Disclaimer: I do not own WOW, its subsidiaries, or anything that might give me more of the cash I desperately need. (JK!)

Chapter 9: Tal'wynn

The journey out of the tainted gorge was considerably quieter than the voyage in. Utilizing the opening created by Malvon's dramatic entrance, the party gained a faster way to the open desert plain. Torgan and Kazuk had remounted their wolves, and the graceful animals moved swiftly yet silently toward the east, followed closely by the Blademaster, who still chose to go on foot. The great Kodo beast lumbered after them, guided by the firm yet gentle hand of the Shaman. Braun had remained locked in his customary silence, though he had grunted something of a greeting to Malvon before settling down upon the Kodo's back.

Sethrezin had said nothing since he had clambered atop the Kodo. Malvon sensed something different in the human, a weariness he had not noticed before. The three orcs seemed different as well in their attitude toward the unusual wanderer. Shokan viewed the human more suspiciously than before, the Blademaster's hand never very far from his weapon's hilt. Kazuk might well have been made of chiseled stone, for he had said nothing since signaling the party to move. Torgan behavior was most unusual. The young warrior seemed subdued, almost lethargic, moving mechanically on the back of Shadowmane. Every now and again, he would toss a glance in the direction of the lumbering Kodo, though the distance was to great to read the Orc's expression. Something had transpired between the orcs and Sethrezin, though none would say anything. Malvon knew he would get nothing from Braun, so the shaman had let the Tauren warrior be. A turning point had been reached, and the human was now somehow…more than what he had been.

Malvon was more intrigued about the group's unusual new passenger. The little troll/elf girl had drawn his curiosity, but he had seen the shining terror in her small, wide eyes. The Tauren mystic was knew very well the evil of the centaur, and though he was known to be slow to anger, he felt his own rage swelling at the thought of what that child had witnessed. Strangely enough, in so short a time, it seemed that she had latched onto the group's wayward member. She had not left Sethrezin's side once since he had rediscovered his comrades. Swathed in the human's white cloak, she had drifted off to sleep still clinging tightly to Sethrezin's pant's leg, as if he had become her anchor to sanity. The girl whimpered now and then, plagued by memories of whatever it was she had seen.

Malvon was a teacher, a Tauren mystic who spoke to the young ones about the wonder and majesty of the natural world. He was also a father to five calves, each of whom he cared for more dearly than his own life. He watched over his charges with a firm yet kind hand. Many of the young tauren of Thunder Bluff knew of the Windstrider, and he was seen as a father to more than just his own offspring. He had known the girl for only a few hours, but he cared for her as he would his own. Glancing once more back to her sleeping form, the shaman made a silent vow. As long as he still drew breath, this child would never again know the terror he had seen in her eyes. Turning his attention back to the road ahead, Malvon gazed joyfully at the first red streaks on the horizon, heralding the coming of the new dawn.

OOOOO

She could feel the shadows closing in on her. All around, she heard things. Horrible things, terrifying things. They were getting closer, always closer. She tried to run, but her legs wouldn't move. Frozen to the ground in fear, she stood alone in pitch black, and heard the evil things in the shadows draw near. Clomping footsteps, harsh, guttural grunts and jeering laughter echoed all around her. Nothing she did could shut out the sick terror which settled in her heart.

Mama and Papa weren't there. She couldn't find them. She tried to scream for them, but no sound came out. Where were they! Were they safe. They had said they would always be together! She had never been alone, never without Mama and Papa. They were always nearby. Where had they gone?

She felt something then. Something touched her on the crown of her head. That simple touch broke through the fear, the frozen terror she had felt. She opened her mouth and screamed.

And screamed…and screamed.

OOOOO

"NOOO!" the troll/elf girl bolted upright, her lavender eyes stretched wide with fright. Her three-fingered hands were clenched into tight fists, swinging at anything in reach. The nightmare had been so intense and vivid she continued to scream after she was well-awake, her young voice filling the dawning sky with her terror. "STAY AWAY!"

