Heat still rose from the scorched earth beneath Gylledra's boots even though a night had come and gone. Malfurion had sacrificed the immortality of his people to save not only themselves, but all of Azeroth. She wondered distantly if the powers of Nordrassil had reached the Nightborne beneath their shield or if the Nightwell held sole dominion there.
Most importantly, Archimonde was dead…igniting the power inside the World Tree had incinerated him; now, all that remained, were his bones and the warm ashes she stood upon. The shadow of his existence had long loomed over her, it felt almost strange to be free of the darkness he had cast on her existence. Few demons had impacted her as directly as he had.
"It is truly over." Came Varok's voice, from behind her.
"This battle, yes…and Archimonde…he is never coming back." She murmured. "The war will be over when Sargeras falls…hopefully we have time now to better prepare for the next time they invade."
"You'll never have to endure whatever he…"
"Torture." Gylledra turned and saw his stunned expression. He'd likely guessed at that already, but she knew it was still a shock to learn of such things in certainty. "Every time I was captured I was tortured…but…it doesn't matter now."
"Doesn't matter?" Varok frowned.
"He is dead…and I am not, and I will sleep easier knowing that not I nor any other will be at his mercy again." She scuffed one boot in the ash. "Now, we move on…we make a home in this world and we live our lives, preparing until they come back." It seemed strange, the possibility that there might be at least some happiness in store for her, that she might live to enjoy her life, even if it was temporary, it was more than she had imagined for herself before.
"You're right. The Horde will build a city, a home of our own." Varok put a hand on her shoulder. Could we truly make a home together? She wondered. She wanted that very much, quite a lot more than she had let herself admit before. When it was possible that they would die, she had pressed down all her hope, ignoring it to try and prevent regret.
"So you want me to stay?" The question slipped out before Gylledra could stop it, but there it hung between them, Varok's brows raised in surprise and confusion.
"What?" He blinked, looking at her like she'd grown a second head…as though she should have known. "Of course I want…" He seemed almost flustered. Perhaps she should have known, perhaps that assumption came part and parcel with what they had said to each other that night on their "hunt". Her body gave an involuntary and not altogether unpleasant clench at the thought. Without impending battle against demons hanging over them, there was much more time for…whatever it was that people who were together did. What did go on between couples, she wondered, besides the obvious? Her feelings for Varok encompassed a great deal more than what was between his legs, though now, since the thought had presented itself, she was having a little trouble thinking of much else.
"Oh, good." Gylledra murmured, willing the topic to change.
"That…was a concern?"
"Well, I don't know the protocol." She felt a little foolish.
"Protocol?"
"I've seen it often enough, passionate affairs in times of war and crisis that inevitably burn out when the battles are done. It was always one of the reasons I never got involved…"
"Then why did you get involved?" He was visibly agitated.
"Because I am in love with you, it is not an affair." The words flew out of their own accord, though they had voiced their feelings, she had never said it outright.
"Did you think it is not the same for me?" Varok asked quietly, coming closer.
"I assume nothing…assumption leads to disappointment and heartbreak, and I am not very inclined to willingly subject myself to either of those." She told him, growing upset, though she wasn't entirely certain why. "I don't think you understand the magnitude of this for me…"
"I thought you didn't assume things." He growled and she took a step back, regarding him through a glare. "Perhaps you think all your years with no one puts you at greater risk, that somehow you are the only one who might experience disappointment and pain."
"I never said that!" She hissed in reply. "I never implied that! I mean only that I cannot know what your thoughts are, I know what you have told me and that is it."
"And what have I told you?" He took another step closer, their voices hushed enough not to carry and be overheard. Gylledra stared at him, furious that he was bringing her to a very valid point, though more furious with herself. What had he told her? There had been so many things both said and done alike. She was afraid, everything about being with someone was foreign to her…it wasn't a situation she could kill and destroy her way out of. Her fear poisoned what she knew to be true, and now she felt like a foolish child.
"Varok, I…" She didn't know what to say and he leaned in close, his expression very serious.
"You and I are not so different, Gylledra. We both bleed if cut." He strode away and Gylledra was left feeling rather terrible. The concerns and fears she had about whatever came next were hers. He had done nothing but prove himself again and again to her through his actions and his words. It wasn't right that she should question what she knew to be true, he deserved her trust.
Gylledra was wrong and needed to make amends, to tell him she understood, that she believed him, and trusted him. As she headed toward where the others were, his words seemed to stick with her, we both bleed…she'd hurt him with her foolishness. Not only that, she'd failed to think about his own experiences…he had a mate before that had died, he knew firsthand the loss she feared yet he risked facing that again.
"Alright?" Nasorya asked. The orc beside her looked amused.
"Did you have your first fi—" He was abruptly cut off when Gylledra grabbed him roughly by the harness he wore.
