The little night elven girl held up her hands, and smiled at Ethan with bright teeth. She was bundled up in fur clothing, a round fur hat with ear flaps covering her long ears. Her tiny fingers were covered in gloves, and wiggled eagerly.
"Wanna hug, Unca Ethan!"
"No," Ethan said, grinning.
They were sitting in the park of Scourgeholme. Large mushrooms, like those found in the Eastern Plaguelands, were like trees. They rose up above heads, and provided shelter from windgusts. Plagued squirrels chittered to each other as they ran through the sturdy cold loving grasses. Lichbloom, Icethorns, and smaller mushrooms were carefully cultivated in rows. A nearby building, magically bespelled to keep in heat, was used to grow Arthas's Tears by the dozens.
Silvia Nightwind, Lethumo's daughter, frowned, and her face scrunched up. Then, she cursed at Ethan in Darnassian.
"Whoa, little girl! Watch your mouth! I'll tell your father!" Ethan threatened.
"An'da taught me words!" The girl protested, huffing.
The young man frowned. "Well, then I guess I ought to have a word with him..."
Silvia saw a squirrel, and gasped. Squealing, she scrambled after it. Ethan watched amusingly as the night elf chased the undead animal. When she got exhausted, she gave up and wearily returned to Ethan, breathing hard.
The young man pulled out a bag of candy, and shared some with the girl.
Sapphire was not with them, having found more interest in the religious section of the city. Bolvar and Arthas were with her, probably keen to show off. Jaina had set off toward the necromancy quarter with a scowl. All had promised to return to Bolvar's home before the street lights came on.
Ethan had went to Lethumo's house for his old friend, only to have the door answered by Silvia. The girl had taken an instant liking to the young man. He had thought the elf girl was adorable, and taken her to the park, which he had been a little curious about.
And of course, they had to stop at the candy store on the way there. Skully's Sugary Goodness was the irritating name, and Ethan had decided to buy a little bit of everything. Candied mushrooms, Chocolate cockroaches, Sugar Bones, and Frozen Hearts had been what Sapphire had known of. But there was also Ghoul Fingers, Sour Flies, Ice Skulls, Gargoyle Claws, Stinky Toes, Poison Sticks, and so many others.
Now, Ethan shared some of the Ghoul Fingers with Silvia, who ate them with relish. Most of the ingredients of the candies came from Scholozar, where a supply of cocoa and sugar could be obtained easily.
And Ethan had yet to see how Icecrown Citadel looked now, but apparently lots of the Citadel had been converted into places to grow food. A lot magic was involved, and one time necromancers now had to learn other magic. Some were ex-mages, so it had not been that difficult. Arthas had tried his best to provide for all of the Scourge, living or undead.
Silvia reached over and tried to snatch Ethan's candy. He jerked his hand away, and hissed.
"Bad girl! You know, the Lich King has deathknights who come in and see if adoptive parents are competent enough to raise children. Keep acting like this, and they might come knocking."
The little elf girl froze, and frowned. "Oh. Daddy is compe...com...He love me! Please no get dead knights."
Ethan nodded reassuringly. "All right."
The young man smiled, and picked her up. Silvia squealed in delight as he placed her on his shoulders. With her fingers, she grabbed at the human's hair, and held on tightly.
"The blood stained kiss of frozen Sapphire's bliss. Her white hair glows bright, far stronger in Darkness than in Light..."
Sapphire scowled at the singing of the cultists. When she had entered the ziggurat, she had not expected the people inside to start worshipping her. She just stood there in shock and confusion. Arthas had left her and Bolvar, and that irritated her. Bolvar seemed pleased by the arrangement, and had graciously shown off his city to Sapphire. But now, he looked a bit sheepish.
"Sorry. I knew they sung songs in your name, but I thought they would have the decency to-"
"Songs! There's more than one?"
"Petals fall withered in her sight, Her beauty a wondrous blight..."
"Oh no!" Sapphire buried her face in her hands.
"You want to leave?" Bolvar asked, holding a hand out. Sapphire took it, and they left.
"You need to tell them to stop," Sapphire said as they walked down a street. People stared, and made way for the two. They gazed at her with varying looks of awe, reverence, and fear. Sapphire did not know how she ought to react. Whether to smile or wave. So she just walked with Bolvar with a straight backed stride.
"Telling them to stop would be like telling you to stop doing foolish things. Down right impossible."
"Shut up, Bolvar or I'll push you into one of those canals!"
He just laughed, and shook his head.
They made their way through the streets, and Sapphire took in the sights. She had only been to Stormwind for a brief time, with Ethan at his home, and once before, but she remembered that Jaina had sent her a letter asking if she wanted to go to Stormwind next time she did.
She had suggested socializing with others her age, but Sapphire understood the underlying message. Jaina wanted Sapphire to be around mortals. Normal ones, not cultish ones that worshiped the ground under Sapphire's feet.
Both she and Bolvar arrived at the governor's house, which looked like a smaller Icecrown Citadel. Not really a house, but the man did not like it when people called it the Scourgeholme Citadel. Governor's house sounded less intimidating.
