Author's Note:
Chapter 11 might be delayed a little – university just started here, and there's a kajillion things I have to take care of before the end of next week. Very sorry, but rest assured that this story will not be discontinued. (Re-written as of 4/30)
1.
Reevan watched his now former party land, then prodded his dragonhawk up and away from the Sanctum of the Stars. The simple spell he used to disguise his presence had proven even more effective than he'd hoped. It would be a while before anyone noticed his absence – a short while, most likely, but enough for him to get a fair distance away. Nobody knew where he intended to go, and they would certainly be reluctant to pursue him even if they did.
The Black Temple loomed in the distance, a dark, ominous shape against the green skies of Shadowmoon Valley. Reevan suspected that the edifice had wards in place, set up in such a way that most intruders would be unable to simply teleport inside its walls. On the other hand, he'd seen the Dragonmaw orcs fly in and out on occasion, and their passing didn't seem to be hampered in any way. He planned to do the same and, once inside, to confront his sister and take her back to safety - by force, if necessary, since his trusty magic was undoubtedly superior to whatever sword tricks she could try.
The dragonhawk grew restless as they approached the desecrated temple, and even getting it to fly in a wide arc over the outer terraces proved to be almost more trouble than it was worth. The terraces were all but deserted, save for a handful of orcs gathered around a pair of combatants who pummeled each other mercilessly. The orcs never bothered to look up as both rider and mount circled high overhead, then soared over the outer wall. The only thing Reevan felt was a faint tingling sensation that disappeared as soon as they left the wall behind. For a moment he thought to double back and examine the wards in case he needed to leave by magical means, but then he abandoned the notion for fear that such an intrusion would reveal his presence to whoever maintained the barrier.
The vast courtyard that the temple overlooked was swarming with fel orcs, more than Reevan had ever seen before. Some paraded around on their drake mounts, others walked or stood on the ground, and yet others sparred with the ferocity characteristic to their race. There was a large bonfire close to the middle and several hellboars were being roasted over it, giving off a sickening odor of charred meat. Reevan flew over it quickly, eyes scanning for a way inside the temple. The massive doors that must have lead to what had once been the main chamber of worship stood slightly ajar, but the sinister auras that wafted through the opening were warning enough for Reevan to stay wall away. Instead, he prodded his mount skyward in search of a more welcoming place to land.
There was an open promenade close to the top of the massive structure, and the people that Reevan saw there were not orcs, but blood elves. He felt a pang of excitement as he guided his dragonhawk towards a withering patch of greenery. There were no elves anywhere nearby and when he landed, careful to keep the beast from making any noises that would give them away, no guards came by to question his presence.
As soon as it felt the burden of its rider lift away, the dragonhawk shook itself once and took wing again, breaking the spell that kept it concealed. Reevan cursed out loud. His mount was out of reach within moments, and if he called it back he risked alerting others to his position. Getting out of the temple was going to be a much more difficult errand now...
If he was ever to get out alive.
Reevan pushed the thought away. He would get out alive, of course, and his sister would come with him. He took a moment to compose himself, then walked out of the garden and onto the promenade, dropping the spell as he did so. As he'd expected, nobody paid him any heed. The faces he saw were void of any expression for the better part. He slowed his steps and did his best to emulate them even as he scanned his surroundings closely for any clues about his sister's whereabouts. Eventually, it became clear that she wasn't there.
With little else to do, Reevan chose an entrance and stepped through. This lead him to a narrow flight of stairs, then to another promenade that was considerably more populated than the last. Rather than try to mingle with the crowd – a thing that would have surely raised suspicion sooner or later – he went down a hallway with carved wooden doors spaced evenly on either side. His heart began to beat faster. The rooms behind them were probably used as makeshift homes. Was it possible that...?
The sudden sound of footsteps alerted Reevan that someone was approaching from the other side. He shrank back against the wall and cast another spell to fade from sight, and not a moment too soon. Another blood elf walked past, and Reevan barely kept himself from gasping out loud. The man's gait was familiar, as was his air of carefully studied nonchalance and the way he appeared to keep his eyes trained firmly ahead while at the same time he cast infinitesimal glances to the side to make sure he didn't miss anything. From the depths of his memories, a name rose...
Veras Darkshadow rounded another corner and disappeared.
