Rict'thiel woke slowly, enjoying the fuzz of a good night's sleep. The warmth of the blankets was kind of stifling, but he relished in it anyway. Something smelt remarkably good, in a sweet way, and he raised his head to see if Melida had snuck back in to surprise him with more food. His eyes opened slowly, and they took a moment to adjust to the silver light. "Wait… Silver?" He though for a moment, shutting his eyes from the glare. It was then that he noticed a weight on his chest.
He shifted in the sheets and felt the weight move slightly, but the aroma that he smelt earlier only got stronger. Opening his eyes, he saw the night elf's head resting on his chest, her right arm draped over him. She thrashed lightly in her sleep, and he could feel her wet forehead against his chest. The silver light that had assaulted him before was reflecting of her hair, which he noticed was also the source of the smell.
He slid out of the sheets, and surprisingly didn't wake her up. He reached for his shirt, and pulled it over his head. He felt moisture on his chest, and he realized he had been sweating, and now that he thought about it, the heat for the bed was causing him to pant. He turned, and looked out the window. It appeared to be midday. Still panting lightly, he made his way to the washroom. He opened the door, and then shut it behind himself, turning the bolt and making sure it was locked.
He turned to the sink, and began to draw water from it as he removed his shirt. Indoor plumbing was surprisingly common in Stormwind, however the water was almost always cold. He shut the faucet, and began to fill the wooden bath. "Cold water eh? Not that bad." He thought, beginning the cantrip to a weak fire spell. He reached the second last word and stopped. Turning back to the sink, he began to remove the bandages from his thigh, when he noticed a flit of something hairy. He turned towards the linen closet, and received a tower in the face.
"Morning sleepy head." Melida said, crouched by the closet, pulling out another towel. Rict'thiel heart was hammering in his ears as he fell backwards into the cold water of the tub. His head dunked under the water, and he came up coughing and gasping. He shuddered at the freezing water, and felt his arm being tugged at. Melida was trying to help him out of the water. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you." She said, pulling him out of the water.
He fell gasping to the carpet in front of the tub, and Melida placed a towel on his head and began towelling his hair. He promptly shoved her away, and she tumbled slightly towards the toilet. She recovered quickly, sitting on the edge of the toilet as she threw the other towel at him. "I'm just trying to help you!" She said, sitting back and glaring at him. She then fell into the bowl of the toilet. It took her a moment to free herself and make sure she wasn't wet. Rict'thiel had moved to help her out, and the remains of his bandage fell away, leaving him nude.
He gasped and pulled up a towel to cover himself. Melida turned a bright shade of red, and looked away. After an awkward minute, she stood up and made for the door. "I'll go." She said, opening the door and walking out. Before the door swung back shut, Rict noticed the night elf standing up, looking at him with a mix of anger and curiosity in her eyes. Then the door slammed shut, and the look was cut off.
Rict moved and re-bolted the door. He fell back onto the floor, wondering what the hell just happened. Finally, he gave up trying to make sense of it, and rose to shut off the water. The tub was two thirds full, and Rict placed his hands in the water. He finished the spell, and he felt the water heat up. He climbed in uneasily, and noticed that the wound in his leg was stitched with a silver thread. He also noticed it looked practically healed.
Shaking his head, he lifted himself into the tub. The water was on the verge of uncomfortably warm. With all the heat coming off his body, Rict wondered if he should have even cast the fire spell. He sank deeper into the water, and tried to relax.
-----------oOo----------
Melida walked quickly to the door of Rict'thiel's home. She cleared half the room before she felt a hand on her shoulder. The grip was strong, and she felt a slight shiver run up her spine as she turned around. She looked to the hands owner, a night elf wearing leather pants and a shirt, and tried to keep her eyes from glossing over with tears.
"Who are you child?" The night elf said. She transfixed Melida with a powerful look, the expression on her face pensive. Melida swallowed with a dry throat, and opened her mouth to respond. No words came out at first, but she finally managed to blurt out.
"Who are you?" She clamped her hands to her mouth, and she glanced up. She shook visibly, and felt another set of tears coming.
"Excuse me?" The night elf replied. Melida felt herself being eaten by that iron gaze. She stammered a response, but it didn't even begin to make sense. She took a deep breath after a minute and said, "If you tell me wh-who you are, I'll tell wh-who I am." She said, swallowing and moving away from the night elf's grip. To her complete shock, the night elf's expression softened, and she actually gave a distant smile.
"I am Maiev Shadowsong, commander… former commander of the watchers." She said, smiling gently at the youth before her, placing her hands on her hips and adopting an expectant pose. Melida had never heard that name before. However, the night elf's newfound demeanour helped her relax a little.
"Oh. I'm, well I mean, my name is… I am Melida Hearthglow." She stammered. The night elf smiled again, and moved away from Melida to a pile of armour. She rummaged through it, and Melida walked closer. She was answered by having a bracelet slipped onto her wrist. It was thin, and was made of plain silver. She looked curiously at the night elf, poking the bracelet a few times.
