Chapter Five

Flight of Freedom

Dragonblight

5:38 PM

Audric urged Leona onward as they had step foot on the snowy grounds of Dragonblight. The region gave off a depressing aura. Off in the distance the sounds of dragons roaring out were heard, their cries in a never ending battle with the cult and the aberrations they created. Rogue blue dragons continued to cause terror at the large tower that served as the center of peace for the Dragonflights. Rosette couldn't see from where they were, but she remembered the things that happened here when she traveled the world on her own.

She could remember how she stood and watched as the Lich King and his armies laid waste to the troops at the Wrath Gate, she remembered the betrayal of the Forsaken, the flight of red dragons that came, cleansing the area of the plague. She frowned at the remembrance of the lives lost, a slim moment where Horde and Alliance worked together to defeat a common enemy. Those days were over for the most part. The common enemy now was Deathwing, and the only work the two factions agreed to do together was because they were forced to do so, lest the world be torn asunder by their noncooperation. She was younger then, she had higher hopes for the people of the world. She had been through war now, and those hopes fell quickly.

Rosette still sat on top of the lid of the fish basket, though she had become quiet as she was lost in thought. Audric looked behind him a moment as he rode the horse forward. She remained still as much as the horse offered her balance, eyes closed. She looked any moment she were going to speak, but no words were given.

"Rose, are you alright?" Audric finally asked, looking ahead once more. Rosette's head snapped up, eyes shooting open like she had just been jabbed in the side.

"I'm fine, just thinking." She looked at him before curling up on the fish basket lid.

"Stars' Rest is up ahead, would you like to stop there for a break?"

"I'm alright, we can keep going." She laid her head over her paws, closing her eyes once again. That was certainly odd of her. Rosette normally never passed up the opportunity to take a rest. He knew something was on her mind, he just wasn't sure what. She wasn't willing to tell him either.

"You sure? This will be our last stop for a while, there's no stops once we're out in the open." He looked through the trees as they began to approach the split in the road that led to the small Kaldorei encampment. Out in the open? What did he mean by that? She lifted her head, looking at him for a moment before to where he looked. Out past the trees was the plains of snow that gave no shelter. Out there was where the dragons flew, where the bones of their ancestors laid to rest, where the shrines to the aspects were in battles of their own. Perhaps this was their last chance for a while.

"Alright … you have a point." Rosette sighed, causing Audric to smile secretly behind her. He led Leona down the small path where the Sentinels rode their sabers on their patrols. With the hood of his cloak pulled up over his head, the elves wouldn't see his ears. He planned to keep it this way. He had learned to be cautious of his appearance when it came to other elves. Most took in what was on the outside rather then inside when it came to half breeds.

Audric bowed his head slowly to the elven riders, they nodding in return while moving on. There wasn't much to this encampment, the area out in the open and the most shelter it brought were the small tents they had set up for travelers. Most of the elves in the area kept to themselves, speaking in Darnassian tongues in order to keep their conversations private from the other races that stayed with them. The Night Elves weren't bad people, they were just very set in their foundations, and that included little trust. A trust that had to be worked on.

Sliding off the side of the horse, Audric reached and took hold of Rosette, keeping her close to his chest for warmth within the cloak. He approached one of the empty tents, Kamp following in after him as he pushed the flap away and closed it behind him once they were in. Inside was a small bed and a side table with a purple candle that flickered from the breeze of their entrance A rug on the ground served as the floor, the rest of the tent was empty space.

"They're not very talkative are they? I don't remember them being this cold to the people that came by." Rosette spoke, jumping from his arms within the cloak and onto the bed.

"It's stress I believe." He smiled at her softly, sitting on the small bed next to her. "The war with the Scourge is far from over. After a while it weighs heavily upon some."

"I guess so." She watched as Kamp curled up on the rug on the floor, then smiled as she stood up. "I know, how about we have some of that fish?"

"Sounds like a good idea, we haven't eaten since this morning." Audric nodded, standing too. He stepped to open the flap to the tent when a loud crash was heard outside. Leona let out a panicking shriek as she reared up on her hooves. Audric quickly left the tent, rushing to grab the horse's reigns and calm her down, but that proved to be fruitless as the sounds of battle quickly approached. Another loud bang shook the very foundation under them as the camp was hit with a explosion that came from above.

