Guess I'll upgrade this to M now. Just to be on the safe side. Don't let the rating change scare you off.

This took a while. And this is a little short. I hope you'll like it anyway.

Don't own anything. Not of this franchise anyway.

Chasing Through Hell

Rising Troubles

"I just can't leave you alone, can I? I'm beginning to wish that troll had stayed and kept you on a leash. Might keep you out of trouble."

Maurus gave Mathias a half-hearted glare but was too exhausted and too used to him to truly take offense. Shayla's healing had sapped most of his remaining strength and compared to the significant, disapproving look she'd given him before leaving, Mathias' comment was nothing. At least Mathias' subtle worry was about the attack, not Arianna's mere presence.

"I wasn't expecting flowers to attack me," Maurus said tiredly.

"Trees do, if you recall," Arianna said. She hadn't left his side since the healing. "Well, what looks like trees. But of all people, we should know better than letting appearances deceive us."

Maurus raised a heavy hand, waving off the concern. "Another thing to worry about? There'll come a day where I won't even dare take off my armor."

"Speaking of deceivers," Mathias said. He sat down by his tent with a nonchalance that was greatly at odds to the gleam in his eyes. "Where is the dreadlord now?"

Maurus held back a snort. It was almost an impressive show of patience from Mathias that he hadn't demanded Ven'Zarul's location the moment they'd hit the soggy earth of Zangarmarsh. He'd even restrained himself to only asking once during the trek over the mountains.

Arianna closed her eyes, putting two fingers to the bracelet on her left wrist, like she was taking her own pulse. It only took a moment, the spell was almost effortless by now, before she said: "Directly west. I think he's on the same level as us too."

"Damnation," Mathias spat.

After marveling for a moment that Arianna could figure out altitude now, Maurus pursed his lips. He agreed with his friend, though maybe not with the same vehemence. He wasn't privy to the exact plans of the campaign, and the far-ranging scouts were still coming in, but word was that they were going either south or north. South seemed more likely, seeing as the mountains to the north were just more hostile, almost barren land, while Terrokar Forest was the first region in Draenor that could serve as a proper, long-term foothold, having food, resources, solid ground and, if the rumors were to be believed, warily neutral brown orcs to the west. That Terrokar was between here and Shadowmoon Valley, where the demons seemed to be concentrating their forces, just made it more likely. It was just a shame that the demon Maurus and his companions were after wasn't following his fellows.

Then again, it was unlikely the entire Horde and Alliance would be moving as one. Leaving their path back to the Portal undefended was unthinkable.

"I'll ask for duty here," Maurus said. If that kept them close to Ven'Zarul, great, and it was an added bonus if it kept them far away from Shadowmoon. The domain of the late Gul'dan and his warlocks, main seat of demons ever since, and going by the rumors, the most corrupted of all of Outland, was not a place he wished to see. "If we're lucky, Zarul'll be into something big enough that we'll get sent there."

Out the corner of his eye, he saw Arianna frown and he turned his head to her in question.

"The Black Temple is the seat of power of Outland," Arianna said. " Lord Illidan is there and my people should be there too."

"The Legion is massing in the Valley," Maurus replied. "Either Illidan has lost control or he's rejoined the Legion."

"They are under siege," Arianna said, words full of stubborn conviction. "Which is all the more reason for us to hurry, so we can catch the demons between our armies and the walls of the Temple."

Maurus thought back to one disturbing rumor he'd tried to ignore ever since he'd started caring about Arianna. "Your people might not even be there. The draenei-"

"Must be missing something," Arianna said, eyes flashing. "Or they are simply lying. Our Prince would never seize the home of another people unless he absolutely had to."

Maurus put a hand on her shoulder. "Easy," he said gently. "I meant that the Legion might have driven Illidan's forces from the Valley. And that the Prince's host might be someplace else."

"Wherever they are, you're not going to see them before we've hacked through a lot of demons," Mathias said bluntly. "And considering the damage Ven'Zarul has already done, killing him would be smart."

"He's no one, in the grand scheme of things," Arianna said. "Otherwise, he wouldn't have been left behind or hidden for so long. He's been lucky to have time or resources on his side, but I doubt someone is going to hand him another pit lord and a pack of warlocks to work magic with. Besides, he's been running since Ashenvale."

Maurus put a little pressure on Arianna's shoulder and gave Mathias a sharp look. It actually made him pause.

"He's not just running," Maurus said. "He's been hindering us all the way. So he's furthering the Legion's cause, instead of just flying back immediately. Making himself useful. But to benefit, he has to meet with his leaders. And we can find him."

