Chapter 2

"We must go now. You fled," Eck said to the blood elf. "The Alliance will be searching for you. They'll find you here. We've got to get to the Undercity."

"No," Shaak blurted out rather stupidly. Then, calming his voice, he spoke. "Please, I left my sister behind in hiding. I said I'd be back. Please, we have to go back and find her."

"Apparently, ya don't understand ya predicament, mon," Aloos said in accented and butchered common. "See, we take ya to da Undercity where ya tell da Dark Lady everything ya know. Den ya spend da rest of ya life in a cell."

Cerberus chuckled lightly.

Shaak suddenly pulled Eck down and used him as a shield. The blood elf took the undead's wand and held it to his head. Cerberus lifted his rifle and Aloos drew his daggers. Pluto's body tensed and prepared to leap. The only one who didn't move was Taff, who stood quietly in the corner observing. "I'm not going anywhere until I know my sister is safe," Shaak said calmly.

"Your brave elf," Eck said. "I admire that. So many of your kind are cowardly pussies who rely far too much on magic. You've got some skill." He grabbed Shaak's arm and flipped him to the ground. Then, he thrust the tip of his staff into the blood elves throat. But see, we Horde are magic. Don't try to move the wand, I'll crush your throat long before you may harm me."

"Please," Shaak whimpered. "Do what you like to me, but she's just a child. She's too young to have taken arms against you. She's still an innocent in the war."

"Taff, Cerb," Eck said calmly. "Rescue is much more your department."

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How long she'd been hiding in this cramped little crawlspace she couldn't say. She wanted so desperately to leave, but she could sense the soldiers that pillaged her town remained: guzzling the drinks and slaughtering the livestock, and so she didn't dare move an inch. Not until her brother returned. He would return, after all. He would return with an army of fellow blood elves, and they would kill these night elves that now occupied her town. They would show no mercy, just as no mercy was shown to them.

Outside: gunshots and the clanging of steel. Her brother! Shaak had returned at last, just as he'd promised. Screams that could only belong to night elves: her side was winning. Cries and shrieks and the sound of death: all for the Sentinels. She couldn't help but smile at the thought of her brother, valiantly slaying his enemies. She thought of him holding her and how safe she was in his arms.

The sudden silence made her jump.

The front door of her house opened with a gentle creak. Her brother's voice didn't fill her ears, so she didn't leave her safety. But curiosity still burned with in her. Risking everything, and summoning all the courage her young body posed, she peaked through a hole in the floor to glimpse at the intruder.

Nothing at first but a muscular silhouette: a vast, featureless darkness. It couldn't belong to a fellow blood elf, even one with heavy armor. What could be that big?

The sun light that shone through the window illuminated the inside of the house. She noticed features above her: grey fur, horns, a short tail, hooves. Cynthana cupped her hand over her mouth to muffle a gasp. Mentally, the young elf tried to slow her pounding heart, fearful it would reveal her position under the floor boards. It was a tauren; a primitive, feral race of the Horde, and if it found her…She shuddered.

Cynthana had survived her town's slaughter only to die at the hands of a monster. She wished the night elves had found her; fore they'd of killed her quickly. But the Horde, she had heard horror stories about the Horde. They wouldn't just kill her, they would do things that would make her plea for death.

No, she thought suddenly. She had survived the night elves. This beast couldn't have the intelligence to find her if a group as cunning as the Sentinels couldn't. She would stay hidden, and when her brother came, he'd kill the tauren and she'd be free. She would survive.

A huge fist punched down a foot from her nose. Massive hands pulled the weak floor boards up so she was completely exposed to the tauren. She kicked and thrashed as thick fingers plucked her up by the collar and held her level with the bull's face.

Cynthana could think of nothing else to do. She bit into a furry arm.

It had the same effect a mosquito would have on an ogre. The tauren chuckled as she vainly gnawed on his leather skin. He gently took her in his other hand (she could probably sit in his palm) and put her on the ground. Kneeling, his superior height didn't seem quite as substantial. "Taff," he said slowly, pointing to his worn tabard. "Cynthana?" he asked, pointing at her.

"Y-yes," she whimpered. "My name is Cynthana Sungrass."

The bull seemed satisfied and went about searching through the houses shelves and cabinets. He ignored her and she thought of leaving. What a ridiculous thought, she wouldn't get far before the tauren came down on her with his entire wraith. When he unearthed a loaf of bread the greedy night elves must have missed, Cynthana's mouth began to water. She hadn't eaten in a day. Her stomach roared louder than she thought possible.

The bull smiled down at her as he offered the bread. Cynthana, confused, didn't move. Would he pull it away if she tried to take it? Would he savagely scarf it down if she showed interest? She put nothing past the beast. But, she decided a chance was better than nothing and slowly extended her hand. The tauren didn't move. Her fingers brushed the crust of the bread and the bull didn't take it away. Cynthana took the loaf and the tauren only smiled.

When she had finished the bread, the bull opened a massive fist and gave her a stone, one that had belonged to her brother. She took it eagerly and satisfied another hunger; a thirst for magic. Blood elves had developed a method of storing satisfying amounts of the arcane in small gems. When desperate, one could drain the stone of its power.

"Take you to Shaak. Not hurt, Shaak fine with us. Shaak send to find you," the tauren grunted in broken English, but the message was clear. They had her brother. "You come?"

The tauren had no reason to lie to her. He could easily force her to do anything simply by his size. And he seemed genuinely kind and gentle, and so she smiled nervously and said: "yes."

"Don't look," he said, picking her small, young body up into powerful arms and taking her out of the house. "Many elves of night dead don't look."

Cynthana closed her eyes as the bull brought her into hot sun, it felt wonderful on her skin. She could hear the squishing of body's beneath his heavy hooves: no doubt the corpses of the elves responsible for her town's murder. She giggled inside.

Her elongated ear was pushed against his warm furry chest and she could hear his deep heartbeat. She hadn't slept in a day as well; always awake and fearful the night elves would find her. But now this bull, this tauren, this Taff was going to take her to her brother and with him she'd be safe. She fell asleep in his arms.

Taff returned to the outskirts of the town where Cerberus awaited. The attack had been swift and merciless. First, Cerberus picked off as many of the Sentinels as he could. The night elves had spent the past day eating and drinking, and so were not prepared for such a sudden assault. Simultaneously, Taff went through the town, slaying the night elves that attacked him as the orc continued to provide cover from above. It was mere moments before the Sentinels who had massacred their elven brethren lay dead as well.