AN - sorry for the deletion. Since I had to repost, I thought I'd change the title. Disclaimer: I only own the OCs and the plot.
Braelyn Hawke stood awkwardly on the road, halfway between Goldshire's blacksmith and Tharynn Bouden's trade wagon, trying to force herself to move forward. For the third time in as many days, she was attempting to sell one of the last links to her stay in Silvermoon City. The last two attempts had ended in dismal failure, Braelyn covering up her approach by making many unnecessary purchases.
She was determined that today, the first anniversary of her return to Stormwind, was the day she'd achieve her goal.
Braelyn looked down at the red velvet pouch in her hand, the golden tassels wound around her fingers. It contained one of the loveliest gifts she had ever received; a pair of beautifully crafted gold earrings, shaped to look like phoenixes. She knew that she would receive a good price for them, enough to cover the cost of a new set of mail armor and the bow she'd had her eye on for the past few weeks. But no amount of money could match the sentimental price she'd attached to them when He had given them to her.
Even now, Braelyn's fingers itched to slip the pouch back under her tunic, but she couldn't afford to give in to sentimentality. It had been a year. A long, hard year full of broken dreams, foolish hope, and not much else.
Rommath was never going to come for her.
The Grand Magister of Silvermoon had surrendered his love out of misguided fear for her safety. For many months, Braelyn had waited, fully expecting him to regret his decision and send for her, begging for forgiveness. It never happened, and Braelyn slipped into a nightmare of denial, grief, and heartbreak.
Her parents were too relieved to have her home to provide the support Braelyn needed. It was only the steadfast compassion of her friend Andorien, and the tough love of her cousin, Odariah, that got her through it all, and prepared her for what she was now about to do.
Braelyn's great romance was over. It had ended painfully, but she had survived, and she felt as if she were stronger for it. It was now time to accept it, and take the first steps into the next stage of her life.
She took a deep breath, held it, and then released it into the cool morning air, feeling a bit lighter, and clearer of mind. She strode forward with renewed purpose, calling out a cheerful greeting to Remy and offering him the pouch.
"I have something you might like to buy," she said, as Remy eyed the contents of the pouch with some surprise and a lot of appreciation. "Make me an offer."
As the Eastern Kingdoms headed into Autumn, the sun was setting earlier and earlier as the days went by. Braelyn, who had set herself up as a hunter trainer, bid her last client farewell as the sun began to sink into the horizon. It was good honest work, and kept her mind and body busy. It helped, in the early days of her return, to keep her thoughts off Rommath while she waited with impatience to hear from him. Then it became her coping mechanism, and, finally, a job that she loved.
It also gave her an excuse to stay in town, and not resume adventuring.
After the seige of Orgrimmar and the disastrous trial, a ceasefire between the Horde and Alliance had been reached as both factions waited to discover what Garrosh Hellscream was up to. The peace was tenuous, however, and warfare was still common in areas like the Arathi Basin, Ashenvale, and Pandaria's Isle of Thunder. Raids were common, on both sides, though they were not as bloody as they used to be. It was as if raids were done out of nostalgia or boredom, or perhaps just to test the waters, or their opponent's strength.
Azeroth was a little bit safer, but adventurers still found themselves getting caught up in all sorts of trouble, and Braelyn had had enough trouble to last her next three lifetimes.
Braelyn heard a soft rumble at her ankles and looked down to find her lynx, Bitey, staring at her with a hopeful expression. The animal was a reminder of her stay in Quel'Thalas, much like the earrings, but she could not sell him. Their bond was too great.
"You want to go hunting?" she asked, scratching Bitey behind the ears. He let out an excited growl. "All right, then, but mind you stay away from the Stonefield's sheep, or Tommy'll shoot you." The lynx gave a disappointed whine before galloping off into the forest towards the Fargodeep Mine.
Poor Kobolds.
Braelyn decided to head to the Lion's Pride Inn for dinner and a few drinks. It wasn't very far, and she was looking forward to catching up with her cousin and Andorien. On her way, Braelyn exchanged friendly greetings with the town's merchants and a few of the Stormwind guards. She had the oddest feeling of being followed, even though she couldn't see anyone behind her. She sighed. It was probably Keryn Sylvius, the resident rogue trainer. Every month, Keryn would pick one of the townspeople to practice her skills on. It was obviously Braelyn's turn.
