo ya huht huh." he made the warning count as he called out the pet he'd hidden, even from Ariella. It was a huge black wolf that growled from the shadows, its golden eyes glowing dangerously. "Zul!" he called the large wolf over to them. It was almost as tall as Ariella herself. Ari's eyes widened as she saw the wolf curl its lip at the orc.
With a vicious smile, Vol put his hand on Ariella's head and turned her face into his chest, which was bare. The baby was still on his shoulder, sleeping away obliviously. "Stay way from muh famly an Ah stay way from ya. Uddahwise, we gon see who win." he picked Ari up and put her on the back of the large wolf and then handed her the baby. She took him without a word and Vol took all the laundry.
She sat, side saddle, on the large wolf as they walked past the various orcs, trolls, and blood elves. She also saw a few humans, gnomes, and dwarves talking quietly among themselves. She knew what they were saying. They were wondering why a troll would protect her from an orc. If only they knew.
Ari was sleeping soundly, Vol curled up around her back and the baby in her arms. The baby stirred and she shushed him, sending him back to sleep. In her half sleeping state, she saw something in their room. She reached back and touched Vol's arm, but he seemed awake already. She curled herself into him, using her own body to shield the baby from whatever was there. She saw the figure dart into another shadow as the moon shown into their room.
Ari felt Vol tense as the figure crept closer, a dagger visible in its hand. Before either could react, something distracted all three. Suddenly, a struggle broke out between the figure that had been creeping around and something else. Ariella sat bolt upright in bed, clutching the baby to her. The baby heard the noise and turned its face into her shoulder, whimpering.
Ari held Vol's arm as he attempted to join the fray. Several minutes later, a grunt was heard and a thud, and the figure that had been sneaking towards them with a dagger was lying on the floor, bound and gagged.
Ari looked at the figure that stood over the would-be assassin and gasped. Standing there was a tall, black haired man. He appeared human, but at the same time he didn't. He had a flat black eye and his black hair covered the other. His face from his nose down was hidden in a red cowl that was tucked into a black leather cape-like thing. She wasn't sure what he was wearing, but she recognized the voice when he spoke.
"Ariella, I would have thought that you were smarter than that." tears welled up in her eyes and she smiled, a true smile that lit up the room.
"By the gods…it is you!" she hurriedly handed the baby to a confused Vol'rokh and stumbled off the bed. She threw her arms around the tall male and actually picked him up. "Stealth!" she giggled girlishly and put him down, at his adamant insistence.
Vol watched the male's eye softened slightly, until it landed on him. It was still as emotionless as before, but there was something in Vol telling him this man did not quite approve of him. Ari seemed to notice too, because she jabbed him in the side, making the tall, thin rogue grunt. "Don't be lookin at Vol like that Stealth. He's not Horde, so you can't kill him. You try, and I'll remind you why I was the leader of Deus Helios." that seemed to cut through the male's hostility like a knife.
"That's actually why I'm here, Ari. Vallinius has put a bounty on you." Ari gasped and took a step back. Stealth crossed his arms over his chest, his eye narrowed. "Ariella Nicolette…I have known you since you were in diapers. There's no way in hell I would ever hand you over to a piece of kodo shit like Vallinius." Ari giggled and shook her head.
"I didn't think you would. It was just a surprise. Bakkura told me I had a price on my head from the Horde, but now I have one from my own guild." she shook her head more and looked to see the surprise in Stealth's eye…and the blush on his face.
"B-Bakkura's here?" the man stuttered, a light pink dusting his cheeks. Vol arched a brow while Ariella went on, oblivious.
"Yes, his guild drove him out because he healed me when one of his guild mates tried to kill me. Instead, I killed the nasty undead and protected my little one." she beamed, as if seeking approval from this male. Just who was he that Ariella would seek his approval? As if reading his mind, Ari turned to Vol and smiled.
"Vol'rokh, this is one of my father's best friends. We call him Stealth…he gave up his real name a long time ago." Vol nodded at the other male, acknowledging him. So, Ariella had grown up around this man. That would explain the softness in the male's eyes when he looked at Ariella. Ari also seemed to respect the man, so he would show the man the same respect when they talked.
