Whoa! I hit 200,000 total words in that last chapter.. How exciting! :D
ALSO, GUYS, THIS CHAPTER MAKES ME HAPPY.
..Just thought I'd let you all know that. x)
Thanks to everyone who's been reading, favoriting, following, and reviewing. I gotta be honest, this story is still going because of you all. :D Without your feedback, I'd have stopped long ago and we never would have shared this glorious experience. xD So, yeah. Thank you all so, so much. Words cannot do you justice as to how awesome you all are. =D
Ooooh! Also, check out the soundtrack "We're Going to Fly Now - Green Lantern soundtrack" on YouTube. The first minute is the best part. The rest of it is decent, but the beginning is magic. I listened to it while I got to the... good part... of this chapter. I think you'll know what I mean by 'good part' when you read it. :D It totally set the 'happy' mood.
Not only that but also the song "Mhysa - Game of Thrones OST". It's magical too...
But I'll shut up now! No spoilers from me!
Review Responses:
Shion Rasenka: Good, sweet mother of all things holy, that epic review had me bouncing off the walls. I think I may have teared up a few times... Maybe... You have no idea how badly I needed that, my friend! Thank you so much! You totally just made all of this worth it! Well, it's not like it was a tedious chore or anything, but having happy fans is just... Just awesome! I can't even come up with words! :D All I can say is, thank you!
Raistlin: Hahaha well it's a good thing I let him live or your poor computer would've suffered the consequences. And ha! Oh, if only I'd done that. Would've gotten a big laugh! :D
peachycupcake: Sorry! D: Don't cry! *hands tissue* Things'll get better REALLY FAST!
orfeas48: More chaps up and roaring, don't you fret! :D
Strazor: I know, I don't want it to end, but I'm so excited about the next story. It's going to be so crazy. :D
Zarabethe: Poor Norivana indeed! D: But Lucian's back, so she'll be perfectly peachy in no time. ;)
Rock On: HA! Your reviews crack me up. There's a wedding, but possibly not in the way you'll expect!
Noriana26: Glenn stayed back with the other Druids; he's a bit too scrawny to be much of a help in the battle. ;) As for Lena, I sort of grouped her with Ian, since that's who she was with the whole time and traveled and fought with. I should probably go back and clarify that... Hehe.
Sonya-Valentine: Aitto saves the day! :D Also, I wish I had that text-pic of the guy flipping the table but I doubt FanFiction will allow the triple punctuation marks and stuff. D:
Connet: And as I prefer to do in actual WoW: /flop
Aeschielle: Mind bleach. :D That's all I have to say about your review.
I'm awesome and y'all know it: And kicking! :D
ForGG: Aitto practically IS a stuffed animal. :D And yeah, that's more-or-less how they had it in the game, too, and I thought it was the best direction to go in. Initially Garrosh was just going to be killed but then the cinematics came out and I couldn't help but keep their awesomeness in the story. :D
lolperson2: LOL I laughed when I got that review and I read it again now and laughed again. That was great. xD
Over an hour had ticked by since Garrosh had been dragged away in chains, but still Norivana clung to Lucian as though her life depended on it.
In a way, she thought, it sort of did.
She had kept completely silent ever since she'd fell apart back on the battlefield and even now was still feeling exhausted and bewildered, with everything passing in a haze that didn't quite feel real. She wasn't even entirely sure that Lucian was real.
Her hands gripped the pads of Lucian's leather armor a little tighter as she stuck close to his side. She was better now that she had him with her, but her mind kept whirling with fear. What if this was all fake? What if she was still back there kneeling on the stone floor, and this was her mind's version of a cruel fix? What if none of this was real? Lucian had died. She'd seen it, felt it, experienced all the pain and hurt that came with it. When she'd lost him, her heart had ripped into a thousand pieces. She hadn't even been able to function properly.
So when she'd seen him walking toward her back there after she'd given up, that just hurt even more. In truth, when she initially saw him, she felt angry. What a cruel, cruel thing, being made to hallucinate something that she'd never, ever have again. She had wrenched her eyes shut, trying to block out what they were forcing upon her, and when she felt one of his hands touch her face, brushing away a strand of hair and tracing her jaw, it was like salt on a wound.
Stop it! Her thoughts had screamed in her mind, trying to block out the illusion she thought she'd forced upon herself.
When he tugged at her chin, pulling her head up, she felt her lip quiver as she finally forced her eyes open, taking in a painful sight. She bit back a sob as her eyes deceived her, resting upon Lucian's face, his healthy, glowing golden eyes staring at her, soft but concerned. Norivana ground her teeth together as she understood that this sight was too good to be true; Lucian was dead. She had to realize this. She really was going crazy.