Mathias' smile was nothing short of ghoulish. "And that gives us actual reason to hunt him down."

Arianna tensed under Maurus' fingers. Gently he moved his hand to her back, resting two fingers around her shoulder while running his thumb in slow circles along her nape. "We don't know for sure where your people are and what little we know point in opposite directions. Don't you think we'll be more use here?" he asked softly.

"The others have the horn," Arianna said. "And with all the trophies, any trustworthy warlock or dabbler could pick up the trail."

Mathias snorted and Maurus' lips twitched. Arianna tiled her head in acknowledgment and said darkly: "Granted, that is a small group."

She took a deep breath, and Maurus noted, after appreciating the motion, that it didn't seem to have the relaxing effect on her that it usually did. Sniffing, he realized that there was less corruption on the air, which translated to less readily available magic for the elves to siphon.

"Until we have word, this is as central as we're going to get, if the maps are any good," Arianna said reluctantly. It took effort for her to say it, judging by her tone and the rigidness in her spine, but she didn't sound as opposed as she did before. Regaining a little of her blitheness, she said: "Might as well get a mobile assignment. I know how you hate the waiting."

Maurus nodded, glad that it hadn't been more trouble to convince Arianna. She and Mathias were a little volatile, despite their friendship and it was just lucky that Arianna had no solid evidence, because otherwise he would probably have had to make a much more final choice.

"That settled-" Maurus said and made to push himself up. He failed, his right arm buckling beneath him and he toppled, dragging Arianna with him across his chest. It was a contradiction, the warmth of her body pleasant while the weight of her pressed painfully on his sore muscles.

Mathias chuckled again, glancing up into the misty air. "Is now the time?" he asked airily.

Maurus let out a low growl, half from annoyance, half from pain. "I think I'll ask tomorrow." He looked down at Arianna's golden, still damp hair. "Could your friends weigh in too?"

"Not what the group is for," she said. Her breath tickled the fur on his chest as she sighed. "But I'll see what I can do."

Maurus lay in his tent, hands folded on his chest, half-closed eyes on the cloth above him. The night was cool and quiet, a relief for his ears, which ached slightly from the constant noise of the army. His muscles were heavy, but with the pleasant fatigue of a day's walking and training, not the ache of straining combat and his fur was clean and soft, not matted with sweat and dirt.

He sighed contentedly. Now that he knew to be wary of the wildlife, which included what he'd usually have called plant life, Zangarmarsh seemed incredibly safe and welcoming and he thoroughly enjoyed it. It wouldn't last, they were at war, but he could enjoy the peace and quiet while it lasted.

His ear twitched as he heard a soft sound and he glanced down, eyes widening both at the sight that met his eye and the sudden heat touching his legs. His mouth opened in surprise as Arianna crawled up along his body, her pale, naked skin heating his as she moved and her golden hair sliding up against his chest, drawing forth a heat from within him.

He felt himself react to her when one foot trailed the inside of his thigh while the hard tips of her breasts brushed against his rising chest before she came up where her face was level with his.

Her half-lidded eyes were small fel suns, putting the stars behind her to shame. Her lips were curled in a wicked smile that promised a great many things and Maurus closed his arms around her, one hand finding the smooth skin of her back, the other coming to rest alongside the back of her head on the bed of her soft hair.

She dipped down and kissed him, mouth greedily open, small tongue roaming and retreating before his, allowing him to fill her mouth for a moment before she pushed back. The buzz in his mouth grew, spreading and growing hotter, changed, grew painful and he tensed. He pulled on her hair, trying to get room to breathe, to cool off, but she didn't relent. The heat grew and spread and darkened, turning black in his chest and in his head, scraping against his ribs and pounding against his skull. His mouth snapped shut, teeth grinding and he pulled sharply on her hair, ripping her away from him.

Unlike his narrowed eyes, hers were wide and shining with mockery, the fel fire in them causing cracks to spread from them and her mouth parted to reveal sharp teeth. He bared his teeth and growled, twisting the fistful of hair he had hold of and lifted his other hand to close it around her throat with all of the unnatural strength he felt pulsing in his limbs.

Maurus woke with a start, heaving for breath, his heart hammering, a sheen of sweat covering his brow,. He still felt the heat and the terrible pressure of her pulse as he squeezed and despite the nauseating horror in his belly, his body was still hot from the beginning of the dream as well.