The sentinels rushed to battle while other people fled, they setting of up glaive throwers and turning them to the sky. Above them orcs rode on Wyvern, throwing down bombs that were aimed at the Night Elves. On foot Orcs ran into the camp, gaining combat with whoever was in their way. Audric narrowed his eyes as he threw off his cloak, grabbing his bow and quiver. He quickly grabbed an arrow, aiming at the chest of one of the brutes and fired without mercy, nailing him directly in the heart.

He reloaded another arrow, aiming it once more but was thrown forward by a bomb blast behind him. Leona cried out again starting to race off to avoid the danger around them, leaving a confused Rosette behind as she stood outside the tent. Audric's eyes widened as he tried to come to a stand, just ducking in time to avoid having his head lobbed off by another orc.

"ROSETTE! RUN! FOLLOW LEONA!" He called out, grabbing the two daggers he kept at his sides and using them to try and block the next swing of the axe.

"W-Wait! I can't leave you!" Rosette blurted out. She went to run to his side before a blur of shadows jumped over her head, Kamp leaping from the ground and attacking the Orc's face. He dropped the large axe, using his hands to trying and pull the fox from his face. Kamp kicked off the orc's face, landing on the ground before using his tail to throw dust from the ground up at him to farther blind him.

"I said GO!" Audric yelled out, whipping around grabbing for his bow. Three orcs had come up from behind when there was word of resistance within the camp that was not one of the elves.

"Audric watch out!" Rosette cried, moments too late when he swung his head around in time to have it smacked with a mace. Eyes wide, Rosette watched as his body slumped to the ground face down, blood beginning to pool underneath him

"Audric! AUDRIC!" The cat screamed out, rushing to his side while Kamp's yelp caused her even more distress when he was slammed against a tree. The orcs looked down at her before one picked her up by the scruff of her neck.

"What do we have here? A little talking cat?" The orc sneered at her spitting out his words in orcish like venom, giving her a shake when she tried swiping at him with her claws.

"Let me go you shriveled up ogre!" She hissed, her back talk being met with her being slammed back into another orc's chest.

"Bring this thing with us, we'll get out of here before they bring reinforcements from the east." He turned, marching out while he watched other orc off to the side try to pull on Leona's reins. "And help that idiot with that horse before he hurts himself."

Rosette tried desperately to climb over the orcs shoulder, paws reaching out for Audric's lifeless body on the ground as she screamed.

"AUDRIC!"

Agmar's Hammer, Dragonblight

8:53 PM

Rosette had been stuffed into a bag to keep her claws from doing any damage. While she constantly fought to get herself free, the thick leather hide of the bag was no match for her nails. She finally had given up, laying helplessly in the bag. She didn't know where she was, the dumb orcs gave no holes in the bag for her to breath so she was starting to become lightheaded with the lack of oxygen. For what seemed like an eternity suddenly came to an end when the bag was opened, letting in a wave of fresh air to her lungs.

"Wut we do with dumb cat?" One of the orcs peered into the bag, Rosette couldn't understand him, but he sounded stupid. Honestly the Horde would give anyone an axe these days.

"I say we eat it." Another orc snorted out in their own language.

"We're supposed to put it in a cage, idiots." A female orc spat at the two other males, swiping the bag from one and carrying it over to a cage. She dumped the bag in, slamming and locking the cage shut as she turned, hollering at the orcs in their odd language. Rosette stumbled out of the bag, hitting the side of the cage as she whimpered lightly.

"This cat is special, it talks and acts like a human. The Warchief might want it for … something." The orc shrugged his shoulders as she looked back at the cage. Rosette simply flopped to the floor of her prison, looking like a discarded child's toy that no one wanted. All that was on her mind right now was Audric. She had watched as he fought, watched as he took a mace to the head, watched as he laid on the ground, dying. She felt like she couldn't breathe, her very life being drained for her guilt.

It was her fault he was hurt, possibly dead. The whole thing was her fault. The guilt breathed down her neck like a hungry beast, waiting to devour her whole. Tears began to well up in the corners of her eyes, causing the female orc's attention to turn back to her.

