(Author's note: I'm experience a lot of reformatting issues when uploading, so breaks in the text for time-skips aren't showing up. I'm still learning about all the uploading funk on this site, so thanks a bunch for your patience!)

Birds chirped to greet the rising sun as it peeked over the horizon. Jesika stood atop Orgrimmar's plateau, alone and clad in her usual running attire. Each breath was a barely visible fog, but she could feel a hint of heat beneath the early morning chill. It was that promise of yet another scorching day that pushed her out of bed in the first place- she was tired, but it would be too hot later to enjoy her exercise. With that in mind, she flicked through some songs on the mp3 player she kept stashed in her bug-out bag. Pack something that makes you happy, her dad's voice echoed in her head. High morale is a key part of your survival should something ever happen. Jesika smiled, settled on "Bang It to the Curb" and took off at a brisk jog.

Minutes ticked by as she ran along the upper section of the city, trying to lose herself in her music. It wasn't long before her chest was heaving and her legs were lead, so Jesika paused, panting with her hands on her knees, and took a few moments to admire the view. She watched as the sunshine poured over the surrounding mountains, gorgeous liquid gold that flooded the city. Citizens, roused to wakefulness by this intrusion of light, trickled out of their homes until the streets were pleasantly populated and the hum of hundreds of voices filled the air. Jes lost track of how long she stood there, taking in the scene.

It wasn't until she felt eyes on her back that she returned to herself. Her hand brushed against her hip, and she swore upon feeling only fabric. Don't leave this in your room again, Aedyndel had said. You need to get used to carrying a weapon at all times. Silently berating herself, Jesika turned around and saw Theron approaching, Duke in tow.

"Hey there, my good boy!" she called. Duke tossed his head, tongue lolling out of his mouth, and bounced toward her. "Come 'ere you little goober!" Jes called again, patting her knees. The puppy charged, a furry bullet on the plateau.

After some brief play-time, Theron caught up, red-eared. He mumbled something, his gaze landing on her exposed… well, everything. She was wearing only a black sports bra and a very small pair of spandex shorts, so needless to say, there wasn't anything left to the imagination.

Bright and smiling, Jes looked up from her pet. "Hey Theron, whats up?"

He bore an odd expression that made her feel naked, but quickly snapped out of it and said, "I went to your room to check on you, but Duke was alone. I became, erm…" he coughed. "I became concerned."

"Ah, well, I was up early and he needed to sleep so…" Jes shrugged.

Theron frowned. "That is also something we must discuss, speaking of sleep: you need rest."

"Theron, I'm not injured. I slept all day yesterday. I'm fine."

He glanced pointedly at her shoulder, still on the mend from her altercation with the harpy, then to her bandaged arm.

Jes averted her eyes.

Frowning, Theron pointed out, "You said it yourself: your body isn't used to this."

The young woman crossed her arms and replied stiffly, "You're right, it's not, but if I was still recovering, I'd be asleep right now. I felt perfectly well rested when I got up this morning."

"Regardless," he sniffed, "you should not be training so soon."

Jesika took a deep breath. "Look, I appreciate your concern, but I know myself and beyond that, it doesn't matter what I can or can't handle. I need to get used to a certain level of physical activity. I need to get used to running when I'm tired."

Theron was visibly upset; however, he eventually conceded. "Fine," he snipped, "then you can follow me to the archery range."

"Fine."

There was some tension between them as they walked along the ridge and back to the guild house. Jesika found herself wondering why he was so overprotective all of a sudden. His odd mood was only amplified by his stubborn silence. It wasn't until they passed the indoor training room and she paused to look in, that he finally spoke.

"Barbaric," he scoffed.

Inside, Valleria and the orc- Drath, if Jes remembered correctly- were sparring, encircled by the other apprentices. Val was barely holding up against her opponent's brute strength and was scrambling to avoid getting hit. Unfortunately, she never had a chance to regain her footing, so the fight looked more like a very aggressive game of tag. That is, until she tried to throw a punch.

The orc connected, hard.

Apprentices clapped as Val was knocked flat on her ass. Jesika was impressed; despite the loss, not many people so petite could take an orc's hook square in the face and remain conscious.

