Okay, so not what I originally intended this chapter to be about. Got a little carried away with the girly thing a couple times. I find it kind of cute, but yeah... Sorries O.O
21 - What it Means to Care
Silver blue eyes of Cassia intently watched a brown haired stocky man weave through the Cathedral District. Thrown over one shoulder was a heavily worn linen shoulder bag appearing as though about to burst at the seems. Spilling over from the top of it were several envelopes. He whistled innocently to himself, knowing he was the sole focus of many peoples' attention.
The mail courier proceeded to a mailbox becoming surrounded by anxious people. They were mostly anxious students of the Light, eager to hear word from loved ones. The man marched his way to the mail box and stopped to study the wide eyed faces of each person present. He smiled and reached for the bundle of letters addressed for the Cathedral District. One by one he called out the names as students scrambled over the other to receive their mail.
No sooner had "Cass-" been stated then the woman present and snatching a letter from the courier's hand. "Why do I even bother," he grumbled to himself.
Cassia squealed in delight when seeing, 'To Cassia' neatly out on the front and 'From Niv' scribbled on the back of the letter. She tore at the top of the envelope and ripped out the letter three pages thick. The young priestess gave no mind to where she sat as she read the letter. Her expressions morphed from utter happiness, to jaw dropped and finally to pale faced with dread.
"Uh oh," she quietly stated under her breath. "Not good. I need to get to Karazhan."
It took much convincing on Cassia's part for her mentor to pardon her from studies for a few days. Luckily for her, she was already weeks ahead of the other students in her class so missing a few days wouldn't hurt her.
She tore down the road leading out of Stormwind City and into Elwynn Forrest on the back of a Palomino horse. The Cathedral kept several horses within their stables for travel, should one need to be borrowed. Once again Cassia's sweet charm, pretty face and well respected reputation as the head of her class got her what she wanted. She wasn't really one to pull off such mannerisms, but this was an emergency. Her best friend that she had known almost all of her life was now being held within the Ivory Tower against her will. Or so it was worded in the letter sent three weeks ago.
Niveah had a tendency of being over dramatic, sometimes, but given the Guardian's reputation Cassia was more than worried. She could mentally imagine her friend locked up in a dark room. If she was even still alive.
Cassia saw four mounted city guards patrolling the road ahead and slowed her horse down to a trot. At the front of the patrol was a familiar man having brown hair stretching to his shoulders. A girlish flutter of excitement came from her stomach and flooded her cheeks with blush.
The closer she got to the men the more she could hear their conversing. The voice of Commander Lothar stated, "So be ready for anything. Those scaly little bastards can surround you before you know it."
Cassia rode past the men, her doing her best to keep her eyes forward. The last thing she wanted to do was be like every other woman smitten with the Commander. Those eyes. Those beautiful and captivating blue eyes- She had just been caught staring at him. Her cheeks further deepened with blush and her eyes widen in horror.
"Good morning, Commander," she bashfully squeaked.
Lothar gave the woman a sideways grin. His eyes slimmed in amusement to the rich red face standing out in contrast to the locks of blonde hair. He had seen this young woman plenty of times in the city, usually around the Cathedral. On a few occasions she was even allowed out join her mentor and the other top students in the field for further training.
He questioned. "Skipping classes today, are you, priestess?"
Cassia shook her head and forced her gaze back forward. "I have permission to be out. Besides, I have business needing tending to elsewhere for the next few days."
"Ah. As long as you're not skipping classes. I'd hate to have to detain you and drag back to your instructor." There was a hint of tease in his voice.
"Nope. You won't have to worry about me, Commander." She deviously smiled in mentally playing out the many scenarios with her being at the commander's mercy. "May the Light be with you and your men, today." A snap of the horse's reins sent her back down the road in a gallop.
Niveah sighed and tapped her feather quill against her desk. Her blank stare was aimed at a melting candle, but her mind elsewhere. She kept remembering her dance lesson with the Guardian and felt tingly all over again with a rush of adrenaline.
