Own no craft, especially no Warcraft.

Chasing Through Hell

Sharing

Maurus was quickly drawn into the insistent celebrations and before he knew it, he was sitting with company made merry by drink, smoke and the relief of being alive. As he gulped down a bowl of strange, but tasty soup, he learned how the battle outside had progressed. After the infernals had thrown the armies into disarray, Kargath Bladefist had led hundreds of wolf riders out through the main gate, supported by a large contingent of orc casters. Between the infernals crushing power and the sweeping charge of the fel orcs, the Horde and Alliance army had almost broken.

The teller, a troll named Ha'Shul with a face full of small, jagged scars that had almost healed, only grudgingly recounted what happened next: Alliance gyrocopters had saved the day. Once the infernals had gathered into groups, the gnomes began bombing the stone monsters with astounding success. The unthinking infernals had not changed tactics even after the first few bombing runs, making them easy targets for the bombers and a few very daring artillery shots.

That relief had been enough to restore the crumbling resolve and instead of dealing the decisive blow to break his enemy, Kargath Bladefist had found his charge stopped and himself surrounded. He and his soldiers had fought with berserk ferocity and held out for a long time, but when the rain of infernals stopped, the Horde and Alliance overwhelmed them and Kargath's head now sat on top of a pole somewhere on the outskirts of the Alliance camp. That fact did cause Maurus a twinge of annoyance, as did hearing that it wasn't the Horde that had turned the tide, but he found the Ha'shul's annoyance unreasonable. Told in the safety of the camp, the tale was grand and glorious regardless and with wine in his belly, Maurus was able to ignore the deaths and enjoy the story.

His ignorance of events didn't go unnoticed and before he knew it, he was telling his own story of braving the wall, storming the courtyard and going down beneath the Citadel. He told it loudly and enthusiastically, gladly showing off his scarred face and omitting the pain and the fear. Some scoffed at his claims, but a few word from Payta and the old shamans, who hadn't missed the wing he'd carried in, shut them up before he had to resort to rougher measures and he found himself getting much more respectful looks. He was thankful for that, because for all his bravado, he, like most others, had had enough violence for the day.

He heard a few more stories before he excused himself, feeling a little cramped by the sudden attention. It seemed the others sensed his desire for solitude, as no-one followed him, even when he began working on the wing.

It was the first time he appreciated the strange unchanging night sky of the Peninsula. As much as he loved the majestic night sky of his home, it was easier to work with the dull alien light than in the flickering illumination of a fire. As always, the world around him faded from his mind as he methodically found where to cut and where to pull, removing the bones while leaving the wing as intact as possible. Back in Mulgore, Heloda had always preached the virtues of meditation for calming one's emotions and opening the mind to the voices of spirits, but it had made Maurus restless. He never felt calmer than when he dressed his kills or when he worked in bone or wood though. Then again, maybe the old shaman had had a point. Maurus had never had anything but the smallest hints of contact with the spirits after all.

He dimly noticed the festivities dying down, the people wandering off, retiring to their tents singly or in pairs, or simply falling asleep on the ground. A few remained awake, their low, somber murmurs a stark contrast to the previous revelry and the hushed, but still noticeable sounds coming from a lot of the tents.

Arianna's continued absence made Maurus wonder what was keeping her. He could easily imagine Mathias and Wiven finding distractions somewhere, but Arianna had not seemed in the mood for celebration. That thought made him a tad worried. She'd had been unusually curt when she'd left and he could easily imagine how an upset warlock and soldiers who'd just lost friends to the Legion might mix badly, particularly if there was booze involved on either side. It was by no means certain which side would come out the worse for wear, but either outcome would probably be bad for Arianna in the end.

He shook his head and laid the final piece of bone down beside the others. It was useless to worry, because he wouldn't be able to find her anyway and she did know how to defend herself. Far more than just defense, to be honest.

He reached for his other tools, yawned widely and reconsidered. He wanted to see Arianna before going to bed, but he couldn't keep sleep away for much longer, so he folded the wing around the bones, pushed the bundle and his bag of tools into his tent. Instead of following just yet though, he leaned back on his arms and let his eyes and thoughts wander.

He came out of an inadvertent half-doze when his unfocused eyes caught blonde hair and a familiar green crystal over the top of the tents. He came a little more awake and smiled as Arianna came into view. She looked tired, but when she caught sight of him, slight surprise flashed across her face and her posture became a little less burdened.

Maurus lifted a hand in greeting before indicating the spot next to him. Arianna considered for a short moment before sliding down next to him and placing her staff across her knees.

"Welcome back," he said quietly. Arianna simply closed her eyes and exhaled heavily. "I guess your business wasn't any more restful than the rest of the day?" he added.

She shook her head but didn't speak. Maurus lifted a hand and rubbed her back softly, feeling her tense muscles beneath his fingers, especially when she leaned into his touch just a bit.

"Have you at least eaten? Or gotten a proper drink?"

She cracked open an eye and considered him.

"Food hasn't been on my mind."