"Finish that sentence and I will rip your guts out through your eye sockets." She snarled, and he paled slightly before she shoved him backward again.
"I've seen her do it." Nasorya chimed in.
"Not helpful." Gylledra jabbed a finger at her then ported to where they'd camped the night before, a thing she rarely did, but she needed to be by herself for a bit.
She had been organizing their supplies and stacking crates into one of the wagons, she felt tired as she often did the days after long, strenuous battle. Varok, having returned with the others, approached quietly, his expression undiscernible.
"I am sorry." She said quietly, before he could speak. "I was ignorant to…"
"You're not ignorant."
"I feel very foolish…ashamed even that I…that I cannot seem to see everything as clearly as I should…" She stopped though, as his expression softened.
"Being with someone…it is not neat or organized; it is not predictable, and certainly not logical all the time. It is messy and sometimes painful." He told her. "And through that, we must both turn to what we know to be true."
"I will be more mindful…" She looked down. "But I will need your help."
"And I will." He leaned his forearms on the side of the wagon. "There are some things I would like to be perfectly clear on, Gylledra." His tone became disconcertingly businesslike.
"What is it you're clarifying, then?" She watched him warily.
"I meant what I said to you that night." He started, watching her closely. "It is no small thing…and all that goes with it." For wanting to be perfectly clear, Gylledra thought he was certainly dancing around it quite a bit, but she didn't suppose that many orcs sat down to have heart-to-heart conversations about feelings. She was certainly no position to fault him for that, considering that her capacity to be forthcoming about deep feelings that truly mattered was…lacking.
"It is no small thing." She agreed.
"It is my desire…my hope, that you will choose to remain with the Horde, that you will help us build our city, and that you will make a home there…with me." She gave a wordless nod, unsure of how to reply. "My personal feelings aside, you have earned a place of honor and respect. There is not one amongst us who has not been affected by all you have done to serve the Horde." Gylledra's head spun a little at the abrupt flip of subject matter.
"I…" She blinked, uncertain of how to reply. Varok stepped back and stood up straight, then, to her surprise, he put his fist across his chest in salute. She gaped at him, but there was a flurry of movement and she looked, only to see all the Horde nearby, though out of earshot, getting to their feet, fists across chests, one of which was Thrall himself. Varok was one of the most highly respected and regarded orcs in the Horde, it meant something to his people when he gave such recognition. Overwhelmed, Gylledra could only stare for a long moment before she returned their salute and it was met with a celebratory clamor. Varok leaned down close to her ear.
"You are Horde now, little elf." He whispered. "I don't think it gets much clearer than that."
"No, I imagine not." She took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Lok-tar ogar."
Gylledra looked for a long moment into Varok's eyes, their amber color warmed her, or perhaps it was the way he looked at her. Before knowing him, she had never wanted anything for herself. Much had changed in what comparatively was a short amount of time. With the war over, and despite her exhaustion, an unexpected excitement bubbled up inside her at the prospect of having a home for the first time in thousands of years. It was strange not having an immediately impending battle or a war. They could go to sleep, then wake up in the morning, and not wonder if it was going to be the last sunrise they would ever see.
"I want to rest." She told Varok. "I want to wash this dried blood off my body and out of my hair. I want to lay down on soft, warm furs, and feel them against my skin." he watched her, saying nothing, one brow arched a little higher than the other and she moved closer to him as he wondered just what direction this was heading in. "And I…want you…on the furs with me." A hint of color rose in her cheeks, voicing that particular desire.
"After a bath, of course." He offered. Gylledra nodded, laughing quietly.
"Yes, I am rather disgusting right now."
"Well, I meant me." He gestured at his gore-splattered self, but he looked pleased at the grin that spread across her face. "But you're fairly disgusting too."
They'd had the foresight to stockpile camp supplies and made a short trek through the woods to a less hostile area with better water access. It was likely they would camp for more than a day to allow everyone time to rest and recuperate. The terrain they scrambled through was unforgiving and up ahead, Gylledra watched as Baine helped un-snag some brambles that had somehow gotten impossibly tangled around Nasorya, then offer his hand to help her across the fallen trees, which she accepted, stealing a glance upward at the tauren.
"Did you see that?" Gylledra asked, nudging Varok and grinning to herself.
"Shh." He replied, a small, conspiratorial smile on his lips.
By nightfall, a tent-city had been built beneath the trees on the rise across from Hyjal, which was now out of view. Gylledra cleaned up, as desired, in a nearby stream with only the moonlight shining, though this time, to her relief, without any spectators. Nasorya was washing as well, being unusually quiet. Typically, post-battle, she couldn't stop talking and rehashing various events throughout the fighting. Instead, she was uncharacteristically distant, staring into space. Gylledra had a couple ideas as to why, because she was experiencing something similar.
