Sabina felt warm and uncomfortable, as she squirmed in the small bed of straw and a thick linen blanket separated her body from the poking straw. Strange, she didn't remember setting up a bed in the deeprun tram. She began to sit up, and felt her skin on her side tug and stretch. Sabina blinked sleepily, and recognized that she was not in the deeprun tram, but a room with a wooden floor and a window showing the night sky glittering with stars. Oh, that's right. Her face fell. Remember? You tried to steal secret information from SI:7, and in order to be pardoned you were supposed to get the scrolls. She sighed. Oh yeah, and you met a very attractive blood elf. Who spoke of the neutrality group he belonged to. He had given her the option of joining him. The warlock blushed as she remembered his gentle touch and caring eyes. Usually she didn't get to observe that.
She shook her head. Get a grip, honey. Neutrality? Seriously? If one was neutral, that would mean the Horde and Alliance could attack at any time. She scoffed. There was no way she was going to join a neutral group of traitors. Not after she had given so much time and effort to the Alliance. She had a part in the Alliance, even if it was a tiny role, it was still something. From a young age, Sabina wanted to belong more than anything. As she watched the other children get adopted into families, she was always looked over. She heard the Orphan Matron speaking with the warlock trainer the day she was adopted.
"Her?" Orphan Matron said in surprise. "No one has ever had an interest in her."
"Why is that?" Demisette Cloyce, the warlock trainer who took Sabina out of the orpahnage.
"Well, many people have expressed that they fear a dark power that is locked deep inside her. I understand that she had a dark past when she first came here, but she has a tremendous amount of energy."
"And that's why I'm here, Matron." Demisette whispered, but loud enough for Sabina to hear as she pressed her ear against the door to the Orphan Matron's office.
"I do not want you to bring memories up from her past, Ms. Cloyce."
"Her Aunt contacted me herself, since she learned of the child's dark power."
"What?" Sabina heard fear in Orphan Matron's voice.
"There is nothing we can do to change this young girl's power. She was born with a gift. Being the highest warlock trainer in Stormwind, it makes sense that her aunt contacted me." The women were silent for a while, and finally Orphan Matron spoke up.
"Very well, I shall let you take the child. But I do not feel comfortable letting her roam about The Slaughtered Lamb. A young girl should not be around drunkards."
"She will be well protected."
"I'm sure she will be, however, I will make arrangements for some 'check-ups'. I shall personally stop by every Sunday to see how she is doing."
"Very well."
"I will go collect the girl."Sabina heard Demisette's chair squeak on the wood as she stood up.
"Her name is Sabina, Ms. Cloyce." Orphan Matron said sternly. "Please know that she is a human being and not one of your warlock pets."
Sabina scurried away from the door after that to pack her things. She finally had a place to call home!
The warlock sighed. Even after all the years she spent training with Demisette, she was still "that creepy warlock chick". When she was in her youth, she was sent to a group study with other Alliance youths to learn of their faction and meet King Varian Wrynn and Jaina Proudmoore, and hear them speak the history of the Alliance. She made few friends, but she noticed a very attractive male draenei in her group. She wanted his interest, but the draenei was clearly disgusted in her practice of the dark arts. It was a big blow to her self esteem, the unrequited love of her crush.