He wiped away one of her tears with his index finger, hand resting on the side of her face, and Norivana felt her throat tighten as her sorrow gripped at her. His touch felt so real, so vivid, and Norivana worried that if she had to endure this much longer, she wasn't sure she'd survive it.
But when Lucian had leaned in close and pressed a soft kiss to her lips, every part of her refused to let her pull away, to stop it. It felt so... real. She could smell the hint of earth and wood on him that she always found comfort in, could feel the warmth that radiated from his kiss. Her breath hitched as she bit back another sob, and her hesitance broke as she relented, finally catching a glimmer of irrational hope. This felt real... He felt real. She reached out, hands quivering in fear that they'd find nothing, that he was no more than a fantasy. But as they came in contact with his armor, pressing against the hard leather, she choked another sob and kissed him back vehemently, desperately grasping her hands into his armor and clinging to him, afraid he'd disappear at any second.
From then on, she'd clung to him for dear life. As the time passed, she heard countless voices around her talking, cheering, even arguing at a few points, but she didn't pay attention. The only sound she listened to was that of Lucian's voice, and when he'd explained that Aitto resurrected him, Norivana blinked, now for the first time beginning to process that this very well could be real, that it wasn't just a dream. Aitto definitely had that spell, not to mention he was an expert at what he did. He was hands-down the best Paladin she'd ever known and probably ever would know. Not only that, but when she'd searched for him through the crowds after Lucian mentioned him, she saw him across the giant floor speaking to a few people she didn't know.
He was alive, too.
At that point, once she processed the fact that it truly was possible for Lucian to be standing here and that she had Aitto to thank for it, she actually cooled down a surprising amount. Her mind began to process her thoughts more logically, starting to block out the horror she'd experienced and replacing it with what was going on right now: Lucian, in her arms.
Now, it appeared everyone had begun filing out of the Underhold and making their way to the surface of the city, and Norivana gladly did so as well, though she didn't let go of Lucian. She resorted to holding onto his forearm, seeing as clinging to his side made it hard to get around and whatnot. Now that the adrenaline had passed and the war frenzy had died down, Norivana realized how massive and far these corridors stretched. It took nearly ten minutes just to reach the upper levels of what was left of Ragefire Chasm, and another ten to finally pour out of the tunnels into the vacant, ruined streets of Orgrimmar. All soldiers, Horde and Alliance alike, sort of silently agreed with one another to rendezvous in the central part of the city, down in the giant open space in the Valley of Strength where they could recoup and, if necessary, rest until morning came.
As they reached the area, different groups began to shuffle out to the far ends, setting up little exclusive areas for themselves and claiming different spots.
It was still dark out, though Norivana could tell that the sky would begin to lighten within a few hours. Norivana was surprised; that battle had lasted longer than she thought it had. She thought to the people who'd left at this time yesterday morning in the first wave of attacks, including the Alliance leaders. They must all be absolutely exhausted. She herself had been awake since yesterday morning, but she hadn't been fighting a war the whole time, and even she was drained. She couldn't imagine how they must feel right now.
Lucian, followed by Legalith, Sarion, and Umiel, led Norivana over to the edge of the space, near the front gates of the city and sat down in a clear batch of reddish, sandy dirt. Norivana still hadn't spoken, partially just because she simply had no words to say, and she just leaned against him, resting her head in the crook of his shoulder as he relaxed back against a partially-ruined wall of a building that used to be a merchant's hut. The other three elves sat down too, making themselves comfortable. Legalith had sat a few yards away with his back also resting against the building, and Umiel scooted over in front of him, leaning his back against his knees as Legalith began to absentmindedly comb his fingers through Umiel's wavy hair. Norivana studied the two elves for a moment. There was definitely something there; there was no way those two weren't a couple.
Sarion sat on the other side of Norivana, a little further away from the hut, just far enough that he could lie down, which he did. Lucian reached forward and began messing with some of the straps on his leg armor, and Norivana realized he wanted to remove it, so she silently helped him, and soon he had removed it as well as all other pieces and had set it all in a heap beside him. Norivana did the same with hers, her sore muscles protesting the wearing of the tight strapping, and she piled hers with Lucian's.
Now feeling much more comfortable, there the pair sat in silence, breathing the fresh, cool night air and relishing in the strong sense of freedom that began to sweep through all the soldiers there.
Aitto approached them beside a colorful-looking crowd of Trolls, including Eko. Norivana watched Aitto with affectionate eyes, though she still hadn't been able to smile yet. She wished she had enough energy to get up and embrace her friend, especially after months without him, but first of all she was completely drained, and second of all, she wouldn't leave Lucian's side.
Aitto sat down near them, sending Lucian a knowing nod before turning to speak to his group of Trolls. Low murmurs and quiet discussions were the only sounds coming from the soldiers, and Norivana let those sounds lull her into a more relaxed state as she finally, truly realized that Garrosh was done for, that he could no longer terrorize her life or threaten her world.
