The Romancer Opalbane

Episode Fifteen: Escape from Stormwind, Part I: Starshatter is out of the bag

(It's a long one folks!)

"Alright, I think that everyone's accounted for. Let's make our way to the Dwarven District to take Gnomish Tram."

A roar of complaints rose up from the druids assembled in the Trade District of Stormwind City. Many of them were wary of Gnomish technology... at least that is what they'd say if one were to ask. The truth is, many Night Elves were simply afraid of big scary machines like the tram.

Their leader, who had purple raven's wings soaring over his hulking shoulders didn't have the chance to convince his fellows to go. A green glass bottle whistled through the air and shattered at the base of the stone fountain where he stood above the crowd. Then its contents burst into flame.

"Kill the druids! Kill every single one of 'em till we find the murderer!"

The Night Elf druids, decked out in their leafy and animal skinned costumes turned towards the Auction House behind them, confused. A mob of angry rogues, of all shapes and sizes, brandished their shining daggers in the moonlight. They waved flaming torches over their heads and charged in. The Stormwind Guards who were always on duty did their best to quell the fighting, but it seemed all the rogues in SI:7 had come to attack the druids, not just the scraggly types that tended to frequent Cutthroat Alley. The Night Elf druids responded to the threat instantly, shedding their new loyalties to the Humans when it failed them. Purple Marks of the Wild and Rejuvenation spells lit up one side of the dark Trade District. On the other side, orange firelight lit faces twisted with hatred. Shouts rang out as the first Humans and Night Elves began to clash.

"Call for reinforcements!" One of the Stormwind Guards cried out to his comrade as he was overwhelmed by the throng. This had international incident written all over it.

Not too far away, Max, leader of Priest Faltheriel's thugs, made a steady procession towards Cathedral Square. With nasty curses and horrible oaths, he kept the men on task. All around them, Stormwind was in chaos as rogues of all types raced through the streets towards the Trade District. The rogues kept badgering the men on their way with war cries and challenged the cutthroats' loyalty to SI: 7. Max was furious to see some of his men slip away when it got out that some of the stores in the Trade District were being ransacked. For once, the Stormwind Guard had been unable to keep the peace. In a city full of skilled warriors, this kind of civil disobedience was the worst kind of challenge for mere city guards.

Thinking quickly, Max began to shout to everyone up and down the street on both sides of the canal, "Come with us! We're going the right way... the murderer is hiding in the Cathedral of Light." It was a nasty coincidence for Alessandre. Though Max would never be smart enough to guess the Night Elf rogue's true identity, it seemed that Alessandre's misdeeds found a way to catch up with him regardless. Max knew that capturing Opalbane would mean killing her bodyguard, who'd Faltheriel just found out about. Maybe the loose rogues would end up killing the wrong person and not the druid they wanted, but at this point, any Night Elf would do for the fever-pitch mob. It really didn't matter to Max as long as he didn't lose any more men in the chaos of the city.

"There will be no sanctuary in the Cathedral of Light! No sanctuary for murderers!" Max shouted again, to rile up the men around him. Rogues running in the opposite direction caught sight of the spectacle and joined in. The numbers in Max's gang swelled until the street on his side of the Canal became packed shoulder to shoulder with angry dagger-wielding shady types, each shouting for justice in his or her own language. "No sanctuary for murderers!" they chanted over and over. Max passed his torch back so that others could light theirs. Stormwind Guards that saw them coming were forced to run in the opposite direction. They were coming for Priestess Opalbane at last, and no one was going to stop them now.

Later in the Cathedral of Light...

A stifled grunt came from the guard just outside Opalbane's door. The pale shadowpriestess knew that only a rogue could work so smoothly. The heavy iron bolt made a grating noise as it slid free on the outside. Opalbane prepared herself for the worst.

Alessandre slipped into the dark room and softly closed the door behind him.

"Moonlily?" he asked.

Opalbane was afraid to speak. Finally, she managed a weak, "Is it really you?"

