CHap. 7 I
For the first time, in many a fortnight, Tialen could feel the sun's radiance without burden. He was assigned to travel to one of the Orc's farther tower outposts and report back if danger arose, but most of the warriors doubted the scourge would return soon. The morale at the encampment had awakened his strength, and he reached the cluster of towers in no time. They were simple structures, and almost resembled skeletons. Despite this, memories of charging them arose. Many a time he had had to storm an Orc base, and the bolts had flown at him like a swarm of bees. If he'd not been trained with his kite shield he would have found him self with a few extra" ventilation holes". Still they were docile now and he quickly climbed into the nearest one.
Inside sat a cluster of peons playing a card game unknown to him. When he entered they looked confused by his arrival. Being Peons, of course, they had that expression permanently frozen on their faces. He did not disturb them greatly and they quickly resumed to thier card game. He still did not want to spend his time there bored, and even the company of peons was enough to satisfy him. He even found them comical at times. Tialen offered his hand.
" I great you but I know not orcish," He said in what little he knew of thier tongue. He then switched to Human"Hello". Despite their limited intelligence, one of the peons grasped his hand. He did not know to shake it, instead he inspected it for food. Dismayed, that there was none he quickly threw it away.
"Why you greet me with with nothin?!", the peon said, both peeved and annoyed.
"I'm sorry", Tialen replied while forcing an innocent smile," Perhaps this will do." Tialen reached into his pockets and produced a small crytaline piece of quartz he'd found in his boot.
"Ooh, me like. It for eating?". the peons said in astonishment. Its eyes were open wide with curiosity. The nameless peon prodceded to bite down on the rock.
"No! It is not for eating", Tialen said before the peon could chip a toth on the quartz crystal. The stopped, not before he could at least taste the crytal. his face still bore an expression of disaointment.
" Okay, but it still prety. Me Grug and you good human. Come play cards with us?"
"Sure".
The runty Orc led them into thier circle, and they attempted to teach them. Despite thier poor Human Tialen managed to learn most the game's rules. It was simple yet required some skill. He was surprised they could beat him consecutively, but he'd expected they play often. The life of a peon, when not toiling away at monantonous labor, must get very boring.
As he played Tialen's thoughts still gnawed on the back of his mind, and the image of Feorie lingered in his head. When he had looked at her he was fill with curriosity, intrigue, and dumbfoundedness, like a peon staring at anything shiny , yet what had he truly known of her? Even his recollections of her were fuzzy, for when he truly had seen her, Azeroth had one of its darkest nights. All he remembered was the outline of her faced, the soft hue of her eyes, and that her gaze met his perfectly. He pondered if he was too humbled by the Night Elves to ever stare at them face to face. They were as secretive as the wild's and just as distant. Even thier leafy adornments made them even more as incarnates of nature. What could he be but a "pig-skinned" human. His home life had been simple and he would have never imagined being accepted by even one of them. Feorie was special, and knew there was alot more to her than a being a beautiful voice in the middle of nowhere. From what he'd seen of how she was treated by the other Night Elves he could have even deduced her to be somewhat of an outcast, yet she bore not a depraved thought in her head, beyond this she was sweeter than most other Sentinels. Yet this could very be the cause for her ostracism. The Sentinels were a somewhat unnaccedpting society, and one who deviated from this might be shunned. Still she had maintained a spirit stronger than anyof them, in front of all thier cynicism.
"She doesn't deserve that." He said under his breath, almost unaware he was talking out loud Instantly the peons looked at him confused. Thier ears were better than he thought.
"Huh?", Asked Grug.
" Nothin.. Erm, go fish" luckily they had no Idea what his outburst meant. He didn't think he should contemplate, in length, about a Night Elf, and neither should anybody else know, even peons.
Before he could have decided his next move, he heard a voice all too familiar.
" Befriending Peons? You, humans never cease to amaze me," It insulted both sarcastic and disgusted. Tialen turned tom see the somewhat familiar expression of the more ornery of his former rescuers. Irony andshock struck him. He'd not even heard her approach and thier was not a sound inside the watchtower to impede his hearing. Still, she stood thier in an imposing stance, inspecting and look down at him. Tialen tried to smile at her but the Night Elf merely returned him a more menacing gaze.
"Wh.. What are you doing here?" Tialen asked innocently enough. She hestitated, as though she thought he even deserved a reply.
"If you must know, human, I am here to boost our outer defenses. My priestess knows that peons with crossbows are not suffficient deturent." Tialen knew that to be false, but another thought crossed his mind. If the snide archer who he'd first met was stationed in this tower. Then, somewhere in the other towers, must be...
"Feorie!", he shouted excited. The spiteful sentinel almost rocked back, confused that he knew her name. Instantly Tailen rushed to the outer balcony and leaned against the banister to survey the other towers. Sure enough he ssaaaw the Night Elf searching the horizon for danger. She was not in the more carefree mood he had known of her, instead she assumed the typical Militaristic poise. He still recognized her as short as ever, relatively, and he could see her in full daylight, though from a distance. Though he knew he nay admit it, she was as beautiful as ever. Tialen wished to call to her, but before he could he noticed her long ears were twitching and she turned to look at the south. Immediatley he looked to the archer with him and she was agitated as well. Tialen then looked in the same direction, yet he saw and heard nothing. Even the forests surrounding them were calm, yet calm they were. They were not at peace, because the young soldier would expect the normal assortment of forest sounds to emanate. They were devoid of such, and there was a stillness in the air. The same stillness he'd experienced before the expedition fleet had entered the Maelstrom. In between his underclothes and his armor, damp pools of sweat formed. His body knew what was to come, but he wished not listen to it. It was correct, and Tialen soon saw a sea of bony white appear in the far...