Reevan frowned, feeling even more troubled than before. He'd known that Veras was still working for the Illidari, but part of him had hoped that the rogue had done a favor to the world at large and gotten himself killed one way or another. The two of them had worked together briefly before the failed attempt to take Shattrath, much to Reevan's unspoken chagrin. Veras was a skilled swordsman, but selfish, impulsive and even sadistic at times. His feats of cruelty were known to Scryer and Sunfury alike, and few were those who could say they truly enjoyed his company back in the day.
Reevan waited for a while to make sure that Veras wasn't coming back, then resumed his walk, keeping the spell firmly in place. Doors, doors, doors... As far as he knew, Vaala could be behind any of those, but opening them one by one was hardly a course of action he could take. Eventually, the corridor opened up into a square courtyard that had housed another garden at some point. The plants were all but withered, and the fountain at the center had long since dried out. Reevan sighed in defeat. He could only double back from here and resume his search in another part of the temple, or maybe find a Sunfury daft enough to be questioned without even realizing it. Or-
Reevan's thoughts were cut off abruptly as something hard connected with the back of his head, the impact powerful enough to break his spell and momentarily cloud his vision. He still had the presence of mind to stumble forward, just as he heard the distinct sound of a blade hissing through the space his body had been occupying a moment before. A shadow moved at the edge of his vision, then vanished again.
Veras... He cursed himself for letting his guard down. He should have known that Veras was crafty enough to see through his disguise. But the other had lost his momentum now, which meant that he was planning on toying with his prey a little before moving in for the kill.
He would not have that opportunity.
Struggling with the aftereffects of the one blow, Reevan began to channel another spell. Barbs of ice began to rain down all around him, some as long as his forearm and all of them wickedly sharp. It wasn't long before he heard a muffled yelp, and immediately he turned and sent a roaring ball of flame in that direction. This time, he was rewarded with a sharp cry. A second later, he saw Veras drop to the ground and writhe in agony as he tried to put the flames out.
Reevan wasn't a cruel man himself. This time, however, he had a strong urge to incinerate Veras on the spot and get it over with. He kept it in check as he summoned his resources for one last spell, conjuring chains of ice that sprung from the stone, using up what little humidity remain in the air and trapping the fallen rogue where he lay. Veras struggled against them until it became obvious that he had no chance of breaking free. A brief look of panic crossed his features, but it was quickly replaced by a sneer as Reevan closed the distance between them. "How lovely," he mocked. "Aren't you a little late to the rescue, old friend?"
The words stung, but Reevan did his best not to let it show. "I do not have to justify myself to scum like you."
Veras did his best to shrug despite his bonds. "Oh, you don't have to justify yourself to me, of course. It must be bad enough having to live with what you've done."
However much Veras knew, he was clearly attempting to use it as leverage to break Reevan's concentration. This was where the many years of training and fighting paid off. In spite of his inward turmoil, the magister wasn't about to lose his concentration enough for the spell to break. "I am a soldier," he said evenly, "just like you used to be."
This earned him a glare. "We were never alike. At least I know I would never betray my kin."
"You wouldn't know the meaning of the word 'kin'. You were all you ever cared about. Or did you forget-"
"She suffers because of you, Spymaster," Veras cut in with enough emphasis to make the accusation even more dramatic. "How does that make you feel?"
Reevan flared. Anger rose like a tide, but it was mingled with terrible, terrible guilt. "What do you know?" he demanded.
"More than what you know, clearly. We are very close, she and I. In fact, one can say we're even-"
The sentence was cut off by a shriek as Reevan summoned a wreathe of flames, potent enough to do damage without putting the rogue's life in jeopardy just yet. He kept the spell going for a few moments even as he did his best not to cringe at the screams and the smell of burnt flesh. "I've no time for your games, Veras," he warned. "You will tell me what I want to know if I have to burn the secrets from your flesh."
Veras coughed miserably. "Go to hell."
Reevan could see through such pointless bravado. He knew that Veras would lie, threaten, beg and squirm like the rat he was, but he would talk eventually. This was a game of who could hold out the longest, and Reevan wasn't about to lose.
Another scream pierced the air.
2.
Vaala arose from yet another troubling dream. She kept her eyes closed for a while, banishing the last remnants of the visions to the back of her awareness. Her body felt heavy and numb, but not at all unpleasant. She suspected that the healing she'd received had a lot to do with it, but other than that, the rest she'd been allowed was working wonders. The training had taken a heavy toll... and something else had happened, hadn't it?