Soft cawing came from beside her, where Shade sat watching her. Niveah sighed and began scratching the back of the bird's neck. "I think that bastard spelled me, Shade." Unblinking blue green eyes met curious hazel ones. "When I'm not around him, I can't stop thinking about him. But when I am around him, I just want to..." She grumbled and slammed the quill into the ink vial. "I don't know. If he can keep his damn mouth shut and refrain from being arrogant, I take a liking to him being around." She propped her chin up with her other hand on her desk. "That is when he's not demanding I do stuff...like accompanying him to the king's gala. Had he asked me to join him, I...I don't know what I would've said, honestly."
Niveah slouched back in her chair as she held the raven against her chest, stroking its back. She sat in silent thought, eyes locked on the blue roses. Guilt at not feeling the same for her good friend pained her.
She frowned. "I've never really felt this way about someone. Sure, I've only known this guy for roughly about a month, but...it feels so much different than it did with a couple others I saw for little bit in Dalaran. When he's not well I worry for him. Didn't know why until recently." She weakly laughed. "What's going on with me, Shade? Why do I feel like this about someone that makes me want to scream and cry at the same time? Why am I taken away every time he looks at me? Why do I let myself be taken away, is what I should be asking...When he wears that smoky blue robe. He looks good in it...it brings out his eyes. I've always been a sucker for a man with nice eyes..."
The bird sat, listening to what was being said. Mental notes were being taken, too, for later reference. The weariness Medivh had been fighting for most of the day was taking its toll on him. Gradually he succumbed to it and started to fall asleep, comforted by the warmth around him.
Niveah sighed and gazed down at the sleeping bird. She smiled. She dared not move in not wanting to wake her little friend. "At least one of us can sleep," she softly stated under her breath. The young woman leaned her head back against her chair and too, closed her eyes in attempt to fall asleep. But sleep wasn't happening.
As she slowly stood up, Shade briefly woke up. He fell back asleep soon afterwards when Niveah stretched out on her bed to get comfortable. She wrapped a blanket over her and dozed off.
"Psst..." Khadgar stood over Niveah's resting form.
She was half buried under a blanket. He felt torn on whether or not to wake her. It was dinner time and thought she might like to know. It was usually customary for one or the other to seek the other's company when time to eat.
Khadgar gave a gentle shake to her shoulder. "Niv...psst...come on, it's time for dinner."
She lightly grumbled in waking up and brought a hand up to her eyes to rub them. When she did, a form of black feathers could be seen nestled against her chest under the covers. The young man yelped in stumbled backwards.
Hearing the commotion further wakened Niveah. She propped herself up to squint down at Khadgar's form on the floor. She yawned. "What's gotten into you?"
"Uh-" he scrambled to his feet under the heat of the hazel stare burning into him. "I slipped, is all." He pointed to the door. "I just came to tell you it's dinner time. Cook made one of your favorites...roasted quail."
Niveah groggily smiled. "Okay." She kissed the raven on top of his head and gave him another scratch behind the neck. "Be good while I'm gone, Shade."
The woman slid out of the bed and draped the blanket over the bird's back to tuck him back in. Khadgar was completely dumbfounded. "Uh, I don't think birds are like baby's, Niv. You're not supposed to tuck them into bed like that."
She waved a dismissive hand to her friend and slid her shoes on. "It's fine. If he doesn't like it then he can go back to wherever it is he usually sleeps."
The moment the two people were gone and the bed chamber's door close, a blue glow emanated around the door. In a flash, it was gone.
Medivh ported to his energy chamber and ignored Moroes finishing a batch of potions. The steward watched the other man frantically search about his private study. "Looking for something?"
The Guardian answered through flurries of red robes about his hurried form. "Mind your business, Moroes."
Moroes shrugged and resumed working. Minutes later, the door leading to the energy chamber closed. The Guardian was no where in sight as his discarded red robes laid over the end of the bed. Curious blue eyes of the steward slimmed down. What was his good friend up to, now?