"Ithildin, please hurry…" A young girl stood at a window, looking out into the forest expectantly. From inside the house one could hear coughing and rasping breath. Grabbing a bowl of water from a counter, the woman turned to kneel next to a small bed. A man lie on the bed, his long silver hair matted to his face with sweat and his skin growing more pale with every passing moment. As the woman dabbed at his fevered face with a damp cloth his eyes fluttered open.
"Ithi…?" He reached up with a shaking hand to grab the woman's wrist. Her eyes softened and she shook her head.
"She's not back yet. She's still trying to find the herbs for you." She placed his hand back on the bed and continued to dampen his forehead.
"Tell her…Iiavasi…tell her I love her. I will come back to her…I promise…" Slowly his eyes glazed over and one could no longer hear the rasp of his labored breathing. Iiavasi paused and watched for any signs of life but to no avail. She covered his body with a blanket and left the room. The house was silent now and the woman took back her vigil at the window. Off in the distance a silver haired woman could be seen carrying a basket over one arm and a staff strapped to her back.
"Iia! Iia, I've got it!" With a sad sigh, Iiavasi moved to the doorway to stop her sister. Ithildin stopped looking at her for a moment before the look of confusion gave way to a look of terror. "What…? No, he can't be!" She tried to shove her way past Iiavasi, but she could not get her friend to move.
"Ithi, he's gone."
"NO! I won't let it happen!" With an amazing amount of strength for one of her stature Ithildin tossed her aside and rushed into the bedroom. Tossing aside the blanket, Ithildin began to shake. She knelt beside the bed and took his hand is hers, touching it softly to her face. As she began to sob, Iiavasi slipped out the front door. Closing it softly behind her.
"Well?" Turning quickly she found herself face to face with a rather large undead warlock. Nearby, his demon servant stood at attention, as if waiting to attack.
"Alright. We will bury him tonight and he's yours. You promise you can bring my mother back to me?"
"Of course, little Night Elf," he chuckled eerily, "I can do anything…"
"And you won't hurt Ithi?" He shook his head.
"I wouldn't dream of it." He held his skeletal hand out to her. "So we have a deal?"
She stood there, shifting her weight from foot to foot. Slowly she reached out and shook his hand. "Deal…"
"Perfect. I shall see you tonight, little one…" He turned, and with a swirl of his cloak was gone. As he left Iiavasi felt a shadow creep over her and she shivered. She hoped she wouldn't regret what she had just done.
Night fell softly on the shoulders of its children, and many creatures now took to sleep. Ithildin stood in the darkness, watching as they covered the body of her beloved with the soil he had come from. Tears slid silently down her face and her body trembled with her sorrow. When they finished she placed a small pearl on his grave.
"I'll wait for you, my darling. For as long as it takes, I will not give up on you." She stood and wiped her eyes. "Remember, you promised."
"Ithi…let's go back now…" Iiavasi moved closer and wrapped her arm around Ithildin's shoulder. Ithildin looked up and nodded, letting Iiavasi lead her away. Just as they were leaving a deep voice cut through the darkness like a knife.
"Oh, but the party is just about to begin!" The warlock appeared just on the other side of the grave, laughing. Ithildin turned, but her shock quickly turned to anger.
"Get away from him, you foul monster!" She flipped her staff off her shoulders and held it in front of her. Iiavasi placed her hand on Ithildin's shoulder.
"No…don't…" She whispered. Ithildin turned to her completely shocked.
"He's going to try and take my husband!"
"I know…I'm sorry…" Iiavasi hung her head as her sister's eyes narrowed.
"How do you know…?" At this point the warlock chuckled again.
"Because she sold him to me. She missed her dear old mother so much she gave your husband to me!" Ithildin turned to her.
"Is this…is this true!"
"Ithi, you have to understand!" Iiavasi took a few steps back and spread her hands helplessly.
"There is nothing to understand!" With a resounding crack, Ithildin's staff met, with great force, the side of her sister's head. Iiavasi flipped and landed face down on the soft earth, unmoving. With fierce anger she turned to the unnamed warlock. "Get away from him, now."
"You're a little too late, Deary." He stood back and the dirt began to move. Scratching and clawing, her once dead husband found his way to the surface once again. As he climbed his flesh tore and fell from his body, though he did not seem to notice. His eyes cleared and he stared at his new master.
"Did you…" his voice was a dry rasp and he struggled to clear it. "Did you wake me?"
"I did indeed, my son! Now is the time for you to join your brothers, though I do believe some education and training is needed first." He smiled and waved his hand, opening a large black portal into what looked like a graveyard.
"NO!" Ithildin rushed at the warlock with as much speed as she could muster, only to find herself on her knees and gasping for breath. Her eyes followed the fist that had punched her all the way back to her husband's face. "W-why…?"
"I don't know who you are," he muttered, "or what you care, but we are leaving now. I wouldn't recommend you stop us." Hovering in the air above them, the warlock clapped loudly.
"Spoken like a true member of the Scourge! Welcome, son!" Before she could recover herself they had walked through the portal and were gone. Tears poured down her face and her body shook with the power of her sobs. Timidly, a hand touched her back. She stood quickly and shook free of the hand. Iiavasi cringed from her sister and took a few steps back.
"Don't you ever, talk to me again!" Ithildin began to scream, her voice rising to that of a shrill screech. She clenched her fists so as not to mortally wound her one and only sibling. "You sold out the man I love just so you could see our mother again! How could you do something like that!"
"I…I'm sorry…I was desperate to see mother again…please, Sis-" Iiavasi cut off as a large amount of spit landed on her face. With a grimace she wiped it off and looked at her.
"I am not your sister anymore. Not after what you have done to me. May you wander this world without purpose and alone for the rest of your days. May Elune have mercy on you, for I never will!" with that Ithildin turned and stalked back to her house, keeping her back straight and her teeth clenched. She would bring her husband back to her. No matter what the cost she would cure him of his disease and bring him back. Nothing and no one would stop her, even if she had to go against Elune herself!