Maurus blew out a breath, rose and picked Arianna up almost in the same motion. She gasped quietly but didn't protest otherwise, letting herself be carried, hanging limply from his hands the few feet to where he put her down again, in front of a dying fire and the pot hanging over it. He sat down between her and the pot, filled a bowl with the tepid stew and handed it to her.

Arianna dipped her spoon and said tiredly: "Wouldn't it have been easier to just get me the bowl?"

"Saves me getting up for the next one."

"Who says I need another one?" Arianna asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Me," Maurus said. He pointed at the bowl and said mock-sternly: "And if you don't eat, I'll sit you on my lap and feed you like an unruly kid."

Something tugged at the edge of Arianna's mouth. "You really shouldn't be the one playing mother hen," she said between mouthfuls.

Maurus snorted. "It doesn't seem like sense comes with age. Neither you nor the rest of your people seem able to feed yourselves."

Arianna paused for a small moment and Maurus sighed internally. Of course he'd manage to bring her thoughts back to the troubling signs they'd seen. Her hesitation only lasted for a moment though and after another mouthful of stew, she looked at him and asked: "How old are you?"

Maurus blinked, surprised at the question and it took a moment for him to summon up an answer. "Thirty-one," he said slowly.

Arianna nodded almost imperceptively and went back to eating. Maurus frowned, thrown by the question and her response to the answer, then reached out to rub her back again. Arianna sighed through her nose, but relaxed slightly and held out her empty bowl. Maurus obligingly filled it with his free hand, smiling a little at the feel of her warmth and her silent acquiescence.

Arianna caught the expression and said drily: "To be perfectly honest, I wasn't expecting smiles out of you today."

Maurus gave a short, tired chuckle. "I found a few things to smile about after you left," he said. Arianna narrowed her eyes and her throat moved subtly, but her features relaxed when his smile widened and his fingers squeezed her shoulder. "Not at all what I meant," he added. "Food and a little time just put things in a different light."

'That's an understatement,' he thought quietly and his smile grew a little more.

"We lived, we won. Despite everything we saw, I've decided that we have cause to celebrate," he said, the somber words at odds with his smile. He swallowed, and continued: "I'm unspeakably grateful that you weren't on that zeppelin."

Arianna shuddered, so slightly that he wouldn't have noticed if he wasn't touching her. "I was."

Maurus felt the bottom of his stomach drop out at the admission and he stared at her, taking in the the soot and dirt on her again. She shifted, causing his hand to slide off her shoulder to rest on the ground, and settled as a warm weight against his arm and side. There was a note of embarrassment or shame in her voice when she continued: "I reconsidered my confidence in the goblins. And summoned Mirlia. She helped me down.

Maurus took a breath, taking solace in her solid warmth and the tickle of her hair and managed a light tone as he said: "I can't blame you for being careful. If I had something that could lift me, I'd have brought it on the zeppelin too."

The succubus' death rattle sounded in his thoughts and this time he shuddered. "I'm glad you brought her. Ugly, what she got for protecting you though," he said.

Arianna's face darkened for a moment and she nodded. Her voice was more pensive than sorrowful when she said: "Luckily, she'll live. I guess I'll have to show her some appreciation next time I call on her."

Maurus raised an eyebrow. "How are you going to do that?"

She caught his eyes and now her expression brightened with mischief, her pale red lips curling in a smirk. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

Maurus laughed, the sound coming out as warm as his chest felt. An image flitted through his head bringing with it a heady heat, though tinges of jealousy and self-loathing also came with the thought of tails, horns and horns. He latched on to the safest part of his thoughts and asked something he suddenly remembered: "Why does she look so much like you?"

That change in direction made the glint in Arianna's eyes change to surprise for a moment and Maurus was irrationally satisfied at seeing the barest hint of a red in her cheeks. She was getting harder and harder to get a rise out of, so he was savoring it even more this time but she recovered almost immediately, raising her chin haughtily and saying unconcernedly: "I find it aesthetically pleasing."

It took Maurus a moment before he figured out what that word meant. He grinned and said drily: "You aren't the humblest person I've ever met."

Challenge sparkled in her eyes as she responded: "Do you disagree?"

Maurus snorted. "Can't say I do. For a hairless, spindly monkey, you're easy on the eyes."

Maurus thought he saw pleasure and irritation play over Arianna's face in quick succession before she schooled her expression. She pointedly flipped a strand of hair out of her face, raised an eyebrow and said: "Perhaps you prefer Mirlia? She's less spindly."

Again Maurus snorted, a bit of contempt creeping in in spite of his best efforts. "She's also a demon. That goes against her."

"I thought you might appreciate the similarities," Arianna teased lightly. "Maybe you thought she had nice horns or a good tail?"

"I'll stick to my own people if I want a tail to hold onto," Maurus scoffed. He tilted his head, pretending to think and added: "Unless I suddenly develop a fascination with the color blue."

'Right now, I'm partial to gold,' he thought, studying Arianna, but he didn't voice it. She looked content to a degree he hadn't thought possible so soon after discovering signs that there were elves on the enemy side and he wouldn't risk ruining that.

