Chapter 2

'Ah there it is!' Terry pointed at the main road with relief.

'Where?' A voice called from behind him. A leaf covered Kate emerged from the bush behind, batting the leaves away from her shoulders as she placed herself beside Terry. Letting out a growl of annoyance, she continued to flail her hands around, trying effortlessly to get rid of the excess dirt left on her simple white shirt and once neatly brushed hair - still not paying attention to what Terry was referring to.

'The main road…' He answered, looking at Kate with a mischievous smile. Her eye's shot up and, just like Terry, gave a sigh of relief at the sight of it, the feel of anger washing away. At least they managed to find their way out. Somehow, inexplicitly, Terry got them lost along the path. Backtracking from the stream of water leading to the river, around a couple of gigantic trees in the thick forest, and they even got themselves into a hollow and muddy ditch. Kate was certainly not pleased about this; her appearance was ruined! Terry on the hand was gliding along filled with content, as if he'd just shook hands with the King. He loved getting all mucky, and Kate didn't. '…What's wrong with you, afraid of a bit of dirt?' He teased her. He liked to tease her when she was in a bad mood, just like Thomas did.

'Shut up…or, or….' She blurted out, trying desperately to threaten him with something. '…I'll slam you to the ground!' With a scowl, she fixed her raged-filled eyes on his smirking face. 'You don't want to get covered in mud, do you?!' quickly adding. Her feeble attempts to threaten him made her cringe, and him burst out into laughter.

'I actually wouldn't mind that. If I wasn't so polite, I'd drag you down with me…wouldn't mind seeing you all hot and sweating, wiggling out of my-'

'Oh stop it!' She hastily interrupted him with her arms tightly crossed around her chest. Was he flirting with her?

'Ok! Ok! Relax. You're way too easy to anger, Kate.' He lifted a gently smile and rubbed the back of head, sheepishly. He did have a point though. She had to stop being hot-head and reckless. It was a weakness of hers brought on by the frustrating task of taking care of her brothers, especially Thomas. He drove her insane at time. Kate exhaled, allowing the anger to subside again, and returned a warm smile back at him. 'Besides, even with dirt on you, you're still beautiful.' He stated, a tint of pink covering his faintly-freckled face.

'T-Thank you.' She couldn't bear to look at him, hiding the blush that covered her face. Within a second, he pivoted on his heel and made his way towards the cobbled grey stone road.

'We should get going. Our diversion lost us some time.' He said with a serious tone. Kate nodded, though Terry wasn't looking, and quickly swept to his side on the road. They were heading west along the almost straight road towards Goldshire, then to Stormwind.

'By the way, you're a terrible flirter…' Kate lied trying to tease him, smirking as she said it.

'Really? Now that's a first.' He responded, eyebrows raised as he glanced over his side to see her eyes on him. He saw straight through her lie, Kate could tell by the determined look on his face, telling her that he was successful in his attempts. Wait what?

'A first…what do you mean?' She asked him suspiciously as they passed over an ancient bridge, arching a stream of water leading to the river, guarded by a Stormwind Guard who nodded at them as to say "Hello" - they both nodded back.

'Well, I'm not all that "innocent" anymore, Kate.' He shot her a devilish look, a blush on his cheeks, waiting for Kate to respond. Kate's eyes widen in realisation and a shocked expression on her face.

'You have a girlfriend?!' She was eager to hear the answer.

'Not quite. It's more with…multiple girls…if you know what I mean…' He finally admitted blushing tremendously, trying not to see Kate's dumbfounded expression. She couldn't believe it! Her innocent and pure Terry having it off with women. But why was she so surprised? After seeing him for the first time in ages surely no woman could resist him, not even Kate. She wouldn't mind dating him at all - or being in bed with him. Disregarding the dirty and wonderful thought immediately, she couldn't help but ask.

'Are you a virgin?' Oh boy, he knew this question was coming. Terry slowly nodded sideways, confirming that he wasn't. She let out a giddy squeal in delight, tapping her fists together against her chest like a child. It was getting increasingly more surprising as he spoke!

'Since when did you become such a perv?' He shot a question back at her while Kate was stopping her moment of excitement.

'Not a perv…just curious…' She replied, with a hint of disappointment in her tone. Never would she of thought that Terry, of all people, would have lost his virginity before Kate had ever met a man she liked. It came back to her then: always the last one, and late as well. She hoped that didn't apply to her virginity. Still, the thought of Terry being a womanizer was an entertaining novelty…that turned out to be true.