The peace accompanying such a realization allowed Norivana to finally drift off to sleep, completely exhausted as she curled into Lucian's arms.
She wasn't sure how long she'd been sleeping when Lucian's low, controlled laugh woke her up again, and as she stirred, she took in a deep breath and let her eyes crack open. It was still a little dark, though the sky was just barely beginning to lighten in a navy-grey hue, promising a sunrise within less than an hour. She noticed something different, something missing, and after a few moments she finally realized what it was; she hadn't dreamt of anything. Nothing but blissful darkness, peace and quiet as she slept. No nightmares. Despite everything she'd just seen, everything that had happened within the past 24 hours, she felt peace.
Lucian noticed her wake up and he curled his arm around her tighter in a short hug. "Sorry," he half-whispered, giving her a smile, "Didn't mean to wake you."
She stayed curled up against him and glanced around, wondering what Lucian had been so amused by, only to realize he'd been having a large group discussion with a surprising amount of people who Norivana knew: Aitto, Eko, Sarion, Ian, Lena, Legalith, Umiel, Edoril, the Harrington siblings and Dular, along with a lot of Eko's Troll friends and many other Rogues from Ian's guild. They were all sitting in a lopsided circle around a small, crackling fire, and upon further inspection, Norivana noticed they all had food. She looked about, confused and wondering where they'd gotten it, but was shortly answered when she saw freed civilians of the now-liberated city walking through the camps, providing food, water, bandages, and even shelter to all soldiers, both Horde and Alliance. This was their thanks for ridding them of the tyrannical, deranged Orc who'd forced most of them into hiding.
She relaxed against Lucian again, listening to the sound of her friends' voices but not actually catching their words.
They'd survived. Nearly all the people she cared about, save for the lost members of Lucian's tribe as well as a few of the people from Ian's guild she'd been acquainted with upon her stay in Northwatch Hold, were sitting here together, happy and alive.
Norivana, now feeling much better from her few hours of sleep, finally allowed herself to feel relief and joy wash over her. This was real. It all was. Lucian was alive, they'd won the battle, and Garrosh was as good as dead. This meant she wouldn't be forced to live without Lucian, which she knew would have been impossible for her. It meant she could go back with him to Stormwind; it meant they could get married now and actually start a real life together.
Aitto, who was sitting a few seats away, looked over at Norivana, his green eyes studying her. He must have sensed her change in emotion, because he sent her a happy look, now certain she was okay.
Norivana sighed, and she felt Lucian shift a little. She glanced up at him, only to see him looking back at her.
"Copper for your thoughts," he suggested with a smirk and a gentle nudge with his elbow. Behind his smile, she could see his eyes were still tense, somewhat worried.
Without even thinking twice, Norivana responded simply, "Let's get married."
Lucian blinked, clearly surprised and relieved beyond measure that she'd finally spoken after hours of silence and also surprised at her word choice. He gave her an edgy look, his mouth forming a sly grin, "Uh," he laughed a little, "Didn't we already decide to do that?"
"I mean right now," Norivana replied.
Lucian's expression flickered, becoming more serious, and his eyes studied hers intently. "You..." he began, his voice a little quieter and almost anxious, though it still held humor. "You want to... Now? Here?"
"Can we?" Norivana asked him.
"Well, I..." He trailed off with a shrug, blinking a few more times, then smiled. "What kind of ceremony do you want? Certainly not the Human one, I hope?"
"No, not Human," Norivana replied with an almost laugh. The Humans' ceremonies were so incredibly formal and by general principle were performed in some sort of chapel... There was no light chapel here in Orgrimmar, and she wasn't too keen on doing that. It was far too... Human. She continued, "Well, I don't know. Do Night Elves have marriage?" Norivana asked him.
He shrugged, "Not normally, but my own tribe does occasionally."
"Like what?" She asked.
"Like," Lucian shifted so he was sitting a little straighter, his back no longer leaning against the wall, "We rarely have weddings, seeing as many of the elves just choose not to do it. But when we do, we exchange a few simple vows that we ourselves decide upon, and then do a linking spell. It's fairly straightforward."
"Linking spell?"
Lucian looked thoughtful for a moment. "Think of it like the necklace I gave you," he began, "It's sort of like that, sans the trinket. It merges two people's energies together as one, so that when they are together, they're stronger." He paused a moment, smirking, "It's... I guess it's all symbolic and whatnot," he laughed.
"So... back when you gave me that necklace and connected us," Norivana let a small smile creep onto her face, "Was that like... pseudo-marriage?"
Lucian coughed out an entertained laugh, "If you want to believe we've been 'pseudo-married' this whole time," he said as he made quotes with his fingers, "I won't stop you."
