Edgar trodded through the wet swamp of Dustwallow. It was a big detour from the goblin town Ratchet, but Edgar had to make this trip before sailing to Booty Bay.
It was getting dark and the marsh came alive with frog croaks and buzzing mosquitoes. Up ahead, Edgar saw glowing lanterns held by patrolling guards. They were humans, of course, pacing outside of the Theramore Isle settlement.
He snuck close to the brick city wall and chugged down his only invisibility potion. His potions never failed and he quickly disappeared while running past guards.
Once behind the wall, Edgar ran past cabins, looking through windows. His body was slowly reappearing, so he had to act fast.
He came to a cabin that had a woman spinning wool inside. In the lamplight, she had long dark hair and a tall athletic frame. Her eyes had crows feet and her face looked tired.
Glaring, Edgar gripped the window sill. He pulled his hood over his face and knocked lightly on the window pane.
Startled, the woman jumped and peered out with a puzzles expression. She moved to the back door and cracked it open.
"Y-yes?"
Edgar clenched his fists. "Boe…"
The woman tried to get a better look at him, opening the door wider.
"Good evening, Baudelia. Could you let an old friend inside?" he asked.
The woman looked confused. "Remove your hood and we'll see!" she barked. "You sound familiar at least…"
Edgar wasn't sure how she would react so he was hesitant about revealing himself. "I'm your friend so please let me inside…"
"Remove your hood, sir." she stated flatly.
Sighing, Edgar slowly pulled back his hood. "You might not recognize me at first, but please please don't scream."
Fear crept over Baudelia's face, but her eyes were transfixed on Edgar. She started to back away inside, and Edgar let himself in. She was silent, gaping at him.
Edgar poured himself a cup of tea and sat down. "So…How's Life treating you?" He took a sip. Baudelia said nothing.
"Oh, silly me, I've been making puns like that ever since…well." Edgar pointed at his shriveled pale face.
"Edgar…How…?" Baudelia breathed.
"Actually, I really didn't come here to visit and chat." He said rather rudely. "I was wondering if you managed to get my papers in my lab after I left."
"Uh…I-I think I have your polymorph research."
"What about the life-stealing papers?"
"No, I think those were confiscated by the guards."
"Damn!" Edgar shouted. He frowned and looked into his tea cup. "Well fine, give me my polymorph papers."
Baudelia turned to a chest of drawers and pulled out a journal. Shaking, she held out the journal to him. "H-h-here…" Edgar grasped the book with his bony yellowish hand, then slipped it into his coat pocket. She still shook in fear at the sight of him.
Edgar sighed and then stood up. "Well I'm off then."
"W-w-wait!" She stopped him. "Y-you're just going to…leave?"
Without turning to face her, Edgar growled "I have nothing more to discuss with you."
"Edgar! What do you think I've been feeling for the last six years?"
He spun around to face her. "What do you think I've been feeling for the last six years?!"
Baudelia's brown eyes sparkled with tears. "Th-there's just so much that I-I wanted to say to you. I mourned you, Ed. You don't know what I am going through.."
"What do you think I was going through, Bo!! Humiliation? Loneliness?!" He yelled. "Dark, deep, crushing depression…"
They stared at each other for a moment, breathing heavily.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the front door.
"Hide behind the wardrobe!" she told him, and Edgar quickly complied.
Baudelia fixed her eyes and opened the door. "Oh, good evening, patrolmen." She smiled.
"Good evening to you, Ms. Kratt." Greeted one of the two men.
"We were just out, when we heard yelling coming from your cabin. Is everything alright?"
"Oh yes, I wasss… learning a new incantation for a spell!"
"This sounded like a man's voice…" The watchman raised his eyebrow.
Baudelia frowned. "Are you suggesting that my voice is manly, patrolman?"
"Um…"They looked at each other, uncomfortably. "Of course not!"
"It's a very exotic incantation." She retorted.
"I'm sure it is, Ms. Kratt." said the guard. "Sorry to disturb you."
"Thank you. Good night, gentlemen." Baudelia closed the door, sighed, and sat back down. Edgar came out from behind the wardrobe.
"Well since they are probably watching my house now, it seems that you're going to be staying a while longer. So this will give me a chance to tell you what has happened." Baudelia took a deep breath.
"Oh this should be insightful." Edgar rolled his eyes around.
"Will you please listen to me? I just lied to save you a few minutes ago!" She pleaded.
Edgar knew she had a point, so he sat down.
"Look, there are so many things I need to tell you.." She closed her eyes. "After the siege of Dalaran, thousands of people were killed defending the city, some missing, and many were forced into the Scourge army. No one had heard what happened to you, so everyone here in Theramore deducted that you were one of the thousands slain." Baudelia stopped and her bottom lip quivered. "I-I was feeling so incredibly guilty. If only I would have said 'yes', you would have never gone to Dalaran…" Tears were rolling down her cheeks. "I was so worried about ridiculous things! My wealth, what people would think of me! So stupid! Instead of marrying the closest friend I would ever have, I thought 'he's a skinny, pimple-faced shopkeeper'!" She let out a heavy sob. "You were my best friend, Ed. I loved you so much."
Edgar hadn't moved. He had been quiet for a long time, seeming to stare at the floor.
"And- and my mourning has left me a pariah now. My depression…No one can stand to be around me. I thought that this would never happen to me… but I'm alone now." She dabbed a handkerchief on her eyes. "I'm sorry, Edgar. So sorry that I never told you how much I cared when you were alive. I can't believe that this happened. I had to tell you all this now because I thought I would never see you again, but now we can be together. I love you, and I'm sorry."