'What's wrong?' He asked, concern in his voice. Kate gazed at him and saw he had dropped his smile and the blush had faded away.

'Nothing it's just…' Like Kate before, Terry was eager to hear the answer, easing her on with a shake of his head. 'Well, I'm a virgin…' her face hidden from his eyes, praying that he wouldn't laugh at her.

'I'm not surprised.'

'Huh?' Her head shot up with a questionable look smeared all over her face.

'You heard. With you being coped up all the time on that farm, not to mention your overprotective father, it doesn't come as a shock. Heck, I would be shocked if you weren't one.' Her expression faded. 'Cheer up; I'm sure you'd find plenty of men in Stormwind. With that attire, you'll attract the entire city.' He teased her once again, making her feel better about herself. Instead of rage, Kate felt amused and chuckled with him. She took onboard what Terry was saying and had to admit, her attire was…questionable, to say the least. Well, the barely-covering shirt only showed off her abdomen as well as showing her chest. It also made her breasts, which were obviously covered on the sides, push up, making them look more perkier and a bit larger - not that they weren't already. The rest of her was covered up with black linen pants, and some comfortable mid-night coloured walking boots.

It was only then that she noticed how far they had walked. The bridge they crossed moments ago had disappeared behind them, and a long stretch of road rolled out before them with the forest trees back to back against it. How long had they been walking? Terry certainly is an excellent pass time. Their conversations touched on topics like what happened after Terry moved, where he now lives and what he does and did at Redridge Mountains, the boys and girls at the school they used to go to together…

'That girl…what's her name…Catherina…Catherina Smith! Remember her? The one who used to pick on me…'

'Ye, I do, do you want me to tell you what happened to her?'

'Go on!'

'She got an arranged marriage with one of her cousins near Northshire, quite an ugly man. I heard they are now living in Darkshire, Duskwood!'

'No way!'

'Yes way! Duskwood perfectly fits her personality: dark, snaky, and most all terrifying!'

'Ha, serves her right!'

'You never guess what…they had kids!'

'Ah! That's disgusting! I don't want to imagine what they look like…'

Kate and Terry howled with laughter at almost all events that happen over the years. It was a shame he wasn't there to experience it with her first hand. The long stretch of road that was presented before them vanished, and the faded view of the old Goldshire Inn was at the edge of the horizon. She remembered her father specifically telling her NOT to go into the inn, a day before the journey began. He said that strange things happen in there, odd people settled down after their tiresome adventure, and worst of all the place was riddled with sex and people openly offering it to people! The poor innkeeper has a hard time controlling the place; he can't exactly throw out potential business, so it grew into a nasty trend. After a long walk, Kate felt her legs aching and would probably need to rest at Goldshire before heading off to Stormwind. A short break and a drink would be nice too. She peered over to Terry, who also looked a little tired.

'Can we stop at Goldshire for a bit?' She asked.

'Of course, do what you want. After all, this is your trip. You can order me around.' He couldn't resist teasing her. Kate smiled at him.

'Stop it…' reacting to his persistent teasing.

'But it has be quick, I'm afraid. Look it's almost dusk.' He pointed up to the sky, his finger giving the illusion he was touching the sun. Had it really been that long? It only felt like an hour at most to Kate, who was having a blast with Terry.

'Heads up!' Called out Terry. Snapping out of her thoughts, Kate noticed what seemed to be a pack of mounted horses heading straight at them with a trot. For a moment, she thought they'd break out into a gallop and charge straight at them. 'Cavalry.'

With a dash, Kate and Terry rushed towards the side the road, both taking opposite sides. They both stood frozen while the unit passed by them, Terry and Kate hidden from each other as the many horses passed by. Kate gasped in amazement; it was a sight she'd never seen before. Royal guards decked with the finest armour, carrying banners of Stormwind upright, and all riding armoured athletic looking steeds. Kate couldn't take her eyes off of them. There must have been a dozen of them, all parallel to each other with three of them per row. Not a single one glanced at either Kate or Terry, fixated on the direction they were heading like stone statues. Eventually, they moved off into the distance leaving an awe struck Kate.

'Stormwind Royal Guards. Look fancy, don't they?' Terry asked approaching Kate. She was still glaring at the guards.

'Ye.' She replied, her head facing Terry now.

