This story has been bouncing around in my head since... well, since it was roleplayed. I needed to write it down and get it out. :)
Takes place during early The Burning Crusade.
Thank you for reading. Enjoy!
The midday rush was in full when Apsara stepped through the high arching front gates of Silvermoon, trying to get her bearings in the mass of blood elves, Forsaken, occasional Tauren and the rare orc. She quickly patted her light blue robes to get the dust of the road off them and adjusted her magical pouches, trying to remember which way she'd been instructed to go.
Above the heads of the crowd she could see the beautiful pale marble walls of the high buildings, their intricate detailing done in shades of gold, dark red and green. True to the blood elven style several magical trees, frozen in perpetual autumn with their leaves bright orange and golden yellow, stood guard by buildings and were displayed as center pieces in plazas that were popular meeting places for the population. Stone arches that connected the buildings loomed above the heads of the market-goers, colorful banners hanging everywhere.
The young priestess glanced left and right, and chose to continue down the paved walkway towards east, not bothering to dodge the crowd, but demanding space every step – and many stepped out of her way trying to avoid causing a conflict with whichever family this seemingly noble blood elf came from. Apsara kept her jet black, waist-long hair tied back with an ornate metallic accessory that carried the Elenn family seal. She'd dressed in the robes of a novice priestess, but kept most of her magical trinkets richly on display, making certain that whoever thought about crossing her would think so twice. Even though the young blood elf was slight of build and seemed to barely be of age, to a passerby she had almost a royal look to her, with her determined gaze staring ahead with an intensity of someone who knew exactly what she needed to do.
She passed a group of emissaries and heard a nasal voice above the crowd complaining. "Enough of this roundabout tour of yours! This is certainly no way to treat Lady Sylvanas's emissary!"
Apsara glanced the group's way and saw a flustered Forsaken glaring at a coolly calm, tall blood elf man who merely crossed his arms and replied "The Lord Regent will see you as soon as his time allows. Now, as I was saying, this way we have... " The tour guide turned on his heels, leaving the already-thin Forsaken looking deflated in his wake.
With a slight chuckle Apsara continued her way, following the map she'd memorized. The midday sun was burning down with full force, and the priestess was glad to enter the shade under an arched dome, a walkway along which several blood elves were chatting and displaying their magical wares. Her heeled sandals clicked against the polished stone, causing more than one person look at her way, often with a glance of calculating hunger.
Ignoring the obvious greed of the street peddlers, she walked past them and ignored their hoots and calls, heading straight for a room at the end of the shaded walkway. As she walked the edge of The Royal Exchange, she smiled to herself. She had been looking forward to being allowed to head out without any of her family members around her, and the freedom was intoxicating.
In the distance she heard clinking sounds and loud chatter, which hinted to her that she was going in the right direction. Apsara saw two blood elf men leaning over a table on which several large gemstones and pieces of metal were meticulously sorted, and obviously they were trying to come to an agreement about something with each other. They didn't see or hear her over the din caused by one of the men hitting a long, glittery strip of metal with a hammer so the priestess decided to enter unannounced. She took a deep breath and stepped over the threshold, eyeing the room with curiosity. The soft glow of tens fist-sized hanging magical globes lit up the room, and many intricate tools hung on the walls of the jewelsmith's workshop. In the back of the room Apsara saw a beautifully carved ramp leading to a loft above the working space.
Just as she was about to raise her voice to greet the men, a small explosion caused the strip of metal shatter into little pieces, and both of the jewelsmiths groaned in unison.
"Why would you do that?! That piece was commissioned to be ready TODAY!" The blood elf who spoke glared at his companion. His short, blond hair was shaped as little spikes which gave Apsara an impression of an angry hedgehog. His counterpart, the short blood elf with the hammer, who had his red-tinted hair hanging loosely to his shoulders, stared helplessly at what he'd done.
Apsara cleared her throat and the two men whirled to face her.
"I did not mean to interrupt your chat, but... am I looking at Millon Brightblade and Nel Silvercut?" She asked, ignoring the half-startled, half-angry stares.
"Millon Brightblade at your service, my lady...?" Answered the blonde-haired one, quickly bowing to her.
"Apsara Elenn." She replied, smiling at Nel charmingly. "I was enrolled here by my mother".
