Part two of my update =] Enjoy!
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Knight
Book Eight, Part One
We docked into a harbor called Moa'ki, where the inhabitants resembled the Unu'pe people. The resemblance was even obvious in the architecture and style of the village. "We're going to rest here," Vii insisted. "Grace, you're going to need better clothing, and Blizz needs her rest. The mounts need it as well…"
My irrationality wanted to surface again. My horse didn't need rest. I didn't need rest. And I surely couldn't afford resting, either.
Vii must have felt me get uneasy. "Icecrown is northeast, not far. We can afford a good rest."
I decided not to comment. Before the sun set Vii took me to the vendors. The Moa'ki people had apparently uncovered the secrets to keeping warm in such climates, and decided to share it with the humans and other races. Most of my new clothing was lined with fur and made of tough hides. I didn't recognize half the mystical animals they told me were the origins.
It was an entire wardrobe replacement. My boots were now tougher for the terrain and lined with fur. My pants were thicker, as well, and the elasticity surprised me. My white blouse I kept, but I now donned a long-sleeved undershirt made of similar material to my pants. I was even spoiled with a fur-lined vest, but it fit strange with my shoulder guards and was kept in my knapsack. New gloves matched the vest in color and lining. Finally, a heavy cloak finished the outfit. It was lined with very thick, white fur that was soft to the touch.
My outfit was very brown, but it wasn't much of a change. And despite the warmth it gave me, the clothing really wasn't too heavy. It wasn't too bad of an exchange, and Vii even offered to pay, refusing to take any of my money.
Perhaps Vii wasn't so bad after all.
We were supposed to stay at the inn. I got a room all to myself, and after a nice, warm meal, I retired into my room. As I took off my new boots, I debated on whether I should stay with the odd group I acquired. The idea of leaving the group and forging ahead had been nagging at my conscience since Vii announced our temporary stay.
Of course I wanted to continue, but Whiplash was already tethered up, probably resting. And my gear was now off. When was the last time I had rested in a real bed?
Flashes of the short nights lying with Zen in his satin bed greeted my thoughts. Exhaling loudly, I caved and allowed myself to lie down.
I wasn't sure if I was dreaming or not. It was blue—everything, of course, was blue.
These recruits are acceptable. Have them sent immediately to—
There was a pause. The Lich King was looking over a group of Scourge. They weren't broken, unresponsive beings as I'd seen before. Nor were they the rotten, fragile corpses that the Lich King enjoyed puppeting. These 'recruits' were soldiers. And they resembled their living, breathing selves.
The flesh was pale, yes, and the hair was white. But the most striking feature was their icy blue, piercing eyes. Cold and daunting, they seemed to see through life itself.
Lethal beings.
You have returned, the Lich King seethed. He wasn't speaking to his beloved recruits, nor his officers—the irritation painting his words was definitely directed to me.
I couldn't respond as I could before. I felt passively involved—helpless for the first time since I had been turning.
It's stronger now. You feel it as well. Are your Human bones trembling at the thought?
He scanned his men once again. Do you like them? This is what your kingdom will succumb to.
Pull away. How could I escape? Was there an exit this time?
You fear, and therefore, you suffer. The flaw of the living is that they live.
My hate and fear began to rise within me. I wasn't sure if it was the Lich King's animosity I was getting entwined with, or my own spirit finally making a stand on enemy territory.
Fear the Scourge! The reckoning has come!
His knights were howling, the sound so feral it jarred my teeth. One moment I was witnessing their displays of arrogance, and the next moment I was nearly flying up out of bed, frame creaking loudly at the lurch.
I was drenched with sweat, and my breathing was shallow and shaky as my trained eyes adjusted quickly to the darkness of the bedroom.
I was trembling. My body instantly clicked into over drive, and my actions were instinctual as I threw my gear on, equipped my bag and weapons, and slipped out of the room.
