Author's note: Apologies to all my followers for the delay in this chapter :( I decided to spend some time editing the older chapters (..."wooden stove". Did anyone else...catch that...? ), and I struggled to write this chapter for some reason. I finally ended up splitting the chapter in half because it was too long and changing the story around a little. I hope you enjoy it immensely :)
Lafein : What's wrong with Blood Elf Deathknights as heros? I mean, look at at all the redeeming qualities they have:
"First, I'm going to suck the magic out of you, and then in your weakened state, I'm going to cut you down and raise you as a ghoul."
Sounds like hero traits to me. * shrugs * I guess I must be missing something.
Also, special thanks to Maria Kundakcioglu for editing on such short notice :)
Enjoy!
I Think I Can, I Think I Can...
Her words echoed in his head.
"You must...tell them of..."
He needed to get back to Silvermoon and tell someone about the demons. What if there were more?
Rii stumbled slightly, and lost his footing. He crashed into the ground, the sword slipping from his grasp and clattering against the earth.
He struggled to get up, and grabbed for it, wincing at the new scrapes on his palms. He was never able to run for very long, and he was quickly losing his energy.
He had remained at the elf's side for some time, trying to stop the tears that had come from the shock of her death. He had managed to calm himself down enough to think straight, and decided on what to do. Thinking back, he shuddered and focused on blocking out the horrific scene.
Finally, he reached the city wall. Panting heavily from the run, he scanned the gate for a guard. After a few moments, he realised there wasn't any guarding the gate, and scowled.
The only time I need one…
He shook his head before rushing past the gates, and began to frantically search the pathways and roads.
He spotted a guard with a group of elves, and exhaled in relief.
They were lounging around one of the small fountains built throughout the city. Some of the girls were giggling and staring at the guard intently as he spun his two-bladed sword in his hands and lashed out, as if to strike something.
Rii darted towards the fountain.
"Sir!" Rii called out, causing the guard and the group to turn to look at him. Not noticing the look of annoyance the guard gave him, he continued, "Something... horrible has... it was in the forest.
"There were demons… and..." He paused to take a few deep breaths to try and calm himself down.
The guard gave him a skeptical look and crossed his arms, eyeing the bloodied sword in Rii's hand suspiciously.
"Are you sure you saw... 'demons'?" The guard pronounced it as if Rii didn't know what the word meant, and had gotten it confused with something else.
"Oh, don't listen to the stupid half-elf," one of the she-elves interrupted as she stood up and walked towards them, "He probably just saw a Dragonhawk in the woods and got confused."
She smirked, and a snigger went through the group.
Rii glared at the elf, but said nothing. Over the years he had learned it was better not to respond to theses kinds of insults. He turned back to the guard.
"Please, you need to believe me," he pleaded, "I swear it was demons."
The guard raised an eyebrow at his words, but remained silent.
Rii let out a frustrated sigh. Why wouldn't they listen?
A yell came from behind them.
"Captain!"
They turned to see another guard rushing towards them.
He halted in front of the Captain, his expression grim.
"I found a body in the forest!"
Rii's hopes rose. Now they would believe him!
He looked back at the Captain, only to be met with an accusing stare.
"So the blood on that sword you have," he began, "is supposed to be from 'demons'?"
Rii gawked for a moment before replying.
"Y-Yes," he responded, stunned from the accusation.
"Oh, really?" the Captain narrowed his eyes.
"I didn't... She told me to…" He fumbled under the Captain's intense stare.
The group of elves had been watching intently.
"The little brat killed someone?!!" The she-elf exclaimed, backing up a few paces.
"I wouldn't be surprised," replied another elf, one who had just decided to attach himself to her hip, " You know how resentful human-bloods can become."
She glared at him in annoyance, but he didn't seem to notice.
"What? I...no!" Rii exclaimed, "The demons attacked her! They tore her to pieces." He choked on the last few words.
A few of the elves gasped in horror at his words, and the Captain turned to the guard.
"So?"
The guard straightened up.
"Yes, sir?"
The Captain began to examine his nails.
"Was the body... 'torn to pieces'?" He said, with an indifference that some might have found unnerving.
