Straydog Saga
Flea 9: Prison Blues
The sound of floorboards creaking under heavy metal boots brought her buzzing mind back to consciousness. The burns from the warlock's spell felt like a light rash compared to the throbbing in the back of her head. She could hear muffled voices speaking in her native tongue but the humming in her aching head blocked any understanding. Sitting up from her place on a cold comfortless ground, Shandori felt the air around her grow cold. The smell of dirt and tree-magic did little to sooth her headache nor her mind. She tried to pull her cloak around her goose-bump laden arms only to realize all the sentinels had left on her was her shirt and trousers.
"Well shit…" She hissed. The slight movement of her jaw sent a shocking pain to her temples.
"Look who's up." A sassy-sounding voice spoke from somewhere beyond one of the root-threaded walls of her prison. Shandori, vision still blurred only could hear the occupant in the next cell move closer to the wall. "I didn't think they'd find ya this fast. I would have figured at least tree months." Her thick accent and manner of speaking was commonly heard in Booty Bay and other cities where large amounts of goblins congregated. As her vision brought the sight of a red-haired goblin woman into focus, Shandori slowly shifted and attempted to reply.
"What are you talking about?" She managed to choke, throat drier than she realized.
"You're that Shandori right? The one from the postas?" She asked as if it were common knowledge. The other prisoner could not see the look of confusion on the night elf's face.
"What? What posters?" There was a brief silence before a long "ohhh…" escaped the other prisoner's lips. Her large green ears slightly sank.
"You don't have a clue do you? You know you have a bounty on your head? A generous one too." The other prisoner waited for a response but all she received was a shocked gasp. "I guess not." The goblin woman tried to reach one of her long-fingered hand through the threaded bars, but magical wards sent a shock through her tiny body when she tried. She paused for a moment, clutching her injured hand.
"Name's Fabrizzia Bomberlock. But all my friends call me F-Bomb. How's your head? They roughed you up good when they tossed you in here. You'd think they were handling a drunk orc 'er somethin'." F-Bomb commented, checking to see if any of her long, pointed nails were damaged. Shandori slowly shook her head.
"Everything hurts. I can't believe that awful spiteful bitch put out a bounty on me." Shandori hissed, mind turning to the only logical person who would place a bounty on her own child. She banished the image of the one who gave her life from her frayed mind.
"Yeah well, it could be worse. Least we're still in Ashenvale." F-Bomb shrugged. Her onyx eyes saw a slight spark of hope rise with Shandori's head.
"We're not at Hjyal?"
"Are you kiddin me? Tree months ago I wander a little too close to a sentinel outpost. Those purple harpies, no offence, jumped me and accused me of being involved with the Horde. Just because a few stinkin slaves go pick a side, they think we all did. They questioned me once or twice then through me in here ta rot! The guy in numba tree killed his brotha in a knife fight about a year ago. Stuck here waitin on a trial. The drunk in numba five's been in and outta here five times since I've been here. I wouldn't worry about being transferred for a good long time, sweetie." F-bomb spoke in the closet thing her abrasive voice could come to soothing. Shandori's head and spirits sunk under the weight of her current predicament. Without armor or weapons she had little ability to escape and any chance she would see the light of day as a free woman again would be in the hands of the few people she did not call "enemy."
"Bird!" A young voice chirped as her smiling teacher gave her a soft praise. Romulus placed the card back on the small stump-table at which they sat and picked up another card. The child paused for a moment, with a pensive look on her young face. "Kuh..kuh…" She tried to pull the word for the image from her mind but the effort seemed to be like looking for the small black animal in the dark. She knew the small ears, long tail, and the soft purring noise it made but the word refused to pass her lips.
"You can do it Inge. Sound it out. Kuh-Ah…"
"C-Cat!" the little girl raised her hands in triumph as her teacher cheered. A sound of rusling came from behind as Orifiel entered the colorfully decorated room with a smile. The little girl pointed to the new comer, and with little effort shouted the word "Ri-Ri!" Romulus paused and turned to see Orifiel standing there with her arms outstretched. The little girl looked to her teacher first and only left the table at his nod. Romulus turned to see the pair embrace, Orifiel hard pressed to separate the little one from her side.
"How are the lessons going?"