"Ah, see? She cries just like a person would. Cats don't cry, and yet she does." She pointed into the cage at her, causing Rosette to slightly lift her head. It was then she noticed on the female orc's back, a bloody mace, the same one used on Audric. The sadness that was pooling into her now shifted to anger. She watched as the orc blathered on about her in their native tongue. She didn't understand a word of it.

The orc's finger continued to wiggle in the holes of the cage, pointing at her while explaining to the other orcs. Rosette growled, eyes narrowing and leaping forward as she attached herself to the finger with her teeth and claws. The orc screamed out as she tried to withdraw her finger, slamming Rosette into the wall of the cage in the process. The cage was tossed about till the flesh ripped from her finger, deep gouges left in the cat's wake while blood poured profusely from them.

"Damned CAT!" For the first time Rosette understood what they had said. Her cage suddenly flew back into a wall of the stronghold, making a large crack sound as metal ground against metal. The impact of the blow to the wall caused Rosette to become dazed, ears ringing while her head pounded. The orc lowered her foot from her kick to the cage before stomping over to it, glaring down between the bars to stare directly at her.

"Listen here, cat. You better not act up or we'll be skipping the whole delivery to the Warchief and just have you for a snack!" The orc spat out her words in common, kicking the cage again to rattle it before picking it up and tossing it to one of the other orcs. "Go store that beast somewhere where it won't cause trouble."

The orcs nodded, carrying Rosette's cage to the stables. She was set down in one of the stalls, she growling and taking a swipe at one who had tried to do the same thing the female had paid for. The other orc grunted out, shoving the one who stuck his finger in her cage before the two walked off, shoving each other back and forth. That was it then, she was alone. Not even the beauty of the snow starting to fall outside her prison would make this moment any better.

Rosette glanced at the lock on the cage, she moving herself to the front and shoving her paws through the bar. Tried as she might, she couldn't reach it. Even if she could, how was she going to get out? Her eyes closed tightly as a gust of wind blew between the bars of her cage and send a chill running up her spine. She wished she was within the warmth of Audric's cloak. Audric's arms...

The only matter was that he wasn't here. He wasn't around to rescue her now. She was on her own. Rosette squinted her eyes shot before she pushed herself into the leather bag that had been left in her cage. At least this would give her some protection from the cold.

Dragonblight

1:43 AM

It felt like he had been falling for hours, for days, it was like Audric was continuously plummeting into a black void. He couldn't feel anything, couldn't see anything, and yet he knew he was being pulled down farther and farther into this pit. The world around him was slipping away, floating off into the darkening sky, and then he saw something far above him. Way above him, far from the hole he was getting pulled into, was a light. As if he was in water Audric turned himself, using his arms to try and swim towards it.

He drew closer, drifting up, out of the void and closing to the glowing being that was above him. His eyes widened once he drew close enough to see what had radiated so magnificently. With wings that spread behind her like a bird, Rosette floated above him in her human form. Her kind eyes and gentle smile was easy to spot on her face under the hood of white she wore. Wraps of white cloth went around her body, gently flowing like a breeze constantly surrounded her.

Rosette's mouth moved like she spoke, but Audric couldn't hear them. Her hand extended down to him, waiting for him to grab hold. It felt like a longer reach then it was, his hand outstretched to take hers, going the distance before his hand clasped her own. The moment their hands touched it was like an explosion of images flowed quickly out from around them. Audric's head whipped around, watching as images of their journey together swirled around him while a light began to grow between them.

He felt her grip on his hands grow tighter as she pulled him to her, her eyes closing as she cradled his body against her like a mother would a child. Audric lifted his head, his face meeting hers. It was like he was unable to control his body and simply rested his head against her chest as his own eyes closed. Once he was not relying on sight, his mind opened, and he could hear the words she spoke.

"The souls have not connected, you are not free from your journey yet..."

Audric's eyes flashed open as he felt his body fall through hers, the image of the angelic Rosette fading from existence as he passed through it. His hand clambered for hers as he spun around, watching her vanish, then he felt his body being pulled backwards, winds rushing around his head as he was pulled at fast speeds. Audric's mouth opened as he tried to yell, his voice muted as his spirit was flung through an open door of light. There was nothing around him once more. This time instead of darkness, the entire room was filled with light.