Alessandre sighed heavily. "I'm so sorry... I never should have left."

"It's alright, Benactus explained everything to me. I don't blame you for wanting to leave me behind. So... I guess this is goodbye?"

A tense silence built up between them, then Alessandre responded angrily. "Benactus told you that I was abandoning you?"

Opalbane nodded, which Alessandre could see fairly well in the dark, since he was a Night Elf.

"That cold hearted old bastard! He threatened to tell Darnassus that I was seducing you this whole time, and not protecting you... he made me feel like I had to end the mission." Then Alessandre exhaled, exasperated. "He lied to both of us, Opal."

"No... that can't be." Opalbane stubbornly defended her old mentor. "Benactus may be a cultist, but he is still on my side. I'm not offended that you don't have feelings for me too... it hurts, but I'm a big girl. I know you have a job to do." Opalbane didn't sound confident about it however.

"Wait, you told Benactus that you cared for me?"

Opalbane nodded. "Yes, I explained everything to him when we separated last night and he took me to my room... and I also have new furniture for some reason. Anyways, I didn't want you to get into any trouble."

"I told him the very same, and he pretended that I was a liar!" Alessandre seethed.

Opalbane's shining white eyes went wide.

"I never knew... I never really could trust Benactus, could I?" Opalbane concluded for herself. She sounded sad. "And to think that I almost killed you back in that tavern... while on that drunken rampage. If I'd succeeded, I would have lost my very last friend."

"Killed me?" Alessandre challenged, his macho pride dented. "Alright, well yes, you are strong enough to kill me, and you were well on your way to doing it, but... I think I enjoyed it."

Alessandre blushed, and was grateful that even with their night vision, Opalbane probably might not see it.

Opalbane shook her head. "I remember everything that I did last night... I just didn't remember your reaction. I threw glasses at you, and then–"

"And then I watched you turn back into a cultist, right in front of my eyes." Alessandre recalled mournfully. "Are you really recovered now?"

"Yes, I think so. I'm back under the influence of the manaburn candles again." she gestured to the tiny blue lights all around her bed. "But after last night, I don't think I'm touching anything except for water from now on."

Alessandre began to rummage around her room. "Good. We have to leave Stormwind right now. There's a mob coming right to your doorstep."

"A mob!" Opalbane exclaimed. Alessandre explained what he'd overheard at Faltheriel's latest meeting in Cutthroat Alley. He left out the part about killing a dozen men in a feral rage and then almost dying because of it. And of course, he left the part about all of SI: 7 going mad in the streets looking for him out too. When Opalbane asked about his blood-soaked armor, Alessandre shrugged and said that he had to fight his way through some of the rogues to get to her.

"Here, put this on." Alessandre handed Opalbane a humble white novice's robe. It wasn't very flattering with the purple-dyed fringes, but it was better than her old nightgown. "And yes, I stole it, so don't bother me about it." He waited for her to get dressed. Opalbane was disappointed to see that, after all they'd been through, he still turned his back to give her privacy. "Now, I know you insist that you haven't a friend in the world, but is there anyone at all nearby that you could go to right now? Someplace you could hide?"

Opalbane frowned, and fiddled with her long white braid. "Willypearl lives very close to here, in Eastvale Logging Camp, but every time I asked her to visit me she said she was too busy planning her wedding. It is coming up but... I think she's also embarrassed for the Pontiers and wants to avoid anymore scandal as far as I'm concerned. The business about she and I stealing the Archmage's ring a while back might be settled, and our names cleared, but the Pontiers are barely allowing her to marry into their family over it."

"That's no good then." Alessandre's palms began to sweat. "We have to go to Darnassus." he waited for Opalbane to fly into hysterics. She didn't.

