A Fallen Comrade
The trio quickly returned to the inn with the injured night elf covered in Ku'Mari's robe so as to leave the inn keeper and Mitsuwa less aware. Ku'Mari climbed up the ladder and helped the other two lift the night elf to the upper level. They cleared off the round table of their demolished feast and laid the injured female down. She was a beautiful creature with eyes that glowed like the moon and her hair shined in the same light. Her body was long and her skin was a soft blue but covered in scars and blood. She laughed weakly in a deep soft voice.
"You friends are quite strong. Impressive for such a young team." She smiled. "They should have finished me off."
"No, darling, no. But how did you know I would be here?" Garrett asked as he gently cleaned her wounds with a wet rag.
"You foolish man. I can spot that silly stride of yours anywhere. Even in your undeath you carry the same habits you had when you were alive."
Teak Hawk stepped forward and looked to the undead man. He suddenly realized that their conversation had been held private by a Darnassian language barrier.
"It was her. She saved us in the den earlier today." Teak Hawk realized. Garrett turned to the night elf once more.
"Is it true? Was it you that saved us today?"
"I saw my love in trouble and needed to help. I was trying to muster up the nerve to get you alone so as not to cause trouble with your party. I've come to give you warning. The Sentinels of Astrannar have been watching you since your first visit. Though your level of experience is no threat, they believe the number of you together could cause trouble for the young travelling Alliance members. They wish not to see the reputation of their serene forest fall." The night elf sat up now, as she regained her strength. "There is a reward out on your heads. Three gold for each of you brought down."
Garrett turned and explained their disposition and laughed. "We're cheap rewards."
"Why don't doze cowards come and attack us demselves?" Ku'Mari asked, rather irritated at how arrogantly the sentinels handled the situation.
"Thank the spirits that they do not! We are not that much of a threat Ku'Mari and we are nowhere near powerful enough to handle them." The tauren sat before the night elf and looked deep into her glowing eyes. "Why do you warn us of these events? Treachery within the Alliance shares the same consequences as does in the Horde."
Garrett translated and the night elf laughed. As she explained he turned back to Teak Hawk and Ku'Mari to retell.
"That is a fate I have been awaiting the day I was disbanded from the Sentinel Army. I was forced off my lands and pushed to the borders of Azshara. I have been silently cursed and reviled by my own people. Naturally, I've dropped my allegiance to the Alliance."
"Then come with us, Timber! Come and join our team. Your fighting skills are far beyond our own. You could be of great help to us."
The night elf shook her head. "Too much controversy, dear."
Quel'Anis had been awake since their arrival and now got up and stood beside Ku'Mari at the table. Timber turned to her and smiled in awe as she slowly raised a hand to touch the young blood elf's lovely face.
"I have not seen a young member of the Sin'dorei in years. How beautiful you are!"
Quel'Anis noticed the night elf's frailty and the expression she held showed nothing but nostalgic adoration for her. She allowed Timber to gently brush her soft cool fingers against her warm cheek.
"So warm… you serve your people well, I'm sure. With such history, I wonder what you must think of me and my kind. If you show nothing but hatred, I would not blame you." Suddenly remembering herself, she stood and adjusted her armor. "Bands of the Alliance will be out for you by sunrise. You must leave Ashenvale immediately."
"Teak Hawk, she must become a part of our group." Garrett begged. He turned and pushed the matter more with Timber. But both women shook their heads in refusal.
"The night elf understands just as well as I just how dangerous that could be. It would ruin our reputation and trust with the Horde. No city or tribe would be willing to accept us and we'd be constantly forced into question." Teak hawk explained. "We shall leave Ashenvale at dawn and return to the Barrens to finish preparing for Razorfen Kraul."
Ku'Mari and Quel'Anis helped Teak Hawk clean up the mess the party had made hours before. They exchanged looks as they peered out to the deck every once in a while. Garrett and Timber sat out on the deck and spent the next two hours catching up and requiting their love. They reminisced on the wonderful times they once shared when Garrett was alive but their time did not last very long. It was soon dawn and Quel'Anis went about waking the drunken trio. Teak Hawk gave a quick explanation to the hung over members, who asked no questions in fear that their headaches and nausea would only worsen.
