Dallas Returns to Silvermoon
Zyane met Rillen by the fountain that morning. He was dressed in his usual tunic and pants with his straight black hair framing his face.
"Morning," he called happily. His smile was real and full, but it waned when he saw Zyane's sullen face. "Still upset about yesterday?"
"What? Oh, no," Zyane replied, shaking her head. She put on a smile, though a little forced. "Just a little tired, maybe."
"Well, let's just take it easy today, then." Rillen was always trying to help Zyane as best he could.
She nodded.
They walked through the city, stopping to watch the hunters practice with their bows or see the paladins dueling. It was a peaceful Sunday morning, and Zyane was glad for it. They detoured to the Bazaar to buy some breakfast. Zyane bought a small loaf of bread and honey, and Rillen got himself a hot sticky doughnut. They both sat down on a bench and ate together.
Rillen was watching the people pass by, until he noticed someone familiar. He was tall and muscular, very sure of himself. When the blood elf turned his face to a young girl beside him and smirked flirtingly, Rillen knew exactly who he was.
"Guess who's here?" Rillen teased.
"Who?" Zyane asked between chews of her bread.
Rillen pointed over to the blood elf who had a crowd of young girls cooing around him.
"Oh, no," Zyane moaned. "I thought he was supposed to be in the Outlands!"
"Maybe they couldn't stand him anymore," Rillen laughed, stuffing the last of his doughnut into his mouth.
"Come on," Zyane said, grabbing Rillen's wrist. "We've got to get out of here before he sees me." She grabbed her bread and began to drag Rillen behind her.
"Zyane!" they heard Dallas call from behind them, but she kept walking. She hoped the crowd of stupid girls he had attracted would hold him up.
Rillen turned to watch Dallas fight his way through the girls, almost tripping over one of them. "He's coming," he warned Zyane.
"Zyane, wait!" Dallas called. "It's me, Dallas!"
That was it. Zyane knew she was stuck. She stopped, let go of Rillen, and turned around. With a sweet, fake smile and a hand on her hip, she waited for Dallas to catch up to them.
"Hello, Dallas. I'm sorry, I didn't recognize you. Usually you have hundreds of girls following you instead of the few dozen back there," Zyane said sarcastically.
Dallas had been away longer than Zyane had realized, because he looked completely taken aback by her comment. When he lived in the city, she was always saying rude and sarcastic things like that to him. "Uh, well, you know," he started, embarrassed. "So, how have you been? Beautiful as ever, I see."
"I've been well," Zyane answered, ignoring his obvious attempt at flirtation. "And you? I thought you were in the Outlands with your father."
"Your father wrote me an urgent message to come straight back. I received it late last night and been flying ever seen."
Zyane and Rillen exchanged looks. "I wonder what that's about," she said to Rillen.
Rillen shrugged. "Nothing bad, I hope."
"It didn't seem bad," Dallas said to answer Rillen, "just urgent, like an important mission or something. I see you're still here, too, Rillen. No desire to fight on the front lines in the Outlands?"
"Magic requires more than just swinging a sword around," Rillen shot back.
"When a demon is staring you right in the face, sometimes 'swinging a sword around' is your best, and fastest, defense," Dallas returned.
"Aren't you supposed to see my father?" Zyane asked to stop the argument that was soon to follow. Rillen and Dallas never really liked each other and often ended up in screaming matches.
"Right," Dallas said. He bowed to them. "I'll see you later, Zyane."
Once Dallas was out of sight, Zyane asked Rillen, "Did he seem different to you?"
"Seemed exactly the same to me," Rillen moped. "I wonder what your father wants, though."
"Yeah," Zyane agreed. "Well, come on let's go, before he comes back."
Rillen and Zyane went their separate ways once dinner time approached and the sun was on its way down. Zyane always had dinner with her father in the dining hall after everyone else had eaten. It was the only time they got to speak without interruption ever since Lor'themar had become regent.
"Why did you call Dallas to Silvermoon, father?" Zyane asked while she pushed the few scraps left on her plate around with her fork.
"So I suppose you've seen him already, then?" Lor'themar wiped his mouth with the napkin on his lap. "Are you finished? We need to talk."
Lor'themar and his daughter walked together to his council room, Zyane wondering the whole time if she had gotten herself into some trouble. Inside, Rommath and Dallas were waiting.
"Hello, master," Zyane said uneasily.
Lor'themar motioned for her to take a seat while he made his way to the head of the table. Once everyone was sitting, he said, "I have been thinking, Zyane, and I understand now that you are right. You're not a child anymore and you deserve the chance to do whatever you wish with your life. The reason I called Dallas back to Silvermoon is because I have decided to let you go to Shattrath City to train, and I want him to protect you."
Zyane raised her eyebrows in shock. "Father… I…" she started. "Thank you."
"You're welcome," Lor'themar smiled, "though your thanks should go to Rommath. He did much of the convincing on your part."
"You're a strong mage, Zyane," Rommath said. "You will be a valuable asset after your training in Shattrath is done."
"Thank you, master," Zyane replied, blushing.
"We've arranged for you two to leave tomorrow morning," Theron explained. "A wyvern will take you to the Dark Portal, but you'll have to go through that on your own. On the other side, another wyvern will be waiting to take you to Shattrath."
Zyane, still shocked, stood and said, "I suppose I should pack then. Thank you all, very much."
It wasn't until Zyane was sure she was alone and her bedroom door was locked that she fell to the floor in tears. How torn she felt, knowing that only hours ago she had promised Rillen that she would never leave his side. But she wanted to go, more than anything. There was nothing she could do because either way, she lost. If only she could bring Rillen with her… but no, Rillen was going to Orgrimmar to train. Zyane couldn't bring herself to pull him away from such a wonderful opportunity. And the idea that Dallas would be shadowing her disgusted her. He was poor company and no friend of hers, so she would be alone in the Outlands. Ever since the day she meant Rillen, she was never alone and the idea of it scared her.
There was a quiet knock on her door. Zyane stood and quickly wiped the tears away. She unlocked the door and let Rillen in.
"I was waiting for you but you never showed up," he said, trying to catch her gaze but she avoided his. "What happened?" he cried when he finally saw how distraught she was.
"My father is allowing me to go to Outlands now," Zyane moaned. "Dallas is going to escort me there."
"That's wonderful news, Zyane!" Rillen said, sighing with relief. "What are you so upset?"
"Because I don't want to leave you, Rillen!" Zyane cried, falling into his arms. "I don't want to do this alone."
Rillen cradled Zyane's head against him. "I'll always be with you. But you have to go; you want to go. You may never get another opportunity to."
"I know," Zyane sighed.
"I'll write to you every day, okay?" Rillen said, pulling Zyane away from him.
"And every chance I get I'll come visit you." Zyane felt terrible, though. When she said she wanted to leave this island, she meant with Rillen. It never occurred to her that she would have to do it alone, leaving him behind. She didn't want to have to make the choice, but she knew Rillen was right. A chance like this may never arrive again, and it was important to do it now to show her father that she was an adult. What a spoiled child she would look like if she denied the gift her father had worked so hard to get for her.
Rillen, sensing Zyane's pain, only said, "It'll be alright." He didn't know what else to say.
Zyane didn't say anything to Rillen, just looked in his green eyes, wondering what she would've done all her life without him.