"Drath." Aedyndel's voice rose above the noise. "You need to stop pulling your punches."

Val was red-faced, drenched in sweat, and somehow… still gorgeous. Jesika allowed a soft smile. "It's not fair, Aedyndel!" the elven woman cried. "He's so much bigger! I want to fight someone else!" While standing still, her bruises were more evident, and it dawned on Jesika that they'd been sparring together repeatedly.

Aedyn shook his head and stepped onto the sparring mat. "You won't always have the luxury of choosing your opponents out there, and sometimes-" he lifted a finger- "running isn't an option."

"But I'll at least have a weapon," she muttered.

Jesika found herself giggling at how much Valleria acted like a scolded puppy, looking off to the side through the blonde bangs that framed her face, head held low. Her sharp, feline features seemed all the more prominent and Jes was finally able to appreciate, first-hand, the fabled allure of an elven woman.

"Maybe Jesika can tell us why this exercise is important."

She paled, and Theron interjected, "We do not have time for this, Aedyndel. Jesika, follow me."

He stepped away just as Jes piped up, "Well, my guess would be that if you get disarmed, you're fucked."

Val rolled her eyes. "I won't get-"

"-And," she added, "even with a weapon, if you can't take a hit, one punch or kick and it's lights out. If you get used to taking a beating, your margin for error is just a little bit bigger."

Aedyndel was evidently quite pleased. "Very good." He faced his students and explained, "Hand-to-hand combat is always a useful skill, more so for us. As rogues, we fight in close quarters, jumping in and out of the throng of battle when we aren't picking off the isolated and the vulnerable. Ideally, we don't 'fight': we kill. We especially don't fight blow-for-blow with someone like Drath, who has a clear size advantage. You will never see me box a Tauren- at least, not sober." He winked at Jesika as the apprentices laughed.

"However, as much as I hope you are never in this position, if you are unarmed and unable to flee, being able to hold your own and keep your footing will be what buys you time to find an opening. Understood?"

A chorus of voices, Valleria's included, responded with a hearty, "Yes, sir!"

By the time Aedyndel looked up, Jesika was gone, being dragged away by Theron.

After a few moments of fussing, and some barking from Duke, Jes yanked her arm free. "Hey!" she snapped, "I don't know what your problem is, but this attitude has gotta stop, dude!"

"You were wasting time," Theron replied haughtily. "I thought you wanted to train."

"Oh, fuck off with that!" she scoffed. "That wasn't you doing something in my best interest, that was you acting for yourself." He seemed a bit shocked by her venom, but it was the truth and she didn't feel bad for saying it. "Don't think I haven't noticed how much you detest rogues. While I understand the rivalry, Aedyndel was teaching a universal lesson that I could benefit from and, for whatever reason, you got irrationally upset. You put your feelings above my needs and tried to manipulate me into thinking that you put me first."

"You are a hunter," he retorted stiffly. "The lessons of rogues are of no use to you."

Jesika rubbed her temples. "I don't have the energy to unpack that right now. Regardless of how you want to justify it, your behavior… grabbing me like that…" She shook her head. "That was uncalled for and straight up childish. You owe me an apology."

Theron looked fairly dumbstruck. "I- Well, you- Childish?!"

"Yes, Theron, childish."

"Well, then perhaps you would rather train alone than with someone like that."

She rolled her eyes. "Honestly, I would, but I don't have that luxury, so come on."

Theron begrudgingly led her down the hall just a bit further to a door with some sort of locking mechanism in place of a handle. Jesika watched, intrigued, as he pulled out a key and clicked open the lock. She was dying to ask about it, but he was clearly in no mood for such things. Theron stepped into the room.

"This is the armory," he clarified as he lit a lone torch.

It was more of an oversized broom closet than an armory. Weapons hung from hooks on the walls and laid in piles on the floor, accompanied by a few chests of varying sizes; all of it was covered in a thin layer of dust. Most armaments were wrapped in protective cloth that, while practical, gave the room a sense of foreboding. She noticed Theron bee-line for a particularly filthy chest. Dutifully, she followed.