Braelyn made a mental note to pick up a few extra flares and some ice traps.
"Good evening, Miss Hawke!" Farley called out as Braelyn entered the Lion's Pride. She shook her head in amusement. She'd been trying to get the innkeeper to use her given name for years now, but he still insisted on standing on formality. He had a lot of respect for the Hawke family, having served with Braelyn's mother.
"Hello, Farley," she replied, smiling as the warmth of the fire washed over her. Luckily, her favourite table, right in front of the fireplace, was empty. She quickly snagged it before she lost out. "Can I get an ale, please?"
As Braelyn waited for her drink, she saw her cousin arrive, Andorien right behind her. She waved them over, grinning at Odariah's slightly grumpy expression. The priest was having the most trouble adjusting to 'normal' life, missing the life of the adventurer. If if weren't for Andorien, and her concern for Braelyn, she probably would have gone off on her own.
"Honestly, cousin," Odariah exclaimed as she threw herself down next to Braelyn, "I don't know how you can enjoy the life of a small town trainer. It's so boring. I seem to spend all my time standing around the inn waiting for people to show up and ask me stupid questions."
"I don't have that problem," Braelyn smirked. "Must be a priest thing."
"Oh, ha, ha," Odariah replied as she ordered a drink from Melika Isenstrider.
"Dearest, if you dislike training so much, why don't you seek work at the Cathedral of Light?" Andorien suggested.
"I could," Odariah admitted, "but the commute would suck, and I am needed here." The priest tried hard not to look at her cousin as she spoke, but failed.
"We have a flight path now," Braelyn pointed out. "The commute would take less than five minutes by gryphon. As for me, you shouldn't put your own plans on hold just to baby me."
"I know, Braelyn," Odariah said, grasping her cousin's hand, "but you're family... "
"I sold the earrings today," Braelyn interrupted bluntly. Odariah and Andorien both stared at her in surprise.
"You did?" Odariah asked.
"Yes."
"You did well, Braelyn," Andorien said, patting her hand. "I know it can't have been easy for you."
"It took me three attempts," Braelyn confessed sheepishly, "and I had to spend the money straight away to make sure I didn't buy them back. When it was done, though, I felt better. As if I really had let him go."
"I'm proud of you, cousin. You have such strength. And great taste in weaponry," Odariah added, noticing Braelyn's new bow. It was carved out of oak, and made to look like a tree branch covered with delicate foliage.
"Well, I figured I needed something to scare off all the suitors my mother will throw at me when she realises I've finally moved on," Braelyn said, only half-joking.
"I'm sure Ellysan will not be so... what was that?!" Andorien exclaimed as a serious of loud thuds echoed through the inn. It sounded like cows, or horses, running across the roof.
Odariah jumped to her feet when she heard screaming coming from outside the inn. It was followed by the sound of a woman laughing, then barking out orders in Orcish. "Not again!" she exclaimed, as her companions gathered up their weapons. "It's only been a few weeks since the last raid."
"Everybody!" Braelyn shouted over the noise of the inn's panicked patrons. "If you can't fight, head down into the cellar with the innkeepers and stay there until a guard comes for you. All those with weapons and the will to defend Goldshire, head out in small groups from the back entrance. Odariah, you and Andorien will come with me out the front."
Odariah nodded, grasping her staff with determination. Andorien, normally their healer, transformed into a bear in order to attract their attacker's attention when they exited through the inn's front door. Braelyn waited until the civilians were safely evacuated before giving Andorien the signal to leave.
Andorien charged outside, Odariah followed after casting a shield around herself. Braelyn paused a few seconds to notch an arrow in her bow, cursing her decision to leave Violet and Denaria at home. Hopefully, news of the raid would reach her parents quickly, and they'd think to bring her pets with them when they came to the town's aid.
Braelyn stepped outside, immediately letting an arcane shot fly at a forsaken holy priest. She grimaced as she saw a number of Pandarens around. As much as she loved their race, having them on a spontaneous battlefield was a pain in the arse as it was often difficult to tell whose side they were on.
