Chapter Nine

The journey there had not been fun, Mixy soon realized. Feeling that Honey needed a break after the previous endeavor, the warlock had not summoned her companion. Rather, Vonzahn had decided that it should be who carried the bags from now on, although the goblin had tried to insist she carry her own.

They made it to the village in good time, as they had left early in the morning without even one stop on the way, but Vonzahn had been eerily quiet, which only made his companion worry more. As they arrived to the village, Mixy gawked at it's troll structures and it's liveliness. "There be not a lot of odas here." Vonzahn warned her as they walked in; at least he was talking, she reasoned.

"Vonzahn." Called a deep voice. Looking over, the goblin let her jaw drop slightly at the tall troll walking in their direction. He was bright and colorful; a tall pink mowhawk with bright blue skin and eyes similar to Vonzahn's. He walked tall and proud, unlike her troll and the rest which all slumped. "Zan'Zan." His fellow troll nodded in greeting.

"What ya be doing here?" asked the troll; he didn't seem hostile but rather bored and slightly concerned. "I taught ya be in Orgrimmar."

"So Kimei has been here." Vonzahn looked down at the ground, his eyebrows raised in curiosity. "I be helping dis goblin. She be lost." Vonzahn explained shortly. "Hi!" Mixy chirped, Taffy meowing in greeting after her. "Ah, a crafty lil goblin? Keep an eye out. Now dat ya be here, I doubt Kimei will hold back. She might eat her."

Mixy squeaked and instinctively hid behind her companion's leg. "Don' worry, lil one." The troll bent down to smile at her around his very large tusks. Reaching out a large hand to offer her, she shook it and smiled back. "Friendliest troll I've ever met!" she commented. "Aye, but ya not be seeing me for long."

Standing back up, he placed his hand on the other troll's shoulder. "I be leavin' for Darkshore in two weeks, brotha." Something about the way he said it made it feel as though he might not come back at all, and it didn't sit well with Mixy. "Good luck den." The shorter troll sighed. Zan's face seemed somewhat saddened on his bestial features, but he looked away after a moment and at the short goblin.

"Ya both should use me tent. Ya know da way still, Vonzahn?"

"Aye."

"Good." The troll smiled, "It be nice meeting ya lil goblin." Turning away, the troll walked off. Vonzahn snuffed at Zan's retreating figure and began walking straight ahead without a word, although Mixy would not leave it at that. "Is he really your brother?" she asked. "Aye, half brotha."

"Wow, really? Who's older?" she continued to pester. "Him."

"How old is he?"

"Twenty-five."

"Woah... Wait how old are you?"

"Eighteen."

"I'm sixteen! That's crazy. Woah, wait that means Kimei wanted to marry you and you're still so young?"

"Not all of us be living long lives."

"Yeah I can tell! He made it sound like he's not coming back! Aren't you worried?"

"No."

"Why not?"

The troll stopped and looked at the annoying presence. "Ya ask too many damn questions. Shut up." The goblin remained silent for the rest of their short trek to a large tent that had been structured in a troll fashion with many spears and other pointed structures. The inside was large enough for maybe two trolls, but Mixy felt that because it was so under furnished, she'd probably not take up that much space in the long run.

"Woah, so this is your tent?" she asked, starting her random questionnaire again. "Don't be going off all over again." Sighed the troll, as though he were tired. Laying down on a furred rug, not too far away from them, she watched him carefully. Finally he stared back at her, noticing her slightly hurt expression. "Are ya gettin' back in the habit o' staring at me?" asked the troll, trying to show humor, but poorly failing.

The goblin said nothing, but merely turned away. It wasn't that he didn't want to share anything with her concerning his past, but she did feel slightly left out. What did the troll really think of her? Here she was in a village full of trolls and for the first time since she began her journey, she wondered why she was even there. Was there really a point? And while she wondered the troll's motives, she began to feel slightly uncomfortable that she had no idea. As a young goblin, she did not posses as much cleverness as her elders and she knew that she could have been taken advantage of easily. Shaking her head and trying not to think of anything more, the goblin picked up her cat and attempted to leave the tent.

"I wouldn' leave if I was ya. Many hungry trolls be out der." Vonzahn called from behind her. Turning to face him, she sighed and walked back in, sitting down in front of him. "Than what am I to do?"

"Wait, like ya wanted." The troll huffed. "Maybe I should summon Honey again..." Molted eyes wide the troll sprung up and grabbed the warlock by the shoulders. "No! Don' even tink about doing dat!" Leaning into his face more, her blue eyes eclectic and irate, the goblin challenged him. "Why shouldn't I? What do you care?"

Hissing the troll got closer, their noses brushing, but did not dare respond to her question. "Huh?" she egged him on further, but the troll did not take the bait. And yet, they got closer to each other's faces, the gap almost closing. Her large eyes slowly began to close naturally and she could swear that Vonzahn's were doing the same when the troll pushed her away; just in time for Zan to return.

The tall troll stopped to peer at the two for a few moments, but decided the better of it. "Ya two should be careful. Word seems ta travel fast. Kimei knows ya-" the tent flap opened again to reveal the white-haired troll. "So ya decided ta come back after all? Why ya bring da pest?" she pressured, her eyes angry at the innocent goblin. "Kimei! Ya can't just barge inta me tent!" Zan growled, the female not backing down. Still, she began to back away, growling, "Ya be a damn liar Vonzahn. A damn traitor to da Horde! To da Darkspears!" hissing, the troll rushed off. "Well go after her!" the goblin shouted suddenly.

Both trolls looked at her as if she were crazy. "Go! Talk to her!" she urged. Vonzahn looked as though he were about to argue, but the goblin began rushing him to his feet. "Go! Go!" shooing him out of the tent, she sighed and watched him go, her heart breaking slightly as she did. "Why?" Zan asked from beside her.

Turning up to face the taller troll, she sighed, tears glistening in her eyes. "Even if Vonny doesn't like her, he deserves to be recognized as a loyal member of his tribe and of the Horde. And..." she added looking back out of the tent. "He deserves a troll girl anyways... What good does a goblin do him?"