Following Greymuck's trail was simplicity in itself. With so few trolls this deep in Alliance territory, Greymuck's distinctive racial spore should have stood out clearly. The night elven druids could have posed a problem had the hunter not planned for them. Any trace of the troll's trail was lost beneath scent of the fetid creature that ran with him. Whatever Zaebos had rolled in insured no elf was going to pick up the hunters tracks. The fact it was making Tohma nauseous was surely just an added bonus for the troll.

At times he considered switching back to his natural form just to escape the rank hyena's stench. Tempted as he was, Tohma knew he couldn't afford to do so. First off, he had too much ground to make up. Greymuck was unlike to wait long for him... if he waited at all. Secondly, there was no way Zaebos had gotten that vile accidentally. Since taurens were just as rare as trolls out here, it would be folly to foil the hunter's camouflage just to be able to take a breath without wanting to gag.

Once Tohma had cleared the human town he angled his path until he finally found a distance close enough to ensure he did not loose Greymuck's trace yet far enough to shield his sensitive feline nose. Able to breath freely for the first time all day, Tohma inhaled sharply and was nearly overcome by a wave of acrid smoke. The druid had come to the very edge of the human held lands. The rock beneath his feet was covered in soot, leeching it of its red tint. Blackened weeds and grey soil marked the end of the Redridge Mountains.

Before the druid stood a pair of massive gates standing partially open. Chains chimed and strands of hanging bones tapped together in the caustic breeze flowing from the Burning Steppes. Unable to bear the biting smog any longer Tohma resumed his tauren form. He started forward cautiously. From all the tales he had heard of this lava-filled land, he knew he had little hope of surviving anything he might encounter beyond the gate. Still, that was the way he must go to catch up with Greymuck.

He was only a few strides away from the boundary when his head snapped to the side due to a sharp blow from behind him. He caught sight of an arrow wobbling away after ricocheting off his left horn.

"I wouldn't be too hasty if I were joo, Mon," drawled Tohma's irksome cohort. Greymuck leapt from the top of one of the steep ridges which lined the trail. He must have either been here longer than Tohma had expected or had rolled about on the ash-encrusted rocks. His scarred flesh was coated making the already dusky skin nearly black. His hair which was usually a light grey, almost white in some lights, hung in pewter hued strands. With his scars darkened he lost his disturbing patchwork appearance and looked for the first time to the druid almost normal.

Of course normalcy ended quickly when his psychotic familiar ambled up to the hunter's side. The sight of the beast raise Tohma's ire even more than having its lunatic owner snap arrows off his skull. His back still throbbed occasionally since the fiend had attacked him. As much as he wanted to boot the grinning canine right in the chops, his keeper was much safer to confront. "A simple 'Hold up.' would have sufficed."

"Where's de fun in dat? 'Sides I been coolin' meh heels here for de better part of de day. Joo owe me one."

"Fair enough. So what is your plan to cross the wasteland ahead?"

All traces of humor dropped from Greymuck. The troll's stare burrowed into Tohma while his agile mind tried to wrap itself around this thoroughly inexplicable response. The hunter had expected defensive or reserved. Righteous or even cowed were highly possible as well, especially as the pun in the second one gave Greymuck a good long chuckle. Acceptance was so far off the potential reactions that the troll grew instantly suspicious. He knew the tauren had a noble streak but no-one was nice enough to shrug off witnessing that mutilation and the maniac fury that followed. Either the cow knew all along about him, making him the most accomplish spy or actor Greymuck had ever known or something very profound had occurred in the day and half they were apart. Greymuck was betting on the later but had no idea what it could have been. The cow was downright serene so there was very little chance of bullying him into spilling his secret.

Again the pun gave him a laugh and with it came the decision to let the mystery rest for the time being. The path ahead would be tough enough. Without cooperation their chances of both reaching the other side were close to non-existent. Since the furry rump-roast was willing to work with him at the moment, he might as well let the matter stand for now. Once they reached Kargath there would be time for some answers.

"De plan is simple. We run our asses off. While waitin' for joo I readied a good number of ice and frost traps. Good chance de will not be strong enough to stop most of de beasties ahead so if someting gets on our tail, don't joo slow up. Use joo roots only if I say so. Better to have dem pissed at me den joo. Got it?"

"Understood."

"Good. Zaebos and I will lead this part. Joo just make sure joo keep clear of anyting dat runs, crawls or flies. Let's go."