'It seems strange. They only started sending that unit out a couple of years ago, after the Cataclysm. I wonder why they didn't send them out before then…' Kate shrugged in response not having an answer. '…probably just showing off.'

Answering his own question, Terry turned around and headed back along the main road towards Goldshire. Kate tailed along beside him like a dog following its master. At long last, they had managed to reach Goldshire as dusk crept near. Kate's eye brows rose as she gazed at the centre of the town. To her surprise, there weren't a lot of people around. She expected it to be bustled with people, but it wasn't. Apart from the local residents, it was mostly barren. There were a couple of people around who seemed to be tired from their quests, and someone stood beside a teethed up mount - she couldn't make out the appearance of the individual. Terry suddenly jerked around to Kate when they were stood outside a shady carriage.

'I don't suppose you'd want to split off and have a look around while were here. Get a drink at the inn or something?' He asked.

'Sure.'

'Ok then. I'll be by the mailbox outside the inn if you need anything. Hadn't got a chance to check my mail, I was in a rush to get to you this morning!'

'And why is that, were you brushing your hair before you left?' She shot back with a cheeky grin plastered on her face. He couldn't hold back a mouth-open smile from Kate's remark.

'Look who's talking. Anyway, I'll join you inside the inn when I'm finished - if we have time to spare.' He started towards the mailbox. 'We will meet out here in thirty.' Thirty minutes?! Kate wanted to stay a bit long than that; it was too late to argue with him now. As Terry was rummaging through his mail (he carried it with him along the way, strapped inside one his larger belt satchels) with a tongue stuck out in concentration, Kate took this opportunity to look at the sights, and then go inside the inn. She wanted to avoid the inn as much as possible, and as a last resort to go inside it. She had a quick look around the blacksmiths opposite the inn, but didn't go inside. Already feeling the heat from the front door, Kate just knew it was going to be astronomically scorching inside, backing away from it. If she did go inside, she'd end up all hot and sweaty…with Terry trying desperately pulling her into his lap. Dismissing the thought, she went to find what else Goldshire had to offer. She began to realise it actually didn't have much else to offer. Apart from the inn, there wasn't anything interesting to look at. The only other thing to see was a battered sign post as the road began to fork off into two directions. Before going inside the inn and witnessing a horror story, she wanted to at least find out which road they'd be taking. Just like the town itself, the sign post gave nothing of interest. The engraves on the wood withered away with no telling of what they are pointing at, and Kate was sure the sign post would crumple into dust from a single prod. Within moments, Kate succumbed to boredom. She changed her mind about staying longer and just wanted to leave. Terry was still ravaging through his mail and shoving some into the mailbox. He seemed too focused to be disturbed, and she didn't want to go inside the inn alone.

'Maybe I should talk to someone…' But who to? The locals would most likely have nothing of interest to say, and the place had barely a soul to speak to. She wondered how the locals remained sane. Scanning the area eagerly to find something or someone, she fixed her eyes on a person at the stables outside the inn.

'Aha!' She relieved aloud. Finally, someone new to speak to. Striding forward to the person with confidence, she noticed the person was a he. The man looked to be quite tall, bulky, and covered shoulder to toe in sophisticated black armour gilded with brown. Strapped tightly along his shoulder, all the way to his waist, was a murderous two-handed sword. It was one of its kind, the handle forged with delicate projected patterns, and the blade was dull with a fang-like shape. His raven-black hair tied into a short ponytail that reached down to the end of his neck. He was preoccupied with going through his bags that were strapped to his armoured horse, just like the horses the Royal Guards were riding. Kate wouldn't normally approach a man that looked this dangerous, but she didn't really care this time. Anything to entertain her to pass the time should be taken advantage of, especially here in Goldshire. Planting herself behind the man, with a slight distance between them as well, he didn't seem to notice her presence.

