"What have you there?" growled one of the Bluffwatchers as Caren and Alisa exited the lift and walked onto the lowest center rise of Thunder Bluff. "Nothing contraband, I hope."

Caren smiled sweetly and purred, "Why no, dear Kwaaki, I don't." Her gaze hardened to ice then and she snapped, "Now go bother someone else."

Kwaaki, who had grown up alongside Caren and hadn't the courage to venture outside of Mulgore, snorted, spitting, "Don't take that tongue with me, barbarian! Or I'll…"

"Or you'll what? Hmm? Be careful what you say, Kwaa…else I might just have to tell Kazmo about it."

The large male shrank back at that, fear in his eyes at the very thought of being face to face with the one she was threatening him with. Kazmo was an Orc well known as a fighter respected by the Warsong Outriders and not someone a simple Bluffwatcher wanted to deal with. And he and Caren had been close friends and battle partners for years – there was some wild rumor of them being mates as well which neither party confirmed or denied nor gave sign of.

"Fine, fine," he growled, waving them on. "But if you get caught with something…"

"I know, I know, you'll be the first there to laugh in my face. Go back to your post, Kwaa. You are not worth my time."

Kwaaki snorted and any other Tauren male might have slapped Caren lightly with his weapon for her words. But he was frightened of the female Tauren and had been since she'd shifted into her bear form and sat on him for nearly five hours after he'd painted the fur of her arms and face blue in her sleep when they were younger.

Caren continued on past him, walking around the pond in the center of the rise and heading straight towards the flight tower, aiming to head up towards the third rise. Alisa jogged to catch up with her and caught at her armored shoulder, hissing, "You're planning to take it to Cairne?!"

Her sister made her eyebrow-arching motion and responded, "Yes," before jerking her shoulder away and continuing on up the spiraling ramp. Alisa growled and plowed after her, nearly running over a Forsaken mage walking into the flight tower from the second rise in her haste.

"Sorry, sorry!" she exclaimed, grasping at his bony shoulder, having nearly knocked him clear off the ramp. "Very sorry."

He stared at her with eyes that were just dark holes instead of the usual glowing gold ones his kind had and smiled slightly, the motion a bit twisted by the more evident decay around his jaw.

"No problem," he rasped. Then he looked up at her and frowned, asking, "You look familiar…wouldn't happen to be related to a druid, would you?"

"I have a sister that's a druid," replied Alisa. Who is also currently out of her mind and taking a human babe to our chieftain. "Carentareta."

He nodded and extended a gloved hand, decaying fingers jutting out of the ends. She gingerly grasped the hand and was surprised when nothing of him fell off.

"Tell her Resden sends his thanks for the save in Hillsbrad," he bid in his raspy voice.

She nodded and replied, "I will. I'm Alisa by the way."

"A pleasure," he intoned, smiling again. Then he nodded and continued on his path down the ramp, leaving her to stare after him, wondering just how her sister managed to find it within her to rescue one of the Forsaken. They were their allies, sure, but they were also once human for the most part. And they really gave her the creeps – she didn't believe that the dead should have the ability to live.

Snorting, she turned and ran on up the ramp, coming out on the top rise to see her sister standing in front of Cairne, who she could tell was disturbed even from her distance away. Quickly she jogged over there, coming to a sharp halt next to her sister and inclining her head respectfully to their chieftain. He just barely acknowledged her with a nod then turned his hard gaze on her sister again.

"What you propose is sheer madness," he intoned in a low voice so as not to attract the attention of those around. "Raising a human child…"

"What we would have, Chieftain, would be a spy," said Caren, her voice also low. And Alisa could tell that the very thought of keeping the human child alive just to spy for the Horde made her skin crawl. But when her sister got an idea in her head, she would go to any lengths to make sure she succeeded in it. "The Warchief knows the human tongue…he could teach the child. And I think he would agree this would be a good idea. Perhaps we could manage to stop all the damn attacks on Crossroads and be prepared if the Alliance decides to come after us here, Orgrimmar, or the Undercity."

Cairne frowned at that, scratching at his chin for a moment, then snorting. "I will send a message to Thrall, asking what he thinks of this matter."

Caren nodded and asked, "And the child?"

"You may keep it," replied the chieftain, surprising Alisa. He then stomped his hooves and called out to those on the high rise, his voice carrying to a few with good hearing on the second and anyone in the flight tower. With one hand resting on Caren's shoulder, he bellowed, "There is a new soul amongst us! Druid Carentareta has been granted the raising of an abandoned human child and any that threatens or harms the child will be treated as though they have harmed a fellow member of the Horde and our tribe!"

Several heads nodded but both Caren and Alisa could see the hate gleaming in the eyes of many. The younger sibling looked up at the elder, who nodded, and bowed respectfully to Cairne.

"Thank you, Chieftain, for your blessing," she intoned softly. "Though I think it best if we do not remain here."

"Indeed that would be best," said Cairne, also having noticed the emotion bristling about now. "May the blessing of the Earth Mother be with you."

Caren smiled at that and bowed again before turning and heading for the flight tower, ignoring the angry looks cast in her direction. Alisa jogged after her and hissed, "For one thing, an Forsaken mage sends his regards. Second…where are you planning to go?"

"I'm going to go talk to mother first. Then go see if the old hut near the Quillboars is still standing – it's out of the way and nearly no one will come near it." She then added, "And thanks for giving me his regards. I'll be sure to tell the loon he doesn't need to thank me next time I see him."