"Whacha mean dehre be a bunty on huh? Dis-" he screwed up his face and looked at Ariella, who giggled and shook her head. Her expression turned serious when she spoke, however.
"Vallinius…he was a guy that served under my father in Deus Helios. He's the man I fought after he messed with Suri. I beat him and became leader of Deus Helios. He was banished after that." She then went to the corner of the room where she'd taken the package she'd gotten when Vol had returned to her.
She walked over to Stealth, pain in her eyes. "I'm sorry Stealth…" she said as she handed the package to the man. He looked confused until the decayed skull fell out in his hand. His eye widened and then started bleeding red.
"Rorick…" he whispered and clenched his eye shut. His other hand clenched on the side of his face hidden behind his hair. An eerie red glow came from behind the curtain of hair and then the skull slowly turned to ash, blowing out the suddenly open window. When the man seemed to recover, he looked tense.
"I wondered what happened to him. He was the head of the faction in the guild that opposed Vallinius returning and taking over." he looked over at Ari, his eye seeming infinitely tired. "Just so you know, only seven people supported Vallinius…all of whom were older men that always felt a woman shouldn't lead a guild." Ari nodded and put her hand on his arm.
"I'm sorry about Rorick, Stealth. I know you two were really close." The man nodded and put his hand on top of her. Vol noticed the clawed gloves he wore with a mild interest.
"Maybe one day, I will tell you why. Right now, you need to listen to me." Ari nodded and sat on the bed, close to Vol. The rogue kicked their little night visitor and sat on its back, making it grunt.
"I came here to warn you when I found this rogue trying to break into your room. It's a blood elf, female from what I can tell. And she seemed intent on killing you, Ari." Ari arched a brow and nodded, telling him to go ahead.
"I came here to tell you that Vallinius has put a bounty on your head. He wants you out of the way. You know what that means." Ari nodded and touched her chest.
"It means Suri is now in danger as well. And Mikel." the stiffening in the rogue was the only indication he was shocked. Ari nodded and looked at him.
"Yes, Mikel is alive. After Vol and his brother Zin saved Suri and I from some Alliance foot soldiers, they split up. Vol and I headed towards Kamague and Suri and Zin towards Dalaran. Vol and I were sleeping in a cave when Mikel and his wife's little brother stumbled upon us. He didn't remember who he was. A man named Magnus found him wandering in the swamp." the rogue nodded, not asking any questions…yet.
"Then yes, both of them are now in danger, though I doubt Vallinius knows if your brother is alive. Regardless, he is adamant that you be found and brought to him, dead or alive. I have come, on behalf of those still loyal to you and your father, to warn you." Ariella nodded and regarded the rogue closely.
"Stealth, what do you think of the races of the Horde?" this time, the blush that popped up was beet red and very noticeable.
"What? What do you mean?" Ari arched a brow and looked at Vol, who was smirking.
"I mean, what do you feel when you see Horde? Do you hate them without a second thought, or do you just feel apathetic until they pick a fight with you?" she noticed the blush die slightly and then he seemed to be thinking.
"Horde are Horde, Ari. However, the races we associate with the Horde are not. Just because they are not human, or those allied with the humans, does not make them Horde. They are merely another race. You do not see me calling the Amani trolls Horde, or the Skullsplitters. Just as I do not call the Broken or the Dark Irons Alliance. They are different races; that is what it is to me. They are not Horde until they commit themselves to that faction with mindless killing. Same for those of the Alliance." Ari smiled and leaned back against Vol. She could feel his heart beating in a soothing rhythm and prepared herself for what she was about to ask Stealth to do.
"Stealth…Bakkura and I have been talking." she noticed the slight blush appear on the man's face and began to understand. There was a past between the two…there had to be. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She let it out and opened them again, looking at her old friend with serious eyes.
"Bakkura and I have decided to form our own faction. We will welcome all races equally. We will be breaking away from the Alliance and Horde, respectively." they heard the gasp from the elf under Stealth and noticed Stealth's wide, shocked eye.
