The next time I woke it was morning. It was the first time that had happened in a while, I was told when my healer walked in.

When he set about examining my wound, he frowned.

"Hmm…" he said, and stood.

I was surprised. "Something wrong?"

He didn't look at me, but ruffled through his things.

"Lady, have you any bad memories? Undergone some sort of traumatizing event?"

I jolted from this, and grew slightly upset. Had Kael'Thas told him something?

"No." I replied curtly. He raised an eyebrow and looked at me, but finally set back on his pillow.

"Are you sure? That is the only reason you would not recover as expected."

I sighed. "I cannot remember much."

He nodded. "You had a mighty blow to the head. I was surprised your skull was not harmed." He stroked his beardless chin in thought. "Have you lost long term memories or short?"

I thought for a minute. "A little of both, in fact, everything."

"And you don't remember your name."

"No."

He sat for a moment, stewing on that.

"What is the most recent thing you remember?"

I instantly thought of Kael'Thas. Then I realized he meant before I came to in the clearing.

"I don't know…" I said truthfully. He only looked at me. "Everything merges together. I remember bits and pieces of my life…"
"Understandably." He stood. "Lady, I think somebody has done a poor job of erasing your memories."

I froze.

"I am going to get Kael'Thas, do you need anything? To drink or eat?"

"Water, please." I responded, mind going elsewhere.

Who would want to erase my memories?

A few moments later Kael'Thas entered my tent, Zichrad in tow, with the healer bringing up the rear.

"You don't remember anything?" Kael'Thas asked instantly. "What do you remember?"

I lay still, trying to keep calm. Somebody erased my memories. Somebody erased my memories on purpose. Somebody erased my memories on purpose and did a crappy job of it.

Unfortunately for me, Lady Vashj entered the tent a moment later.

"Who cares for the whelp!" She cried. She seemed to be doing that a lot.

Zichrad looked at me, then turned and exited the tent, touching Vashj's arm as he passed. She didn't move, simply glared at me.

"Kael!" He frowned, and turned to her.

"You have no authority over me, Vashj."

She gasped, and tried to pout. "But Kael…"

"Go away Vashj. You hate night elves, so I don't want you in her tent."

Vashj screwed up her face, and glared at me. If looks could kill, I would have been a little bit of black soot. Then, with as much dignity as she had, she slid angrily away. I imagine that if she had legs and feet, she would have stormed.

"You say you think someone erased her memories?" Kael'Thas asked the priest as if Vashj had not just made a show of herself.

"Yes." The healer replied, handing me my water. I took a sip and set it aside. "They added a good sized hit to her head to make it seem as though the memory loss wasn't the purpose, but it would either take away long term or short term memories. As it is, she has bits of her life that she remembers, and bits she doesn't."

"So we know what they did, how they did it, and who they did it to, but we don't know when, why or who did it."

That lost me. I stared blankly at Kael'Thas.

"Uh, correct." The priest replied.

"I have a question." I said, suddenly bold. Something about this whole situation was rubbing me the wrong way.

Kael'Thas looked over at me, his green eyes unreadable. "Yes?"

"Why do you even care?" I snapped. Ok, so maybe I wasn't entirely mad at him. Maybe it was a little unfair to take my anger out on him just because I was injured and not free to move about.

Kael'Thas simply looked at me for a moment, before saying, "I don't. But if someone thought that they needed to wipe your memories, I want to know why. The Scourge were intent on destroying that entire village. Something is rattling Arthas, and I want to know what." He paused. "It might have something to do with who you are."

I felt some odd emotion in me, and glared at him. "So once I'm healthy you are just going to let me go?"

He raised an eyebrow, giving me an incredulous look. "Of course not. If you are a threat to Arthas, we are going to use you."

I got so upset over this, that I started huffing to the point where the healer had to ask Kael'Thas to leave.

"Is he always so…so…so…"

"So infuriating?"

"Yes!"

"I think he only is to you." He looked away. "Night elves never have been our friends."

I narrowed my eyes and set back into my small bed, upset.

"Maybe as a race we aren't allies, but individually I really don't feel any anger to you. You personally, actually, have been very nice to me. I never thought anything negative of the blood elves."

He looked out the open flap for a moment, before smiling and turning to me.

"You know," he said, eyes sparkling, "I can't say I ever thought about night elves, other than 'Wow, their skin is blue!'"

I smiled slowly back, and he held out a hand.

"Givious." He said with a short bow.