"Um, miss Shadowsing, what's this?" She asked, more over now pointing and poking the bracelet. The night elf looked up, and simply sat back a little, looking at the girl. Melida opened her mouth to ask again, but the warden threw a glove at her face before she could begin to speak. Melida shrieked and braced for the impact, but didn't feel anything. She opened her eyes, and found that she had managed to catch the glove right before it collided with her face. She looked at the glove, then the night elf, and back to the glove.
The night elf stood up, and took the glove from her hand. She stood there, frozen in place, her breath coming heavy in her chest. She turned to the warden, who simply kept walking to the kitchen. After a moment, Melida shook her head, and followed the strange night elf. She entered behind the woman, and noticed that she was scribbling something onto a piece of paper.
"Miss Shadowsong, what is this?" She asked one more time. The night elf looked up from the paper she was writing on, and took a deep breath. She went back to scribbling, and after a few second she said without raising her head, "That belonged to an old friend. Don't lose it, it's yours now."
Melida was confused. She'd only just met this woman, but the warden had given her something precious. She fingered the bracelet again, sighed and walked over to the night elf. "What are you writing?" She asked after glancing at the paper and seeing her name.
"Something you'll need eventually. Don't lose this either." She said, passing the paper to Melida. Melida looked at it for a moment, but couldn't make out most of the handwriting. She could recognize her name, and the church of Stormwind. She quietly pocketed the paper, and felt her stomach rumble. She glanced at the night elf, whose ears had pricked up. The warden made no move though, and simply sat there, starring into space.
Melida felt her stomach grumble a second time, and she turned and left the room, going back into the main chamber of the home.
----------oOo----------
Rict began to rinse the soap out of his hair when he heard a faint knocking on his door. He pulled his dark hair from the water, and the knocking began audibly much louder. He heard a voice, but the water running by his ears drowned most of it out. He shook his head, but the hair stuck to it, so he had to move it away with his hands.
"What?" He called, his voice ringing slightly off the tiles of the washroom. He shifted in the water, getting all the hair clear of his ears.
"Rithy. I'm hungry." He heard Melida call through the door. "She's still here?" He thought. "Is it okay if I make dinner?" She called after a moment. Rict was about to tell her to go home, but he remembered the taste of the food she could cook. Wait a second… She called him Rithy? He sighed, and nodded his head.
Realizing that she couldn't see him, he called back. "Sure, just don't burn anything." After a moment he heard her reply, "Obviously… That's your job." He heard her giggle as she moved away from the door. He sank deeper into the water. If only water burnt.
----------oOo----------
Melida walked quickly to the kitchen and began opening drawers, taking inventory of what Rict had to work with. She found the spice drawer she'd seen earlier, and promptly shut it. Besides salt and pepper, all he had was ground garlic and basil. She moved to the cupboard adjacent to it, one she hadn't opened before, and pulled it open. The door came open with difficulty, and she quickly noticed why. It was a bread cupboard, and the door was designed to seal off the air.
Smiling, she reached inside and felt for a good loaf. Of the four in there, only two were still fresh. She pulled the both out, along with the other two. Placing them apart, she moved to the amazing box beside the wood stove. She still couldn't figure out how, but she guessed it was by magic. The box, when opened, was cold on the inside, and it housed meats as well as fruits and vegetables.
She chose some chilled goretusk flanks, and pulled them out along with some celery and carrots. The night elf was still sitting there, starring absent-mindedly into space, when she moved to the log store. She pulled as many as she could carry out, and lumbered her way over to the stove. She squeaked under the weight, and felt it lighten significantly. She turned to see the warden holding several of the logs she had been carrying. The night elf gestured with her head, and Melida took the lead. She tossed them in the stove pit with a heavy shrug, and the warden moved beside her to do the same. With surprising strength, she gently lowered them down to fill in the empty spaces left by Melida's logs.
Melida, panting lightly from the weight of the logs, turned to the night elf. "Um, do you want to help?" She asked, reaching for the tinderbox kept beside the stove. The warden stared at her for a moment, finally nodding, "Yes." Melida smiled at her and passed her a knife. The woman picked it up, but her hold was wrong. Melida reached out to correct it when the night elf spoke.
"I'm fine like this." She said, and she reached for a carrot. She began slicing the vegetable, quietly looking out the window placed above the stove. Melida followed suit with the celery, after she'd lit the fire. Melida chopped quickly, much faster then the warden, but he movements with rough and edgy. The night elf hand never seemed to speed up or slow down as she cut, and the fluidity of it creeped Melida out a little bit.
"How do you do that?" She asked after getting over her initial unease.
