Do any of my readers frequent the site Archive of Our Own? I was thinking about making an account there and uploading my stories there but I do not know anyone who has an account so I don't know much about the site.

Children chased each other through the streets. They all giggled and laughed as they did so. Everyone ran from a singular individual who chased everyone else. Eventually the one person doing all of the chasing would eventually catch one person. They would grab the person then yell out "Tag, you're it!" then the original chaser would run off. The new chaser would go off to look for a new victim.

Sapphire watched them all with fascination from the café table that Lethumo sat her down at. He was busy drinking his third glass of wine. Because the night elf was too busy writing and singing, he never really learned how to cook. So whenever he needed to feed Sapphire, he just took her someplace where someone else would do all the work. This was fine by Sapphire. She got to eat all kinds of new things. Like sandwiches.

"Why are they doing that?" She asked.

Lethumo stopped drinking his wine. "For fun I suppose."

"Ooh, I like fun. I wish I could have fun," She said wistfully, watching the other children. One of the half elven girls ran really quick so she managed to outrun the others most of the time. She looked taller than Sapphire, with raven black hair. Sapphire bet she could catch that elf girl. She sighed.

Lethumo looked at the gaggle of children then back at Sapphire. He leaned toward her and smiled. "Well then. Go on!"

Sapphire blinked in surprise. She then grinned. "Really? I can just go on and just play with them? Just like that?"

The night elf looked up above the streets at the large clock tower. "Sure, little saber cub. Come home as soon as the the clock strikes five. You are perspicacious enough to count to five right?"

Excited, Sapphire nodded. She immediately crammed the rest of her food down her throat. She chewed it roughly. Lethumo gave her a slightly perturbed look. The girl washed the food down with some water. Then she hugged Lethumo.

"Thank you, Lethumo! Home when the clock dings five times! I promise!"

Sapphire ran off. However, she hesitated once she got closer. Which one did she talk to? Or did she just run around and expect them to just assume she was a part of it? Just as she started to panic, the elf girl saw her. Their eyes met.

"Hey, white hair! You playing?"

Sapphire's face turned hot. "If, If you let me. Am I-"

The elf girl rushed at her. She was a lot taller than Sapphire had thought previously. With a deft move, the girl smacked Sapphire in the arm. "Then you are IT. Catch me if you can, white hair!"

Sapphire watched the girl flee, completely taken off guard. Then Sapphire realized she was playing now. The elf was already well gone but one of the human boys was not as fast. She narrowed her eyes, and started to pursue the poor boy. Somehow as she ran around, she managed to keep her hat on. Lethumo had warned her others might stare at her without it. Antlers were not a common appearance for any race.

For an hour they played. Sapphire had been correct in that she would be fast. She caught the elf girl once, but she in turn got Sapphire twice. After most of the kids got tired, the elf girl stopped Sapphire.

"You're fast, white hair. What's your name?"

Sapphire's face turned hot again. "My, my name is Sapphire."

The elf twirled her delicate fingers through her dark hair. She smiled, "Really? Well, I am Scarecrow."

"Scarecrow?" Sapphire scoffed. That was the silliest name she had ever heard before. It definitely did not sound like an elf name. Scarecrow immediately scrunched up her small nose and shoved her.

"Yeah, you got a problem with it, girl named after a ROCK?"

The elf's aggressiveness told Sapphire that she shouldn't be messed with. Sapphire immediately shook her head, then looked down in shame. She should not make fun of other's names.

"I'm sorry."

The elf shrugged and waved her away. "It's fine. Hey, you wanna go skip rocks at the pond?"

"Skip rocks? What's that mean?" Sapphire asked, intrigued.

Scarecrow grabbed Sapphire's hand and started leading her on. "Don't worry! I'll show you, white hair!"

The pond that the half elf took her too was a very pretty place. Flowers grew along the sides. The water itself was so still and clear that Sapphire could see all the way to the bottom. The stillness was about to change.