"She's doing much better than we could have hoped. She knows bird, boy, cat, dog, song, me, you. We may get to whole sentences within the month, won't we?" He said, giving Inge a gentle pat on the head.
"She's a very special girl. Someday you'll be talking all our ears off wont you?" Orifiel spoke to the child with cheer in her voice but a concealed sorrow in her eyes. She did her best to ensure the memories of that horrible day when she found Inge locked away in a cage, waiting to be sold in the hellish underground markets did not escape her glowing orbs. Inge's bright smile did not waver. "I take it a progress report on her lessons is not why you called me so urgently." Orifiel smiled, quickly moving her hands to tickle the child who squealed in horror and delight. Romulus laughed and motioned for Inge to find escape in his arms. Orifiel stopped her assault, allowing the girl to dash to Romulus's side. He picked her up and placed her on his broad shoulder.
"No, less cheerful business I'm afraid. We can talk on the way to the nursery." Romulus motioned for Orifiel to follow as he exited the small classroom. They passed by a few other rooms where the children of those in the alliance forces could study subjects or trades. When they got to a less populated hallways, Romulus's lips began to move.
"I have reason to believe one of our spies has been captured. When I went to check their position this morning, I found my tracker to be in the hands of the Silverwing Sentinels. I couldn't see clearly through the gem, but it looked like a prison block."
"And you're concerned this may affect our monitoring?"
"Yes. The other gem was nearly destroyed during the fight with the warlock woman. The sound is hazy and the images intermittent. When and if Bodyl contacts them again, we'll have no way of knowing short of sending a spy and we don't have many to spare." Romulus sighed, receiving a pat on his head and a concerned look from the child on his shoulder. He quickly smiled at her and the look of apprehension disappeared.
"Didn't you give your student a necklace?"
"Yes, but bless her heart she keeps it buried in her fetish purse..."
"Well if the necklaces are lost, buried, or destroyed then we'll simply have to ramp up security. My old friends from Draenor will be arriving soon. They slaughtered Illidan, they will make quick work of Bodyl's vile minions. If Trenton weren't already occupied I'd send him..." Orifiel nodded, offering her hand to Inge who gratefully grabbed her index finger and began to swing it as far as her little arm would allow. Romulus's smile only remained for the sake of Inge but the look in his eyes made Orifiel's heart grow a little cold.
"From what little I could gleam from the broken necklace: the blood elf and Imajin are resting in the home of the one who finished off Illidan, or so I hear. If Bodyl gains her as an ally…I don't even want to think about it."
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it." Orifiel smiled, placing her other hand atop the tiny one that still clutched her finger. They reached the nursery just in time for Inge's lunch, which was waiting for her and the other 12 children who dwelled within. The Nanny nearly had to pry the screaming child from Romulus and Orifiel's company but the smell of honey and the human delicacy of ham and cheese sandwiches quickly quelled her tantrum. They waved goodbye and left Inge to savor her lunch.
"How is Seth doing in his endeavors?"
"Well Trenton managed to get them here in one piece." Orifiel snorted. Romulus smiled and shook his head.
"I hope it works out for you. It's not right for the two of you to be constantly sneaking around this place like horny school children." Orifiel shrugged at the sentiment.
"To the night elves a priestess and a mage of our station having an affair would be like a high ranking human paladin taking a warlock as his mistress." She quickly quieted her voice as a pair of mages passed them, paying them a nod and greeting.
"I understand. That still doesn't make it right or fair. Oh well, things will happen as they are supposed to." Romulus nodded. Orifiel smiled and looked out of one of the great open windows to the turbulent sea.
"That's the best we can hope for."
Maiev poured the thistle tea with a hand that moved with the very remnants of elegance itself. But the calluses and scared over cuts silenced the motion, nearly unheard in the sparkling night. The fire she built warmed their food: a simple hunk of bread and the left over meat from a young buck that wandered too close. After an arduous day of fruitless planning, Ima chose to go to sleep early, near the cave in a hidden patch of tall grass. Christoffel lent his stair to the crackling flames the contrasted his own twin orbs. The fallen huntress broke his concentration with a plate full of warm food.
"Eat." She grunted. The sound made him jump a little. He nodded and took the food, casting a momentary glance at the plate but smelling no trace of poison.
"You're kind."
