Your reviews have not gone unnoticed. Indeed, I have taken them to heart, and thusly I have added more description to the characters in the story. If they need still more description, please, state so. Suggestions make the world go round. Without further adieu, I present chapter two.
I headed back to the inn, went up into my room and lay down on the bed. I considered his offer. I hadn't had anything better in mind for the trip in Ratcher, save go to every tavern that I fancied and get mindlessly drunk. The whole point of that was getting away from everything I was bored with. Then again, I hadn't been to Ashenvale for a long time… almost a year at that time.
The next day I found myself packing away all of my possessions and getting ready to go to Ashenvale. The goblin innkeeper was surprisingly tolerant of my sudden departure. I guess he really was somewhat different than his comrades. I found myself a good riding horse and went north.
It was five days before I reached the border of Ashenvale, and another three days before I was walking into Astranaar. I actually felt amazed when I arrived, because it was more breath taking than I had remembered it. I guess after spending so much time in the Eastern Kingdoms, my perception of awe-inspiring had changed.
I didn't see Sakeran or Rethian when I first entered, but I wasn't surprised. Astranaar was a big place, and I didn't expect Rethian would be willing to wait for me after I beat him like that. I might have even arrived at Astranaar before them. The inn seemed like a good place to settle down, so I went there, tied up my horse, and walked inside.
Compared to the inns in Stormwind and Ratchet, the one in Astranaar was surprisingly small and bare. I went and bought a room, and the girl at the counter simply smiled at told me where to go. Very much unlike Ratchet, I thought as I headed up the ramp. The rooms didn't even have locks and keys. I had forgotten how different human society was from night elven society, my own society. It made me feel somewhat ashamed that I had fallen so out of touch with it.
I put down all of my bags in the corner and took off my armor. I probably looked very out of place wearing it, seeing as even that was made by human hands. I searched through my clothing, hoping to findsomething that I could wear that wouldn't make me look like a total outsider. Thankfully, I had brought some of my robes, and one of them was a dress I had gotten some time before I went to the Eastern Kingdoms. I put it on. It felt strangely loose and light on me, unlike most of the clothing I had been wearing recently.
I looked in the mirror. The robe was plain and simple, but I felt good in it. I needed a wash, I suddenly realized. My hair was coarse, and my normally pale blue skin was dirty. Then I understood why Rethian had reacted to me the way he did, and why he thought his demeanor would be acceptable. I grabbed a towel, which was fortunately clean, and a brush from one of my other bags, and hastily left for the lake near Astranaar.
There was no one nearby at the lake, so I felt safe in taking off my robe and getting into the water. It was cool, but not frigid. It felt good on my skin. I picked up the brush and started getting the knots out of my normally wavy hair. They seemed to come loose just from being wet from the lake. It was only a few minutes before my hair felt smooth again.
"…Tarania?" I heard a familiar voice. It was one I hadn't heard for a long time. I look around and saw a troll woman standing on the bank. It was the same blue skin, and purple hair, with her strange Mohawk and four braids down the front…
"Iskula?" I asked. "Is that you?"
"Yes," she said. "I haven't seen you in Ashenvale for nearly a year! What are you doing here?"
"I was in Ratchet, but I got invited up here," I said. "I'm glad that I did, because I haven't been here in so long… I have things I need to take care of."
Iskula nodded. "I understand. How has the peace movement been going? Is it doing well?" she asked hopefully.
I shook my head. "You have probably had more luck than I have. I don't think I've convinced anybody at all," I said.
Iskula's face fell. "I always hope…" she said solemnly. I got out of the water, wrapped myself in the towel and walked to Iskula. I hugged her.
"Some day, you'll be the ambassador for the Horde, and you'll meet the ambassador for the Alliance, who will be bearing a flag of peace," I said to her. She smiled through her small tusks.
We both heard a rustling and separated. I looked around for my bow, but I remembered that I had left it in the inn. Iskula had her fire totem at the ready, just in case she needed a distraction for a quick getaway. We didn't see anyone, but I had a feeling that whatever had just left wasn't an animal.
