Adventure Loves Company, Too

Chapter 21: Change Of Plans

As they grew closer to the Crossroads, there was an increasing worry about how they were going to pass through the encampment unmolested. Claryssa's identity was not that hard to cover. Bhazrael had actually been the one to suggest blindfolding her and putting a hood over her head. As long as the girl kept her head down and didn't draw attention to herself, she could very easily pass for a blind blood elf girl. Thal was a little bit harder. Her rich violet skin was not something that was easy to cover. There were ideas to wrap her whole body with leather, trying to pass her off as an orc, but Zalgash quickly put an end to that idea.

"She's too tall," he said, crossing his arms. "Her body is totally wrong, as well. Orcish women have more muscle definition, she's a lot more lithe. It won't work."

"Then what do you suggest," Thal replied waspishly, "that I rub myself down with dirt?"

Zalgash snorted. "Wouldn't do any good. Your skin tone isn't something that can be covered easily."

The bickering went back and forth as their argument progressed. Claryssa had gone over to help Bhazrael with his hawkstrider, mostly out of curiosity. The bird was amazing to her, as she had never seen one before. She'd seen tallstriders, but they didn't match the beauty of the bird, nor the grace with which it ran. How it could hold the blood elf with those skinny little legs, she didn't know, but wondering about it took her mind off of her companion's quarrels. It was a bit moody, and wasn't very comfortable with her presence at first, but after feeding him once or twice, it more or less tolerated her.

"I really don't get why we need her around anymore," Bhazrael said quietly, working his mount's saddle off. "You aren't in danger anymore, especially since we're on the opposite side of the world. It would be easier to just drive the elf off than keep her around." The warlock did not care for Thal, and actively avoided her.

"I guess, but I don't think she wants to leave anymore," Claryssa said, stroking his hawkstrider's neck softly. "It's easier to travel together, especially when you're in hostile territory. She might stay until we get to Ashenvale, but even then, I'm not entirely sure she wants to return to her home."

Bhazrael leveled a gaze at her that she couldn't read. "What would make you say that?"

"I don't know," she floundered a bit. "It just seems that she doesn't like where she came from. I don't really think that it's my place to say, but I just feel that she's avoiding going home." The elf said nothing, just narrowed his eyes slightly and turned back to his mount. The bird gave a relieved chirp and started preening itself as soon as its saddle was off. "Besides," Claryssa continued, "I don't think that Jen'Zin has entirely forgiven her for trying to kill me." She said so in a rather expansive tone, like it was no big deal. Bhaz raised an eyebrow. "Sounds silly, right?"

"You have no idea." He crossed his arms.

"Well, you see," she paused thinking of a way to explain exactly how she had come to the point that Bhazrael entered the picture. "I met Jen'Zin, he got caught, I convinced him to take him with me during his escape, and since then I've had two death threats involving daggers, three involving wildlife, and one with a rusty axe. It's been...an interesting last few months."

"I would say so," Bhazrael said, chewing thoughtfully at his cheek. "Sounds familiar. When I started adventuring, things definitely did not go as planned at first."

"Oh yeah?" Claryssa sat down on a nearby rock, hoping for some stories.

"Yes."

"Just yes?"

"Yes."

Claryssa pouted as the elf turned on his heel and strode back towards the camp. She did not see Bhazrael's rather smug smile.

That night, Jen'Zin found himself staring pensively into the campfire, getting ready to take the first watch. He often found himself being inwardly thoughtful, but the mood rarely exhibited itself on the surface. Now, however, he was mulling things over, working things out in his mind. Time was short. There was something he had to do, and he needed everyone else for it. However, he couldn't just say that to their faces. They'd immediately bail. Most of them would, anyways. Claryssa...well, she'd probably go with someone who could take her home. That idea saddened the shaman, as he really did enjoy the young girl's company. He didn't often have companions, and so many around made him slightly nervous, but the fledgling priestess' presence eased his mind a little bit. She was so cute!

He made a face at that thought that made Gelt look at him slightly weird. He ignored the tauren and leaned back against the wheel of their cart. He had to get to Desolace, and soon. He debated going south and trying to cross the mountains, but dismissed that idea almost immediately. Zalgash's impractical love for carts would just make it almost impossible for them to get over them in time. He sighed and threw a disgusted look at the orc's turned back.