The elven hunter crinkled his nose as he grasped the filthy lid and threw it open. They both coughed and fanned the air until the ensuing dust cloud cleared to reveal a small assortment of weapons, many of which were rusted beyond usefulness. However, Theron reluctantly and carefully dug through the mess. He eventually pulled out a bow and tested its string. The wood creaked.

"A small amount of oil should revive it." He handed it to her. "But it will do for today, despite the condition."

Jesika didn't know much about bows or archery, but upon inspecting and testing it for herself, the bow looked brittle, to say the least. It felt as if it was waiting to snap. "If you say so," she muttered under her breath.

^v^v^v^

Together, Theron and Jesika exited the guild house and made their way out of the Cleft of Shadow.

It was late morning by this point, and a decent amount of people populated the streets. At first, Jesika didn't think too much of it, but as they walked, more and more eyes followed them. Never one to falter in the spotlight, she held her head high, trying to appear strong as she acknowledged the staring citizens as respectfully as possible. Unfortunately, her respectfulness didn't appear to matter; of the eyes that watched, many felt incredibly hostile. In fact, their anger was palpable. A shopkeeper even spat on her.

Jesika instinctually shrank into Theron's side, shocked at first, but her own anger quickly bubbled to the surface. "Hey!" she shouted. The ire in her voice was enough to get Duke growling, but before they could do or say more, Theron grabbed her wrist and pulled her away.

"Must you start trouble?" he hissed, releasing her.

"Me?!" she replied incredulously. "That fucker just spat on me!"

Theron goaned. "I am well aware of that. You should have kept walking instead of attempting to antagonize the man."

Jesika's eyes widened incredulously. "So, I should just let them disrespect me like that? I can't stand up for myself?"

"Yes! They are angry with Thrall for accepting a human and are likely looking for any reason to attack you."

The young woman hated to admit it, but Theron had a point. She studied his face a moment, curious as to what caused such clarity in an otherwise emotionally explosive personality, and found a touch of fear. Regardless of the driving force behind his thinking, he was right, so she kept quiet. That bit of fear seemed to vanish quickly, but Theron still appeared somewhat jumpy and on edge while they continued into the Valley of Honor. Of course, people still stared, but this time a few of them shouted obscenities as well as various phrases in languages she didn't understand. Jesika's confidence began to dwindle. The verbal assault was minimal, but it was enough to chip away at her feeling of safety. She reached for Theron's hand for reassurance; only, he had stepped out of arm's reach just enough to give the illusion that perhaps they weren't walking as a pair. Jes' throat tightened, but out of pure stubbornness, she resisted the urge to hang her head; she would not allow these people to see her as anything other than a human of unwavering strength.

Finally, they arrived at what Jesika recognized as the stables. A number of hunters waltzed in and out, some leaving behind or picking up a beast, while others stayed to practice on the available training dummies. Many a wary glare was cast Jesika's way but thankfully, these champions didn't care enough to waste their breath.

"This way," Theron said, veering off to an empty training alcove.

Jes trailed after him, nervously clutching her borrowed bow.

He handed over an arrow. "Let us test your aim."

"I'm shit with a bow…" she grumbled as she nocked the arrow. Her eyes swept down the dirt path ahead until she spotted the training dummy at the end of her little stone nook. With a quick inhale, she took aim and loosed her arrow.

It fell short less than halfway to her target.

Theron was disappointed to say the least. Jes didn't even have to see his face- she could feel his appalled stare.

"Again," he ordered. "This time, pull further back."

Ever obedient, the young woman nocked a second arrow and pulled until the old bow creaked and moaned in her hands.

"Loose."

The arrow whistled through the hallway- a powerful shot to be sure, but severely off course. It flew into the left wall, snapping upon impact.

Theron stood in silence for a moment and sighed. "Again."

They stood in that alcove for hours and shot arrow after arrow until Jesika's back and arms were screaming and Duke was chasing his tail out of boredom. "I'm sorry," she murmured, head low. "Maybe I'm not cut out for this, Theron."

The elf was staring wordlessly at the fruits of their labor: a myriad of arrows either stuck in the dirt or in splinters from run-ins with the walls. Of the few that managed to meet their target, only a fraction made a solid connection, and none of them made contact above the thigh.

