Yphera opened her mouth to reply, but she just couldn't find the words to respond before the male pulled at her hand, guiding her across Scryer's Tier. The city seemed so full of people, Alliance and Horde, all mulling around with little regard to one another. Her eyes kept flashing about the area, still amazed that the factions here were at some kind of strained peace… she could see the scowls on their faces when Alliance members looked at her. Their looks managed to make her shiver, their presence keeping her very on edge. She suddenly back pedaled when an armored griffon reared up in front of her and flew off, a night elf holding firm to its saddle.

"You're so jumpy." Veldruk chuckled as he retook her hand.

"Can you blame me? It's hard enough traveling around with all the monsters, but I get to deal with those Alliance jerks as well, attacking me for no reason other than my races' loyalty to the Horde." Yphera shot back quietly.

"Well… inside these walls, you don't need to worry about any of that happening here. No guarantees once you leave though. Ah… here."

She looked over when they stopped and he released her hand. They were in front of a large wooden structure, a few blood elf guards standing at the entrance. Veldruk spoke to one of them then made his way back to Yphera. She was about to ask him about the building when he began to whisper some incantations, slowly increasing in volume. When the last word was spoken, a large black dragon roared and landed before Veldruk. Yphera jumped back suddenly, eyes wide as she watched the warlock approach the dragon and pet its great head.

"This is Firnes, by the way… my Netherdrake. This building here is the stables, you can keep your pets and mounts here when you're not traveling."

"…oh, Sigma! He's probably wondering what happened to me…" She closed her eyes and concentrated on her partner then let loose a shrill whistle. The lion materialized before her, the huntress' magic having called him to her. Sigma sniffed the air then her, making sure she was safe before taking a seat next to her. He sensed her tension and in turn, let loose a growl towards Veldruk.

"I thought your animal was supposed to be smart…" he remarked, glaring at the animal.

Yphera knelt next to Sigma, giving his mane a few firm strokes. "He's protective." She stated evenly as she stood up.

"Well… go ahead and get him into the stable so we can talk." Veldruk nodded towards the building and though Yphera wasn't comfortable leaving Sigma, she didn't want to wander this city alone if Veldruk left her due to her stubbornness. She spoke to the stable master then allowed the other blood elf to lead her pet into the building.

"You can leave your mount here too if you like." Veldruk noted but Yphera shook her head.

"I don't have mount… gold comes sparingly and is spent on arrows and armor. So I can't really afford the luxury of a mount."

The warlock raised an eyebrow, but kept his thoughts to himself as she beckoned her to follow. They only walked a few yards before entering another building, one much more luxurious. In fact, the entire building reminded her very much of Silvermoon's buildings and décor. It was refreshing to see something that reminded her of her home in her younger years. When they passed the blood elf standing at the counter, she realized they were in an Inn. He beckoned her further in and pulled out a chair for her to sit in. She took her place and he moved around the small table, sitting across from her. When he looked at her, the huntress' arms were crossed and it was almost like she was avoiding looking at him at all. He felt a little sting in his chest as he cleared his throat to capture her attention.

Yphera shot him a glare. "You wanted to talk. Be on with it so I can go on my way."

"Why bring this attitude with you?" Veldruk snapped back. "There's no reason for it-"

"No reason!?" She interjected suddenly, arms coming uncrossed and green eyes flaring in anger. "Think back those many weeks ago, warlock, you took advantage of me!"

"I… I what!?" The male stuttered out. "Everything that happened that night was under your accord alone! I would have left you alone had you truly wanted it!"

"Whatever." Yphera hissed out. "You seduced me and took advantage of me. Oh look, a lowly little huntress, she'll be an easy target! I was so naïve…"

"I did no such thi-"

"Why me?" She interrupted again.

"…what?"

"Why did you pick me? There are countless other females you could have bedded… why in all of Azeroth did you pick me?"

Veldruk bristled, feeling his own anger rise. "Why do you assume all I wanted was to bed a female?"

Yphera paused, opening her mouth to argue but nothing came forward. She fidgeted a moment before saying, "Well… you seemed so powerful, you were in the middle of no where… I'm no where near your strength so I assumed there was no other reason for you being with me other than-"

"You assumed wrong." Veldruk cut in.

