Chapter 12

Grod was awakened from strained sleep by a splash of icy water. He sucked in foul, stale air; the fabric bag that covered his head imploding and expanding with each breath. Sound? There was no sound, and the only smell was his own breath, and his vision blinded by the damn bag.

Light flooded the orc's vision when the sack was ripped from his head. So much light: his formerly wide pupils painful withdrew into tiny black droplets. His vision came to terms quickly. He faced a night elf: tall, slim, with purple skin, dark green hair, one glowing eye and one covered with a patch. A distance from him, leaning nonchalantly against a wall, was a forest troll- its leaf green skin and beady eyes a constant unnerving presence.

"You win," the orc finally whimpered.

"Of course," the night elf said, speaking in orcish and touching Grod in a sickly tender way. "I knew it was just a matter of time. I can end your pain; all you must do is tell me what I want to know."

"Fine. But please. Kill me. Will you kill me?" the orc asked.

"Yes, but only if you speak the truth." The night elf took a seat before the quivering orc. "Let's start with my old friend, Cerberus Elfsbane."

"I will not lie."

"Then speak."

Grod swallowed as a tear wetted his eye. He prayed for the ancestors to forgive him for what he would do. "Cerberus Elfsbane is in Brill," the orc said weakly. "He is part of a special team. Covert operations. Special procedures."

"Who is on this team?"

"Four. There are four members. Taff Wolfhoof. Jonathon Eck. Cerberus Elfsbane. Aloos."

"Tell me about these creatures. Don't bother with Cerberus, I know him intimately."

"Wolfhoof is a tauren," he cried. "A shaman. The leader of the team. Eck is second in command. A priest and medic. Skilled with shadow magic. Aloos does the dirty jobs: assassination, that kind of thing. Very skilled too." The orc managed a harsh smile. "They'll kill you."

The night elf scratched his chin, as if he hadn't heard. "Is that everything you know?"

"Yes. Please. Stop the pain."

"Very well." The night elf turned to the troll that stood leaned against the wall. "Kill him."

The troll gave a smile as he drew the crudely crafted blade from his belt.

"Please don't tell Cerberus of what I've done," the orc begged.

"I can make no promise," the night elf responded as he left the room.

---

The boat sailed with a slow rocking motion, an ever-present shift that made Wonki feel sick to her stomach. Gnomes were not meant to sail: give her a train any day.

"How much longer?" she squeaked, finally when she could take the silence no more.

"Almost there," said the goblin captain, before giving a cackling laugh. He was only slightly taller than Wonki the gnome, with a hooked nose and green skin.

"You said that almost an hour ago," she whined.

"Well this time I'm telling the truth." The goblin cackled again.

"What's going to happen once we get there?" she asked.

"Well, the representative of the Horde will meet you in the neutral embassy. You know where that is right?"

"Wait a minute. You won't come with me?"

"Sorry hun. The agreement is you both go alone."

"But this is the Horde. They won't honor the agreement," she pleaded. "There's probably a dozen of them waiting for me. You can't just send me to die!"

"Then I bet you're kicking yourself since your working for the good guys now. By the way, I'm goanna need your wand."

"What?"

"No weapons, no back up. That's the rule."

"No," she pleaded. But he was unyielding. He folded thin arms across his chest until slowly the gnome took the wand from the baggy sleeve of her robe and gave it to the goblin.

It was another half hour before the ship slid to a halt in the dock of Booty Bay. Wonki shakily stepped out and onto the pier, struggling with her stomach not to puke. "We'll be here once you're done. Good look," the goblin snickered.

Quick as she could, Wonki made her way to the embassy of Booty Bay: one of the few places in the world where a member of the Horde and a member of the Alliance could meet on friendly terms. "Friendly," she laughed to herself. "I'm going to die."

She took a deep breath as she pushed her small form through the embassy's threshold. Her eyes widened. A gasp escaped her throat. "Oh thank the light it is you," she breathed.

"Been along time mon," Aloos laughed.

"Too long," she squeaked. "How is everyone? Cerb still got no tongue?"

"Yep. But how bout yours? Rendal still as delicious as ever?"

"Actually she had a few disagreements with our superiors. She left the Alliance forces about a year ago."

"Dat suck mon," she said. When he shook his head in disgust, his crimson pony tail brushed through the air. "Thirsty?" He crossed the barren room to a chest of draws, where hee pulled out a bottle of strong smelling liquor and two cups. He offered a full mug to the gnome, who took it cautiously. The troll threw his head back and drank down the burning vodka with a loud gulp. "Now mon, time for business. Da bloods ave formerly joined da Horde. Any attacks on em will be taken personally, ya get it? It'll be acts a war."

Wonki brushed the pink hair from her eyes. "Do you understand what this will mean? The night elves won't stop. It was bad enough when you took in the Forsaken…"

"Da Forsaken have acted wit valor an bravery," the troll said sharply. "Ya didn't seem ta mind when Eck saved ye life."

"Yes, but I'm not as open minded as the rest of the Alliance, just as you and your team aren't as accepting as the rest of the Horde. Al, things have been strained between our two factions. This could damn near be the stray that breaks the horse's back. This could lead to war."

"We ain't got a choice mon," the troll said, shrugging. Relationships will collapse eventually. Dis way we gots a new ally at least. War will come. Its inevitable." He sighed. "And don't call me Al. Dat's a damn human name."

Wonki laughed. "Sorry. There isn't anything you could do to try and convince your superiors differently right, this blood elf thing?"

"I'm a soldier mon."

"You got a night elf inducted into your team: that would take a lot of power."

"First, Lunn is Taff's mate. He's da one who got her on da Horde. Second, she stays cause she's valuable in intelligence. She stays cause she's useful."

"Al, this will lead to war. Do you understand? Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon."

Aloos took a chug of liquor. "Good bye mon," he smiled. "If we never see again."

"Well see each other again," the gnome assured. "I just pray its not on the battlefield.

"Ah, don't worry. When dat day comes, I'll make it quick."

---

Wonki and Aloos shook hands before departing. The gnome scurried off, disappearing into the swarms of various races. The troll was on his way to retrieve his raptor from the stables when he was greeted by an elf: tall, slim, with purple skin, dark green hair, one glowing eye and one covered with a patch.

"Aloos?" the elf asked. "Are you Aloos?"

"Yes," the troll said with suspicion. "I know ye mon?"

"Could you give a message to your associate, Cerberus Elfsbane?" he asked, ignoring the question.

Aloos placed a hand on the dagger kept in the sheath at the back of his belt. The other rested near the handle of his sword. "What be da message?"