Author's Notes: This is a little late in coming, as we are already into Warlords and everyone is generally done with Pandaria. This chapter of Maerciless's and Shirelle's story is so important though, I didn't want to skip it. To read these in order, please read Mercy, then Grace, then Temperance. There will be another after this is over titled Fortitude that will have our intrepid draenei duo returning to their homeland of Draenor. If you were hoping for adventure in this chapter, you might be disappointed. But if you were looking for something a little sappy, a little steamy, and possibly thought-provoking, then you might have found the right place.
Maerciless shifted against the frame of the North Gate. The midsummer sun beat down on the top of her head, and for once she was grateful for the envelope of cool air that seemed to follow her wherever she went. It was still hot, but it was bearable. The pandaren Dawn Watchers that she traded stations with were forced into pockets of shade, and she noticed them taking shorter shifts to escape the midday heat. She did not begrudge them seeking their personal comforts: although the tension between the Horde and Alliance was growing thicker every day, it was centered along the southern edge of the continent, in the Krasarang Wilds. With the elimination of the Sha that had infected the Temple of the Jade Serpent, the atmosphere in the town of Dawn's Blossom had gotten much lighter as of late. Maerciless yanked at the bottom of her breastplate in irritation. She was not fooled by the lack of action. She could feel it in the air, and she could tell the other officers did too. Something big was brewing, and it would be brewing soon.
The death knight spared a glance at the position of the sun. For such a large city, there was not one clock tower in it to keep time with. In fact, as far as she could tell, the pandaren didn't care about time at all, preferring to simply arrive somewhere whenever they chose. She had gotten better at gauging the hour, though, and it was nearly time for her shift to be up. Her attention wandered back up the hill into town. Beyond the rounded slope was the main marketplace, and in that the semi-permanent Med Center that had been erected to replace the make-shift tent hospital.
The triumphant return of the surviving cubs back to Dawn's Blossom had been a major turning point in Pandaren-Alliance relations. The military placement here, where before had been met with distrustful eyes and silent regard, now was accepted as a welcome sight to most of the natives. The soldiers had been moved from their tent city outside the town to an unused temple within the city limits. With the advent of summer, everyone was grateful to be housed in cool stone walls with a sturdy roof above them. The Med Center had been built, and some of the locals helped it run efficiently. Maerciless still got a few whispers and askance glances when she passed through town, but with the grudging acceptance from Li Shao, the town's matriarch, she was at least not shunned.
The death knight's well-tuned ears caught the clink-step of plate mail shifting against a walking body behind her. The stride was casual, and she didn't even bother straightening up before turning to greet the newcomer.
"It's a scorcher today, isn't it?" The human paladin wiped the sweat already running down his forehead. She nodded her head in a friendly manner. Her reputation among the Silver Hand was still tense: she was, after all, an abomination in their eyes. But witnessing the open nature that she and the other death knights were treated with here in Pandaria was working on them: she did not get as much hostility when their contingent passed through the town, and some of them were even courteous. The paladin adjusting the minuscule shade around the gate was named Liam, and he could almost be called friendly. He was mild-mannered for a Champion of the Light, and was often seen fishing or conversing with the natives while not on duty. There had been whispers around the barracks that he was considering resigning from active duty and staying on when the campaign was over.
"It is quiet as usual." Maerciless shook the paladin's hand before he took up his stance by the gate and she departed into town. Liam nodded his head and made a noncommittal gesture before crossing his arms and leaning back against the fence.
"Small favors, then. Maybe I can get out of this sun early today."
The death knight shaded her eyes from the late summer sun as she trekked up the hill into Dawn's Blossom. Liam was not the only soldier affected by the pastoral life of the Pandaren. Everyone had been on edge when they arrived, wary of the new continent, distrustful of the races that populated it, and it had been that outpouring of blatant strong emotion that had helped release the Sha into Pandaria. Now that the Sha were being removed, and everyone was getting more comfortable with each other and the surroundings, many looked out upon the idyllic lands of Pandaria with a wistful nature. Here was a place that was for the most part, unspoiled by wars and territory fights. The people were kind, open, and always happy to help. They took pride in what they could reap from the land without running it to ruin, and everyone seemed to live in a state of harmony. The soldiers of Azeroth had fought long and hard for so long: here was a place many could see themselves finally finding peace.
The peaceful atmosphere was not lost on Maerciless. Although she had no desire to remain on Pandaria after the campaign was over, she was tired of fighting. She was tired of being told where to go and when to sleep, and to be ordered about like a pawn on a chessboard. She'd had enough of killing in Northrend really, and Pandaria she was just going through the motions of war. As she turned into the main marketplace of Dawn's Blossom and was assaulted with the sights and sounds of the vendors, she felt a longing for a quieter life. A life that she could make her own decisions in.
Maerciless slowed her steps as she neared the entrance to the Med Center. She vaguely remembered as she had passed through town at dawn to take her guard post outside, some kind of commotion going on inside. She had not the time earlier to check on everything, and it soon calmed down, so she assumed it was a medical emergency, not one of security. Even so, she didn't want to intrude if the medical workers were busy. If there was some kind of issue, she knew Shirelle to likely be in the thick of it.
