Chapter Two

The Picnic

The Odims strolled through the misty trees of the rather dank Howling Fjord. Nad'rael sighed softly, looking at her husband with some frustration, "So, tell me again... why could we not simply have our outing somewhere less... wild, such as Eversong?"

Farrson turned an arch look on his wife, "You would rather go somewhere that is fake then enjoy the "real"?" He stretched his decrepit arms wide, as though to encompass the entire scene before the family, "-This- is the outdoors, not something designed and maintained by a bunch of snooty elves afraid of getting their hands dirty... besides, I heard that there were some rather lovely tiger lilies and golden clovers as well!" he finished, almost giddy with excitement.

Karina began to giggle softly as her mother put a hand over her eyes and groaned, "And now the real reason comes out. I do wish you would simply tell me when you wanted to add to that book of yours, besides-" Nad'rael paused mid diatribe as Farrson, eyes aglow like a child at Winter's Viel, dropped the picnic basket and crouched next to a patch of vibrantly colored flowers and began examining it for specimens.

The doctor just sighed softly and walked over to the dented and discarded picnic basket, taking Karina's hand in hers, "Come with me, dear. We are going to go set up lunch near that giant fir tree."

Karina looked back over her shoulder, brows knitted in concern, "What about Papa? Will he be okay by hisself?"

"Himself." Nad'rael corrected and looked back over at the Undead in question, who was scribbling rapidly in a heavy and rather dirty notebook, smiling gleefully at a rather large collection of flora, "I am sure he will be quite fine on his own..."

The two lay out a frayed and worn blanket underneath a grand pine tree and Nad'rael began humming softly as she set about placing the small feast the family had brought. As she was extricating the huge slab of sheep roast, courtesy of one of their more... strange neighbors, her ears twitched, picking up the sound of glass tinkling as it shattered. She whirled around, only to see her daughter standing guiltily next to her mother's potion satchel, "Karina... did you get into Mama's potions?"

The little girl shook her head adamantly, sending her golden braids flapping, "No Mama, those aren't mine!"

Nad'rael put her hands on her hips, tone stern, but filled with repressed laughter, "If you didn't, then why do you have fuzzy ears and a nice fluffy tail, hmm?"

Karina gasped and spun, trying to catch hold of her newly acquired appendage with such fervor that she sent herself tumbling to the ground, grappling with her tail, feline ears twitching madly. Her mother watched all of this as she burst into peals of breathless giggling, clutching her sides. Farrson wandered back over, drawn to the commotion, book tucked beneath his arm and just stopped to stare at the bizarre scene before him, "...Perhaps I shouldn't have left them to their own devices." He thought and after some consideration, he shrugged, saying aloud, "Who am I kidding? I can't change a force of nature."

Farrson coughed loudly and both girls looked up with mutual expressions of sheepishness, "So I take it this is the entertainment portion of the meal?" he asked wryly.

The doctor, still wheezing slightly from the laughter, picked up her dusty potion satchel and retrieved a tiny vial containing a crystal clear liquid and uncorked it, handing it to her daughter, "Drink this up sweetie and you won't be Kitty Karina anymore." she explained, snorting still.

Karina downed the liquid and with a small pop the tail and feline ears vanished, leaving the small child still very pink with embarrassment, "Sorry Mama..."

"It's alright dear, just so long as we learn from our mistakes, that is what is important." Nad'rael explained, smiling.

"Hmm, I wonder then... with all your mistakes and "accidents", why have you still not learned?" Farrson mused aloud and ducked as his wife tossed hard roll at his head.

The family sat and ate their lunch in the shade, talking and laughing as the afternoon wound down. Nad'rael smiled over at her husband, Karina asleep with her head in her mother's lap, "You know, I must say this was one of your better ideas for a date."

"What? I thought you liked my others.." Farrson crossed his arms, looking petulant.

"Oh yes, going to fight giant serpents in the Wailing Caverns or being chased by drunken pirates halfway across the whole of Tanaris is certainly very romantic." Nad'rael shot back, smirking.

Farrson threw up his hands, "I just don't know why you can't see the fun in that. Fighting for our lives, side by side... far more romantic then going for a carriage ride or whatever it is you elves do." he said, waving his hand in the air.

"You elves do hmm?" she repeated, arching a brow and looking a little menacing, however speaking in a very sweet tone, "So that is what -Forsaken- enjoy then?"

Farrson growled slightly and flinched, "Don't call me that... you know how I feel about that."

"Then don't refer to me as an elf. I am nothing like the rest of the Sin'dorei." Nad'rael said crossly.

Farrson sighed softly and opened his flower book and retrieved a single crimson tiger lily, still unpressed and offered it to his wife, "You are right dear, you certainly are unlike any other woman I have ever met."

Nad'rael reached over to take the bloom, careful not to jostle their daughter still asleep and smiled, "And you are unlike any man I have ever know." She brought the flower to her nose and inhaled the heady scent, "After all, how many husbands would put up with a wife gets into more trouble then the entire Horde combined?"

Farrson just laughed quietly, "At least I can always count on you to keep me on my toes."