This time the ride was smooth and measured, and so Jacob had some time to think about his companion's stories, and what they meant. He still did not know quite what to make of it all, but he believed he would in time. Well, father wanted me to get out and see the world, the human thought as he and Toho wound their way through some hills in the withering daylight. Turns out I'm seeing a part of it that I don't think anyone outside it has seen before. He glanced over at Toho then and smirked at her back as she led the way. And I don't mean the geography. How many people can say they've had a glimpse into the secret history of a distant people?

The thought crossed his mind that the tauren might have been lying to him, but Jacob dismissed it immediately. After the things I've seen, what we've been through together as friends, I can't see any deception or indeed, any reason for deception in her actions. There had been plenty of times for Toho to double-cross him, and certainly she could have simply run into the night when Jacob had fallen to the ground in front of Fairmount and her men, but she had stayed and stood with him against superior numbers. If she had been anything but truthful with those stories, she never would have had the wherewithal to stand by my side.

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted then as Toho took a small turn off the path and started guiding her ravasaur up the side of a small hill. Jacob guided his animal after her, but felt a pang of curiosity. "Why are we going this way?" He asked with a raised voice.

"Just trust me," Toho called back.

Jacob chuckled wryly at that. "The last time one of us used that line it didn't turn out so well," he said back to her.

"There's a first time for everything to work right," the huntress answered with mirth in her voice. "Almost there."

Jacob decided to hold his tongue for the moment and simply concentrated on following his guide up the hillside. Fortunately Toho was right and it didn't take long until they came to a stop and the huntress dismounted and started the last few feet to the top of the hill. Perplexed but still curious, Jacob followed suit until he got to the top and froze.

A coastal plain spread out in front of him leading from the base of the hills he stood atop to the north for as far as he could see, framed by a range of low hills dividing it from the interior of the continent on the left and the ocean to the right. But by far what caught Jacob's eyes the most was the rather ramshackle assortment of buildings that spread from ocean to hill at one place along the plain. The dying rays of the sun were starting to retreat behind the barrier hills, casting the town in deepening gloom that was quickly annihilated by lamps of both the oil-fired and electrical variety being ignited across the town. Docks along the waterfront held several ships of various origins, and what Jacob could make out of the mass of people in the streets – still crowded even at the late hour – he could see that nearly every size and shape one could find on a sentient being of Azeroth was represented.

"Ratchet," Tohopekaliga said simply. "You will find no greater hive of scum and villainy." She tilted her head for a moment and then spoke again. "Well, except for Booty Bay, of course. And Undermine. And, well, any Goblin town really," she added somewhat offhandedly. "We shall have to be careful."

"And this is the place you wanted to head to?" Jacob asked skeptically.

"You'd rather stay behind in Northwatch?" Toho asked, giving him a sidelong glance.

Jacob chuckled wryly at that. "No, I suppose not," he admitted. "So, what are we here for?"

"Supplies for myself," Toho replied, and then turned to face Jacob fully. "And to get you on a ship home, of course. Nothing sails from Ratchet directly to Kul Tiras all that often, but the Maiden's Fancy makes regular runs between here and Booty Bay, and at least from there you can catch another ship north or just ride through Stranglethorn Vale until you reach Stormwind."

The human nodded at that. "Sounds good," he said, and then waved towards the town. "Lead on."

The day had fully retreated by the time they rode through the outskirts of Ratchet after passing grumpy-looking goblins on guard duty. Here the buildings were mostly houses of various families of differing wealth arranged in a hodge-podge fashion with shops, pubs, and taprooms randomly mixed in. There were few people on these streets who weren't simply going between one place or another as quickly or as drunkenly as possible.

Riding onward they started weaving through more and more foot traffic as they approached the waterfront. Unlike in the outskirts the people here seemed more relaxed and casual, though whenever Jacob took a long enough look at some he saw that many simply wore this expression as a disguise; their eyes moved constantly, always looking for something or someone. Whether threat or victim or both, the human could not say, but he decided to be neither and simply let his eyes slide off such persons to observe the buildings around him. Here the shops were still open, and liable to be that way throughout the night. Bars, taprooms, pubs, brothels, even fighting rings filled in the space between the shops, and all of the structures were at least two stories tall or greater so as to cram more commercial or residential space into the heart of the small city. Such design philosophy seemed insane, yet prudent, as the streets were filled with beings of nearly every sentient race engaged in every action, exchange, and transaction one would expect in any bustling settlement.

