Yes! Another WOW fanfic, this is going to be more of a series of one-shots, telling what's happened to everyone in the gap between when Melu escaped Stormwind with Haphaestus and when Feng found her again. It probably won't be in any sort of chronological order, going back and forth time-wise, but hopefully it'll still make sense! I'm gonna try to get a chapter out for each character that's made an appearance in Wallflower, but if there's someone you'd like to see sooner rather than later, let me know!

And like always, World of Warcraft belongs to Blizzard. Characters belong to me.

Windrose.

Catch-22.

Melusina let her eyes drift around the expansive room. Light kaleidoscoped through tall stain glass windows that overlooked the cliffs of Azshara. Simple hand-made bookshelves lined the walls. They were layered in dust with the exception of a few spots where books with worn spines sat behind a clean path. The master of the Sanctum, Koleyna Duskheart, sat forward in her chair, her fingers steepled. Lying by her feet was a very large lynx sleeping blissfully while two of the three sin'dorei quietly argued.

"You said it was free."

Koleyna sighed at the man. "No, I didn't. I said you could pay after the rescue, since your mission was urgent. I'm sorry that you were so caught up with your concerns for your cousin that you didn't hear me-" Haphaestus bristled at this. "-But regardless, you must pay my men for their services."

"What services?!" the blacksmith cried, throwing his arms up. "Those twins disappeared to Sun knows where once we reached the city and that crazy space-goat was busy fighting some little girl instead of helping me with the real problem!" Koleyna's expression never changed but a shadow seemed to flicker behind her eyes, like she was considering something they really didn't want to know about. The two Sunveils tensed.

Silvermoon City had always been a place of gossip, so despite her aversion to the war, Melu had heard all the famous names and a few others. From obvious like the faction leaders to simple adventurers, Outland war heroes to Northrend veterans. She had even heard of the woman before her. Ranger Duskheart had earned quite a few accomplishments in Northrend and helped her brothers-in-arms turn the tide in many battles with vicious precision. How she went from a high-ranking soldier of the Horde to the leader of a neutral guild was beyond Melu. Maybe she just got tired of all the conflict? I can understand that, she thought to herself. The mage averted her eyes when she realized she was staring.

"But," Melu began. Koleyna's attention switched to the brunette and the dark aura of malice immediately diminished. "But we have no money," she whispered and lowered her head in shame.

"I'm sorry to hear that, but I don't accept IOU's. I've already given the two of you a week to heal and get your acts together. If you made me wait any longer it would be just plain rude, don't you think?"

"Oh, come on! She just told you we have no way to pay you immediately! Isn't there some sort of long-term contract we can work out?" Haphaestus pleaded. Her cousin was a good man, her whole life she could never remember a time when he had went back on his word or broke a promise. However if this conversation kept going this way, he would definitely lose his temper and do something foolish.

"What if… What if I stayed here? Worked for you?"

"Melu!" Haphaestus and Koleyna both stared at her in surprise. The huntress lowered her hands and sat up straighter. "That's a crazy idea, Melu, you're coming home with me and Zorol."

She turned to him. "Grandfather was the one who sent Solarian after me, I can't return to Silvermoon or we'll just relive that nightmare all over again. I have nowhere else to go."

The guild mistress decided it was a good time to intervene. "He's right, you know. You shouldn't go around making empty promises, Lady Sunveil. Anyway, I won't hold you to your offer, but my doors are always open to you both if you change your mind." There was a long pause as she considered her next words. She stood up, startling the already jumpy mage, and made for the door. "I suppose one more day won't hurt. Whether you decide to join us or we do end up drafting a long-term payment contract will be left for tomorrow." With that she left the room, the lynx at her heels.

The two Sunveils followed at a more leisurely pace. Haphaestus leaned in and whispered in her ear.

"Are you sure about this? I mean, I know I'm the one who hired these guys to save you, but you don't don't know anything about them, about what this guild does. I just don't like the idea of you signing your life away to strangers." He looked down at her and froze. Her face was glowing red, tears pricked her eyes as her chin tucked into her collarbone.

She knew she should have been trying harder not to cry in front of Haphaestus. If there was one thing that sent her cousin into a blind panic it was her tears. He and her brother were both like that, always tripping over themselves to comfort her when she was down and beating themselves up relentlessly even if it wasn't their fault.

She was just so frustrated! For once, she was confident, determined in her decision. She knew joining Koleyna and her guild was a step in the right direction, but for the life of her, she couldn't find the words to describe that same feeling to Haphaestus. The inability express herself and put her cousin's mind at ease had sent her into an unpredicted tizzy.

"Haphaestus, I-I can't go back with you and I can't go back with Feng-" His eyebrows shot up at this which Melu ignored. She really didn't feel like going through that long story just yet. She paused, gathering her thoughts. "I have to find a place for myself, I can't keep relying on others for the rest of my life."

Haphaestus frowned. "But that doesn't mean you have to be here."

Melu smiled, the tears stopped. "No, but I thought repaying the Sanctum for helping us might be a good place to start."

As they stopped in front of the door of their guest room, the blacksmith stared down at her absolutely dumbstruck. He wanted to argue, to tell her to just forget this foolishness and come straight home with him to Zorol's, but what she was saying did make sense. Alas, Haphaestus had never been one for debate and he couldn't come up with a single logical counter-argument to make Melu see his side of things. At least nothing that didn't end with, "Because I'm older than you and I said so."

"I'm going to go outside for some fresh air," Melu announced, breaking his thoughts.

He nodded, only half listening as he turned to the door. "Don't wander off," he mumbled.

"Haphaestus! I'm not a baby!"

"Don't wander!"

Melu muttered in annoyance, lifting her skirts as she headed for the stairs. Haphaestus sighed and shook his head as he entered the room and closed the door behind him. Old man's gonna kill me! He thought and went straight for the desk. Fishing out a parchment and quill he began the letter to his adoptive father. The older elf wasn't going to be happy to hear Melu had decided to join some mysterious guild hidden away on the coast of Azshara at the drop of a hat. He was going to be even less happy once he learned his only son and best blacksmith was staying with her.

'Hey, old man.

'So, I have some good news and some bad news…'