Chapter Two

Angel

Darkshire, Duskwood

6:21 AM

"All ready to go then?" The inn keeper spoke to Audric as he slung his belongings over one shoulder and had a still sleeping Rosette on the other.

"Yup, thanks for the extra food too, it'll help on the way to Stormwind." Audric said with a smile, reaching up and gently scratching behind Rosette's ears. With that he bid goodbye to the man and headed out. The early morning air was crisp after the rain that lasted through the night. The ground was still slick with the rain, making Audric take more cautious steps to avoid slipping. Once he had made it to the stable he approached his steed, patting the beast on her side. The Queldorei horse gave a soft neigh as her head ran against his outstretched hand.

As he moved to work, none of his movements seemed to disturb the feline on his shoulder. He tied his belongings to the horse, worked his way up onto it and gave a short whistle for Kamp to come along. The fox was ready at the side of the horse to go. Just to make sure she wouldn't fall off, Audric slowly pulled Rosette from his shoulder, setting her down curled on the saddle in front of him. With a jab of his heels and a tug of the reins, he was off and down the road, heading out of town towards the dimly lit road ahead.

The Hushed Bank, Duskwood

7:45 AM

The sun had already been on the rise once he arrived to the bridge that connected Duskwood to Westfall. Audric didn't have a chance to ask of the mage Rosette had spoken of, she was so exhausted from her ordeal that he didn't have the heart to wake her up. Lifting his hand over his eyes to shield them from the light shafts shimmering through the break in the trees above him. Over the bridge he could see the golden plains of Westfall. Half way to Stormwind already, they were making good time.

Audric ushered his horse onward, the elven mount giving a small snort as she was pushed on. The large animal's hooves knocked loudly on the wood of the covered bridge as she went over it, making her a little skittish in the dark but was reassured as Audric gave her neck a soft pat. The sunlight was seeming to fade the closer her got to the Westfall side of the bridge, causing him to frown once he stepped his steed on solid ground.

Overcast, just when he thought he had escaped the rain. Audric reached behind him, pulling at the large cloak that covered his frame and moved it to cover Rosette as well. It wasn't raining yet, but he wanted to make sure that she stayed dry in case of a sudden downpour. Thunder rolled in the silver clouds above, telling the half elf to pull the hood of his cloak up over his head. He looked down at Kamp who gave a small whine when he had no placed to take shelter from the coming rain.

"It's alright Kamp, we'll find a place to stop ahead so you don't get soaked down to the bone." Audric reassured his companion, the black fox sneezing in response as he walked along side the horse. Coming to a passing at the road, the half-elf stopped as he peered under the hood to look at the road signs on the post ahead. He glanced to his right, seeing the large gates that surrounded Sentinel Hill off in the distance were still closed from the night before. It wouldn't offer them much shelter if they had to wait outside the gate in the rain. It would be best to continue forward to Moonbrook for now. Ever since the defeat of Vancleef, the once abandoned town had become the home of many of the homeless that had been outcast from the city of Stormwind. He continued down the road in the original direction they were headed in, urging his horse into a gallop from the feeling of sprinkling rain.

Moonbrook, Westfall

8:32 AM

Like a shower head the rain poured down from the sky, water pelting down onto the thick wool cloak that covered most of Audric and Rosette's bodies. As they entered the small town he slowed his horse down, looking around the area. A frown lined his face as he slowly walked through, watching as homeless people sought shelter. Mothers hugged their children to their body, shielding them from the rain. It broke Audric's heart to see these people struggling to survive.

The mud of the dirt pathways squished under the horse's hooves, caking it on the shoes of the elegant beast. Rain was starting to soak through the wool as the downpour got heavier, and tearing his eyes away from the pathetic scenes before him, he moved his steed to the nearby stable. The roof leaked and it was crowded enough, but there was just enough room for his horse, himself and Kamp. Rosette didn't take up much room since she was small enough to fit in his lap. Slowly Audric slid off the side of the Queldorei steed, the large beast shaking her mane of water while Kamp did the same with his fur.

"Where are we?" Rosette looked up from his lap as he eased them both onto the ground in the hay.

"Moonbrook, it's raining too hard for us to travel right now. We'll have to take a rest here while we wait for it to recede." Audric spoke softly to her, losing him self in petting her fur. He kept the damp cloak around them, even if wet, it provided more warmth the facing the elements on their own. Rosette had woken only moments ago once she had felt herself being lifted off the neck of the horse. She just now noticed all the people that was huddled around them as well. Her ears lowered at the sight as the depressing sound of the rain pelting the ground before them set the mood.

"All these people..." Rosette muttered as she watched a child curl up into a doorway.

