BEYOND THE SETTING SUN

A Warcraft fanfic by Alfbie

Disclaimer: Based off the characters and events of the Warcraft universe, copywrite by Blizzard Entertainment and affiliates. I make no profit from this story.

Chapter 3 – Farewell, Quel'Thalas

Written in Barian's Point of View

It was, undoubtedly, a long day.

It started off rough--waking up hours before dawn to prepare food for my best friend's wedding. Not only was my hard work a favor to my friend, but I had also heard that a representative from House Sunstrider was coming—the bride was connected, though distantly, to a member of the royal family. Hours later, after most of the morning's food was prepared and guests were arriving, word got out that the representative was not showing up after all.

There were plenty of other people to sample my food, plenty of compliments to receive, and it was good for business. But I still couldn't help feeling let down about the situation. I had been daydreaming of preparing food for House Sunstrider for weeks prior to this day, the first step of my dream to cater to their most elaborate banquets, balls, and meetings, the most important people in Quel'Thalas enjoying my cuisine. Those dreams now disappeared like soap bubbles popped in the air. But I kept my optimism, fastened that smile on my face as I still had a duty to fulfill - to feed the mouths of the others of this wedding. The rest of the morning continued forth without incident.

Until I met her. To be honest, I have never known a priestess of the Light to be spoiled, but she was! From the moment she knocked that tray of very expensive fish over, she did not like the notion of being held responsible for it, and she had no qualms on letting me know her feelings of this. What, was I supposed to tell her, "No, it's quite alright, watch where you're going next time!" while I had to deal with the very expensive mess on my own? Not on my watch, especially when she had so carelessly blurted out the fact that she'd do anything to compensate for her mistake. It was something people usually say to draw more sympathy and less anger out of whoever they offended, but I was quick to take her up on that offer. By the Sunwell, she was going to earn her way out of the situation!

I should have remained stern with her, should have held on to my frustration, should have...should have...

Even now, I drilled over and over in my mind the should-haves as I scrubbed yet another dirty plate in the large basin of soapy water. It was very late, every guest and member of the wedding long since gone home to bed. I could have gone home, too, taken these dishes to my much larger, more efficient kitchen in my own little restaurant. To be honest, I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep this night anyway, not after meeting her. She was all I could see in my mind, like a heavy morning mist that would not lift. Might as well get some work done if I was going to stay awake through this night.

Her. Katlayna. I allowed the name to roll through my mind a few times, and I occassionally whispering it, liking how it sounded across my tongue. Katlayna.

What made me regret so relentlessly taking advantage of her meaningless offer of help earlier? Was it the fact that she was, indeed a priestess, being kept from doing her holy duty of whatever-it-was that they do? Was it because, despite her complaining, she did try her very best in everything I asked? Nah, it was probably because she was beautiful, and my mother had always said that I was a sucker for a pretty face.

She was, indeed, beautiful, but in a different way than what I was used to. High elven women usually adored experimenting with rouge on their faces, flaunting their jewelry--real or fake--indulging in the latest fashions. Katlayna wore not a speck of makeup, dressed in a rather boring and unflattering robe on a wedding day of all days, didn't even do anything to her hair. To most others, she probably came across as a rather plain and humble-looking girl. To me, however, she was gorgeous, a true natural beauty. Smooth, pale skin, full lips, bright, almond-shaped blue eyes, a gorgeous shade of deep red hair that curled softly around her narrow face. Even her unflattering robes couldn't hide hints of what it covered underneath--a slender body, small, perky breasts, tight rear...

I grabbed another plate and scrubbed hard, not daring to further continue in that train of thought. I was uncomfortable enough as it was already from thinking about her too much.

I shouldn't have kissed her, that much was for certain. I shouldn't have danced with her. I shouldn't have done pretty much anything with her, actually. If she hadn't knocked over that plate of fish, I would probably have never known she even existed. I would have spent the rest of the day prepping more food for the wedding and sampling the wine in vigor with Ostus and the rest of our friends. If I had been feeling lonely and in the mood, I would have danced with one of the many drunk and beautiful women there-- there certainly were a lot at this wedding, would have taken one of them home with me, then, whenever I'd see Ostus next, I'd remind him, yet again as always, that I can, in fact, pick up women.