Little by little, memories began to seep back into her mind: the council meeting, Zerevor's decision, then Veras - curse that man! Veras knew! - who'd attacked her and proclaimed that he would expose her for what she was...That didn't matter, though. Illidan was on her side still, and what was even more surprising, he'd taken it upon himself to intervene and... save her? Eyes still closed, Vaala frowned at the recollection. That had come as an absolute surprise. Illidan had even sent Lady Malande - the supreme cleric of Karabor, no less! - to tend to her wounds. Such was a tremendous favor on his part, even if his motivations were entirely selfish in the end.
And speaking Illidan, Vaala could feel his presence nearby. She opened her eyes. They took a few seconds to adjust to the murky light in the room, but when they did, she saw a silhouette standing at the foot of her bed. The broad shoulders, massive wings and curled horns made it obvious who he was.
"My lord...?"
Illidan snapped out of whatever thoughts he was having, looked to her and gave her that almost-smile which came closest to expressing any kind of benevolent emotion. "Ah. Welcome back. You had me worried for a while."
Vaala arched an eyebrow. 'Worried?' she thought incredulously. 'He was worried!'
"And why not?" Illidan snapped. "Few though they may be, I do care for my chosen."
"I didn't say anything," Vaala pointed out dryly.
"You were thinking it."
Silence.
"How do you feel?"
There was no point in lying, but Vaala wasn't one to sugar-coat the truth, either. "Physically, I've been worse. Otherwise... confused. Not because you..." Here, she fumbled for the right words before settling for, "Thank you, but I was winning either way."
"Of course you were." There was a small hint of amusement in Illidan's voice, and it made Vaala grin. "As for your... confusion... I believe I know its cause. Have you had any... troubling visions, as of late? Dreams, perhaps?"
"Both." A pause, then, "This... wasn't meant to happen, was it." It wasn't a question.
It wasn't like Illidan to admit failure, but this time he gave a small nod, which was the closest he'd ever come to it. "There are things that you weren't ever meant to know, but now that you do, I trust you'll keep them to yourself."
Vaala sat up, noting with passing satisfaction that the motion wasn't nearly as demanding as she'd feared. "What do they mean?" She knew the odds of ever receiving an honest answer were small, but she had to ask either way.
To her surprise, Illidan stepped closer and pinned her with a curious stare. "To answer that, I must first know exactly what you saw."
"I don't really remember much," Vaala said truthfully. "Several times now, I saw a city, and there were people there, but..." Slowly, she began to recount her most recent dream-visions, such as they may be called, careful not to omit any details that might have made her sound insincere.
Illidan was silent for a long while after she'd finished. Then, finally, he shifted his weight and said, "Those weren't dreams."
"Memories, then?" Somehow, Vaala knew it to be true even before she saw Illidan nod again. "Either way, you needn't worry. As you said, nobody else needs to know about this." Unbidden, her mind added, 'Nobody else needs to know just how broken you are, and I can promise you they won't.' She didn't know whether or not he'd caught the thought, but somehow she felt better for thinking it either way.
There was another pause, much longer this time. "I'll have you know I haven't dealt with Veras Darkshadow yet, as per your request," Illidan said eventually. "Though I must inquire as to what possessed you to plead for his life in the first place."
The not-so-subtle change of subject wasn't entirely unexpected. This probably meant that Illidan had found out everything he wanted to know and wouldn't raise the issue again. And still, for a brief moment, Vaala sensed rather than saw his gratitude. This day, it seemed, would be full of surprises.
"He's useful, my lord," Vaala answered. "He may be a pest, but you still need his assassins to do their part if you hope to ever accomplish anything here." Idly, she wondered if Illidan would have killed Veras otherwise. Yes, he probably would have.
Illidan frowned thoughtfully. "Ever the perceptive one... and yes, I suppose that makes sense." he said grudgingly. "Still, be that as it may, his impertinence must be dealt with in some way."
"I'll handle it," Vaala said quickly. Losing such an asset to a momentary fit of rage was hardly advisable, even when said asset was nothing short of a murderous scoundrel who was just as likely to use others as he was to be used.
"You will not."
Not entirely unexpected, but, "Are you certain?"
"I forbid it!" Illidan said again, more forcefully this time. "He nearly killed you the last time."
Vaala crossed her arms, glaring. She didn't particularly enjoy being reminded of it. "I can look after myself just f-"
"You are to stay away from him. Do you understand?"