"My foster mother was right. I should have never come here. I thought Priest Benactus and the shadowpriests were the only ones who could heal me... and because I was being stubborn, I refused to let Priestess Feathershine help. I still haven't gotten over that argument we had over my becoming a shadowpriestess, and forsaking the Priesthood of Elune." Opalbane sighed. "You know, I haven't seen Benactus in the last day, and the guards won't let any of the novices in to see me... and these windows are nailed shut. I finally understand that I'm a prisoner here."

"It's not your fault, Opalbane." Alessandre comforted her. "All your life, you've only done what you thought was right. In fact, that's what I... like about you."

Opalbane cheered up immediately when she saw Alessandre hesitate over his feelings for her. She was sure the word love was supposed to be in there somewhere, only he was clearly afraid to admit it.

"Can you walk?"

Opalbane nodded. "When I sneaked out of here yesterday, I put out the candles and let my mana regenerate. The more I got back, the stronger I felt. I think getting away from the demonic rune had something to do with it also. It's strange though... while we were out at the tavern, I realized just how strong I was. I should have been cured of my fel mana days ago. Would Benactus really lie to me about that too?"

"Though I don't doubt that he would, for your own safety, I think we'd better take the manaburn candles along. Maybe you reverted into a cultist at the last moment because of the alcohol, but I have a hard time believing that, since you had been drinking steadily the whole evening. I bet your mana pool is still tainted."

"What? So now you're saying Benactus did try to heal me?"

"He had to. You're a clever girl, Opalbane. You may get blinded by your emotions from time to time, but you'd catch on if Benactus kept you locked up here and didn't even try to help you. I think he did a half-assed job of healing you on purpose to make you think he was on your side. But he was really just buying time until he could convince you to return to Silithus with him. I ruined his latest attempt at that when I came to visit you on the Eve of Winter's Veil."

Alessandre put out the candles and then stuffed a handful of them in his pack. Next, he went to help Opalbane to her feet.

"Wait! I need time for my mana to regenerate, or else I'll fall."

"I don't think we have much time." Alessandre urged. "I can stun three guards at once..." Alessandre decided not to explain exactly how he was going to do it. "But only in an emergency. You'll need to be able to walk independently if I'm going to attempt sneaking us out of here at all. Once we get outside, I have a mount waiting for us."

Alessandre waited as long as he dared for Opalbane to ready herself, then he leaned in and took a firm hold of her arm, just under her shoulder.

"Ready to make a break for it?" he half-joked. Opalbane smiled though she was very nervous. When he opened the door for both of them and the lamps from the hallway shone on Alessandre's face, Opalbane saw just how nervous he was too.

Out in the hallway, Alessandre immediately restealthed. With a deft movement, he performed a sapping technique on the incapacitated guard, while holding Opalbane firmly in his other hand.

"He put guards right on top of your damn door. Do you know how hard it is to sneak up behind someone when their back is up against a wall?" Alessandre complained, but Opalbane found it hard to believe that Alessandre was having any real difficulty with the guards. She watched, amazed, as he went about his work. She rested far down the hallways and in stair wells while Alessandre stealthed neatly away and brought his arms around his victims in artful arcs. Sometimes she actually saw the easy flick of his wrists. Iin some tight spaces, she could only admire his shadow as he crouched low behind people. Each time, Opalbane inhaled nervously, waiting for Alessandre to miss and alert the entire dormitory to her escape. He never failed though, not once. Opalbane knew that it was the worst possible time to think such a thing, but she found all Alessandre's perfect movements incredibly sexy.

Finally, they came into the Cathedral proper, and had to plan what to do next. There were many guards here. "I think what I'll have you do is walk out ahead of me and–"

"You'll do no such thing." Opalbane raised her hand for silence. She was feeling better and starting to sound like a full priestess again. "I'm going to do the same thing I did when I snuck out to enjoy the Love is in the Air holiday with you." Alessandre firmly objected, but the look Opalbane gave him was intriguing. He kept quiet, and watched the beautiful shadowpriestess walk calmly out into vaulted main aisle of the large cathedral. Then, she looked at the guard nearest them and raised both hands above her head, taking a moment to cast a silent spell. Then she did the same for the guard on their left.