When she told the story to Demisette, the trainer just laughed, shrugging it off with the whole race hating warlocks. Sabina was still crushed by rejection, not to mention the rejection of the other classes in the Alliance. Warlocks were the black sheep that were swept under the rug. Sabina looked for comfort from Demisette, but the trainer was only interested in being a coach, nothing more. Every time Sabina would reach out to someone, she was rejected. Other warlocks expressed what she felt, but they came from warlock families who nurtured their children and explained the warlock discrimination in the Alliance. So Sabina would go out to the corners of Elwynn Forest, and talk to her warlock pets while she worked on her inscription. She probably was crazy, going out to the forest to talk to a bunch of demons, but she refused to let herself go really crazy. She was polite and respectful in her guilds, powerful and charismatic while fighting in Icecrown, and after she grew out of her awkward phase, other warlocks became interested in making her a wife. Sabina was indeed very powerful and skilled, surprising her guildmates and opponents. Which was enough interest for most warlock males to peak an interest of breeding with her, but she also carried a sense of timeless beauty. Some females in the Alliance say it's her black magic that keeps her looking so beautiful, but Sabina's beauty came naturally. She received many marriage proposals and confessions of love, but the warlock knew they were all empty promises. Demisette told her she needed to start thinking about accepting a marriage proposal, because Sabina was flat broke, had no family, and she couldn't stay at the Slaughtered Lamb as an adult and Northrend graduate. So instead of giving in to an empty proposal, Sabina chose to sleep in the deeprun tram, or a nice quiet area in a forest.
Sabina heard the sound of a knock at her door. She was too weak to stand, so instead she just called for the interloper to enter. She observed that it was the blood elf from the night before, as light flooded in all around him from the kitchen. The one where she confessed her problems to. Sabina immediately turned pink as she remembered how loose her secrets had became with him.
"I have some food we prepared," Roan began. She looked up and he handed her the bowl. "It's Northern Stew. It should be easy for you to eat if you're not feeling well." He turned around and lit some candles on a small dresser beside her bed. Her eyes adjusted to the difference in the light change, as she held her hot bowl of soup in her hands. She watched the rogue turn to her, his face was handsome and weathered, and he had a strong, masculine jawline that made her heart feel like it was as warm as the soup she held in her hands. The most interesting feature was his long, dark hair, which was feathered into a fluffy foxtail. It reflected the glow in the candlelight, and she had a strange urge to reach out and touch it.
"Warlock?" He heard her asking, and she shook herself out of the daze.
"Yes?" Sabina asked.
"I was just asking you what your name is. I mean, I'm sure you're getting tired of being called, 'girl' or 'warlock'."
"Oh I'm used to it," she slipped out, and then realized she said to much. Instead, she changed the subject just to distract him. "My name is Sabina."
"Sabina? That's pretty. Your parents had good taste." He flashed her a warm grin. Oh, how her heart melted with the sight of him smiling. He was so darned suave, she kept losing her words so it all felt like they were floating around in her head and she was just grabbing random ones just to answer him so she could stare at him a little longer.
"Oh, I wouldn't know," She gave a sheepish grin.
"No, really, it's pretty." The dark haired-rogue nodded at her. He walked from the candles to her, and sat down beside her, crossing his legs. Sabina felt her heart skip a beat as he got closer. "Now, I was thinking after that, you might enjoy getting the blood and sweat off of your skin. Amuuru could prepare a bath for you in the garden, if you'd like."
"Oh no," Sabina shook her head, "I can tell that she's not in her youth anymore," she tried to be as polite as she could. "I couldn't do that to her. It would be too much of a burden."
"Don't worry about it," the rogue smiled and shook his obsidian head. "It would probably lighten your heart and when you're done, we have some things to talk about."
"Like what?"
"Like the possibility of you joining up with us," Roan winked at her. Sabina licked the corner of her mouth as she furrowed her fiery eyebrows.
"I don't know if you would find me reliable," Sabina said. "After all, I am a member of the Alliance."
"It's okay," Roan petted her crown of crimson, "just listen to what we have to say."
"If you have something to say to me, I'd rather just hear it out now," she eyed him suspiciously through her deep emerald eyes. Roan sighed.
"Wouldn't you rather relax first?"
"If there's tension, I wish to know." She looked down at her bowl of untouched soup, and her vibrant locks fell over her face like a curtain. They shone like a copper piece in the candlelight, creating an even greater allure of beauty. Roan fought with himself not to touch her round cheeks, and bring her face up to his, just to stare deep into those forest green eyes of hers. Beautiful women were always his weakness, and they were always very submissive in his presence. Unlike Sabina, who remained calm and sharp to her senses. Roan cleared his throat, as he felt the rising warmth deep within his loins.