Vaala rolled her eyes. Veras had caught her unarmed and unprepared, but she had no doubts that she would have overpowered him in the end had the circumstances been different. Of course, knowing Illidan, there was no point in arguing the matter any further. "Yes, my lord," she sighed. A moment later, she added, "As long as he stays away from me, too. Otherwise, I make no promises."
Before Illidan could respond, the door swung open with a loud noise. He whirled around, ready to chastise whoever it was for the interruption - and, much to his surprise, his eyes found a very startled magister staring back.
"Reevan?" Vaala blurted out just as the magister cast a spell and disappeared...
...or rather thought he'd made himself disappear, because his presence was still obvious to Illidan's prenatural sight. He was frozen in place, one hand still on the doorknob. At least he wasn't foolish enough to risk an attack, which would have left Illidan no choice but to strike back swiftly and decisively. As it were, in a rare show of gratitude, he decided to allow this unexpected meeting to unfold while making a note to find out just how a lone Scryer had managed to infiltrate this far into his stronghold.
Vaala jumped to her feet. She had to Illidan's arm to steady herself, not caring in the least that she risked much by displaying such familiarity. "That... that was..." She swallowed thickly. "That was my brother."
"I know," Illidan said quietly. He covered her hand with his for a moment in a reassuring gesture. "I would commend him for making it this far... if he were still here, of course." He made a show of looking around with feigned disappointment. "I will allow you to rest today," he went on as he strode to the door. "See to it that you are fit for training tomorrow. You have much to learn, still." With that he casually walked out, passing a mere few inches away from the startled magister.
3.
Reevan waited in utter stillness until it became clear that Illidan wasn't coming back. His mind still reeled from the unexpected encounter. So, Veras hadn't lied after all. The crafty bastard had become very eager to talk towards the end, just as Reevan had expected, but some of the things he'd said were hard to believe even when faced with indisputable evidence. Veras had managed to use one of his tricks and escape before he could be questioned as to how, exactly, Vaala had managed to earn Illidan's trust, even though it was doubtful he knew it either way. The fact that Illidan hadn't so much as attempted to uncover his presence, let alone raise the alarm, was nothing short of vexing.
Vaala was sitting down on her bed with her head in her hands and her eyes closed. She looked worse than Reevan had expected to find her. A bloodied bandage covered one of her forearms. Reevan caught a glimpse of a strange marking that coiled around her wrist and up her arm, until it became obscured by the fabric. He frowned. The design wasn't at all unfamiliar. He'd seen similar markings adorning the bodies of demon hunters before, most notably those he'd sent to the afterlife himself when the Scryers had cleared the outer terraces of the Black Temple and decimated their ranks. Surely, his sister wasn't one of them now?
A small burst of magic made Reevan look to the medallion his sister wore over her robes, a simple gem of indistinct color set in a heavy silver frame. The magic had come from there, apparent even from where he stood. Where in the world had Vaala gotten hold of such an artifact? She was hardly one to concern herself with jewelry, which meant that the medallion had to serve a purpose he couldn't divine.
It was time for some answers.
Reevan closed the door behind him and locked it as an afterthought. Vaala's eyes snapped open at the sound and she called out his name softly. He waited a little more, aware of a sudden wave of contradicting emotions that threatened to cloud his better judgment. This situation was anything but straightforward, and he knew that any mistake on his part could have dire consequences for them both.
His appearance was greeted with a mixture of shock and relief when he finally dropped his disguise. He hesitated a little, unsure of how to begin, but Vaala was quicker this time. "What the hell do you think you're doing here?" she asked, her voice shaking a little.
If this was how things were going to play out, then Reevan wouldn't back down. "I've come to take you back," he said simply, fighting to keep the tension out of his voice. "By force, if I have to."
Vaala rubbed her temples and gave a weary sigh. "That isn't going to happen," she said flatly. "I thought I made it clear enough that I intend to stay here until I've taken care of my own affairs, but you just can't take no for an answer, can you, Reevan. So I'll say this again: here I am, and here I stay."
Reevan studied her closely as she spoke. The only traces of magic radiating from her came from the medallion, but that couldn't have possibly been enough to keep her under any kind of sway. "Have you lost your mind?" he asked when she was finished. "Illidan is our enemy-"
"Your enemy. Not mine."
"How can you say that? Illidan betrayed our people-"
"I don't think I need to remind you who betrayed who," Vaala said icily.
