K guys, it's been awhile since I hung out in Arathi Highlands so I may have a few names wrong. Thx for reading and reviewing! I wanted this to be longer but I never know when I'll get a chance at the internet.

Chapter Seven: Drop it Like it's Horde

Adelle:

We wasted no time in leaving, no telling when that thing would be back. My odd trio of ex-captors wanted to get to Silver Moon City and confront my sister as bad as I did; she had marked their lives too. We planned to get to Arathi before the sun came up and seek shelter, but beyond that the details were fuzzy. We traveled into the Arathi Highlands on no sleep, it was 2am when we reached the crossroad that divided the Alliance and the Horde territory, about three miles each way we could find either fraction's base. There we could find shelter, food and 24 hour guard on high alert. There was only one problem.

"Which way should we go?" Rolin asked me.

I sat up straight in my saddle, feigning alertness. Why is he asking me? I thought as I tried to shake off my exhaustion. I'm not the boss.

He had a nasty habit of reading my mind. "You're the only Alliance here, so either way you take the bigger risk," he explained patiently.

I blinked. He was right. If I tried to smuggle all three of them into my base I'd be had for treason, and if I snuck into theirs I'd be killed upon discovery. I sighed. I did have a very elaborate costume that I used to disguise myself on my missions to Silver Moon, but I wasn't ready to let THAT particular cat out of the bag. No, there was only one way to do this.

"We have to split up," I said as I tugged my mount's reigns and turned onto the Alliance's road.

"Yah don't got much a chance on yah own," Laughtalie said. "Tha ting'll catch yah."

I frowned. She actually looked worried. "I don't fare well if the Horde catch me either. It's only three miles."

Rolin pulled his mount up beside me and placed his hand on my shoulder. "It would be selfish of me to let you go alone."

I flinched; I wasn't used to this new side of him. "I'll be fine," I said tightly. I could feel Laughtalie and Tharse's eyes boring into the back of my skull. "I'm actually the selfish one here," I added, allowing my tone to soften as I remembered we were all on the same side now. My chances were best with my own people, and we all knew it.

"We'll meet at Orge's Mound in the morning," Rolin said quietly, "Before the sun rises."

We all stared at each other in a wordless goodbye. I wasn't sure what to do when we got to Silver Moon, but I figured we'd deal with that when we came too it. Either way, I was too tired to think about it. I spurred my mount and sighed in relief as he tore down the road with inhuman speed. I hated any kind of emotional farewells, even though it was only for a few hours. Plus, it really bugged me how much I cared what happened to my Horde companions, how much I worried about them as I raced in the opposite direction.

I reached the Alliance base in no time it seemed. I slowed my mount to a trot and turned him onto the barely visible path that lead down into a crevice. I looked up at the bright stars as the earth walls rose in front of me. I sighed, I felt safer already. Tents were scattered around a large bonfire, and Alliance adventurers wandered around aimlessly, a few looked at me with curiosity. I dismounted and walked over to a man at a table positioned to the left of a cave opening.

"Welcome Miss," he said warmly, "Help yourself to the evening meal. Are you here to assist us with the impending battle for Arathi Basin?"

I bowed my head a little guiltily, "I'm sorry but I'm just passing through for now."

He nodded pleasantly, "Understandable. But you're still welcome at our fire."

"Thank you... Commander," I said glancing at his badge.

"I'm sorry," He said hesitantly with a little smile, "But have we met before?"

I smiled dryly. Ah human males and their pick up lines. 'Do you come here often?' was probably next. I shook my head slowly, then I froze as I saw the wanted posters pinned to the rock face behind him. I was staring into own, penciled reflection; my wanted poster was among the fliers.

"... 'Cause I'm sure I've seen you somewhere..." the commander droned on.

I couldn't move, I was frozen in horror as I watched the commander follow my gaze. He looked back towards me; his face was suddenly masked with calm composer. "Don't do anything rash miss..."

I bolted. I was on my horse before I could even think. I spurred the great creature into action; again I found relief in his unnatural talent for haste. We roared out of the former haven into the uncertain, dark prairie. I could hear shouts and hooves behind me. I found the crossroad I had been on earlier and barreled into Horde territory; my country men didn't dare follow me. I slowed my horse and crept into the foliage that surrounded the Witherbark trolls' village. I listened carefully for a few minutes. Silence encouraged me to dismount and rummage through my backpack. I'm going to have to spend tonight in the Horde camp. I thought gloomily.

I undid the seam at the bottom of my bag that hid my costume. I pursed my lips, I was going to have to improvise; in my regular get up someone from Silver Moon might recognize me. I pulled my choke strings and elk bone combs out of my hair, then I unsheathed my right hand dagger and bunched up my hair at the base of my neck. I squeezed my eyes shut and swallowed the vanity I hate to admit was even there. I gulped two deep breaths of dewy air before I sawed off my hair. I quickly turned over a rather large rock and shoved the dead locks under it.