My senses still didn't calm down, but at least my hand was steady now as I slipped through the darkness, breathing silent. Some things, like my rogue instincts, would always take precedence over my Human traits.
It was the middle of the night, which was an advantage to me. Prowling at nighttime was natural, even on an entirely different continent. My movement was quiet as I slinked down the stairs and exited the inn without a thought.
Whiplash, at my arrival behind the inn, began to stir, her hooves dancing in the snow. Even with her antsy behavior, though, Whiplash was generally quiet. "Ready, girl?" I whispered.
I couldn't think. The vision had thrown any reconsideration out of the options. With my instinctual actions taking control, I was now even more hell-bent on reaching the Argent Dawn as soon as humanly possible. And if I did stop to think of my predicament, then slipping into the Lich King's consciousness was by far more likely. I was less emotionally unstable this way.
Northeast, Vii had mentioned. Then northeast it was. It couldn't be too much more hassle.
My heart was pounding, a good testament to my livelihood. At least I hadn't transformed into on of those things through the night. And I felt fear. A human, living trait, according to the Lich King himself.
Fearful of what I had witnessed. Fear for both what we could become and what we were up against. And fearful because of the unknown. The Argent Dawn had to be warned immediately.
The knowledge of fear was everywhere around me. The chills down my spine were alarming as I mounted my white horse. And as foreign as the concept of fear had been, the feeling itself seemed so familiar. It was as if fear had been following me around the entire time, and I had been too busy or oblivious to notice.
I felt tense as I encouraged Whiplash into a full gallop. The acknowledgement of fear left me feeling vulnerable; so helpless. So Human.
Whiplash didn't need much coaxing. With a small kick she was in a full gallop, the darkness turning her white coat into a mere blur. Even in the shroud of night, Whiplash trusted her master.
We made a straight path northwest, cutting out our own trail in the snow. My horse's breaths escaped her nostrils in puffs of smoke, as if she was breathing fire.
I didn't want to hear his voice ever again. I hated the way I felt when I slipped onto the Lich King's side, how his disgust and pleasantries seemed to become mine. That's what distressed me most—understanding and experiencing what the King of the Scourge felt.
It was full speed ahead. Whiplash seemed to sense how intense I was. I was slightly lacking of sleep, and it was very difficult to concentrate as everything buzzed by my senses, but I was making due. Focusing, I realized we were quickly approaching what appeared to be a village, decorated by their banners. In the dark, at first I thought maybe it was a branch of the Moa'ki and Unu'pe tribes, but quickly Whiplash zeroed in on the banners.
The banners were blood red and tattered. The oh-so-familiar crest of the Horde was discernable even in the blackness of night. When the danger had finally registered, I pulled back on Whip's reigns with a bit too much strength, and she skidded in an attempt to obey.
I steered the horse in the northern direction, her momentum unable to fully stop anyway. With a few kicks of snow to catch her bearings, Whiplash was galloping yet again.
We managed a bit more distance before I began to sense a group of auras. Fear tampered with my sense of judgment, and by the time I could feel the beings, we were on top of them.
Whiplash reared her front legs, nearly taking me out of the saddle as she attempted to avoid the group of Horde around the cliff. In the night I could usually pick up auras better than see bodies—with the number of them and my panicked state I must have miscalculated.
And there were others besides the Horde. My panic spiked—Scourge. The Horde had them cornered, but my arrival had alerted both groups.
My horse spun around on command as I held back a scream, front legs landing with a thud as she now ran south. We hadn't been officially dismissed by the others, though—the group of Horde, as well as the Scourge they had been attempting to hold back, turned on us.
It was in that moment, when my head spun to look behind us and I calibrated the distance between us and them, that I realized I hated being afraid. With descent of fear, all of my previous training, beliefs, and thoughts vanished. I had learned to fight, and I had taught myself never to retreat. I had been willing to die for my cause. But it didn't matter at that moment—fear had me running away.
