Braelyn may have defrosted, but Rommath sure as hell had not. The trip from Sunfury Spire was made in a silence so frigid it made Northrend a tropical paradise in comparison. The Grand Magister stalked through the streets without even bothering to look back at his unwelcome charge, who was struggling to keep up with him. It was getting dark, and although the streets were relatively empty, the young hunter was still unnerved by the curious or hostile looks she was receiving from those few blood elves that were out and about.
When they finally arrived at the magister's house, Braelyn almost whistled in appreciation. It was huge, at least three storeys tall, with a lush garden surrounding it. Even in the poor light, she could tell that it was made of the same materials that had gone into the construction of the rest of the city; off-white stone, accentuated with gold and beautiful red crystals. It must look gorgeous during the day, she thought.
"I don't have all day, human," Rommath snapped, holding the door open. Biting her lip, Braelyn entered her new 'home'.
It was just as gorgeous as the exterior. Plush red carpet and silk drapes. Beautifully hand-crafted furniture and furnishings edged with gold embroidery. It was every bit as lush as the garden, and everywhere she looked, Braelyn saw books. Row upon row of them, just begging to be read. Just as she was about to start swooning, she realised with a pang of disappointment that Rommath was unlikely to allow her the joy of reading them.
Braelyn followed the Grand Magister as he climbed to the top floor, stopping only to glare at her when she stumbled over a broom that was sweeping the staircase without a servant attached. I guess it's true, she mused, the Blood Elves do use magic for everything. How... lazy.
The third floor opened up into an open foyer-type area complete with lounges, seats, and small tables. There were only four doors leading off the landing. Rommath stopped in front of the one furthest from the stairs, towards the back of the house. "These are my quarters," he said. "You are forbidden from entering them. Ever." He gestured to a door to the left, "that is a guest bedroom."
"Am I banned from there, too?" Braelyn asked childishly.
"Yes."
Rommath pointed to the door directly to the right of the one leading to his room. "This will be your bedroom," he said, blocking the doorway when Braelyn rushed forward with a relieved expression. She was longing to sleep on a real bed again. She looked at him questioningly.
"If you think I'm going to allow you to touch my furntiure looking and smelling they way you do now, you are even more stupid than I thought," he sneered. Braelyn had to bite her cheek, hard, to stop herself from yelling at him. She didn't want to have to face the Regent-Lord again so soon. He had treated her with respect, so Braelyn wanted to return that kindness as best she was able. Which meant no fighting with Jerk-Face McGee.
The Grand-Magister waved her over to the door closest to the stairs with an impatient 'tsk' and opened it. Inside was the most luxurious bathroom Braelyn had ever seen. Everything was gleaming white marble edged with gold, and the bathtub, which was set into the floor, was enormous. "You will wait here; someone will be along to help you as soon as I can arrange it. Do not even contemplate making another of your pathetic escape attempts," he warned her. "I am not so easily amused as Halduron is."
Braelyn merely turned her back on him as he exited the room. When he was gone, she moved to the window. It was fully dark now, and she could see the lamps shining brightly throughout the city. To spite her current jailor, she thought about attempting to sneak out, maybe via the window, but was too tired to put much effort into it. Besides, an extra day of captivity was a low price to pay for the chance to get properly clean. Braelyn was practically salivating about bathing in an actual bath, with hot water and soap, with fluffy towels to dry herself off with afterwards. And my hair, she thought blissfully. I never thought I'd have clean hair again!
The bathroom door opened, and Braelyn turned to see a beautiful blonde-haired Blood Elf woman enter carrying a pile of towels, cleaning cloths, brushes, and soaps. She was not much taller than Braelyn, but she was thinner and more graceful looking. At first, she thought the stranger was Rommath's wife, and felt a pang of sympathy for the unfortunate woman, but then noticed that she was not wearing a wedding ring.
"Oh, you poor thing," the woman spoke, with kindness, not condescension. Braelyn was surprised by this. She was sure that Halduron and Lor'themar had made up her quota of non-hostile Blood Elves. "My name is Lorelai. I'm a priestess here in the city. Rommath asked me to come, ah, take care of you." She noticed Braelyn's curious expression and added, "He's an old friend of my family's."
"I'm Braelyn," Braelyn replied simply. "I'm a hunter... well, I am when I'm not being held hostage, that is. I'm from Goldshire, although I was in Darkshore when I got caught."