The guard's eyes shifted nervously between Rii and the Captain.
He had seen the body, and the young half-elf could very well be telling the truth.
The she-elf had been mauled by some sort of creature, and he had found this increasingly disturbing, as he didn't know of any animal that inhabited their forests that could maim someone like that.
On another note, he had noticed her armor and gear, so she was obviously an outrunner from one of the outposts. He doubted the young half-elf could ever have the skill to kill one of their outrunners without so much as a scratch.
"Well?" The Captain said impatiently.
He hesitated. Obviously the Captain realised this as well. He knew of the Captain's distaste for half breeds, and was most likely just looking for an excuse to mistreat the boy. As he glanced at the group, he realised he didn't have the courage to tell the Captain he had made a mistake, and almost feared how he would react if he did so in front of a crowd.
The guard's gaze lingered on Rii for a moment, before focusing on the Captain.
"No, Sir, she didn't look like she was attacked by a beast of any sort."
Rii stared at him in shock. The guard was lying!
"I guess that proves it then," The she-elf piped up again, "He's a killer. I hope he rots in a prison cell."
"That is, if he isn't exiled," Her friend added with a smirk, still attached to her hip.
"...he can go live with the trolls," he heard another one mutter, and another snigger went through the group.
They all continued to stare in glee, a hint of excitement lingering in their eyes.
Rii was terrified.
"No…" he whimpered, his eyes darting between the group and the guard. He stared at the guard briefly, whom of which was avoiding his gaze.
"You need to come with me," the Captain said, taking a step towards Rii and extending his hand to grab his arm.
He leapt back instinctively, and the Captain glared at him. Rii knew that refusing the Captain would make his punishment worse, but he was too scared to care.
Before the Captain had a chance to react further, Rii had bolted down the road towards a cluster of homes.
He heard the Captain yelling out to other guards, ordering them to hunt him down. He was that much more relieved that the road broke off into a handful of pathways, making escape easier.
As he ran through the alleyways, the guard's cries grew steadily fainter, but he could still hear the sound of footsteps trailing not far behind him. He glanced over his shoulder and saw a shadow of a figure appearing from the building behind him. He gritted his teeth and twisted through more alleys, trying to lose his follower.
The stitch in his side was growing almost unbearable, and he reluctantly began to slow. He turned another corner and came to a halt.
It was a dead end. The brick buildings melded seamlessly together here.
He could still hear the footsteps approaching from behind him. He gasped and frantically looked around for an escape that he might've missed.
The slowing footsteps echoed through the alleyway, and he gave up, realising his search was hopeless.
Rii took a deep breath and turned around to face the guard.
Ironically, it was the same guard that had lied to the Captain. He stood at the end of the ally, and hesitated before drawing his sword and taking a few steps towards the half-elf.
Rii's ears had gone horizontal as he stared at the guard in fear, and he backed away.
The guard paused as a yell from another guard echoed down the ally.
Guilt had been gnawing away at the guard's thoughts, and as much as he had tried to convince himself that a half-elf wasn't worth defending, it only seemed to make him realise how wrong he was.
He gave Rii a sympathetic look.
"I'm sorry I have to do this…" he trailed off as Rii whimpered and backed farther into the shadow cast by the buildings.
He found he couldn't reach for the young half-elf, and cursed himself for being so weak willed. If he had been bold enough to tell the truth, this wouldn't have happened.
He hesitated again, and lowered his weapon slightly as he eyed the half-elf.
Rii was oddly frustrated. Why couldn't the guard just get it over with?
So many horrible things had happened so far, and it was only going to get worse. The guard was going to drag him back to the Captain, and who knows what they were going to do to him then? They thought he was a murderer.
Another yell echoed through the alley.
The guard straightened, and sheathed his sword.
"He hasn't gone this way!" he yelled back.
He took a few steps backward, and Rii gave him a mixed look of shock and relief. The guard flashed him a weak smile before he turned and left the alleyway.
The cries of the guards began to fade away.
Rii stood there, digesting the series of events.
The guard had just given him a chance to escape... but where could he go? Guards all over the city were undoubtedly searching for him by now.
He sat down against the wall, biting his lip and mulling over his options.