Instead I was here, alone, doing dishes in an old church kitchen late at night. But despite my current misery, it was all so worth it, to be able to get to know that priestess. I paused my scrubbing to think, yet again, of how much I enjoyed her company, surprisingly so, how well we got along together, how much I wished to just spend the day talking with her again, and of kissing her again.

If only Ostus wasn't such an asshole! I knew he didn't mean to be so brash--he was drunk, and was always excessively rude when he had too much, and had only wanted to congratulate me on managing to find a date for the wedding, but still... I was pretty sure I wasn't going to see any more of Katlayna. She probably assumed that I had been trying to seduce her. I did want her, and I wouldn't have objected if she wanted to take things further, but spending all that time with her was not so that I could eventually lead her to my bed. I was satisfied to just talk with her, and I craved to spend more time with her, if even for a moment, regardless of what we would do during that time. But now she thought I was a lecherous pig. What could I do to convince her otherwise without her thinking that I was trying to further efforts to score with her?

I sighed, letting go of the plate and rag into the water, feeling dejected. I shouldn't be this worked up over a woman I just met, anyway. I didn't believe in love at first sight, the Light, or any other religious or superstitious conotations. Our personalities just meshed well together, that was all. She was just a crush, another pretty face, my reaction to being without a companion for apparently too long. I had to get over her, move on. Katlayna...

"Whoever's in there, please quit so I can lock up and go to bed," came a groggy voice from the hallway as the sounds of dragging footsteps approached. I turned around, seeing light bounce off the hallway wall in front of the door as whoever it was drew closer.

"I'm just finishing up," I called.

"We open early in the morning," came the reply. "You can always come back and..."

Katlayna stepped into the doorway, wearing a very heavy-looking deep blue wool robe secured loosely around her, a white nightgown that I could see from her knees where the robe ended down to her feet socked in fuzzy pink slippers. She held a candle in one hand, a set of keys in the other. Her words died in the air as she looked upon me, eyes widening in surprise. I had almost forgotten to breathe, my heart skipping a beat upon seeing her.

"Barian!" she whispered in surprise, suddenly looking much more alert than she did. "I didn't know you were still here."

I turned back around, trying to keep calm as my hands returned to the water, searching for the rag. I was overjoyed to see her, yet at the same time I had dreaded our next encounter, wondering how I could explain my intentions to her and have her believe me. "I have a busy day tomorrow," I murmured, which was partially true. "I need to finish the last of the cleanup now or I won't have time."

"I see," was her quiet response.

I could hear her place the candle and keys on a nearby table. I shoveled more dishes into the water, not paying attention or caring as to what, the water muffling their clanking sounds. What was I to say now?

"I'm sorry, for running away like that," I heard her say. Judging from her voice, she hadn't moved from beside the table behind me, by the doorway. "I…had a lot on my mind."

I sighed, feeling like hawkstrider shit. I allowed a bowl I had begun to work on sink back into the water, pulling my hands away as I did so. My finger knicked against something sharp—I must have knocked some knives in the sink, and I winced from the pain. I ignored it, however, knowing now was not the time to nurse a little cut.

I turned around to look at her, swallowing hard, forcing down my anxiety. No more beating around the bush. "Look, Katlayna," I started, "that kiss…I didn't mean to kiss you—well, no, I did, I guess, and I enjoyed it, but…what Ostus said, that wasn't my intention with you at all! I—"

Katlayna shook her head, her hair bouncing around her face, her lips curled into a soft smile. "It's ok, Barian," she reassured me. "Even if that was your intention, I'm sure you wouldn't have me so easily! Besides, I'm pretty certain you wouldn't be here if that was the case. If you really were just looking for...a partner, you'd be with some other girl right now…" Her eyes drifted to my right hand beside me.