Teak Hawk graciously thanked Mitsuwa and the Inn keeper and kept their attention while the rest of the group snuck the cloaked night elf out of the inn. They managed to get past the Horde members who worked around the Post but as they reached the road, they were immediately ambushed by low level alliance members. Numerous groups appeared in hopes of success for the reward. The team's counter attack was vicious and powerful, but the Alliance members kept up. Timber revealed herself and began to fight with the crew. The enemies paused for moment in utter confusion at this night elf's actions but quickly defended themselves.
Ku'Mari and Mikal'wah struck the last of their weakened enemies with powerful elemental attacks. A fried dwarf fell at the mage troll's feet and she spit on him.
"Dat's whatcha get fah comin' after me when I'm all hung ovah!" She cursed.
"We must hurry!" Teak Hawk insisted. Within ten minutes of running, they could see the connection to the Barrens was a mere twenty yards away.
"We almost dere!" Mikal'wah exclaimed excitedly and Ellorei cheered as she ran beside her. Suddenly, Ellorei felt an arrow stab into her leg and she fell. The party immediately turned and prepared to fight.
"NO!" Timber yelled at them as she helped the blood elf up and gently pulled the arrow from her leg. She examined the feathered fletching and her eyes grew wide.
"Sentinels! Go NOW!"
"Timber! Come with us! We will keep you safe!" Garrett implored as he wrapped his partially skeletal arms around the night elf. She ripped a necklace off from around her neck and placed it into the undead man's hand.
"Never forget."
"Timber, no…" The night elf kissed Garrett's decayed lips long and hard before violently pushing him away. He helped Ellorei back to the group and turned to find Timber withdrawing her weapon, a set of sharply curved Sentinel blades.
Garrett stared at her with pleading hollowed eyes.
"Go! Leave now!" She shouted angry with his stubbornness.
Ku'Mari grabbed a hold of his friend and began dragging the fighting undead man.
"Timber don't do this!"
Teak Hawk finally picked him up with her own brute strength and carried him across the connection to the Barrens, the group leading the way. The Sentinels had reached Timber and she attacked them valiantly, but they were far too powerful in their numbers against her. Garrett watched as his love was mutilated. Her body fell, covered in blood and a smile on her face as she faded into the distance.
The Sentinels continued to chase the group into the Barrens although they had gained some distance in between thanks to Timber's sacrifice. By the third mile, the night elf army gave up and retreated to Ashenvale.
The group stopped just off the road, panting and heaving. Garrett dropped to his knees and stared out to the horizon. He did not cry, and had he, tears would not come. He simply stared blankly out to the sun.
A strong feeling of sympathy welled up inside of Quel'Anis and she came to him but he refused her attention. Once the party caught their breath, Teak Hawk picked back up and headed toward Camp Turanjo. One by one, everyone followed. After a few minutes, Garrett stood and turned back to glance at Ashenvale once more before heading off with the group.
They reached South Gold Road by midday. The trip was longer than anyone had expected and as they traveled the Southern Barrens they noticed that the wild beasts of the desert plains grew more powerful and much more aggressive. Teak Hawk had finally convinced herself that she had led her members too far south and had somehow passed over Camp Turanjo. Before she could pull out her map, she noticed a fellow tauren sauntering their way.
Teak Hawk smiled, rather glad to see him and approached to ask for directions. The rugged and tired looking creature was much older than she and his fur had a poor smell from the heat of the sun. He had been out in the open desert for a bit too long. Teak Hawk properly introduced herself and her group and asked the tauren where they could find the camp. The tauren did not give his name but in a slightly delirious gesture, redirected them to make a hook past a group of distant boulders. Before Teak Hawk could thank him, he began to rant.
"In solitude, I wander these roads. The dwarves of Bael Modan show no respect for our land. Horrendous blasts drive deep holes into the ground as noisy machines rip apart the hills."
Everyone shared a look, assuming that a quest was coming into hand.
"Lands that once served as home and provider to my tribe are now riddled with destructive dwarves. Attempts at diplomatic resolution have failed. Now, is the time for …decisive action." He turned to Teak Hawk and her band.
"There are many of you and you are strong. Drive those malicious creatures of Bael Modon out of these lands. Crush them! And bring me the journal of their leader, Prospector Khaz'gorm. You must do this for me, please! I shall reward you." He dropped to his knees and begged before Teak Hawk. She could not refuse.
