The Romancer Opalbane
Episode Fourteen: Myrielle hates dancing for free
Second Commander Myrielle Fadeleaf glared at Han the entire time that she danced. Han was smiling oddly back. Perhaps he thought it was a romantic gesture directed entirely at him? Myrielle hoped he did. When she let him ask her up to his room later she'd take off the flimsy red gown, let him get real comfortable... and then drop kick him. Myrielle also hoped he had lots of breakable things in his apartments. She was going to smash every single one, she didn't care about international relations or a promotion from Shadowstep at this point.
"You go, sister!" other female Night Elves called out to Myrielle as she danced. Myrielle felt sorry for them. It was nervous cheering that she knew well, the kind a female Kaldorei used when she tried to fit into the crowd in hopes that the men there wouldn't make notice her and then make her join in too.
Of course, Han would have Myrielle perform in the Officer's Lounge attached to SI:7. All around, talented soldiers of the Alliance were decked out in their golden epic armor and weapons. At first, just passerby paused every few moments while perusing the Quartermasters' wares before the battlemasters in Stormwind Keep summoned them to the far reaches of Azeroth to fight the Horde. But, after a while, the officers and their friends stopped queuing up for the battlegrounds all together. They filed in the doors to stare at Myrielle.
Han seemed to notice that it was after sunset and stepped in to make Myrielle stop. "Alright, that's enough of a show for now folks."
"And don't dare come back next weekend expecting some kind of performance... I just lost a bet." Myrielle announced. Then she frowned darkly at some of the men who just shrugged and walked away. "Can you believe it? I danced very well tonight but I didn't even get any tips out of this." she confided in Han.
Han blinked at Myrielle. "Sweetheart, you are so pretty right now, I'm just going to pretend I didn't hear say you enjoyed that."
Myrielle put a hand on her hip and pursed her perfect cherry lips. "You mean, you knew how demeaning we Night Elf women find dancing for people yet... you still made me do it? Aren't you afraid that I'm going to beat you up now?"
Han escorted Myrielle out of the Officer's Lounge and outside, onto the steps leading to the entrance of SI:7.
"It was a bet, but furthermore it was also a punishment."
"When I get Al next week, you'll see–"
"Now hold on. There is no next week. Shadowstep sent you here to help SI: 7 and you failed. There are no more extensions, or second chances. In fact, I knew you couldn't do it when you came in here before with that foolishness about your ex-boyfriend and the extrication of the druids in Stormwind. I just took mercy on you, because you made a bet with me that I knew I would win. And I did enjoy the show. Myrielle, Stormwind is very disappointed in you and the Cenarion Enclave for letting her down. Now, it's time for the Human rogues to clean up your people's mess."
Myrielle made fists of her hands, fuming. "So, I've been bested by a rogue that you all never trusted. I've been doing favors for SI:7 since I was a novice... and Al never showed any kind of loyalty. Not to the Dwarves, or the Humans... and barely even the Night Elves until now... and somehow, I'm the one you're displeased with?"
Han shrugged. "It's not exactly like that, Myrielle. SI: 7 doesn't trust Alessandre because he's never tried to join up with us. It's like he managed to become a rogue all by himself, without the benefit of any trainer loyal to the Alliance... it's very strange, really."
Then the truth is right in front of your stupid face! Myrielle thought angrily. She was about to say as much when a loud roar interrupted their conversation.
"Help! It's that crazy druid, someone help!"
Despite their recent argument, both rogues went on the offensive immediately. One human rogue lie dead in the street next to a large angry bear with white moon sigils imprinted on its shoulders. The second rogue had tried, but failed to finish off the creature and was now running for his life. Myrielle crouched low and withdrew the long steel dagger she always kept in her red boots, no matter what. Then, she lined them with poison.
The guy the druid was pursuing didn't look like much, probably your average Old Town thug. The angry bear looked like any druid too, until it roared then abruptly started coughing like an old dwarf.
"I didn't think druids smoked pipes?" Han worried as he and Myrielle began to close in on the notorious murderer.
But I know of only one Kaldorei who can't go anywhere without his pipe! Myrielle eagerly concluded for herself.
"Hey!" Han shouted dumbly to distract the druid. It swatted mercilessly at the thug with its big claws until the man died, then faced Han, snarling.
That was when Alessandre, the bear, recognized Myrielle. He stared at her in the revealing red dress for a moment, but it was just long enough for his feral rage to cool. Alessandre realized he was in exactly the wrong place to be killing rogues, even if it was in the defense of his life. Decorated officers inside the barracks were coming out onto the steps of SI:7, eager to see what the problem was.
"Hey, that's the murderer! Don't let him get away!" someone shouted.
Alessandre shifted into his cheetah form lightning fast and ran.
Han was shouting something silly about Myrielle staying out of it while he called for reinforcements. But the determined Second in Command hiked up her skirt and sprinted after Alessandre. They left Old Town and came back to the main streets that lined the canal. Myrielle angrily swatted at Alessandre, trying to slash the Night Elf with her daggers so that she could poison him and he'd be unable to restealth. Alessandre knew all the old tricks and dodged every attack. After a while, he outpaced Myrielle and sprinted ahead along the length of the canal, then disappeared.
A normal rogue might have panicked and given up after such a tiring chase, but Myrielle was Shadowstep's second in command for many good reasons. First, she never failed an assignment. Second, she never failed an assignment because she was extremely clairvoyant. Third, Myrielle as persistent as the march of death. No one ever got away from her. Myriellel dropped into stealth and searched every single doorstep, under every porch. If he'd stealthed, Myrielle knew that Alessandre wouldn't be able to get very far. Along this side of the canal, there were many private homes that the owners kept locked up tight all day long and there were few places where one could hide. To her knowledge, there was only one abandoned place, but the spaces between the wooden slats over the windows were too small for a normal person to crawl through, not even a gnome rogue.
Myrielle swore when she didn't find Alessandre out in front of any of the houses. She'd lost him. Still, Myrielle's gut told her to not to give up just yet. As she had back in the tavern when she guessed that Alessandre had a crush on Opalbane, Myrielle reviewed everything she knew about druids in her head, reaching for anything that could aid her now. The pet kitten she had when she was a little girl kept coming to mind, but she didn't ignore the nagging thought. She gave in and let it guide her imagination. That little cat was also getting into messes, sneaking into places that weren't meant for cats. She'd gone crazy hunting for the rebellious feline. Then, Myrielle remembered something critical about cats: they could always fit into a tiny space, as long as their head and shoulders could fit through.
The sly female Night Elf rogue creeped up to the abandoned house and examined the small space over the window between the wooden slats. Purple fur had rubbed off on the rough edges of the wooden planks. And then from inside the house, yellow feline eyes flashed at her. Myrielle ducked low, then dared to look again after a moment of waiting. She looked up just in time to see a purple nightsaber change into its true form. Alessandre emerged from the gentle gray cloud of Cenarius' magic and dusted himself off. Then, his own glowing yellow eyes stared back at the hole in the broken window, between the wooden boards that covered it. Myrielle watched as Alessandre peered into the night outside, trying to see if he'd been followed. However, unlike her overconfident quarry, Myrielle had remained stealthed and Alessandre just looked right through her into the city beyond.
Myrielle slipped away before Alessandre might notice her and made for Darnassus with her precious evidence. A rogue in their own guild was the notorious druid serial killer in Stormwind. Not only must Shadowstep learn of this kind of thing first, Han and the humans of SI:7 had proved unworthy of her services.