"They suffer, but there is not much we can do. They were driven from their homes, forced to take refuge where they can." Audric looked down at her as he spoke, a thin line on his lips afterwords as if he was devoid of farther emotion.

"I had no idea the situation was this bad..." She sighed, slowly lifting herself from his lap. Once he felt her get up, he gave a small clench onto her legs.

"Where are you going?" He asked.

"Would you let me go? I have to pee and I'm not doing it in here with people watching!" She whined up at him, pulling her paws free from his grasp and hopping down to the side of him. "I'll be careful, I promise."

"I think I should go with you, but I will respect your privacy. Do be careful." Audric spoke in a light whisper, Rosette nodding as she padded off into the rain. She made her way behind the stable, looking left and right to make sure no one was watching. She wasn't exactly sure how to go about this. Did she just squat and go? It wasn't like she sat and watched cats do their business! She couldn't hold herself long enough to decide how to pee like a cat so she simply squatted to the ground.

While she had thought she was alone, Rosette was being carefully watched by a young boy. He was intent on keeping an eye on her, slowly stepping up behind her once she was finished. Rosette scratched at the ground, for some reason trying to cover what she had done. She turned around to head back to Audric only to give a small startled yelp which was quickly muffled by the linen bag thrown over her. She growled and hissed within the bag as the young boy quickly ran off with her, keeping the bag at arms length lest her claws come through it.

"Guys! Guys I got something!" The young boy called out as he rushed into one of the abandoned buildings. Two other boys lifted their head from poking a dead rat, looking at the bag he held.

"What is it?" One of the asked tossing the rodent to the side.

"It's a cat, a fat one at that. I think mom can make a good meal out of this one!"

Fat? FAT! I am not fat! Rosette hissed louder from within the bag, growling as she began digging at the bottom of the bag to try and get free.

"Come on, let's go take it to her!" The other boy grinned, helping his brother with the bag as they ran up the stairs of the building. The three of them soon stood before a older looking woman, she looking down at the bag they held.

"What have you got there boys?" She asked as she knelt before them.

"A cat Ma'! You can make a stew out of it!"

"I suppose I can." The mother frowned, taking the bag from her son. As she lifted it to look inside the bottom fell out, Rosette falling to the ground and causing the family to jump back startled.

"Don't let it get away!"

"Catch it!"

What the hell is going on? I just wanted to go pee and now I'm running from becoming lunch for homeless people! Audric! Help me! Rosette cried out in her thoughts, running around the room as the three boys and the woman tried chasing her down for their next meal. She would have simply called out for him, but it would only cause more chaos and perhaps get her in even more trouble.

Audric continued to sit in the stable, watching the rain as it fell. He occasionally would glance to the side where Rosette had left, becoming impatient when she had not returned yet. He knew he should have gone with her. Kamp lifted his head to his master, watching as the look of concern continued to grow on his face. The large fox then stood, moving out of the stables into the rain, causing Audric to tilt his head as he watched his companion wander off.

"I think we lost it. I'm sorry ma' I should have been more careful." One of the boys glanced around the room, trying to locate the cat that would have promised them their next meal. Hidden within the darkness of the abandoned fireplace, Rosette watched as the family searched every nook and cranny for her. It wouldn't be long before they would find her.

"It's alright dear, we'll find it. If not there's always mud pie." The mother sighed as she spoke to her children. Rosette frowned as she listened to their plight. If she could just get out of here, maybe she could find Audric and convince him to maybe find something for these people to eat. She looked off to the side, seeing the doorway was clear. Perhaps she could make a dash for the door while they weren't looking.

Slowly she began to step out of the darkness, watching as the group was too busy searching behind overturned chairs and tables. With all the urgency her legs could carry her with she dashed from the fireplace, running full speed for the doorway. She jumped over a chair, soaring for the exit as her eyes widened at her chance of freedom, only to have one of the boys step in front of her. She slammed into the child's stomach, he quickly grabbed her, using a rope to tie up her legs so she couldn't escape again.

"I got it!" He yelled, holding her upside down by her legs while Rosette hissed and yowled out loudly. The family gathered around before the mother took Rosette from him, setting her on the table. She flopped around helplessly like a fish, trying desperately to free herself from the bindings she had been tied into.

"Get some of the broken chairs to make a fire boys, I'll go get the stew pot and some water." The mother ordered her sons to do their jobs while she grabbed a small cauldron from the fireplace, heading out the doorway with it. Rosette glared as she watched the mother leave, then glanced at the boys as they gathered wood from the surrounding room. She was about to be eaten, she guess it was now or never to speak up her disagreement on it.

"Pst! Hey! Little boy!" Rosette hissed out as one of the boys walked near her. He stopped, looking around for the source of the sound. "Over here! The cat!"