"Hardly. Just eat it." She hissed, taking a big bite from her own dinner. Christoffel hesitated, so much wanting to come from his mouth rather than to be filled through it.
"I am still unclear on why you're harboring us. Last time I was in Ashenvale your girls did plenty to drive me out and I was an alliance supporter at the time." She cast him one of her startling gazes, and it seemed no matter how many times she did so, he always felt a jolt through his spine.
"Lets get a few things straight, blood elf. Those slack-jawed little hyenas are not "my girls" and frankly I find your kind repulsive. What I wish to know is how a fel-addicted degenerate like you and that confused troll have spent an entire day plotting a rescue mission for a night elf criminal rather than fleeing to the Warsong Lumber Camp." Her sharp words stabbed every inch of his consciousness but Christoffel not only managed to keep himself from falling over, but also compose a counter attack.
"No insult intended my lady, but how does a legendary huntress become a broken-down old hermit?" Christoffel found himself under her gaze once more, swallowing more than just his food. But no assault came as she turned to look at the crackling wood, consumed by the fire that gripped it.
"I believe there is a phrase in common that suites your answer perfectly." She said casting him a quick glance and uttering "Shit happens" before resuming her vigil. Christoffel nodded and gratefully took another large bite of his supper to silence any further snarky remarks. It was then, a shrill scream rung out in the otherwise placid night. In an instant plates were deftly placed on the ground and the pair of elves were on their feet. They rushed out of the small cave to investigate the sound, only to face a pair of glowing eyes and glistening fangs.
Ima couldn't sleep. The ground was soft and the grass on which she lay seemed to be a further cushion. The night itself was calm and beaconed her eyelids to close but the churning feelings within overtook the peaceful scene. Ideas raced to her mind but one by one she was able to pluck the plausibility apart like a fragile flower. In her musing she did not hear the slight rustling behind here. She did not see the glowing gaze fixed upon her not the great maw that could crunch her neck in two. It was not until the great beast was upon her did she realize it was there. She let out a frightened scream as the beasts great paw came down on her chest. She closed her eyes as the muzzle approached, hot breath reeking like rotten meat. It took the troll a few seconds to realize she had not been bitten, but was being sniffed.
"Ah, its you Blow-Torch." The beast rumbled, moving off of Ima and onto her old, grey-furred haunches. "Where's Rabbit Ears?" Ima couldn't believe her eyes, as a relieved smile came to her face.
"Digger, what are you doing here?" Ima asked, as two figures, hidden in the night shadows began to immerge. Diggers ears perked as she turned with a menacing snarl to see two fell blades and a circular glaive at her back. "Chris, its ok she's Digger!" Ima quickly squeaked.
"An acquaintance of yours I take it?" Maiev quickly spoke, glaive unmoving. Digger's grave expression lessened as Ima moved to her side.
"Yes we met her on our way back from Silverpine forest, she helped us get here." Ima informed. Maiev once again inspected the innocent eyes of any kind of duplicity and found none. She lowered her glaive, Christoffel following suit.
"What brings you here?" Maiev asked, full attention resting on Digger. Unlike the blood elf, Digger found no chill in her bones.
"Warning Rabbit Ears. She's got a bounty on her head, sentinels are looking for her…where?" The look on Ima's face was enough to make her heart sink. "Taken?"
"Yes. We were ambushed and things got ugly fast. We barely escaped with our lives." Christoffel confirmed. Digger's gnarled claw found its way to the ground, carving deep scars in the soft soil.
"Damnit, too slow." She snarled, sending bits of dirt and grass flying beneath her striking claw. Maiev calmly watched the scene, feeling herself slip back as voices became muffled, images became blurry. A dark specter appeared in her damaged mind, one that haunted her ever since she became consumed by vengeance and the hunt. Only after the one it was modeled after was slain did it become tangible to her. Its bandaged eyes gazed mockingly at her as its snarling face rose to a smile.
"Disgusting, isn't it?" Its voice was seductive but burned with a poisonous vapor. "Such devotion to a caged animal, to a criminal." It purred, hot breath in her ear. It lingered for a moment before speaking again. "So much energy spent on someone so undeserving." Its voice was barely above a whisper as time seemed to stand still. It a snap it grabbed a claw full of faded white hair and pulled her head back. From somewhere deep beyond its searing tongue came a screech that seemed to originate from the darkest pit of hell. Her whole body ached as she scrambled to cover her ringing ears.