By the time Toho led him to a large stable building – unmistakable in design as well as stench – Jacob's head was swimming from the sensory overload. I must have spent too much time out in the wilderness, the human thought as he dismounted at Toho's urging and waited patiently while she dickered with the goblin who owned the stables. After some conversation in a tongue he didn't understand she handed a couple of coins over and gave the goblin the reins of her ravasaur. At a gesture from her Jacob did likewise, getting an appraising look and then a nod from the small green being. Jacob nodded back, and then followed Toho as she started moving down the street and then took a right into an alley. They negotiated the winding, even more chaotic alleyways for a bit until finally they stopped in front of a battered building with a simple graphic sign indicating booze of some kind. "Here," Tohopekaliga said. "This place is owned by a friend of mine. He's a troll, but like most of the Darkspear he doesn't have the same blind hatred for other races that most other troll tribes have. Also," she reached down and touched a bag on her belt. "Like most businessmen in Ratchet, he turns a blind eye to such things when it comes to profit."

"I see," Jacob replied. "So may I ask what is the purpose of visiting here?" He asked respectively.

"Same reason we're in this town," Toho replied, and then started moving towards the door. "Places like this are where you can best learn the background gossip that lets you negotiate deals and find out which ship is going where."

"I see," Jacob said as he followed and entered the tavern behind her. Once inside though he had to pause as a wave of smells assaulted his nose. Smoke, food, incense, and the natural body odors of every patron all combined to make Jacob feel as if he had walked into a brick wall, but he forced himself to endure and he took a long look around the room.

It looked like almost every other tavern Jacob had ever been in, and he half suspected that barkeeps around the world simply reused the same design over and over again. The main room was large and open, save for support beams and the many tables and chairs that graced it. Along one wall there was a bar and behind it were the shelves that held the high-end booze. Almost half the seats and barstools were filled with a mix of all the known races, and the room was filled with the buzz of the typical noises one would expect in any place where beings gathered for food and drink.

Jacob found himself feeling a bit overwhelmed again, but he pushed the feeling back as he followed Toho. The pair wound through the tables and seats until finally they arrived at the bar and with a gesture from the tauren, sat down. Within seconds, a tall, lanky figure moved down the bar to stop in front of them. "Tohopekaliga, my good girl, whatjoo be doin' here?" The blue-skinned troll asked with a smile on his tusked face.

"Hello again, Woxlox," Toho said, smiling back at the flame-haired barkeep. "Just passing through, thought I'd drop by for a visit and information."

"Well it be always a good thing ta hear from you," Woxlox said, and then turned and gave a far more calculating look at Jacob. "And who be dis sittin' next to ya?"

"A friend," Toho said forcefully before Jacob could speak. "And part of the reason I'm here and not strung up by some over-eager Alliance soldiers."

"Oh really?" Woxlox asked, his countenance taking on a more charitable look. "Well, you always be da one to make da strange friends, I see," he added, looking back to the tauren with a smirk. "So before da business, you want food?"

Toho nodded. "And a stiff drink. Just one, though, I'll need to keep my wits tonight." She turned to nod at the human. "And whatever Jacob here wants. I'll pay for it."

Jacob frowned at that. "I can pay for myself, thank you," he said indignantly.

"You can, but you won't," Toho replied evenly, and then turned to give Woxlox a look. "Two dinners and that drink."

The troll seemed a bit disappointed, but quickly nodded. "Okay den, I be back soon," he said and then walked off. Jacob gave an irritated look to his friend, but Toho spoke first. "He gives me a good discount due to being a friend of his, and also having saved his life once," the tauren explained, looking back at Jacob. "You, on the other hand, would have paid full price. If you really want to you can pay me back later, though I would advise you to save your coin for paying your way back across the ocean."

Jacob blinked at that and sat still for a moment to consider. "I see," he said sheepishly. "Thank you."

"Think nothing of it," Toho said with a wave. "You're a friend, and that is important to me, as well," she added, nodding once towards the human. "And friends take care of one another, do they not?"

"Indeed," Jacob replied with a grin. "Although I wish that for once that I could reciprocate now and again."