The ghouls were sprawling toward us, and the Horde members were now drawing their bows. Shadows above me caught my attention. A gargantuan dragon—it couldn't' have been anything else—hovered above, its body black as charcoal, definite even in the dark of night. The massive dragon emitted a powerful roar, echoing the howls of the ghoul puppets below. The shriek rattled through my bones, and I found my eyes unable to peel off the image from hell as Whiplash continued to make an effort away from the chaos. Even with the terrifying noises behind her, the mare continued on, powerful legs scurrying and kicking up white snow.
The dragon's wings opened to full span, tattered and dead like the rest of its body, and the dragon hovered in midair, reeling back right above us. The force of the beast's movement was strong enough to shift the wind. A strong gust blew past us just as the Scourge grew close enough to reach out to us.
Two things happened in effect—I growled, one hand reaching for my main dagger while the other hand grasped the reigns, and Whiplash, already skittish from fright, had a slip in her bearings. Her body teetered forward, then back, body hitting the snow as she slipped down the bank hooves-first.
Somewhere along Whip's failure to remain on her feet, I had slipped out of the saddle, my body hurtling over Whiplash's bulky frame and sliding down the bank alongside the horse. My hands, now free of both my reigns and dagger, attempted to break the collision with the hardened sheet of snow, but it didn't prepare my body for the icy cold contact.
Whiplash scurried to her feet as we reached the bottom of the steep bank, but I could feel the presence of the enemies behind us as they grew even closer. Survival mode finally kicked into overdrive as my fear turned into anger. "Go!" I screamed at Whiplash, knowing I didn't have time to get on my feet, readjust the equipment, and throw myself into the saddle to make a getaway. She seemed to listen after a moment of hesitation. Pouncing, she disappeared southwest.
I could no longer outmaneuver them. The dragon's shriek echoed once more, and I was sure the damned creature was preparing to swoop down and claim another living victim.
My focus was no longer on anything except a final fight. My dagger had slipped out of my grasp during the fall, and if I was going to make one more stand against the mess of enemies…
Turning onto my belly I tried sprawling back up the bank on all fours in search of the weapon, and was greeted by the slew of Undead I knew were inevitable. There were definitely too many, but without a weapon, I couldn't make any use of myself.
A feline growl resounded behind me, even as my eyes lifted to stare, transfixed, at the dragon, flames puffing out of his mouth as it assessed its prey. "Don't move, Grace!"
I did as I was ordered. In my panic I still managed to recognize that heavy Draenei accent. I watched as an arrow, bright with magic, blew past my shoulder and buried into the chest of a ghoul. The arrow was followed by a wave of Light—it reached out like lightning to the group of Undead and then scorched the ground in a lively consecration.
The only feeling that coursed through my body, at that single point in time, was relief. Blizz sprang into action, claws extended as she hurtled over my form to pounce on the easiest Undead target.
I looked up in anxiousness. The compelling dragon had retreated for the moment, mass of black circling the action to get the optimum approach. Even with Vii's Light, Kae's arrow, and Blizz's claws, some ghouls still charged toward me.
Vii and Kae stepped forward, protecting my open body as I gathered my bearings. Vii's holy attacks lit the battle up in mock daylight. "You okay, roguette?" asked Vii, even as he struck a nearby Scourge with his mace. It resounded with a crunch.
The small protection was enough to get me on my feet. I struggled for balance—grace was never my strength—and breathed deep. "I'm great," I answered.
My main dagger was ahead of me, up the slope. And currently, there was at least one Undead thing in my way. It gurgled, incapable of real vocalization, as it moved in for an attack. A claw took a swipe at my face—I ducked appropriately, unsheathing my offhand dagger and giving the enemy a good stab into the chest. Unaccustomed to having an unarmed hand, I made a fist and established definite contact with the skull. The screech was accompanied by the sound of splitting bone as warm ooze covered both of my hands.
