Sapphira awoke in a warm, unfamiliar room, tangled in a tall, muscled elf's arms. She turned her head as best she could, seeing that it was Thalarion. She put two and two together, figuring she was in his room at the inn. She took note that she still had her dress and shoes on, that her eyes ached and felt puffy, and that her lips tasted of wine and ambrosia. She didn't recall eating anything at the dance, so it must've been the taste that Thalarion's lips left on her own.
The memories of the ball came flooding back. Her breaking down and sobbing in front of Thalarion, the two of them dancing, the kiss they had shared, everything. She didn't know whether to be happy or reduce to a teary, red eyed mess. She had loved the way his lips fit against hers, the way his arms had wound around her shoulders, the way that he held her in his sleep. But she was terrified at the concept of being romantically involved with another person. She was conflicted. Saving her thoughts for another time, she settled back into Thalarion's embrace, falling back asleep with her head on his shoulder.
Only when our goddess' rebirth is near, shall they return. The death god, the one they call Arthas, will usher in the first of them. Our merciful Mother's guardians will herald her coming, with songs of reverence and praise. Thus saith the goddess.
Thalarion woke up a few hours later, after Sapphira had fallen back into tranquil slumber, nestled in his arms. He smiled, looking down at the small woman, pressing a kiss to the back of her neck. Slow down with the affection, hotshot. You don't want to drive her away. Sapphira awoke with a groan from Thalarion's actions, rolling over to face him. He gathered her in his arms and pulled her close to his chest, resting his chin on her head. His suit's jacket had come undone, and Sapphira could see pale skin where buttons on his dress shirt had come undone.
The two layed in eachother's arms for a good while before one of them spoke, breaking the sleepy, blissful silence. "Are you still comfortable with everything that happened last night?", Thalarion muttered, using a free hand to prod Sapphira's head up and avert her gaze to him. She didn't answer, only breaking away from his arms and sitting on the side of the bed. "I have mixed feelings about the whole concept of having a relationship with you.", she replied finally, burying her face in her hands.
Thalarion maneuvered himself so that he was sitting next to her, and directed her gaze to him again. "I'm willing to wait until you're completely comfortable then, if that's what it takes.", he reassured, taking one of her small, bony hands into his own. "That's not my concern, Thalarion. I'm absolutely terrified, as much as I hate to admit it, of being romantically involved. I don't know how to act, what to say, how to make advances.", she cried, shuddering. "Most of all, I'm terrified that as soon as I allow myself to get attached to you, you'll disappear.", she buried her face in her elegant hands again, drawing in shaky breaths.
"Please don't be afraid anymore.", he muttered, drawing her back into his arms and stroking her onyx hair. "I won't disappear either, I promise. You are still my partner, and my sole duty is to protect you. I can't very well disappear with that on my shoulders. Not with clear conscience anyway.", he drabbled soothingly. "We'll take things slowly, alright? One step at a time."
After Sapphira had eventually pulled herself together and Thalarion managed to drag himself away from her, she left and started to head for home, ready to go out on whatever mission Rhonin had in store for them. Her head was muddled with thoughts and worries that Thalarion hadn't been able to chase away, not even with his reassurances and displays of affection. She tried to make them dissipate as she stepped into her shower, but to no avail.
The pair of elves met up again outside the Violet Hold, with Thalarion offering a warm smile. He wanted to extend a hand to her, but he guessed that Sapphira wouldn't be one for public affection, especially if she was having trouble with private displays of affection. She gave him a nod in reply, gesturing towards the entrance where Rhonin would likely be waiting for them. She went first, as always, with Thalarion trailing behind her.
"Lady Azurebreeze, what good timing.", Rhonin commented as he looked up from a heated discussion with Vereesa Windrunner. "There is an assignment I need done, immediately."
"I'd be willing to fulfill it. What is it you require?", Sapphira asked, voice back to its cold and business-like tone.
"There's been an attack on one of our camps in the Howling Fjord. Would you please go check up on all residents?"
"Sir, with all due respect, there are attacks on our camps daily. What's happened that makes this one important enough that a mage needs to be physically sent out of Dalaran?"
"Lady Azurebreeze, this task is of utmost importance. I haven't the foggiest idea what attacked the camp, but the mages on the other side of the communicator were extremely frightened and out of sorts. You know that simple Scourge and Blue Dragonflight war parties don't make camps of magi fly into a panic.", Rhonin explained, clearly getting irritated with Sapphira's hesitance.
"Northern part of Howling Fjord, correct?", she asked, pulling out a map and looking it over, with her paladin peering over her shoulder. "Correct.", Rhonin stated, turning back to Vereesa.
Sapphira turned to Thalarion, who had donned his Blood Knight armor and great sword, and spoke directly to him. "We leave at once. Go to the Northern landing and find us some sort of flying mounts. This is a journey that cannot be made on foot. I'll grab a few things from my home and meet you there in about fifteen minutes. Be ready.", she ordered before striding away.
With minimal difficulty, Thalarion had managed to find two available dragonhawks for him and his mistress to use. It's been awhile since I've flown, Thalarion mused inside his head. He heard light footsteps behind him and automatically knew it to be his mistress. "Have you ever flown a dragonhawk, my lady?", Thalarion questioned, saddling up a beautiful gold and silver Quel'thalas breed of dragonhawk.
"I don't believe I have.", she said, eyeing the strange creature with some skepticism. Thalarion moved on to saddling the second dragonhawk, which appeared to be a native Northrend breed. The edges of its wings were stained with an inky blackness, standing out against the faint blue-white of the rest of its body. "It won't be that difficult. Dragonhawks are fairly mild tempered and when well-trained, quite friendly and obedient.", he remarked, extending his hand out to the mage.
Thalarion planned on having Sapphira mount the Northrend breed, as it seemed much tamer and less prone to biting or disobeying. He couldn't say the same for the Quel'thalas breed.
Sapphira took Thalarion's hand and allowed him to lead her close to the Northrend dragonhawk. It looked down on her suspiciously for a few moments, before returning to jabbering at the other hawk near it. Thalarion took a few moments to explain how to control the Dragonhawk, and what different noises meant what. After doing so, he helped her up on to the saddle, handing her the reins that dangled near the beast's sharp beak.
When he was certain that everything was ready to go with his mistress, he returned to the Quel'thalas breed. It snapped at him a few times as he tried to mount it, but eventually seemed to accept his presence. "Do you know where to go?", Sapphira asked, looking up from her mount to Thalarion. "Yes, I was looking over your shoulder while you took orders from Rhonin.", he answered, taking the dragonhawk's reins. "Lead the way then.", she took one hand and motioned to the open air away from the platform.
With a nudge of his heels, Thalarion was in flight, headed towards the Kirin Tor camp in Howling Fjord. He turned and looked back to make sure Sapphira was faring well, but she seemed to have caught on to flying quickly.
About halfway to Howling Fjord, Sapphira's thoughts drifted to what Risellie, the gnome alchemist, had said about the Saronite that she and Thalarion had found in the Dragonblight. A 'host' for Scourge magic, that's what she had called it. It definitely was thought provoking. She hadn't mentioned one particular thing to Risellie though. She hadn't mentioned that when she looked at the strange ore, she felt something looking back at her.