"Come." she said simply. It took a while for Alessandre to realize she was talking to him. Her voice was so strong now. It commanded him without hesitation, and sent shivers up his spine. Alessandre couldn't keep the giddy smile off his face.

Ten guards lined the main aisle. At intervals, Opalbane used a Mind Soothe spell to distract each guard as they went. When they reached the exit, Alessandre checked over his shoulder, unbelieving. Five guards on each side of the wall stared straight ahead, as alert as ever. With Opalbane's help, they'd been able to simply walk right by them.

"Look!" Opalbane tugged on Alessandre's sleeve. The canal was barely visible through a portal in the white brick walls around Cathedral Square that led down to the main streets of Stormwind. On either side of it the canal beyond, countless points of orange flame cut the black darkness. The sight of so many people marching on Stormwind herself was staggering. Both Alessandre and Opalbane heard stories of a time when Orcs marched through the city like that... and it was hard to shake the feeling that this mob wasn't just as dangerous. Frozen with fear, the two Night Elves didn't blink until they saw the Human faces materialize from the darkness. And by then, they were almost too close.

"There's the murderer!" Someone shouted savagely. Alessandre knew the speaker as Max. He grabbed Opalbane firmly by the arm, almost lifting off her feet, and they ran towards the Orphanage on their left then disappeared around a dark corner.

"You look very weak. Can you lean against me?" Alessandre pressed in close to her. Opalbane hadn't realized how casting all those Mind Soothe spells had drained her energy.

"Al, this really isn't the time for–" she complained, but Opalbane regretted the bad joke as soon as she made it.

Alessandre let forth a sharp whistle, cutting her off. From the darkness of the narrow alleyway behind them, a large white nightsaber came racing towards them. At least, Opalbane thought it was white. When Alessandre lifted her into the saddle, she saw that the animal actually had stripes, but they were so old and faded that they blended into its white coat. The juxtaposition of gray stripes and white fur made the animal look like it was covered from head to toe in an exotic silvery sheen, the color of fading moonglow. Alessandre mounted up behind her and scooted up against her in the saddle. Opalbane squealed in surprise at having him just that close. They'd shared a bed many times, but this was different. Alessandre wasn't distraught and needing a sanctuary for the night, or lounging away lazy morning hours with her before going off on his casual investigations again. This was Alessandre the man at work. Without apologizing, he wrapped his strong arm boldly around her waist and pressed in against her again. It would have been purely indecent if she didn't feel so weak that her muscles felt they would give out at any moment. Alessandre was just trying to keep her steady and she knew it.

"Lean against me," he said, and with his free hand, took the reins and turned the big animal around. Alessandre's saber mount was huge, bigger than any she'd ever seen before. Elaborate green armor covered the animal's face and protected its neck. It looked alien, like something that came out of the Qiraji Hives in Silithus. But it couldn't be Silithid armor... Opalbane realized with a start that the animal itself--with its faded fur and ancient armor--must be from all that long ago... and what about its master?

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Alessandre demanded, "did you think I was a bum and couldn't afford an epic mount?" he teased her and kicked the animal in the sides with his heels. With a showy roar, the silver nightsaber leapt into action.

To Opalbane's surprise, Alessandre was taking them down alleys and throughways that she didn't even know existed. The loud roar of the mob had faded behind them as they delved into the quiet secret places in the city. Eventually, though, Opalbane began to recognize more and more streets and buildings until it became obvious where they were going.

"Hold on tight, we're going to go through another mob. The city's in an uproar right now, but Starshatter is trained well, and he can keep us safe from most of it." Alessandre's voice carried well over the quiet panting and soft paw steps characteristic of a nightsaber mount.