"That's a bit more adventurous than I expected of you," Arianna said drily. She scrunched up her face a little bit and added: "Also a bit more of a vivid image than I needed right now."

Maurus laughed. "You've been travelling with a Horde army for months. I thought you'd be used to it by now."

"When the worst coarseness you've experienced in a hundred years is the occasional dwarf, it isn't easy to adapt to the open vulgarity of the Horde. But in all honesty, it is your relative subtlety that throws me off."

Maurus raised both eyebrows and grinned. "Are you saying you'd find it easier if I were more crude? That shouldn't be hard."

"No," Arianna said immediately and Maurus chuckled.

"Your people can't be all chaste and virginal," he said amiably. "Unless that double act in the tunnel was a sign of how different you are."

Arianna tipped her head to the side in acquiescence. Then she smirked and said: "We're as depraved as most, I suspect. We're just very circumspect about it. We're a lot like the humans in that regard, particularly their nobility."

"I doubt that's the side of humans that you see in Ratchet."

Arianna chuckled. "No, that would be the other end of the scale. Sometimes I suspect the heat burns away all subtlety, regardless of race."

"You don't find the songs in the Spigot subtle?" Maurus asked innocently.

Arianna raised an eyebrow and gave him a look that was as loud as any words she could have said.

"So what, your inns are all ringing with proper, sober odes to flowers or something?" Maurus asked teasingly. "Sounds boring. A good, raunchy song never fails to lift the mood."

"War, love and beauty are always popular with us. Like with you. I do have ears after all."

Maurus nodded.

"Intimacy is very prevalent in our poetry though, and our songs," Arianna admitted after a moment's thought.

"Oh? I thought you said you weren't coarse."

"We express things a little more delicately," Arianna said primly, though her eyes were sly. "Our art is quite heavy on metaphor and utterly unwilling to express anything candidly. I think most of our works would go right over the heads of most of the Horde."

Maurus gave her a skeptical look and said: "Try me."

"They don't translate well," Arianna said. Maurus had heard that excuse before but for once it sounded sincere, like she truly thought it lost too much by being conveyed in Orcish.

He shrugged. "Let me hear one in Thalassian then."

Arianna glanced at him, a hint of surprise in her eyes.

"Yes, I remember things you tell me, stunning" Maurus said lightly, still grinning. "Let's hear it."

Arianna's hesitation was probably because she had to think about which piece to tell him. Her subtle glance around and the twitch of her ears, which he would have missed if he wasn't looking for him was harder to explain away like that and he again felt absurdly gratified at the hint of embarrassment. Then she opened her mouth and the lilting, smooth stream of Thalassian caught his full attention. He felt himself relax, lulled into a serene calm by the soft and flowing words, despite the fact that it reminded him a little of Erudun, just without any of the hard, sharp edges. A few times, it reminded him vaguely of Zandali and Common, which jerked him a little from the calm, but mostly he simply enjoyed the sound of it and wondered what it actually meant.

When Arianna fell silent, he asked. It took her a while to properly convey the poem's meaning and when she finished, Maurus was laughing so hard that it was an effort just to hold himself up on his arms and one he only really made because the chuckling Arianna would fall down with him if he didn't.

"It sounds so beautiful," Maurus said when he finally found the breath to speak, "and beneath the layers of flowery language, it puts half the dirty ditties I know to shame."

"It does sound crass when you put it in simple terms," Arianna admitted.

"I call it honest," Maurus said amiably, "It's fun however you phrase it."

He felt her shift against his side and looked at her. Sometime during the fit of laughter, she'd ended up leaning fully against him, light and surprisingly soft, despite her thin frame. She glanced around them and said: "I'm surprised you didn't wake anyone up."

"Shouldn't be. After today, I'd be surprised if they woke for anything other than battle. I-" He yawned widely, feeling the pleasant tense and relaxing in his muscles as he stretched his body as much as he could without changing position. "I wouldn't. Besides, they don't have your ears," he continued, turning his head and blowing at the top of Arianna's long ears. She shook her head, half a shudder.

"Don't do that," she said. "Why aren't you? Sleeping like the dead?"

"Wanted to begin on the wing. Thought I'd wait and see what mood you were in before turning in," he said easily. He studied the camp, turned his ears and added: "We should sleep."

Arianna gave a noncommittal hum in answer and he didn't press the point. The distance to his tent seemed inordinately long and his bedroll much less alluring now, so instead of moving, he said:" Do you know more than that one poem?"

Arianna gave him a flat look, but her lips twitched.

"Or you could regale me with some other subject," Maurus suggested. She shook her head.

"Your turn. Tell me one of yours. In Taurahe. Then translate. We'll trade."

Maurus grinned. "You might be disappointed with our terribly simplistic stories," he said sarcastically.

"I doubt it," Arianna answered lazily. "Come now, before I fall asleep."

Maurus considered, found just the right one to begin with and took a moment to get Taurahe straight in his head before beginning to speak.

They exchanged song and verse for another long while and when they parted for what sleep they could get before morning came, Maurus felt content and pleasantly exhausted, rather than simply drained like when they'd arrived back at camp.