"We will do as you request, however…" She looked back to Garrett whose mind was somewhere far away as he stared sadly out into the distance. "We will need time to prepare. We can attack before sun up tomorrow."
"Yes… get them while they're groggy and sleep-dazed. Excellent! You are wise with your tactics. I am assured that you will not fail me." The tauren bowed, turned and sauntered back off into the dusty yellow haze of the desert and the group headed for Camp Turanjo.
They set up camp right outside the small village and fought wild beasts to cook for dinner and dueled for practice.
"I never knew that the Alliance could fight and claim Horde territory." Ellorei pitched as she dueled with Ku'Mari as he taught her new tactics.
"Deez dwarves are most likely not apart of deh Alliance. Dey probably be independent so dey can collect and keep deh findin's to demselves. Dwarves always been greedy." He explained has he quickly flipped his staff at Ellorei's ankles. She jumped as the rod missed her. Ku'Mari smiled. "You be a bettah fighter when ya hung ovah!"
Garrett suddenly appeared from out of the haze and came to them.
"Where ya been, mon?"
"Went to scope out the excavation site. Bout forty-some dwarves, men and women… strong too. But beatable."
Ku'Mari patted his friend on the shoulder, glad to see that he was pressing on. Garrett cleared his throat, "I'll go inform Teak Hawk." And he headed off to the camp.
"I know its truly none of my business but…how did he ever come to have a lover from the Alliance?" Ellorei asked.
"Yah know dat Garrett was once apart of deh Alliance when he was a livin' man, right?"
Ellorei took a minute to let it sink in.
"Ohhhhh. They were together when he was human. Oh it's so terrible that they had to go through all this mess and now she's…"
"Deh couldn't be together anyway. Some tings… are just not meant tah happen." The troll said with a sad voice as he looked to Quel'Anis who playfully battled against Barrack, practicing her staff defense. "So many barreirs can keep ya apart from whatcha want deh most in life."
Ellorei smiled and put her hand on the troll's shoulder, "Maybe so. But some things are meant to be. Quel'Anis has always had trouble letting even the most trustworthy and dependable people into her life. At first she may have seen you as the enemy, but it's only taken her a few days to open up to you completely. That's really saying something about her trust in you. I think she has truly learned the meaning of trust in friendship from you. After all, you certainly do have a way with people." Ellorei encouraged him and waved him off as she headed back to camp. Ku'Mari crouched down, his arms resting on his knees; a traditional resting stance for many male trolls. He admired how openly kind-hearted Ellorei was. She was always in high spirits and tried her best to keep everyone else the same way. Yet, even with her passionate sympathy for life, she remained loyal to the Horde and showed no difficulty in killing the opposition. He turned and looked to Quel'Anis and smiled. He couldn't be more thankful for finding such wonderful young blood elves.
As Barrack and Quel'Anis finished their duel, Barrack rushed back to camp in excitement for he knew dinner awaited them. Food was his favorite thing next to smashing things. Quel'Anis came and squatted down beside Ku'Mari whose attention had turned deeply to the Barren plains. She could tell that he sensed something.
"What is it?" She asked quietly.
"Somethin' uneasy comin' dis way." He stated grimly.
Quel'Anis shivered at his worlds. She could feel his slight aurora of fear; a feeling she had never known of him before. His keen sense of shamanistic premonition was something quite unique and a bit fascinating to her. Never before had she known someone so in tune with their surroundings. She examined the details of his appearance; it was becoming a fun habit to her, for she always discovered something new. His face was so young but the scars and tattoos that were scribed upon his blue skin and various wooden piercings noted as merits of his experience. Surely his tribe thought highly of him the way Teak Hawk did. He was young but wise, calm, good-humored and… beautiful? Yes… this troll was beautiful! Quel'Anis never imagined that such a thought was possible, but here she was, thinking of how beautiful she found him. And more than anything else… she trusted him. She placed her hand on his knee and looked at him. He turned and smiled at her as he placed a warm hand on her back, assuring her that all would be fine.
"Come on, Kellani. We gotta eat so we be unstoppable for tomorrow."
He took her hand and helped her up. As they headed back to the camp, he realized that she still held onto his hand. There could not have been a happier troll.