He began to examine the sword in his hand. The blood was beginning to dry on the curved edge.
After a moment of thought, he decided that a bloodied sword would only continue to cause him trouble, and wiped the blade with his own sleeve.
He let out a sigh. If only he was able to tell the one person that he knew would listen.
He knew she was protecting Quel'Thalas' borders, and that it was more important that she was doing that than remaining in the city, but he still missed her.
He began to pick absently at the hilt as he tried to come up with a solution. Bright blue bands were coiled around the grip, with accents of gold on the guard and pommel.
He grinned as he recalled the first time he held a sword.
It was her who had taught him how to wield it properly, when his instructor had given up and claimed his human blood would always hold him back. Whenever he fell behind in his lessons, she would always be there, patiently guiding him through the steps, until he had mastered each strike and could perform them with ease.
With a bow, however, he was not so fortunate. He struggled to acquire the precision with shot that the elves were known for, and frustrated his instructor almost nearly as much as he frustrated himself.
When she had last been here, she had taken him again to the archery range. She believed that with practise, he could easily keep up with his peers. Rii had long since given up, but every once and awhile her encouragement sparked a flicker of confidence in him, that maybe she was right after all.
For a moment he was caught up in his memories, and all the stress seemed to lift.
Then his smile faded as he became aware of his situation again, and he grimaced, feeling lonelier than he did before.
He shook his head in frustration.
There must be something…
He paused, and his eyes widened.
The map! How could he have forgotten about that?
The last day before she had left again for the outpost, she had given him a map of Eversong Woods and marked the outpost she was at.
"Only if there is an emergency," she had said, "Promise me that's the only time you'll use this."
He had recognised the seriousness in her tone and had sworn. A few times he had been close to breaking that promise, when the bullying and frustration had gotten the better of him, but he was proud to say he had kept it so far.
Unfortunately for him, he had slid the map safely under his mattress… back at the orphanage.
He took a deep breath and got to his feet.
I guess that's where I'm headed, then… He thought.
The sun was almost below the horizon and he could see the stars beginning to cut through the sky.
Rii cocked his head, and listened carefully for any signs of the guards.
After a few moments of silence, he finally decided it was safe enough. He made his way to the edge of the alleyway and slowly peered around the corner. It seemed vacant, save for the low wind that wound its way through the pathways.
He shivered, and carefully examined the area, not wanting to miss a guard that may have stayed behind.
Satisfied the area was empty, he stepped out and slowly began to make his way through the alleyways, backtracking the way he had come.
He was rarely out past sunset, and was astonished by the sight of the city at night.
The lamps on the main street glowed dimly, illuminating the pathways and brushing gently against nearby structures. The normally blue and white buildings now appeared as a combination of shadowy grey and stark white, with the golden embellishments reflecting the light of the lamps and leaving disheveled rays of light splayed out against the ground or nearby objects.
The streets were quiet, save for the echoes of an occasional party, or the laughter of a group of elves making their way back to their homes, not completely sober.
He kept close to the walls, and remained in the growing shadows to avoid being noticed. He took in his surroundings, trying to determine where he was.
He was lucky. The orphanage was barely a block away from where he stood. Avoiding the pathway, he slipped around the houses, heading towards the orphanage.
He recognised it right away amongst the other buildings. Compared to the other homes, it was shorter in height, with the chipping paint and missing shingles almost suggested a rickety appearance.
A weight seemed to lift off his chest as he approached the building. He briefly wondered if the captain had given up, or the guards were simply scouring another part of the city.
He pulled a few of the crates at the side of the house on top of each other, so he'd be able to get onto the roof.
It wasn't uncommon for him to sneak out like this, although he had never gone through the window before. Usually, he just snuck out the door when no one was watching, and spent an hour or so outside the city. He was never out past dark, though, and was a little afraid of how would react if she caught him. Usually he was just scolded and sent to bed hungry, but…
He quietly climbed on the stack of crates, and crawled onto the roof.
He was relieved to see the window had been left ajar, and slowly peeled it open far enough that he could fit through. He gently set the sword on the windowsill, and pulled himself through the window.
As he began to lower himself to the floor, the sword slipped and noisily clattered to the floor.