It was still dark, but I heard the body crumple to the snow. My dagger was now within sight and reach.
But the dragon had returned. Thankfully, the Horde hadn't been attacking us—they had been observing carefully. When the dragon approached, though, a foreign tongue rolled off a loud command, and the Horde beings were stringing arrows.
The ground numbers were dwindling—it allotted me the opportunity to again look up at the new enemy. The Undead dragon was now joined with another fire-breather—but this one was different. Even in the darkness I could make out the differences. The new dragon wasn't an enemy—without hesitation this lighter colored creature barreled into its counterpart, sending the pair into a tumble toward the ground. They fell together, tails and heads whirling indiscernibly as one whole—good and evil both spiraling to the earth.
I braced myself as they landed loudly, bodies kicking up white snow as they slid along. Even at impact the two clawed at each other, attempting to get a bite into the other. The archers stood at the ready, prepared to fire once given an opening.
Our hero dragon seemed to be handling the other fairly well, until the Scourge dragon pushed the foe into a nearby tree. The entire trunk snapped at the force, sending the new creature sprawling once more across the snow, this time without its counterpart.
With a hiss the black beast stood on its four claws—one alone could swat me across the continent—and with a running start took flight once more. The Horde opened fire into the air, leaving the dragon still present to swoon back onto its feet and limp toward its group.
Vii looked me over as the last of the remaining Scourge were destroyed. I was finally able to seize my dagger—it gleamed in the moonlight as I picked it out of the snow and put it away.
I looked around expectantly. "Grace?" asked Vii. "Are you okay?"
"Whiplash," I breathed.
"Grace…"
I whistled as loud as I could. The cold had dried my lips long ago, but I managed a small noise. I called her name, despite the presence of the Horde.
Vii shook his head, slinging his weapon over his shoulder and shifting toward the others. "Greetings from the Argent Dawn!" he began.
It was my fault Whiplash had fallen and fled. Her owner had thrust her into danger, and Whiplash was fast. She was probably getting familiar with Icecrown at the very moment.
"Whiplash!"
"My apologies for the rogue. She's new around these parts…"
Kae and Blizz stayed near me, even as the bushes along the path rustled. The young Draenei shrugged casually as Whiplash emerged from the vegetation, snorting loudly as a puff of air escaped her nose.
"She must like you," Kae explained. Relieved, I patted the mare on the neck, gloved fingers combing her mane as I finally breathed. "That, or she really enjoys the danger."
I snuggled into the horse's neck. "I'm sorry," I told Whiplash.
"You're telling the horse sorry?" prodded Vii as he approached us, mace back into its holster. The Horde members seemed to retreat. "After we saved your life?"
Kae grinned, a hand going to Blizz's soft ear as I pulled away in order to look at Vii properly. "How did you find me?" I asked. "Why did you follow?"
"You woke me up," Kae answered honestly. "I spotted you strutting down the hall, your eyes were glowing again. I woke up Vii when I realized you were leaving."
"My eyes…" I repeated breathlessly. Damn. Turns out this ability was becoming a bigger nuisance than originally planned.
"That's another thing, roguette," Vii insisted with slight curiosity. "Kae is concerned about these…episodes…of yours? I haven't been informed of these. And he may not be prying for explanations, but I will be."
I sighed loudly. This was the reason I fled in the first place. People were in danger—that included the two Draenei before me—and I didn't need a bunch of people meddling in to my business and playing hero! There was nothing they could do about my condition, and it would only cause alarm…
"It's a long story," I explained bluntly.
Vii folded his big, bulky arms. "Then I suggest you begin now."
The dilemma flashed in my head—tell or don't tell, truth versus lie, pros versus cons. There was a level of trust in question, and the matter of the dilemma wasn't actually of trusting, but in allowing such trust to exist. A baby could trust his mother when learning to walk, and it's the start of something wonderful, a bond. I had been pushing the thought of bonds aside.