"Ms. Maiev, are you alright?" Ima asked, noticing the shaking huntress drabbing her ears in pain. Maiev sunk to her knees, muttering incoherently. Ima carefully placed a hand on one of Maiev's trembling shoulders, right where the specter's head gave its ghastly call. Slowly, the shaking began to subside. The muttering stopped and things began to come into focus again. One worried face, one face with an eyebrow raised, and one face drenched in shock met her cleared vision as she cleared her throat.
"I-I'm fine now, thank you."
"Maiev…Maiev Shadowsong by chance?" the shocked looking worgen panted, moving a little closer to where Maiev knelt. The Maiev who vanquished Illidan wore similar, if not dilapidated style of armor and did appear to be around the same age as the famous huntress. Maiev gave a curt nod as the worgen shook her head.
"You probably don't remember me, I've changed much since the great raid of the Black Temple." The worgen closed her eyes and with a little trouble shifted back into her human form. "I fought the final battle with Illidan, he nearly had us beat when you showed up and handed him his ass on a plate. I still had brown hair back then…" Maiev inspected the human that sat beside her and faint memories of a stocky young human covered in blood but determined to see the fight to the bitter end came to mind.
"There was a human girl who fought. I remember, her name was Mary…Merla…"
"Meryld actually." Digger smiled, happy with what little the great hero could remember. "Its good to see you again mam. People said you were dead."
"Lets keep it that way…" Maiev sighed. A blood elf, a troll, and now a great alliance hero had their lots thrown in with a petty criminal. Only one thought graced Maiev's questioning mind: What sort of person WAS this Shandori Sagesmoke?
On the evening of her 70th birthday Falina Catwhisper's sentinel sisters presented her to the Forest Song Medical ward staff. The night was dizzying. Stars spun as a haze of hurried voices surrounded the fallen sentinel leader. Falina tried to speak but her mouth was clamped shut. Her thin consciousness could smell and taste the metallic sensation of blood. The vague visage of her younger brother came in close as his trembling hand seemed tangled in her weak digits. With a rush she felt a sensation like falling off the edge of a cliff. Her eyes closed and when they opened again, the sunlight bathed her clearing mind. At her bedside, her brother and his wife kept vigil, relief in one set of eyes and guilt in the other. Falina tried to speak, but despite her renewed clarity, thick bandages rendered her mouth unable to move.
"Sister, don't." Morion spoke with a shaking voice, sight unable to bare the sight of her mangled and swollen face. The vicious attack by Shandori nearly took her head off. Luckily, Shandori's blade was guided by rage and not skill, rendering the blow too short to sever anything truly vital. Instead the blade sliced through her cheeks, knocking out several more teeth in the process. Though the blood that gushed from the terrible wound was great, the healers and surgeons were able to save her life and did what they could to save her face. Falina's gaze slipped to the young woman beside her brother. The green-haired druid with the slight bulge in her belly focused on the floor. Falina reached out to her, Morion stopping the movement. "You must rest."
It was then she heard a shutter and the tears that streamed down Elunis' hot cheeks became apparent. Each time she caught a glimpse at the ravaged beauty and horrific wounds her own blood caused, she felt another wave of hot wetness fall from her dimmed eyes. Falina submitted to her brother's command and in doing so allowed him to comfort his sobbing wife. Falina ran what was left of her tongue in the soar that was her mouth, noting the lack of bone within. Her brow furrowed, memory of the event rising in her mind like a thunderstorm. The searing pain in her face coupled with the crunching sound of bone before the world began to spin into darkness.
"I can't believe she would do this." Elunis sobbed, clinched fist over her mouth. Morion put a hand on her shoulder and spoke soothing whispers into her flushed ear. Elunis leaned forward, stung eyes finally meeting her sister in laws. "I was saving money for a birthday present but I didn't have time to get it after our visit with mother. I'll take the money and use it for the surgery, OK? You're going to be ok." She spoke, trying her best to sound comforting. Falina looked at her but did not see the good intention. She could feel the raging storm in her mind, dark clouds swirling around a growing intent. If she survived the final facial surgeries she would carry out the veiled vow revealed in her renewed hatred. Shandori Sagesmoke blazed in her very being and if the dark intentions within came to fruition, the inspiration for the tormented image would be destroyed.