I glanced down too, seeing blood drip from my index finger and onto the floor. That cut had been deeper than I thought.

Katlayna's eyes widened. "What happened?" she exclaimed, stepping forward and grasping my hand in both of hers, raising it up close to her face.

"It's nothing," I replied, thinking more of the feel of her hands over mine than on the knife cut. "It's not as bad as it looks. It happens all the time. It's part of the job."

"Whatever, you're bleeding." Katlayna frowned, in concentration, as her fingers touched the wounded tip of mine. Almost instantly her fingers were aglow with bright shimmering light. I could feel its heat on my skin, my wound tingling from the contact. I watched, fascinated, as the skin on either side of the gaping cut pulled together, meshed somehow, and smoothed away to solid skin, as though I had never cut myself in the first place.

Katlayna moved her hand away, letting this small bundle of light roll between her fingers, back and forth, like a small, glowing ball while she carefully examined my hand, deep in thought. I watched her little display, never seeing the Light manipulated like that before. I had seen healing from priests and priestesses of the Light many times, and none of them had manipulated the magic like a solid object like she did.

"I think that's everything," Katlayna murmured, dropping my hand. The little ball of light dissipated in the air in an instant. "Feel better?"

I nodded, the feel of her fingers still fresh in my mind, as well as her amazing little ability. "That thing you did with the Light…I've never seen that before."

"Oh, you mean this?" Katlayna raised her hand, the ball of light appearing again. It weaved in and out around each finger, circled around her wrist and down her arm, then back up again to bounce on the fingertip of each finger. "Growing up in a church of the Light, one tends to get very bored at times. I learned how to draw forth the Light at an early age. I spent a lot of time experimenting with it whenever I was bored. I always thought anyone with knowledge of the Light can do this; it's quite easy to do."

I smirked as the ball of light disappeared again. "I can't even summon forth the Light, let alone do what you do."

Katlayna smiled softly at me. Oh, how I loved her smile. "All you have to do is invite the Light into your heart, believe in it and its abilities, accept it as part of your life. Anyone can wield the Light if they'd just allow themselves to."

I could only look at her, refraining from frowning. I was certain the Light was just another form of magic—that there were no real deities behind any of it, and that somehow these people had to make it something more in order to think they could use it. But they didn't harm anyone; they had good morals and ideals, so I never bothered to pressure their philosophies, never bothered to question their ways. As long as they allowed me to believe or not believe in quietly, that's all that mattered. "I see," was all I could manage to say, not wanting to offend this priestess of my views.

Her eyes searched mine, sensing something off in my response. She could read people better than I thought. "What's wrong?"

I looked away, wanting to avoid her gaze. "Nothing," I replied softly. "Just tired."

She stared thoughtfully at me for a moment with narrowed eyes, her gaze intense. "You're a nonbeliever, aren't you."

She had a way of reading me like no other. I sighed, shrugged, nodded, not knowing how else to respond. "I'm sorry. Shall I hear your reasons now as to why I should convert to the Light?"

Katlayna shook her head. "Don't be sorry. And no, I won't lecture you." She crossed the room, stopping by the table to grab the keys. "I've found that pushing people to believe in something they don't understand only drives them farther away. Besides, I'd rather not have my religion overpopulated with pretend believers. If you want to believe in the Light, you'll find it and accept it in your own way. For now, as long as you're a decent person, that's enough for me." She picked up the keys and the candle, glancing at me over her shoulder. "Come with me."

I did so without a word, blowing out the lights in the kitchen and allowing her to lock the door. The dishes could wait until morning. It would give me a great excuse to see her again.

I followed her down the hallway and out the side door from the church into the yard. She locked that door, too, and then we continued forth across the yard.

It was pitch black outside, the candlelight yielding against a moonless sky. The stars twinkled brightly, their glow uncompromised tonight. The yard looked different this way, dark shadows playing against the bushes and trees, skittering about as we passed through with the bright, golden glow of the candle. I could smell the fragrance of the flowers in the air, a light breeze picking up and spreading the aroma effectively.