"What am I supposed to do whilst you're off hiding?" exclaimed the younger of the pair.

Caren gave her a confused look and replied, "I don't see where you're going. This is my thing to do, Lis. You don't have to take part in it if you don't want. If all else, you can stay here and bring me the news from the Warchief when the Chieftain gets his response."

"I suppose I can do that but…"

"But what?"

"Just…" Alisa sighed and gave her sister an exasperated look, saying, "Just be careful."

Caren smiled and reached out to grip her arm, squeezing it gently. "I'll be fine," she assured. "Don't worry." With that she turned and continued on into the flight tower, disappearing down the ramp towards the lowest rise. Alisa sighed after she had vanished from sight and looked back towards Cairne, who was handing a rolled up scroll to a young warrior and giving him instructions in a low voice.

"Don't worry, she says," she muttered, shaking her head. "Could've told me what else to do whilst waiting for the axe to drop."

As Caren approached her mother's hut near the edge of Bloodhoof Village, the huge white wolf dozing outside twitched. He lifted his huge head, golden eyes alert, and came to his feet as he caught her scent. A greeting was growled at her as she came near him and she dropped a gauntleted hand onto the big wolf's head.

"Hello, Az," she said with a smile. "Have you been taking good care of Mother?"

"I take care far more than he does," said a voice from within the hut. Then her mother appeared, her dark fur sprinkled with gray and long gray hair streaming across her shoulders. "Good of you to finally visit, daughter."

Caren straightened, shifting the sleeping babe in the crook of her arm, and intoned, "I've been meaning to but…things have been busy."

"You mean you've been bustling about with that Orc of yours."

"Mother, I didn't come here to fight about that again. Please, let it rest…you are never going to change my mind about Kaz." She frowned and added, "I actually came here to ask for your advice."

"My advice?" exclaimed her mother Nomri. "Why the Chieftain must have died because it's been a decade since you asked for my advice!"

The wolf, Kazhan, growled at that moment and rose slightly onto his hindlegs, sniffing at the bundle in Caren's arms. Nomri frowned at him then glared at the bundle, asking, "What's that you have there, hmm? Some half-blood child you and your Orc made?"

"MOTHER!" exclaimed Caren, taking a step back with nostrils flaring. "By the Earth Mother, for the last time there is nothing between Kaz and I!" She snorted then and spat, "Your advice be damned then! I won't stand here and have you badmouth my friend. Not again!"

With that she turned and started to storm off, intending to head directly towards the old hut, but that was halted when the babe that had been curled up peacefully in her arm decided to wake. It swiftly realized that it was not with its mother and began to cry, drawing the attention of the Brave's that kept watch around Bloodhoof. Caren cursed under her breath and began rocking the babe, whispering soothing words in Taur-ahe that she could remember her mother saying to a little Alisa when she'd been in tears.

After a few moments the babe calmed and blinked up at her with teary blue eyes, little face flushed with the effort from screaming. She blinked right back at the little being and touched a round cheek with a finger, surprised when two tiny hands reached out and grabbed it in their own.

From behind her she heard her mother growl, "What is that?"

"It's a human child," replied Caren, not moving her eyes off the now awake babe. "Parents were killed by the Quillboars in Southern Barrens. I couldn't just leave it there to die."

"You should have."

Turning, she stared at Nomri, who was glaring at her with angry eyes.

"Mother, you can't be serious."

"I am very much so!" exclaimed Nomri, stomping a hoof. She pointed at the babe, who was entranced by the large finger in its grasp, and snarled, "It and its kind killed your father…or have you forgotten that?"

Caren scowled, spitting, "I remember that well enough. And what you don't seem to understand, Mother, is that a human raised without human company will not feel the need to stand against us." She shook her head and said, "I see I'll get no help from you. Goodbye."

"Leaving again?" yelled Nomri after her retreating back as she headed towards the lake, intending to walk along it to get to the road that lead towards Camp Narache. "Well good riddance to you and your human! Come, Kazhan."

The wolf growled and looked from the elder Tauren to the back of the younger. His golden eyes then fixed upon a corner of the babe's bloodstained blanket that flapped free and he shook himself, seeming to grow a bit taller and livelier. White fur that had been dull gleamed anew and he let loose a short bark before taking off after Caren, leaving Nomri alone in her bitterness.

Caren looked up from the babe in surprise as Kazhan ran up beside her, further shocked as she realized the old wolf looked…he looked as though he had stepped out of the past from when her father had still been alive.

"Az…what…"

The wolf barked sharply and stared at the babe in her arms, who wriggled in response and babbled in the manner all babies do. She frowned and crouched down at the edge of the lake, allowing wolf and babe to look at each other. Gold eyes stared into blue and Kazhan licked the babe's cheek, causing a cheerful giggle in response. Caren smiled at the interaction and reached out to touch the wolf's head, murmuring, "Found a new master have we, Az?"

Kazhan inclined his head and nudged the babe's cheek with his nose, making a grumbling noise when a tiny hand smacked at it. She laughed and rose, continuing her path along the edge of the lake, looking down at the wriggling babe in her arms as she went.

"Now you need a name," she murmured. She then frowned and realized she didn't even know what gender the babe was and made to check. "A name fit for a little man to be."

Kazhan growled in agreement and Caren frowned thoughtfully, tapping a finger against her chin. Then she smiled and looked down at the babe, who blinked back at her in curiosity.

"Taemmur," she murmured. "That's what I'll call you."

The newly named babe giggled happily and Kazhan loosed a short bark as the small group continued on their way.