'Excuse me? She asked him with a gently voice. The man halted his actions at the sound of her. 'I was wondering if you could please point me to which road leads to Stormwind?' She randomly asked, not thinking of anything else to start a conversion with. The man turned around to face her then, Kate almost jumped out of her skin. She wasn't expecting him to have an eye-patch, nor did she see the strap laced in his hair. It was a black eye-patch, covering his left eye, that camouflaged itself with the colour of the man's hair- she didn't realise how effective it was. His one emerald green eye glared at her, and there was silence between them. He towered over her, about a head and a half taller than Kate. It felt rather awkward and Kate was already regretting approaching him. It was as if she had asked a stupid question that was common knowledge…which it was - a very stupid question. She took that time to get a real good look at his face. A thick untidy beard, matching in colour to his hair, spread across his lower face. Scars were slashed all over it, especially the one going vertical down his covered eye. This man had certainly been in a ton of scraps and was battered beyond repair. It was only then that Kate started to appreciate the man's appearance. Sure he's worn out, but he does have some sharp features under all of that mess, and he is fairly good looking too. His eyebrows were bushy and set into default as serious-looking, just like his eye is. 'I mean…it's just…I-I'm a bit lost.' She finished with a blush of embarrassment, playing with her hands and not having the nerve to keep eye contact with him. Unexpectedly, his face elected a wolfish smile. It wasn't a vicious smile as if he wanted to eat her, but a warm friendly one.

'Yeah, it's just up that road behind you. The left fork.' His voice was husky and rough around the edges, deep as well. 'Where's your escort, girl?' Kate's eye shot up immediately, she certainly wasn't anticipating that questions - certainly not from a stranger. Was that concern in his voice as well?

'I, uh, do have one but…' Her head slowly jerked around to see Terry still messing around with his ridiculous pile of never ending mail. '…Well he's…he's a bit busy, as you can see.' Struggling to form words, she still felt nervous around the man as she turned back around to see him. With his eyebrows raised, his eyes (or eye) glanced at Terry, then back at Kate.

'I see…' The awkward silence fell upon them again. With nothing stopping her, she couldn't help but admit her disinterest of Goldshire.

'Look, I'm really bored and need something to do. And yes, he is going to be here for a while. He did say he'd finish before half an hour. I've been meaning to go into the inn, but not without him.' This was pathetic. She was almost pleading him to accompany her into the inn. 'If only someone could come with me instead…' His eyebrows raised again as if she had offended him in some way. Then he understood, and that grin of his gradually appeared on his face again.

'I suppose there's no harm in having a drink together at the inn. I'm sure this one wouldn't mind.' He said pointing at Terry. 'Come.' He motioned her to the entrance of the inn, leaving the side of his mount to join Kate's side instead.

'Kate!' Terry's voice halted their movements. Kate turned on her heel to see him standing right in front of them, not looking pleased at all. 'I've finished my mail.'

'Oh good, you can come join us for a drink lad.' Terry's eyes glared at the man who spoke, then shot a nasty look at Kate.

'Kate, a word please. In private.' Terry ordered. She heard the anger in his monotone voice. Quickly nodding at the man, she made her way towards Terry. He led her beside the exterior of the inn, and turned to face her. 'Kate, what are you doing?!' She was about the interrupt him, but Terry spoke first. 'You can't just go up to someone and ask them out. Especially someone likes him; he could be a psychopath!'

'Hey, what's your problem? He kindly offered me a drink at the inn.' She spat back. Her face with a sombre look, she crossed her arms in defence, not keeping her eyes off Terry's reddening face. 'You can't blame me for having nothing to do. I was bored!'

'That's not the point.' He countered with a stern tone. He sighed in annoyance, trying his best not to start an argument with her. 'Look, Kate, It's my duty to protect you from harm. And you're letting harm come into your way.'

'What are you talking about?'

'I don't trust him. I've seen men like him before, and I've seen the way they act…however I'm not going to stop you.'

'Huh?' Kate's hand dropped back down and her face changed to a questioning one. Kate noticed that he'd calmed down at bit.

'Kate…I…I-I care for your safety. I don't want to see you being hurt by someone like him. Think twice about what you're doing next time you do something like that, ok?' Kate felt touched by his words. He actually cared for her. Well it's his job to do so, but he generally cared for her as a friend. 'And I think I overreacted a bit when I saw him, he's probably a nice man - we'll just have to find out!' He smiled at Kate and led her back into the inn. The man was stood leaning by the wall in the entrance and nodded as they both appeared. Kate absorbed Terry's advice, but seemed to think that the man was in no way a harmful person. Without a shadow of a doubt, his appearance did suggest he was a dangerous and shady person. Despite this, Kate still saw something inside of him that told her otherwise.

'Got everything sorted out?' He asked them both, grinning in satisfaction.

'Yes. I just need to post one more letter, and then I'll join you both.'