He slammed his hands flat against the ground, desperate for his hands to feel something other than the phantom sensation of a hard snap and the satisfaction and need for more that had caused. He concentrated on his empty hands, his gradually slowing breathing and his heavy tired body, which was not brimming with an uncontrollable strength.

After a while, he sat up, swallowed and wiped his eyes, and left his tent.

Zangarmarsh was, as always, faintly buzzing with the sound of living nature and the low noise of the army and after the eerie silence of his dream, he welcomed it. Still, he was carefully quiet as he knelt by Arianna's tent and lifted the tent flap.

The tent was dark, but he could make out the outline of Arianna, curled up on her side. Her chest rose and fell evenly and Maurus breathed a sigh of relief. He hesitated irrationally for a moment before reaching out to run the back of his hand along her bare calf. He withdrew quickly, partly from the realization that he might wake her and partly because her skin was exactly as hot as in his dream. She didn't react though and he stepped back, feeling much calmer than before.

"Don't get enough of her while she's awake?"

Maurus spun round and found Mathias sitting by a small, sputtering fire. His head was tilted, one straw-colored eyebrow raised and Maurus recognized the slight concern behind the relaxed interest. Around the camp, more of Maurus soldiers and some from the surrounding camps sat in groups, whiling away the night.

He went over to sit beside his friend, who studied him as he approached.

"Nightmare," Mathias said quietly, a statement, not a question. Maurus nodded. "I'm hurt that I wasn't included," he said blandly, picking up a dark bottle that had been stuck firmly into the earth by the fire. Flakes of dry earth fell from it.

Maurus let out little snort. "If it makes you feel better, you don't always come out unscathed either."

"That's better," Mathias said lightly, taking a drink.

Maurus was glad that, whatever Mathias claimed, the hole in his throat didn't actually show food or drink when he swallowed. "Do you dream?" He asked.

Mathias grimaced and Maurus immediately regretted his question. He lifted a hand to ward of the answer, but Mathias shrugged. "Thankfully, it's all darkness." He snorted. "Nothing but memories haunt me."

Maurus put a hand on his friend shoulder, taking a firm grip. There was much more pain behind those words than the tone indicated. "Sorry," he said quietly. Mathias shrugged again, though not with nearly enough force to dislodge Maurus' hand. An earlier conversation popped into his head and from both curiosity and the urge to turn the conversation to something lighter, he said: "What did you and Garm do in the Needles?"

Mathias smiled, wryly and warmly. "As thoughtful as he was, he had some harebrained ideas. He wanted to fly, so what better way than going to the wyverns' home?"

A smile began to form on Maurus' lips as he sensed a story behind the statement. "Yes?" he asked.

"He-" Mathias began, but distant shouts made him pause and look around. A moment later, the blaring of horns rolled through the damp air, a signal they both knew well and they leapt up from the ground, eyes darting around them.

Maurus saw people rolling out of their tents while others ran in different direction, confused by the shouts, the clang of metal and the crackle and chime of magic coming from north, east and south. But he forgot that immediately when he turned fully around to the lake that was close by. A group of strange figures, blue-scaled and serpentine, sprang up from the low belly-crawl they'd been approaching the tents with, slithering forward on the tails they had instead of legs as colorful crests rose from their dragon-like heads. Most of them were muscular, half-way between orcs and tauren in size and brandishing wicked tridents in their clawed hands, but a few were slight and feminine in build, a little reminiscent of female elves, though that resemblance only made their monstrosity more twisted.

All along the lake shore, more naga emerged, followed by huge, squat shapes, only a little smaller than kodos, covered so thoroughly in mud that it took a moment for Maurus to realize that the creatures, resembling irregular domes with thick legs, were giant turtles, almost as big as kodos.

Blasts of icy blue and white flew from the four-armed female naga, beautiful and dangerous, trailing snowflakes all the way till they hit their targets and blackened limbs and chests with instant frostbite.

"To arms! To arms! Get up, you slovenly bastards!" Maurus bellowed, hurrying forward. Inwardly, the thought dazedly: 'How- Have long where they down there?'. Mathias was at his side, blade in hand and shield on his arm, and others from Maurus' unit were rolling out of their tents, groggily clutching their weapons while those that were already up were hurrying toward the fight.

He ducked down and hauled on Soka, sending the orc sliding along the damp earth, out of the way of an icy blast that would have struck him straight in the head. He took a few more steps and knelt, slapping the flap of Arianna's tent aside and was met by Arianna's eyes blazing in the darkness. Ignoring the twinge he felt, remembering his nightmare, he pulled her bodily out of the tent, leapt back, shielding her with his body as he did, before putting her down beside him and whirling back toward the enemies. It was lucky that he'd moved when he did. The ground where he'd just stood was frozen solid and he could feel a stinging coat of rime on his back.