"Practice." The warden said to her, and she moved for another carrot. Melida continued cutting, and after a moment asked,
"So, you've been doing this a long time?" She says, beginning to cut her second vegetable as well. She was cutting faster then before, trying to keep in time with the warden's hypnotically fluid speed.
"Longer then you can imagine." The woman said, stopping for a moment and starring out the window. Melida looked her a moment, and a single tear slid down her face. She shook her head and continued cutting, the tear landing on the edge of the counter. It was then that Melida noticed the woman's eyes. She's seen pure Kaldorei eyes before. They always shone with a silver glimmer. There was even a night elf cook hand in the kitchen her father ran.
But this woman's eyes… They seemed different in some way. It took Melida a moment, and she had to glance away as the woman turned her head for a moment. But after the warden's head returned to gazing out the window, Melida recognized the difference. The night elf's eyes had slivers of green spread throughout them. It was very slight, but Melida managed to spot them before the night elf turned to regard her.
Melida gazed guiltily towards the celery, but the night elf's question shocked her.
"Why did you come here this morning?" She asked, turning back to the fourth carrot. Melida, still on her second stalk of celery, looked away a little. She sighed a little, and finally put the knife down and walked from the room. The door shut quietly behind her, but she could feel the night elf's gaze follow her as she made her way for the door.
----------oOo----------
Rict towelled his hair off and began to dry himself. He cast a slight fireball, and controlled it in his palm, using it to dry his hair faster. A few hairs caught fire, and their smell filled his nostrils for a moment. He sputtered lightly, but soon he was done, and he began to redress. Redress…
He'd forgotten his clothing.
He sighed lightly, "Fuck…"
----------oOo----------
Maiev finished cutting all the available carrots, and opened the door to the main entrance. She could see the back of the child as she sat on doorstep of the High elf's home, and she quietly clicked the door closed again. Maiev looked wistfully at the celery stalks, and began to cut them. Four seconds, and eleven stalks later, she placed the knife against the counter, placing all the perfectly cut pieces in the pot along with the carrots.
----------oOo----------
Rict'thiel opened the door to the washroom. He sneaked his way to his drawer, clad in only a towel. Melida had taken his clothing from the washroom before she had left earlier. He managed to spot them in a corner with the rest of his laundry, but was soon back in the safety of his washroom. He pulled the boxers on, then the shirt.
After he was fully dressed, he opened the washroom door, and stepped back into the living room. He slowly made his way to the door as quietly as he could. He paused for a moment, considering his next action. He still didn't know this child very well, but he could see from her shoulders that she was sobbing quietly. He made his way out the door and sat down beside her. She turned up to look at him for a moment, and then went back to her tears. Rict'thiel began to feel uncomfortable, and decided he would break the tension. After he a moment, he cleared his throat and spoke.
"Melida…" He said, turning his head and offering her a consoling look. "What's wrong?"
She sniffed, and instead of answering him, she pulled lightly on his shirt and leaned against him. He sighed quietly, but she was beginning to stop crying. After a short while, she had stopped and her head was resting against his shoulder. Finally she raised her head and looked at him. He smiled nervously back at her.
"I- I'm sorry for coming by this morning." She said after a bit. He voiced cracked as she spoke, and Rict could tell she was on the verge of tears again. "I'm ju- I was just so lonely…" She said, and Rict's ears were barely able to hear even that. She turned and began crying into Rict's chest. He felt his shirt getting wet, and yet it didn't seem to bother him. He felt a sharp twinge of concern in his chest. Melida continued her tears for several more moments, until it seemed she'd run out. Rict tentatively placed an arm over her shoulders.
"What do you mean?" He asked, lifting her up slightly so that she was sitting independently again. She looked at him quietly, and Rict could easily tell she was afraid.
"I'm alone right now." She said after a pause. Rict looked at her confused, and she continued. "Check is away at Goldshire. Dad…" She said. She looked away and stared at the ground at her feet. "Dad is visiting Mom." She said finally, sniffing back a tear.
Rict looked at her auburn hair. It had a light sheen to it that he hadn't noticed before. It a strange way, it blended in with her abnormally pale skin as well.
"You never mentioned your mother before." He said. Her body went rigged, and he could see a drop of tears trickled from her jaw to the ground, joining many others. She sniffed and wiped her eyes, sat there, un-moving. Her body stiffer then a board, she eventually turned her head to face Rict. She looked absolutely terrified, and it took his arm on her shoulder again to get her to speak.
"My mother was a night elf." She said. She sniffed again, and sighed. Rict felt that she was expecting a response from him. He shifted lightly, and Melida pulled away. She faced the street and huffed a quiet sigh. "It's fine. I'll go. You don't need to put up with me anymore." She said. She slowly got to her feet, but Rict grabbed hold of her hand.