But Vii saved my life without question. I owed him. That had to be somewhere in the rogue's honor code.
Now that my life wasn't in (direct) danger, I could calm down and think a bit more clearly. The Argent Dawn had to learn of the Lich King's progress—but if I told Vii, perhaps we could make a stronger effort to warn the Dawn.
"Fine. At the inn. You're going to want to be comfortable."
With a nod, Vii agreed. Their eleks were down further, across the path. So I turned to Whiplash, who waited patiently. "Someday, you'll look back on today," I began to tell my horse as I straightened out her bridle and saddle, "and wish you would have kept on running and never came back."
I hopped onto Whiplash's back and made our way back to the inn. The sky was still covered by nighttime's veil when we made it back.
The haste to make it to Icecrown still lingered—any self control not working toward keeping me out of the Lich King's consciousness was now expended to keep me from taking of Northwest. I kept repeating to myself that Vii had to know, that it would benefit my cause.
The tavern had been closed down long ago for the night, but that didn't deter Vii as Kae and I followed him into the now unpopulated room. The Draenei's bulky arms picked up a few chairs that had been resting atop the table and flipped them over onto the floor. With determination Vii motioned for me to sit in one of them.
It was Vii, Kae, and me. The pair's domineering figures, the expectant glares, and the dark, quiet setting had me feeling interrogated.
"Okay, rogue," Vii began. "Explanation."
I rested my arms on the table. I was going to tell the two my secret affiliation with the enemy. But the approach…
I swallowed. "I said before that some attacks were close to home, in Stormwind. I had many missions concerning the Undead around my hometown. It was dangerous."
All of the necessary details, I explained. About how I came to this point in my career. About why I acted impulsively and why my eyes glowed. And why I truly was in Northrend, and why I took off.
Vii was engaged the entire time, asking questions and listening intently. At the end, he exhaled loudly. "So ridiculous, you can't be making it up. These visions…are serious, rogue." Vii stood, his 7 feet of bulk towering over me. "I'm afraid we have no time for rest after all. Kae, awaken Graystone. We must speak with Fordring at once."
"Fordring?" I repeated, standing with Kae. The auras of both Draenei now had an edge to them as the pair anticipated the outcome of my visions.
"Our commander. This news is game-changing. We must arrive as soon as possible."
I merely nodded. Quickly, everyone ascended the stairs to our rooms and packed up. In no time I was back outside, patting Whiplash as we waited on Graystone. When he did appear outside, following Kae, he still seemed half-asleep.
Vii read Graystone's agitated look before the Dwarf could vocalize it. "I know, friend—but something urgent has come up, and we must move on immediately."
"What sort 'o urgent?" asked the Dwarf as he prepared his steed. He eyed the three of us suspiciously, his gaze shifted quickly between our figures.
"There has been new information," Vii answered.
The orange-haired man grumbled under his breathe as he swung his leg over to mount his horse. "S'posed to be an informant, they said," he mumbled. "Find out all ye can, they said."
"Don't worry, Seargant," Vii announced as we took off out of the stables, "everything will be revealed when we arrive at the base. Until then, sit tight, my friend."
Graystone's figure wasn't visible to me as we began to increase our pace, but I could definitely make out the large bottle as the Dwarf took it out and managed an over-exaggerated swig.
It took until past dawn to make it to Icecrown. We weaved through many perilous paths and had to push through many obstacles, but we had finally made it. The wind had gotten chillier, with snow drifts every once in awhile making visibility a figment of imagination. With the snow blowing in from such harsh angles, it sometimes became difficult to see Whiplash as I rode her. Her white coat was lost in the snow, and the only thing I could then concentrate on was Graystone's fiery mane of hair ahead of me. My body was aching by the time we reached the Pinnacle, and exhaustion was beginning to set in, but the relief of arrival numbed it a bit. For even in the white haze of chaos, I could see the familiar silver banner strewn along the fort's walls.