"I am…uhm…" I trailed off, and he laughed.

"I understand. You have lost your memory." And we shared a good chuckle. For the next hour or so, we sat and talked, and before we knew it, we were laughing and acting like the best buddies. When a gong sounded lightly, he raised an eyebrow at me.

"Do you wish to join me for dinner, my Lady?" He asked. I laughed.

"Am I up to it?"

He smiled and laid a cool hand on my ribs. His eyes fluttered closed, and a green aura surrounded his hand. When he removed it, he nodded.

"It shouldn't tear. The skin tissues are much more healed." He rose and went to a small chest in the corner, removing a long, white dress. He brought it over next to me, and winked.

"I'll be waiting outside." He exited and shut the flap.

Slowly, I rose, feeling my bones pop as they began to move. I stretched fully, feeling only a slight tightness in my side. Grinning happily, I did a few stretches, making myself limber. When I was fully mobile, I slipped into the dress, and looked down at myself.

"Good enough." I murmured, and exited my tent.

Givious was waiting outside, and he blinked a few times at me. I stood a little uncomfortable under his stare, and seeing this he smiled.

"Sorry, just used to seeing you without clothes on."

I was shocked for a moment, but recovered and swatted his arm lightly. He laughed, and hooked his arm through mine, leading me through the camp to the mess tent.

The camp grew while I was out. A plethora of tents had risen, and the original tents –Mine, Kael'Thas, Zichrad, and Vashj's- were at the safest point, next to the lakes. We had to walk through a majority of the tents, following a little path.

The tents themselves were works of art; their high silver poles topped with crimson. Elegant designs adorned their canvas sides.

Occupants were exiting the tents as we passed, some naga and some blood elf. They all stared at me, and whispered when they thought I didn't see. I raised my head, and bore past them.

"Most of these Blood Elves have never seen a Night Elf on friendly terms." Givious whispered to me. "You should try to make a good impression."

He held the flap of the mess tent for me, and I stepped inside.

A long table was set in the center of the tent, and Kael'Thas sat at its head. On one side sat Vashj, and Zichrad next to her. They were talking in heated voiced, and I could sense the tension in the air. On Kael'Thas' other side sat a few empty spaces, and Givious strode towards them, seating me next to Kael'Thas.

I settled in neatly, and examined the food selections. There was too much meat for my liking, but I served myself some beef broth, and I picked out several fruits.

Givious tried to continue entertaining me, but I wanted to hear stories of Silvermoon City, and although his parents were from there, he had spent most of his life with Kael'Thas.

Suddenly curious, I looked over to what Zichrad was eating. I realized how little I knew of the naga, and was a little shocked to see him eating fruits mostly, and a fish.

He saw me looking, and smiled. "What did you expect us to eat?" he asked, a twinkle in his eye. "We enjoy fish, but the taste of fruit will always be enjoyable to us."

I nodded, but that only opened up a barrage of new questions. Where do they sleep? Do they even need to? Can they breathe water? Can they climb trees? Is their tail long enough for a weapon? How do they keep their scales clean? Are there any more female naga?

Zichrad laughed at my spiking curiosity, but Vashj scowled.

"You need not know of our lives, stupid Night Elf." She spat, before turning back to Kael'Thas.

I ignored her, my eyes trying to tell Zichrad to continue on, to answer my questions and sate my starving curiosity.

But Zichrad quieted and looked down at his food, suddenly glum. I turned to Givious for an answer, but he only shrugged.

I caught sight of another naga on Givious' other side, and leaned around to speak with him.

"Are the naga a matriarchal society?" I asked, trying to be polite as possible. He stared at me for a moment.

"Yes, Lady Night Elf." He said slowly. "Aren't the Night Elves?"

I paused, thinking on this. "Right now we are. But we chose and elect leaders. At one point, Tyrande and her mate lead us, so it isn't limited to one person."

His eyes grew bright with curiosity, and he was about to ask more when Vashj snapped out.

"Do not speak of that witch!" She cried at me. I turned and looked at her. She shot daggers at me, her eyes fiery with rage. "She has no reason to be spoken about at my table!"

"It was a political question." I replied coolly. "It had nothing to do with the Lady personally."

Vashj glared. "She is no lady. She had two men to her one. She is a whore."

My eye twitched involuntarily. "My Lady is honorable and righteous. She has only ever been true to herself, and to others around her."