"What are talking about? I don't want you to go! I just, well I'd never have guessed you had an exotic heritage." He said, smiling. He pulled on her arm lightly, and she began to sit back down. "Besides, what so bad about having a night elfin mother?" She froze mid descent, and her eyes took on a sharpness Rict had only ever seen the warden use.
"What's so bad? What is so bad!?!" She yelled, pulling away from him. Her glare was withering, and Rict felt himself shrink away. He didn't understand what he did wrong, but she answered that for him. "Tell me, have you ever been openly ridiculed where ever you go?" She said. Her face began to flush with anger, and she placed a foot aggressively towards him.
"Have you ever tried to hide something so hard, and fail. Wherever I go, they can tell by the colour of my hair or skin. Why do you think I wear my hair like this?" She yelled. Her angered expression was slowly slipping away. She moved away part of her auburn hair, and Rict'thiel glimpsed her ears for the first time. They were pointed like his, but much shorter, a hybrid of human and elf genealogy. Before he could really look, she dropped the hair back in front of them. Now that he though about it, her hair did a silver lustre, and her skin was quite pale, and he could see a very slight pigment of purple in it.
"Well! Go ahead and laugh!" She yelled, but Rict could see the anger leaving her body. "Laugh like everyone else." Her posture began reverting to the innocently weak one of before, and Rict could see the strength beginning to leave her legs. Sure enough, he knees buckled under her, and she fell to her knees, her face planting in his stomach. She began to shudder again, but she continued talking between sobs. "Shut me out like everyone else."
Rict placed his arms around her shoulders, and held her there for a moment. Finally her sobs stopped, and Rict spoke, "Melida, I don't think having parents of two different races is wrong in anyway… I just, well, I guess you're good at hiding it." He said, looking towards the sky. "You just surprised me is all."
He felt her shuffle, and she pulled away from his chest. She stood back up, but didn't let go of her grip on his torso. Rict was starting to feel a little uncomfortable, but she spoke again. She raised her head and looked at him, "Rict, I… Thank you." She said, letting go of him and wiping her eyes. She took a step backwards.
"I came by this morning because I wanted to see you." She said after a moment. "I wanted to see you because, well, because of that. You're one of the few people to look past my mixed blood…" She said. She paused for a moment, and finally took a deep breath and looked him directly in the eye.
"I… I want to show you something. Only Dad and Check know about this," she said. She fidgeted her fingers together, but after a moment she seemed to calm herself. Finally, she snapped her head up, and Rict needed a moment to realise what had happened. Her eyes had changed colour. They had gone from hazel to amber with hints of purple throughout. They also seemed to glow lightly around the edges. As Rict took in the change in her yes, her hair's colour shifted ever so slightly, and it seemed to take on and even lighter sheen with more silver to it.
Rict was more then a little shocked at this point. This girl could change eye colour at will? He shifted slightly, and Melida noticed. Her immediate reaction was to shift her eyes back to their hazel colour, but she decided to give Rict another moment before reacting. It seemed like the right choice, and he regained his composure almost immediately. His shocked expression shifted to an incredulous one.
"Wow Melida… They're beautiful." He said, not quite aware of what was coming out of his mouth. "Er, I mean they're nothing to be ashamed of." He said, but the last part was slightly strained as she wrapped him in a curiously powerful hug. Strangely enough, he didn't feel as uncomfortable as before, and he was getting used to Melida's hormonal nature. She hugged him tighter, if that was possible, and let a small sigh out.
After about a minute, she pulled away, and Rict could tell she looked happier then she'd ever been in his presence before. She sat back down on his doorstep, and motioned for him to join her. He decided that there would be no harm in it, and did so. She scooted so that her back was against the wall, and Rict followed shortly after.
Grabbing his right arm, she placed it over he shoulders and leaned into his side, resting her head on his shoulders. Rict felt himself relax lightly, but something was bothering him. Thinking over what he would ask, he felt he head nuzzle his shoulder subconsciously. Finally, he asked her.
"Melida, I don't want to pry, but… Why is your mother living in Darnassus?"
Melida shifted slightly, and said, "She's not living there." Rict frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"My mother died giving birth to me… Dad says they could have healed her, but…" He voice caught in her throat slightly. "Healing her would have killed me… And she wouldn't let them." She said quietly. Her mood shift didn't last long though, and she relaxed again. "It's okay. It was a long time ago. It still hurts, but I don't think she'd want me crying over her all the time."
She sniffed, "Anyway, dads gone to visit her grave." She had a serene smile on her face. "I get part of my last name from her. Her name was Armena Starglow, and Dad's is Venst Hearthflame. Melida Hearthglow." She said. She turned her head and saw Rict smiling at her, and the uncomfortable look from his eyes was gone.
They sat there for several more minutes, quietly watching as the sun went down.
----------oOo----------
Maiev tapped her elbow again, and finally uncrossed her arms. The child wasn't coming back. The pot on the stove was beginning to stew, and the spices she'd added had begun to smell nice. She didn't really know what kind of spices went with what, but she mixed what felt right.