The guards had spotted our figures through the snow as well. It may have been the two obtuse purple eleks Kae and Vii were atop, because once the guards identified the two Draenei, they nodded their permission to allow entrance.
"These two are with us as well, friend," Vii explained, and the guards asked no further questions.
Behind the fort's massive walls, the snow was incapable of reaching. Soldiers bearing the Argent Dawn's insignia bustled around. Everyone moved with efficiency—Humans, Dwarves, and Elves alike.
"We need to speak to the commander," I reminded Vii as I dismounted Whiplash and lead her to the stable. Thoughts had been churning in my head ever since we began to travel to the base. That last vision, short as it was, had left many things open for discussion.
Those men he had gotten a hold of were alive. Or were they? They certainly weren't Undead, I mused as I took Whiplash's reigns and attempted to tether her to the stable. She reeled back in defiance.
If those three were alive, then there was still a chance that Aurelia was right—Lucas had been captured and kept alive. But why? And for what purpose?
And if they weren't alive, why were they so alive looking? So weak, with human traits of defeat and anger and worry?
Could the Lich King be taking our Humans and other races, and brainwashing them to do his bidding?
I gave up in trying to tether Whiplash. I left her there as I turned to Vii. He broke the silence first. "I'll have to report to him immediately anyway. You'll join me."
Was it me, or did Vii actually seem very concerned about the new information I had bestowed upon him?
I had taken two steps when I suddenly swayed, my vision blurring slightly as the images before me sloshed into a new setting. Smudges of figures now greeted my sight, and I immediately knew where I had gone. For once, I resisted the urge to slip; my feet planted firmly into the ground of reality, where I grew determined to stay. I had to speak to Fordring immediately.
It didn't take much effort to recognize the images before me. Blue, piercing eyes graced the faces of a handful of soldiers.
No.
It took a recognizable amount of strength, but I was sucked back into my own world with a dramatic whoosh. To my surprise, I was still standing, now stumbling forward with the momentum of the shift.
There was a nearly bone-shattering grip on both of my arms. When I blinked so hard I saw stars, I could finally see Vii and Kae beside me, their huge hands locked on my upper arms.
I caught my breath as Vii looked on in amazement. "I told you they glowed purple," Kae muttered stiffly.
"Now," I managed to force through my teeth. "I have to see Fordring immediately."
I was more exhausted than normal. My energy had been expelled with the effort, and while I was relieved I had managed to ward off the slip of consciousness, I was also concerned about the effort. Things were changing about my ability.
"Of course," Vii acknowledged. The pair of Draenei loosened their grips on my arms, but Vii kept a hand on the small of my back. Truly, I didn't mind. My body was tired.
The wind grew stronger further up the incline as we traveled toward Fordring. I swallowed with difficulty as I rehearsed what I'd say. The words reorganized themselves at least a thousand times before we reached the tent the general stood within. He crouched over a large map with others, concerned determination in his eyes. Gray hair painted his scalp and face and acted as a testament to his skill and age. Darker bags were beginning to form under his eyes. He seemed so real and Human, his nose painted pink in the frost as wrinkles lined his face and explained far more than words ever could. I grew so determined then—he was as Human as I, as concerned with the war and its impact as I was. He was only Human.
Fordring sensed us approach and, as he stood up straight to receive us, his eyes locked on mine.
And I blanked.
"Viishunari, Kaethorr. News for me?"
"Of course, General." Vii bowed before his Human superior, even as I stood there searching for the words I thought I had grasped. "Actually, there is a very important…finding…that has come up."
Vii first introduced Graystone. I wasn't focused on the matter—I had grown too reoccupied with my jumble of thoughts I had to get out.
"And General Fordring, this is Grace."
"Grace?"
I bowed stiffly. "Grace Fulstorm, general."