Greymuck quickly ran his hands over his gear, checking to make sure all was where it should be. Once he was satisfied the troll crept up to the huge portal. Even before he could see around the doors he knew something big lurked close by. Beyond the gate the ground was rent with long crevasses. These were filled bubbling lava. Even over noise of the popping magma, Greymuck could hear the distinct sound of stones grinding together. It had to be an earth elemental. It was close. Very close. And very big. Greymuck put up a hand to halt the druid and reached out with his mind to Zaebos.

"Be me eyes boy"

For one dizzying moment Greymuck stood in two places at once but then the spell resolved and the troll was looking at his own body. Able to see and direct his pet the hunter slipped closer to the edge of the gateway. Zaebos' eyes watered from the heat and smoke but looking around the mighty doors the two saw the large obsidian being wading through the molten rock just beyond the doors. As Greymuck had anticipated, the hyena did not attract the magma elemental's attention but the moment either he or Tohma stepped through it would be on them in seconds. It was time to see if his freezing traps would be any use in a land filled with boiling slag.

Returning to his own body he gave the druid his orders. "Ookey. Joo stay here a sec wit Zaebos. When I whistle for him joo come right behind him." Greymuck motioned for the hyena to sit and slipped into the burning landscape. In the scorching air his trap would not give them much time but it should hold the thing long enough for them to get over the narrow bridges and to someplace with some room to maneuver.

Greymuck had timed his approach for when the elemental was on far side of the lava pool. Setting the trap took barely a second. As the sizzling behemoth approached Greymuck readied a spell within his next arrow. If the trap failed the concussive force of the enchantment would slow the being down but it would only give them the slightest of head starts. As soon at the massive rock form noticed him and charged, Greymuck whistled for his two companions. Over the lip of the pit the elemental climbed straight onto the snare. Ice blasted upward sheathing the obsidian body in a frozen block. Waving the mutt and the bull ahead of him, Greymuck loped across the charred planks. His trap was melting far more swiftly than he would have liked but if it held for just a moment more they would be far enough away to make good an escape. The troll reached out with his senses and scanned the path ahead. There were a few things moving about off to the west but if they kept to the right they had plenty of room to ditch the elemental. Greymuck retook the lead and sprinted onward.

For the rest of the day the trio zigzagged through the desolate wasteland, moving ever northward. Greymuck's hunter senses found gaps between the packs of prowling worgs and creeping lava spiders. That night they climbed one of the steep buttes that rose from the ash-bound terrain. The heat of scalding rocks charred their gauntlets and soon the flesh beneath as well. Twice they had to pass Zaebos up to ledges beyond the reach of even his powerful bounds. Tohma was sure he would savaged the moment he placed his hands on the hyena. Strangely enough, it not only let him but the big brute actually seemed to go out of his way not to catch the druid with his claws. Too tired and pained too puzzle out what had changed at that moment Tohma knew that something had altered Zaebos' attitude towards him. When they finally reached the safe summit all three of them were hobbling badly. Tohma healed their burns while Greymuck heated dinner over a nearby magma flow. The troll spent the next few hours replacing the burnt out leather from their armor and gear. Unable to keep his eyes open much longer Tohma shifted into his ursine form and settle down on the flattest spot he could find. As he began to drift off he felt another furred form settle against his back. The tauren was stunned but even more so when he felt the Earth Mother presence over the beast. Ferocious or not, Zaebos was still one of Her children as was Her druid. Tohma fell asleep thinking for the first time that maybe, just maybe this discordant fellowship might have a chance to succeed.

The next day began early and proved no less grueling that the day before. It seemed that each mile the covered towards their goal consisted of twice as much distance skirting predators. Eventually the three neared the massive gray cliffs that walled the Burning Steppes from the land to the north. Tohma expected to see relief on the hunter's ravaged features but instead the troll looked more tense than ever. When Greymuck caught him staring he just looked past the tauren southward and whispered. "We be in deep dung, cow. Worgs caught our trail and dere ain't no quick way to dem rocks. Something big is right in our path. We go around and dem wolves catch us fer sure."

"So what do we do?"

"Dere be at least three worgs behind us but just one monster sized scorpid in front. Don't tink we got much choice. We got to try to trap de scorpid an bolt past it."

"I could shift into my cat form and try to slip past it. If I root it from the far side it could give us the some more distance."

"Not bad idea. If I can catch it inna ice trap once it breaks free, we might just make it. Joo sure joo won't be spotted. Cause if joo are we got no chance."

"Just point out to me where it is and I'll make it by."