'Alright then.' He turned his gaze towards Kate as Terry turned back around and headed towards the mailbox. 'Come on you.' He held his arm out signalling her to go first. Kate blushed at his politeness, and he tailed her into the inn. Kate wasn't going to like to sight of what was going to be around the corner. When she looked into the main body of the inn, she froze, mouth wide open in shock. There was nothing out of the ordinary. It wasn't anything remotely like the petrifying stories her father told her, no one asking for sex, in fact it was the complete opposite. Some locals were present, the innkeeper at the bar, and there were some adventures sitting around the fire in tacky armour, not like the armour Terry or the man beside her wore. Kate's opinion shifted from it being the worst place on Azeroth to the most relaxing place she'd ever been in. The inn had a welcoming, warm, and most of all a cosy atmosphere. Goldshire's inn (called the Lion's Pride inn) still held up to it's reputation of being the best attraction Goldshire has to offer, but in a completely different fashion. Hastily, the man made his way towards the bar, with Kate trailing from behind. They both sat together on the bar stools and the old innkeeper served them. The innkeeper and this man seemed to know each other quite well.

'It's good to see you back in here, Vol. I was worried the Pig and Whistle stole you from me!'

'How could I not come back and see you again? It's seems your inn needs business, I could solve that problem for you.'

'It's that Draenor expedition, this place has been dead ever since it started.'

'Yeah, the city's the same. Not many people like me prancing about that's for sure. Give it about a month or two for them to catch up and the place will be buzzing again!'

'Catch up, eh? I'm guessing you've already explored that place and finished before everyone else.' He nodded to confirm that the innkeeper was correct. 'As always…well it's good to see you back here.' He swiftly rubbed his hands. 'Let's get down to business then. The usual?'

'Please. And give this one 'ere your strongest.' He gestured to Kate. The innkeeper looked at her and gave a gentle smile.

'Ah someone new, young as well. You sure you can handle this?' Kate nodded, not knowing how to respond. The innkeeper picked up two pint-sized mugs, and headed over towards the tankards containing all kinds drinks. She wouldn't have gone for the strongest beverage they had but she didn't want to refuse the offer. At the same time it was exciting for her. Kate had never had alcohol before, and her father advised against her and the family taking it. It wouldn't hurt to have one pint. While she was waiting, she had a curious look around the inn. Her eyes flickered across towards the blazing fire with wood chairs surrounding it, and then the entrance. Catching her attention at the entrance was another man covered head to toe in leather armour, and his head hidden with a hooded cloak that dragged along the wood panelling of the floor. His attire screamed suspicion, and he stopped dead as he noticed Kate's eyes on him. Kate hastily jerked her head back around in hopes he wouldn't have saw her staring at him. Eventually he moved out of the way and glided towards the fire, sitting down without a single sound coming from him. A strange uncomfortable feeling crept up on Kate, she felt as though he was watching her closely under that hood.

'Here it is!' The innkeeper came back placing the pints in front of them with a loud thud against the wooden bar. He was standing there looking at Kate, eager to see what will happen to her. 'Drink up!' Carefully, they both grabbed the mugs in front of them. Kate peeked inside the mug and took a sniff; it was beer - strong beer. The man beside her nudged her to get her attention.

'Bottoms up!' He spoke. Lips covering the side of her mug, she tilted it upwards to the ceiling, gulping down ever last drop of beer. Within seconds, she slammed the mug down onto the bar and exhaling in relief. Glancing up at the two men, she noticed they shared a surprised face. 'Wow…' The man beside her finally said. The innkeeper looked as though he'd just saw a ghost.

'What did I tell you, Vol? You've always had good taste.' He winked at the man and smirked. That statement referred to either Kate herself or the beverage he chose. She was hoping it was the latter.

'Want another?' The man beside her asked. She noticed he had also necked down his beverage. Feeling a little tipsy and more open, she refused as politely as she could. 'That's understandable. I'll have another, thanks.' The innkeeper nodded and hurriedly refilled his pint, and once again returned with it full to the brim. He decided to scurry off to the front of the inn and ask the other adventures if they needed anything of service. This gave Kate and the man the perfect opportunity to speak to each other at long last.

'Well that was an impressive display, girl. I'm Volanthus, by the way. Volanthus Hones. Although most call me Volan or Vol for short. Or strange man who brought you a beer that one time.' Kate laughed along with him. At least he had a sense of humour about the situation, unlike Terry. 'And you are?'