As she talked, the priest went over to the bath and dropped a rune into it. There was a soft flash of light, before the bath filled with water. Braelyn was stunned. She'd never seen a rune capable of that. A second rune, one of fire, followed the first, and steam began to waft around the room.
"Let's get you clean," Lorelai said, and helped Braelyn out of her clothes. For the first time, the hunter was glad not to have seen her reflection during the past few weeks. Her dress and underwear were little more than filth covered rags, and she almost wept when she saw them. If they're that bad, I must look like I've been dead for six years, she thought. I could've passed myself as newly Forsaken.
"You'll feel better soon, I promise." Lorelai said, guiding the upset human into the water.
As soon as she felt the hot water around her cold toes, Braelyn began to relax. She settled into the tub, the water lapping at her neck. The Blood Elf priest handed her a bar of sweet-smelling soap that felt like it had grit contained within it and said, "This will get the gunk off your skin, then we'll do your hair."
Lorelai looked taken aback when Braelyn burst into tears. "What's wrong?" she said, soft hand reaching out to touch a shaking shoulder.
"I'm sorry, " Braelyn sobbed piteously. "You're so kind. I just never... it's been so long... I'm so filthy!"
"Not for very much longer," the priest said, and began to soap Braelyn's arms as she sobbed her heart out.
Two hours later, Braelyn was finally feeling human again. It had taken four tubs of hot, soapy water, an hour and a half 's worth of elbow grease, and a lot of swearing on Braelyn's part before her skin was liberated from its coat of filth and she no longer smelled like a sewer. An extra half an hour was spent waging war on the matted bird's nest that was her hair. Lorelai had suggested cutting it short and letting it regrow, but Braelyn refused to allow Lethallan to take anything else away from her, even something as trivial as her hair. The Blood Elf priestess seemed to understand, as she did not hesitate to help Braelyn tame her wayward locks.
"Thank you, Lorelai," Braelyn said as the Elf helped her into a four-poster bed (complete with princess pillows and a curtain, Braelyn noted in amusement). "I can't put into words how grateful I am."
Lorelai smiled, and patted Braelyn on the shoulder. "It was my pleasure, and my duty. I only wished I had heard about you earlier. The priesthood never would have allowed you to remain in the dungeons alone for so long." She helped Braelyn lie down, then covered her with a light woolen blanket. "But, you're out now, and although I know that Rommath is not an easy man to get along with, he will honour his promise to the Regent-Lord to look after you. Now, sleep, and in the morning I'll be back to take you to a tailor. That dress I lent you will be too long for you to wear comfortably."
"And too tight," Braelyn replied, eyeing the Blood Elf's svelte figure with envious eyes. Lorelai just laughed softly and bid her goodnight as she closed the door behind her.
Braelyn was sure that she would not fall asleep; her bedroom opened up onto a balcony, but there was no door, just a thin gauzy curtain, no doubt red. A soft breeze tickled her face and she could hear the sounds of the city guards on their patrol. Her mind raced with anxiety. Lorelai had spoken of Rommath with great respect and affection, but Braelyn was still worried about living with the man. Would he really go out of his way to keep her safe? His hatred of humans obviously ran deep.
Perhaps I should try my luck with escaping from the balcony, she thought. But to her surprise, sleep pulled her under before she could even shift her blanket.
Braelyn woke up in Stormwind Keep. Or she thought she did, until she looked around and saw that everything had an odd, translucent quality to it. She frowned as she realised that she was dreaming of the day she'd delivered the letter to the king; the letter that had gotten her into so much trouble. The letter that had led to Bitsie's death. She could see the arrogant advisor, and the two kings talking in one part of the room, but everyone else was hazy, little more than vague outlines. Braelyn called out to the advisor, but he did seem to hear her. No one seemed to hear her.
She stood up and began to move towards the king. As she did so, Braelyn felt something shift slightly in her pocket. She reached back and retrieved an envelope. It was her parent's missive to King Varian. She stared at it. It seemed to be sparkling, little stars dancing about the parchment. Why was she dreaming of this?
"Why am I here?" she thought aloud.
"Because you need to see," a male voice responded. Braelyn gasped in surprise and spun around. Stormwind Keep had faded away, and all that was left was an ocean of darkness, pierced by a single column of light.
"Where are you? Who are you?" Braelyn demanded, as a figure stepped into the light.
"Think back, Braelyn Hawke," the man replied, and Braelyn could see that the man was dressed as a Stormwind city guard.