Norivana giggled, and Lucian looked at her a moment longer affectionately, quieting and just watching her for a moment. He looked relieved that she was speaking to him and very happy. Silent seconds passed, and he then spoke again. "So... Now? You really want to do this?"
She nodded without hesitation. What was the difference, doing this now or later? She'd feel the same now as she would later, only difference being that with every second that passed, she somehow loved the man more. Yes, she definitely wanted to marry him right now.
His smile broke into a grin and a sudden flash of excitement made its way on his face. He scooted forward away from the wall, then stood up, pulling her up with him and keeping her hands held in his as he stood in front of her.
"Right here?" he asked her, nodding to where they were standing: near the gates to the side, out of the way, and surrounded by people they loved, a few of whom had begun watching the two in curiosity, though Norivana didn't notice them.
"Right here," Norivana confirmed with an excited smile, her heart fluttering, "So what do we do first?"
"Well, we say some stuff," Lucian said, reaching up one hand and scratching the back of his head.
"Right, well then," Norivana giggled, standing up a little taller and speaking in a phony, dignified tone, "Some stuff."
Lucian snorted a hearty laugh in response and shook his head, regaining a little composure before he replied. "I guess I had that coming."
She grinned back. "So, vows? Such as?"
"Such as..." Lucian thought for a moment. "Such as," he took both her hands in his own again, his eyes sparkling as he began to speak softly, so only she and those who were very close to him could hear. "I love you, Norivana," he murmured, his golden eyes holding hers as he smiled happily, "And there's nothing I want more than to be able to call you my own, completely, and forever."
Norivana beamed up at him, perfectly content in this moment. He paused a second, collecting a few more thoughts. "So, as your husband, I treat this spell as a bond between two souls, tying us together for eternity, never separated through life or death. It will serve as my promise to be yours entirely come hell or high water, to remain ever-faithful, to provide and care for you, and to never stray from your side." He ended the sentence with a genuine, prompting smile, and Norivana blinked, feeling her eyes prick with tears, and she was completely unsurprised that Lucian had managed to sweep her away yet again. He certainly had a way with words.
Norivana laughed, masking what was almost a sob and she blinked a few times. "How'd you do that?" she blubbered, "I can't even come close to that, Lucian. Now you'll make me look bad. I don't suppose I could just say 'ditto', could I?" She joked.
Lucian laughed blithely. "You don't have to say anything, if that's what you want," he smiled at her, "There are no rules against it."
"Well, I'm not going to wimp out," Norivana grinned, trying to organize her thoughts. There was no way she'd ever be able to come up with something like Lucian had, but she could at least tell him how she felt. That's what they were supposed to do, right? Feelings and stuff?
She looked up at him, their eyes meeting. Above him in the sky, the sun just barely began to peek over the horizon, lighting it all up in a pink, blue, and gold haze, the light shining off of his pearly hair and reflecting in all sorts of colors. The moment was just perfect.
"All right," she huffed, "Here goes." She stood a little straighter. "Lucian, I've already felt what it's like to lose you once. And even with everything I've lived through, the wars, everything... The pain of having you ripped away left all of that in the dust. But now I have a second chance with you, and I don't plan on wasting it. I cherish every moment I have with you, somehow even more precious now that I know what it's like to live without you. You are the reason I live, the reason I wake up every day with a purpose. Just like you, there is absolutely nothing I want more than to have you with me, to be able to stay by your side no matter what crosses our path. I vow to love you and only you always, each day more than the last. You are mine, and I am yours... Forever." She smirked sideways. She felt a little cheesy, but at the same time, she was just voicing how she felt. This was a marriage, right? Cheese away, she decided.
Lucian's eyes seemed to practically glow brighter as his smile stretched ear-to-ear. Norivana felt her hands begin to heat up in his. She looked down to see Lucian's were glowing brightly with what she guessed was the linking spell. He pulled her closer after muttering a few incantations under his breath, wrapping an arm at her waist and locking his other hand into her hair and kissing her strongly, lifting her up against him. Norivana felt little tingles in her fingertips as the spell began to work, as well as little electric jitters everywhere his hands went, along with his lips, which was at first quite a surprise, but she immediately liked it.
She sensed the spell latch onto her, tugging ever so slightly at the back of her mind as it began to meld the two together. For a few moments, various emotions began to fade in and out, along with little flashes of memories, new and old, of Lucian's. As soon as they'd appear, though, they were gone again, replaced by yet another memory and the emotion that stayed with it. It was like she was going through an infinitely-fast slide show of Lucian. But then, as suddenly as it started, it ended, leaving nothing but a little glowing warmth that stayed in her mind, almost like a little ever-living spark that she somehow knew was Lucian.