"Theron?"

"Beast Masters rely on their pets more than their bows," he said, finally. "All you need to do is aim true one time, to mark your target for Duke, and leave the rest up to him."

Jesika's heart fell. "So, in other words, I just need to tag it and let my boy put his life on the line without reliable back up." She added sarcastically, "Sure, I can handle that on my conscience."

"Clearly, you don't have much of an option," Theron sniffed.

Jesika's hazel eyes narrowed. There was a sudden frigidness to them. "I don't know what's gotten into you, but I think I just need some practice, so why don't you go home and leave me to it."

"Do not be absurd," he scoffed. "You can not stay here alone."

"It wasn't a question," she stated icily. "Go home, Theron, and take your attitude with you."

His eyes widened. "Jesika, I... I..."

"Go home."

Theron's face contorted into a mixture of sorrow and frustration, as if he didn't understand what had just transpired. Regardless, he lifted his chin and left without another word, a white-knuckled grip on his own bow.

"Finally, some peace," Jes whispered.

Yet again, she took aim. Time dragged on and she began commanding Duke to fetch her arrows so that it might alleviate his boredom. It wasn't until she noticed blood seeping through her bandage that she remembered her forgotten chore. "Shit," she muttered, hastily sticking her arrows in an unclaimed quiver before taking off with her bow slung across her back.

Light was fading fast as she ran, sweat beading on her brow, toward the Valley of Wisdom. Jesika tried to stick to the growing shadows while Duke scampered at her heels. She didn't want to be visible when the hecklers decided to get bolder. The young woman ducked behind various huts and rocky outcroppings, all the while hoping that she could catch Aku before he arrived home. She rounded a corner and slid to a halt inches away from a matronly Tauren.

Jesika swallowed nervously and braced herself for a barrage of insults, but when she looked up, a pair of kind brown eyes stared back.

"Slow down, child," the Tauren cooed, her voice smooth and rich like a thick-bodied honey. "Where are you headed with such haste?"

"I... need... to see... Aku," Jes panted.

"He will be here soon, I'm sure." She placed a comforting arm around Jesika's shoulders. "Come, little one. Enjoy a cup of tea with me while you wait."

"That... sounds great, I love tea. My name's Jesika, by the way."

"I know who you are, Dear. You're the only human to step foot in this city as an ally."

"Somehow, I find that difficult to believe."

^v^v^v^

Fire crackled in the darkness, accompanied by the hum of idle chatter and cups being filled with drink. The Tauren woman, who eventually revealed herself to be Aku's mother, Mai, had been kind enough to include Jesika in a neighborly bonfire gathering. It took some time, but eventually the group became comfortable enough with her presence to stop their staring. Jes indulged in her third serving of tea; though her arm began hurting with the first cup and continued with each one following, every sip brought a wave of contentment as well.

A voice rose above the scattered conversations. "What's this?"

Jesika looked up to see Aku step into the firelight.

Mai smiled gently. "There you are, my son. We were waiting for you."

"Making yourself quite comfortable, Human."

Aku's statement hung like a steel ball in the air, and all eyes turned to Jesika. She shifted uncomfortably. "I was looking for you, but you never said where to meet. Mai suggested I wait for you here."

"Hmph." Clearly unhappy, he exchanged silent glances with Mai and the other Tauren, then walked off into the darkness. "Come, human," he huffed. Jesika leapt to her feet and hurried after him, Mai taking up the rear.

Just across the Valley's main road was a tiny hut- tiny for a Tauren, anyway. The doorway towered above Jesika's head as she followed Aku inside, abruptly anxious to be in such a tight space with such a massively powerful species of humanoid. Inside, three floor cushions that resembled colossal zabutons surrounded a short-legged table. Mai gestured to one of them, and Jes wasted no time in taking a seat. More than once, she opened her mouth to speak while Aku gathered herbs from various cupboards, then decided better of it; she hated the silence, but silence was far better than further angering the priest. While the minutes dragged on at an agonizing pace, Jesika's eyes flitted nervously about the hut. Unfortunately, the shelves and walls were devoid of decoration, save for two tapestries that depicted what Jes recognized as areas of Mulgore.