By the time he completed his turn, a trident was speeding toward his belly as the naga holding it hissed a challenge, a sound like water hitting a baking stone.

Inwardly cursing the fact that his armor, shield and weapons lay in his tent, five feet away and useless, he swung his clenched fists at the weapon, diverting it enough that it scored a burning line along his side instead of plunging into his guts, and let out a hiss of his own.

On the side he'd pushed the trident to, Mathias saved him from a different naga, catching its trident on his shield with a grunt of effort. Maurus felt a flash of worry at the sight, because Mathias had been caught somewhat off guard as well, wearing only his basic chain shirt and not the plates that usually went over it, but he had no time to give it more thought. He barely defended himself against more attacks, battering them aside with his fists, before his opponent finally overreached. Seizing the opportunity, he closed a hand around the trident, just beneath the head, and pulled, while he set his hooves and struck with his other hand.

He almost slipped on the slippery, frozen ground, but he managed to keep his balance and the naga's hiss abruptly cut off as Maurus' palm smashed into it's snout. It recoiled, mouth opening in a cry, but it didn't let go of the trident, so Maurus put his other hand on the trident and pulled again. The naga gasped as his knee met its belly and finally let go of the weapon. Maurus immediately stepped back and swung the trident as hard as he could at the naga's head.

It went down in a heap and in the moment's breathing room he got, he turned the trident around and took in his surroundings, shouting: "Form up! We've got snakes to roast!"

Ash was on the opposite side from Mathias, distracting rather than hurting the naga, aided by blasts of brilliant flame that also drove the attackers back. Zilja and Calen pushed forward in the same moment, allowing Tokan and Rilli to drag the badly bleeding Mo'raka away from the battle and on Maurus' opposite side, Tu'jan, Drim and Shayla fought with Mathias. Both sides were bolstered by a walking mound of damp earth compressed to the point of almost being solid stone and a column or roaring, sentient flame.

More of his soldiers were hurrying to their aid and bursts of magic were already flying over their heads toward the naga. He recognized the dark magic of Arianna and the bright, fiery bursts could only be Wiven. The latter notion was confirmed when Wiven shouted, half-dismayed, half-outraged: "Why won't you burn?"

Flashing a quick, fierce grin, Maurus swung the trident at the next naga. He'd never liked spears much and never in his life fished with anything but net and hands, but his inexperience was a boon here. The wild attack took the enemy by surprise and would have taken out its eye if it hadn't moved at the last second. Instead, the blow simply ripped its crest into a ragged mess and it hissed in fury, and surged forward to attack.

Maurus found himself glad that his experience with centaurs had at least taught him how to defend against spears, because otherwise he wouldn't have survived it, though as the naga firmed their line, he began to worry. He was pushed back, his opponent pressing hard, perhaps because he was the least armored around and he paid for his unpreparedness, his fur growing sticky in places from a growing number of cuts and shallow punctures.

A shrill, hissing shriek suddenly clawed at Maurus' ears and even though it was quite alien, he recognized the panic in it. The naga attacking him hesitated and Maurus recognized an expression of shock and worry as it looked back over its shoulder, its ragged crest flattening, a different kind of hissing coming from between its lips. He was almost too surprised to capitalize on the opening, but he managed to react and thrust the trident forward, two tines biting deep into the naga's throat.

It jerked, stabbing blindly with its trident, but even as it gurgled in pain and blood, it didn't look back toward Maurus. He followed its gaze to a feminine naga mage that slithered in apparent panic back to the lake, diving into it and vanishing beneath the surface.

That was a single anomaly though. Along the shores of the lake, fierce fighting was going on, where tents and soldiers alike weren't simply trampled by the turtles and another soldier came forward to plug the hole Maurus had made in the naga line.

Before it reached him though, large hands clamped down on his shoulders and he was pulled back and shoved along the Horde line. The moment he recovered from the confusion, a firm, female voice spoke before him: "Get your gear. You're a liability!"

Maurus' first impulse was to correct Payta, but the sight of her soldiers hurrying forward to bolster the line pushed that thought aside. Instead he hurried to his tent and threw on his mail, grabbing his axe as he did. The mail was cold and doubly unpleasant on top of the blood, but he ignored it and hurried back. Shouting a war cry, he leapt back into action, Mathias and Drim stepping smoothly aside so he could swing his axe.