Skipping rocks was basically what it sounded like. Throwing rocks across the pond so they would skip along the surface of the water. Sapphire sucked at it, but she did enjoy the sight and sound of the rocks splashing and hitting the water. Scarecrow seemed to know exactly which rocks to find and how to aim them before throwing them. Most rocks of hers would skip twice, but the best one she managed was five times.

Unfortunately, they could not have fun forever. Sapphire heard the clock bells chiming and knew it was time to go.

She dropped the rock she had been about to throw. "I'm sorry. I promised I would be back home soon."

"Oh, that's okay. Could we play again tomorrow, white hair? Same place?" Scarecrow asked, giving Sapphire a sly smile. She was very persuasive.

"I'd love too! Bye, Scarecrow!"

Sapphire ran off, feeling all sorts of emotions. The day had been so fun. Playing with other children was something that she had never experienced. She almost ran all the way home, very pleased with herself.

Prowling the streets for potential prey was getting tedious, especially as the predator in question was getting up there in age. His knees hurt the most, but that would not stop him.

By now, he should have been given his eternal reward. However, that gift never came for him. The one who promised it lay dead, unable to reward anyone. He could have just gone back to living normally as a citizen of Stormwind, but he would never pretend to be so boorish.

As he skulked about, he saw a girl running down the street. He was not above murdering children but this one looked like a pitiful specimen, Her skin was as pale as a cave fish. She barely had any meat on her bones as well. No, that creature would not do. But something seemed off about her.

He creeped forward to get a glance at her. It looked like the human girl had white hair. It was virtually unheard of to see a human child having white hair. But he knew of one child that did have white hair. The same age, the same gender. It seemed highly improbable for that child to be in Stormwind, let alone alive. She surely had died shortly after Icecrown Citadel fell.

He watched the young one run off and thoughts began to form.

Lethumo dropped a massive leather bound book in front of his reluctant pupil. He produced a charcoal pencil and a thick sheaf of paper. Sapphire took the charcoal pencil and examined it curiously. Since he had decided to make Sapphire his student, he had taught her the finer arts of basic poetry and songwriting. She liked the idea of being a poet, but this new assignment seemed to change her idea.

"My astute new student! We shall now explore the jobs of vocabulary!"

Sapphire whimpered when she opened the dictionary and saw the walls of small text darkening the pages.

The night elf patted the girl's head with one hand. The other hand clutched his forehead.

"Today I have decided to give you busy work. Unfortunately this jarring hangover of mine leaves me woefully unprepared."

He had seemed extra sensitive to light and sounds that morning. To Sapphire, drinking wine seemed like something no one should do. What benefit does it serve when it causes such suffering afterward. There must be something good, otherwise why would anyone drink it? Lethumo flopped onto the couch and tapped the book.

"Go ahead. Start with A. Write any words that inspire you and add the definitions. Fills your heart with emotion."

Another whimper escaped the girl's lip. But she kept the pencil in her hand and began to read the texts. Lethumo watched her for a while, giving her suggestions and encouraging her to think with her emotions rather than her head. Whatever that meant. Either way, it was boring work. And eventually Lethumo's eyes started to droop. He fell asleep even before Sapphire reached the D section.

While she did her work, she barely noticed when Arthas returned home. She only looked up when he cleared his throat. The scene probably looked weird. Lethumo laying passed on the sofa with Sapphire smeared with charcoal. Her hands trembled.

"Please kill me," She begged.

Rather than fulfill her request, He just folded his arms.

"I would enjoy that, but why grant you such a mercy?"

With that, the girl made a petulant noise. She was only a child still. She flung her pencil away and plonked her head onto the open book.

When she spoke, it was muffled by the book pages. "This is barbarous."

"Did you just learn that word?" Arthas asked with a throaty chuckle. He glanced at Sapphire's teacher. Lethumo was sprawled awkwardly across the sofa. Droll started to drip from his open, slack mouth.

Sapphire puffed out her chest defiantly. "Yes I did!"

Then she sighed. She wished she could just run out and play with Scarecrow again. Instead she was stuck inside, staring at a smelly book that wasn't even a good book. It was a stupid dictionary. Sapphire looked at Lethumo, then at Arthas. At first she wondered if Lethumo would be mad if she just left without her work being finished. But she really did not want to do it.