"The … cat? WOAH!" The boy looked over at her before dropping his things and rushing to the table. "You talked!"

"That's right, I'm … uh … a magic cat! I can grant you a wish if you release me!" Rosette gave a toothy grin as she looked at him, her ears lowered just a little to give off the most pathetic face she could pull off.

"Really?" The boy asked, looking around to his brothers as they soon gathered around.

"That's right. It's only one though, so use it wisely! Just untie me and I can do it!" She had hoped they wouldn't pick something outrageous that she couldn't do. The boy untied her, she standing up as she shook her paws a little to get the feeling back into them.

"Since … since we can't have you for dinner then … I wish for a big meal that the whole town can enjoy. That way … at least we're not all hungry at the same time." The boy gave a smile as he gave his request, looking down at Rosette as she listened to him. A feast for an entire town of homeless people? It seemed like an almost impossible task, but maybe with a little help...

"I see, then return me to my owner, Audric. Once I am reunited with him I can start on your wish." She spoke with a commanding tone, sounding like a genie would when he was about to grant a wish.

"Where is he Miss Kitty?"

"Please, call me Rosette, and he's out at the stables."

Moonbrook, Westfall

11:15 AM

The rain had set them back longer then Audric wanted, but at least it finally had come to a stop. He stood, looking around for Rosette when Kamp had returned with nothing. He was beginning to become panicked, thoughts striking his nerves as he thought of what had happened to her. Could she have gotten kidnapped? Some hungry family taking what they could? He grit his teeth, grip on the reigns of his horse tightening. He started out of the stable, leading to steed out before he was stopped by the sight of three boys, one of them holding Rosette in his arms.

"Rosette!" Audric called out, rushing to take the cat but stopped once she jumped down from his arms into the mud of the road.

"Audric, I'm going to need a little help." She looked up at him, smiling as only a feline could. The half-elf looked down at her, a small look of confusion on his face.

"What were you thinking promising them a feast for the entire town?" Audric looked down at her as they walked across the fields not far from the town. He still had his horse in his grasp as he walked along, guiding the beast while Kamp rode along on her back.

"It was either that or let them eat me! Come on, you're a hunter, how hard is it going to be to kill a few boars around here?" Rosette protested at him, looking up at him once before they stopped with the sight of a large boar in the distance.

"Who's gonna cook all this food for them?" Audric asked, stopped his horse as he reached to the straps on the back and unhooked his bow.

"I thought us. How hard can it be?"

"Rosette there's at least a hundred people taking refuge in that town."

"We better shoot a lot of boars then." She smirked up at him, Audric shook his head as he leaned down and picked her up, placing her up on the horse's back. Reaching for his neck, Audric unhooked the clasp holding the thick woolen cape around his shoulders. He rested it on the horses back behind Kamp and Rosette, reviling the quiver that held a dozen or so arrows in it. It was then when Rosette took a real close look at the weapons he had in hand.

Everything from the bow to the quiver looked finely crafted. Elegant designs of vines and leaves had been carved into the dark polished wood of the bow. The quiver that held the weapon's ammunition seemed to hold the same design, several leaves of stitching wafted around the leather while more stitching of silver made up the vines. The leather of the container nearly matched the color of the wood of his bow.

Audric pulled back the string of the bow, hooking an arrow in his fingers near it and aiming for the boar several feet over the field. Rosette watched the muscles of his arms tense with the resistance the string gave. If cats could blush, it was certainly what she would be doing now. For several moments he didn't move, as if calculating how much time it would take for the arrow to reach it's destination, taking in the direction the wind blew if any. He was a hunter, shooting a boar wasn't like shooting an enemy. While that took quick thinking wits, shooting an animal was a process that could take some thought. Pinpointing the area that would make it the quickest and cleanest kill.

Just like that his fingers unhooked from the string, sending the arrow soaring through the air towards the boar as it chewed on what grass it could find. Rosette watched as the arrow struck the beast, the pig letting out a sharp squeal before stumbling a few feet then fell to the ground. Audric soon headed out, walking towards the kill while his horse followed, carrying Rosette and Kamp with her. Kneeling beside the defeated beast he plucked the arrow from it's heart, using the cloth of his cloak hanging off his steed to wipe the blood from it. He put it back into the quiver and leaned down, picking up the boar and placing it over the saddle of his horse.

"We just need … maybe three more of the same size." He spoke to himself, looking over the fields for any sign of more in the area. Managing to find what was needed, the process was repeated twice, soon Rosette and Kamp had to walk on their own as his horse was now occupied with the corpses of boar that would soon serve as the feast Rosette had promised the town.