I ran my fingers through my now short hair and bit my lip; it wasn't enough. I opened my herb pack and drew out the few precious black lotuses I had acquired. I knew I was hanging on to these for some reason. I thought dryly. I crushed the herbs into a fine, black powder and dumped them into a flask of water. I shook the flask and looked over my shoulder for the hundredth time. I crept towards a small body of water and dunked my head in, I came up and rubbed handfuls of the black potion into my hair, careful not let it run onto my face. I rinsed a few more times and wrung out my hair until clear water ran through my gloved fingers. I grimaced, the dye had turned my leather gloves a purplish black.

I pulled some linen out of my pack and dried my hair and face completely. I put the rest of my costume on and mentally thanked Kira the night elf for making it for me. I sighed and hoped my friend was fairing better than me. I looked into the pool of water in awe as a raven haired blood elf stared back at me. I nodded in satisfaction; this was going to make so many things so much easier.

xXx

Rolin:

I woke from a deep sleep with the feeling that I was being watched. I glanced at my window and saw that it was still dark. My head rolled to the right and I saw a female blood elf sitting on the foot of my bed. I bolted upright and fumbled for my blanket, but it was no where to be found. She arched a wicked, black brow.

"You snore."

I shook the foggy slumber from my mind. Why did her voice sound so familiar? Her uneven lips pulled into a grin and she fluttered her glowing, green eyes, "A lot, you snore a lot."

I blinked, I knew those lips all to well, "What are you doing here-and why-why are you-?"

She lowered her eyes, "My wanted poster is up at the Alliance hold." She swallowed, "They chased me out."

I looked at the rogue and felt pity, she really had no where to go. "Did you take a disguise potion?" I asked abruptly, amazed at the change in her appearance.

She shook her head and her shaggy, short raven hair fell into her glowing eyes. She's cut it. I realized with dismay. I cleared my throat, mildly disgusted with myself. She can do whatever she wants with her hair. I told myself.

"I don't have the herbs or the money," she said. "Besides, those things only last about an hour."

"How did you get your eyes to glow? And the ears?' I asked in puzzlement.

She pulled a glowing, green gem on a chain out of her shirt and clasped her fingers around it, her eyes stopped glowing. "Smoke and mirrors. I have a friend who dabbles in engineering and jewel crafting."

"Dabbles?" I raised a brow at the excellent craftsmanship.

"Her words, not mine." The rogue said with a shrug.

I reached out and touched her long, pointed ear, "It even feels real..."

She grinned, "It twitches too. See?" She crinkled her nose and the prosthetic ear twitched in response. She turned her head and pointed to a silver stud in her nose, it had a delicate chain that discreetly connected to the ear. "Hair line trigger." She informed me.

I stared at her for a few moments in awe. Suddenly our half kiss from the day before came to mind and I scooted away from her, "I suppose you'll want to sleep..." I said as I half rose.

"I already have it covered," she said, nodding towards the floor. I looked down and saw my blanket AND pillow arranged neatly on the floor. So that's where it went. I thought grimly.

"Cute shorts by the way," she added perkily.

I grumbled at my state of undress. She just HAD to take my blanket the ONE night I sleep in my underwear. I looked back at the rogue and raised an eyebrow, "I suppose you want the bed?"

"No way, you got your Horde cooties on it."

"Horde cooties?"

"Yes."

"Are you an adolescent?"

The rogue laughed and pulled off her boots, "Good night, pretty boy."

"Pretty boy?"

She clamped her hands over her mouth, "Did I say that out loud?"

"I'm afraid you did. Is that how you refer to me in your mind?"

"Maybe," she said as she jumped off the bed and began to make herself comfortable on my floor. She lay flat on her back with her arms folded behind her head, a faint smile tugged at the corners of her unique lips.

"I have a name you know, a very proper one."

"Rolin..." she unfolded her right arm and tapped her lower lip in thought. "Doesn't that mean 'Girly Man' in orcish?"

I snorted, "Very cute. It means 'Archer' in thalassian. My mother knew I was to be a hunter the minute I was born."

The rogue grew quiet. I realized the word 'mother' was a sore spot for her. I suddenly realized that I had no idea what her name was. "What is your name?" After I said it I realized it sounded more like a demand than a question.

The rogue rolled off her back and onto her side facing me, she looked up at me and uttered a dull, flat sound in common.

I sighed in exasperation, "I can't understand common."

Her eyes flickered down and she toyed with the chain around her neck. "Adelle," she said in perfect thalassian.

"The 'Star Chaser'?" I asked. The translation in thalassian was the name of a fictional heroine. My mother had told me the stories as a child.

She looked up at me, "The night elf translation means 'Followed by the Stars' but whatever."

I shook my head, "You speak thalassian too?"