"Perhaps in due time you shall," Tohopekaliga allowed. Then she fell silent as Woxlox returned carrying a bottle in one hand and two mugs in the other, and two plates covered in food balanced on his arms. "'Ere ya go, two dinnahs and something ta drink," the troll said gaily as he carefully placed these items before Toho and Jacob. "Anyting else you be lookin' for?"

"Just one more thing," Tohopekaliga replied, and waited until she had the troll's full attention. "Is Blackie back in town?"

Woxlox's face took on a wary look, but he nodded. "Aye, but what do ya want wit dat one?"

Toho smiled sweetly. "Just some after dinner entertainment," she said in an innocent tone.

The troll scoffed at that, but he shrugged. "Your business, Toho. Blackie be back, hangin' out at da Broken Keel up on da south rise."

"I know where that is," Toho affirmed. "Thanks, Wox. How much do I owe you?"

"For you? Three silver," he said easily. The tauren nodded, reached into her coin purse, and took out four coins. "Here," she said, handing them over.

"I say three," Woxlox protested, though he didn't refuse the extra coin.

"The fourth is for you to keep Jacob here from getting his head cut off while I visit Blackie," Tohopekaliga explained. "He's still new on this side of the Great Sea so he still needs a bit more seasoning."

In light of their most recent words Jacob held his tongue at this, and simply waited patiently as Woxlox gave him another appraising look. "Alright den. He don' look like a dumb one, at least."

Jacob gave the troll an annoyed look. "I guess that's a compliment?" He asked.

"Big mouth on him, though," Woxlox added, ignoring Jacob as he turned back to Toho. The tauren chuckled slightly at that. "Now you see why I'm giving you a silver for it."

Jacob flushed a bit at that, but he decided to hold his tongue and instead looked down at his food and slowly began to eat. Toho followed suit after a quick thanks to Woxlox and their meal was spent in silence. After they finished, Jacob looked over to Toho. "So, I take it you're going to be off to see this 'Blackie'?"

The tauren nodded. "He has connections throughout the town. A bit of a scoundrel, but so long as you just do a simple business transaction – money for information, in this case – he's safe enough to deal with. I'll find out which ship is going where and all the sundry information, and then come back here."

Jacob nodded. "And you want me to stay here?"

"For simplicity's sake, yes," Toho replied. "Blackie is not an easy man to deal with, and he makes money off of information as much as he does piracy. If I bring you, he'll be suspicious of my helping you and will try to pry, one way or another. If I go alone, he'll be merely curious but not think much on it as lots of people come to him for such things every day." She took a quick swig from the bottle then, and shook herself slightly. "I always need something to take the edge off before I see the annoying little scumbag, though."

The human chuckled at that and got a look from Toho for it. "Sorry. I'm just thinking of times in the past where I felt that way about some persons I know," Jacob said with a grin. Toho grinned back and nodded. "Well I should be off then, before the food in my stomach makes me want to sit and sleep the rest of the night," she said and then stood. "Just hang around here in the tavern and try not to talk to anyone other than Wox, okay?"

"I hear ya," Jacob said, raising his mug in salute. "Good luck."

Jacob sat at one end of the bar, near where it merged into an interior wall that separated the main room from the kitchen, and looked over the interior of the tavern for the umpteenth time, having succumbed to boredom for some time. At least it's interesting to see all these races I've never seen before, he thought, still feeling curious towards all the new things he was experiencing. Growing up I only really saw humans, and occasionally a dwarf or elf. Now I see dwarves, trolls, orcs, both kinds of elves, goblins, and humans as well all in this room alone. At the very least, I've definitely gotten out and seen the world like dad wanted.

At this thought the human shifted around in his seat and turned to stare at the racks of liquor behind the bar again. Yup, I've definitely seen the world, or enough of it to give me a new perspective… So why do I feel like going home now would be a mistake? He had felt the pang of uncertainty the moment Toho had left the tavern, and Jacob had been mulling over it since. I've gone out and seen things, I've met people and made friends including, amazingly enough, a tauren. But it feels like something is left undone, like there's business here I need to take care of. For a moment he wondered if it was because he desired revenge against the quilboar for what they did to his previous traveling companions, but Jacob dismissed that with a shake of his head. They're just stupid little pig-men. Oh, don't get me wrong, if I come across another town of theirs in my travels I'll set the blasted thing on fire and cut down any who run away close enough to me to catch, but actually going out and seeking a place to do that? Seems rather futile to make that the only reason to be out here.