"Bo…It's too late for that now. I'm Forsaken, and you're still a human." said Edgar. She began crying and heaving. He tried to comfort her by putting his skeletal hand over hers, but she pulled away from his cold touch.
"It's- it's my fault you're dead." Baudelia whimpered.
"No, no it isn't." He reassured her.
"I don't want it to end like this…Us, alone."
"I'm sorry it had to be like this." Edgar looked down.
She sobbed. "I wish you could stay here with me."
"I wish I could too…I'm sorry about what I said earlier."
"It's alright." She hiccupped while drying the tears.
"I have to go."
"No! Where are you going to go? How are you going to defend yourself?" She asked.
"Well, I've been working on perfecting my alchemy and transmutations. I met this blood elf ranger in the Undercity. He is pretty helpful, but not really the brightest of the Sunwell…"
"A blood elf?" Baudelia asked, a little surprised.
"Yes, his name is Dremus Dusksinger. He's off in some Horde village west of Ratchet."
"Is that where you're headed?"
"Actually, we were going to sail to Booty Bay, and make our way north." Edgar paused and looked at Baudelia. "I don't know what's going to happen to me."
"What's going to happen to us?" She sniffed.
"I don't know. This war that's going on…I never much cared for it. Now, the Scourge is destroying everything. We can't be together anywhere. Hell, most of the world wants me dead anyway." Edgar shook his head. "I just want you to know, that if I fail, I'm going to do everything I can so that at least you and me are happy." Edgar reached into his herb satchel, and pulled out a handful of bright red flowers. Baudelia stopped crying, and he placed them in her lap.
"Mageroyal. You used to like them." he said.
"I still do." They smiled at each other.
"I will write you." he said."
"Sure…" Baudelia frowned woefully at the flowers.
"I will." he reassured.
Edgar stood up and walked to the back door. He felt like he should have hugged or kissed her, but all he could muster was "I love you."
"I love you, too." She mumbled wispily.
Edgar went outside into the moonlight. He pulled up his hood and walked behind the cabins. He was going to cry later thinking of Baudelia.
His mind was so caught up in thinking about what she said, he had forgotten that he was walking on the main road in Theramore.
"You there! Halt!" shouted a guard. Edgar's heart jumped and he pulled his hood tighter over his face. He wasn't stopping and he heard the guard start jogging. Edgar broke out into a run, hoping that he could outrun this physically fit human.
"Stop! Guards!" the person yelled.
Edgar kept running towards the gate, wondering how he was going to lose these followers. He heard the hounds barking behind him. The more guards were running after him now. Edgar was past the gate and down the road, almost to the surrounding swamp. With a sudden jerk, a large dog bit down on Edgar's arm and dragged him to the cobbled street. He fell to his knees, and a second dog was pulling at his long coat.
"Stop! Do not get up! Stay on the ground!" yelled the guards.
The dog was pulling on Edgar's coat so ferociously, his hood fell back and Edgar's head was exposed. He turned to look at the guards. Once they saw what he was, the humans stopped running towards Edgar.
Edgar knew that he had to escape now. He muttered a quick spell that surrounded the annoying dogs with ice, and then focusing on a longer incantation, Edgar teleported himself thirty yards away. He was still on his knees, but alone in the dark swamp.
The guards ran back into the town. Some of the townsfolk were awake from all the yelling, and were standing outside.
Baudelia had watched the entire chase from her window and was already shoving papers and other trinkets into a bag. Her heart beat like a galloping horse.
The guards stood outside her cabin, along with a few onlookers. "Baudelia Kratt! Step outside now, or we'll be force to break in!" yelled the guards.
Baudelia held the bag, and opened her door. "Please, you don't understand…"
"You lied to the Theramore officials! You were consorting with the enemy, housing an Undead in your cabin!" shouted one of the guards. They were attracting more townspeople, who were whispering among themselves "An Undead in the Kratt house? Well that's not surprising!"
Baudelia shivered looking at all the people staring at her, feeling very embarrassed. "Please…It was Edgar! Edgar Barnabus!"
"Edgar Barnabus?" shouted Oliver Yardley, a man that owned a struggling supply shop. "That scoundrel only wishes harm upon us because we burned that demon's lair of his!" The group of people hurrahed Yardley.
"No!" yelled Baudelia.
"Yeah, them Scourge are mindless heathens!" someone else yelled.
"Kratt and Barnabus used to be lovers, she's prob'ly one of those 'Horde sympathizers'." yelled another.
"She cast a spell on my cows and now they won't give milk!"
"She gave me warts!"
Baudelia stood, her mouth agape. She did not know what to do. She was alone and cornered. The crowd was yelling and cheering. Before she could do anything, some of the men ran inside her cabin.
"Stop! Please!" Baudelia screamed desperately. The townsmen brought her papers of spells and charms out onto the grass, and began lighting them on fire with candles.
"No! No!" One of the guards grabbed Baudelia's arms before she could stop the raid inside her home. Baudelia burst into tears as she watched her neighbors burn everything she cherished. "No…" Baudelia fell to the ground, bawling. The town was having a grand time and kept adding to the fire.
One of the town councilmen stood on top of a cart and stated "Baudelia Kratt is sentenced to exile on account of housing a wanted criminal."
The crowd cheered around the fire. Two of the guards dragged Baudelia out of Theramore, her lifelong home, and kicked her to the road that lead out to the swamp. The crowd of women and children threw rotten meat and vegetables at Baudelia. Theramore had been her life, and now she was lost without Theramore and her only friend. She layed in the road, sobbing "Edgar…Edgar…".
