Obligatory disclaimer: Not my stuff, other than the typos... those are aaaaall me.
Bruim adjusted the strap of her small pack and re-slung it across her ample chest, fidgeting as it refused to lie in a comfortable position. Sometimes she wished she were a little less ample. Tiadonaolos stood beside her, looking elegant and at ease in his travel robes. Bruim thought it a bit unfair that the Earth Mother seemed to have designed everything to look flattering on slim shapes, while the tauren themselves were blessed with full, bulky figures.
She glanced over at the troll, who seemed as relaxed in his own skin as Tiadonaolos. Maybe it was a male thing. Ga'vik was crouched pensively at the edge of the platform, elbows propped on his knees, long green fingers dangling loosely. His hair was in a wild disarray as usual, though his expression was composed. Since the discussion with Commander Mar'alith, Bruim had noted a subtle shift in his personality. He was quiet without seeming sullen; confident without being argumentative. Bruim could admit to herself that she had misjudged him, somewhat.
There was still the intriguing matter of his tribe, which seemed to be a sore topic. She had gotten no further in her line of questioning with the troll, but had garnered from Tiadonaolos that the Commander believed Ga'vik had family connections "higher up" among the Horde, but was not currently in their good graces. She remembered Eikahe's own departure from polite tauren society, and could not help but wonder if the troll and the tauren bull had bonded over their shared social exile. It made her sad to think of Eikahe needing to find a friend among the more capricious races. How lonely he must have been.
Bruim gave a silent prayer of apology to the Earth Mother for her own actions, justified or not, that had caused Eikahe's pain and loneliness. She wished she had made amends to him while he lived, but was relieved, at least, to be able to complete this final quest for him.
They were all waiting on the hippogryph platform for a guard who had gone off to fetch the human. Tiadonaolos had encouraged them to leave straight away, as soon as Ga'vik had made arrangements for his mount and pet in the Hold stables, but Ga'vik had insisted that they would wait until the night elf and his human charge were safely on their way. Bruim had agreed, understanding the need to see this through.
Two figures appeared now, the human looking small and calf-like as she trailed behind the taller elf. She was not wearing the long linen robes she had worn earlier, but the leather trousers she'd had on when Bruim had first met her. The seams down each leg were only partially closed by laces, revealing a swirling pattern of shiny pink scar tissue all down her left thigh. Beneath her stained leather vest, she was wearing a clean linen shirt that billowed on her small figure, and she had been provided with a wool traveling cloak and leather boots. She had no other belongings to carry.
"Commander Mar'alith beseeches you to hasten your departure, Elune guide you," the guard snapped in Darnassian at the waiting trio.
Tiadonaolos jumped a little, murmuring an apology, then jumped again as Ga'vik muttered a few choice words about the Commander in Taur-ahe. Bruim had the sense that the troll understood more Darnassian than he let on.
The guard whirled and left them without comment, and Ga'vik rose smoothly to his feet. Bruim watched him as he took in the little human. He appeared to be searching her face for something, but whatever it was, he didn't seem to find it. She was looking at her boots.
"Tell her," Ga'vik said finally, turning to Tiadonaolos, "the plan. In case she doesn't know it."
Tiadonaolos puffed his chest out in irritation. "They have tell her the plan already," he replied in his slightly broken Taur-ahe, "I am sure. Come, we must go." He turned toward the nearest hippogryph.
Ga'vik was suddenly between the night elf and the hippogryph, his stance menacing. "Tell her," he ground out, seeming to have twice as many teeth as he had had a moment ago.
Tiadonaolos considered him for a moment, but only gave a little toss of his head to indicate he had decided not to pursue the argument. Waste of time, anyway, Bruim thought. Just tell her and we'll be on our way.
The night elf turned to the human and spoke rapidly in Common, and Bruim could see by the human's widening eyes that she understood, and also that she had probably not been fully informed of the plans. Tiadonaolos gestured briefly to his own satchel, where he had letters to be delivered in both Darnassus and Stormwind.
The night elves will aid us readily enough, with a plea from the Cenarion Circle, Bruim knew, but the humans, and the rest of the Alliance…?
Perhaps we will be more successful with the Horde. Bruim tugged at her pack strap again, straightening it against her robes so that her tabard – emblazoned with the symbol of an ambassador for the Circle – showed more clearly.
When Tiadonaolos was finished speaking, he turned back to the troll with raised eyebrows. Ga'vik grunted in response and nodded, clicking his teeth. His eyes lingered on the human, and Bruim saw her peek up at him once, her mouth opening as if to speak. Then she closed it and looked coolly away, and the troll turned away as well, and they were all clambering onto hippogryphs, and they were off.