Blood flew, hisses and screams and roars sounded. The ground and grass crunched underfoot, frozen by the chill that flowed from the naga mages in waves, making Maurus' limbs sluggish but apparently not affecting the naga warriors. Maurus assumed it would have been much worse if the Horde hadn't had casters of their own to counteract the worst of it with heat and flame, but the cold was still intense and it conspired with the slippery ground and the naga's ferocity to prevent the Horde from gaining the upper hand, even as more soldiers joined the battle.

Then, the sound of wailing horns whorled through the air and the naga disengaged in an explosion of cold and water, so sudden that Maurus almost slipped on the frost-coated earth. Serpentine bodies coiled and slithered, throwing themselves back into the lake and the water froze solid in the wake of the last naga, stopping the barrage of fire and lightning and other magic from reaching them.

He started forward in pursuit, then remembered himself and quickly took stock of the soldiers around them. Almost his entire unit was awake and armed, though five of them were down, moaning in pain. A handful more soldiers were already down, some of whom he recognized from his time with Payta. The old tauren shaman was already tending to those and Maurus directed Shayla to help him before taking off along the shore of the lake to intercept the retreating enemies.

As they circled the lake, he had time to really look around. The naga were surging away, gathering from their scattered formations into a mass on the eastern side of the lake, opposite Maurus' camp. They were retreating, along an uneven path of devastation that had been carved and trampled from there to the outer eastern edge of the Horde camp, following the biggest bodies of the water, from which they had sprung the ambush.

Maurus noted with grim satisfaction though, that Horde were coming in on the naga from both sides and that the very edge of the camp seemed in better shape. The naga might not be able to smash through, despite the destruction they had caused.

He pushed aside those thoughts when he saw his quarry emerge from the lake. They had a lead on Maurus and the others, but they didn't get far before a different group intercepted them and Maurus led his group into the naga with a howl of triumph. Caught between Maurus', Payta's and the third group, their enemies buckled, the last half dozen surrendering.

It was an effort to restrain himself and the others, the surrender so surprising and strange after the merciless fights with demons and undead, but he managed. The two other units hurried forward, leaving Maurus and his comrades with captives to guard, and that marked the end of the battle for them. It stung, being relegated to guard duty, but he bit down the annoyance.

"If anyone sees a speck of ice, kill the mages," he said, as the stragglers, those who'd been slowed but not incapacitated by their wounds, caught up. He glanced around and noted that everyone looked more bloodied and drained than usual. Not that he'd expected anything else.

"Drunnya, Calen, tend to our wounded," he said, waving a hand back toward their campsite. Drunnya nodded and left without a word, but Calen hesitated. He looked smaller without his plate, in chain and helmet rather than his full crimson plate outfit, and there was something in his posture that made that impression stronger. "Calen!" Maurus barked and that got a reaction. The elf straightened and hurried off, glancing back over his shoulder at the prisoners once before increasing his pace.

"Well done," Maurus said as he returned his attention to his unit. He felt a burst of relief and pride as he again noted that no-one there seemed in danger of succumbing to their wounds. "I'm not surprised, but you were on your feet and fighting as quickly as I hoped. And none of you are dead. Don't think I can ask for more. Remind me that I owe you all a bottle."

That got a round of snorts, but the praise didn't seem to go unappreciated. Maurus nodded, glanced up toward the still ongoing battle, then set the whole group on the way back to camp, the naga walking in front.

"They seem troubled," Mathias said quietly, as they entered the camp. Maurus glanced at him in question and Mathias nodded in the direction of Arianna and Wiven.

He might have missed it if he hadn't noticed Calen's behavior, but now that he had, he couldn't help but notice that the two elves were walking quite close, shoulders almost touching. It reminded him vaguely of kodo calves huddling together like they did when they were without the protection of their adult kin. The comparison made his lips twitch, though the expression of both elves made him suppress the smile as he discretely walked over to them.

Quietly, he began: "What-"

"You look like a stuck pig," Arianna interrupted him, sounding irritated.

Maurus glanced down at himself and the sight of red, the blotches just visible through the rings, seemed to increase the throbbing of his wounds. "Shallow ones," he said dismissively.

Arianna gave him a hard look and held out a health stone.

"Give it to someone that needs it. I'll live," Maurus said, waving at the wounded. The shamans were hard at work, but there was little noise from their patients. At Arianna's skeptical look, he softened his tone and added: "I survived on my own before I met you."