Maurus was glad he'd had some enjoyable experiences that evening because the following day was hell. The morning came too soon and the day was spent clearing the battlefield, side by side with Mathias and the rest of the unit he'd led. It was a task that was as emotionally draining as it was physically tiring and no-one found anything to lighten the mood with. It was only the sense of duty that allowed Maurus to stay awake and present for the funeral ceremonies and despite his best efforts at cleaning himself, he fell asleep with the smell of pyres and blood still in his nose. Sleep wasn't much relief either. The faces of the dead and the living appeared in his dreams, all of them pale and lifeless before his mind's eye and he found himself wishing for violent nightmares instead.

Four days later, three days after the infuriating discovery that the wells in the Citadel were all tainted with demon blood and therefor all but unusable, half of the army set out toward Zangarmarsh, passing along the north part of the Citadel.

Over the following two weeks, Maurus shook off the gloom of the burial day, despite the constant attacks they suffered. When the army wasn't in motion, he spent much of his time training with the soldiers he'd led over the wall, who'd apparently decided they liked him for leader, or sparring, mostly with an absolutely savage Mathias, and in between, he somehow found time to work on the dreadlord's wing-bones.

When he slept, his mind flittered dizzyingly between dark brooding and almost giddy flights, few nights passing without his dreams showing him fiery fel green and fierce heat, both pleasant and painful.

Awake he saw less of Arianna than he'd have liked. She trained with them but spent much of her time either with the warlocks or with the elves. Maurus didn't know which, because she opted for going alone or with Wiven and it bothered him more than he wanted to admit, not least because she'd suddenly become more reserved. She confirmed Maurus' suspicion that there were most likely blood elves working with the fel orcs one evening, but otherwise, she seemed to hold more back, falling into fits of troubled silence which she seemed unwilling to let Maurus drag her out of.

After the exchange they'd had, it was disheartening and aggravating to be suddenly kept at arm's length and frustrating being unable to help. Confusion was added to his worries when she spent a tired, lazy evening with him by the fire after they fended off particularly vicious demonic attacks by the Pools of Aggonar, only to withdraw again when the Pools were behind them.

A few days later, the mountains, which had loomed on their north side since they passed the Citadel, drew back and they came out onto a vast plain. It sloped toward the south until it fell into a shallow valley before the land rose again into sharp peaks, honeycombed with caves and crawling with creatures that made it all look like an enormous, frenzied anthill. The plain to the north was littered with massive shards of scarlet crystal, the smallest of them as large as burrows, the largest as big as the entirety of Thunderbluff, like something truly gargantuan had shattered a small crystalline moon and let the pieces fall where they would. All over the plain were massive, misshapen creatures of rock and that same scarlet crystal, wandering between the crystals, stomping over the red ground and the corpses that were so plentiful that they were visible even from a distance. The corpses turned out to be both fel orc and demon when scouts braved the expanse and found out that the colossi were rabidly aggressive, like the rock flayers to the south.

That left only a narrow path between the dangerous areas, at least for an army composed of two parts that didn't mix well, but there was a hope that it could be traversed with care. On the other hand, it wasn't hard to see that it was a prime location for further weakening the army and Maurus really didn't like his chances against those colossi.

It was a good thing he knew someone skilled at blowing things up.

"-and that fiasco sent his favorite mug flying through the air so fast, it took his ear clean off," Widget chortled.

Maurus chuckled and resisted the faint urge to drop, or better yet, throw away the sack full of explosives he carried over his left shoulder. It wouldn't be very honorable either, seeing as there was nowhere he could really toss it without someone being hit by a possible explosion. Besides, he'd probably drop the robe too if he opened his hand for the throw. Instead, he simply eyed the sack again and asked: "You're sure this won't blow our camp to bits? There's fire there."

"I told you. I'll handle the tricky ones. The rest are very safe. Once I've given you all a little lesson," Widget said, patting his head.

Inwardly scoffing at the word 'safe' coming from a goblin, Maurus frowned up at her where she sat on his right shoulder and huffed out a sigh. "Remind me again why I put you there?"

"I guess you were in a hurry to get rid of my bombs," Widget said brightly, giving Maurus an answer he already knew. She shrugged and said: "I'm happy with it. I get to rest my legs, you get to enjoy me at even closer range and we move fast. Everybody wins."

Maurus' severe grunt of understanding turned into a wide yawn. When he managed to close his mouth again, he shrugged and said: "At least you've got no gun this time. Not sure my ears will ever recover."

"Bah, I can still hear just fine," she said lightly.

"I think you were compensated for your size by your resilience," Maurus said as he turned from the road and stepped between familiar tents. "It's the only explanation for why any of you can hear."

"What?" she asked loudly. When Maurus glanced at her, he saw she'd raised a hand to her ear and turned her head like she was hard of hearing. The wide loops of polished bone in her ears were swinging back and forth, jostled by the sudden motion at the movement and one of them brushed against her hand. Her gaze met Maurus', then shifted toward the tents and her eyes turned sly.

