The New Recruit

The sullen and worn cobbles underfoot, the dull and few between lamp lights, and the decorative but unwatered fountain mark my arrival at the section of Stormwind known as the Old Town. The transition from the worn stone to more pristine, white masonry assures me I am at the right place as I pace up the steps to the Command Centre. Gingerly avoiding the awkward glances a Night Elf priest does so govern from the less... shall we say ethical, few gathered at SI:7 next door.

As I weave through the ungainly passageway (I mean really who designed these double entries), a human rights himself from leaning on the wall and gives a quick clearing of the throat to garner my attention. I recognize the human at the door, well with the mans obvious visage, the thick unkempt mucky looking red hair, patched right eye and Stormwind guard garb, how could I not identify Warden Thelwater?

"Greetings Guldarian," He pauses briefly to give a hasty salute, "we have your new recruit just ahead in the tower." He motions his arm to the side indicating me to go ahead.

"Elune-Adore, Warden. I hope the day finds you well?" I return the gesture of respect, bowing during my pause. "I thank you for your service in this transaction. But pray tell, I do not understand the need for military presence for a guild induction." He merely bows his head in acceptance of my concern and gestures again with his hand for me to continue inside.

Advancing now into the wooden internal tower rooms I see another pair of humans, proudly bearing the guards tabards, stood either end of a table to the right of the area, features hard to describe underneath the provisional helms. The chamber itself is small, cushioned between two sets of stairs and a small storage alcove. Sat down a the table, sheltered between the two guards is another human, even if she wasn't leaning forward head arched downwards her features would be hard to make out behind the short black bob and red lower face mask.

A light pat on my shoulder indicates that the Warden has followed me through; I move forward and take a seat at the table opposite the masked one as he takes a scroll out of the holdall attached to his belt.

"The reason for the military presence is because we just pulled your newest member from the stockades, sire." The man ruffled his nose somewhat at mention of the stockades, it's a secret to no one the trouble they have with that place.

"The stockade? I don't understand, why would someone forwarded to the League as a potential member be in the Stockade holds?" The guard to my right taken this as his cue to speak up.

"Because, my liege, she is a damned Defias criminal, that's why." I raised my eyebrows and placed a hand on the table about to intercede before being interrupted.

"Criminal? The only crime I've committed is to speak up against the heinous acts of the nobility."

"Hold your tongue felon or else loose it!"

"So here we get a peek behind the Iron curtain! Such lawful and constitutional actions from one paid to supposedly protect, not mutilate, its own people!"

"Ha! Not one person within these walls considers you traitors our people Defias."

"We the traitors? Have you lost your mind? Or just had it washed by aristocratic propaganda?"

I raised both my hands to silence the duo, or else fear loosing them both to this petty bickering.

"Please calm yourselves, this is not a court of law, we are not here to pass judgment, enlighten me please if one of you may. I am quite confused; this is the person yes, which has been forwarded to join the League of Nations?" I got naught but an affirmative nod from the Warden to show I was right with my assumptions so far. "And this person is, what did you say, a Defias?"

"Ex. Ex Defias." She raised her head to return my gaze with her own blank expression.

"Okay, so erm..." I blundered for a moment unable to connect the pieces. "You have been recommended to the league, why?"

"Well..." She leaned back in her chair, intertwining her two hands and stretching her arms forward. "It suits the Alliance regime doesn't it?" My perplexed facade seemed to be enough permission for her to clarify.

"The kings wanting to expand his power isn't he? I think he's looking to bring back in the wayward factions. Varians a power mongerer, all he cares about is him and his beloved aristocracy, and he can't do that if humanity gets wiped out." The irritation felt by the guards at the sullying of their kings name was obvious with or without the helms, but recklessly she pressed on. "The Defias have not only land and resources but a ready and trained, if in non traditional methods, army of over 18,000 strong. I wouldn't be surprised if he's offering the same leniency to the other factions as well."

"The other factions?"

"Yea you know, The Syndicate, over 3,000 of the old nobles of the fallen lands of Alterac, Aliden Perenoldes running amok with them out there, King Wrynn could really make a fortune and a decent tactical maneuver to reclaim those resources, and what about the Scarlet's as well? He's already been in contact with one or two of their diplomats at the cathedral, they've got numbers in these mainland's alone of over 12,000, and anyone who lost someone to the scourge can sympathize."