Finally, Katlayna moved through the curtain of branches of a weeping willow tree, leaning against its trunk, her head lowered. I stood beside her and waited, wondering what we were here for, why she stopped. She placed the candle on the ground and looked up at me, and I could see tears brimming her eyes, glistening in the candlelight, her expression pained.

"Katlyana, what's wrong? Is—"

"I leave for Stormwind tomorrow," she blurted out in a rush.

I blinked, stared, taking a moment to allow this to sink in. The breeze whispered through the vines of the willow tree, teasing our hair as it did so. Stormwind. That was quite a ways south from here. It would take Katlayna about a month just to get there. So she was going on a long trip. "I heard it is an interesting place. Not everyone gets to travel outside of Quel'Thalas. Why so sad?"

Katlayna sighed, looking away. "I'll be gone for at least a year. Lordaeron is closer, with a stronger history of the Light. However, there is no space available for me there right now, so they assigned me to Stormwind instead. I…I should be excited, and I am. I'll be studying exclusively under the followers of the Light there, people that understand it a lot better than anyone here. But after meeting you…I wish I could have had more time to spend with you before leaving."

Her face was turned away, making it impossible for me to read her expression. She'd be gone for Stormwind for at least a year. Tonight would be the last night I'd see her for some time. A pang of sadness washed over me - I would miss her too, the girl I had met only this morning. How did that come to pass? But at least it was nice to know that she would miss me, that she cared enough about me to have such strong feelings about this.

I sighed, collecting her in my arms for a hug. She turned to me, burying her face in my chest, hands clinging to my shoulders as I wrapped my arms around her. "A year without seeing you is a long time," I confessed. In a high elf's lifespan, one year was nothing to worry about. But it seemed a whole lot longer knowing that I wouldn't see Katlayna's smile in that time, wouldn't hear her voice…

I realized that she was trembling, muffled sniffles coming from her. She was crying. Feeling awful, I pulled her gently away, brushing back the tears that streamed down her lovely face with my fingers. "I'm no one special to cry over," I tried to reassure her. "You don't need to—"

She was the one that initiated the kiss this time, launching herself up on her tiptoes until her lips met mine.

My eyes fluttered closed, surprised and pleased by this turn of events, and kissed her back, my fingers cradling the side of her face, gently stroking her hair.

We stood there for many long moments, our kisses slow, gentle. I could tell she wasn't an overly experienced kisser; there was an edge of apprehension to her movements, always mimicking my own as though seeking ideas on how to properly kiss me. I didn't mind at all; her kisses were sweet, she was learning quickly how I liked to be kissed, and I enjoyed the taste of her, the feel of her mouth over mine.

Our kisses grew bolder, more passionate, tongues taking the time to explore each other, electricity sparking so strongly between us. I wanted so much more, but I tried to ignore my body's urges, knowing that I was supposed to assure her that I wasn't the lecherous prick Ostus almost made me out to be. Besides, she was a priestess. Should we really be doing this? Then again, I had no idea of how Katlayna's religion handled things like love and sex.

The ends of her robe fell away, never secured around her very tightly to begin with, and she pressed her body against mine, wrapping her arms around my neck and pulling in to deepen the kiss. I placed my hands on her body, wanting so much to touch every inch of her, but having enough will power to keep them away from the places they shouldn't be. I caressed her shoulders, her back, gripping at her waist. The fabric of her nightgown, which felt enticingly thin, rolled loosely beneath my fingers, my hands sending my mind better ideas of what her body must look like.

Our first and last night together, for a very long time…

"Barian." She uttered my name in a throaty whisper as she broke our kiss, her voice laced with lust, my body raging in reaction to her positive response to me.