She looked at the flanks on the counter, and finally sighed. She picked one up, and placed it upon a heated pan. She repeated this until all the flanks were placed. She then stood there and watched as they began to cook.
----------oOo----------
Melida sniffed the air lightly after a while. She recognised the odour, but couldn't quite place it. She shifted slightly, but Rict didn't move. It took a moment, but she eventually placed the smell. It was burning meat. She shifted again, and lifted Rict'thiel's arm off her shoulders. It was then that she realised he was sleeping. She shook him lightly, and he stuttered awake.
"Something's burning." She said, and she stood up. Rict looked at her confused for a moment.
"Which rings are turning?" He asked. Melida huffed and walked inside. Rict slowly got to his feet, rubbing the back of his head. He followed her after shaking his mane of black hair out a little.
He found Melida huffing about in the kitchen. The warden stood back with her arms crossed, while Melida was throwing pieces of leather into the waste bucket.
"I see no reason in throwing them away. They were perfectly edible." Maiev said. She sat down in the chair, and watched. Melida glared at her and went to the cold box and pulled out the last of the goretusk flanks. She pulled some leaves from the side compartment on the box, and took out some spices.
Filling a bowl with a little water, she began grinding the leaves and spices together to make a seasoning sauce. While the warden was trying to look irritated, she could suppress the look of curiosity and interest creeping onto her face.
"I thought you said you'd cooked before." Melida said grinding the last of the leaves into the sauce. She pulled out a knife and began to glaze the meat with it, while she placed another pan on the stove to heat up. Rict sat down in the chair and watched. After she finished glazing all of them, she turned around and looked at Rict.
"Rict, I need some help." Her eyes darted to the warden for a moment, who simply crossed her arms and sat back a little further. Rict noticed a scar tracing the inside of her palm as she adjusted her position. He then stood up and moved to Melida.
"Alright, what do you need?" He asked. Melida grabbed both his hands with one of hers, and tapped his forehead with her other finger.
"This." She said. "I want to sear the meat before cooking it through. Do you think you could put that wonderful flame of yours on low and help with that?" She said, pulling out a pair of elongated two pronged forks. Rict wondered how she knew his kitchen so well, but nodded his head anyway.
A second later, he had a controlled burst of flame sprouting out of his right palm, his left controlling and directing the flow of fire. It rose about three quarters of a foot and stopped. Melida began passing the meat through and turning it over. She would spin them this way and that, trying to prevent them from burning. She'd finish by flicking them onto the pan on the stove.
Rict was too engrossed in controlling the flame that he didn't notice Maiev getting up and leaving the room. Melida turned her head and saw her leave, but made no mention of it.
After several minutes, all the pieces of meat were on the pan, and Rict was sitting down, drinking a glass of water to cool him down. Melida turned around, and taste the vegetable stew on the stove. She nodded silently to herself, and had a slightly perplexed look on her face when she turned to Rict.
"These are going to be ready in a few minutes. You should go tell miss Shadowsing." She said, turning back and flipping the pieces of meat. Rict swallowed the last of the water and nodded. He rose and made his way outside.
He came into the slowly setting sun's light, and saw Maiev standing at the edge of the canal. Through some gnomish engineering, and more then a little magic, the water of the canals in Stormwind was especially pure. You could drink from it if you wanted, though few people did.
"Maiev, the meal is done. Do you want to come in to eat?" He asked.
She promptly dived head first into the canal, disappearing from sight as her form slid past the lip of the canal's edge.
Rict almost had a heart attack and ran forward to the edge of the canal. He thanked whoever took care of the cities water, and watched as her form went deeper and deeper. Eventually she stopped descending, for all he could tell, and started moving around the bottom. She grabbed something, then another thing, and began swimming towards the surface.
She was in the water for all of thirty seconds, and came gasping for breathe as she surfaced. Rict placed out a hand, and she grabbed for it. He hauled her out of the water and she fell beside him. In her arms were the robes Jaina had given him, along with the green sphere he hadn't realised he'd misplaced.
She coughed a little water, and Rict helped her stand up. He grabbed the tops of her shoulders and shook her a little.
"What the hell?!?" He yelled. She raised a hand and he stopped shaking her. Her breath came in small light gasps, which made her chest rise, and fall, the linen shirt she was wearing clinging to it. Rict couldn't help but notice that her breasts were larger then her clothing made them appear. Her nipples were poking through the fabric a little, and her silver purple clung to her like a very bad hat.
"You dropped some things." She said. She then turned and regarded the articles on the ground with a slight smirk on her face. She took a bit of pleasure in Rict'thiel's incredulous expression. Finally, he managed to shut his gaping jaw, and he picked up the robes and sphere. Now something else was bothering him.
The robes were dry. There weren't even moist. Not even a little bit. He looked at Maiev, and she actually had a small smile on her face.