'Kate. Just called me Kate. My escort's called Terry.'

'He seemed to be upset by the sight me. I can't blame him, most people usually cower away.' He admitted, still smiling wolfishly. Kate felt a bit sorry for him; he couldn't help the way he looked. Terry's suspicion of him seemed completely void after Kate witnessed how he interacted with others. He seemed to a grateful person, and a giver (well, there wasn't much else he could take). 'I noticed he actually cares a lot about you. I'm guess you two are already friends?'

'Ye, we are. Childhood friends.' Friends, but it could have been more than that.

'He's in the right mind set for an escort, warning you of the danger of "men like me".' Kate's eyes opened in surprise. He knew what they had said about him.

'How did you know about that?' She shot at him, questioning how he got that knowledge. He can't have been eavesdropping on them from the entrance of the inn; it was impossible from where he was. He let out a grunt of amusement at Kate's confusion.

'That'll wait for another time. But rest assure that I'm of no harm to you or your friend, I promise you that.' He nodded at her with his smile. Kate felt relieved that he wasn't of any harm, but the curiosity of how he managed to know what Terry said about him still puzzled her mind. She couldn't think of a logical reason behind it. 'So, tell me about yourself, Kate. Is this your first time going up to Stormwind?'

'Yes. To be honest, I'm a bit nervous. I don't know what I'll do there.'

'How long you staying?'

'It's going to be my new home.' She said with a smile.

'That's good. It'll be nice to see someone different around the city.'

'Oh, you live there too?'

'Mhm. If you're up to it, you could stay with me.' That was unexpected. Without stepping into the city, Kate had already been accommodated. Kate thought it was a bad joke and laughed awkwardly. His expression told her otherwise.

'I'll…I'll have to think about it…' She felt wary about this. Kate had only just met this man and he was already asking her to stay over at his place. This was going too fast for her.

'Alright then. Just a warning though, it's hard to find a place on your own at Stormwind, expensive too.' Kate agreed with his point. With what little gold she carried around, she couldn't afford to stay more than a couple weeks at an inn. Now with Volan's offer, she'd be able to spend the gold on what she wanted and not what she needed: new clothes, ingredients for cooking, and maybe some new books as well. Living for free was something she couldn't let up on, and she'd be a fool to refuse such an offer. 'But of course it's your choice. I'm not going to force you into it.'

'I'll decide when I've had a look around, if you don't mind.'

'Not at all, see the free sample before you test it.' He finished, his face showing a weak smile. Volan is a selfless man, and Kate felt grateful for the hospitality he was offering her. She couldn't thank him enough for saving her from the possibility of finical debt.

'Thank you…' She whispered under her breath.

'It's nothing. I'm happy to help you settle in to the city, maybe even give you a tour.' He replied to her, hearing her thanks. He was offering her too much, and Kate felt guilt embrace her. She had nothing else to offer in return.

'I won't forget this. I'll repay your kindness-' A tint of red painted on Volan's cheeks, and he rubbed the back of his neck.

'No need.' He interrupted her. 'I'm tired of getting rewards; already have enough of them as it is!' He let out a chuckle, Kate joined in too. Volan turned around on his stool, taking a swig of his drink, and looked at Terry as he came into the inn. He seemed tired, and it was no wonder. 'What took you so long, lad? Poor Katie's been waiting for you!' He bellowed across the inn. Katie? Why did he call her Katie?

'One of my letters took a while to read.' Terry answered, sitting beside Kate giving a smile at her. The innkeeper rushed back to the bar as he sat down.

'Give this lad your strongest.'

'No thank you, I don't drink.' Kate shot him a mischievous looked.

'Come on Terry, join in on the fun.' Terry couldn't say no to Kate. Letting out a sigh, he gave in reluctantly.

'Oh alright…' With a blink of an eye, the innkeeper returned with a pint of beer - the same beer Kate had. 'Thank you. Who's paying for this by the way?' He jerked his head to see Kate and Volan.

'Don't worry, it's on me. Drink up. I'm Volanthus Hones, but you can call me Vol or Volan if you want. Katie's already told me about you.' Volan answered. Terry picked up the pint and took a small sip. His mouth swilled around, trying to get a good taste of the drink. 'You should have seen her. Katie took it all down in one gulp.' Terry immediately gave Kate a shocked expression.

'Kate!' He moaned at her.