"Sabina," he spoke, gingerly as not to shake her any more than she had already been through, "where would you go if not stay with us?" He pointed out. The thought of gaining their trust to steal the scrolls and just run off to Stormwind crossed her mind, but she felt like there was another force tugging her back. Like that was not the path she was to walk on. However, it would guarantee her life back, but it would also be sentencing all of these "neutrals" to their deaths. Could she really live with such a heartless choice? You're a warlock. It's what you do. She heard a voice scold her. No, Sabina forced the voice away. That was not her. Being deceitful might be the stereotype of the practicers of dark magic, but she was not going to be one of those who fell into the cracks.
"Sabina?" The rogue spoke again. "Are you okay?" He started to move his hand to her arm, when she quickly moved it away.
"I'm fine. Really, I'm just thinking," she said quickly, and rather dumbly.
"Of what?" He raised an eyebrow. Wow he's nosy, she glared at him. This was no time for her brain to be picked.
"Rogue, it doesn't matter. I just know I can't stay here very long." She said.
"Well, that's another problem." Roan winced, "you know of the secret of the scrolls, so we can't let you leave anyway."
"Wait, what?"
"You'll have to remain here until," he thought for a moment, "well until Amuuru says it's okay."
"But," Sabina began to feel trapped, and she started to panic. "I can't stay here. If I swear to secrecy, I'll be happy just roaming the forests and living in hiding."
"How lonely," the rogue frowned.
"I don't care," she shook her head, and her curls bounced. "I can't stay trapped here forever," she looked to him, eyes wide with desperation, and her mouth slightly open, revealing her autumn colored lips. "Please," she whispered. Such words coming from the warlock enhanced his problem going on in his leather breeches. He reached out and cupped her cheek in one hand. He let his thumb run over her full lower lip, and he felt her shudder. It was very gentle and short-lived, but he felt the reaction in her body, which sent vibrations deep in his gut, and his loins begging for a taste. He knew just by his sensual touch, she wanted him to touch her. He felt it in her husky breath, and the way her bosom rose and fell quickly.
"W-what are you doing?" He heard her say in a strong voice.
"What do you mean?" Roan asked gutturally, heavy in a cloud of passion.
"Please, don't do that," she put her hand over his, and pushed it away gently.
"Why not?" Roan asked, leaning in, inches from her face. His eyes were deep and commanding, and she fought the strong urge to run her fingers though his hair, and accept whatever he was about to do. Then, her desire turned into utter fear, as she quickly jumped up. Northern stew spilled everywhere, over the straw mattress, Sabina's robes, and the bowl lay turned over on the rogue's lap.
"Oh my goodness!" She cried, as she removed a handkerchief from her sleeve, and keeled down to start dabbing at the rogue's leather breeches. "I'm so terribly sorry!"
"It's okay it'll come out," he said, using his own sleeve to try and wipe up the stew.
"No, no, I can be so clumsy," she complained, and continued rubbing out the liquid from the leather.
"I'll be fine, nothing that a little water can't fix. You've got it on yourself too," he snickered, as she quickly looked down to see her blue and purple robes now stained with the tomato-based soup.
"Oh for the love of-" she started wiping at her lap, as the rogue started reaching to help. She slapped his hand away, and stared at him in astonishment. "You can't do that to a lady!" She exclaimed.
"Oh but you did it to me, love," he grinned. "I'm just repaying you the favor."
"Not even if you were the last male in Azeroth. I am not like that, rogue." She said, hot in both anger, embarrassment and excitement.
"You know I prefer to be called by my name instead of rogue." He pointed out, as she stood up and started to walk for the door.
"I could care less what your name is, rogue. A scoundrel you are, rogue suits you." She said curtly, before storming out of the room in search of Amuuru. Roan sat there, laughing at his amusement in the quick-tempered warlock. How cute, she's innocent. He thought.