"Th-thanks." He said, "You could have warned me though." He shifted his wait, but the smile on her face disappeared.
"Where we're going, there are no warnings." She said before turning back to the house. Rict wondered why she was being so serious. He sighed, fingering the green orb. It had a slightly blue hew to it now. Maybe his eyes were playing tricks on him.
He followed her into his home, "Would you like a towel?" He asked, although the answer seemed obvious with Melida shaking her head and Maiev walking towards the washroom.
"Thanks, but I'll get it myself." She said, disappearing into the washroom. Rict walked over to his bed, and gingerly placed the robes in a bag he'd been packing. They went in along side a few choice books from the Stormwind library, as well as some spell components. He heard the washroom down's lock click shut, and he went back to the kitchen.
----------oOo----------
Rict, Melida and even Maiev were relaxing about the table. Rict and Melida were engaged in conversation, while Maiev simply watched. She seemed more at ease around the two then she had been at first. The food had been cleared, and the three had been exchanging conversation, although Maiev less so then the other two.
"So you told me you two weren't together." Melida said pulling Rict closer to her so she could whisper it. Rict laughed leaned back in his chair. He didn't even bother being discreet as he heard Maiev snort lightly as Melida had whispered it.
"We aren't." He said, running a hand through his slightly tangled hair.
"That not how it looked this morning." She said with a wry grin on her face. Rict laughed a little uncomfortably, but shook it off. If either of them had been paying attention, they might have noticed the very slight change in colour on the warden's face.
Finally, when all conversation topics seemed to be exhausted, Melida stood up.
"Well, It starting to get a little dark out. I'm going to go home, partly because I'm tired…" She said, "And mainly because I don't feel like cleaning up." She finished with a grin. Rict laughed, and he stood up.
"I'll walk you home."
"You're just trying to get out of doing the cleanup."
"No, really, I just want to make sure you get home safe." He said. He turned to Maiev for support, and got it surprisingly.
"I too would feel more at ease if I knew you got home safely." She said, nodding her head slightly.
"Well, it settled then, I'll just grab a robe." Rict said cheerfully. He walked over to his dresser and pulled one over his shirt and pants. He'd put pants on after he'd come back in with Maiev. He grabbed the green sphere out of the bag he had beside his bed, and pocketed it.
"Alright, let's go." He said, following Melida out the door. He shut it behind him, and let he lead the way up the streets of Stormwind. He didn't feel very comfortable about walking through Stormwind alone anymore, but there was something really soothing about the trade distract at sundown. The sun's rays shone brilliantly off the canals, and Rict couldn't help but relax. The abundance of guards helped too.
Melida began pulling him by the hand through the market place, and they passed by the public baths. Melida pointed them out to Rict,
"I know Geezle and Rupy." She said happily. As if on cue, the female goblin outside waved at her. Melida waved back, and she brought Rict up to see her. The goblin was average height by Goblin standards, but she was rather plump, and her bust was disproportionably large compared to the rest of her.
"Hey Rupy, how's business?" Melida asked. Rupy smiled back at her, showing surprisingly straight white teethe.
"Well, when you're the only place in town with heated water, you don't get a break she said smiling. We're about to close soon though." She said grinning. She turned to Rict,
"And who is this fine elfin man you have here Mel?" She asked pocking Rict in the stomach. Rict winced a little, but smiled none the less. There was a strange charm to this goblin.
"This is Rict'thiel. He's a friend of mine. I spent the day with him and his girlfriend, and he's making sure I get home safe." She said grinning devilishly at Rict. He gave her a withering glare, but she shrugged it off laughing.
"Oh, what a gentleman." She said grinning herself. Several citizens came out, and she waved goodbye to them. "Well, Rict'thiel, if you ever around, stop by. A friend of Melida's is certainly welcome here."
Melida smiled and thanked her, as did Rict. Melida said her goodbyes, and she turned to leave she. Rupy spoke up again.
"And Melida dear, you really shouldn't wear your hair like that. It hides your beautiful ears." Melida smiled back at her, and she and Rict continued walking. They passed several more shops, and wound their way into the old district of Stormwind. Finally they came to a stop in front of a home near a bakery across the street. A tavern directly to its left, it seemed like a nice place. Melida turned to him and hesitated for a second.
"You're leaving tomorrow right?" She asked.
"Yeah, although to be honest…" He replied, "Nothing, never mind."
She smiled, but seemed to hesitate before talking again.
"Um, is it alright if I come see you off?" She asked, turning her eyes away. She seemed a little shy about asking, although Rict couldn't figure out why. He laughed and nodded his head.
"Of course. Just make sure you don't skip out from the kitchens for too long." He said chuckling. There was something about this girl that warmed his heart in a strange paternal way. She smiled, facing him again.