"Do not speak of her! She is dirt! Two men, I tell you, a filthy druid and she turned Him down-"

"And what if a male had two women? Would he be a whore? Would he be dirt?"

"She is scum! Ugly wannabe of a mighty queen! Tyrande is a helpless figurehead for a useless, stuck up race!"

At this the entire table went silent. The naga were complied to follow their queen, but the Elves were a little put off. Night Elves were their cousins. Vashj had just insulted half of the table.

But she didn't notice. She only saw me, and her hatred was doubling in her eyes, taking her over.

"It would be wise to not speak of my beloved Lady that way." I said, and my own voice made me shocked. Everyone near me leaned slightly away, except for Givious. Kael'Thas looked intrigued, Zichrad looked worried, and Vashj looked…

Ecstatic?

"Is that a threat?" She hissed, her tone deadly.

I tensed. "You should hope it is not."

I was quite confused as to where my courage lay.

Vashj was slowly rising, her hand slipping to her bow. "A threat must be dealt with-"

"No." Kael'Thas spoke out, his voice crystalline and calm. I turned and looked at him, and his cool eyes washed over me.

"There will be no fight here. We will take this matter up with Him."

I still watched Vashj, weary.

Zichrad reached up and plucked her bow out of her hands, setting it a little ways away. He said something in their native tongue, and she glanced at him.

Givious suddenly stood. "My Lady." He said, wiping his hands. "Would you care to go for a walk with me this fine evening?"

I stared up at him, shocked. Private walks were something that was done by males courting females; at least, that was how it was for Night Elves.

By the look on Kael'Thas' and Zichrad's faces, it was the same for Blood Elves.

"Of course." I replied slowly. I picked out a few fruit to finish my meal with, and followed him out.

I felt eyes on me the whole way.

We walked out to the lakes, circling their shoreline. Givious asked me about what I knew of my parents, and of what schooling I have had.

"I don't remember much," I said, munching on a fruit, "all I know I don't even know I know." I paused in walking. "Does that make sense?"

He laughed. "Of course it does!" He turned and looked to the mess tent.

"Have you ever had fighting training?"

I looked at him like he was crazy, about to respond no, but I stopped. Somehow I couldn't say it.

"I don't know…" I replied finally. And it was the truth. I didn't.

"You looked like you could've taken Lady Vashj back there."

I simply shrugged, not knowing much myself.

When he saw I was feeling forlorn, he brought me back to my tent, and wished me goodnight.

"Goodnight Givious." I responded, and he left, snapping the tent flap closed.

I sighed and sank onto my small bed, looking at the springy grass in my tent. After resting for a few minutes, I stood and stripped off the dress, pulling on some light shorts and a shirt for sleeping. I was about to tap off my magical light, when Kael'Thas burst into my tent.

"Ruara," he said, and I saw lines cutting in his face. "Ruara, that was not wise."

I watched him tranquilly. "What was not wise?"

He sank into my offered chair, and rested his head in his hands. "You should not have threatened Vashj. Now she is intent on killing you."

"Oh posh. Zichrad won't let her."

"Zichrad has no say in it!" He snapped. Instead of becoming put off, I let his tone slide, knowing that he was merely stressed and tired. "Sorry," he said after a moment. He looked up into my eyes. "Just…" and he trailed off, gazing at me.

"Tired?" I offered.

He tipped his head, but shook it. "No."

"Stressed?"

"No…"

I was slightly confused, but instead of pressing on whatever emotion he was having, I changed the subject. "Why doesn't Zichrad have a say in anything? Isn't he her second in command?"

"Yes," he said after a moment, "he is. But the system is matriarchal. He has absolutely no power in any matter. He will follow her blindly, even if it is obviously in the wrong way."

I sighed, and settled onto my bed. "Well, I am not worried about her killing me-"

"Which worries me." Kael'Thas interrupted. "Not only could she kill you without a second's hesitation, but you are not the slightest bit worried. Don't you care that she could kill you?"

I shrugged. "I don't think she could."

Kael'Thas watched me a moment longer.

"Anything else?" I asked, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

He remained silent for a time more, but spoke a few moments later. "We are heading out tomorrow. Givious tells me you are ready to travel."

I nodded, feeling excited.

"It will be a couple of weeks on the roads, then we will teleport to the Portal."

I stilled, becoming confused.

"Then, you will meet Him."

And with a dramatic flurry of his robes, Kael'Thas Sunstrider exited my tent, leaving me perplexed.