But why? What am I missing? He brought up the mead he'd been nursing and took another sip from it. As he did, the troll Woxlox came out of the kitchen and took a long look around. "So, I see you ain't ticked off anyone yet," he wryly observed.

"I am sorry if I disappoint," Jacob replied flippantly, smirking at the taller being. Woxlox scoffed and shook his head. "Well you wouldn'ta be a friend of Toho if you weren't half sane, at least," he observed.

Jacob raised an eyebrow at that. "I take it she doesn't have many friends then?"

The troll gave him an odd look for a moment, and then laughed. "Dat be a good one," he said. "But naw, she be an odd one, that tauren," Woxlox continued, and then leaned in towards the human. "She be a bit touched in da head, you know. Gets visions of things that don' be real, den she tries ta build 'em." Woxlox shook his head at this. "Good girl, though, and a good friend. Wouldn't trade her for da world. Now, my wife on da other hand, I'll trade you her for five gold and a mule."

Jacob blinked at that and found he had no ready answer to such an offer. After a moment though, he saw the troll's tusked face split in a grin, and replied in kind. Before either could say another word, though, a rolling pin flashed out from the kitchen entrance and slammed down hard on Woxlox's head with a loud thump.

"Augh!" Woxlox yelled, hands going up to grab the wounded spot. "What in da name o' da spirits!" He yelled.

"I hear you talkin' out dere!" A voice, accented like a troll's but distinctly feminine, came from just inside the kitchen entrance where Jacob couldn't see. "You tink you be funny talkin' about sellin' me? You been sippin' too much of da mojo!"

"Damn, woman!" Woxlox yelled, and then turned to face the nameless assailant. "You be crazy, tryin' to crack my head open!"

"At least I be hittin' da part dat be all bone!" His wife snapped back. "I should be so lucky ta have a skull as thick as yours!"

"Dat's it, woman!" Woxlox shouted as he turned and walked into the kitchen. "You gonna learn some manners now!"

"You and what army?" The female asked from further in the other room than before, her voice confident and unconcerned with her husband's sudden advance. "You couldn't hurt a gnome you limp-tusked son of a nerf herder!"

A roar of rage followed that last insult, only to be matched by a similar one and accompanied by sounds of objects crashing into one another and the ground. Jacob, who had frozen still during the whole exchange, now started to stand up, intending to stop whatever fight was going on.

Just then, though, a large hand fell on his shoulder. Startled, Jacob turned around quickly and had to catch himself to keep from unsheathing his sword when he saw that it was Tohopekaliga who had touched him. "By the Light, you scared me," he blurted.

Toho smiled at that and simply moved over to sit down next to where Jacob was standing. "Sit down and don't worry about them," she said evenly. "They fight like this regularly. They don't hurt each other too much and what they do is regenerated by a troll's freakish biology, anyway."

Again the human was at a loss for words. Confused and unsure, he turned to take another look around the tavern room and saw that, indeed, almost all the customers seemed inured to the sounds of violence. At the very least, they were unconcerned, and when that was matched with Toho's own dispassion Jacob found little reason to do anything but sit back down next to her. Some moments passed while the sounds of fighting continued, before Jacob cleared his throat. "So, did you get that information you wanted?"

"Yup," Toho replied evenly. "The Maiden's Fancy is due in a couple of days, or you can take the goblin ship Pride of Phyrexia next week when they sail to Menethil Harbor. After that, the next ship won't come along for a month, so you should start thinking on where you want to go."

"Yeah," Jacob said, and then turned to look down at the mug he'd been sipping at earlier. "I've got to think on that."

Toho heard something in his voice, despite the racket, and she cast a sidelong glance at him. "Is there a problem?" She asked, concerned.

"Hm?" Jacob mumbled. "Oh. No, just thinking aloud."

"Okay then," Toho said, and then frowned as the noise of the fight continued. "Let's go back and get our things from the animals in the stables; Wox will have rooms for us when we get back, provided he and Selca aren't still fighting."