"All this over me?" Opalbane worried. Alessandre's leather creaked as he leaned in closer to her, but didn't say anything. A flood of orange light met them as they burst out of a side alley, and onto the main street that was split down the middle by the canal. Opalbane was horrified to see people shouting and torching buildings. People ran everywhere with stolen goods in their full arms. She wasn't sure, but thought she saw two purple nightsabers leap off the roof of a building and onto the heads some rogues who were looting a clothing store. But when she turned to really look at it, Alessandre jerked them the opposite way, and the enormous Starshatter barreled through a group of people exiting the Dwarven District. Alessandre shifted his hips to keep her from sliding out of the saddle and Opalbane blushed furiously.

Alessandre aimed the silver saber towards the entrance to the Gnomish Tram, but a mob of people stealing weapons from the local blacksmith stopped them short. "It's that priestess the High Elf wants!" some thug picked up a well made sword that was resting on an anvil and advanced on them. His friends did the same.

Alessandre looked like he wanted to hop down and hack them all to pieces, but he reigned Starshatter in and made the enormous cat backpedal a few steps. Starshatter roared angrily, and struggled against Alessandre's grip. The Night Elf rogue clenched his jaw tight as he pulled on the reigns with all his might.

"What's wrong?" Opalbane asked in Darnassian.

"He wants to attack them."

"Nightsabers aren't for fighting!" she objected, incredulous.

Alessandre reluctantly answered, "This one is. He's trained for war... but it's been years–"

"Let him then!" Opalbane cried angrily. "Or are you so willing to hand over my blood, just so that I won't be repulsed by you!"

Alessandre flinched in surprise at the woman he was holding. Then, a wicked smile came onto his face, and he tossed his dark blue hair out of his eyes. He threw his head back and cried out, "Andu-falah-dor!"

The battle cat reacted savagely to the ancient signal, and charged into the Humans wielding weapons against them. Opalbane and Alessandre held on for dear life as the animal raked at people with its claws, and leapt onto runners. One man slashed at Starshatter with his sword and it chinged loudly against the odd runed stone headdress the animal wore. With a deafening roar, Starshatter seized the man in his jaws and then shook the Human mercilessly before tossing the lifeless body aside.

It was gruesome, and Opalbane realized she really didn't have the stomach for it after all. Alessandre didn't appear any better off than she was, but he was so deathly serious about keeping them both alive, it wasn't easy to tell.

"Easy now, Starshatter." Alessandre whispered another ancient command to the saber and it left off chasing down the rest of the people who fled. Then, he grimly turned the large beast around and they galloped through the portal into the Gnomish Tram station.

The train was there and taking off when they got in, and Alessandre forced the gigantic cat to leap across the next platform to get into the last train car just in time. The cat sat uncomfortably in the undersized car, but Alessandre showed no signs of dismounting. They passed the entire ride to Ironforge in silence, and when it was time to get off, Alessandre kept the same panicked pace as before.

"What do you mean you won't let two people ride on a Griffon? Can't you see she can't even sit up on her own?" Alessandre shouted at the Flight Master before the Great Forge. The glowing red forge pumped hot steel that looked like magma below them, causing the center of the great dwarven city to look–and feel like a volcano. Without missing a beat, the Flight Master took the coins from other patrons, while simultaneously nodding at this watchful Griffons to leap off their perches and then take off with customers to the far reaches of the Eastern Kingdoms. The majestic half-eagle, half-lion beasts eyed Alessandre's war mount warily.

"Those are the rules, laddy. I don't change 'em for anyone, hear?"

Alessandre began to swear so loud that Opalbane let go of him momentarily to cover her long ears. Next, he apologized and tried to give a handful of shining gold pieces to the Flight Master.

"I said No! It ain't safe. Now, do I have to tell the Ironforge Guard, cause King Magni Bronzebeard is just around the corner there, and I'm sure he'd be happy to hear that another foolish Night Elf rogue is giving us trouble."

Alessandre remembered the disaster Wisthera made of his career a few months back while in Thelsamar and decided to let the subject drop. Maybe the Flight Master didn't realize he was the very rogue who'd been framed for leaking the secrets of the Maker's Terrace to all of Azeroth, but it didn't matter. If Alessandre made trouble, clearly any official in Ironforge would be against a Night Elf rogue instantly.

