Chap 7II

"Sound the alarm!" Tialen shouted into the inner cabin of the watchtower, yet from the solemn innards came no response. The peons inside were either too engrossed into their card game or they thought him to jest. The Night Elf, whose eyes looked at them with as much malice as ever, decided to take control of the situation. She then walked over to one of the slacking Orcs and brought her backhand across its face.

"You stupid peon's. Man your posts!" She said with a succinct and commanding voice. The tiny Orc's thick skin prevented him form being hurt too much, but the act reminded him he was but a mere subordinate. With their obedience instilled by the archer, the peons sprang into preparation, without question. Though Tialen clenched his fists at the site of such reckless manhandling, he had to admit that that was the only way to command the less willful Orcs.

The spiteful archer turned her head to Tialen and let her eyes fall on him accusingly. Not only was her stare cold but it belittled away his sense of self-worth. Those were eyes which saw, not an equal warrior, but an inferior grunt. Their malignant stare seemed to find his expendability out of yearning.

"And what are you to do...human?". Tialen almost felt as if any response he would give wouldn't be good enough for her, but he brought his helmet-clad head up, and replied.

"What I will do is my duty, and at this time I must check the other Tower's." Before she could answer Tialen showed her his backside. The young swordsman then exited the watchtower, without response.

As he scrambled down the Tower's main ladder, Tialen only saw the sea of pallid ivory come closer. Able to make out the faint outlines of the mindless demons, Tialen could not deny the appearance of the scourge or its proximity. He quickly made his way, through the line of spiked-structures, till he found the one in which he had seen Feorie. As he approached it his heart began to pound. Whether it was because of the advancing army or the mysterious Sentinel he would meet again was unknown, but he could almost hear the sound reverberating inside the metal plates of his armor. He found the tower that he'd sought and quickly climbed it.

Pulling himself up the main ledge of the outer balcony of the structure he saw nothing but a rush of action. The peons were busy inside stringing cross bows, loading up on ammo, and checking the sites. The objective nature of the normally timid workers interested him, but it was not why he was there. His initial check of the outside ring and the inside cabin showed only the presence of the Green skinned workers, yet he was sure that this was the Tower she'd been in. In frustration he banged his head against the outer wall of the cabin, and his helmet made a loud thwack. A faint sound, almost resembling the creaking of an errant floorboard, fell upon his left ear. The young soldier turned his head to find an arrow fully drawn and aiming for his head.

"Why are you hear?" said the familiar voice behind the arrow. The Nigh Elf Ranger before him was not the coy nymph he'd found in the forests of Ashenvale, yet her eyes locked in on his perfectly level. Her face had the same stony expression as any other Sentinel, though it wasn't as accusing as the complexion on the other Night Elf he'd left. She remained perfectly still and the head of her arrow was turned so it would fly straight through the eye slit in his helmet. If she let go it would perfectly pierce his skull. Again she inquired,

"Why do you not perform your duty... soldier?". Almost baffled by Feorie's sudden change in character, he almost could not reply. As he stood there, with her arrow between his eyes, he felt so awkward that he was tempted to lose his balance. Tialen somehow mustered up enough strength to answer.

"A...Are you not the Elf I'd known from last night?".

:"Whether or not you find me to be familiar to you, we still have our duties to perform. If you do not perform yours and relay the messenger of the scourge's return and the fall of this outpost I...,."Feorie became feeble. Her emotion was bursting out of the seems and small splashes of it attempted to jar themselves free of her. Even her bow began to shake as she realized the ultimatum she was about to give, "I will let go."

Though shocked at the, the supposedly benevolent elf's, threat., Tialen slowly nodded. Uttering not a word he hung his head low and receded. Betrayed, and in a sense, defeated he walked to exit the tower. When placed his left foot on the upper rung of the ladder leading up the watch tower, Tialen again heard the voice of his kind archer, but it had reverted to sounding as soft as the finest silk, brushing against the back of his ear.

" and Tialen", he turned his head slightly as to be further caressed by her words, " Promise to find me again in the moons light?", He nodded as descended the tower.

Tialen ran and ran. By the time his ordeal had passed the scourge had come within feet of the tower. Though he escaped their onslaught he could her sounds of the outpost in defeat. The sound of claws scrapping wood and the squish of condensed body parts impacting on the structures bore tears in his heart, but he kept on. With every indication of the destruction of the outpost and the omen of the death's approach his pace quickened. Perhaps he thought that the faster he'd ran the sooner e would lay eyes upon the smile imbedded in his mind.…