"Of course. Lady Sathira told us to expect you!" The man Apsara expected to be Nel chimed in, quickly putting down the hammer and stealing a guilty glance at the smoking strip of metal. Millon muffled a groan and mentioned Nel to clean up the mess.
"Good. Then you know I'm planning on enrolling here. But I dare hope that a single dust enchantment won't prove too difficult a challenge for my tutor..." Apsara chuckled and saw Millon bristle, and Nel blush.
"Absolutely not, my lady. However, today I'm afraid we have our hands full. If I may be so direct, would you consider to stay at the inn tonight… " The jewelsmith hesitated for a moment as he calculated just how much of this embarrassing fiasco would get back to Sathira Elenn, who was a major client of his. "On our costs of course - and come back for an orientation tomorrow?" Millon continued, his face a mask of politeness, though Apsara was quite certain the proud smith was swallowing down an angry comment or two. Nel was already trying to frantically gather more materials to try and rescue this doomed project.
She pursed her lips, looking at the frantic smith's assistant and the flustered smith himself, and finally nodded. "Certainly. I would not want to disturb your work."
Millon bowed again, glancing at Nel. "You'll find the closest inn down the street. Just mention my name and you will find suitable accommodations, my lady."
Apsara turned around, chuckling slightly, and stepped back out of the softly lit room into the dark hallway. Behind her she heard Nel and Millon continuing their noisy discussion, completely having forgotten the priestess for the time being. She had barely taken ten steps towards the plaza of Royal Exchange when she heard a low, soft voice from the shadows.
"Well met, lady Apsara."
The priestess froze in her tracks, her heart suddenly pounding in her chest. With a conscious effort she took a deep breath and forced herself to relax. It wasn't likely an assassin-to-be would announce themselves before killing her, after all. "It seems you have the advantage. You know my name, but I don't know yours." she said, glancing around.
From the shadows of a pillar stepped a male blood elf, full head and a half taller than the slight priestess. He wore a casual city dweller's outfit – a loose white blouse, dark brown pants and a pair of black leather boots, but there was nothing casual about his battle-ready posture or the way he carried himself. His long silver hair was tied back into an elegant ponytail behind his back that reached his shoulder blades, and a couple of strands that escaped that ponytail framed his angular face. Sharp cheekbones, well-groomed goatee, narrowed eyes and hawkish nose further pronounced his strict look. He had a single golden loop hanging from his right ear, she noted with a degree of fascination.
"I'm Baile." He stopped several steps from her, looking Apsara in the eyes.
"Well met. Is there something I can help you with?" She asked, noting that her hand had unconsciously gone to a magic pouch hanging from her belt. She slowly relaxed her hands, willing them to hang in a relaxed manner at her sides. The pouch contained her wand, the most easily-reached piece of offensive equipment in her repertoire without calling on her magic, but attacking someone simply because they startled her would not be tolerated by the city's golem guardians.
"In this case the question is how I will help you, lady." Baile noted with slight amusement in his tone.
"I don't-" Apsara started.
"No, you don't. Turns out I'm a glorified bodyguard." The tall elf said, interrupting her. His eyes flicked down and up again, as if appraising Apsara. She felt incredible uncomfortable under that gaze and before she knew it, she shifted her weight from leg to another.
Apsara raised her eyebrows, annoyed. "Why is that?"
The tall elf took a casual step closer. "Request from your honored mother. We know each other a way back."
Apsara wasn't quite sure whether to believe this tall stranger. "I have certainly not discussed the need for that with my... honored mother, lord Baile." she snapped.
Baile crossed his muscular arms, tilting his head as if he were amused at the idea of having to play a bodyguard. "The world is a dangerous place. You will need my help." he stated in a tone that implied he would accept no counter argument, a small smile forming on his lips.
Fuming, Apsara tried to gather her thoughts. She had a feeling that he was speaking the truth, but if her mother thought about pairing her up with this one against her will and in secret from her, she'd be sorely mistaken. Her choices of bodyguards would be her own to make. "I absolutely will not, lord Baile! Moreover, my mother entrusted my safety to myself when she let me leave the Elenn manor. I am an adult now!"