Ku'Mari was not the only one who had sensed the strange dreary aurora. Teak Hawk had felt the strange desert winds blowing in. She turned to Garrett who sat looking deader than usual and decided that spirits of the dead were not content with his silent despair. As everyone finished eating, the tauren looked to him and spoke in a deep and gentle voice.
"She will not rest until you make your peace, Garret." Everyone grew silent with shock at Teak Hawk's bold and prying words. "You know this."
The undead sighed and nodded.
"Make it ah good story, Garrett." Ku'Mari added. "Make her memorable."
Everyone waited patiently for him to begin.
"When I was living… um…human, I was, of course, working for the Alliance in Stormwind City. I was originally sent as a messenger to Ashenvale to inform the night elves of the growing numbers of the Forsaken moving across the sea to Kalimdor and how they meant to join forces with Thrall for the Horde. To gain more trust from the night elves, High Lord Fordragon sent a troop of his men to aid in protection of Ashenvale. Naturally, I was ordered to stay and help. While I was stationed in Fel Feras, I met Timber Willow. Of course she was beautiful, as so many elves are. But it was her keen sense of wit and humor that reeled me in. When we were both off patrol-duty, we would spend our late nights together, just talking and joking to one another. She was the best of any friends I could ever have. How I wished I could make her my companion! Higher ranking Sentinels and members of my troop soon found out about our meetings at night and we were shortly rescheduled to post at opposite hours of the day. This did not stop us, however. In fact, it made us want to be together even more. Ooooh that fire ignited for sure and we soon found ourselves sneaking off post to meet in secret places at night… oh the fun we had…" Garrett grinned thinking back to his romance escapades and naughty nights.
Teak Hawk cleared her throat and smiled politely. The undead man let out a laugh as he continued on with his story.
"We were eventually caught, of course, and I was released from my post in Ashenvale. Old Fordragon was furious with me but instead of bringing me home, he sent me to a post in Theramore as punishment. I thought it a blessing at the time because I was still close enough to travel to see Timber. Unfortunately, I found that I was not so free to leave the city. In a menacing rage, I fought and killed the guards who had held me at the gates. Post watchers shot my foolish ass and I died at those grounds. My body was sent back to Stormwind in order to be properly buried at my family grave. Those buggers wanted nothing to do with me. They were so ashamed of my brash actions that they had my body brought to Silverpine Forest to be dumped off and forgotten. I thought my soul would be consumed by the dark wrath and that I might end up as another pathetic puppet belonging to the Lich King. But his powers were waning. My soul was recalled to my trashed body only to be released from the king's tyranny. I was immediately recruited to the Forsaken in their opposition, newly conjoined as a member of the Horde. Perhaps the vengeance I sought and the longing I felt for Timber left me with no renewal. I've been given a second chance, but I never thought I would see that elf again. Last night, when we were together, it was as if nothing bad had ever happened. She completely dismissed my nasty rotting appearance… even still had the desire to kiss me… to remind of how she felt about me. Being able to be with her again, last night… was the happiest moment of my undead life."
Ellorei and Mikal'wah sat crying on each other.
"Dat was deh most beautifully tragic ting I tink I ever heard!"
"Garrett…(sobbing)… I'm so glad you got to see her again!"
Garrett kicked back his head and started laughing. "I need to give up this bandit shit and become a story man! Gimme a soap box!"
"Love, hate, life and death… such is the world of warcraft." Teak Hawk said introspectively. Everyone nodded in agreement and headed for their tents. Garrett solely stood watch, a smile on his face now that his issues were at peace.
Ellorei lay in her blankets wide awake, thinking about everything that had happened between Garrett and the beautiful night elf.
"Quel'Anis?"
Quel'Anis, groggy in her half sleep replied, "Hmph?"
"I hope that everything works out for you and Ku'Mari."
"What!?" Quel'Anis shot up and turned to Ellorei, a look of shock and irritancy on her face.
"I'm just glad to see that you've finally opened up to him. He's an incredible being." She was silent for a moment as Quel'Anis would say nothing. "Its just that… with all the complications that war has brought this world, I just don't want to see you two torn apart because of it. I mean, I can't be your companion forever! I'm gonna want some male to come along and have me as his… oh how did Ku'Mari put it? Mate! Yeah! I'm gonna want my own mate too one day."