Alessandre and Opalbane stopped by a Tailor's then rode out of the noisy city.

"How are we going to get to Darnassus now? We need a boat from Menethil Harbor, and it's so far away." Opalbane was at least relieved to see that it was still night when they emerged from inside the mountain city. She and Alessandre had a lead on anyone who didn't think to go afer them to Ironforge on the tram.

"We'll ride." Alessandre said grimly, and handed Opalbane a heavy cloak from the Tailors. He put one on himself, and then wrapped a third one around them both. He urged his mount forward, and the steady silver saber plodded down the long snow-covered mountain side that led away from the great city of Ironforge.

Startled young warriors of the Alliance ran from the road as they raced by. Several little gnomes cried cheers and tried to elicit a wave from the rider, or at least a trick of some kind from the rare nightsaber mount, but Alessandre kept focused on driving Starshatter forward and paid them no mind. Opalbane heard someone shouting at them to join their group, and she turned clear around in the saddle to glare at the young dwarf hunter who'd asked. He was hopping up and down in the road behind them, waving his gun like a fool. His pet bear wisely gave the road itself a wide berth, for fear of the battle cat's wrath. Cold air rushed in on Opalbane's face and stung her cheeks like thousands of tiny needles when she turned back around. Alessandre seemed to understand and huddled in closer to her. He pressed his warm cheek up against her own under the blankets.

It took all night to reach the more temperate region in the Dwarves' kingdom, called Loch Modan. Opalbane had fallen asleep. She woke to the sight of brown cloaks being whipped in front of her face. Alessandre softly apologized as he got rid of the heavy cloaks they no longer needed. Behind them, the large blankets wavered helplessly in the wind. They were moving so fast that Opalbane didn't even get a chance to see them hit the ground. Then, they disappeared into a tunnel that would take them down and out of the mountainous region.

"Is it okay to drive Starshatter like this?" she asked.

"No." Alessandre answered bluntly. "He's strong, but running at full speed all night long and for the next half of today could likely kill him. But getting you to safety is more important." he frowned. "What's wrong? Are you feeling okay?"

Opalbane's eyes went blank. "I want to see Benactus." she said woodenly, her voice spooky.

Alessandre shuddered. "You really can't go without those manaburn candles for long, can you?" he observed. "Benactus is the enemy, remember? We can't go back, or else Faltheriel's thugs will try to get a hold of you as well."

"Who's Faltheriel?" the new idea caused Opalbane to snap out of it. Alessandre sighed.

"I didn't want to admit it before but... I think I am the one making you like this. You are responding to my fel mana." he cursed himself for not wanting to think of it sooner.

Underneath them, Starshatter panted heavily, and missed a step. Alessandre managed to correct the large cat just in time. They emerged from a long dwarven tunnel into the open air in the mountain pass between Loch Modan and the Wetlands. A primitive looking orc from a nearby clan that hid in the mountains came out to challenge them, but Starshatter's sheer bulk threatened to railroad him off the road and over the side of the mountain. The orc skittered back into his hiding place, thinking better of his ambush.

Opalbane felt that revelation about Alessandre having mana should mean something to her, but she couldn't think straight at the moment.

"Why don't you heal Starshatter as we go along, okay? He'll appreciate it, and we need to drain some of that mana of yours until we can stop and set those candles up." Alessandre suggested. He shook Opalbane gently awake, and she met his concerned gaze with a feeble, "Alright, Al."

It was after lunchtime when they made it to Menethil Harbor. Alessandre raised up in the saddle after they passed over the bridge that spanned the swamp just before the city gates. He strained to look around the barracks that blocked a view of the docks beyond.