For the first time, in many a fortnight, Tialen could feel the sun's radiance without burden. He was assigned to travel to one of the Orc's farther tower outposts and report back if danger arose, but most of the warriors doubted the scourge would return soon. The morale at the encampment had awakened his strength, and he reached the cluster of towers in no time. They were simple structures, and almost resembled skeletons. Despite this, memories of charging them arose. Many a time he had had to storm an Orc base, and the bolts had flown at him like a swarm of bees. If he'd not been trained with his kite shield he would have found him self with a few extra" ventilation holes". Still they were docile now and he quickly climbed into the nearest one.
Inside sat a cluster of peons playing a card game unknown to him. When he entered they looked confused by his arrival. Being Peons, of course, they had that expression permanently frozen on their faces. He did not disturb them greatly and they quickly resumed to thier card game. He still did not want to spend his time there bored, and even the company of peons was enough to satisfy him. He even found them comical at times. Tialen offered his hand.
" I great you but I know not orcish," He said in what little he knew of thier tongue. He then switched to Human"Hello". Despite their limited intelligence, one of the peons grasped his hand. He did not know to shake it, instead he inspected it for food. Dismayed, that there was none he quickly threw it away.
"Why you greet me with with nothin?!", the peon said, both peeved and annoyed.
"I'm sorry", Tialen replied while forcing an innocent smile," Perhaps this will do." Tialen reached into his pockets and produced a small crytaline piece of quartz he'd found in his boot.
"Ooh, me like. It for eating?". the peons said in astonishment. Its eyes were open wide with curiosity. The nameless peon prodceded to bite down on the rock.
"No! It is not for eating", Tialen said before the peon could chip a toth on the quartz crystal. The stopped, not before he could at least taste the crytal. his face still bore an expression of disaointment.
" Okay, but it still prety. Me Grug and you good human. Come play cards with us?"
"Sure".
The runty Orc led them into thier circle, and they attempted to teach them. Despite thier poor Human Tialen managed to learn most the game's rules. It was simple yet required some skill. He was surprised they could beat him consecutively, but he'd expected they play often. The life of a peon, when not toiling away at monantonous labor, must get very boring.
As he played Tialen's thoughts still gnawed on the back of his mind, and the image of Feorie lingered in his head. When he had looked at her he was fill with curriosity, intrigue, and dumbfoundedness, like a peon staring at anything shiny , yet what had he truly known of her? Even his recollections of her were fuzzy, for when he truly had seen her, Azeroth had one of its darkest nights. All he remembered was the outline of her faced, the soft hue of her eyes, and that her gaze met his perfectly. He pondered if he was too humbled by the Night Elves to ever stare at them face to face. They were as secretive as the wild's and just as distant. Even thier leafy adornments made them even more as incarnates of nature. What could he be but a "pig-skinned" human. His home life had been simple and he would have never imagined being accepted by even one of them. Feorie was special, and knew there was alot more to her than a being a beautiful voice in the middle of nowhere. From what he'd seen of how she was treated by the other Night Elves he could have even deduced her to be somewhat of an outcast, yet she bore not a depraved thought in her head, beyond this she was sweeter than most other Sentinels. Yet this could very be the cause for her ostracism. The Sentinels were a somewhat unnaccedpting society, and one who deviated from this might be shunned. Still she had maintained a spirit stronger than anyof them, in front of all thier cynicism.
"She doesn't deserve that." He said under his breath, almost unaware he was talking out loud Instantly the peons looked at him confused. Thier ears were better than he thought.
"Huh?", Asked Grug.
" Nothin.. Erm, go fish" luckily they had no Idea what his outburst meant. He didn't think he should contemplate, in length, about a Night Elf, and neither should anybody else know, even peons.
Before he could have decided his next move, he heard a voice all too familiar.
" Befriending Peons? You, humans never cease to amaze me," It insulted both sarcastic and disgusted. Tialen turned tom see the somewhat familiar expression of the more ornery of his former rescuers. Irony andshock struck him. He'd not even heard her approach and thier was not a sound inside the watchtower to impede his hearing. Still, she stood thier in an imposing stance, inspecting and look down at him. Tialen tried to smile at her but the Night Elf merely returned him a more menacing gaze.
"Wh.. What are you doing here?" Tialen asked innocently enough. She hestitated, as though she thought he even deserved a reply.
"If you must know, human, I am here to boost our outer defenses. My priestess knows that peons with crossbows are not suffficient deturent." Tialen knew that to be false, but another thought crossed his mind. If the snide archer who he'd first met was stationed in this tower. Then, somewhere in the other towers, must be...
"Feorie!", he shouted excited. The spiteful sentinel almost rocked back, confused that he knew her name. Instantly Tailen rushed to the outer balcony and leaned against the banister to survey the other towers. Sure enough he ssaaaw the Night Elf searching the horizon for danger. She was not in the more carefree mood he had known of her, instead she assumed the typical Militaristic poise. He still recognized her as short as ever, relatively, and he could see her in full daylight, though from a distance. Though he knew he nay admit it, she was as beautiful as ever. Tialen wished to call to her, but before he could he noticed her long ears were twitching and she turned to look at the south. Immediatley he looked to the archer with him and she was agitated as well. Tialen then looked in the same direction, yet he saw and heard nothing. Even the forests surrounding them were calm, yet calm they were. They were not at peace, because the young soldier would expect the normal assortment of forest sounds to emanate. They were devoid of such, and there was a stillness in the air. The same stillness he'd experienced before the expedition fleet had entered the Maelstrom. In between his underclothes and his armor, damp pools of sweat formed. His body knew what was to come, but he wished not listen to it. It was correct, and Tialen soon saw a sea of bony white appear in the far...