"Thunderbluff," the young woman whispered wistfully at the tapestry to her left.

Mai sat on the opposite cushion and smiled. "You recognize our Capitol?"

"I've always wanted to go there."

Aku ambled over, scattering the herbs on his dining table. "Any Alliance could recognize a Horde city, Mother." He drank a blue concoction that Jesika could only peg as a mana potion.

"I'm not Alliance," she corrected bitterly.

"Ah yes, my memory escaped me. You're simply a human from a different realm wherein the Alliance doesn't exist, yet the only inhabitants are also humans." The priest's acrimonious tone practically seeped through his hands as he begrudgingly removed Jesika's wound dressings.

"Is that really so far fetched? You have access to portal magic that allows you to travel to distant planets, but a different realm is too much to believe?"

Aku harrumphed. Green light began to gather at his fingertips and without warning, the Tauren placed them on her 'gift' from Laelani.

Jesika yelped as pain shot through her arm. "I've been… a supporter of… the Horde… since I was 9 years old," she growled through gritted teeth, trying her best not to clench and grind them.

This time, it was Mai who spoke: "How is that possible if you've never been to Azeroth, and the Horde and Alliance do not exist in your world?"

The pain only increased and it crossed Jes' mind that Aku was punishing her for speaking. Nevertheless, she responded, "Long story… Aku was there wh-" Jesika cried out. "-when I ex...plained to… Thrall." Much to her relief, Mai caught the hint and ceased her questioning.

When all was said and done, Aku observed his handiwork with plain displeasure.

"What is it?" Jes asked breathlessly.

"I can see no visible progress. The oozing has lessened, I believe, but it could just be drying…" Gruff as ever, he ignored her attempt to inquire further and grumbled, "Clean it daily with fresh water. We will meet here at sun down for tomorrow's session, and every one thereafter. Do not be late."

"I-"

"Goodbye, Human."

Mai smiled a silent farewell, to which Jesika dipped her head respectfully before scurrying back toward the guild house.

~Aku~

"You are too hard on her, my son," Mai admonished once the human was out of earshot. Even in frustration, her voice was tender.

Aku growled to himself. "She is human. Why should I be kind to such vermin?"

"She has a good heart."

"You do not know her, Mother," he replied in a softer tone, frowning deeply.

"Then why is she here, Aku? Why leave the safety of her homeland, her people, far from Azeroth and trade it for the company of those she knew would wish her dead?"

For the second time that night, Aku had no answer; instead, he sank his chin thoughtfully into his chest, arms crossed.

~Jesika~

She decided to take the lift to the plateau entrance rather than traverse the Cleft at such an hour. By the time Jesika managed to lower herself and Duke into the common area, everyone was in their rooms except one.

"Jesika!"

She jumped, nearly knocking over a wall sconce. "Theron, you scared the shit out of me!"

"I could say the same," he huffed. I have been awaiting your return and thought something may have happened considering how long you took!"

"Did you even go out and look for me?" Jes asked dryly, glowering beneath a single arched brow.

The hunter fidgeted in his chair beneath her penetrative gaze. "Well, no… not entirely."

"Then it sounds to me like you worried yourself." She lit a light by the cupboard and pulled out a hunk of bread. "I don't have a curfew."

"Perhaps we should establish one."

Jesika's slender shoulders stiffened and for a few tense moments, there was silence. Finally, she took a visibly deep breath and said, "Look, you're petty, I can tell. I can also tell that you genuinely care about my wellbeing." The young woman walked over to where Theron was sitting and took the seat opposite him. "So, I'm going to humor your request because it makes sense, but I am telling you right now that this whole 'treating me like a child' routine will not continue. You can care for me and be concerned for me without treating me as your subordinate or your kid." She left before Theron could respond.

^v^v^v^

Jesika stormed into her room and sat on her bed with a huff. She didn't understand what had gotten into that damn elf lately; first, he watches calmly while she goes toe-to-toe with a harpy, and then he can't handle her walking the city? It was frustrating, to say the least. She laid back with an exasperated sigh and promptly fell asleep with Duke nestled against her side, exhausted from the day's events.