Fordring's curiosity perked, his chin tilting so he could properly look me over. "Grace has a few things to…discuss with you," Vii explained, sounding tentative. "Very important business."
"Important business?" Fordring's eyes landed on me once again, and I found myself wishing Zen was beside me for support.
"I think I have some information you'll find…of use," I declared carefully.
"Of use to me?" Fordring asked with a cock of his head. "You've traveled all the way to my base to give me a piece of…important information?"
"I'm here for an assortment of reasons," I retorted as carefully as possible. Fordring's eyes slid to Vii, who shrugged his large plate shoulders. The general was amused, to say the least, and so he'd let me speak.
It wasn't the first time a superior overlooked my insight. With two words he dared me to continue: "Go on."
"I know some of your men have been mysteriously disappearing," I began. I hadn't really known for certain of how this information benefited me—but the general dropped his bemused expression, immediately telling me the notion had hit a nerve.
"How did you hear of these allegations?"
Taking a deep breath, I tried to act as calmly as possible. "I've…seen it," I answered unclearly. "I can…see things…in ways no one else can, and…"
"General Fordring!" A familiar aura singed at my senses, darker compared to the auras of paladins surrounding me. The familiarity was a bit of a shock, and it sent a warm shot of hope through my spine. "General, one of our paladins thought it'd be cute to place a seal on the outhouse again and now—Grace?"
I smiled at the arrival of the fellow rogue, even as the others took in Taellor's tall, lean figure. His blue pallor seemed so sickly against the white backdrop. "In the flesh," I replied lightly.
"Taellor, you know Miss Fulstorm?" asked Fordring with a tinge of stern earnest.
Taellor paused only a moment, assessing whether or not he'd be in trouble if he answered honestly. "Yes, General. Grace and I both fought at the attack on the Eastern Plague Lands."
"Fought? Where are you from, Grace?"
"I'm a rogue. I was based in Stormwind."
"Do you have your identification?"
"No. I left it behind. I left on…difficult terms."
Fordring grimaced. "Well, you certainly won't be the last to do such around here."
Taellor, being a rogue, hid his eagerness well. But his aura had spiked with interest at my arrival, a million questions for me probably on the tip of his tongue. To respect his superior, Taellor pulled back the urge to question me.
I tried focusing as well. My attention span was being tugged multiple ways, but one thing mattered most. "I've come from Stormwind, General. I'm a blood sister to Lucas Fulstorm. Please tell me that name rings a bell."
"Fulstorm?" Fordring took a breath before again looking me over. "Lucas was a respectful lieutenant."
"He disappeared in battle," I reminded him, gaining a look of question from Fordring himself. "I'm here to find him. I want to help you investigate the strange disappearances…but that's not all. There's danger brewing in Northrend, I've seen it…"
Fordring was shaking his head. "How can you walk in here, claiming….what…how have you seen it?" he finally asked.
I smirked, realizing the general's slight air of arrogance was cracking with befuddlement.
"She has a nickname, you know," began Taellor, who read Fordring's moment of confusion as well. "Back in the Eastern Plaguelands, the men started calling her the girl with eyes of violet."
Again with the eyes! I perked an eyebrow at the new information. The men couldn't be any more creative than that?
Fordring perked an eyebrow as well as he turned fully toward Taellor. "And how is this of interest to us?"
"She practically called the battle that day, General. She sees the Lich King's moves." At such preposterous information, Fordring turned back to the female rogue in question. A silence engulfed the small tent as everyone revisited Taellor's claim. I wasn't quite sure if I had wanted to reveal my deep secret—after all, it was definitely not normal, and any affiliation with the enemy was cause for suspicion. And here I was, little female rogue, a deserter of her own class who traveled to Northrend, of all places…
"Care to explain, Ms. Fulstorm?" Fordring asked with a spark of curiosity. I felt everyone's attention on me now—Vii's aura shifted to something of dread, and Taellor was crooning to explain.