'I only had one. Come on Terry, relax. We're having fun!' Terry gave out a sigh of annoyance. Instead of telling her off, he just took another mouthful of beer. He gave up on trying to tell her what's wrong and right and didn't really care anymore. Eventually, Terry finished his beer. He felt a little uneasy and light headed after that.

'We'd probably want to get moving and up to Stormwind now.' Volan said.

'We?' Terry asked him, looking confused.

'Yes. Volan's kindly offered a place for me to stay at Stormwind.' Terry shot him a suspicious look and Volan just smiled back at him. From the corner of her eye, Kate noticed that the man sat besides the fire had moved to the entrance, and disappeared out of sight. Something felt off about this.

'You wouldn't mind another man protecting Katie, would you?' Terry's face went completely red and turned his head to face the wall in a huff.

'Fine…' He quietly answered. Kate, trying to hold back a giggle at his subtle tantrum, patted his shoulder playfully. Volan shot up from his stool and placed a gold coin and a couple of silver on the bar from one of his belt pouches. The innkeeper snatched it from the table and placed the coins inside his pocket.

'Thanks, Vol. I hope to see you soon, and you two as well.'

'Thanks for the beers. Come on you two.' Kate and Terry slowly rose from their seats. Volan motioned them forward, and led them outside of the inn. He broke off from them and moved towards his horse, untying the reins from the fence and dragged it along back to Kate and Terry. Making nickering noises, the horse was clearly happy to see Volan again.

'Stormwind's up that road.' Volan nodded towards the left fork in the road straight in front of them. 'We'll be walking the way.' Without further interruptions, they all started towards the road that led to Stormwind. The horse seemed to be annoyed at Volan for pulling him along, its hooves tapping deliberately on the stone path. There was silence between the three.

'It's a bit of walk to get there…' Volan state, breaking the silence. '…Where do you both come from?'

'Nearby, the East-vale Logging Camp.' Kate answered. 'And he comes from Redridge Mountains.' She answered for Terry, who was trying his best to avoid conversation with Volan.

'Redridge, eh? Heard the Orc problem's getting worse there.'

'Yeah…' Terry answered vaguely. Instead of looking at Volan, he kept his eyes fixed on the road ahead, spiralling around like a snake. Kate nudged him and gave him an annoyed look to say "be more polite!", but he didn't want to be polite to him.

'I've got a question for you…' Terry asked him. Oh no, Kate thought he was going to insult the man and call him out. '…How old are you?' That question wasn't as bad as Kate imagined, and she felt relieved. Volan raised his eyebrows; he wasn't expecting a question like that.

'Twenty-nine, going on thirty soon.' He answered. Twenty-nine?! He was ten years older than Kate. Her father wouldn't be impressed at all, seeing her befriending a man significantly older than her. Terry grinned as if he had accomplished something grand.

'As always, old men hitting on young women they can't get…' Now that was uncalled for. He wasn't hitting on Kate, just being generous. She was surprised at Terry's attitude towards him, and gave him a nasty glare in return. Volan didn't seemed to be bothered by his attempt to get under his skin, and instead gave a short laugh.

'Actually, the young women hit on me.' He corrected Terry, giving him a wolfish smirk. 'You obviously don't seem too happy with your friend talking to me, or are you jealous of me getting all the attention?' Terry growled in annoyance, going red with anger. Kate didn't feel like interrupting, it would cause more damage than it would actually heal. The situation turned itself on its head: Volan was getting under Terry's skin now.

'Why don't you just mount that horse of yours and leave us?! No one asked you to come along!'

'Now, now. I'm escorting Katie as well. Come to think of it, I'm escorting both of you.' Terry let out a grunt of anger and turned to the road ahead. 'Besides, I'm not that old. How are old are you then?' Terry sighed again, and finally answered.

'Twenty-one.'

'Twenty-one and still fighting Orcs in Redridge?' He snorted. 'When I was about your age, I was already on the front-line leading one of the raids on Ahn'Qiraj.'

'Shut up! It's not my fault I'm still there. I have family to protect unlike you!' Terry yelled letting off all his steam. Kate saw that Volan's smile dropped and his face took the form of anger. She had to intervene or she would have to escort herself carrying corpses on her shoulders.