"Some," she said hesitantly, but I sensed she wasn't telling me the whole truth.

"You still don't trust me," I said softly.

Adelle held my gaze steadily, "I can't even trust my own blood." She then turned away, signaling an end to our conversation.

I rolled over and tried to sleep, but my mind was caught up in to many thoughts.

xXx

"Rise 'n shine!" I opened my eyes to find myself face to face with Tharse.

I rolled onto my stomach, trying to spare my nose the assault of troll breath. "Your breath does not improve with sleep you know."

Tharse laughed, "An' yah grumpy attitude don't improve wit company. I seen yah girl friend leavin' yah room dis mornin'. Not bad... "

"That was Adelle," I informed him.

"It got a name too eh? Must be serious..." Tharse cackled in delight.

I sighed in exasperation and faced him, "Adelle the rogue."

Tharse blinked.

"OUR rogue," I explained.

"How tha-?"

"Alli kicked me out."

We turned to see Adelle standing in the doorway with her arms folded. Laughtalie stood behind her; the huntress' exasperation was barely veiled.

"We bettah get movin' or we'll be flyin' ovah the Plague Lands in tha dark," Laughtalie snapped as she walked past Adelle.

I blinked. Flight paths, why hadn't I thought of that? That shaved days off our trip. I suppose I hadn't thought of it before because I had assumed we would be masking the presence of a human companion among us. I frowned. It would have been helpful of Adelle to mention her ability to disguise herself before hand. What did she think she was going to do once we got to Silver Moon? Seek refuge in Tharse's reeking cape again?

"Why didn't you tell us about your disguise sooner?" I asked her.

Adelle stared at me blankly; I'd caught her off guard. "Irked because my bag of tricks is bigger than yours?" She asked with a wicked grin.

Her way of answering a question with a question annoyed me. I opened my mouth to discuss the matter further but Laughtalie cut me off.

"We bettah eat den we leavin'." The huntress said as she shrugged her pack off her shoulders and opened it. "Ah got some old chilled meat an' a worg haunch."

Adelle and I glanced at each other, we were both very well aware of trolls and their habit of eating raw meat; neither of us relished the thought.

"I have some bonescale snappers I can cook really quick," Adelle said hastily as she slipped off her pack.

"We don' got time-"

"Rolin and I can eat on the way," the rogue said quickly. "You and Tharse... um... go ahead."

I barely masked my relief as I jumped out of bed and quickly dressed. Adelle had a fire going on the earthen floor in no time; the room was filled with the aroma of cooking fish.

"How do I know you won't poison me?" I asked with a grin as she sprinkled Northren spices onto the fillets.

Adelle looked up at me and smiled jauntily, "I'll happily eat this all by myself if you're so worried. I'm sure Laughtalie still has that worg haunch..."

I wrinkled my nose in mock disgust, "I'll risk it. I don't relish the thought of raw meat or my own cooking for that matter."

The fraud elf threw back her head and laughed. I suddenly realized I had teased her on purpose. I liked her laugh.

Laughtalie poked her head back in the room, "Come on le's go!"

Adelle quickly flipped a fillet off the makeshift pan and tossed it onto a clean linen. "Here you go," she said hastily as she handed it to me. She did the same with the other fillet and stomped out the fire. "Ok, let's go," she said as she rushed past me.

I followed Adelle into the blinding light. I squinted. No wonder Laughtalie is in such a hurry, it's past noon. We quickly made our way to the stable master and admitted Angel and our mounts. I could tell Adelle was terrified to leave her horse in a Horde establishment, but she had little other choice.

"Fiiine animal... " The orc stable master said as he ran his hand over the onyx creature in awe." Where did you get such a mount?"

"Stole it off a dead Alli," Adelle said flatly. "He better be here when I get back," she threatened.

The orc grinned, "I won't sell him, elf. I have a reputation to uphold too you know. Just send me another gold piece if you're gone longer than a week."

Adelle nodded and I could see her jaw clench, she turned and never looked back. I felt she had done this before. We found Laughtalie and Tharse waiting for us at the flight master.

"Hey thanks fer showin' up," Tharse said sarcastically. "At tha rate you two love birds are goin' we'll hafta quit now an' try again tomorrow."

I froze. WHAT did he call us?

Laughtalie smacked him on the back of the head, "I tole' yah not ta say no ting! Yah big kodo!"

"Ok ok!" Tharse whined. "But dis be weird mon, we gotta talk about it someday. Laughtalie seen yah two before," the troll said with genuine concern.

I growled, "We're not talking about it."

"Oh jah? How come?"

Adelle grabbed Tharse by the tusk and yanked him towards her. "Because I hit a lot harder than your sister does," she hissed in his ear. She roughly shoved him back and marched over the to flight master.

Tharse looked at me and blinked, "Ok, good luck with dat one."