"You know, these are really nice. Real sturdy too, I doubt I can break them without trying."

Maurus shrugged again and turned his gaze ahead again. For once, it seemed that everyone was back in the camp, though he was mostly glad just to see Arianna, Mathias and Wiven, sitting in front of the tents. "Glad you like them. It seemed-"

Widget moved as he spoke, leaning forward and interrupting him by saying: "One more reason you're my favorite mountain of fur. Did I thank you?"

Her tiny fingers tangling in his mane, and then he felt the warmth of her lips as she pressed them to the top of his head for a long moment, making him stop abruptly. "Thank you," she said quickly. Very quietly, her head still bowed over his, she added: "Eyes ahead."

He'd been about to crane his neck upwards to look at her, but at her quick words he kept looking forward. Wiven was looking at them over a wooden barrel with relaxed, amused curiosity, his head tilted a little to the side. Mathias sat beside him, his new sword in his lap, a sharpening stone in his hand and an oilcloth on his arm. He wasn't looking at Maurus but instead had his eyes trained on Arianna, an expectant expression melding with his usual grin.

Arianna was sitting cross-legged and Ash had laid his bony head in her lap like any mortal dog. He rumbled in displeasure when the hand she had on his head froze mid-stroke. The beginning of a smile slid of her face and her eyes widened for a moment.

For a second, Maurus felt stung by the odd change in expression, but then his mouth split in a grin that was half-pleased, half-amused when he guessed the likely explanation. As a warmth spread in his chest, Arianna's features smoothed into a relaxed, indifferent expression and she resumed petting Ash as he walked into camp.

Widget made a satisfied humming sound and leaned back again, scratching her fingers through Maurus' mane as she did and he didn't hold back a quiet, pleased sigh.

His grin widened as Arianna's eyes narrowed and both Mathias and Widget chuckled. Arianna didn't so much as glance in their direction, instead nodding and saying: "Welcome back, Cow."

"Evening, Arianna" Maurus said, sitting down as Mathias and Wiven gave him nods in greeting. It was a relief to put the heavy sack on the ground and let the robe fall into his lap.

"So, what brings the snotstain?" Mathias asked, gesturing at Widget and meeting her gaze with a grin.

"I," Widget sniffed, "bring gifts. But I'm not sure I'm going to give them to you now."

"I bring gifts," Maurus said, hefting the sack in demonstration. "You just rode along. Are you getting down from there?"

"Not sure I want to. You're comfy. Much softer than the ground," Widget said, shifting her weight. "Can't I just keep riding you?"

"I expect he'll grow tired of your chatter eventually," Arianna said evenly.

"He hasn't bucked me yet," Widget said confidently. Scratching Maurus again, she cooed exaggeratedly: "And you won't, will you, Boss?"

Maurus snorted and shrugged violently, eliciting a yelp from her, but not managing to dislodge her. Then he reached up, plucked her from his neck and placed her on the ground between himself and the sack.

"I think I draw the line at being a chair," he said calmly. He rolled his shoulders, not letting it show on his face as his bruises made themselves felt and added: "Even if you're light, you're not weightless and it's been a long day."

"Aw, and here I thought I was important. But maybe you put earrings on everyone you meet?" Widget said, making a show of looking over Wiven, Mathias and Arianna.

Maurus rolled his eyes. "You know that-"

He halted when Arianna rose smoothly and strode past him. Ash padded along behind her, a low rumble coming from his chest as he turned his head toward Maurus and Widget.

Maurus turned and asked: "Where are you going?"

"Out of range," she said, waving a hand vaguely as she passed him.

"I doubt there's any danger," Maurus said placidly.

Arianna paused momentarily before replying, voice deceptively light: "I don't know about that."

Maurus looked at her, taken aback and a little contrite, as she continued out of the camp. Running his fingers over the robe, he couldn't deny a bit of relief and satisfaction at her actions though.

"That was more of a reaction than I really expected," Widget mused, sounding immensely satisfied and Maurus looked back at the others. Seeing the amused expressions on their faces, he wondered when he'd become a source of entertainment for them before deciding it was probably soon after meeting them. It did annoy him that they seemed to have caught on to his feelings for Arianna before him though.

"He did give you jewelry," Mathias said, shrugging.

"He gave you a knife, she wasn't glaring at you."

"Well, not at the moment, but I'm not sure she's really noticed it," Mathias said, his eyes briefly flicking to the short handle protruding from a new sheath at his belt. "Also, I doubt she sees much meaning in a weapon. She should, but then, she has her culture against her there."

"Are you excluding us elves on purpose?" Wiven asked lazily.

"No. Calen didn't want his. He looked offended. You haven't earned one yet," Maurus said. He added, tone lightly mocking: "You'll get something when you turn those flames on something worthwhile."

"Ah," Calen said, eyes glittering in anticipation that Maurus thought had more to do with the thought of fire than with his promised reward. Offhandedly, he added: "Most likely Calen refused because you offered him demon bone."

"Huh," Maurus said, glancing down at the pieces of bone on the garment in his lap. "I guess that could explain it."