Shandori amused herself with a loose pebble from her jail's earthen wall. The floorboards creaked, as they always seemed to do. But the sound of several pairs of boots descending the staircase into the jail was new since her arrival. The sounds of snarling struggle descended the steps as two strong sentinels struggled with their charge. A towering black wall of claws and teeth roared in outrage, nearly sending the sentinels for a tumble down the earthen stairs. But despite the challenge no one fell, save for the new prisoner who was forcefully shoved into his cell.
"Greymane will ear about this!" He boomed as the sentinels walked back towards the steps without sparing a moment to look back. "Fuckin 'ell" He growled with strike to the dirt floor. His ears perked at the sound of movement from across the way. His glowing gold eyes took in the sight of a female night elf with long indigo hair and a female goblin who managed to still wear layers of caked on make up despite having very little on her person. The worgen shifted a little and cast the pair a toothy smile.
"Well ello there. At least the mugs in this jail are better than the last one."
"What are ya in for?" F-bomb asked, big pained lips forming a grin. The worgen gave a smiling nod for a bow before speaking.
"Name's Marcus Daggerfang. Thief by trade, scoundrel by choice, and all around good fella." He chuckled. The good humor was not lost on Shandori who found herself smirking for the first time in days. "And I was in the woods, mindin me own business when I stopped to take a piss. Apparently, I so happened t piss on some sacred tree of elder wisdom or somethin. So a bunch of night elf lovelies pop outta ta woods and 'ere I am." Daggerfang's cheery tone did not seem to diminish through his tale, leaving F-bomb and Shandori with incredulous looks on their faces. "How about you?"
"Case of mistaken identity wit me." F-bomb informed with a sigh. Shandori stopped to think about her charges with a shrug.
"I'm not sure exactly. But I did take out one stuck up bitch on the way in here so I'm sure I've had a bunch of charges added to whatever bullshit ones they brought me in for." She growled. Daggerfang shrugged and sniffed around for a moment, a slight grimace forming on his muzzle.
"By Greymane I hope that mess they're cooking up dere is not our suppa." He rumbled, sniffing the air once more. "I don't know about you ladies but I'm not planning on sticking around ere too long if they're feedin us…earthroot…silverleaf? A touch of salt….blah." He spoke which smacking his lips with a frown.
"What do you mean stick around? This is a prison not a Pilton hotel!" F-bomb snorted. It was then that a confident, dagger-fanged grin came on to the rogue's wolf-face.
"Oh, I'm sorry m'lady. Perhaps you aven't eard of ol' Dagerfang the un-caged." With a slight flourish, Daggerfang moved as close to the hallway as the bars of his cage would allow. His three- fingered claw motioned for the night elf and goblin to come within whisper range. They both seemed to move in unison. Daggerfang paused for a moment, ears moving to catch any sound from beyond the ceiling and any faint scent of a stealthy sentinel hidden within the jail. When no sound nor smell came to his senses his mouth began to move. "I've busted outta every jail I've ever been in, horde and alliance. Th'trick is, they always look in th'obvious places for things like in your naughty bits and the like. But they never, ever seem ta think ta check in ear." Daggerfang pointed upwards and in a quick, almost magical motion, pulled a small metal pin from the fur behind his ear. He twirled the little dark-colored instrument in his paw with a grin befitting of a big bad wolf.
"Hell yeah. So what's the plan then?" Shandori paused for a moment when she felt the bubbling hope within her begin to simmer. "How much is this going to cost me?" The words caused Daggerfang to close his eyes and shake his head.
"Da first one is always on me, especially for ladies as lovely as you two. What are your trades?"
"I'm a warrior. Skilled with swords and shields." Shandori whispered as the floorboards began to creak again. Daggerfang gave an satisfied smile before turning to F-bomb.
"And you miss?"
"Well I'm a little out of practice but I used to be a first class master of the elements. I'm handy with gems too." F-bomb noted, putting a little extra emphasis on her gem-cutting abilities. Daggerfang's ears twitched a little as he sat back for a moment before rocking forward again.
"I think we're in business…"