Authors Note: As always I do not own anything having to do with Blizzard or World of Warcraft. I obviously do not make any money off this story, but it sure is fun to write it. Also, I apologize for two things: 1) that it has taken me so long to post this chapter, and 2) that there will only be a few more chapters left to the story. Please let me know if I can improve anything in the story! And to all those who have been so supportive of my story: Thank you! Your addition of my story to your favorites, your wonderful comments/criticisms, and simply reading my story have given me so much more confidence in my writing! Thank you all!
The fragmented path through Searing Gorge made way to the desolate Blackrock Mountain. Past the boiling molten rock that roiled beneath the elevated walkway within the mountain itself. From there, Jinny's carefully planned itinerary took them east, past Morgan's Vigil to the south east corner of the Burning Steppes. The short road that led them safely through the eastern side of the Redridge Mountains had, surprisingly, only taken them half a day to traverse. Then, two days travel from Bogpaddle in the Swamp of Sorrows to Stonard.
That had measured up as the worst part of their journey. The heat had been stifling. The humidity so intense that it had become hard to breathe. Never had she missed Silvermoon more. Her feet were constantly wet, as they had to walk most of the way. Her weight, combined with the spindly toes of the hawkstrider, had proved the bird ill-equipped for such soggy terrain.
The final leg of the journey to the Dark Portal found them in Blasted Lands. The dry, red clay a stark contrast to the violet-gray clouds in the sky. A straight shot south, skirting around the less-than-hospitable basilisks to avoid unnecessary skirmishes, found them standing at the foot of the giant stone monolith. Two statues stood watch over the portal, gazing down with glowing eyes at the small camp nestled at the bottom of the crater that housed the entrance to what had been deemed 'The Outlands'. A quick prayer to the Light and a deep breath had sent the Mage and Warrior through the archway swirling with fell magic.
And now, here they were. The queasy feeling from using a portal had finally left her and she stood next to the warrior, surveying the land. The fel magic was thick in the air, caressing her, heightening her sensitivity to everything. They watched as an attack on the Stair of Destiny was thwarted, when an Orc beckoned them over.
"Hey! You two need a ride somewhere?" Her gruff voice was only matched by her physique. Hard muscles rippled beneath her scant clothes.
Jinny was slightly surprised by Darreek suddenly taking her hand and leading her to the woman.
"Yes," he said, rummaging around in his pocket with his free hand. "We're going to Shattrath. How far will this get us?"
The Orc eyed the meager offering in the Warrior's hand. "That'll get you to Falcon Watch. And you'll have to share."
He nodded. "Fine. We'll go to Falcon Watch."
"You know how to get to Shattrath from there?" the Wind Rider Mistress asked.
Again, Darreek nodded. The Orc pocketed the few coins and walked over to the Wind Riders, selecting a hearty animal and leading the beast over to the pair. The Warrior turned to Argonos and whispered to the bear in Thalassian as Jinny leaned in to Myndee and instructed her to follow the bear. He mounted the wind rider and pulled Jinny up in front of him. She was a little uneasy at the thought of flying, but the world seemed right when she was in his arms. Jinny smiled as she settled in against his broad chest, his hand lazily wrapping around her waist causing a warm feeling deep in her core.
Never had she been so happy to be on the ground. The thought was fleeting as her stomach rebelled and emptied. Oh, how she hated flying!
"It never fails," she told the Warrior as he helped her up. "Every single time I get on one of those things..." her voice wavered and trailed off as she fought to control the new wave of nausea washing over her. She steadied herself against him, willing it to pass.
Darreek held out his hand, offering her some candy.
She shook her head. "No, thanks. I just..." she paused, regaining her composure. "I just don't think I could handle that right now."
"Eat it. It will make you feel better." Even though she was still feeling soundly sick, her confusion was clearly written all over her face. "It's peppermint, Mage." Her heart skipped. He hadn't called her 'mage' since Tarren Mill. "Peppermint helps to calm the stomach. Trust me." He said softly, breaking the candy into tiny pieces. She nodded and, though slightly reluctant, she popped a sliver into her mouth. Darreek waited a few minutes before urging her forward. "Come, it's getting dark. We have to set up camp."