"You! You're the one who mind controlled me! You said that the Light was going to give me clarity."
"And it will," the man replied, gazing at Braelyn with his uncomfortably intense eyes. "But you need to recognise this moment in time for what it really was; a beginning, not an end."
"Not an end?" Braelyn hissed, angry. "I saw my friend murdered before my eyes, I've been taken away from all that love, all that I know. For all I know, I could be dead tomorrow!"
"Your friend's fate was not something that was yours to control. Do not dishonour her sacrifice with such arrogance. She is at peace now, and knows the Light."
"Then how is this a beginning?" Braelyn asked, gesturing to the letter clamped tightly in her hand. The man sighed, as if pained by having to deal with a particularly dense child.
"When you stepped into the Keep that day, you were a troubled soul, drifting aimlessly from one place to another, relying on your friends to give you purpose. This letter was the Light's way of getting you to where you needed to be."
"Are you seriously saying that I need to be in Silvermoon?"
"Yes."
"But why?"
The man smiled, giving Braelyn a mischievous look. "Now that would be spoiling the fun!" he laughed. "Just know that in the city of the Sin'dorei you will find your purpose in life, your future... and great happiness."
"I'm not sure how much comfort I can take from the words of a city guard," Braelyn said. She was disconcerted by the man's words. What could there possibly be for her in Silvermoon apart from suffering and death?
"Take my advice, Braelyn; do not be so quick to judge based on appearances alone. They will lead you astray." With that piece of sage advice, the city guard disappeared in a flash of light, and Braelyn woke up in a tangle of sheets, the bright sun of Silvermoon blinding her.
It was hard not to get lost in Silvermoon, Braelyn soon realised, even with a guide to help her. Unlike Stormwind, with its colour coded districts laid out like a grid, the Blood Elf city had the same colour scheme throughout, and was labyrinthine in design. She was unsure whether this was a result of Prince Arthas' rampage through Quel'Thalas, or if the Elves liked it like this. Either way, Braelyn would have gladly sacrificed her hair if it meant the roofs of Silvermoon suddenly got new coats of paint.
Braelyn had lost sight of Lorelai five minutes ago and was now walking slowly around the grand fountain in the centre of the Bazaar. She was trying to find the Blood Elf priest without making eye contact with anyone else. Rommath had told her this morning before he left for the Spire that the Regent-Lord had issued a proclamation saying that Braelyn was under his protection, and was free to wander the city. She was to be left alone unless she attacked anyone unprovoked, or was caught attempting to escape. She was also prohibited from purchasing armour or weapons. Considering the way that the civilian population were looking at her, though, Brealyn was not inclined to wander too far on her own. It was as if they were encouraging her with their eyes to make a run for it.
So they could shoot her in the back.
The human hunter was weighed down by several bags containing specially tailored clothing and footwear, as well as toiletries and a few little luxuries that Lorelai had insisted upon. They had all been purchased using Rommath's gold, and Braelyn was very uneasy with being so indebted to the man. She did not trust him enough to believe that he wouldn't hold it over her head somehow.
With a huff, Braelyn turned, intending to sit down on one of the benches set into the base of the fountain. Instead, she ran face first into the chest of a Blood Elf mage. "Oomph!" she said, staggering backwards. She would have fallen if the man had not reached out and grabbed her arm.
"I'm so sorry!" Braelyn squeaked, sure she was about to be set on fire for daring to assault a Blood Elf with her clumsiness.
"It is all right, Miss," the mage said in surprise. Braelyn risked glancing up at him. The mage had brown hair, and was very well dressed with an impressive, and expensive looking, staff strapped to his back. She could tell by his appearance that this was a person of some importance. She was confused, however, by the way he was looking at her; instead of the expected 'by the Light, it's a human, kill it with fire' expression, he was staring at her with shocked recognition.
"Ellysan? Ellysan Hawke?!" he exclaimed in Common.
As soon as she heard her mother's name, Braelyn backed up in horror, only stopping when her knees collided with the edge of the bench. She sat down heavily, feeling the blood drain from her face. "Oh, no!" she whispered. They can't find out about my parents!
The Blood Elf mage hurried over to kneel in front of her. He lifted her chin to study her face. "No, not Ellysan," he murmured softly, waving away a guard who had walked over to see what trouble the human was causing, "too young. You're her daughter... Braella? Braelira? Right?"
"It's Braelyn."
"Oh, that's right. She spoke of you often, and with much love," the mage said with a fond smile. "I am Aethus Sunreaver, by the way."