"We should get some kind of side dishes for them as well. Like carrots or potatoes." Rosette had spoken, sitting up on Audric's shoulder.

"Where do you suggest we get these?" He asked, glancing over at her.

"Sentinel Hill should be open now, I'm sure they have some we could borrow."

"Rose, that's stealing."

"Not when a fox does it, then it's survival of the quickest." Rosette smirked, looking down at Kamp who twitched his ears when eyes were set upon him.

Sentinel Hill, Westfall

1:45 PM

"It's mid day, breeches are found all along the walls from being unfinished and the gnoll attacks. Getting in should be easy enough, you think you can do this?" Audric knelt just outside the large wall, watching as the guards at the gates went through another day of dealing with the irritated homeless people trying to get in. The fox gave a quiet growl, showing understanding while Rosette sat on his back.

"I'll come with you, I'll be a distraction if needed." She said, looking down at Kamp. The fox looked ahead before taking off, nearly jerking Rosette off his back from the sudden burst of speed. Trying not to use her claws she held onto him as he rushed past trees, hiding within the shadows if someone got too close. The both of them being black in color would help keep them blended in. Kamp found one of the breeches in the wall, slipping through it like a shadow in the night. The canine's lithe figure made it easy for him to go into almost impossible places.

Kamp came up to the small building that served as the Inn. He approached the back door, listening as the kitchen seemed to bustle with people within it. He would never be able to even grab a bag of anything if there was so many people in the room. Rosette poked her head to look in with him, then with a feline smile she jumped off his back and into the room. She sprinted off into a run, dashing through the kitchen, knocking things over and catching the attention of the cooks in the room.

"W-What in the world?"

"How did a cat get in here?" The cooks began to scramble, trying to catch falling pots and her. While she created the distraction Kamp quickly sprung into the room, sniffing around for the food storage. Following the scent he shoved the door open, looking at the varieties of vegetables and grains. An empty bag that hand once served holding for something laid on the floor and quickly Kamp began to fill it up. Using his tail, paws, teeth, he plucked things from the shelves and placed them into the sack.

Once he had gotten to a point where he was still able to carry it he rushed from the room, teeth tightly clamped around the burlap sack's top. Rosette dodged hands and pots that were thrown at her, something she would never be able to do if she was still human. Once she saw the flicker of the white of Kamp's tail disappear out the door she yowled out and rushed for the doorway. She dove between a cooks legs, sliding out the doorway and scampering off as the man yelled after her for her to stay out. It wasn't long before she had caught up with the fox who was pulling the sack through the breech in the wall. She laughed as she jumped up onto his back, riding with him back to where Audric waited for them.

Audric stood beside his horse still, watching as the black fox with the black cat riding him came over the hill. He couldn't help but smile once they arrived, showing the large sack of goods they had obtained. Within it was carrots, potatoes, onions and more, ingredients that would make the perfect soup.

Moonbrook,Westfall

5:28 PM

"Is it ready yet?" One of the boys asked as they peered in the doorway to the old blacksmith shop. The building had been abandoned for quite some time but the forges still worked well enough to use for a cooking fire.

"Not yet, almost." Rosette smiled as lines of people were forming around the building she sat outside of. Word of a magical talking cat granting a wish of a feast spread quickly, and now everyone had come to see if it was really what they said it was. Inside the building Audric worked his culinary skills, stirring the stew that boiled away in the large cauldron. It wouldn't be much longer now till the meal was finished.

"Now it's done!" He exclaimed out the doorway, the gasps of the people outside were audible enough for even him to hear.

"Everyone line up with your bowls! Your feast has arrived!" Rosette called out, people chatting excitedly about this delicious meal that was planned. One by one they came in, Audric giving them a large bowl of stew before sending them on their way. Soon the entire town was sitting down to the meal, and there was even some left over for the group themselves. Audric took a bowl for himself, sitting down next to Rosette while she lapped at the bowl in front of her.

"Pretty good stuff huh?" He smirked as he spoke to her, tipping the bowl to his lips to drink down some of the hot liquid.

"Yeah, I didn't know you could cook so well." She smirked back up at him, one her ears flicking. The two enjoyed their meal with the rest of the town, even Kamp had a bowl of his victory plundering. Once those that wanted seconds had gotten their fill Audric packed up his horse, easing his way onto the steed while Rosette sat on the saddle in front of him. The town waved goodbye to them all as Kamp fell in stride to walk along side the horse, Audric turning her and heading out to continue on to Elwynn Forest.

"I told you she was a magical cat." One of the boys smiled as he stood by his mother, waving goodbye to the mysterious travelers. The mother looked down at him, giving a light smirk on her tired face.

"I don't think she was magical, I think she was an angel in disguise."