I looked at her, this gorgeous woman in my arms, wondering if I should attempt to push things further with Katlayna after all, unsure of how far I should try, wishing we were already in a private room, under the sheets on some bed, with me trapped in her most intimate embrace, the warmth of her body, her passion... She looked back at me with a tender expression, lips swollen and slightly parted from our kissing, her eyes glowing brightly from the dim candlelight.

"I…I'm sorry," she murmured, her voice so soft and frail against the thickness of the night, her gaze shifting regretably away from me.

My heart sank, but I forced myself to smile, taking a courteous step back, reminding myself that we had only just met, that I shouldn't be falling so perfectly into Ostus's assumptions of earlier.

Katlayna wrapped the robe around herself and tied it tightly in place, looking at me apologetically. Lust lingered in her gaze, dying quickly while I combed my fingers through my hair in agitation, trying to ignore the uncomfortable effects of physical rejection.

Katlayna touched my face, urging me to look at her. "It's hard enough to leave you as it is," she explained in a soft voice. "The further we continue, the harder it'll be for me, for probably the both of us, to part."

Why can't you stay? I wanted to blurt out, to scream at her face, my heart suddenly a tempest of emotions. Why can't you just stay with me? So what if we've only known each other for a day… But that was the thing. Katlayna had dreams of her own like I did, life goals, and they involved leaving here. For as much as I cared for her, I couldn't hold her back from what she wanted, knowing full well the struggle to realize my own dreams. The Light was important to her—our many long conversations of earlier in the day made that indication clear. Who was I, some man she only knew for a day, to take her away from that? And I knew, deep down though I did not want to admit it, that going further with her would have made this understanding all that much harder to take. Making love to her, opening my heart to her, would only make it hurt worse when she decided to leave. I contemplated coming with her instead, to start my career over again in Stormwind. I didn't know a soul outside of Quel'Thalas, however, didn't know the cuisine of other races aside from high elves. I didn't have the connections I did here, the resources. How long would I have to struggle to make a name for myself in Stormwind, if ever? Could I endure it all for a woman I've known for only a day? If you love her, yes. But did I? Was it possible for me to fall in love with someone so quickly? Did I really love her? If so, wasn't this newfound love also worth waiting for? A year or so apart wasn't so bad. Humans only lived for so long. I had centuries to spend with Katlayna.

"I understand," I heard myself say.

Katlayna hugged me tightly, obviously grateful for my answer. "I'm sorry for misleading you. I...I've never felt this way towards anyone before. I was unprepared for how strong those feelings could be."

Such a torturous statement, considering holding her close like this made me think of nothing but of trying to continue our activity of a few minutes ago. I didn't act upon those urges, however, grateful that I was able to hug her on this night instead of being still inside scrubbing dishes alone.

"It's only a year or so," Katlayna murmured, starting to sound a bit tired.

I yawned, reminded of my own exhaustion. It had been a very long day indeed. "Yeah," I whispered back. One year was still too long to me.

"Perhaps we could write to each other."

"Perhaps." I liked the thought, a way to keep in touch.

She looked up at me, then, excitement mixed with exhaustion in her eyes. "I'll write you as soon as I get to Stormwind," she said, firmly. "I promise."

I looked back down at her, gorgeous Katlayna, knowing in my heart that she would keep that promise. "And I'll be waiting for that letter, and your return. I promise."

We held each other tight, the weight of our promises, and the burden of the upcoming wait lingering in our thoughts. I closed my eyes, picturing Katlayna's face, the way she felt at that moment, her scent, her voice, wanting to lock it all in my memory.

It would be the last time I'd see her for several years. Perhaps if I would have known this, known that I'd see her next through the fel green eyes of a slave to our society's downfall, I would have never let her go. But on this warm night, like every single other night on peaceful, tranquil Quel'Thalas enchanted in an everlasting spring by the power of the Sunwell, I thought only of how I was going to deal with that first year, that Katlayna would soon return to the glorious country of the high elves.

It was fortunate that I kept the image of her sweet smile in my memory, for the next time I'd see her, she'd hold nothing but hatred for me.

TO BE CONTINUED…