"You're the Archmage?" Braelyn asked.
"Yes," Aethas replied. "You're mother and I were good friends once. I hope we still are." Braelyn saw the look of sadness that crossed the mage's face, and felt a pang of sympathy for him. He must have lost so many friends because of the purge of Dalaran, she thought, not to mention had his faith in the possibility of neutrality shaken.
"For what it's worth," Braelyn said, "I don't think Mum believed you had anything to do with the theft of the Divine Bell. She said that if you did know about the Sunreaver portal, it would not have been until afterwards, when it was too late to do anything about it."
Aethus looked stunned by Braelyn's comment. "I'm... glad to hear that. Her good opinion is something I have always cherished." He looked at her with concern. "But why are you here on your own?"
"I was brought here by a Blood Elf death knight," Braelyn exclaimed. "The Ranger-General bought me off him to save me from a life of slavery. They don't know that I know that, by the way," she added, seeing the look on Aethas' face. "I thought it best not to let them know that I can speak Thalassian."
"A wise move," Aethas agreed, "but have they not tried to repatriate you?" Braelyn noddeed.
"They have, but it was a no-go; Lady Proudmoore because she's still mad at you guys, and the King because he refuses to deal with a Hellscream-run Horde." Aethas looked outraged.
"But surely Jaina could not be so cruel as to leave you in such a situation! Your mother is one of her greatest friends and supporters! And the King... both your parents devoted their lives to the Alliance." He paused when he saw Braelyn's sheepish expression. "Unless... you never told them who you are?"
"They know my first name, but not my family name. I don't think I'm important enough for the King or Lady Proudmoore to make concessions to the Horde, and I don't want my parents worrying about me being a hostage if there is nothing they can do about it. Lor'themar Theron suspects I'm not a civilian or a low-ranking grunt, though, which is why I am still alive. He decided to hold onto me, 'just in case'."
"I would have thought they'd be keeping you in the dungeons."
"They were," Braelyn said with a shudder, "but they let me out yesterday. The Regent-Lord has insisted that I stay with Rommath as some sort of assistant, though what good a hunter wil..."
"Rommath?" Aethas exclaimed. "He left you with Rommath?"
"Yeah," Braelyn said, shrugging, "I don't understand it either. It's obvious that Rommath hates humans. Maybe the Regent-Lord thinks the problem of what to do with me will be solved if Rommath does his nut and kills me. Or that I'll confess my deepest, darkest secrets in order to escape the guy."
"I don't like this," Aethas said. "I will speak to the Regent-Lord myself, maybe see if I can have you transferred to my care. As ex-Kirin Tor, I am more human-friendly than the Grand Magister."
"I already tried that," Lorelai said, suddenly appearing by Braelyn's side, "but the Regent-Lord insists that she stay with Rommath." The priest looked at Braelyn with stern eyes. "I thought I told you not to wander."
"I tried not to!" Braelyn said. "But everything is so distracting, and the city looks the same wherever I go!"
"Well, at least it was the Archmage who found you," Lorelai said. "It could have been much worse. But it's time to get you back before the Grand Magister starts to think I've helped you flee the city."
Braelyn snorted. "More like 'thinks I murdered you and fled the city'."
Aethas raised a hand. "Would you mind if I escorted the lady, Lorelai? I wish to talk to her about a few things."
"Of course, Archmage Sunreaver." Lorelai replied. "I will come visit you as soon as I am able, Braelyn."
"Thank you so much, Lorelai," Braelyn said, "I don't know what I would've done without you." She gave the priest a short hug, and a wave goodbye. She turned to Aethas. "What did you want to discuss?"
With a wave of his hand, Aethas had Braelyn's shopping floating in the air behind them as they started to head back to the Grand Magister's residence. "I wish I were in a position to help you leave here, but I am not." He paused, and Braelyn nodded in understanding. She would not have him committing treason for her, a virtual stranger. "My friendship with your mother, however, obliges me not to turn my back on you completely. If you wish it, I can send her a message to let her know that you are safe and well."
"That would be fantastic!" Braelyn cried. "But, please, don't tell them that I'm stuck in Silvermoon. My parents are liable to do something drastic otherwise."
"If you insist. I will tell them that you were in the company of a death knight. Knowing Ellysan, she will try to track him down, which will hopefully give you time to sort something out here."