"War is very different when you've come to know and love the people who died on the battlefield." She offered. Nasorya looked up and nodded, not very surprised that Gylledra had guessed correctly at her melancholy.
"I have formed many friendships since we've come to Azeroth…and far too many ended in just a day." Her voice was strained. "I find it unpleasant and disturbing, but necessary, the things we've learned in just a few months."
"Yes, we both have learned lessons, haven't we?" Gylledra replied as she wrung the water out of her hair.
"Yours have been much better than mine." Nasorya muttered petulantly.
"I disagree…you enjoy very much the company of this Horde, and they seem to thoroughly enjoy your company as well. Baine has been sidling nearer to listen to you often enough for me to notice, so…" Gylledra barely contained her amusement as Nasorya spluttered, her ashen cheeks suddenly glowing pink. The number of times she had blushed in the last several thousand years could be counted on one hand, and it delighted Gylledra even further.
"That's ridiculous!" She burst. "That…that two-legged, bovine, walking…mountain of a creature cannot stand me. Nor I him!" Gylledra splashed her suddenly and was rewarded with bald-faced shock and indignation. Nasorya wasn't nearly as good as taking it as she was dishing it out.
"There, you can cool down now." Gylledra laughed before they dissolved into adolescent shrieking, splashing, and giggling.
Gylledra made her way through the darkness as she returned to the small pavilion dressed in simple linen breeches and a shirt, her hair was damp and unbound. There were fires built, surrounded by groups of various Horde and Alliance members alike, eating, drinking, and talking. Gylledra knew that this peace was not permanent; they would enjoy it while they could, hopefully all would remember one day that such a thing was possible.
Inside the pavilion, Gylledra found Varok's armor piled up in one corner, which was curious considering she hadn't seen him anywhere. Orcs were big and green and with his gray hair, he was rather easy to spot. She lit an oil lamp but her eyelids felt heavy and she was certain that if she crawled beneath the fur coverlet, she'd be asleep in moments.
Varok stepped in wearing just his leather leggings and Gylledra halted, staring at him as he fastened the ties on the flap. He was a bit damp, no doubt having found the creek as well.
"You look exhausted." He commented and she gave him a wry smile.
"You look very nice too, thank you." She shifted the position of the oil lamp on its upturned crate unnecessarily, fidgeting. He took her hand though, pulling her toward him.
"You're beautiful." He whispered, bending to kiss her. His skin was hot to the touch and she wondered if that was an orc thing, having unusually warm bodies.
Varok reached downward, catching the edge of her tunic and pulled it up. She raised her arms, letting him take it off then she reached for the tie on her breeches but he stopped her. He took the tie himself, slowly pulling it and the knot unfurled with a small pop. When he let go, her bottoms slipped down around her ankles. Thinking that fair was fair, she reached for the buckle and laces holding his own pants up but he stopped her hands again.
"Not yet." He told her quietly.
"No?" She arched a brow, looking pointedly at the bulge straining against the leather.
"No." The smile that snaked across Varok's face made Gylledra's eyes widen. WHAT is he going to do? In answer, he scooped her up, gently putting her down on the furs before standing up again. Her eyes devoured the sight of him as he reached for the buckle at his waist. He sprang free as he pushed them down, stepping out one leg at a time. "Don't touch." He warned and Gylledra nearly groaned aloud with the strange, yet alluring combination of frustration and anticipation. She realized then that it was precisely what he wanted her to feel.
Varok knelt down between her legs, sitting back on his heels and she could only stare, her hands practically tingling with the urge to feel his chiseled form beneath her fingers.
Slowly, he massaged her calves then her thighs, carefully avoiding touching one region in particular, much to her excited dismay. She began inching her way closer to him but he stopped her with one hand on her middle, giving a tsk.
"Don't touch."
"You're insufferable." She panted. Varok merely chuckled. How was she this worked up? He had done almost nothing!
"Turn over." His voice was soft but still commanded obedience and her mouth dropped open. For the very first time in her life, Gylledra complied without question or argument. His thick fingers massaged her legs again, all tension leaving her stiff muscles until it felt as if she had no bones. He worked his way up her back and shoulders and even down her arms. The throbbing ache deep within was all that kept her from drifting off to sleep.
Heat radiated off his body as he hovered over her back on his hands and knees. She gasped when suddenly his lips pressed against her shoulder and nearly lost her self-control as she felt him lightly drag his tusks across her skin to the other shoulder. She lifted her hips, trying to get a knee beneath her in hopes of pressing herself against him, and he gently, but firmly pushed her back down.
"Not. Yet." He told her…again.
"Ugh…for the love of fuck, Varok…" Gylledra groaned. Cruelly, his fingers slid up the inside of her thigh, touching her, feeling how ready she already was. She let out a shuddering breath.