He held his breath and scanned the beds to check if the sudden noise had woken any of the other children.
They all still appeared to be fast asleep, and he breathed out in relief. He bent to pick up the sword.
"Decided to go on another adventure, raven boy?" He froze as he recognised the sharp, sarcastic tone.
He sighed loudly at what she had called him, and cocked his head to look in the direction of the voice.
His name was a slur of the Common word 'Raven' and the Thalassian word 'Arii'. Fully translated, it literally meant 'Raven Boy'. The name itself was... uncommon, to put it lightly, and disgracefully simple, and a few of the elves found pleasure in mocking him for it.
"Yes, Say'lien, I did," he replied, returning her haughty tone, "I hope that wasn't a problem."
The young elf stood in the doorway, and continued to glare at him. In appearance, she would have seemed to be younger than him, but in reality, she was many years older.
"Mother has been looking all over for you," She continued, "Father just left to notify the guards you've gone missing. I don't know why they waste their time."
He ignored her, and began to make his way to his bed.
Say'lien was the daughter of Mr and , and enjoyed reminding him and any of the other orphans about it.
She paused to wait for his response, and once it was clear she wasn't getting one, she began again.
"I mean, it would be understandable if it was one of the others, but to expend this much effort over a half-elf..."
He suddenly felt very tired.
"Say'lien... not right now, alright?"
He heard her make a loud 'Hmmph' , but didn't continue.
He went to pull up the mattress to look for the parchment, but stopped.
A flutter of panic began in his chest.
"He went to notify the guards?" he said, looking back at her.
"Yes, raven boy, guards." she crossed her arms, "Have you managed to grasp the concept, or should I repeat it for you again, slowly?"
He cursed under his breath, ignoring her insults for the moment. He would have to leave as soon as possible.
He turned his focus from the mattress and searched the floor for his pack.
"What's wrong with that?" she questioned, but he didn't answer, and she sighed loudly.
Finally noticing the bag had been shoved far under the bed, he retrieved it and focused back on the map.
He pulled up his mattress slightly, and relaxed as he caught sight of the piece of parchment.
"No, your supposed to sleep on the bed," she said with a smirk.
He fought the urge to glare at her as he grabbed the map. He didn't want to give her the satisfaction of knowing her insults were bothering him.
He stood up, putting the sword on the bed and unrolling the parchment.
"What is…," Say'lien began again, then her eyes focused on the sword, "Why are you carrying around a sword, anyway?"
"It's a long story, and I don't really feel like telling you," he replied coldly, studying the map.
She continued to give him a curious look, and her eyes widened as she noticed the stain of blood on his sleeve.
"Why is it a problem that Father notified the guards?" she asked carefully.
He caught her intense stare, and looked away.
"Nevermind, it's nothing."
She crossed her arms.
"What did you do?"
After a moment, he rolled the map up and shoved it into the bag.
"I didn't do anything," he replied simply, "But I know what I'm about to do."
"And what would that be?" she said, her eyes narrowing.
He slung the bag over his shoulder and grabbed the sword.
"Leave."
She gawked at him for a moment.
"What?!?"
He gave her a nonchalant shrug and walked towards the window.
"So because your the Ranger-General's pet," she replied viciously, "You think you can come and go whenever you please?"
He dropped the pack onto the roof, and gave her a tired look.
"Look…" he began, but trailed off as he caught the sound of the door opening downstairs. He heard footsteps, then speaking in a quiet tone.
"A Murderer??!" he heard exclaim, and he winced as Say'lien's jaw dropped.
"...I have to go," he finished quickly, and climbed out the window onto the roof.
"You killed someone?!!?" she hissed, her eyed wide.
"I didn't do anything…" he replied, then shook his head.
"They just think I did."
Her expression changed, and he was both surprised and glad that she appeared to believe him.
"Of course. You're not smart enough to be able to pull off murder."
He snorted and opened his mouth to reply, but the sound of footsteps on the stairs caused the words to die in his throat.
Say'lien had heard it too, and began to wildly gesture for him to leave. He moved away from the window towards the stack of crates, and barely moments after, he heard the window close with a Whumpp .
He took a deep breath. He was on his own now.