Suddenly Baile stepped right up to her and grabbed her wrist firmly. The grip on Apsara's wrist was cold (why had did he have such cold hands?) and unyielding, and despite Apsara's protests, he started leading her down the hallway, pulling her through a doorway into a sizeable side alcove. Something akin to a cold jolt traveled up her arm.
Those kind of alcoves were the quiet spaces in the city, Apsara remembered her sisters and mother telling her, as she recovered from the shock of his touch. The alcove was furnished with a table and two chairs on one side, and in the center a small arrangement of purple floor pillows had been laid on a lush carpet that covered most of the floor of the room. The room was lit up by a pale blue chandelier hanging from the low ceiling.
Baile let go of her and indicated one of the large floor pillows that were arranged around a central table.
"Have a seat. We need to have a little chat."
Shocked, Apsara obeyed. She plopped down unceremoniously and rubbed her cold wrist in circular motions to warm it up again, while Baile walked to the other side of the room.
"I know what you are thinking, lady Apsara. Regardless how it may seem, I apologize for leading you here like that. I realize that might not be the best of starts." Baile admitted, finally settling to lean against the wall, seemingly more at ease in the shadows. "However, the 'instructions'... " he almost growled the word, as if he didn't like it, "were entirely clear to me. I am not to let you from my sight. And I am to protect you from any harm."
Apsara opened and closed her mouth in an attempt to voice her thoughts. Anger was rising in her now, redness creeping down her pointed ears and towards her face. Sathira had simply given her instructions about things she should do before the end of the summer, handed her a coin pouch and supplies for her journey, wherever she decided to go to spread her wings with her spare time. Thinking back to the moment, her mother had indeed seemed a bit too agreeable in the doorway of the Elenn manor, waving her goodbye with her usual mysterious smile.
"And that is what I am going to do." Baile finished his statement, locking gazes with Apsara.
"And you feel like it's your right to drag your client around like a 2 silver sack of potatoes? I did not think so!" Apsara finally retorted, knowing that her emotions were easy to read from her face. Embarrassment. Anger. Frustration. She felt it all, and she thought she had been silly to believe she would be allowed into the wide world alone.
Baile burst into laughter - the kind that grated on Apsara's nerves worse than her tutor's nails on a chalkboard back home. She shot the other elf a haughty glare from her floor pillow.
"Now that's a daughter of Sathira if I ever saw one!" he finished with a final chortle, his laughter still echoing off the cold stone walls. Some of his pent-up anger had seemed to disappear with that bout of laughter.
Finally having had enough of being ridiculed by this stranger, Apsara stood up, turning towards the door. "I have enough of your condescending attitude, lord Baile." She spat out the words. "Let my mother know I'll be finding my own bodyguard!" she started, taking a step towards the door opening.
Quicker than she thought possible, Baile was next to her, grabbing her wrist again – this time painfully instead of gently. His grip was frosty iron – unyielding, uncompromising, unwavering and almost unnaturally cold. "I have had enough of you not listening to me." He rumbled in warning as he leaned closer to Apsara, forcing her to look up at him – straight into those glowing green eyes. "The discussion is over. I'm your bodyguard, like it or not." He let her go, almost as if embarrassed by this emotional outburst, and took a step back.
Baile then lowered his eyes and bowed. "Please accept my apology." His body was rigid and stiff – it was clear the gesture didn't come naturally to him, but he was making a monumental effort to appear subordinate.
Apsara stared at him, dumbfounded. She considered her options while absent-mindedly rubbing her wrist again. Could she ditch this annoying elf by playing a submissive maiden? It was worth a try.
She drew a deep breath and sighed, conjuring an agreeable expression on her face. "Very well. I'll accept your companionship. Make sure you don't get in the way."
Baile straightened out and gestured her to lead on, his face unreadable. She was barely a step away when she felt Baile fall in step behind her and heard him murmur "And don't try running off. I'm pretty good at what I do."
Apsara tensed, cursing herself inwardly. It's as if Baile heard her every thought! She thought she heard a chuckle when she stomped on towards the inn. Crossing the wide plaza of Royal Exchange with her new bodyguard in tow, she hardly had the time or the energy to admire the beauty of Silvermoon. Enchanted brooms swept away at the nonexistent street dust, startling a black cat that lounged in the shade of the tree as they passed.