The run back to the stables has been quick, thanks to the thinning crowds in the streets, though Jacob was surprised at the sheer number of people still out and about. Fortunately for the tired and somewhat overwhelmed human and his tauren friend, their trip out and back was uneventful and when they returned to the tavern they had found the fight had concluded and a battered Woxlox had given them keys to their rooms, all the while smiling a wide grin. They had gone upstairs and put away their things and slept, though Jacob only succumbed after some considerable thought. Such thoughts followed him into the morning, and he sat pensively at a table in the tavern's main room and ate breakfast. Eventually, though, one idea took hold and he nodded quietly to himself as he made a decision.

"Something agree with you?" A voice sounded, and Jacob turned to see Toho, once again only clad in linen and leather, walking over to sit at the same table.

"Just agreeing with myself," Jacob replied, shifting a bit nervously. "I had to think about what you said last night, about deciding where I want to go and I made up my mind. Well," he added, somewhat sheepishly. "As well as I can given the circumstances."

"Oh? Toho asked. "May I ask what you've decided then?"

Jacob nodded at that, and then shuffled in his seat to lean forward a bit. "What I decided is that, well… I don't really want to go back home just yet," he said carefully, watching Toho's expression for any changes. "My father sent me out to learn of the world, and I have learned quite a bit. I've had my childish notions of easy victory squashed by defeat. I've had my reservations and prejudices about Hordesmen challenged and broken. I've found out my own side can be vicious and cruel. And finally," he paused for a breath. "I've found a good friend.

"Despite all of this, I don't feel like I've seen quite enough," Jacob continued, his eyebrows knitting a bit when he noticed that Toho continued to just give him a deadpan look. "Despite the danger, I intend to travel more of Kalimdor. I would like to think I can avoid most of the mistakes I've made in the past and not end up as I was when you found me, but even so, I think I would like to travel with someone who knows her way around this continent."

Toho blinked at that. "Are you asking to travel with me?" She asked neutrally.

"Aye," Jacob replied. "I realize I would be a burden, being as inexperienced as I still am, not to mention problems with your people who might be mirrors of captain Fairmount. But if you wish, I can pay you and thus have you as a 'hired guide', like what we told the men at Northwatch," he added and took a small coin purse from his belt and set it on the table. "And although we're friends, I hope the added money will offset-"

Toho interrupted him then by reaching across the table with her hand and pressing it down over the top of the one Jacob was resting on his coin purse. "Put your money away," she said sternly, startling the human. Then before he could respond, a smile spread along her muzzle, and Toho gently pushed Jacob's hand and coinage away from her. "I took to hunting the wilds because I generally like to be alone. However, one can be away from others for too long," she added with a nod. "And loneliness touches even the most resolute. I would be glad to have some company for a change."

Jacob smiled back at her as he took his coin purse back and reaffixed it to his belt. "Thank you, my friend," he said warmly.

"And thanks to you as well," Toho replied. "You trust me openly, you're willing to learn and change, and you respect me. Those traits are hard to find in any person, let alone one who until I met him had every reason in the world to dislike me. Whatever travels we make, it will be more rewarding and interesting with you around."

Jacob felt himself blush a bit, and he smiled again. "I shall endeavor to not disappoint," he said friendlily.

"I doubt that you will," Toho said, grinning back. "So the question becomes: where to?"

"Where to?" Jacob echoed a bit surprised at the question. "I guess I haven't thought quite that far yet," he admitted sheepishly. "I wasn't sure what your answer was going to be."

"Fair enough," Toho replied evenly. "Well then, you want to see things you can't see in Kul Tiras, right?" She asked and got a nod in return. "Well I doubt you've seen anything like Un'Goro Crater, or the beasts that live within. And there's plenty to see on the way there, as well."

Jacob thought for a moment. "I've heard of it. It's supposed to be dangerous, isn't it?" He asked, getting a nod from Tohopekaliga. "Well, if you're recommending it, I'm guessing I won't be too clumsy to keep alive there," he added with a grin. "Let's go."

"Excellent," Toho gaily said. "Let me eat some breakfast, then we can be off to get supplies."

"Sounds like a plan," Jacob said, feeling like for once that his life was heading where he wanted it to go. I suppose I may find an adventure or three after all, he thought with a grin. Tally ho!

The End.

(For now.)