She didn't have time to ponder the problem for long. Stepping further into the town square, she was blindsided by a psychic scream. Dropping her bow, she ran towards the Fargodeep Mine, unable to control her fear and panic. By the time the spell had passed, she was deep into the woods, and isolated from her friends.
"Damn it!" Braelyn swore as she realised that the only weapons she now had were Bitsie's old daggers. Considering that Bitsie had been a gnome, the blades were little more than throwing knives for someone Braelyn's size. "I need to get a spare set of daggers," she muttered, remembering she'd left her only pair at the blacksmith's for sharpening.
Deciding to make a dash back to the inn for her bow, Braelyn set off towards the town, hoping to skirt the centre of conflict. She heard a rustling in the trees above her, and dived gracefully to one side as an arrow thudded into the ground nearby. She got back to her feet and continued forward, only to find herself thrown back by an invisible barrier.
A binding arrow, Braelyn thought when she recovered from the sudden shock. She scanned the surrounding trees, cursing the dying light. "Why do you keep coming here?" she shouted, hoping to draw the other hunter out. "What's in it for you?"
"It be the challenge, mon," a male voice said, and Braelyn swore she'd heard it somewhere before. "All dem bored heroes of da Alliance in one place."
Braelyn bit back a shout as a troll dropped out of the tree directly in front of her. He was taller than the average troll, with a vibrant teal mohawk and eyes almost the same colour. Long elegant tusks decorated with gold bands jutted out from lips twisted in a smug smirk.
Memories of Braelyn's drunken shenanigans in Silvermoon City flooded her brain. She blushed with mortification as she remembered just who this particular troll was.
"Ol' Tal'lin be glad ya remember me, little human," he said with amusement, languidly moving to one side to counteract Braelyn's attempt to step around him.
"I wish I didn't," Braelyn muttered, and flung one of Bitsie's daggers at the troll. Tal'lin laughed as he deflected it with his bow.
"Now, now, dere be no need for dat, I don't be here ta hurt ya."
"Then why are you here?" Braelyn challenged.
"I be wantin' to see ya again. Denaria Daybreak be tellin' me where ya from, so I thought I'd stop by. Was hopin' we could go for a drink, maybe a dance?" Tal'lin said with a cheeky wink.
"Piss off!" Braelyn exclaimed, beginning to back up. An awful screeching sound caused her to stop, and she saw two vividly coloured raptors flank her. They did not attack her, they weren't even trying to intimidate her, but she knew that they wouldn't let her flee. She had no choice but to stand her ground as Tal'lin sauntered towards her, that annoying smirk still firmly in place.
"Tell me," he said, "do tha good people of Goldshire know about how ya danced for me? Do dey know 'bout what ya got upta with the Grand Magister?" Tal'lin reached out and trailed a long finger down Braelyn's cheek. She shuddered, remembering how Rommath used to touch her the same way. The memory of her former love, and anger over the troll's unspoken threat, made her try to back away.
Tal'lin followed her, grasping her chin with his strong hand. His grip bordered on painful, forcing Braelyn to a halt. The troll's grin darkened. "Ya know, dat blood elf still causes me grief every time I go ta Silvermoon. Even though he threw away his pretty li'l human girl, Rommath still be holdin' a mean grudge."
"Don't you dare speak of him!" Braelyn snapped, trying to jerk her head free. "You have no idea what you're talking about."
"Don' I?" Tal'lin taunted. "Your li'l love affair is the talk o' the Horde."
Braelyn gasped, not just because talking about Rommath was still a little painful, but because Tal'lin mentioned something that could have dire ramifications for Braelyn and her family. If word about her failed relationship was spreading through the Horde, there was the very real possibility that it would also reach Alliance ears. She groaned as she thought of the scandal she'd face.
Tal'lin grinned as he noticed Braelyn's distress, running his thumb over her bottom lip. "Ya gonna play nice, girly?"
Repulsed, Braelyn reared back, slamming her knee into the troll's groin. As Tal'lin was wearing mail armour, the action hurt her a lot, but she ignored the pain in order to jerk the same knee into his face as he doubled over.