"I'm not allowed to work in the kitchens without dad." She said. Her smile dropped a little bit, but she picked herself back up, "Anyway, I'll be by tomorrow morning." She said. She turned and fumbled in her pocket for a key. She managed to rummage it out, and opened the door. Waving goodbye, she stepped in. Rict waved as well, and he turned. But, as if something had possessed him for a moment, he turned back around.
"Hey Melida, hold on a second." He said, stepping up onto her porch. He reached into his pocket and perused it for something circular. Melida looked at him curiously, and he produced a small green sphere. It had hints of blue throughout, but it shone with an entrancing iridescence. Melida gazed at it for a quiet moment before Rict spoke up again.
"I want you to take this." He said, contradicting his thoughts of a few days prior. He felt a slight twinge of regret, but he knew his mysterious past would keep bothering him unless he got rid of it. Besides, Melida seemed charmed by it. "You can probably find a better use for it then me. Maybe as some sort of decoration." He said smiling. She smiled at him and took it when he offered it to him. She then wrapped him in another bear hug. He felt the air squeeze from his lungs slightly. She pulled away after a moment, and planted a peck on his cheek.
Rict blushed slightly, but backed out the door.
"I'll come by tomorrow morning." She said, "Goodnight."
"You too." He said, and she clicked the door shut. Rict began walking away, and brought a hand to the cheek she's pecked. Quite exuberant, he thought. He made his way through the winding streets, picking his way home.
----------oOo----------
Rict walked through the trade district on his way home. His leg hurt a little, but it was more of a tingling sensation then anything else. He was fairly certain wounds did not heal this quickly, but the silver stitches had fallen out in the tub earlier. He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he didn't hear the goblin at first.
"Hey, Rict'thiel. Come here a moment." He heard, and his head turned to see the goblin Rupy waving at him. He smiled and made his way to her.
"Dear me, you look tired." She said with a wink. "Come in and use the baths for a little while." Rict noted the closed sign, but felt he would be safe around friends of Melida. He walked in and the subtle aroma of incense. He followed the tap of Rupy's shoes, and she led him to a change room.
Rict stepped in, feeling a little uneasy, but he got undressed regardless. He grabbed one of the fluffed towels off the hangar. Stepping out, he saw Rupy picking up a few discarded towels. She glanced up at him.
"Mmh, that girl really knows how to pick them." She said, and grinned wickedly at Rict. He blushed uncomfortably, and made his way to the baths. "You keep the towel on by the way." She yelled after him. Rict felt his cheeks redden, as he was planning on taking the towel off. However, as he sank into the lightly scented water, he felt himself relax. Stretching out against the side of the marble bath, he dunked his head under the water.
He brought his head up to see a green form entering the bath. Towel around its waist, it sat opposite form him, seeming to enjoy the water just as much.
"Wonderfully relaxing eh?" It said, and Rict rubbed the water out of his eyes. He nodded silently, but didn't give a verbal response. "The names Geezle by the way. I take it you've met Rupy. Should've, she's the one who told me you were here." Rict nodded his head, trying to keep up with the goblins fast pace of conversation.
"Um, yes. I was walking by and Rupy invited me in. I hope that isn't a problem." He said, shifting his towel under the water. The goblin nodded.
"So, I here you're a friend of Melida. Good girl, if a bit misunderstood. Rupy keeps telling her not to hide it. You know what I'm talking about right?" He asked. From somewhere behind the edge of the marble basin, he produced a cigar. He lit it with a strange pen that seemed to sprout flame. Sucking a puff back, he watched Rict'thiel nod.
"Good girl that one." He repeated, "Tell me… Rict'thiel? I'll call you Rict, easier to say. Anyway, tell me, how did you meet her?" He asked, exhaling the smoke through his nose. Rict paused for a moment, and then explained his mishap in the castle kitchen. The goblin snorted back some of the smoke when Rict told him about Check's eyebrows.
"Yeah, her father sounds like a good man. Her brother… Not so much. He's still young though, I'm sure he'll wise up eventually. I should clock him one though, picking on her like everyone else." Rict quirked his head to the side, and asked.
"Why would he mistreat her for being a half elf, isn't he one as well?"
Geezle shook his head, moving the cigar from his mouth. "Same father, different mothers. Melida's other mother died of the plague a while back. Her father met Armena when he was looking for a cure. Guess he grew attached." He said, bringing the cigar back up to his face. "Good woman too. Met her once when my wife and I were getting installed here. She was helping a woman with the plague that'd came to see us for out goblin magic" He said, referring to the almost mystical quality of goblin inventions.