There was a cool dampness on Audric's forehead, his eyes slowly opening to the world around him. He heard what sounded like a bird squawking, then it began to sound like a terrible beast. Instantly he sat up, only to feel like a wave hit him and forced him back down as his mind swirled in uneasiness. The damp feeling on his head was removed when he had sat up, but soon felt it renewed when a wet cloth was placed over his forehead. Slowly he turned his head to take notice of the person beside him.

She wrung the wet cloth a moment before replacing it on his head, the Kaldorei woman pressing her hand to his chest to keep him down. Her eyes glowed a sliver color which matched the color of her hair. She only smiled at him sweetly, but did not speak a word. She simply kept to work, drying her soft blue skin with another cloth. Audric cringed, finally noticing the splitting headache he had developed.

"Where am I?" Audric asked in a strained voice, the Night Elf placing her finger to his lips to silence him before stand, smoothing out her gown.

"You are resting at Moa'ki Harbor, halfling." Her voice sounded soothing, almost like a beautiful wind chime in a summer breeze. Halfling? Ugh, she had seen his ears. Audric began to try and build mental barriers for the onslaught that would soon take place, but this elven woman didn't seem hostile towards him. In no way did she have spite in her voice, or hatred. He was sure if she had a problem with him, she wouldn't be helping him right now.

"I … what happened … what happened to Stars' Rest?" Audric spoke much calmer this time, having adjusted himself to comfortably sit up on his elbows.

"The Horde launched a raid on our encampment, it seems they're becoming just as bored as we are still being stationed in these places." She gave a soft sigh after she spoke, taking another wet rag and wiping dry blood from his head. Audric closed his eyes once more as he tried to remember what had happen, recollecting thoughts.

"ROSETTE!" He suddenly blurted out, sitting up and causing the wet cloth the fly off his head and smack Kamp in the ear as he laid at his feet. Another head rush assaulted his senses, he trying to maintain his balance while he gripped as tight as he could to the floor.

"Hmm, Rosette? No I am Ashaldan." The elf corrected him, reaching to push him back down. He shook his head, moving to the side to avoid her hand.

"No she's my … er … cat." He gave a blank stare a moment before shoving the blankets on him aside. Quickly he shoved the makeshift curtains away from the doorway of the small hut. Ashaldan reached out, trying to stop him.

"You can't just run out and into the cold after being unconscious for two days!" She called after him, her words causing him to stop dead in his tracks. Two days? Two long days of continuous torture for wherever Rosette was.

"I can't just leave her out there! She's got no way to defend herself, she's just a cat!" He called back at her, Kamp prancing after him to keep up.

"Then let me help you!" She sighed as she placed her fingers to her lips. With a sharp whistle Audric heard that familiar sound from before. A loud squawk was heard in the air above him before Audric was nearly knocked back off his feet. A light purple and pink hippogryph had flown down from the sky, landing before him with a slight call. Ashaldan walked calmly to the beast, smiling as she ran her hand over her beak in appreciation.

"Tula, we should help this man find his cat. You have been flying have you seen one?" She spoke to the hippogryph softly, the beast cooing to her in return before scratching at the ground. Audric watched as the Night Elf spoke with the animal, then looked a little surprised when he was jerked from the ground and onto the mount's back.

"Come on little fox, Tula knows the way to your master's pet." Ashaldan smiled, holding her hand out to Kamp while Audric gave a confused look still as he sat in front of her on the hippogryph. Now he knew how Rosette felt most the time. Kamp did as he was told, jumping on the back of the beast but was moved to sit in front of Audric. Ashaldan took up the reins, smiling as she gave a final word.

"Take one hand and hold onto her antlers, use the other to hold onto your fox. This could be a bumpy ride." She settled in behind them, waiting for Audric to follow her advice. When he reached up and took hold of the mount's antlers she snapped at the reins, Tula spreading her wings and taking flight into the skies.

"I-I have to admit I'm not used to flying!" Audric called out as the wind whipped his hair around his face.

"I will try to go easy then! Hang on!" She grinned behind them, Tula swooping through the clouds as she flew towards her destination, Agmar's Hammer.

Just hang on Rosette, I'll find you...