"Wait, you haven't given Ari her piece yet?" Widget broke in. Maurus shook his head once.

"I was a little out of practice. Thought I'd do something about that," he said. He lifted the robe and added: "And I needed some help. I'm not a tailor."

"So you are giving us all the inferior ones? I'm hurt!" Widget said, fake offence in her voice, a hand dramatically placed on her chest.

Maurus snorted and said, without any hint of shame: "Yes."

Widget dropped the dramatic pose and her face turned serious. "Might not be the best idea, saving her for last though."

"It wasn't done yet," Maurus said, shrugging.

"You couldn't have given her something small? Poor thing might feel like you don't care when you shower everyone but her with gifts."

There was a sinking feeling in Maurus' stomach as he considered that. Because of her apparent worries and her people's penchant for subtlety and patience, he'd stopped himself from pursuing her like he normally would, both to spare her needless extra pressure and because he was unsure if such overt displays would be off-putting to an elf.

He hadn't considered how trying to accommodate her, along with distributing trophies to his fellow hunters as was proper, while saving her for last, could have looked from her perspective.

His sudden doubt made him give Widget a flat stare and say, more grumbling than intended: "Hardly a shower. And wasn't it you who just tried, pretty hard, to get a rise out of her?"

"You never gave me something this nice. And you seemed to like the reaction. Honestly, she needs teasing, to take the edge off, going by the scuttlebutt," Widget said pleasantly. Slightly more seriously she added: "Didn't expect her to take me seriously."

A few cases of truly stupid jealousy Maurus had seen when he still ran with the tribe came to his mind and he said: "We may have handled this a little thoughtlessly."

"Maybe," Widget allowed. She looked down at herself, then trailed her eyes from Maurus' hooves to his horns and said lightly: "Or maybe she's thinking too much. I've seen some things in Ratchet, but that is just silly. Can you imagine?"

Maurus looked down, far down it seemed, at Widget. As weird as it sounded, there was some good sense in her words, that didn't necessarily only apply to Arianna. As Mathias chuckled, Maurus smirked and said: "I guess it's a question of creativity. Like that goblin and night elf I saw once."

"Why do you keep putting images in my head I don't need?" Wiven groaned, covering his face with a hand as Widget laughed.

"You seem awfully unimaginative for someone so old. We consider it our duty to educate you," Mathias said breezily.

"Thank you," Wiven said drily. "You truly enrich my life."

Widget gave a bright answer and pulled a bomb from the sack, turning the conversation on how her bombs would enrich their lives. Maurus sat back silently, feeling an impatient thrill and trying to ignore his misgivings. He wasn't sure if he had the right idea about Arianna, and the past he'd mentioned to Mathias might be impossible for Arianna to forgive. But both of Mathias and Widget had some points and if Arianna was overthinking things and misunderstanding him, being overt would solve that problem.

He felt the robe against his hand and smiled through a yawn. He certainly had a good, major display to begin with.

Maurus drifted into wakefulness, feeling odd. His heart was beating quickly, but his body felt heavy and relaxed and his mind was sluggish and foggy. Cracking his eyes open, he saw a sheet of rough, pale brown-grey above him and wondered what had happened to the dark sky and the twin moons. Beneath him, he felt coarse fabric over hard dirt instead of soft grass, the air was dry and hot instead of pleasantly cool and a soft ghost of smooth skin evaporated from his senses even as he tried to get his thoughts in order. Still only half-aware where he was, he let out a quiet growl, realizing that he'd once again woken in the middle of the night and that this time, for once, he'd really have preferred to stay in the Dreaming.

"-are being stupid," said a familiar voice quietly. The tone was light, but there was a note of annoyance lurking beneath the easiness.

As his thoughts became less jumbled, he tilted his ears, wondering what could have woken him at this time, when the relative quiet clearly told him most of the camp was asleep. These days, he slept like a rock unless the nightmares ripped him from sleep or the frantic noise of combat roused him and both of those made him jolt awake, ready for battle so it was odd for him to wake now, whenever it was.

"I don't think this is the time to get carried away with an infatuation," another voice said, equally quietly.

"Have you noticed what we're doing? This is exactly the time to get carried away," came the reply and now Maurus recognized Mathias' raspy voice.

"We might be even fewer, at least fewer sane, than we thought," the soft voice of Arianna said. The uncharacteristic note of vulnerability in the words cleared most of the remaining fog from Maurus' mind and he had the sudden guilty feeling he shouldn't be overhearing this conversation. He made to get up, but a glance down at himself stopped him from rushing out to interrupt them. For some reason, he neither spoke nor moved to cover his ears either as Arianna continued: "I can't just go and attach myself-"

"So you're going to play broodmare for the kingdom? That why you run off with Wiven?" Mathias interrupted skeptically and Maurus felt a flash of hot anger and a paradoxical chill at the words. He didn't react though and before Arianna could reply, Mathias snorted: "I doubt that."

"My people, my county-" Arianna began testily.

"Means the world to you," Mathias interrupted again. "But you're being stupid. Either the 'infatuation' will pass, in which case you're free to go back and push out some mewling knife-ears or you aren't going back for that. Either way..."