Arthas seemed to know what she was thinking. "It's not like he is going to hit you. Run off and do whatever you want."

Sapphire tossed her pencil onto the table without hesitation. Charcoal coated her hands, but she could wash it off at the pond. Rot slept peacefully. He yipped in alarm when Sapphire snatched him up. Stopping at the door, she looked back briefly at Arthas.

"I'll be back at the five clock dings. Bye!"

She casually made her way to the pond. Rot squirmed in her grasp, but Sapphire kept him in her grip. Presenting him to her new friend was going be so much fun. Scarecrow would love him. Everyone loved Rot. Who couldn't?

As she passed by an old decrepit looking house, she noticed an old man struggling to carry a few bags up the stairs. His back was bent terribly. His arms trembled from the strain. No one else was around to help. Rot growled at the man, but the girl ignored the insolent puppy.

She dropped Rot to the ground to free her own arms and approached the man. "Excuse me, would you like some help?"

The elderly man stopped his efforts and turned to her. He smiled, showing off yellowing teeth and dark gums. Most people might be scared of this gaunt, creepy man but Sapphire was used to such people. He looked like all the old necromancers that Sapphire grew up with. Most of them were nice to her so naturally she figured this man would be as well.

"Oh, would you? That would be so kind of you, young miss." His voice was very raspy, as if dust coated his throat. Not surprising, given his age.

Sapphire picked up the bags and took them up the creaky stairs to the door. The man, equally creaky, ascended the stairs and took out a chain of keys. He picked out one and slowly struggled to unlock the door. As eager as Sapphire was to see Scarecrow again, she did not mind him being slow.

Eventually he unlocked the door and led the way into the house. She carried the bags in, Rot trotting after her. He gestured to the small table in front of a rather dusty couch.

"Would you mind placing those over there?"

Sapphire happily obliged. The man clasped his hands and made a pleased noise.

"Thank you dear. I must give you something for your generosity. Do you like candy?"

The word candy was enough for Sapphire's eyes to light up. She nodded enthusiastically. The man shuffled off into another room. After a few sounds of rustling, the man came back with a bowl. Inside were little multicolored jewels of sugary goodness. He gestured with the bowl.

"Take one or two. Not too many! Wouldn't want to spoil your young appetite would we?"

Sapphire grabbed only two blue ones, not wanting to seem greedy. She popped them into her mouth. They tasted delicious. Fruity, but with a weird but not unpleasant aftertaste.

"You are such a kind little thing. Most people would have ignored me. What a well raised child. Where are you from?"

Sapphire smiled at the compliments and was happy to talk to the man.

"I'm from Lordaeron!"

"Lordaeron? Ah, you must have been a baby when it fell then?"

The girl nodded absentmindedly. She really did not know, but she assumed she had been a baby. All her memories were from Icecrown, so she must have been too young to remember being anywhere else.

The man smiled and thanked the girl profusely for her aid, then offered her some more candy.

"You're welcome! I..."

She started to feel weird. The room started to spin. Sapphire turned, which worsened it. Having trouble standing, Sapphire immediately grabbed onto the wall to steady herself.

"Interesting. It is acting quicker than I thought. You must have a high metabolism." His voice was no longer raspy. It was darker and deeper.

A chill ran down Sapphire's spine. Alarms rang throughout her head and she immediately tried to get to the front door. Sapphire grabbed the door knob and twisted it but her legs were too wobbly for her to continue standing.

She collapsed against the floor. The man approached, but Rot got between the two of them and snarled angrily. Sapphire opened the door and grabbed Rot.

"Rot, go!" She practically threw the dog out the door. Rot yelped in alarm and tried to get back inside but the old man slammed the door shut.

Nausea swept over Sapphire. Whatever the man had given her, it was not pleasant. The elderly man straightened his back and proceeded to lift the girl up with ease. He moved her over to the sofa. She attempted to get up, but couldn't. Her body refused to respond properly.

"Don't bother, princess. I'm glad I only let you take two. More and the paralytic might have killed you. Can't let that happen, can we?"