Raj stared at the girl for a long moment, she was awake. He smiled without realizing he had smiled, she was propped on several pillows, the blanket barley covering her breasts. Her skin was pale as usual and she looked wrung out but she was still beautiful, never would he deny her beauty. A small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, as those lilac eyes roamed his body in a most inviting manner. Raj could feel his cock tighten with a painful erection, it had been much too long since he had bedded a woman. She gasped once again color rising in her cheeks, causing Raj to remember his state of undress. He quickly turned around trying to lessen the embarrassment for the girl, and to retrieve a clean loincloth and pants from the dresser across the room.

Why did she affect him this way, not since he was an untried youth had a female caused him to come instantly alive. This female was not even of his race, yet he felt the urge to lay between her creamy thighs and lose himself inside her. He had to get a hold on the physical attraction he had for her, nothing would change her from being his enemy, to save himself he would send her away and not touch her. The affections he had gained over this close confinement and his care of the girl was just a product of misplaced loyalty. She saved him, he s. and his sister had nursed her back to health or at least back fro the brink of death, and this is where his loyalty had to end. Partially clothed and resolve firmly in place he felt he could go back to the bed and talk with the elf.

"Who are you? How did I get here, and for that matter where is here?" She asked as he sat down.

"Getting right to the point are we now?" He teased, unsure why he felt so at ease with her that he could tease. "I am Rajit'Kal and I brought you here to my home."

Was that pride she heard in his voice? "Where is your home?"

Raj considered his answer carefully, lying to the girl would be wrong but the truth could send her into a panic. In the end he chose the truth "Ogrimmar."

Her eyes widened in terror, the panic visible on her face, she tried to sit up but was unable to hold herself up long, weakly falling back on the pillows. "Why am I here at the seat of my enemy? Am I your prisoner? I am so confused."

" You are not a prisoner of more than your injuries. I brought you to my home so my sister could tend your wounds, It was safer than leaving you in the Barrens to die." Had she forgotten the night in her camp, the night of death and destruction? "Do you remember how you sustained your wounds?"

"I am having a hard time remembering much of anything. I think I know you but I am not sure." she sighed "Are you my captor? Did you raid Dustwallow?"

"We did not raid Dustwallow as I said I brought you here from the Barrens. You really do not remember me do you." He was a little hurt by how easily she had forgotten him. At least he knew now she came from Dustwallow, that had been a suspicion of his and Torq's when they spoke but they had discussed the possibility of her traveling to the swamp from an Elven stronghold or the capitol city of Darnassus.

A distant look came into her eyes as her mind clouded with memories. Raj noted how she was absently playing with a small tuft of fur on the blanket, the elf probably had no idea she was doing so. Her voice was very hollow when she replied. "No, I am afraid I do not remember."

Why had it meant so much for her to remember him, to remember the kiss... that damn kiss had clouded his mind once too often. " Maybe if you started thinking back before the journey to when you were home it might help. Why don't you tell me what you do remember and I will help fill in what gaps I can."

"I guess it could not hurt." She was rubbing her head now with both hands " I remember being home in Thereamore with my friends we had been picking herbs in the swamps, I came in to a summons from Lady Proudmoore." she paused in her telling lines of frustration evident on her brow as she tried to remember more "I left for Darnassus my home when I as a child, I am not sure if I ever went. The last thing I can recall is packing my trunk to leave."

"I am not sure if you made it either but you were with a group of soldiers and knights lead by Captain Selvan." She visibly shudder. " Do you remember him?"

"No but the name leaves me cold." she shivered as she replied

He chuckled "I don't blame you, that is one horrible excuse of a man." Raj went on telling her of his capture and her part in his escape, though he left the kiss out of the story. He told her about the dream and how he found her in the burnt out camp. "I don't know why you saved me that night but I had to return the favor. I could not leave you there to die at the hands of an unknown enemy."

"Thank you for saving me." She said as she placed her hand on his arm. "Do your people know I am here?"

Her hand was soft on his rough skin, her long delicate fingers trailed down his arm as she slid her hand back onto the bed. Once again he felt heat spread throughout his body at her touch. How could something so simple as the light caress of her hand cause him to react this way. All he could think of, again, was burying himself inside her, feeling her legs wrap around his waist as she cries out his name. The primal urge he felt the night of his escape was back, he could feel control slipping away at an alarming rate. It would be so easy to use her in this weakened state, so easy to take what he wanted...

