Episode Eleven:

Onyxbane found Willypearl with the priestess, packing up camp outside. The gentle human woman was startled when he came up to her, but then said in a shaking voice that 'his girlfriend had taken some water and gone to bathe.'

"She's not my girlfriend. You are." Onyxbane said, and took Willypearl's arm to pull her aside.

Willypearl quickly broke out of his grasp.

"No, I'm not. I never was. I'm… engaged to Elec, and what I was doing with you was stupid."

"Willy, that's not true. I made a terrible mistake, but I'm sorry."

"Maybe you are." Willypearl eyed the novice priestess who quickly pretended she had something else important to do, a few feet away. "But it's obvious what happened last night. I had to listen to that, and I can't forget it."

"No, Willy, don't do this."

"Do what? Throw my life with Elec away? Risk everything on a man who is in love with rogue? You know, I never really disliked Wisthera, she's a good person I think, just misguided. I got a little jealous of her while we were on the boat, but that was because I was busy chasing you. Heck, Wisthera was careful to make me jealous, and she was right to do it."

"Huh?" Onyxbane had a dumb look on his face.

"You belong to her Onyx. Honey, you have for a long time, but you didn't know it. I… even knew there was something going on, but I wanted to try my lot first and see."

Onyxbane balked. So, Wisthera was right.

"Now that I know… I can go back to Elec."

"But that's what I'm worried about, Willy. You don't sound like you're happy with him."

Willypearl dropped the bedroll she was folding and laughed right out loud. It was cruel laughter.

"Elec? Elec is the nicest guy on the face in Azeroth. He's from a nice family that breeds champion chargers in Eastvale Logging camp, and they even contribute studs to the Silver Hand when they need them. In fact, his whole family has been affiliated with the Silver Hand since the beginning of time, all famous paladins! Did you know that? And, he looks way better in that golden plate than you ever will, tells better jokes, and doesn't sleep with everything that moves."

Onyxbane was suddenly afraid of Willypearl. He'd never seen her angry before, and she looked close to madness.

"And you know what? I have a very good thing goin' back home. I meet one Night Elf in Westfall, and because I'm so danged shy, I don't have enough sense to have a fling with you and get rejected before I meet Elec. Sure, it's at the tail end of my engagement, but at least now I got it out of the way. The worst thing about my Elec is that he risked his entire reputation on someone like me in the first place. I've got no land of my own, a scattered family, and now I have a criminal record."

"Stormwind found you innocent Willy," Onyxbane comforted her awkwardly. Was she making fun of him?

"Sure, sure. All thanks to you and your girlfriend." Then, Willypearl paused, and drew a calming breath. "Look, honey. I'm not mad at you, really. Well, not entirely. I'm more mad at myself for doing something so dumb. I have a good man back home, and I almost ruined it. Really, I already knew what I learned last night. All men are the same. You may look like a god, but deep down, you're someone with feelings, and who makes mistakes, just like the rest of us. I guess… I was swept up in the glamour of it all, and wanted the fantasy to be real, cause I believed in it for so long. But, it ain't. And, actually, life ain't that bad now that I know the truth. I can go home now, with a clear conscience and apologize."

"Wait, you're going to tell him what we did?"

Willypearl shrugged. "I have to, honey. He's gonna wonder why I ran off when he proposed, and I don't want to lie to him. He deserves better'n that. Wouldn't you tell the truth? Or did I misjudge you again?"

Onyxbane scratched his head furiously. "Um… no. Why risk it?"

"I already risked it. I couldn't live with myself if I kept on this way, after I've been keepin' on loving you for absolutely no reason at all. That was torture."

"But if he doesn't forgive you, you could lose everything."

"Well, I hope to the light that he can forgive a poor, dumb country girl, who didn't think she could do any better than what the Defias took from her. Maybe he'll even understand."

Onyxbane shook his head slowly in disbelief. "I really don't understand the humans at all."

"No, you don't. And I don't understand you, caring for that girl who's done nothin' but play games and lie to you this whole time. Wisthera may be misunderstood, but I don't think she'll make a great wife."

"Oh no?" Onyxbane wondered aloud. "She told me the very opposite."

"Honey, was that while she came in pretending to be hurt, while she was on top of you, or after? Cause the novice Windsong and I heard it all, and it was hardly convincin'."

Onyxbane just stared. Willypearl could be pretty mean if she wanted to.

"It was… after."

"Then I suggest you eat some breakfast before all that lust as well as hunger get to your head and you do somethin' you regret like propose to Miss Wisthera."

Onyxbane waited while Willypearl conjured up some cinnamon rolls and water, before working up the courage to ask,

"Um… if you think Wisthera's such a bad match for me, then who would you suggest?"

"Wait, you want me to suggest your newest conquest after you stomped all over my heart like that?" she was really yelling at him, and Onyxbane suddenly wished he had the Reaper by his side.

"You stupid, prancin' male elf! If you want someone so perfect why don't you just go and marry one of them priestesses you all are always goin' on and on about. Clearly, us normal women ain't good enough for the likes of Onyxbane." Then, she threw his breakfast at him and left.

But as he ate, Onyxbane was starting to wonder if it wasn't such a bad idea…