She was still getting used to being open about her relationship with Shirelle. They had basically stopped hiding their affections after the return from the Jade Witch, but it had taken some of the other soldiers noticing and then not caring, and in fact treating them with respect, for it to sink in that she was allowed to feel this way, and that it did not matter what others thought. Maerciless was not a fool: she had always been attracted to women, and she understood there was a stigma attached to it in certain cultures. Since Northrend she had not desired to be with anyone at all, more worried about her status as a death knight than who she was attracted to. Even with the general acceptance here, even though Shirelle obviously wanted to be with her, what was between them felt more like an intense friendship than lovers. Shirelle wasn't interested in that anyway, and Maerciless wasn't sure if she was interested in it anymore either. They were merely together, and although the words hadn't been exchanged, she loved the priest more than she had anyone before.
Even as she berated herself the entire walk up to the doorway, she still took a breath and feigned confidence as she pushed the flap aside that covered the entrance. She was instantly bathed in a cool quiet atmosphere, and the death knight felt her steps were entirely too loud as she entered the main room. To her far left in a curtained off room, was a family of grieving Pandaren. Maerciless froze at the sound of their weeping, and reconsidered seeking out Shirelle. She glanced quickly around the rest of the center and saw only one other person. She was a draenei, but not the right one. She looked tired and her blonde pigtails bobbed as she sorted through a file on the desk. Maerciless turned to go, and accidentally bumped into a chair, which scraped the ground loudly. The draenei looked up with an expectant look on her face, but wrinkled her nose in distaste when she saw who it was.
"Shirelle's in the back here." She pointed her thumb to the back room. Maerciless hesitated. She had never been in the backroom, and had no interest in interrupting the priest if she was busy with a patient. The draenei sighed loudly and twisted her mouth.
"Just go on back. I don't think she's going to come out here."
Elluriel. Maerciless finally placed the draenei's name as she quickly strode past her. She was a shaman that had been in Stormwind before. She had never been very friendly, and the death knight put her out of her mind as she pushed the curtain to the side and entered the back room.
The back room ran the entire back half of the center, and the door opened up into one curtained-off room. There was a bed, which was empty, cupboards and shelves along the walls with extra supplies, and a few chairs. One was a rocking chair, which was facing away from her. Maerciless caught a glimpse of pale blue horns amidst a messy bun of black hair as the chair rocked back and forth. The death knight stepped to the side of the chair and froze. It was Shirelle in the chair, and she had a tiny pandaren cub clutched to her chest. Her eyes were closed and tears ran freely down her face. The death knight swallowed before kneeling down beside the chair. Something had obviously happened this morning during the commotion.
"Shir?" She said quietly. The priest sniffled and rubbed one sleeve across her face before opening her eyes to meet hers. Her face lit up into a weak smile.
"I'm sorry, I didn't see you come in." She shuffled in the chair, adjusting the blanket around the pandaren cub and sliding up until she was more upright. She rubbed her sleeve across her face again, and pushed strands of hair out of her eyes before she squinted and looked around the dark room.
"Is it really that late in the afternoon already?" She was trying to make her voice sound light, but Maerciless did not buy it.
"I saw there was a disturbance this morning on my way to guard duty. What happened?"
Shirelle dropped her attempt at casual conversation and rocked the chair as she spoke. Her silver eyes gazed off to the other side of the room in memory.
"We had a very sick Pandaren woman come in before dawn. She had gotten injured working the fields, and it was infected, and she had tried to poultice it with an old family remedy instead of seeking medical attention. She lived a few hours outside of town, and she just didn't want to make the trip, you know?"
The other draenei sucked in a shaky breath before continuing. "I love the Pandaren people, really I do, but sometimes their stubbornness is a wonder to behold. She waited until she was nearly too sick to walk, and her body had gone into early labor, before trying to make the trek to town. She looked so bad when she came in, I feared there wasn't a chance at all."
Shirelle closed her eyes as tears dripped down her face. Maerciless laid a hand on her arm and the priest covered it with her own free one.
"We did what we could. We saved the baby, but-" her voice broke off and she held a hand to her mouth, trying to hold her sobs in check. Maerciless stroked her hair, and waited patiently. After a few moments, Shirelle swallowed and tried to continue.
"I'm sorry," she whispered into her hand. "It's been such a long day."
Maerciless spied a box of tissues on the counter, and handed Shirelle one to wipe her face. "There is no need to be sorry. It must be hard to lose a patient, even if there is little hope."
The other draenei nodded, blowing her nose. "I volunteered to take care of the cub until the family arrives tomorrow, mostly just so I could get out of there and be alone. I guess that makes me some sort of coward, but it doesn't do anyone any good to see me cry."
"You are not a coward, Shirelle. Everyone has their breaking point." She glanced around the small room. It looked like she had not moved from this chair the entire time she had been in here. She cleared her throat.
"Have you eaten anything at all today? I know you are unable to leave, but I could get us some food, and we could at least eat together."
Shirelle smiled up at her. "Thank you, Maerciless. I'm sorry it's such a sparse time together tonight." She hefted the cub up further on her shoulder. "At least this little guy is not that bad-tempered. I don't mind too much keeping him company until his family comes to pick him up tomorrow morning."
The death knight felt more on solid ground now that she had a purpose. She leaned down to press a quick kiss to Shirelle's forehead.
"I will be back shortly."