Norivana stayed there in their embrace for a generous amount of time, the two of them losing themselves in each other. In a strange way, she realized that the bond not only melded their energy, but she could sense Lucian's joy overlapping her own, which only made her even happier. He was as elated as she, both of them rejoicing in their freedom, victory, and wedded bliss.
After a while, Norivana finally realized that they'd had an audience; everyone who had been sitting at that fire had been witness to their ceremony. She smirked as Lucian finally set her down, and she glanced among the amused, staring faces of everyone who'd observed, knowing that at any other time, she would've felt sheepish or embarrassed at having so many witnesses. She'd never liked the spotlight, but right now, she was too happy to care.
Aitto stared at Norivana for a long time with an unreadable expression, and Norivana sent him a smile, but he just sat there, looking pensive. Finally, though, he stood from where he'd been sitting and wordlessly walked straight to Norivana, then wrapped his gigantic arms around her, picking her up in the tightest bear hug she'd had in a long, long time. It was quite a pleasant surprise, not at all what she'd expected. She returned the hug enthusiastically, laughing gleefully, and when he finally set her down, he looked somewhat composed, but his eyes showed a look at was beyond happy. To the side, Lucian chuckled at Aitto's move. Then, suddenly everyone was up, crowding around Norivana and Lucian and congratulating them and scolding them for not announcing their engagement or their actual wedding, etcetera.
"What just happened?" Norivana heard Lena ask Lucian in amusement, "Did you two seriously just get married in the middle of a ruined city only hours after a freaking war?"
Lucian just shrugged at his little sister, "I see nothing wrong with that."
Lena rolled her eyes with a smirk as Ian joined her side, lacing his arm at her waist as he addressed Lucian and Norivana happily. "You know," he said humorously, "I cannot say I expected that, but damned if you two do not have the strangest timing of anyone I have ever known."
"It was certainly spontaneous," Edoril interjected merrily.
Lucian and Norivana laughed, and Norivana kept by Lucian, feeling exceptionally happy and attached now that they'd tied the knot.
Many of the surrounding parties began to stir as the renewed sun lit up the area, and as Norivana observed now, she noticed that the Horde and Alliance soldiers, aside from a few exceptions, had completely blended in together. Orcs, Trolls, Tauren, Forsaken, Blood Elves, Goblins, and Pandaren all mingled with the Humans, Dwarves, Gnomes, Night Elves, Draenei and their Pandaren. It got to the point of where in some situations, Norivana couldn't tell who was on which side, and it made her unspeakably happy to see such a sight. It was as if fighting together in that battle had forced them to put aside their differences and/or the differences pushed upon them by their leaders, and now they were free to put down their weapons and collaborate in a civil way. Norivana wondered if this was a glimpse of what the future would be like; with the end of this war, she'd heard promise of the ending of the entire Horde vs. Alliance war in general. This truly could be the way things could end up.
Norivana gave Lucian one more heartfelt kiss before she went to find some food and get ready to take the rest of the day on. She had no doubt that today would be busy and confusing, but she knew now she didn't have to do it alone; from now until the end of time, she had Lucian by her side.
For the entire next day, over half of the soldiers stayed back to help move the bodies and clear the streets of rubble, as well as conduct round-the-clock search and rescue missions for injured soldiers and missing civilians who'd been caught in the crossfires of the battles within the city surface.
The Horde and Alliance leaders had both come to the logical conclusion that the corpses that littered the whole place had to be dealt with, but that there were far too many of them for either side to be able to account for them all. So, instead, a squadron of volunteers spent the entire day gathering up the dead that littered the city streets and bringing them into the half-ruined caverns beneath the city to lie among the rest of the deceased, placing all of them in the large hall which would ultimately serve as a monumental tomb, marking the deaths of both Horde and Alliance and serving as a memorial of the battle.
At the end of the day, when all was finished, the spellcrafters all got together and developed and performed a sealing spell that'd close the tomb forever, immune to all attempts at robbery or destruction of the property. Those inside the tomb were virtually frozen in time, never to be touched again.
It was a very solemn moment for everyone when the massive stones were placed over the entrance and then magically sealed together, entirely airtight.
One Troll nearest to the tomb entrance walked up to the giant stone door, and he pulled out a sharp knife and began scratching something into the stone. Soon many others began to join him, and then everyone who could reach a spot on the walls began writing on them. Upon closer inspection, Norivana realized everyone was writing names, and as far as she could tell, they were names of the people who'd fallen in battle; family, friend, even acquaintance, they all went up there.
Lucian spent a while scratching in twenty-three names on the wall, and Norivana looked around, feeling very somber. With Lucian and his three remaining tribe members writing their people's names down and Ian and his guild writing theirs, Norivana realized with a bittersweet thought that she had no name to write down. Everyone she loved was still with her, and so she stood back, waiting solemnly as all the soldiers of both sides scratched in the names. She saw Aitto at the wall and wondered who he'd lost, as well as the High Elf, Thalia, who had just stepped away from where she'd been writing.