"Ookey. Dis way." he replied leading them towards a bubbling crack in the earth. Tohma immediately saw why they could not evade the worgs by turning east or west. The ground was riddled with deep rifts of lava channeling the travelers to narrow route due north. Weaving amidst the fumes and molten stone skittered a gigantic golden scorpion. Tohma watched it for a moment to discern its meandering path before changing to his most stealthful of forms. He stole forward using his magics to blend him into the landscape. Unfortunately this meant he could only move ahead at a terribly slow crawl. For each foot he crept he was sure the hunting wolves must be covering many times that distance in their pursuit. Keeping as close to the rivers of magma as he could Tohma finally slipped past the venomous arachnid. For a moment he thought he was done for as it skittered quite near him but somehow his camouflage held. When he had reached the limit of his range to call the entangling roots he dropped his feline shape and cast.

The scorpid shrilled an enrage squeal and tore at the entwining tendrils. Greymuck wasted no time speeding past the chitious predator. He dropped a trap and followed Tohma's hasty retreat. They had only managed to cover half the distance to the cliffs when the beast ripped apart the last of its bonds. It triggered the ice trap but so great was its speed that the blast of ice only whitened its rear legs and did nothing to slows its charge. It ran right over the troll focus solely on the druid who attacked it. Greymuck flew sideways barely managing to halt himself at the edge of the lava filled rift. By the time he regained his feet the scorpid was only steps behind the tauren druid. Before Greymuck could cry out a warning, the deadly stinger lashed forward striking his companion high in the back. Tohma screamed as the poison flushed into his body. Before the rending pincers snagged his falling body a volley of arrows slashed into the creases behind the creature's neck. It turned only to meet the snarling hyena head on. Zaebos' powerful jaws actually cracked one of the armored claws with his first bite. The mangy beast lunged for the arachnids face but was hammered back when the uninjured pincer cannoned into his ribcage. Over and over the gigantic arms whelmed into Zaebos' head and sides. Greymuck released shot after shot hoping to drive a shaft through one of the creature's eyes and into its brain. Such was not to be. Zaebos fell stunned only a few strides away from the writhing druid. The scorpid turned on Greymuck. The hunter slowed it with a concussive shot but that only bought him seconds. He might be able to save himself but the cost would be Zaebos and Tohma. That was a price he would not abide.

As the stumbling Deathlash closed, Greymuck snatched a potion from his belt. Instead of uncorking and downing its contents, he jammed the entire bottle into his mouth. With practiced ease Greymuck slipped the bow into the open top case attached to his pack and drew his axe. He knew he had no chance against this foe in a toe to toe battle but that was not his intent. As the stunning spell wore off the scorpid lurched around the rim of the lava flow to reach the troll. Greymuck swung the axe with both hands and let it fly. The bladed weapon smashed into the armored brow blinding it for a second. That was all the troll need. Dodging to the right or left would not get him away from those slashing claws and retreat was not an option either. None of those were Greymuck's goal. Diving feet first the hunter slid under the arachnid's belly. Blinded by the axe blow the beast lost track of its prey until it felt itself being grasped from below. Before it could react Greymuck bit down on the vial in his mouth. Glass ripped into his cheeks and gums mixing his blood with the elixir of giant growth. As the potion swelled his body the troll launched himself upright, hurling both himself and his enemy over the edge of the boiling chasm. Using all of his newly acquired might he made sure the scorpid hit the magma back first below him. Even though this scalding terrain was its natural home there was a huge difference between hunting the borders of these rifts and landing directly into one of the deadly rivers. The beast screamed as the lava boiled it inside its shell. No matter how it thrashed Greymuck held it upside down, driving ever deeper into the burning flow. Only a few inches from the lava, his boots and cape burst into flames. The golden legs twitched once more as the scorpid's brain cooked and finally died.

Just before the lava ooze over the last of the monsters torso, the gigantic troll bound out of the chasm trailing flames from his legs and cloak. Without the elixir Greymuck could never have hurdled his way to the safety. While the potion lasted it was mere a long leap.

The danger was by no means past. Tohma convulsed on the ground frothing at the mouth. Zaebos collapsed time and again as he tried to regain his feet. From his towering height the troll could see the pack of worgs race across the wasteland towards his wounded comrades. The potions magic would not last much longer either. Scooping up Zaebos in one hand and the tauren in the other, he sprinted for the steeps wall of stone ahead. Just as he reached it Greymuck whipped himself around. The weight of his two allies swept him around so rapidly that when he released Tohma the tauren was launched high into the air. Continuing to spin, he hurled Zaebos right afterwards. Both flew over the rim far above. Completely off balanced, the giant troll crashed face first into the cliff-side. Even with ears ringing from the impact he heard the snarls and yips break the air. He was out of time. With no other course of action available to him, the hunter evoked the one skill he hated most. Reaching into himself, he stopped his heart.