There was a short moment of silence before Arianna replied. "And when he dies?" she asked, voice hard, tight and angry.

Maurus swallowed.

"If he dies, you'll be an, exotic, experience richer," Mathias said.

Arianna scoffed "And another sorrow heavier."

"Our world is one of war. You live, you love, you lose," Mathias said, sounding impatient. "Then you murder the ones that took from you. And remember the joy."

There was a low, burning outrage in Arianna when she responded: "My city died in agony. Friends and family died in filth and blood. You may be deadened to sorrow but I have no need to add to mine."

Maurus heard a sudden movement and a thud of impact and he sat up abruptly, eyes wide. He almost missed Mathias' hiss: "Do you see these teeth? They were the last thing my wife felt and that was after the plague we flung over the wall took the children and the old. Don't you dare-"

"Let go of me!" Arianna's hiss was that of a viper ready to strike and was accompanied by at faint crackle of flame.

Another sound of swift motion came before Maurus could shake himself from his shock and he ended up staying inside the tent, an arm ready to push him forward to get outside if needed. A moment of silence passed before Arianna spoke, voice tight but sincere: "I apologize. I forgot."

"It would suit you to remember," Mathias bit out. There was another short pause before he continued, words slow and careful at first: "I consider you a friend. That and the fact that I know what you've endured is the reason I'll forgive that. But it is also the reason why I say this. I'm dead. You're not. You have more options for joy than I, unless the fel burned out something. To see you waste opportunities is aggravating."

"It isn't so simple," Arianna sighed.

"Actually, it is," Mathias said, the words blunt and full of conviction. "What it isn't is easy."

Silence fell for what felt like a long while and Maurus lay back down, staring up into the tent above him. His throat felt tight and there was a guilty, heavy weight in his stomach as well as a fluttering worry.

"Honestly, you shouldn't need advice from me. Aren't our elders supposed to be the smart ones?" Mathias said eventually, sounding much more like himself.

"The Cow said much the same thing," Arianna said softly. "He said we're too thin."

Mathias let out a snort. "He may have a skewed idea of what too thin is, but I'm with him on that one. I'm dead, I have an excuse. You don't."

"I am, very much, an elder to both of you," Arianna said, turning more somber. "He'll die well before me."

Mathias snorted. "Unless someone skewers you," he said and Maurus almost felt a stab in his gut at the thought. "If you insist on finding only pain in every memory, why do you insist on remembering your history? And don't say it's just for the fallen, because then I will point you toward some of my people, who you'll fit in much better with than us, who actually try to live."

Arianna answered with a faint sigh.

"Barring violence, I might exist forever," Mathias said. "If did as you seem to suggest, I should never care for anyone."

There was a rustle of clothing and a faint jangle of metal.

"You're leaving? I didn't think the sermon was over," Arianna said. The mocking tone she inserted into her words was a slight relief to hear, because it sounded more like she was recovering than hiding anything.

"I've said my piece. But I can repeat it, if you're too dense: Don't hesitate. It's idiotic. Take that from someone who haven't got your options."

Light, quick steps sounded as Mathias left the camp and the silence felt deafening in his wake. There was no sound to indicate Arianna moving and Maurus considered going out to her. It wouldn't be as embarrassing as it would have been when he'd just woken up, but on the other hand, he felt guilty for having overhead the exchange.

He wrestled with the decision for a short while until he decided that he could admit his eavesdropping in the morning. He closed his eyes and tried to ignore the guilt, gratefulness and half a dozen other emotions.

Sleep didn't come though. He didn't know how long he lay there, in an odd half-awake state where his thoughts flitted around hectically, slippery and impossible to control, just like the mess of emotion coiling within him, but eventually, he gave up, forced his eyes open and rose.

He stuck his head out the tent and looked around, finding the camp empty except for Arianna, who sat, looking up into the sky, Ash, who lay beside her, seemingly asleep and a few trolls in the other end of the clearing between the tents.

He felt his heart skip a beat as he came to a decision.

Arianna turned her head to him when he came out of the tent and sat down beside her. The movement was lethargic, speaking as much of her fatigue as the dark circles under her eyes and her drooping eyelids. The corner of her mouth quirked up in a wry smile though.

"Should I begin lecturing you on sleeping properly now?" Maurus asked in greeting, making a show of looking around at the peaceful army camp.

"Maybe I've slept till now," Arianna answered lazily. She frowned when he took a breath instead of answering immediately.

"First of all," he said. "I have something for you."

Arianna's eyebrows rose and only then did she seem to notice the bundle he now held out to her.

"I hope it was worth the wait," Maurus said, as she cautiously unfolded the dark red bundle. Inside were two small bracelets, each composed of two wide bands of carved bone connected by dark leather.

She picked up one and studied it, looking at the careful lines inscribed along the pristine bone, eyes a little wide. She made to look up at Maurus, then stopped, her eyes falling on her own hand, which had touched a piece of bone that wasn't attached to the other bracelet. She put the bracelets down beside her and lifted the robe up in front of her.