"Mmhmm." He hummed, amused. Unexpectedly, he turned her back over. His eyes seemed dark, and he didn't appear to be as completely calm as he sounded. He kissed her mouth again and her pulse leapt. Finally! Yes, yes, yes! Now, now, now! She chanted mentally, to no avail. She reached for him and he caught her wrists, pinning them on either side of her head.
"Do I have to tie your hands?" He asked, his smile belied the growl. Gylledra gaped at him in complete shock but she kissed him then lifted enough to bite his earlobe.
"Maybe next time." She breathed and he let go of her wrists as his mouth trailed down her neck and between her breasts and she stared down at him, eyes round, as he just kept going.
"What are you doing?" Gylledra panted.
"Do you want me to stop?" He asked, his breath hot against her sensitive flesh, the feel of it making that ache that much stronger. "I will stop if you ask it."
"No…don't stop."
His mouth descended on her and she cried out, barely stifling it, nothing separating them from the rest of the camp but thin canvas walls. He kissed her there, his tongue made quick work of her as the coiled tension in her belly broke violently and Varok reached up, covering her mouth, her hips grinding against his kiss.
Gylledra was shaking when he rose up over her again, pleased at his handiwork he wiped his mouth with his forearm, his face very close to hers.
"There are two things that orcs excel at above all others." He growled. "Battle…and pleasing our mates." With one firm stroke he filled her, giving a grunt as her flesh clenched around him. Suddenly, she didn't care how far her voice carried. It was an overwhelming and intoxicating sensation as Varok moved inside her. It certainly seemed accurate to her that he indeed excelled at pleasing her. He edged her closer and closer toward her completion as she felt his muscles flex and contract with every movement. Just as she neared the peak, he slid one arm under her and turned onto his back.
Gylledra moved her hips, it wasn't far off…she was still close as he guided her with his hands on her hips. She braced her herself on his chest and she could feel how fast his heart was beating. His eyes moved over her body and she increased her pace, then he began to move beneath her, their bodies making contact just right. She was breathing hard, her eyes shut tight.
"Look at me, Gylledra." He told her and as she did, the wave crashed into her and she tried to keep quiet, shaking with the effort. Varok began tensing up and she leaned back, her hands behind her on his thighs as her hips ground against him. His breath was coming fast and he wrapped his hands around her waist, suddenly thrusting deep, his head back as he let out a long, low groan. She could feel him pulse inside her as he finished.
Varok wrapped his arms around Gylledra, pulling her against his chest. She closed her eyes, listening to the sound of his breath and the thrum of his heart beneath her cheek. She dozed a little, she was certain, but woke when she needed to go relieve herself.
"Are you alright?" He murmured, half asleep himself.
"Yes, of course." She whispered. The whole camp sounded quiet now as everyone rested easily for the first time in so very, very long. "I will be right back."
Gylledra was startled when she stepped out of the tent to find an orc sitting hunched on the other side of the dying fire, too far within earshot for her comfort. Broxigar! He was glowering into the low flame. He looked up at her then.
"I would like to speak to my brother, if you're finished with him." He grumbled.
"Um…I'll get him." Gylledra murmured and slipped back inside the tent. Varok looked up, frowning slightly from his very comfortable place on the furs. "Your brother is outside and would like to speak to you." She couldn't help but wonder just how long he'd been out there.
"Brox?" Varok sat up and she nodded. He looked somewhat concerned, but got to his feet, pulling on his trousers. "Might be a while, I'm sorry."
"It's fine. I'll be here. I'll be unconscious, but…I'll be here." She smiled.
The brothers were sitting side by side in the midst of some serious discussion as Gylledra made her way back to the tent. She hurried by without interrupting and once inside, slipped back under the furs which were still warm. She managed to string two or three thoughts together before falling asleep, immersed in the bliss of unconsciousness.
By the time she felt Varok climb in beside her, there were birds chirping their pre-dawn song. It had been a long talk, then, that he'd had with his brother.
"He didn't look okay." She murmured sleepily as he curled around her.
"He isn't." He replied. "Thrall had sent him and a detachment to hold a pass to keep the demons at bay…he was the only one to survive and regrets that he did not die with the others." He explained.
"I suppose that deep sense of guilt is hereditary then. He will get the glorious death he so desires." She yawned, closing her eyes.
"I have no doubt."
"I know it for fact, I was there." Sleep was settling over her.
"What?" Varok's grip on her tightened a little.
"In the first war, ten thousand years ago…your brother was there, I don't know how, temporal magic of some sort I imagine. But I met him then, and now I know why it seemed like he knew me." Gylledra continued, her voice starting to trail off. "Strange, don't you think? That I should meet him so long before I would come to love his brother." Varok replied only with a mmph.