Seconds later she felt strong pressure on her shoulder, and turned quickly with her small fist, striking out in defiance. When her fist connected with something hard and solid, she felt some small satisfaction through the fear when the pressure relaxed slightly. Yet it was fleeting, for her fear came back and she continued to struggle. All she knew was that she had to get away, she had to hide, or they would find her again. Then a deep yet quiet voice cut through the dim shadows, sparking her curiosity.

"It's all right, child," it said in soothing tones. "You are safe now. We won't hurt you."

The voice continued to speak reassurances, and as it filled her young ears, she slowly stopped struggling, and began to take stock of her new surroundings. She was wrapped in a luxurious cloth, so white it looked like it was shining. It covered the remnants of her tattered clothes, and flowed out onto a thick, leathery surface that seemed to be moving. Surprised but too frightened to be alarmed, the she realized she was on the back of one of the huge lizards she had seen while traveling with Mama and Papa. Moving her head up, she followed her ears to the source of the voice. As she became accustomed to the dim light, her eyes widened in wonder. The creature who filled her eyes now was like none she had seen before.

Its skin was a very light brown, the color of the beach sand Papa had shown her once. The ears were small, only extending out a short distance from its head. The hands that gripped her shoulders had five digits, like her mother's, but thicker and with shorter fingers. The hair was very long, falling across its back and hanging in two tendrils across the forehead, and it shimmered like the light of the full moon. Yet most amazing of all were the eyes. They were golden yellow, so bright they almost seemed to glow in the dim morning light.

She had never seen such eyes. Her mother's eyes had been dark blue, and her father's black as night. In that instant, as her young eyes gazed into the twin jewel-like orbs of this strange being, she remembered everything. It had carried her out of the bad place; out of the shadows which had taken Mama and Papa. She remembered seeing them in the dim light of the monster's hut. Though she was young of years, she knew well the presence of death. As she remembered, the horrible truth began to fully assert itself within her.

Mama and Papa were gone. They were never coming back.

As her nightmare had shown her, she was all alone. Her shoulders began shaking again, and her head dropped to stare at the Kodo's back beneath her feet. As she began trembling so hard that she began to shudder, the pressure on her shoulders increased slightly. On a broken sob, she once again threw herself against the tall form and clung. Though she sobbed heavily, no tears moistened the gray robes of her savior. She had cried herself dry.

"It will be all right child," the golden-eyed creature said in a quiet, soothing voice. "I promised that you would be blessed with better fortune."

As she held on tightly to the gray clothes of her rescuer, she felt its arms circle around her shoulders, and held her lightly. Though she was alone, and lost in a strange place among bizarre beings, in that instant, she felt safe, protected by the odd creature's strong arms. Slowly, she ceased her sobbing, and her trembling quieted. It was some time before her savior spoke again.

"What is your name child?" he asked softly. It almost seemed as if he did not expect an answer, and simply wished to satisfy his curiosity. She said nothing

"My name is Sethrezin, though some call me Seth. You can too if you like."

Still nothing. The girl would not speak.

"You have never seen a human before have you child? I can understand your fear."

She felt no fear when she raised her head and looked once more into the creature's eyes. Instead, she felt very much at ease, safe and secure within the circle of his arms. In fact, it felt much like it did when Papa held her, on nights when the shadows were darker than others. In that respect, she felt some similarity between her father and this strange being with the golden eyes. And in some small corner of her heart, past all the anguish and the fear, a small glimmer of hope and trust flickered to life.

"Tal…Wynn." she said slowly, in a quiet, hesitant voice.

"Hmmm?" came the reply, more a questioning sigh than anything else.

"My name…" the girl replied, "My name is Tal'Wynn."

Seth smiled warmly, gazing into the child's lavender eyes. He moved one hand to rest lightly on the crown of her head.