'That's enough! Both of you!' She bellowed, just like she did with her brothers. The pair of them remained silent as she spoke. 'You're acting like children!' Kate's lecturing worked, and they both concentrated on the road ahead. She was glad they had stopped their dick measuring contest and actually focused on their jobs. In their silence, Kate sensed something was off. Like at the inn, her instincts were telling her someone was watching her. From the corner of her eye, she was sure there were shadows moving behind the trees. Suddenly, Kate caught a glimpse of a dagger bolting towards her from the side of the road. Immediately tilting her head as far back as possible, the dagger missed her by an inch and was now clamping in a tree trunk, shacking violently. Now on the floor laying with her hands pusher her up, Kate shook her head around in worry, trying to find the culprit behind this. Just before she fell, Terry and Volan drew their weapons and surrounded Kate with their back to her. She pushed herself up and drew her daggers.

'Are you alright?' Terry asked her in panic, not looking at her.

'That was close…' She panted. Her heart was still beating from that life or death moment.

'You got balls to challenge us! Come on, show yourself! Don't be a coward!' Volan shouted at the top of his voice. After he said that, a group of people emerged from the sides of the road, surrounding the three in a circle. Kate turned her head to see them all. They were all in blackened leather armour, all Human, and blood-red balaclavas concealed their lower face.

'Bandits…' Terry muttered.

'No ordinary bandit: Defias.' Volan corrected him. Kate thought the Defias had been wiped out when their leader was killed many years ago. It didn't matter now, but what did they want from them? Clearly it was one of their lives. Kate gasped as a man strode towards them. It was the same man from the inn before. She knew something was off about him. He didn't remove his hood, but Kate noticed that he was wearing an Alliance insignia on his belt hidden under his cloak. It must have been someone who recently betrayed the Alliance, or someone working for them undercover. Without further or do, the man lunged towards Kate with a long demonic-looking dagger. Shoving Kate aside, Volan reacted and parried his blow with his two-hander, disarming him in the process. Volan aimed for his head with a powerful strike, but the man quickly dodged his blow and tried to pick up his dagger. The other's surrounding them lunged forward at them. Terry was faced with about four of them on one side, and made short work of two of them already. His long sleek sword cutting through their bodies in two consecutive strikes. Even the horse joined in, tramping the Defias behind Kate. Meanwhile, Volan sliced two of them trying to help their master, and Terry slammed his shield into the jaw of one them heading for Kate, stabbing the other one in the stomach. Without a single kill yet, Kate ran to safety behind a tree, hoping that no one saw her and away from the fray. Volan picked up the leader with one hand and threw him against the tree Kate was hid behind, bones crunching in the process and knocking him out. One of them found her behind the tree and grabbed her from behind. Struggling to get free, Kate flipped her dagger around in her hand and aimed it precisely at his lower torso. To her surprise, the dagger pierced into his armour, and the man wailing in pain letting go of her. With little time before he could strike her again, Kate ran towards him stabbing the daggers simultaneously into his neck. She couldn't stop herself, pressuring the daggers deeper into his flesh. With a jerk of the blade out of his throat, blood splattering onto her shirt sleeves, and he fell backwards lifeless. Her face was in shock, trembling at her actions. She couldn't believe it. She killed someone! She dropped the daggers to the floor, and tried her best to hold back her tears. This wasn't supposed to happen to her, she didn't want to become a heartless murderer.

'Kate!' Terry appeared next to her, covered in blood. He pulled her around to the other side of the tree, the entire path now painted with scarlet and corpses littering the path. To her relief, Volan was still alive and, by the looks of it, didn't break a sweat. He too was dripping with blood. He turned to face them both, and gave them his animalistic smile. One could mistake him for a psychopath at that moment. Something stirred under Kate, the leader was still alive. He was ready with a dagger dripping with some sort of liquid, and lunged once more towards Volan unexpectedly. Kate immediately reached for her daggers, but realised they had dropped to the floor behind the tree. Without anything else to do, she called out to him.

'LOOK OUT!' Before Volan could turn his head, the man's dagger had already scraped his armour and completely ignored it. It scratched the skin of his left leg. With a small wince, Volan kicked him in the face, sending him flying to the ground. The man reached into his cloak once more, and came out with some grey dull powder in his hand. Throwing it to the ground, the area around him erupted with smoke. The three of them coughed as the smoke clouded around them. After it dissipated, the man had vanished out of sight. All three of them hurriedly surveyed the area, but he was nowhere to be found. He had escaped by the skin of his teeth.