Reevan bit his lower lip, thinking furiously. This conversation was quickly heading towards an inevitable finale, one that he felt powerless to stop even when he knew full well that righteousness was on his side. A small but nagging thought stirred, reminding him that this predicament was entirely of his own making. Or... was it? Given the choice whether to live and side with Illidan or face a quick and gruesome end, how could he fault his sister for doing whatever it took to stay alive?
"You're hesitating, I see," Vaala said after a while. "Looks like your beliefs aren't-"
"And what do you believe in, Vaala?" Reevan cut in, annoyed. "Notions like 'loyalty' or 'duty' mean nothing to you, and you would just as readily serve one master as another. What was in it for you this time? Gold? Power? Trinkets?" He glared meaningfully at the medallion as he said the last word.
Vaala didn't take the bait. "I believe in surviving," she said simply. "None of the rest would do me any good if I were dead - or, for that matter, if you were dead. You shouldn't have come."
Reevan straightened up and glared at her defiantly. "Yet here I am."
"Yes... here you are." Vaala shook her head, wondering not for the first time how one so stubborn had managed to even survive for this long. "You've had a fool's luck so far, you know. If Illidan hadn't been the one to find you, you'd probably be dead by now."
"By your hand, I presume?" Reevan asked bitterly.
Vaala flinched. "'I couldn't give my loyalty if it meant I would ever have to raise my sword against you, and Illidan knows that. In the beginning, I made him promise..." She chuckled a little at how that must have sounded to Reevan before continuing, "I made him promise that he wouldn't hurt you, and he did. Once that was out of the way, I pledged myself to him, and I intend to stand by it and see this through to the end."
"This will be over sooner than you think," Reevan said darkly. "There is a large army amassing even now, and once they breach the temple gates I cannot promise that I will be there to protect you."
Vaala said nothing. Instead, she stood quickly and closed the distance between them, moving with unbelievable swiftness, and then wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him into a tight embrace."You won't have to protect me, you idiot," she whispered, and he heard rather than saw that tears were being shed freely. "I'll be the one protecting you."
4.
It had felt like the right thing to do and, as Reevan pulled her even closer, Vaala closed her eyes, enjoying the touch and the comfort it brought. The gratitude she felt at the thought that he'd braved the odds to attempt a rescue he knew would fail was beyond words even when it made the burden of her decisions feel even heavier than it had before. War, she thought bitterly, was such a twisted affair. Neither of them had any business being caught in it, and yet they found themselves on different sides, the gap bridged only by the knowledge that, in spite of it all, they were still kin.
That didn't change the fact that every moment spent here put Reevan's life even more at risk. "You have to go," Vaala said suddenly, pulling away.
Reevan shook his head wordlessly.
Vaala rolled her eyes, biting back a sharp retort. "You aren't safe here," she said instead. "If someone else finds you, I'll have no choice but to cut them down, and I know for a fact that Illidan wouldn't like that."
"You truly do intend to stay here," Reevan said quietly, and from his voice she knew that he was finally coming to terms with it at last.
"There is no other way. For all it's worth, this is where I belong. You, of all people, should know how much that matters to me."
"Before I leave, then..." Reevan sighed deeply, as though even considering the notion of leaving without her was beyond him. "Tell me what happened to you since the last time we met. How did you even come to meet Illidan, let alone serve him? Last I heard, he was-"
"The things you heard aren't necessarily true," Vaala said quickly. "Lord Illidan is... different from what I'd expected. For one, he let me live, and since then I did my best not to give him any reason to regret that decision."
And you were wise to do so, came Illidan's voice a second later. You may tell your brother anything you deem fit, but after that, you will either persuade him to join me or have him leave the temple and never return.
"You will hear my story, and then you will leave," Vaala went on, touching the medallion ever so faintly to show that the message had been received.
Reevan nodded once and said nothing more.
5.
The massive gates of the Black Temple parted to allow a handful of Sunfury soldiers through. The dents and gashes in their armor and their ragged tabards were both signs that they'd just returned from a dreadful battle. Many were wounded, some so badly that they had to lean on their comrades for support. They crossed the courtyard to the cheers and jeers of the fel orcs, who saw themselves as the only true warriors in service of the Illidari, and then they disappeared inside the upper tier.