"Where to start," I grumbled. "I was a rogue in Stormwind. Even so far away, we came upon hordes of Undead. I was constantly battling wretched bodies of the Scourge. During my training one eventually bit into me." I turned my head the slightest, pulling down my layers of clothing enough to bear my purple scar.
General Fordring's aura flared to caution and unease as he shifted back the slightest. Sighing, I covered the scar back up. "I am not one of them," I stated sternly. "A rogue healer in SI:7, named Brae, had concocted some sort of antidote, and I recovered completely. But later, an Undead warlock named Clad used a super potion on my skin in the name of the Scourge. Even though Brae was also able to reverse the process that would have made me a puppet to that filth, it came with some side effects. I can see what the Lich King sees. I can hear his thoughts; see his moves as if I'm him."
There was another pause, and then Fordring recovered enough to speak. "Let's continue this somewhere more private. All of you. I want a full report on each and every one of you."
Taellor, Vii, Kae, Graystone (who now scribbled on parchment like mad), and I were led to Fordring's private tent.
Once the flap of this tent was closed, Fordring turned to the group of us with a brisk movement. At first, for a hair of a moment, there was a thick, tense concentration of silence. None of the officers dared to begin.
"I'm leading a forefront attack on the Lich King. Arthas killed his own people, killed his own father for gain, and is now a necrotic ruler that is attempting to sweep this land clean of the living. All of you know his power. You know of his potential. How…how did this girl's…ability…go unannounced to me."
Another slight pause as everyone, including me, debated on whether to plead their case. "With all due respect, General," began Taellor, "Grace was in the Eastern Kingdom. And most of us—the few that actually knew of her ability—were unaware of the true capabilities she possessed."
"Vii. Did you know of her talent?"
"Yes, General Fordring," he replied in his accent. "As soon as I heard of her visions, I made an immediate decision to get here as quick as possible." His large figure was bent awkwardly in the tent about a foot too short for his race.
"Grace." General Fordring paused, wetting his lips as if preparing his mouth to speak. "Miss Fulstorm. Please—a detailed account of what is going on."
I held back the urge to purse my lips. This could take a while. But if it would convince him…
"I was trained as a rogue in Stormwind. As you probably know, the mess of Undead is strong…even close to home."
I continued. My life story, sparing a few feminine details that seemed irrelevant. Fordring wanted detailed details—who trained me, where, how long, how I escaped undeath twice. And how the process actually felt.
"I healed properly. I'm not Undead. But it came with side effects. I have a connection to Arthas now."
"He's not Arthas," Fordring articulated. "He's more dangerous. The Lich King."
"Right," I murmured. "I can assure you, General, my connection to the Lich King hasn't altered my loyalty. I belong to the Alliance, and I intend to use this ability to our advantage." Fordring nodded, still deep in thought. "I'd rather be dead," I stated clearly. "I'd choose death over undeath. You don't have to worry about my loyalties. I want to aid the Argent Dawn in this fight, but I need something in return. I must find out what has been done to my brother, Lucas. And to the other officers that disappeared. I know these disappearances have been bothering you." I didn't look away as Fordring's gaze lifted from the floor to my eyes, though he masked his feelings well. "I can feel it in your aura."
It was again silent. It reminded me of the many times of denial and doubt I had experienced with superiors. When I had expressed concern to the King himself, he turned his back after a patronizing silence. My teacher Zen, who was convinced I was irrational. And Officer Jared, who had refused to acknowledge the importance and delicacy of my situation.
Every crooning silence before this one could have foreshadowed the foreboding failure I was convinced awaited me. I was far too familiar with lingering silence.
"Okay, Miss Fulstorm," Fordring finally announced. "We shall help you investigate these disappearances in exchange for your…input. But we play by my rules."
My heart—it was still beating despite my irrational self—jumped up into my throat, and once again the inability to speak consumed me.
3ritti