"The woman died, but she stayed with Armena and Venst while she was in Stormwind. I remember seeing her at the woman's grave outside Stormwind." He said a little more solemnly. Then he grinned, "Good looking woman too. Not as buxom as I like em', but very curvy. Kinda like Rupy, but… Taller and… younger... Okay nothing like Rupy. Same eyes though. Ah, I love Rupy's eyes…" He said, sinking deeper into the water. Rict was feeling entertained. The goblin had a fun way of looking at things, even serious ones. Geezle took another drag from the cigar, its tip glowing lightly,
"So, I guess you want to do some talking." He said, grinning at the elf and leaning forward. Rict thought for a moment,
"Actually, I was curious."
"Fire away."
"How is it you met Melida?" He asked, shifting himself to a more comfortable position. His muscles felt light and stringy, but it was a good stringy.
"Ah." Geezle said, sitting back again and taking a particularly deep drag from his cigar. "Met her two years ago. Not as tall then. We were installing a new heating coil into the back of the shop and I needed to go get some tools." He said, his voice slightly tighter then before. "Found her crouched in a small pool of blood. Almost had a heart attack when I did. Managed to drag her back to the shop, and Rupy had a look at her. That she-devil has quite the temper, but she can work wonders with medical equipment."
Rict nodded, "The fact that she knows a little magic helps. Anyway, Melida had been attacked by another group of children apparently. Broke one of her ribs and her nose. They also cut of part of both her ears. Wasn't until Rupy had healed them that we realized she was half elfish. I remember her crying, asking us to leave them the way they were. Course, when Rupy found out." He took another drag, the cigar now half way done, its ashes falling into the water of the bath. "When that wife of mine found out, she would have none of that. Anyway, she healed her up good as new, although I think her rib didn't set properly until later…"
Rict looked horrified, but managed to keep his facial features under a certain degree of control. Geezle saw his expression though,
"Don't go worrying about that girl. She hasn't gotten trouble since. We found three of the kids nearby, one of them with a broken arm." He spat into the water, and Rict felt more then a little glad as it floated away from him rather then towards. "Damn kids shoulda been thrown in the stockades. Anduinn was a decent king and all, given his age, but damn he couldn't persecute at all. Anyway, we've known Melida ever since that day. She comes here from time to time after hours. Says she doesn't feel comfortable in here with other people. Can't blame her. Rupy'll take baths with her from time to time. I try to sneak a peek and see how she's growing." Rict looked slightly horrified again.
"He he, gotcha. Only kidding about that part. Hope she turns out like her mother though. She's got paler skin then normal, and Rupy keeps heckling her about not hiding her ears. Oh well, she'll gain confidence sooner or later. You aren't the daughter of a master druid, only to become a cook hand. Nah, I'm sure she'll find something." Rict was shaking his head, and didn't catch that last part.
"Anyway, got any other questions you want to ask?" Geezle said, putting out the cigar and leaning back. Rict hesitated for a moment, but finally asked,
"Why did you come here to set up a bath house?" He asked, wincing as Geezle's eyes took on a slight glow that'd he'd seen only a few minutes earlier. He winced again, and Geezle began talking.
"Well, I used to be a weapon smith. A good one at that. Anyway I decided that…"
Rict sighed, preparing himself for another of Geezle's verbal barrages.
----------oOo----------
Rict made the last turn home, and was pleased to see three guards standing near his home, two at different intersections and one on the bridge some forty meters from his home. He unlocked his front door and found Maiev standing beside his bed, wearing nothing but her underwear and a t-shirt. His cheeks reddened, but he rationalized that sleeping in clothing was uncomfortable.
He went in and washed up in his washroom. He had a feeling the water from the baths wasn't quite clean in the men's section. Coming out, he found Maiev tucked in, her head against the pillow, her eyes closed. Rict removed his robe and pants, and got in wearing his shirt and boxers. He pulled the covers tight, as it was especially chilly that evening.
Maiev moved away from him, facing the other side of the bed and moving to the edge of said side. Rict lay on his back, and he waved out the lights. He felt Maiev shudder a little bit, but decided to make nothing of it. Soon enough, he felt her breathing slow, and she seemed to be asleep.
Rict wished it would come as easy for him. He lay there for over half an hour, enduring Maiev's slightly restless form of sleep. She shook a little from side to side, and Rict glanced over once. Her forehead was covered in sweat, but other then that she seemed fine.
He sighed, but was interrupted mid sigh as Maiev turned over in the bed, her head coming to rest on his chest again. Like that morning, he felt himself slowly become intoxicated by the scent of her hair. Part of him wanted to move and give her space, and he even did, but she clung to him lightly, and he gave up. Eventually, he let his eyes shut, the scent lifting him into sleep.
He dreamt of shrouded forests that night.
----------oOo----------
Oh my god! 8250 word chapter, URG! Anyway, this chapter is again dedicated to Sygnya, for her reviews.
I'd also like to thank Mike for repairing my Pc after it broke down ( That's why the update took so long.) and for doing it at half price for me. Thank you Alex for helping me install Windows 7 on my Pc, and helping me recover my files.
Anyway, until next chapter.
Just-Corey