"Set up camp?"
He nodded. "I spent the last of our money on the ride here. Though, if I would have known how much flying disagrees with you, I would have suggested we rode." The warrior looked off into the distance, in the direction of, what she assumed, was Shattrath. "I expect Argonos and Myndee would have safely made it to Shattrath by now, what with all that new Goblin Technology and whatnot that the Horde gained when the Goblins formally aligned with us." He handed her another piece of the candy. "Feeling better yet?"
Jinny nodded, suddenly realizing that she did, in fact feel better. "I do. Thank you."
"Good. I need to talk to the Captain. I'll be right back."
The mage nodded, leaning against a fence bordering the pathway up to the tower. Her gaze followed the lines of the tower as it stretched into the twilight sky. Uneasiness settled over her when she realized that this was almost the same tower as in her dream. There were a few differences, but it was essentially the same. She could feel the blood drain from her face and she was thankful for the sturdiness of the fence, as her legs seemed to loose all strength. Carefully, the woman slid down the fence to settle on the ground as she scanned the horizon. It may not have been an exact replica, but this was the landscape she'd seen in the dream.
Images of a tall man with glowing green eyes and white hair flashed before her eyes. A soft warm breeze carried a delicate floral fragrance, though no flowers could be seen. She was carried once more to the top of the tower with the soft sheer curtains, and the plush pillows. The man was there. His smile was disarming, almost causing her to let her guard down.
"Jin'ala. I am glad you are here," he said softly.
"Who – who are you?"
He chuckled. "I? I am the man of your dreams." The woman sighed in frustration, crossing her arms. Again, the tall man with the white hair chuckled. "I apologize. The jest was there and I simply couldn't help myself."
"Who are you?" she repeated her question.
"All will be revealed in good time, Jin'ala." He flashed his disarming smile once more. "In good time. Come to me. Come to me, Jin'ala. Mage. Mage..." the man's voice, like the scene before her, faded, shifting into another familiar voice and scene.
"Mage! Mage! Are you alright?" Darreek's voice was laced with worry. He was shaking her.
She blinked. "Wha – what happened?"
"You faded out there for a moment. Are you alright?" Though a smile was on his face, concern still edged his eyes.
The tiny woman glanced around. "I...I think so." Jinny tried to stand, but as soon as her feet were under her, her strength faltered.
Darreek chuckled as he caught her, scooping her up. "You always seem to fall right into my arms." He grinned fiendishly. "It's starting to become a habit."
"It is not!" she scoffed, struggling in his grip. He snickered again as she looked sternly at him. "Warrior, let me down."
"And just what if I don't want to?" He leaned in close, nuzzling her ear, whispering softly for only her to hear. "Just play along."
Her warm smile and sweet, sing song tone belied her soft whispers. "You'd better have a very good reason for this warrior," she warned. "Or, I will freeze you where you stand."
"Trust me. I promise to explain," he whispered to her, nuzzling her neck. He pulled his head up and spoke normally. "Come, riomore*. Let's get camp set up." The mage blushed as the warrior carried her off.
The setup was simple: Two bedmats and a fire. Savory aromas wafted on the air as the fat from the boar meat melted and simmered, spitting to life and dancing in the pan. Jinny looked around to make sure they were out of earshot.
"So, why the show earlier?" she asked abruptly.
"I wanted them to think we were together," he shrugged.
"Obviously. Why?"
"Because...some of the men here are not as...nice as I am."
She rolled her eyes. "Nice? You tried to bed me the very day we'd left!"
The warrior sighed in frustration. "Look. I overheard some of them talking, alright?"
"So? What if they were talking? That doesn't mean a hill of Gnolls! That doesn't mean they're going to do anything about it!" She paused. "What were they saying?"
He stared at her, debating weather or not to tell her. He decided against it. "You don't want to know."