"So you think he may be trying to rekindle kinship with the rogue human factions, how does this relate to you being spared the noose or a life in the stockades and being put into the league?"

"Because, well I actually agree with the sentiment, if humanity is to survive the Scourge, the Horde, the Burning legion, then yes I think we all need to reunite. I actually agree with what he may be trying to do, just not his reasons for it."

"So why the league? Why not try returning to your brotherhood, take over the ruler ship then reunite the people through your own means?"

"Well that's just the thing, as I said before; I actually agree with something the King is doing, I'm a Government Sympathizer. To the new Defias showing any positive inclinations towards the vile king is as good as treachery."

"New Defias?"

"Yea the new Defias. I assume as a diplomat you keep up to date with recent happenings throughout the land? You heard about the death of Vancleef?"

"Ah yes, the Stormwind herald announced it throughout the city if I remember correctly, death at the hands of some brave adventurers for treachery I believe."

"He died because of treachery, not for treachery. He was a great man, when he died so did any and all virtue still attached to the brotherhood. The Defias were wrongly labeled as nothing more than bandits and brigands. This is all just the doctrine as the nobles would have you believe. This keep, this city was built by the stonemasons guild, to build something of this grandeur would of taken anyone else generations, but not Edwin Vancleef! The man was a genius of architecture and engineering well before his time, and what did he get for it? When the nobles refused to pay the guild, they offered just Edwin aristocracy, land, a title, but his men would have to go without. He wouldn't betray his own men like that, and demanded they all, not just himself, be rewarded for their collective work! Varian is a weak fool, he couldn't get the nobles to pay what was fair to the men, and he buckled to their whims like their bloody puppet, denying these hard workers simple pay, hence the workers rioted. They did not betray Stormwind, Stormwind betrayed them!"

I garnered a moment to let her catch my breath, and well, the dramatic pause always gave my retorts that much more clout.

"Maybe that is how it was, but things are different now, SI:7 work to remove the corrupt aristocracy that so hindered this proud city in the past. Maybe it is time for the brothers to return?"

"Maybe so, but I fear it is to late for a full reconciliation, the Defias as first were the wronged party out to fight the battle against the ignorant and corrupt nobles and the fool who followed them to treachery, but as I said... with the death of Vancleef, cutting off the head with no strong leadership to continue the original honorable vision, the group has descended into nothing but, as you said 'fair officer', criminals. So if by showing me some sympathy the king or his nobles are trying to entice more masons to come home, I doubt it will work."

"Well, your example of laying down old grudges may not bring them all suddenly back into the fold, but if you can light the way for even just one or two wanting to return to the alliance, then the gambit taken here will of been successful. I agree, yes King Varian has made some... questionable calls in his time, but I do believe that he makes these with the interest of his people at heart, not just for his own convenience."

"You can't seriously be letting this brigand into your numbers mi lord?" Thelwater spoke up, shock and confusion woven into his speech.

"We've taken all the necessary precautions I assure you, Milord." The tone used mocked that of the Wardens. The familiar visage of my fellow Night Elven officer appeared at the doorway I myself had entered through. How long she had lurked there for I couldn't say, she had a habit of going unseen I found. " As the SI:7 officer assigned to working within The League of Nations, I'll make sure our little Defias rogue doesn't go, well rogue again I guess." If one was blind they would have sworn that voice belonged to a human, no hint of a Darnassian accent at all. She made her way close to the table and swapped formalities with the Warden as well as the guards, her medium length purple hair rationally styled for one in her line of work, pulled pack into a strict ponytail.

"I'd like to hear it from her though, how are we supposed to know your not going to cause us trouble? Why aren't we just sending you back to the hold right now, Miss erm...?"

"Morrigan Hutter... Sir. And yea, you do have my word that I ain't going to be no problem, I'm not really a fighter, always been more of an informant. And the way I see's things, the kingdom doesn't need me to preach the word, the ruling class's mistakes are going to catch up to them all on their own."