The duo entered the inn and Baile motioned Apsara to take a place at the bar. "I will take care of the rooms," he offered and marched off before she could get a word in edgewise. She shook her head but did as bade, sitting down on a bar stool and ordering herself a cool glass of sweetened water. The barkeep, a long-haired brunette, but otherwise plain sin'dorei, kept shooting sidelong glances at Baile as he talked with the innkeep. She watched him smile in a truly friendly way with the innkeep and clasp wrists with him like old comrades. The innkeep smiled in response and nodded as Baile turned to walk to the priestess.
Apsara quickly averted her gaze and turned back to her drink. Baile came to a halt next to her and sat on a chair next to hers.
The barkeep flashed a white-toothed smile as he sat down. "And what would you like, sir?" she inquired in a sweet tone.
Baile leaned forward, smiling back at the woman. "Might I have a glass of Suntouched Special Reserve?" he asked sweetly – almost deceptively sweetly! – as he rested his elbows on the bar.
The barkeep's face blanched and her eyes flicked towards the innkeep. "I'll.. have to see if there's still a bottle of it somewhere" she replied as she folded away her rag. "I'll be right back." She hurried away, frantically trying to locate the bottle of the mysterious liquor Apsara had never heard of.
"Well then, lady Apsara." Baile started, turning back to her. His overly sweet demeanor had gone back to cool politeness. "What is our plan?"
Apsara put her glass down on the counter. "Well, I do have a bit of a … task list before I am officially free to do what I will until the end of the summer." She replied, running her thumb over the edge of the glass and avoiding Baile's intense gaze.
Her trip would take her from Silvermoon to Undercity with teleportation, and further dealings with the Forsaken were expected of her in the vicinity of Tarren Mill. The Elenn family had trade agreements and other duties to uphold, after all. Even when it was with the less than agreeable Forsaken. Apsara suppressed a shiver. And now with Baile in the mix, she was sure he'd be right behind her for each and every one.
"Lady Apsara, I'm a bodyguard, not a babysitter." Baile remarked with a touch of humor in his low voice.
The priestess turned her head to look at him. Her unease at his ability to seemingly divine her thoughts and intentions grew.
"I do understand Sathira has her... "He paused to look for a correct word."…requirements, but this trip is about your training, is it not?"
"Of course." Apsara nodded, curious. She tried to ignore the nagging feeling Baile knew more than he let on, without much success. Sooner or later she would have to know more about him to even the odds. "Are you a priest as well?"
"I am not." The tall elf replied curtly. He tapped his fingers against the smooth surface of the bar, his expression neutral.
Apsara frowned slightly. It did make sense that he'd maybe be a trained warrior, with his musculature, but he seemed quite reluctant to talk about the subject. How was he supposed to train her? She hoped he didn't expect her to act as his errand girl.
"I've been called… a paladin in the past." Baile added, his smile not quite reaching his eyes.
The priestess's frown deepened. Have been called? She thought to herself, too polite to breach the issue openly, as the barkeep returned with a bottle in tow. She hurried behind the counter to show the bottle to them.
"My deepest thanks." Baile graced her with one of his friendly smiles and handed off several clinking coins from his pocket. "We'll be enjoying this in the lounge."
The barkeep's smile faltered somewhat as she bent to retrieve two glasses form under the bar and hand them to Baile. She positively pouted as she watched them, especially Baile, leave the bar.
Apsara obediently followed as Baile left the bar and ascended a spiraling ramp to a loft that oversaw part of the bar. The loft was decorated in a traditional Silvermoon style with sheer drapes in shades of blue and purple, comfortable pillows, low chairs, overstuffed bookcases and small tables scattered about. Many sets of the drapes separated the different seating areas, creating a few more private enclosures in the area, while others were more open and meant for more people.
Baile chose a small, intimate area meant for two and put down the bottle and the glasses. He motioned her to sit in one of the low, comfortable chairs that had a small table in between them. Despite feeling suddenly intimidated by this strange elf, she found herself curious about him as well. There was a regal, controlled air about the man. Something refined, cultured and moreover, driven in his manner. His whole being commanded respect, and that was something Apsara had never seen in anyone.