"Rajit'Kal?" Liana reached for him again "Are you alright, you're breathing so heavily?"

She did not finish as he quickly rose from the bed shrugging off her hand, moving to the far end of the room. He was ashamed of where his thoughts lead him, when in battle in years past he had been known to take the spoils of war. He had not thought of it as rape or that anything was wrong with what he had done till he stood back one day and really looked at it all. He remembered with perfect clarity that fateful day, he was looking into the eyes of a frightened human girl, no more than thirteen or fourteen years of age. The girls dress was ripped and stained red, her face bruised, scrapes and cuts along her arms, the human whimpered pitifully as Raj moved off her. He noticed then the small boy pulling on his arm yelling at him to get away from his sister. The image of his own dear sister came to mind, he would protect Niabu just as this child was trying to protect his sister, that is when the enemy became more to him, they became real. From that day he vowed to control the bloodlust that lead him and many others through battle, he would use the power but not be controlled by it.

"I am fine." he lied, then remembering the food thought to change the subject "I bet you are hungry after such a long sleep."

"How long was I sleeping?" She asked

"Its been a week since I found you." He replied

"You mean I have been asleep all this time?"

"You have spoken to me a few times since but very little, mostly you slept." He placed the tray in her lap as he spoke.

They ate from the same tray in silence for a while, Raj did not wish to disturb her as she ate her fill, the elf had an apatite that rivaled his how the little things she did made him feel lighter of heart, this too was something he would file away and forget once she was gone. The sooner she left the better it would be for him and his way of life.

He removed the tray so she could lay back on the pillows, her eyes heavy with sleep. "thank you for the food and for the care you and your sister have given me. I feel safe here with you even though I know this is not a safe place for me."

"No this is not a safe place for you." he chuckled "We will talk more tomorrow for now you need to rest."

She nodded and curled up in a little ball on the big bed.

"I told you my name but you did not tell me yours." He was sitting in the floor now on a makeshift bed, holding his breath as he waited for her to answer.

"Oh. I am sorry, I thought you knew my name already." She smiled and giggled as she replied "I am Liana."

**Chapter Break**

Lady Jaina Proudmoore sat at a long table in the great hall of the garrison at Theramore. She sat at the head of the table as she had done every day for more than a week now. She spent most of the time contemplating her decision to send Liana on a mission outside of the care of the mages at Theramore and into a mostly untamed world. The only hope she had left lay on the brink of death on the floor below her in the medical suite.

The moment the bird Gilly had returned carrying the unconscious dwarf, Gyran, Jaina had hardly slept. What had happened and where were the others. She knew the mission to Darnasus was a success and the group was on a return trip, was in fact a day or so past when she expected to see them. The recent raids on her hunting parties and the deaths of so many weighed heavily on her mind, had she sent another group out to die. The reason a whole contingent of soldiers and the dwarf had gone with Liana was to protect her, she was so young and innocent of the turmoil in the world around her. Jaina had always been fond of the elf and wanted to take care with her training as a diplomatic official of the Alliance.

She had been with them for many years and would have already moved on to spend time with the Dwarves of Ironforge. Eventually Liana would have traveled on to Stormwind and spent time in court, then home to Darnasus and of course onto many other travels, but things had a way of changing and the chase into the Dark Portal had altered this course for her as well as many others. Now that things were settling into a routine again it seemed an easy task for the elf to make the trip, Captain Selvan had suggested Liana for the mission since she was an elf and they were traveling through to the elven Capital City of Darnassus.

"Lady Proudmoore you need to rest." One of her Captains said as he sat down at the opposite end of the table." It will do no good if you are sick from lack of sleep and rest when he wakes."

"Sleep eludes me Roger, I have tried but yet it does not come." She replied.

Roger nodded, dropping the subject as he started eating. Several more men crowded in the room then with trays of food, the nooning meal had begun. A short, chubby woman named Alyice came into the room carrying a tray of food for Jaina, she would eat to keep up her strength and so as not to hurt Alyice's feelings. Her staff was wonderful and always looking out for her, if not for them she would surely forget to eat and never have a clean thing to wear nor a clean bed to sleep upon.

Lost once again into the troublesome world of second guessing herself Jaina was mid meal when a soldier came running into the great hall, " Lady Proudmoore, Lady Proudmoore, he is waking."