Arianna huffed, before stalking over to the healers. As she did, he glanced at Wiven. His face was tight with worry and every few seconds he would take a deep breath that didn't seem to have the calming effect he wanted.

"Wiven," Maurus said, pitching his voice low and gentle as he bent down to fix a tent that had been knocked down in the struggle. "What's got you so rattled?"

Wiven blinked, looked at Maurus and took another deep breath. He seemed to consider his words before he spoke, slowly and quietly, as if the words themselves were dangerous: "The naga are native to Azeroth. The only naga in Outland are those who followed Illidan. They attacked us."

Wiven hesitated, but it wasn't hard to follow the logic. "That's twice now, that we've seen such signs," Maurus agreed. Inwardly, he added: 'And some of the rumors are worrying, in that they aren't completely crazy.'

Wiven nodded, looking miserable. "Neither the naga nor Illidan have ever been very constant in their allegiances. And now we've been attacked. I don't know. If they... Maybe-"

"They're defectors," Arianna interrupted him as she came back, the words a rebuke. Her eyes were narrow and the set of her jaw dared anyone to disagree, but the stiffness in her body betrayed her anxiety.

"They're still following Lady Vashj. You heard them," Wiven said morosely.

Maurus didn't question when the naga had said anything intelligible, that was a question for another time. He put a hand on Arianna's shoulder and said carefully: "You might be right,"

Arianna inhaled, and he could see her ire rising at his tone. He wasn't going to let himself be discouraged though. In any case, other people would notice and bring up that their first Illidan's forces had been hostile, Mathias was a prime candidate for that, and going through the possibilities might prevent another clash. Before Arianna could speak, he put a finger on her lips, feeling a bit of mirth in how it covered them entirely. He also noted in surprise how battered his fingers looked, already bruising enough that he could see it through his fur. Instead of speaking the indignant response she'd had inhaled for, Arianna gave him an impatient look.

"The alliance between Illidan, your kin and the naga might just have broken down. There's more than one way that could have happened." Wiven made an agreeing sound and his face brightened a little. It seemed hearing it spoken aloud comforted him a little. Arianna's expression however, didn't change. Maurus continued: "It could also be misunderstanding. We haven't seen anything friendly other than those brown orcs. And your people aren't on the long-range scouting missions." His tone turned a little wry. "Maybe Illidan's forces are simply hostile to us savages and they haven't figured out you're part of the Horde yet. Maybe they thought you needed help."

Arianna blinked and he could feel her relax under his hand. Her expression became less closed and some of her worry showed before it dimmed. He hated speaking the next words: "But something else could have changed. You know that. Where there is one traitor, there might be more."

Arianna winced and looked away, scowling.

"We'll find out more once the interrogators get their hands on the prisoners," Maurus said. As he did, he glanced toward the east and felt his jaw clench as he saw the naga had made it past the outer perimeter and was still handling their fighting retreat skillfully. A large force of Horde was in pursuit, but the enemy hadn't been crushed as he'd hoped.

"The Prince is waiting for us," Arianna said firmly and when he looked at her, her eyes were on the moving battle to the east. "The renegades will regret their defection then."

The words encouraged Wiven, who straightened a little. He either didn't notice or simply ignored what Maurus thought he heard, a trace of uncertainty that made him think the words were more for Arianna's own benefit than anyone else's. He drew her close, enfolding her in his arms. She didn't relax much, but she didn't protest and did lean back against him.

He really hoped she was right, though he had his doubts. At the very least, it seemed unlikely that anything but a major force would risk an ambush with such a high cost like the one they had just experienced, so if the naga were defectors, there must be a lot more where they came from.

Arianna's words did indicate that she wouldn't hesitate in the face of what she considered traitors though, so that was encouraging.

'Though it might be different if the traitors are her own people', a quiet voice whispered in his head. He pushed it away, squeezing Arianna a little tighter. He should trust her strength and if they encountered blood elves and his own were thrown off, he could count on his other soldiers while they recovered.

He watched the naga vanish into the muggy fog of Zangarmarsh and realized that, as much as the encounter had disturbed his elves, it had accomplished one practical thing. It had probably given them all more reason to go east, in the direction of Ven'Zarul, if nothing else, to find out more about the naga. It was a cold and unpleasant practicality, but the alignment of the goals of his friends wasn't something he could complain about.

He just wished it hadn't come at the cost of such destruction and anguish.

Please let me know what you think. All input is much appreciated, as long as you aren't just trying to get a rise out of me. Hope you enjoyed it somewhat.