An enchanted harp was plucking away a lazy, quiet melody in another seating area, filling the quiet between the two elves. Apsara unbuckled her magical pouches from her belt and laid them next to the chair before sitting down and making herself comfortable.
After the priestess sat, Baile seated himself across from her. He seemed to be appraising her.
"Not a 2 copper sack of potatoes, remember?" Apsara joked, trying to lighten the mood as she resisted the urge to squirm under that intense stare. "What is it?"
"I'm simply curious."
With a practiced gesture Baile opened the bottle of wine and poured a modest amount into the two glasses. The priestess remained silent as he handed her a glass and then leaned back.
"Curious… of your potential." He clarified, lifting his glass in a salute to her.
Holding the glass and leaning back in her chair, the priestess flashed a confident smile at him.
"I've been trained most of my life in the ways of healing, lord Baile. You will not find my abilities lacking, unless…" Apsara trailed off.
"Shadow magic does not come natural to you." Baile concluded, rotating his wrist slowly to swirl the liquid his glass. He sniffed it, looking content.
She resisted the urge to bristle at him, despite the truth in his words. Her tendency wasn't unique: most of her sisters – and a lot of Sin'dorei priests and priestesses she knew - were devoted to either form of magic available to them. Of the Elenn family, only their mother could say she was truly fluent in both shadow and holy magic, and then only because of continuous practice. For mages, it was easier to switch between forms of magic and they did so often to display their abilities. Some did end up devoting themselves to one type for ultimate mastery of an element, but combining the two took much less effort for the mages than it did due for the priests to the nature of the polar opposites priests dealt with.
"No," she admitted, lowering her eyes to her wineglass and pretending to examine the amber liquid. She was feeling like a small child in their manor classroom again, and she much didn't care for it.
Baile nodded knowingly. "Well, we'll be training to have you just as good in either, if you so prefer. But for tonight…" he trailed off, smiling slightly at her and raising his glass once more. "For unlimited potential."
Apsara looked up, raised her own glass in a polite salute and brought it to her lips to sip. The wine was nothing like she'd tasted before, both in taste and potency, she noted as she swallowed. The fruity taste seemed beyond expensive, which explained the blanching of the barkeep's face downstairs. She suppressed a giggle over just how being smitten with Baile had cost the barkeep a huge chunk of her salary this month. The man was crafty; she had to give him that much.
The rest of the evening the two chatted away about current events and the comings and goings of the Elenn family. Baile strictly avoided talking about himself whenever he could, and Apsara became more and more intrigued about the tall man. She supposed she would have to wait to see him in action to see where his abilities lay.
At the end of the evening Baile guided Apsara to her room. She had had some of her belongings brought to the city and they had been neatly placed in a locker at the foot of the ornate single bed. Enchanted jewelry, her tailoring kit, and several vouchers for fabric were neatly tucked next to her clothing. Her mother had added something extra, she realized with a fond smile. Not that she wouldn't try to ditch Baile every chance she got, but that was another thing.
Baile walked across the room and examined the table that had been placed by a window overseeing The Royal Exchange. He then proceeded to quickly survey the rest of the room and after he seemed satisfied with his findings, he turned towards the priestess.
"It seems your room is secure, my lady. Sleep well."
"You too, lord Baile."
Baile turned on his heels and headed out of the door, closing it behind him. The priestess disrobed and plopped down on the bed, exhausted. The day had been very odd, she noted to herself as she lay down, listening to the noises of the bypassers outside. There was always a party somewhere in Silvermoon, and tonight was no exception – happy laughter echoed across the plaza as young blood elves crossed from one party place to another.
As tiredness slowly forced her to close her eyes, she wondered just what lay in store for her. Ditching Baile within the confines of Silvermoon seemed impossible – he'd find her instantly in the city. Leaving him after they'd arrived in Undercity seemed like a better plan. For a moment she felt bad for him. Besides his temper getting the best of him earlier, he seemed straightforward and honest. He had many qualities many of her possible suitor candidates certainly didn't. Snorting at herself, she rolled over to her side and settled into a comfortable position, ignoring the sound of footsteps outside her door. Maybe Baile had decided to visit the oh so pretty barkeep? Pushing the thought from her mind, she finally fell asleep.