"Ariella…do you know what happens to those that break away from the Alliance? From the Horde? Do both of you understand what you are doing?" His voice was cautiously neutral. Ariella sighed and nodded.
"I know the dangers to mother and father, Stealth. But I will not put Vol in danger, and I know he will not place me in similar danger. Bakkura is tired of the conflict, and frankly, so am I. For me, there is only one enemy…one evil…and that's Arthas and his scourge. These last few days, I've been talking to Havald. He's already offered us Haven as our base, as long as he gets a say in the workings of the new faction. We will offer to be allies to both Horde and Alliance, making ourselves neutral." Stealth listened and watched Ari as she outlined what they planned to do and how things would work. Finally, he sighed and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Even if you do offer to be neutral, there's no guarantee that either will accept your offer. You'll have to give them something they want really badly to make them accept you." he stiffened slightly at the vicious smile on Ariella's face.
"We've already got that planned out, Stealth. Don't worry…that part of this is handled. Now, what I need for you to do is talk to those loyal to me and my father. See how many would be willing to ally themselves with me in a neutral faction that governs itself." Stealth nodded and looked down at the elf beneath him. He pointed to her.
"What do you want to do with her?" Ari smirked as she recognized the blonde elf that had hit on Vol in Kamagua.
"I'll send her to Gelkin as a gift. I'm sure he'll become even more enchanted with her than he ever did with me. However, we need to fix that nasty little attitude of hers first." Ariella went to the door and walked out. Seconds later, she came back in with Gilly, Havald and Bakkura. Bakkura stopped in his tracks upon seeing Stealth. Stealth, for his part, was fighting a blush. Neither man could look the other in the eyes.
When asked why, Bakkura smirked and leaned against the frame of the door. "Ganking gone wrong." was all he said. It was all they needed to say as Stealth turned even redder and turned his back to them.
Ari shook her head and took something from Havald and walked over to Stealth. He got up and pulled the little elf to her feet. Ari reached out and snapped a collar around the girl's neck. The blood elf tried to kick her, but she suddenly received a shock. She gasped and fell to the floor, twitching. Ari arched a brow and looked over at Havald, who shrugged.
"Gelkin made them. Said it would be an effective way to keep the more violent visitors from fighting. We've only had to use them once." there was a smirk on his face as he and Gilly walked out. Ari sat down in front of the little blood elf and went over the orchish that Vol had been teaching her.
"No violence. Collar shock when you try hurt someone. Be nice and no shock." the little elf glared up at her, but did nothing. Ari nodded and walked over to Vol, taking the baby from him. Vol flopped back on the bed, his eyes half hooded. He looked at Ariella, his eyes pleading for her to crawl back in with him. She giggled and nodded. Before she did, however, she looked at Bakkura.
"Stealth is going to be my communicator with Deus Helios. You need to contact yours. Oh, and can you take this little gift to Gelkin on your way out? Vol and I wish to go back to sleep." Bakkura nodded and smirked over at Stealth, who blushed and turned away.
"It's good to see you again…Stealth." Bakkura walked over to the little elf and picked her up like a sack of potatoes as he put her on his shoulder. He gave Stealth a nudge as he looked over at Vol and Ari. "Why don't you and I go catch up and let these two get some sleep. You're not heading out tonight are you?" Ari noticed how Stealth blushed again and stared death at her uncle.
"I had planned on it…but I guess it would be rude to leave after you actually asked something of me this time." he grumbled, his voice muffled by his red cowl. Bakkura laughed heartily and looked at the other male.
"You're not still sore are you? It was just a little fun…even if it was at your expense." he chuckled and Stealth turned even redder. He now matched his cowl.
"You are despicable, Bakkura." the rogue growled and looked away, going out ahead of the shaman. Bakkura laughed again and then waved at Ari and Vol.
"Night you two. We'll see you in the morning." with that, he hauled the elf out and shut the door behind him, leaving the two of them in peace. Vol wrapped his arms around her and the two of them snuggled down to sleep. It was going to be a long week.
TBC…