"Ellorei, what on Azeroth ARE you talking about?!"
"I just hope that someday, when I come to visit you ,I can meet your little Blood Trolves."
Quel'Anis grabbed her friend by the collar of her tunic.
"What is that?"
"You know… blood troll elves."
Completely flabbergasted by the blood elf's ridiculous explanation, she dropped her friend's collar, tucked her self back into her blankets and said, "You're hopeless!"
Ellorei gave a sinister grin, "I've planted the seed of hope." She said satisfied with their conversation and finally went to sleep.
It was nearly an hour before the sun would rise and Teak Hawk went from tent to tent waking everyone. The camp was cleaned up quickly and quietly and everyone followed Garrett to the excavation site. The dwarf mining site was a massive crater blasted into the side of the mountain just a few yards from South Gold Road. Two very short but brawny men paced about at the ramp entrance, grumbling to each other. They held crafty little shot guns; an accessory known well of the dwarf race.
Garrett threw daggers at the stout little men and they angrily ran towards the group, cursing in their foreign dwarfish tongue. The undead laughed as he chucked two more daggers at them. Mikal'wah charged up a nasty fire attack finishing the guards off. The group came to the edge of the site to look everything over. As Teak Hawk had expected, most dwarves still slept while some lazily trudged about preparing for another day of work. Two by two, the group made their way down the dirt ramp. Garrett and Ellorei led the way, quietly taking down dwarves as they approached. Ku'Mari and Mikal'wah casted spells that struck dwarves at farther end of the site. As the summoned pet lynxes followed Ellorei and attacked what ever came nearest, Quel'Anis stood post at the mid-length of the ramp, taking down anything that gave threat of surprise. Teak Hawk and Barrack used their brute strength to bash at numerous enemies at a time. Nearly twenty dwarves had gone down by the time the other ones had realized they were even being attacked. They all awoke and snatched up their guns. Teak Hawk, Ku'Mari and Barrack did what they could to distract the little stocky men and women while Garrett and Ellorei went behind, stabbed them and took the dangerous weapons away.
Garrett suddenly caught sound of someone calling from higher grounds. He looked up to find a small army of dwarves making their way down the hill to the site, shooting as they went. They came out from a large factory sitting on the hillside.
"Well now… I didn't see that there before!" He said rather nonchalant as he killed off another dwarf.
"Everyone, regroup now!" Teak Hawk shouted as she noticed the approaching army. But the group remained scattered and blocked away from each other by small couples of fighting dwarves. Barrack used the small bit of his magic to help amp the team's strength while Teak Hawk healed everyone as much as she could.
A particular dwarf in noble attire slowly approached with a keen smirk on his face and a large war axe ready. He approached the closest Horde member he could find.
Ellorei suddenly became anxious. "Prospector Khaz'gorm!" She blurted out. While the others had seen him coming, they were too preoccupied with multiple dwarves attacking them. The prospector had his eyes set on Ellorei now.
"My, my…" He said in a taunting tone as he slapped the blunt end of his axe in his hand. "What a pretty blood elf you are!"
Ellorei's eyes grew wide in shock. (He speaks in Orchish!)
"It's a shame you know. You are working for the wrong side. You should come help us dig up precious minerals and oils instead. I could make you rich. You'd be living like a princess." He was scruffy and smelled of machine oil and malt beer. Ellorei was surprised by his height. Although a dwarf, he stood a few inches taller than she. He reached out and touched her shoulder. She immediately slashed at his face with dagger, chopping off half of his red mustache and skimming his cheek. The dwarf touched his face and noticed the missing facial hair. He laughed bitterly and swung his axe. Ellorei dodged and stepped far enough away to set up her bow. She got three shots into his chest before he was close enough to swing at her again. She struck his arm, jumped up and kicked the dwarf in the face. But the prospector immediately grabbed her leg as she fell and sliced her calf open. Ellorei let out a scream of agony.