"Wynn then. May I call you Wynn?"

His response was only slight nod of the girl's head, and for a fraction of an instant, he thought he small the faint glimmer of a smile.

From the reins of the Kodo, Malvon looked back at the human and child, and the shaman's eyes warmed with silent pride and joy.

OOOOO

The morning came swiftly after the crack of dawn, and the three orcs that rode ahead of the small party met it with mixed reactions. So much had transpired in the course of a single night that the three of them were each at a loss. The demon centaur had apparently been defeated, but the cause of their corruption was still unknown. Sethrezin's past as an agent of the Burning Legion was partially revealed, but still left so many questions unanswered. Most baffling of all was the strange troll/elf child which seemed to have silently attached herself to the party. While Kazuk would never have left the child in that evil place either, he did not know what could be done with the child. The Darkspear trolls of Sen'jin were proud warriors and devoted to the cohesion of the tribe, Kazuk doubted they would easily accept the offspring of a troll/elf pairing, which was taboo in the minds of trolls and elves alike.

"Once we reach Razor Hill," said Shokan, breaking the silence, "I must remain. I will send word to the Warchief of what has transpired."

"Very well," replied Kazuk. "Send word of the centaur and the battle, but say nothing of Sethrezin."

"What?" cried Shokan "The Warchief must know! He must decided what is to be done!"

"The Warchief ordered us to meet with the trolls and Tauren, and we will obey! A warrior does not leave his task unfinished."

"But you heard him yourself Kazuk," Shokan pressed on. "The human said he was one of Kil'jaeden's minions. How do we know this isn't just a trap to avenge the Legion's defeat?"

Kazuk had thought of that himself too, after learning of Sethrezin's past. He still was in a state of shock that the human had once been part of the demonic army which had destroyed Draenor, and had nearly consumed Azeroth. But then he remembered that Seth had also felt Mannoroth's burning blood within his viens, and shared the bloodlust that swept through the orcs like an evil plague. The horde had suffered much at the hands of the Burning Legion, transformed into living weapons of war. But this single human had lost just as much, if not more. The orcs had lost their noble spirit and proud lineage. Sethrezin had lost his soul. Although the old warrior felt betrayal at the human keeping such a past secret from the Warchief and the Horde, Kazuk could not bring himself to hate him.

"Warchief Thrall instructed us to protect the human, even if we must protect him from himself."

"Tell me old soldier," said Torgan, the first words the young orc had said since emerging from the centaur canyon. "Do you think we can trust the human?"

Kazuk turned slightly to regard Torgan more closely. The brash warrior had been oddly subdued since their return to the open plain, and Kazuk doubted it was fatigue. Ever since Sethrezin had almost single-handedly destroyed the bulk of the centaur tribe in the canyon, not to mention saving his life, Torgan had been strangely unnerved. Kazuk did not have an answer.

"Time will answer that question." Kazuk replied. "Until then, we will complete our mission. We will regroup with the delegation in Razor Hill, and continue to Sen'jin village. When we return to Orgrimmar, the Warchief will decide what to do with Sethrezin." Kazuk fixed Shokan with a hard look, and added,

"Understood?"

"Understood," muttered Shokan, unsatisfied, but wise enough to know when to be silent.

Their conversation ended, and the three orcs resumed their trek across the wastes of Durotar. The sun was just cresting the horizon, and the temperature began to rise rapidly. In the distance, the smoke rising from Razor Hill could be seen, and the spires of the watch towers were barely visible in the brightening morning light.

This chapter is shorter than the other I know, but I think it is better to end it here than create confusion in the next chapter. We'll be getting back on topic, and things will get a little more action oriented. We have seen a party-sized element in combat, but what would a real battle look like with a powerhouse like Sethrezin in charge? And what of our hero's new charge? Wynn is going to be a BIG part of the story, but in what way even I don't know. Thanks for all your reviews, and this story will continue as long as you want it to. Until next time!