It was a simple garment, though the bottom of the robe was jagged like wingtips. The only decorations were the wide pieces of bone decorating the collar and the cuffs, all of which had been polished to a bright ivory sheen after being inscribed with a small rune.

Arianna admired the gifts for a long moment and Maurus was torn between being worried by her silence and amused by her wide eyes and apparent speechlessness.

"This seems a little excessive, don't you think?" Arianna said slowly, finally turning her head to meet Maurus' gaze. There was a somewhat incredulous smile on her face.

"Not really," Maurus said, a small smile stretching his lips."I hope you'll accept them."

"Why wouldn't-" Arianna began slowly, sounding almost suspicious despite the half-smile on her face, but she stopped speaking when Maurus held up a hand.

"Mathias', Widget's, the others' were obligation. Somewhat premature trophies, maybe, but..." He shrugged. "Also, it might unbalance 'Zarul."

Understanding flickered in Arianna's eyes and Maurus almost teased her for being so slow to get it. Instead he just quietly appreciated the expression, gestured at the robe and the bracelets and kept going: "Those are a bit more."

Above the curve of Arianna's lips, her eyes were blazing with an intensity that seemed to wash the tiredness from her and a bit of tension snuck into her body as she righted herself from the slight slouch she'd sat in. The tip of her tongue darted out, wetting her lower lip and she leaned forward the slightest bit.

The words suddenly fell into place in Maurus' head and he felt the oddest mix of warm exhilaration and cold fear twisting his gut as his heart beat hard against his ribs. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath in an effort to steady himself, folding his hands in his lap.

"I have to apologize," he said soberly and Arianna frowned, seemingly thrown by his words. "It wasn't for my ears, but I heard your talk with Mathias."

Arianna's posture stiffened into rigidness.

"I'm sorry," Maurus said.

Arianna closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I guess you didn't hear much that you can't figure out with a little thought," she said, a bit of strain in her voice.

"Well," Maurus said awkwardly, before gathering himself. He gestured to the robe and the bracelets again. "I didn't just make those because I felt obligated. I wanted to make you something, a, grand gesture, if you like, to begin with."

He really wanted to reach out to touch her, but he held himself back. She was watching him in carefully controlled silence and couldn't bear it if she recoiled. Despite his tension, the corner of his mouth curled wryly as he caught her eyes and said: "It's definitely not a mere infatuation on my end, Arianna."

She exhaled slowly and he held up a hand, preempting any response she might have. His chest swirled with a joyous relief at putting even that much out in the open, but the feeling lasted only for a moment before it was strangled by his trepidation when he continued: "I won't lie to you, neither by word or silence. Never build too close to the flooding river."

Arianna just looked at him, though she had gathered her composure enough to wave a hand in a slow movement, imploring him to continue. He shook his head at himself for delaying with proverbs, swallowed thickly and forced himself to begin. Feeling like his tongue wanted more to crawl into his throat than form words, he quietly told Arianna what he had told Mathias. Oddly, it came easier this time, though his entire body felt as taut as a bowstring and his heart felt like a hammer slamming against his rib cage.

When he finished, he looked up at Arianna. He'd lowered his gaze when he mentioned Sowa's flasks and been unable to meet hers after mentioning the poisoned wells but now he forced himself to look up at her, despite the sting in his eyes and the shame and sorrow and acute fear which weighed heavily on his shoulders and pulled at his guts.

Her eyes were wide but otherwise her face was horribly blank and her body hadn't gotten any less tense. Her chest rose and fell with her steady, measured breathing and the fingers of her left hand was clenched around one of the bracelets.

Maurus could hardly hear anything but the rush of blood in his ears and the steady thump of his heart, though he did notice a low rumble coming from Ash. It ceased abruptly when Arianna placed a hand on the demon's head. Her face still a mask, she looked down as she carefully folded the robe around the bracelets.

"Is this supposed to buy me?" she asked. There was something in her voice, a low thrum like that of a heavy, plucked string.

Despite his worry, Maurus' answer sprung from his lips without hesitation. "No," he said, affronted. For some reason, he continued, voice full of scorn as he spat: "Like I'd ever try that."

Arianna set her staff against the ground and pushed herself to her feet and Ash sprang up as she did. Maurus couldn't find his tongue this time, so he simply looked at Arianna when she held out the bundle. Numbly, he accepted it, the soft material feeling unreasonably heavy.

"Don't throw it away," Arianna said and swept past him. Maurus didn't follow and by the time he thought he could speak again, she'd vanished from sight.

'I should have been prepared for this,' he thought sadly, raising a hand and covering his eyes. The tension was gone from his body. Now he simply felt empty and exhausted.

Damnit, I'm late. Terribly so. Sorry 'bout that. I really hope you haven't lost patience.

I'm mildly sorry about the cliffhanger, but not really. Please let me know what you thought of this chapter. Can't decide if I really, really like it or if I think it's a mess, so let me know. Any input will be much appreciated, be it on structure, events, characters or pure grammar. I really hope next chapter will be easier to hammer out.