Norivana peered a little closer at the wall, finally able to make out the name Thalia had written down: Selphius. Thalia's brother. Norivana felt a pang of sympathy as she looked back at Thalia, who held a strong, brave expression but Norivana could see the pain underneath. Norivana walked over to her, joining her side and giving her an understanding look. Norivana didn't know whether she should say anything, but from the thankful glance she received from Thalia, she knew she didn't need to, just needed to keep her company. She was unsure of whether Thalia had anyone other than Selphius. The elf was a kind woman, strong, and friendly, so Norivana was sure the girl had friends and whatnot, but Selphius was her brother. Family is irreplaceable.
Lucian joined Norivana after a while, lacing one hand into hers. She heard him make a resigned sigh and saw as he stared at the wall, which had filled up with names and looked surprisingly impressive, not to mention incredibly sad. That was a lot of people who'd never see their loved ones again.
After that, it was mostly smooth sailing. For the next couple days, ships arrived and portals were made and people continually filed out of the area, going back home or back to their barracks or to wherever they came from. Edoril had gone with the King, Ian had headed back to Stormwind City with Lena and the remainder of his guild, and Legalith and Umiel both took one of Lucian's portals back to Stormwind so they could go home to the orchard. Sarion, Norivana, and Lucian all had their things packed up and ready to take back home as well, though they had chosen not to leave yet but to stay with Eko and Aitto for a day or so. The two young men had recruited four bright-haired, fair-skinned and beautiful Troll women who'd shown up from a southern village and whose names Norivana couldn't get straight: Noki, Ni'zu, Kuva and Kuzufa. So many vowels and 'K's and 'N's and confusing pronunciation, but she did her best.
Norivana was very tickled with how Eko handled himself around the women. He'd always had a very crude sense of humor around Norivana and his guy friends, but around the Troll girls, he was nothing but a ladies' man. He'd give them one look, a blue-eyed wink, or a raise of a brow and a quirky, tusked grin, and they'd melt around him. Norivana could tell he knew it, too, because he was having way too much fun with this. And the way Aitto didn't seem to miss a beat as all this went on, Norivana got the impression that this was how it always was.
It was nearing evening and Norivana was relaxing between Sarion and Lucian on a bench, nibbling on a string of smoked jerkey and listening to Eko talk. He was explaining to her how he got the ability of 'second sight', in which he could see through stealth.
He claimed that it was a hereditary gift he had gotten from his father, who had also apparently had the ability, as had his parents and their parents and so forth and so on, as well as many other Trolls who'd picked up the ability. He said it wasn't so much that he could just see through stealth like a normal person sees things, but that it was more of an infrared deal in which he could pick up rays of and his brain would turn it into imaging. He literally was 'second-sighted'.
Norivana had still been a bit confused, so Eko walked over to her, squatting in front of her bench so they were eye-level.
"Look closely at my eyes," he told her.
Norivana leaned forward, studying his big blue irises. "I don't see anything," she said after a few moments.
His mouth curled in a smirk. "Now watch dis," he said, his expression tensing just barely in concentration. Suddenly, the blue vanished as the pupils dilated to the point of where they hit the edge of the whites, replacing the blue with black.
Norivana gasped in surprise. "What the-?" She squeaked.
He grinned, his vision returning to normal, "Like I told ya before," he said, "They don't call me 'second-sighted' for nothin'."
"That's incredible," Norivana heard Lucian murmur to the side, and she nodded in agreement.
"I had no idea that was possible."
"It comes in handy," Eko said calmly as he stood and walked back to where he'd been seated before. He sandwiched himself snugly between two women and draped his lanky arms over both of them casually as if this were a normal, everyday thing. Actually, it probably was.
He spoke up again. "And it's not like I just woke up one day and had da ability to squint hard and suddenly see through stealth," the golden-haired Troll shrugged, "It had tah be taught; I had tah learn how to unlock dat ability, and it took me a long time to do so. But it be worth it."
Norivana shrugged back. "Well, if you didn't have that ability, we'd never have met."
He blinked a few times. "No kiddin'," he cocked his head, "Never thought of dat." He let a grin cover his face. "And ya wouldn't have a big ol' scar in yer shoulder there from my arrow, either."
"Poisoned arrow," Norivana corrected him, "Don't forget the poison part."
"Ah, yeah, well, I thought you were Hellscream's spy," Eko laughed, "Can't blame me for it."
"Oh, but I can, and I will," Norivana giggled back jokingly. "You're lucky it healed well, thanks to my necklace."