"Shit!" he swore softly, and righted himself. The boat to Darnassus was taking off. "Hold on, Opal." Opalbane was weary. Her fingertips slipped from under Starshatter's peculiar helmet, where she had been touching his fur and releasing her healing powers into the cat. With another ancient command that Opalbane didn't recognize, Alessandre urged the cat to run even harder. Panting heavily, the fierce silver beast charged headlong through the city and onto the docks. Sailors screamed and fled from the massive charging cat. Opalbane felt the cat's great heart pound dangerously underneath her, and she silently prayed to Elune that the noble animal not suffer for her sake.

Two scruffy men dismounted from Griffons that just landed in Menethil Harbor and shouted at Alessandre and Opalbane. But, the precious seconds it took them to go and get their mounts from the stable master were all Starshatter needed to finally get the lead. Alessandre leaned forward to get the edge, almost causing Opalbane to double over in the saddle. He freed his other arm from around her waist and took Starshatter's reigns in both hands.

"Up!" he commanded the exhausted animal at the last moment. Starshatter must have loved Alessandre with an illogical kind of loyalty, the kind that bonded souls together for all eternity, because at that exact moment--and not a second before or after--the cat obediently leapt into the air and landed on the deck of the quickly departing ship with a loud thud. Any other response from the feline, and they would have ended up in the Great Sea, and at the mercy of their attackers.

Alessandre quickly dismounted and helped Opalbane down. People around them were jostled by their arrival and backed away, frightened. Starshatter's massive forelegs trembled as he inhaled ragged breaths. The last thing Opalbane saw before she passed out was Alessandre kneeling down and hugging the beast gratefully.

Gold makes the world go round. The ship's captain understood this very well when Alessandre gave the man all his money to let he and Opalbane stay in his private quarters, the only secure place on the ship. Then, the handsome Night Elf rogue frantically set the manaburn candles on the desk nearby the bed, and took the match he always kept in his breast pocket and lit them. Next, Alessandre lay Opalbane down on the bed. Starshatter followed close behind. Sensing that their journey was at an end, the faithful cat collapsed in a corner and began snoring instantly.

Alessandre tried to wake up the enormous feline and give him food and water, but Starshatter swatted at Alessandre in response and nearly took off his head. "I'll take that as a no." He watched as the cat slowly faded from view. It was another one of Starshatter's old tricks, the ability to shadowmeld and achieve a kind of stealth for a certain period of time. Alessandre knew that meant he'd better leave his mount alone for a while. Starshatter needed to rest.

Alessandre went and sat on the bed next to Opalbane. She was sleeping peacefully as well.

Alessandre tried to light his pipe, but he'd used his last match on the manaburn candles. He was tempted to just light it with one of the candles, but he was already unsure of why the candles didn't affect his own mana. Alessandre really didn't want to see what would happen if he started smoking with their mysterious flames.

"Ah, it's time I cut back anyway." he griped and leaned back on the bed. Then, unable to resist, he curled up behind Opalbane and hugged her tight against his chest.

"Thank the goddess we made it out. I don't know what I'd do without you, Moonlily." he whispered, then fell into a deep sleep.

At the same moment, on the deck of the ship...

"Hey, can you swim well?" Max looked at the lone thug he'd been able to drag away from all the looting in Stormwind and get onto a Griffon to Ironforge and then to Menethil Harbor.

The dark haired man panted. He bent over, resting on his knees. "I swam all the way out here from the dock with you, didn't I?"

The captain came by and asked why the men had been so desperate as to swim after the boat. Max gave the captain a dangerous look and he backed away, eager to go about his own maritime business.

"Good." Max continued to his partner once the captain left. "Because as soon as I get my second wind, we are going to kill that stupid rogue and get the girl. If we act quickly, we'll still be far enough out to swim back, or at least float until the guys catch up with us. When they get here, they'll know what to do."

Author's Note:

Normally, I write this much in one sitting and cut it up into two episodes. I didn't want to break the momentum of this one though; it was too much fun. I'll try to keep future episodes to a reasonable length, but I'm not making any promises :P