"Oh? And why wouldn't I want to know?"
"Because I said so."
"Because you said so? What am I? A child? I assure you, I am emotionally equipped to handle adult conversation. But that still doesn't answer my question as to why you think it best for us to make it look like we're a couple!"
"I did answer that. I told you because of what I'd overheard some of the men saying."
"Oh, that's right. Because you overheard amorous men saying vulgar things? Things that you won't tell me 'because I said so'?" She stared at him long and hard before suddenly standing up. "I'm going for a walk." The warrior stood also. "By myself," she glared.
"What the fell did I just get done saying to you? You're not walking around out here alone!"
"I will. I need some time to myself." The pair scowled at each other for a pregnant moment.
"Fine. But. You must stay within eyesight. Agreed?" the warrior finally relented.
Jinny nodded. "Aye. Within eyesight."
Darreek settled down again. "If I can't see you once, Mage, I will tie myself to you for the rest of the journey."
The mage spun on her heels, stomping away muttering terrible things under her breath. She made good on her word, though, never wandering out of sight. She ended up meditating only a short distance away, only returning when she was calm. What had it really mattered what the other men were saying about her? She had been so childish about it, no wonder he'd treated her like one, and she apologized over supper.
"I'm not sleeping next to you!" the mage protested.
"If you want to keep the charade up, you will."
She rolled her eyes. "But you snore! Loudly."
"Fine. If you want the felboars and rock flayers to get you, sleep by yourself."
She wavered. "Rock flayers?"
"Yeah, nasty things, those. Those pincer-like appendages..." he trailed off, shuddering. "But, if you're really convinced, then who am I to stop you?"
"Pincers?" the tiny woman repeated softly.
The warrior nodded. "And I'm sure you've heard all about their lust for blood. Took out a whole squad of men when we first came through the portal. Just two of them. Smart little buggers."
Jinny swallowed hard, "They did?"
"Mhmm," Darreek replied, settling down onto his bed mat. "G'night!" he added happily, rolling over.
The woman was vexed. She could not relinquish her good name just because that man thought it better for their situation. Besides, she reasoned to herself asmemories of Tarren Mill and Andorhol flashed through her mind, Things get out of hand so quickly when we share the same bit of space. She could feel the blush spreading across her cheeks in the darkness. A frustrated sigh escaped her lips. How was it that he always had that effect on her?
Somewhere in the distance across the dry, caked landscape a flayer screamed out warning to its brothers. Jinny shivered and stood to stoke the fire. Properly stoked, it blazed to life and she held up her hands to the warmth it offered. A breeze tugged at her hair, making it dance and she looked up at the sky. An endless expanse of diamonds and ribbons of illuminated clouds danced against inky blackness. Planets beyond what she'd ever seen hovered like silent sentinels on a centuries old patrol. It was all so calming. So peaceful.
Jin'ala.
She looked around, searching for the voice. Jinny was sure she'd just heard a voice call her name.
Jin'ala. Come to me. It is time. Come to me.
Darreek woke with a start. Something didn't feel right. He rolled over, stretching and trying to shake the drowsiness from his head when his hand hit the bedroll. The warrior sat straight up.
"Mage?" He called, scanning the immediate area. "Mage? Mage! Miss Jinny! Jin'ala!"
He could scream and call till his voice was gone and it would do no good. She was gone. He knew it, too. Though, all of her things were still where she'd left them the night before. It just didn't make sense. Where could she have gone? She didn't know the way to Shattrath. At least, she'd said as much. They didn't have enough money for even one of them to take a Wind Rider to the city, either. Not even from Falcon Watch.
Anger sparked and flamed to life within his chest. "If one of those ill-bred, sloven, sons of bitches even cuts one hair on the head of the woman I love..." He stopped. When did that happen? Could it really be that he...loved... her? The warrior nodded acceptance, picking up his pace to clean up their small camp. He loved her. But the only way for him to tell her would be to find her. Kicking dirt over the smouldering embers of the fire, he turned toward Falcon Watch with murder in his eyes.