"You should go," I said to Iskula.
"But, Tarania-"
"Go! Now!" I told her forcibly. She transformed into a ghostly white wolf and bounded away. I put my robe on and headed back to Astranaar.
Whoever had been there had seen Iskula near Astranaar. If they told anybody, then there would be an attack on Splintertree Post, which would only lead to more bloodshed between the Horde and Alliance. I sighed as I thought about it. The last thing anybody needed was more blood on the soil.
After looking at myself in the mirror again, I decided that it would be okay for me to go out in public. My hair was no longer tangled; instead it was silky and smooth, and it went to my waist like a dark blue cloak. My skin was no longer dirty, so I no longer looked like a sleazy vagabond, as Sakeran's brother had called me before.
I went outside. If I had been in Stormwind, I might have drawn looks, but here, people had much more respect. I looked around and saw the familiar emerald hair of Sakeran. He hadn't noticed me, but he looked like he was waiting for someone.
I walked up to him. "Hello, Sakeran," I said. He looked at me strangely, as if I were unfamiliar.
"Hello. Do I know you?" he asked.
"It's Tarania, remember?" I said.
"Oh! Hello!" he said, his pale skin taking on a reddish hue.
I smiled. "Do I really look that different?" I asked him.
"Actually, yes. Yes you do," Sakeran said anxiously.
"Wow," I said. "No wonder Rethian and your brother reacted to me the way you did."
"Speaking of him, Rethian told me that he saw you walking toward the inn ten minutes ago. It's a good thing that he saw you, because this evening there's going to be a dance before the wedding, which is tonight," Sakeran said. "Everybody has a partner, including Rethian and my brother… but I don't, so I was wondering if you'd be interested in that."
I smiled. "It's better than Rethian or your brother. Yes, I'll go with you, but don't brag, or they might get jealous," I said teasingly. Sakeran grinned a little.
"Thanks. If you had said no, then I don't know what I would have done," he said. "The dance is a very formal occasion, so if you have anything better than that…" he eyed my robe, "…then it would be best that you wear that instead."
I smiled. "Don't worry, I'll scrounge something up," I said lightheartedly. "Should I be getting ready now, or is the dance not for a little while?"
"Tarania… the sun is already low in the sky," Sakeran said. "If you would get ready now, that would be best. I'll meet you out here, then I'll show you where to go." He walked away, presumably to where he lived. I walked back into the inn. I sighed as I looked through my bags again. I had only just gotten myself into a state where I considered myself presentable, and now I had to go and change again. I couldn't find anything that seemed to suite the mood. Almost all of the robes I had brought were of human make, and I didn't want to look out of place at the dance. It was a few minutes before I found something that was satisfactory to me.
It was a starsilk dress. I had almost forgotten that I even had it. How it got into my bags was unknown to me. I lifted it up in front of me. It was dark blue, and it sparkled like the night sky. I put it on. It felt almost weightless on me, and I almost couldn't feel it at all. I looked at myself in the mirror. It looked perfect to me.
When I went outside, Sakeran was waiting there for me. It didn't seem like he'd had as much trouble as I when he was selecting what to wear; he was simply wearing a black shirt and leggings. He stared with his glimmering green eyes as I approached.
"Are we ready to go?" I asked. He swallowed the lump in his throat.
"Where did you get a starsilk dress?" he blurted. I blinked.
"Is it surprising?" I asked. He nodded slowly.
"As far as I know, there are only a small number of dresses made from starsilk, and they're never put on sale in a shop. They're always tailored to a person's exact specifications, and they are always special orders," Sakeran explained.
"I got it from my mother," I said.
"I see… Needless to say, you'll be the most attractive woman in the entire dance hall," Sakeran said. I smiled.
"Thank you," I said.
"If you would come with me," Sakeran said, extending his arm. I hooked mine around his, and we walked away together.