"You look like you're going to change the plan." Thal was lying on the bench of the cart, her head bent over the edge of it, looking at him upside-down.

"Yeh, sorta. We don' really have time ta go to Thunder Bluff."

There was a sigh of relief from Gelt, and he relaxed a little bit. "That's a huge relief. I've been dreading going back there."

"Oh yeah?" Jen'Zin was only vaguely interested in the druid's past, and only replied out of habit. He almost instantly regretted it, but was thankful that the tauren's answer was short.

"I shirked my duties and ran away. I'd rather not face the consequences."

"Ah," Jen'Zin scratched at one of his ears. "At any rate, if we take da time to go to Mulgore, we'd eit'ah have ta stay dere fer almos' a half a year, or swim back t'rough da Barrens."

"Swim?" Thal inquired, rolling over on to her stomach. "This place is drier than that cow's sense of humor."

"Well, ya see, mos' of da time, it is. Howevah, once da rainy season hits, da entirety of dis hellhole becomes a quagmire." He crossed his arms thoughtfully. "It'll be rainin' in a few months, and I'd rather not be around fer it."

"It rains here? Impossible."

"'M serious! It be like someone jus' dumps an enormous bucket o' water out ovah da entirety of da Barrens. A solid curtain o' water, and da whole place becomes green fer maybe a month before becoming a dead, miserable expanse of sawgrassy savannah."

Thal pursed her lips, trying to imagine such a deluge. "I find that a little bit hard to believe. I may have to see it myself to believe it."

"Yeh, well, see it on yer own time, I be havin' no interest in havin' anotha experience wit' da rainy season."

"Another? You've been through it before?"

"Yeh, an' it was miserable. Da rain was so hard, it ripped my tent to shreds, had to take refuge in a tree. I wasn't dry fer two months. Was sick as a dog afterwards, though." He shuddered, then sighed, and went back to staring pensively into their campfire.

Gat sat at the campfire, starting up dinner. He glanced at his brother as he stared into the fire, but didn't say anything. Jen'Zin always put too much thought into everything. He worried too much, and that had actually worked counter to his goals at several times in the past. The rogue sighed and threw a few sliced turnips into the pot. He glanced over towards the small pond their mounts were picketted by, watching Claryssa and the elf talk. He wasn't sure what to make of the warlock, and reserved his judgement until he had more contact with him. Not that he had any interest in doing so. Elves annoyed him. Especially Night Elves. Especially Thal. He shot a furtive glance in the other rogue's direction, growling slightly as she blatantly stared at him. He was convinced that she did it because it unnerved him. He'd actually asked her to stop a few times, which had immediately degenerated into shouting, and once almost into fighting.

Thal stuck her tongue out at him impishly. He bristled and growled again, turning back to the potato he was mauling with a small knife.

Bhazrael returned to the circle of firelight, and soon after, Claryssa. She hovered over his shoulder, looking at what he was making for dinner. He offered her a potato to peel, which she declined, laughing.

"Any food I touch is instantly ruined, you don't want me touching dinner." He laughed and pulled lightly on her sleeve, getting her to sit down. He put a potato and a knife in her hands and patted her on the head. She sighed began peeling the potato with a defeated aura about her. Gat chuckled and started cutting up one of their salted hams into cubes.

Claryssa was probably the only one of their companions whose presence he could tolerate for long periods of time. Even though sometimes she would just start talking and not stop for literally hours on end, her voice was not very penetrating, so it was easy to just let her babble become just ambient sound. Of course, he had to train himself to give some sort of noncommittal affirmation whenever she looked up at him while he was doing this, but it wasn't very hard. Of course, if she found out that he was pretty much ignoring everything that she was saying 90 per cent of the time, she would get quite upset, and probably throw a tantrum. It would probably be adorable.

He chuckled a bit, which caused a suspicious look from Claryssa. She inquired as to what he was laughing about, and he just grinned. She threw the potato at his head and walked off to go sit by Jen'Zin, pouting. Gat laughed and returned to dinner.