"…then why did we…"

"I honestly don't have a reason for you. I saw that you needed help and took you in for the night. I was attracted to you… you just seemed so pure to me. I could sense your energies… and I knew you've never tapped another magic source. The energy I felt from you was just that… only you and I've never met another blood elf like that. So I was attracted… and things happened. But everything I told you that night I said in absolute honesty. And what I tell you now is the same. I don't go around bedding females. I haven't been with anyone since you and…" Veldruk cut himself short. This admission came a bit too hard for him.

"What?" Yphera pressed, staring at him hard.

"I don't like how I was… without you around me." He said slowly, as if the words didn't want to come out.

The huntress continued to stare at him, a million thoughts bombarding her head as she tried to sort out this revelation. "But… how? It was just one night…"

"It was enough." He replied quietly, his gaze lowered now. "Anyways… that's why I brought you here. I needed to see you, needed to tell you. If you don't want to be with me, tell me now and I won't bother you again."

Yphera hesitated. She was still sorting the thoughts through her head and she just couldn't form an answer. She heard him sigh then looked at him as he stood up and started to walk away, towards the back of the Inn.

The warlock was about to take his first step up the stairway when he felt his hand grabbed and pulled back slightly. He turned to see Yphera holding onto him, her eyes glowing softly.

"So… I'm really not sure what to do… but I know I didn't like seeing you walk away like that… so… uh…"

She blushed when she ran out of words to say, but Veldruk didn't need to hear anymore. He reversed his wrist and grabbed onto her, pulling her in close and crushing his lips to hers. Their kiss flowed from needy, having not felt each other for weeks, to slow lingering touches, reveling in each other's feel. When he pulled away from her, she stayed close, feeling warm as he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight.

At that moment, every angry thought Yphera had built up for Veldruk fell apart, completely replaced by this warmth that she knew she never wanted to go away.

But now, sitting at the tavern in Lower City, she felt cold… and alone. Veldruk had been gone for weeks now and it placed her more and more on edge each day. If this was what Veldruk felt like when she was gone then she wanted to apologize and more for ever doing that to him. She gave one last look at the liquor in front of her, sneered, then got up and walked out of the tavern, Sigma at her heels. As she walked up through Lower City and took the elevator up to Scryer's Tier, she started her way to the Inn and to Veldruk's room. She had been staying there ever since Veldruk had first summoned her to Shattrath, however nowadays, it felt like she was merely keeping the bed warm for him in his absence.

Sigma veered away when she made her way towards the Inn; he knew the stable well enough by now to settle there when she entered the Inn. She bid him goodbye, then walked into the Inn and made her way upstairs, unlocking Veldruk's room and peering inside.

Empty, as usual. She thought to herself as she started to strip from her armor. Her shoulder pads slid hard against some burns on her arms and she winced. She had forgotten about her injuries… training in Hellfire Peninsula had taught her to start ignoring her pain from minor injuries and focus on fighting and training. Ever since Veldruk summoned her, she had a renewed desire to grow stronger so that one day she could stand beside him more as an equal. Now she was training in Outland… and the challenges her grew harder and harder each day, pushing her to her limit and beyond. But throughout those turmoils, Veldruk had always been there. But now…

He'd left weeks prior to Netherstorm, to a place called Tempest Keep. There, the great betrayer of their race resided, Kael'thas Sunstrider, their once proud prince. Even now she remembered seeing the prince rally their race together after the Scrourge tore through their homeland. He sought new powers to sap as did many other blood elves. But Yphera had no desire to tap magic. At first she had the same urges after the Sunwell had been destroyed, but she fought them, kept it in check until slowly the urges faded and she no longer desired magic other than what she already held having trained as a huntress. So it was true that when Veldruk met her, her magic was her own and no one else's. Pure, as he called it.

Weeks had passed and he still hadn't returned. She feared sometimes that Kael'thas had killed him, but no… no, Veldruk was very powerful. And she would've felt his death. So she knew he was still alive… but still very much away. Yphera knew that she was just too weak to try and find him.

Yphera let loose a drawn out sigh when her armor was finally discarded. She moved to the bathing room when took a glance at the mirror, noting all the new scars on her body as well as the old ones. One particularly nasty one crossed her abdomen, an older one that she had received back when she was training in Winterspring. She traced the scar, remembering who gave it to her. It was one foe she had never expected to face.