"Or rather, thanks to my incredible medical expertise," Eko retorted, "You forget I bandaged you."
"You bandaged, but he healed," Norivana pointed at Lucian to the side with her thumb.
Before Eko could come up with another reply, Norivana heard Lucian speak to her left.
"Oh, that reminds me," Lucian said to her, and she glanced over to see him reaching in his pocket and pulling out her delicate silver crescent-moon necklace. "I found this and saved it."
Norivana stared at it, putting up imaginary barricades in her mind against the feelings that necklace brought up. Back during that battle, she'd connected that necklace with the loss of Lucian. And now, it was hard not to remember that as she looked at it, emotions beginning to pull at her.
Before she let herself get carried away, she wrenched her eyes from the necklace and rested them on Lucian's, which held a certain confused look to them. Norivana wondered how much her feelings showed on her face for him to have picked up on them. She smiled at him and reached out, closing his fingers around the necklace.
"I don't need it anymore," she said to him. "It'll only serve as a reminder to when I lost you. But now, I have something even better." She leaned in and kissed him warmly before giving him a smile.
Lucian's smiling eyes flicked between hers for a few seconds, and he then put the necklace back in his pocket, understanding what she meant. The linking spell he'd performed in their marriage was much stronger than that necklace, and much more meaningful.
Aitto, who was sitting across the fire, shifted in his seat, which was in truth more of a bench, but he was a big guy and took up most of it anyway. He spoke up, "So, Hellscream is gone," he said thoughtfully, "And the Alliance and Horde leaders will probably be meeting almost nonstop to work out peace treaties. It may come to pass that within a year, Alliance will be able to go to any major Horde city with full compliance of their admission, and vice versa with Horde."
"Which means you guys need to come stay with us in Stormwind whenever and for as long as you want," Lucian grinned at Eko and Aitto, "We miss you guys when we're stuck with just each other," he joked, giving Norivana a teasing grin and a wink.
"Hey!" Norivana nudged him with her shoulder and laughed. Then she shrugged, "You're right, though," she teased back, "I mean, who could spend that much time with you and not need some sort of therapy?"
"Well, hopefully you," he replied with a wily grin, leaning over and wrapping his arm around her waist, invading all of her personal space, which she didn't mind one bit. "I mean," he quirked a brow at her, his face inches away, "I am your husband. That's got to account for something, right?"
Norivana have him a radiant smile, wrapping her arms around him and closing the little distance that remained between them. Lucian let out an almost audible sigh at her kiss and wrapped his arms tighter around her, pulling her up from where she had been sitting beside him and placing her onto his lap, still not breaking their kiss.
All the surrounding people let out whoops and cheers of laughter, and Norivana began giggling at Lucian's boldness in his action. She felt his smile on his lips too as Sarion to their side let out a groan.
"Stop being so happy, you two," Sarion grumbled jokingly, "You're making the rest of us look bad."
"Speak for yourself!" Eko called out from across the fire.
Norivana giggled harder now, having to pull away from the kiss and look at the Troll. He still had a plethora of women sitting around him, and Norivana just shook her head, turning back to face Lucian and making eye contact with him, shaking her head in bewilderment. Lucian shrugged at her wordlessly, grinning, and pulled her in for one prolonged kiss before setting her back down in her normal seat and standing up.
"I think Norivana and I had better leave before the night is over," Lucian said, stretching his big arms out wide, "We're all feeling a bit homesick."
Aitto stood as well, walking over to Norivana. "In that case," the Tauren said, holding out a hand, "Norivana, walk with me?"
Norivana nodded happily and stood, linking her hand with her Tauren's, and they began on a stroll along a small path that wove out toward the ocean.
He spoke first. "I didn't really have anything specific I wanted to talk about," he shrugged, "I just haven't gotten the chance to see you."
Norivana smiled. "I missed you," she replied.
"I missed you too, 'Vana," he laughed back, "More than anything."
A silent moment passed, and Norivana spoke again. "Do you like it here? Living with Eko and the Trolls?"
She saw him nod immediately. "Yes," he said confidently, "They live to such a different rhythm than anywhere else I've been. There's never a dull moment, but on the other side, it's always peaceful and surprisingly systematic. I love it all. The area, the life, the people..."
As he said that last word, his eyes glassed almost affectionately, a slight smile pulling at his lips. Norivana let a sly grin cover her face. She'd seen that look before, but never on him.
"You say, 'people'. Is there... a specific one?" she asked him, prodding. "Or are you like Eko and you'll take any and all who come knocking?"
A smile covered his mouth completely now, and he took in a deep breath, "There's... Yes," he nodded, "There's one."
"Tell me all about it," Norivana enthused.
"She's certainly a character," Aitto shrugged, "Complete spitfire, much like yourself."