Not long after, Gathios the Shatterer was roused from his sleep by one of his guards and told that a messenger from the field had arrived. He had the messenger ushered to an adjacent room while he put on his armor and hurriedly combed back his hair. After all, the image of a bleary-eyed general in his night robes was hardly inspiring, and it was best to have his soldiers believe that he was always waiting, always ready. When he finally stepped out to meet the messenger, Gathios once again looked like someone fully in command of himself and of all those around him.
Moments later, however, his carefully-studied composure all but gave way to a frothing rage. It took a great effort not to lash out at the man in front of him, though the courier had no fault other than being the bearer of such ill news. He was dismissed with little ceremony, then, with his last shred of self-control, Gathios sent for the other members of the Council. Finally, he strode back to his chambers, keeping his features locked in an expression that didn't give away anything, and locked his door behind him. Moments later, the guards posted at the other end of the antechamber heard a loud crashing noise that carried out into the corridor beyond.
Lady Malande was the first to answer the summons. Gathios saw her in with the same blank expression and motioned for her to wait. Out of the corner of her eye, Malande saw that the table on which the Sunfury general usually kept his papers had all but been broken in two. Wisely, she decided not to ask why.
Zerevor, on the other hand, took his time to arrive. The nethermancer had dark circles under his eyes, which meant that he probably hadn't slept at all. He wasted no time in questioning the sudden call.
And then, Gathios told them.
The revelation was met with stunned silence at first. Zerevor was the first to recover from the shock enough to curse out loud. Such a crude and uncharacteristic display from the nethermancer did nothing to alleviate the situation.
Much later, another messenger was sent to Illidan's sanctum. The messenger reached the top of the temple, was allowed entrance, and was never seen or heard from again.
A mere few hours after the soldiers had returned, the news had already traveled around the temple, making everyone's hearts cringe with dread. The Aldor had returned to the valley, and in far greater numbers than before.
6.
"A demon hunter," Reevan said pensively when Vaala was finally done with her tale. He looked his sister up and down, frowning. "And you accepted this offer?"
'I had no choice but to accept it', Vaala thought bitterly. Out loud, she said, "As I've already told you... and as you've undoubtedly seen already." She pushed up the sleeve of her robe a little to display the markings there.
Reevan crossed his arms. "You claim that Illidan trusts you... yet from what you've told me, all I can grasp is that you're little more than another pawn in his games. Or, are you going to say that he cares for you?"
"He didn't kill you," Vaala said dryly. "And don't think it's because you evaded him, because nothing can escape his sight."
This, at last, drove the point home. "I don't know how you did it... but..." Reevan shook his head when the words failed him. "I don't know what to say to you, Vaala," he said in a hollow voice. "What will I be to you? And what will happen when-"
"You are and will always be my brother," Vaala said quickly. "And you must leave now," she added when she felt the link stir in an unspoken warning.
"Yes... of course. Although I don't expect to be allowed to simply walk out of here, whether I'm under your protection or not." By the sound of it, Reevan had still to come to terms with such a notion.
Vaala thought about it for a moment. "How did you manage to get here in the first place?" she asked, running a hand through her hair.
"I flew in," Reevan said, and then he sighed deeply. "My mount fled as soon as I landed, though, so I'm afraid that is no longer an option."
"I don't suppose you'd agree to actually stay here," Vaala said lightly. The glare she got in return was answer enough. So much for the easy way out, she thought exasperatedly. "If not... you can take my drake."
That settled the matter. They said nothing more to each other until they were out in the courtyard. Along the way, Reevan began to notice how other blood elves and broken draenei they came across hurried to get out of their way. The fel orcs had no such courtesy, but even they allowed them unhindered passage. Eventually, they came to a stop next to the drake pens.
"Have you ever flown on one of these before?" Vaala asked as she moved to untie one of the winged beasts.
Reevan gave a slow, pensive nod. "How do you control him?"
"Her name is Skybane," Vaala said with a hint of amusement. "She doesn't need much controlling, from what I've seen. Just... be sure to point her in the right direction, and then hold on tight. She'll take you back to the Sanctum of the Stars faster than any of your dragonhawks."
Reevan mounted slowly, finding to his chagrin that his heavy robes hindered his movements more than he liked, and then had to grab on to the saddle with all his strength when Skybane clawed at the ground, shifting from side to side as she adjusted to the added weight of her new rider. Finally, he leaned down. "When this is over, I will come for you," he whispered. "In the meantime... be safe."
Vaala brought her hand to her forehead in a mock salute.