Quel'Anis jolted her staff into a dwarf who fell to the ground unconscious. She ran down the ramp, taking another weakened enemy down permanently. She climbed on atop an inoperative drilling machine that sat at the center of the site, and began shooting at the powerful prospector. She sent arrows into his arms and back but his furious power allowed him to resist. He had released Ellorei's ankle and she stumbled back and stood strong on her other foot while she sent two more arrows into him. He ran at her as she whistled and he pummeled her into the ground. Lune appeared and swiftly attacked the dwarf. In a grand frenzy, the prospector hacked away at the lynx. As they fought, Ellorei limped in for a surprise final attack. But at the prospector took one finishing blow with his axe to the dying lynx, he turned, pulled out a small short sword and thrust it into Ellorei's chest.
Ellorei struggled to breathe as the blood filled up in her lungs and she collapsed.
"NOOOOOO!" Quel'Anis screamed as she shot on direct hit straight into the prospector's head. He fell dead to the ground beside Ellorei.
Ku'Mari had just killed off a dwarf and turned when he heard Quel'Anis' cry. He was about to run to her but realized that her shocked stare was directed to Ellorei. He ran to her, knocking over any dwarf that got in his way. Ellorei lay with a smile on her face as she looked up at the troll.
"Take care of my best friend." She struggled to say before her head rolled to the side and she lie still. Ku'Mari tried with endless effort to revive the blood elf but she would not awaken. He felt the tears run down his blue cheeks as his eyes filled with red blood and his veins contorted, pulsing wildly.
With a tremendously fierce roar, he stood straight up, revealing his full seven-foot height to the dwarves. They backed away, knowing what this dangerous call could mean. Ku'Mari hung his staff on his back as he pulled out two gloves that glinted with multiple razor-sharp metal claw blades.
"Horde members, away!" Teak Hawk shouted as Mikal'wah, Barrack and Garrett headed up the ramp. Teak Hawk ran to Quel'Anis, who stood, dumbfounded atop the drill.
"Come dear, we must clear the path!" She warned nervously.
Quel'Anis was mesmerized at Ku'Mari's form of bloodlust.
"He's gone berserk…" she said faintly.
"Right. And there's no telling what he'll do!" She helped the blood elf down from the machine and they ran up the hill. Everyone watched to see what Ku'Mari would do.
The remaining army of dwarves was brave enough, if not foolish enough- to go up against the crazed berserker troll. Ku'Mari went after anything in his path. He slashed at the dwarves one by one, tearing them limb from limb. Even his cannibalistic racial traits kicked in as he tore through a dwarf's neck with his sharp teeth and ripped its head clear off.
Only two dwarves made it to safety. They ran back up to the factory and were helped inside while others closed and sealed the doors behind them.
Ku'Mari stumbled forward and fell to his knees within the blood bath he had created. He looked about and realized what he had done in some bit of shock. Then he looked back to the body of Ellorei, now soaked in blood, and he began to cry. The group ran down to the scene. Teak Hawk helped the troll back to his feet. As he looked up, she could see that he cried the blood out from his eyes.
"Promisin' not to let any harm come to ah team membah was a pitiful and naïve notion." He said feeling weak and ashamed.
"No, Ku'Mari. You did more than anyone could have." Teak Hawk replied rubbing the trolls back.
Quel'Anis dropped down beside her friend's body. It was the first time she would allow herself to openly cry since her father died. But she did so silently as she pressed her hands gently over her companion's face. Ellorei's eyes no longer carried the green glow of the blood elves that thrived off of the Sunwell. Quel'Anis closed them in respect. She looked nearby to realize that her own lynx lay dead beside Ellorei's. She suddenly felt like a terrible hunter for neglecting the creature so often as where Ellorei had become his second master. She knew that he purposely gave up his life because his mate had lost hers.
Barrack carried the blood elf's body up the ramp as Garrett collected the dead prospector's journal. Everyone decided to bury her body beside a lush tree that produced a friendly shade to a small patch of green grass not far from the excavation site.
"Free from blood…free from pain…free from the Sunwell… free from war." These were Quel'Anis' only words to Ellorei's passing and although short, they were strangely justifying.
Quel'Anis attempted to seek comfort from Ku'Mari, but he refused to make any contact with her, still ashamed of himself. She then, decided to walk beside Mikal'wah as they headed back to find the tauren who sent them on this mission. With favorable sympathy and remorse, the female troll placed a hand on the blood elf's back.
Quel'Anis refused to regret all that had happened. She knew that Ellorei understood her own fate as most people do in the world of war. If you choose to fight, then you have chosen to win or die. But fighting for something you believe in is worth living and dying for.