"I call that my knee-to-jerk reaction," she spat, and turned around once she was sure that Tal'lin was incapacitated. Her bruised knee prevented her from running, but she limped away as fast as she could. Thankfully, the troll's pets were too concerned about their master to come after her.
As she hurried back to her friends, Braelyn had no idea that her troubles were growing by the minute. Stealthed among the shadows of a giant oak, the same rogue who'd been following Braelyn for the past two days silently thanked the gods for what had been overheard.
It was not Keryn Sylvius.
Lord Jonathan Devereaux the Third had arrived in Goldshire two days ago with the sole purpose of tracking down Braelyn Hawke and convincing her to marry him. Why? Because the time had come for the aristocratic rogue to settle down and start building a legacy.
Unfortunately, both his reputation and his finances had taken a battering over the years, meaning that the majority of his fellow noblemen were reluctant to trust him with their daughters or their fortunes. But Braelyn, with her war-hero parents, had money aplenty and good lineage to boot, and the fact that he liked her was a bonus. His little hunter was stubborn, but endearingly so, and there was a sweetness about her that made Jack certain she'd make a wonderful Lady Devereaux.
Her family's reputation would also provide a certain level of protection against SI: 7. Everybody knew how close the Hawkes were with the royal family.
When he'd arrived in the village, Jack knew that he'd have some sweet-talking to do. His first romance with Braelyn had not ended well, but he was confident that he could talk her around. Flash a few charming smiles, buy her a few pretty baubles, that sort of thing. A few hours spent observing her, however, made him realise that it would not be that easy.
The Braelyn of his memories no longer existed. Her core personality remained unaltered, but her stubbornness was more pronounced, and she had a strength of will about her that was unfamiliar to Jack. After overhearing the conversation she'd had with her cousin, Jack was certain her new-found strength had to do with the failed relationship Braelyn alluded to.
Jack had been stymied, not sure how to proceed with his courtship. Sweet talking Braelyn was not likely to succeed. He thought that he might have to work on Braelyn's parents instead, using their desire to see their daughter well-married to his advantage.
Then the Horde had come and changed everything. Like Braelyn, Jack had been caught up in the goblin priest's psychic scream, following after the hunter in his panicked flight. He'd admired the way Braelyn had handled the overly friendly troll, but it was their conversation, rather than their fight, that had really caught his attention.
His sweet Braelyn had had an affair with a blood elf... not just any blood elf, but with the Grand Magister, one of the most powerful men in Quel'Thalas and the Horde. While most of the house of nobles would be disgusted by that revelation, Jack wasn't so judgemental. The blood elves were a beautiful race, and Braelyn had never been a bigot. Plus, given his own past, Jack was in no position to start throwing stones.
The information he'd just overheard was not off-putting in the slightest. In fact, it was most welcome, handing Jack all the ammunition he needed to achieve his objective. A part of him was dejected to have to resort to blackmail to win his bride, but he could deal with the disappointment once he'd secured the fair maiden's hand.
After all, as a rogue, Jack knew better than anybody that the happiest of endings were often the result of the dirtiest of deeds.
AN - here we go! So the changes you'll find in this story compared to the previous two; no Agents of Light, Braelyn's adventures were the result of free will; the Goldshire raid in Watcher never happened, meaning that Braelyn was not prompted to join the Argent Crusade; Braelyn never went to Orgrimmar and never reunited with Rommath, who survived the siege and is back in Silvermoon; the truce between Horde and Alliance is a little more tenuous than in Shadows.
If you're into song-fics, the song that comes to mind when I think about how Rommath and Braelyn's relationship ended is 'Set Fire to the Rain' by Adele, especially the line 'I set fire to the rain, and I threw us into the flames'. It sums up both Rommath's decision to send Braelyn home, and Braelyn's eventual letting go of him.
BTW, if you have any charas you'd like to see pop up in the story, don't hesitate to let me know, and I'll do my best. Alliance characters have a better chance, though.
Next chapter: Lord Jack puts his plan into action, and Braelyn is less than impressed.
