"I welcome you to the Cenarion Refuge," the leader of the outpost spoke. "I am Ysiel Windsinger, the leader of the Cenarion Expedition."
"We thank you for your kindness," Finnal bowed before the elder druid. "I am Finnal Leafshadow, and with me are Kelvin Gearwork, Oliktalv Warfury, and Colben Sampson. We are of the Vanguard."
When deciding who would go to meet with the leader of the camp, it was decided that only half would go. The other half remained on standby outside the hunter's hall, ready to shout out an alarm if anything happened. Much to her surprise, Finnal was selected to be one of the Vanguard's representatives. Kelvin argued that if they were going to make a good impression on the Cenarion Circle, they should show that they have a druid among their ranks. There was no opposition, so she now found herself assisting in the diplomatic talks.
The hunter's hall was where their audience was held. Several druids stood guard around while Ysiel, a night elf woman with teal hair bearing the robes of their order, stood on a balcony that extended outside. She had her back to the marsh, which was lit up by a deep, azure sky that glew upon the murky water. Giant mushrooms extended upward to the sky, taller than most trees back on Azeroth. Beasts of all size roamed the land, showing their dominance in the region.
Finnal was proud that the Cenarion Circle was able to beat the Alliance and Horde to Zangarmarsh. Had the factions laid claim to the land, they would fight over it. Their battles would upset the natural order offered in the humid marsh and the land would be drained for its resources. Now that the Cenarion Circle was here, they would be able to supervise any expeditions sent by the Alliance and Horde. The night elf was proud to see that they would be able to take a stand in preserving what remained of this world.
"It is a surprise to meet a group such as the Vanguard," Ysiel commented. "Such unity between the two factions is rare."
"We decided that the true threat to Outland is the tyrant who rules over it, Illidan Stormrage," Colben explained. "We have come together to see that his reign comes to an end."
"So far, we have an excellent track record," Kelvin added. "We have eliminated the leader of the Fel Horde and the source for their Curse of Blood. The Fel Horde itself should no longer be a threat."
"Any enemy of Illidan is a friend of the Cenarion Circle," Ysiel smiled. "We will provide you lodging and supplies to aid you on your quest."
"Before you give us any aid, I feel the need to warn you," Oliktalv started.
"Oliktalv, might I suggest you think before you speak," Colben harshly warned. "We do not want to ruin a good thing."
"We are fugitives of the Alliance and Horde respectively," Oliktalv ignored Colben. "By aiding us, you may risk the wrath of our former factions."
"If they seek to disrupt the efforts of the Cenarion Circle, then they will find that we are more than capable of defending ourselves," Ysiel told them. "I promise you safety and protection."
Finnal sighed in relief, glad to know that they were safe for now. She feared that the Cenarion Circle would think of them as traitors and sought to turn them over to the Alliance and Horde. They would have been in the right to do so and the night elf would not blame the organization. However, the druids saw how noble the Vanguard's objective was and thought best to aid them. For the time, they were safe from the faction agents. They would be able to rest and prepare for their battle with the Betrayer soon enough.
"We thank you for your hospitality, Ysiel," Finnal told her. "If there is anything we can do to repay this kindness, please let us know."
"Perhaps there is a way for you to help us," Ysiel thought out loud. "Do any of you know of Lady Vashj?"
"I've heard of her name before," Colben answered. "Some sort of lieutenant to Illidan, right?"
"And leader of the naga forces present in Zangarmarsh," Ysiel added. "Her forces are trying to drain the lakes in the region. Naturally, this is damaging the area, and we see fit to eliminate her forces as a threat to nature. She would be a foe of yours eventually given her loyalty to Illidan. If you aid us, the Betrayer will have one less ally to call upon when you confront him."
"Such a matter will have to be discussed with the rest of the Vanguard," Colben told her. "We are all equals, and therefore, we all get a say on whether or not we take this new task."
"Of course," Ysiel nodded. "You may return to your comrades and discuss this matter amongst yourselves. Speak with the quartermaster for lodging and any supplies you need."
"Thank you once again, and farewell," Oliktalv spoke.
With a nod, Ysiel dismissed the Vanguard and turned back to the balcony's edge. The deal she offered was more than fair. Safe shelter and gear in exchange for dealing with a threat that was already on their hit list was a promise to their advantage. Finnal thought it would be best to accept the deal. Not only was it right to repay the expedition's kindness, but if the naga were damaging the land, they needed to be stop. She believed that the others of the Vanguard will see reason in this plan.
They left the hunter's hall to find the rest of the Vanguard waiting outside. Salin was explaining the teachings written in Balthar's book to the young man while Dal'bin and Belara stood silently to the sides. When they saw that the meeting was over, the Vanguard as a whole started to circle up. Kelvin coughed into his arm, trying to get everyone to look for him. When everyone's attention was on him, the gnome gave a recap on the meeting.
"The Cenarion Expedition will give us supplies and rest," Kelvin reported. "The most logical plan would be a day's rest then to continue onto our current destination."