Wolves naturally eat carrion but the smoldering humanoid before them reeked so thoroughly of death they shied away from it. The three bristling worgs snuffled about the now empty terrain confused. They would have happily devoured the dead scorpid but they could no more survive the lava to draw it out than the arachnid could. The scent of shrinking troll repulsed them and the other two trails ended without a trace. Dispirited they turned about and headed back to their normal hunting grounds.

From the feigned death, Greymuck sensed the worgs departure. He waited a second more to be sure they did not double back then snatched up his flask of water and doused his the last of the flames from his leggings. He needed to tend the burns on his arms, legs and feet badly not to mention the deep lacerations to his tongue and gums. Greymuck willed away the pain of these wounds as he needed to move quickly. The druid looked like he had succumbed to shock. If Tohma had not purged the venom within his oversized body, he'd be dead very soon. Limping to the cliff, the troll searched for a way up. After a few minutes he realized there was no way to reach the ledge he had thrown them to.

"Phah! Be just ma luck to save de big ox's hide and he die anyways. Not gonna happen. Hey Mutt! Where joo be?" Closing his eyes he opened the rapport he held with his pet. He caught a glimpse of Zaebos holding the thrashing druid from rolling off the shelf. Greymuck let go before he took command of the hyena's actions. Nether of them liked being controlled by other and long ago the hunter had learned that the animals of this world were far smarter than people, even other hunters, credited them for. He kept their minds connected though. "He's delirious. Snap him out of it. Bark, lick, hell bite him if joo have to, but get him aware and den get joor smelly butt to de edge. I need help up."

He listened to the scuffling from above for a minute until he heard the tauren howl in pain. "Oh Earth Mother! Zaebos you shít! What was that for!" Tohma continued to swear though with steadily less comprehensibly as Zaebos slumped down at the edge of the rocks above. "Ookey boy. Catch!" With practiced ease the troll hurled a coil of rope straight to the waiting jaws. "Now find someting to lean against. If joo tink joo you gonna go over, joo let go and we try again. Joo get dragged off and we done for. Me fallin on me arse we can live with. Go!" The rope would break long before it could be pulled out of those teeth but Greymuck worried the proud mutt might just hang on even if it meant getting pulled off the ledge. When he felt his friend's mind signal his readiness he began to climb. With steady pulls he scaled the rope careful not to jerk it in the slightest. He reached the top to find Zaebos had had used the only anchor he could find on the smooth perch. The rope was looped around the bulky tauren who still moaned in agony. The only difference was instead of clutching his wounded shoulder, the big cow was curled into a ball, cradling his privates and uttering feeble expletives while tears pouring from his eyes. Greymuck nearly lost his hold as he barked out a laugh. "Joo sure know how to get someone's attention boy. Good job!"

Greymuck wasted no time worrying about the tauren's future love life. He drew his dagger and quickly cut away the pierced leather armor. He then slashed the flesh beneath. Tohma moaned again. "Dat's right joo big cow, joo still alive. Now use joor damned magic and drive out de poison. If I have to do it joo are gonna regret it." The tauren mumbled and tried to pull away but Greymuck held him down. "Ookey. Have it joo way but joo don't getta pass out for dis either." he snarled. Slapping the furred muzzle with all his might he snapped the druid's head back. "Last chance tree-hugger. Joo gonna get dat venom out or do Zaebos an I get ta do it? Come here boy. Most o dis shoulder gotta come off. When I start cutting joo rip it back. Ready? One…" Two never came as Tohma slapped a glowing green hand to the festering wound. More black fluid spurted out of the holed flesh followed by a wave of green puss and finally dark red blood. "Knew joo could do it." uttered the hunter as he wrapped the wound in mageweave.

\Tending to Zaebos next Greymuck figured they'd be stuck here until at least until morning. His legs and hands were charred, and neither he nor Zaebos were going to be able to drag the beef pile over the mountains. He hoped they'd get lucky tonight. Just because the worgs didn't figure out where Tohma and Zaebos had gone did not mean all the other hunters here would miss them. One of those lava spiders would be up that crag in seconds. Tomorrow they'd have to press on no matter what shape the druid was in.