It was dark in Scourgeholme, but not as dark as night would be shortly. Already though were workers lighting up the street lamps. Sapphire and Bolvar waited in the courtyard on the others. The girl got cold, and wrapped herself tightly in her fur cloak.
Ethan came, carrying a night elf girl on his shoulders. He winced when she pulled at his hair, and Sapphire smiled when the little elf burst out giggling.
"Hello, Unca Bolvar!" The elf girl clambered down Ethan, and ran over to the burnt man. Bolvar bent down, and picked her up.
"Silvia, you demon. Have you been torturing Sir Ethan?"
"No..." The girl was staring at Sapphire. She was bundled in furs, and quite petite.
Sapphire giggled, and waved at Silvia. "Hello, Silvia. I'm Sapphire."
Lethumo's daughter gasped. "Sappha! Blood stain kiss..."
Bolvar grimaced at Sapphire's look of horror, and put the night elf down.
"Why don't you go on running home to Lethumo? I'm sure he will be worried."
Silvia nodded, and her face spread out in a grin.
"Okay!" She skipped away, humming the song to herself. Sapphire sighed, and Ethan came up frowning.
"What's wrong?" He asked.
"The cultists made songs about me...Why? I don't want songs based on me!" Sapphire walked off, up the steps to the buildings.
Bolvar leaned forward to Ethan, whispering. "At least she hasn't heard the ones about both you and her."
"Oh, Light. Are they obscene?"
The burnt man shook his head, and waved it aside. "Nothing like that, otherwise I would have not allow it sung. But they are very intimate..."
The younger man just sighed. "Let's make this between us, shall we?"
"Agreed."
They waited for Arthas alone. Ethan asked Bolvar about Icecrown and Scourgeholme, and the man obliged in answering. Water came from the ice of the glacier, purified and drinkable. Only certain undead were made and allowed in Scourgeholme. Obviously, abominations and constructs were illegal. The Lich King had all flesh giants, and more gruesome undead killed and disposed of properly. Only two lichs were still alive serving in the scourge, but Kel'thuzad was still at large. Arthas had been unsuccessful at finding the coward.
Many of the places in Icecrown had been shut down. The Fleshwerks was permanently abandoned, as was the Shadow Vaults. The Weeping Quarry was deserted of anything moving. The vast valleys of the glacier had only a few undead rambling around.
The Onslaught Harbor had been turned into a port for Icecrown. Ships had been made, and trade between neutral parties proved successful, for things other than Saronite had been mined up in Scourgeholme's mines. Ymirheim was slowly growing to resemble Scourgeholme, cultists and undead overtaking the old vry'kul dwellings. The vry'kul in Icecrown were extinct, and in fact, few vry'kul were still alive, scattered across Northrend. Arthas had left them be, their numbers too few to pose any true threat. The taming of proto-drakes proved difficult, but it was better than outright killing them.
Ethan in turn told Bolvar about Grizzly Hills. There was a treaty with the Venture Co. down at Venture Bay with logging rights. The Frostpaws and Redfangs were at a tentative peace at Grizzlemaw. Ethan had stamped out most of the worgens that had been hiding in the forests.
A whole herd of wild horses had been caught, and tamed. Some were used for deathchargers, but Ethan had been planning on breeding most them with other types of horses, maybe a southern breed from Stormwind. The wild ones were quite large, and could be sold as war horses. They were so used to the smell of undead that they would easily be able to be trained for war.
And Ethan wanted to expand, but the Lich King had ordered to keep it small for now. Ethan wanted to have the Howling Fjord. More specifically, Utgarde Keep. The lodge and village Ethan had were, while quaint and relaxing, did not suit Ethan very well. He thought Howling Fjord would be a lot better for himself and Sapphire.
He even had a new name for the keep if he could wrest it from the few vry'kul left. But Arthas told him to sort out the problems in the Grizzly Hills first.
Speaking of Arthas, the Lich King was coming up to Bolvar's house, alone. He looked like he was in a foul mood the way he stomped the ground, and held on tightly to his new runeblade. It was not Frostmourne, but one Arthas made himself. Frostmourne was under lock and key, all of the shards and the hilt collected together and guarded at all times. Medivh had taught Sapphire powerful spells to put on the vault the sword was in, and so far they had held.
Bolvar frowned at the sight of Arthas. "I believe Jaina and him have had another argument."
Ethan smirked, and held out a hand. "That will be five gold then."
The Governor of Scourgeholme scowled darkly, and pulled out a pouch of money. When he counted out the pieces, Bolvar reluctantly handed them over to Ethan. The two had a thing with Arthas and Jaina's relationship, betting on if they would fight, when they would make up. Things like that. And it was always rewarding to one or the other.
Arthas came up, cursing. His glowing eyes glared at the two conspirators.
"Jaina will not be joining us for dinner tonight."
Bolvar knew how to handle Arthas when he was like this.
"Yes, Master. Shall we go inside, and take refuge from the cold?"
Arthas growled, but agreed. "Fine."