"Hold on a moment!" Finnal suddenly interrupted, all eyes on her. "What about the naga?"
"The naga?" Belara raised an eyebrow. "What are you going on about?"
"Eh, the naga are trying to drain the lakes, but they're not in the way of the Black Temple," Colben explained. "They're not really our problem."
"But the Cenarion Expedition asked if we could deal with them," Finnal countered. "The naga are a threat to this land and could endanger us by providing Illidan with reinforcements."
"At least then, we will have drawn the enemy away from their home territory," Oliktalv told her. "I'll take my chances with the naga on barren land rather than this vibrant wetlands. We are at a disadvantage and I will not losing anyone else in a pointless attack."
"But that's where the challenge is!" Salin grinned. "To face a foe when they are at an advantage is the work of a hero and-"
"You're not helping, Salin," Belara sighed.
"Last time I checked, we were all still equal," Finnal reminded everyone. "I call for a vote on whether we should aid the Cenarion Expedition now or later."
"Damn, fine," Colben sighed in defeat. "I vote against helping. Not our job to worry about the fishes."
"I vote against helping," Kelvin joined in. "Such an attack will result in high casualties for us and fail to sustain our rank for our eventual attack upon Illidan."
"I stand with my sister-in-arms," Salin declared. "I vote for helping!"
"I vote against helping for the reasons I've already stated," Oliktalv announced.
"Against," Dal'bin nodded in agreement. "I stand with Oliktalv."
Both Belara and Balthar remained silent, thinking their options out. Finnal frowned, realizing that maybe the Vanguard may not wish to repay their debt to the Cenarion Expedition for their aid or protecting this world. At this point, her side could not get enough votes to win, while the opposing side only needed one more vote to pass. While the druid was friends with the dark ranger, she realized that her friend was cold and logical, meaning that she would most likely vote against helping. While Balthar had a good heart, he was not one to stand up to authority.
"Well, are you going to say anything?" Belara glanced towards Balthar.
"Me?" Balthar asked in shock. "I mean, don't you have a vote in mind?"
"I do, but I want to hear what you think," Belara told him. "I'll vote after you do."
"After he votes, you won't have to vote," Colben pointed out. "Kid, make the smart choice and put an end to his vote."
"Vote tampering!" Salin called out. "He's trying to rig the vote to benefit him!"
"You're giving me a headache, and I'm undead," Colben sighed. "That speaks volumes."
"We have not made any rules for advertising our sides," Kelvin joined in. "Balthar, let me explain."
"Please, don't," Balthar told him weakly. "Naur may not be here, but I know what he would do. I vote for helping."
` "Belara, you get the vote that ends this," Oliktalv grunted. "That's what you wanted."
"Actually, I'm voting for helping," Belara grinned.
A tie. During its short time, the Vanguard never had a tie. The membership mostly consisted of an odd number, but for now, they were even. Mostly everyone was surprised by the development. On the opposing side, Kelvin was deep in thought while Oliktalv and Colben glared at Belara. The dark ranger crossed her arms as Salin pulled Balthar and Finnal into a group hug, letting out a cheerful exclamation. The druid joined in on the cheer instantly while the priest-in-training hesitantly pulled himself away from the group hug after a few seconds.
"A tie," Colben muttered, clearly enraged. "A damn tie! What're we suppose to do now?!"
"Perhaps a test of strength is in order," Oliktalv suggested.
"You would say that when you are surrounded by the best warriors," Belara countered. "Our side only has two decent fighters."
"I think the two of us are more than enough to take them down," Salin offered.
"I was referring to Finnal as the other decent fighter," Belara corrected. "No offense, Balthar."
"None taken," Balthar commented, searching his pockets. "I think I have a coin on me. We could flip it."
"Flipping a coin to decide our path is completely absurd," Kelvin sighed.
"Maybe one of us can go back for Naur," Finnal suggested. "He's still a member of the Vanguard."
"And while you're at it, get Gotur and Gregory too," Colben grinned. "See how stupid that is?"
` "Too soon, Colben, too soon," Oliktalv growled.
"In theory, Finnal could fly back to Honor Hold to search for Naur," Kelvin thought out loud.
"Send her, and if we don't have Naur by tomorrow, we'll hold another vote," Belara told everyone. "I'll vote with the majority then."
"We're not having a vote on this either," Finnal added. "You can't stop me from doing this."
"It's your time you're wasting," Colben shrugged. "Come on, everyone. I believe we have new gear to check out."
The Vanguard started to make their leave, heading to meet with the quartermaster. Finnal stood by herself, watching her comrades depart. Salin and Balthar turned around to face her one last time before they joined their comrades. In reality, the druid did not think she would be able to get Naur. However, if she was to delay the next vote long enough, she might be able to convince one of the opposing voters to vote for helping. She took the form of a raven and glided up towards the sky, already deciding on who the weak link in the group was.
A/N: As always, I hoped you enjoy the story, and if you feel the need to, go ahead and leave a review.
Until next time.