"Oh, I don't know, I think I've cooled down a lot from when you last saw me."
He stared at her. "Norivana, the act you pulled back in Orgrimmar says that statement's a lie. You're as much a spitfire as you've ever been; you're just good at suppressing it now."
Norivana waved her hands. "Whatever," she laughed, "Back to your story."
Aitto smiled again, and after a while of thought, spoke. "She's headstrong, devious, but on the other side, sweet and caring..." He shrugged, "I don't know. She's a handful, but that only makes her even more appealing, if that makes sense?"
"It does," Norivana smiled happily. So Aitto had a girl, huh. "Aitto, that's wonderful," Norivana beamed at him.
He grinned at her. "And look at you," he said with a nudge, "You're married! What the hell, 'Vana?"
"I know!" Norivana gushed, "Bet you didn't see that one coming!"
"I did, but not so soon," Aitto laughed, "You didn't even give us a fair warning. It was just... Boom, married."
"To be fair, I didn't give myself a fair warning either," Norivana laughed, "It was a bit of a 'spur-of-the-moment' thing."
Aitto just laughed again and the two of them walked along the path, which appeared to just curve in a large arc until it returned back close to where it started. Norivana could see the camp approaching as they walked.
Aitto spoke again after a long bout of silence. "I can't tell if this counts as a beginning or an end to our story."
Norivana thought for a moment. "It's a bit of both, I suppose," she mused. An end to the story of the scared little Rogue soldier with nothing but survival and a vengeance on her mind, but a beginning to the new-and-improved woman she was now, a woman who could live and love in peace.
They walked up to the fires, where Eko and Lucian and Sarion were standing and talking about something that was apparently pretty funny, because they were all laughing heartily.
Eko clapped Lucian and Sarion on the backs in a friendly gesture. "Be sure tah come back often," Eko grinned, then looked over and saw Norivana and Aitto approaching. His eyes lit up and he walked over to her. "And you," he winked at her, "Cause some trouble for me, alright?"
Norivana grinned at the Troll. "I'll do what I can, but I'll need you guys to show up every once in a while to give me a hand at it."
"You can count on us," Aitto smiled at her, leaning his elbow unceremoniously on Eko's shoulder as an armrest, which Eko attempted to shrug off but finally accepted his fate and stood there, giving the three elves a smile.
Lucian summoned a portal quickly, and it stood behind them, swirling and glowing as Lucian turned to Norivana and Sarion, looking expectant. Norivana wrapped her arms around Aitto in a goodbye hug, holding her friend close for a few moments before moving on to Eko. She held her arms out, and he gave her a wily look, but then smiled and hugged her back tightly.
"Give 'em hell, kid," Eko grinned.
Norivana smiled at them both one last time before turning and linking her hand into Lucian's, following him and Sarion through the portal.
They stepped into the dark, clean room of the Mage tower, receiving friendly looks from the surrounding Mages who nodded their heads cordially at the three elves. Lucian led, and they made their way down the large ramp and out into the city, only to find that it was about to storm, the wind gusting through the trees and the clouds dark overhead.
"Our timing is just impeccable," Sarion laughed sarcastically and the three of them quickly filed down the ramp and out into the city. Despite the weather, Norivana was in the highest of moods.
They walked through the streets that had become familiar to Norivana, past cathedrals and shops and houses she'd passed by countless times now. As they reached the open archway in the north of the Dwarven district that led out to the open forest, the three of them paused, taking in the sight. She saw the teeming orchard in the distance, its trees rising high above all the others with the giant one in the middle, lit up with lanterns and glowing wisps. She saw a few of Lucian's elves down at the pools, others in the gardens, and even more around the main tree and the fires.
She took in a deep, contented sigh, happiness and peace washing over her and almost overwhelming in its intensity. She could smell the rain on the cool wind and the fresh, comforting smell of the forests, could hear the bustling of the city compared to the peacefulness of the orchard in the distance.
She heard Lucian let out a breath as well, and she turned to him with a smile on her face. His golden gaze fell down on her and he let his own smile grace his perfect jaw. He wrapped his arms around her, drawing her in close as they savored this moment. Norivana relaxed against him, savoring his warmth and the serenity she felt in his arms.
They stared out at the orchard, contentment on their faces.
Norivana was finally home, and this time it was for good.
It's OVER!
Well, not really. I've got a few extensive epilogues that more-or-less count as chapters to attach onto the end, so don't pack up and leave just yet. ;)
I've got to say, I never expected this story to have such a following, and I can't express my thanks enough to all of you for sticking with me. :D It's been so fun, and now I have two more sequels to return to that I am so excited about!
Once I get my epilogues written, (which I'll hopefully actually have done either tonight or within the week) I'll put up links to the next story and stuff.
Until then, thanks everyone! :)