"You will need to reassure her that I am alive and unharmed. My friends, if they managed to survive, have probably told my parents about what happened in Darkshore, and I wasn't exactly in great shape when they saw me last."
"I will think of something convincing, though I really think you should tell the Regent-Lord who you are."
"I know that would be the easiest thing to do, but I'm not sure that it's the right thing to do. Something tells me I need to keep my secret a little longer, that my fate is not completely in my own hands right now." She paused, a new concern fighting for her attention. "If you could tell my mother one more thing...?"
"Certainly," Aethas replied.
"Ask her to remind Odariah and Andorien of their promise. Tell her that it is important to me that they honour their word." Aethas raised an eyebrow at her, clearly intrigued, but wise enough to recognize that Braelyn was not going to say anything more on the subject.
"Very well, I will send a letter off tonight. It might take a while to reach her, given the current political climate," Aethas said. Braelyn reached over and squeezed his hand in gratitude.
"Thank you, Archmage Sunreaver," she said. "You don't know what a relief it is to know that I have at least two friendly faces to turn to in this city, that I'm not as alone as I thought I was."
"You are most welcome," Aethas said, returning Braelyn's gesture,"and, please, do not hesitate to come to me if Rommath attempts to hurt you, or scares you in any way."
Braelyn said nothing, just nodded her head. She smiled, thinking that her stay in Silvermoon might not be so bad after all.
When Rommath returned home that night, he was in a less than charitable mood. It was bad enough he had a human living underneath his roof, but now he also had to deal with Sunreaver's meddling. The Archmage had tried to talk Lor'themar into letting the human go with him, which Rommath was all for, until he realised that the only reason Sunreaver was concerned was because he questioned Rommath's willingness to keep the girl safe. Rommath was the first to admit that he was anti-Alliance, but he had given the Regent-Lord his word, and he would honour it. To imply otherwise was insulting.
He was also offended by the idea that he could be provoked by a mere hunter into abandoning his duty.
It was late, and Rommath was hoping to go to bed and forget this day had ever happened, but as he climbed the staircase to his third floor bedroom, he noticed that the door to his library was open, and a soft glow came from within. He paused by the doorway, surprised by what he saw.
Sitting on one of the long red couches, the human woman was engrossed in a massive tome of Blood Elven history. If he were anywhere else, Rommath would have sworn a second woman was present in the building, so different was Braelyn's appearance from the morning. Her hair, which he previously thought to be a medium brown colour, was actually quite pale, only a few shades darker than blonde. Now that it was clean and brushed, he could see how long it was, reaching the middle of her back in soft waves. Her skin was tanned, no doubt a result of her hunter's lifestyle, and he could make out a slight dusting of freckles across the bridge of her delicate nose. Her lips, soft and plump looking, were rosy, whether by nature or because she was now chewing on them as she read, he did not know.
A frown twisted her mouth; obviously something had troubled her. With a malicious smirk, Rommath wondered if she had learnt something that challenged her beliefs about the 'righteousness' of her people. Her eyes darted to the side, and he was suddenly aware of the strength contained in those dark blue orbs. He had to admit that the girl must have a strong spirit to be coping so well with her captivity. He knew a few of his own race that would not cope half as well if they found themselves in Jaina Proudmoore's possession.
Rommath was no fool, though. He saw that her strength was coupled with an equal amount of stubbornness. It was not a good combination; she would try to run again. In fact, he was surprised she hadn't made an attempt already. Perhaps, she was lulling him into a false sense of security, or, more likely, her unfamiliar surroundings were causing her some self-doubt. She was stubborn, but not foolish.
"This Garithos bloke sounds like he was a real bastard," Braelyn muttered darkly, frown intensifying. "No wonder Kael'Thas went crazy."
Rommath was stunned. He never expected to hear her say such a thing about a man most humans considered a hero. "That man was a disgrace to your race," he said venomously. "And the Prince was not crazy, simply misguided."
Braelyn let out a startled cry, and leapt to her feet. Her eyes widened in fear as she saw Rommath standing in the doorway, and she backed up until her back hit the wall.
"Calm yourself, woman," he said. "Despite Sunreaver's fears, you are not in danger here."
He watched as Braelyn raised her hands to her chest as if trying to force her heart to stop racing. She looked at him, this time without fear. "I'm sorry, I forgot where I was for a minute. It's okay for me to be in here, right?" Rommath nodded.
"As long as you don't destroy anything," he said. He noticed with amusement that she looked angry at being thought capable of such a thing. "Are you enjoying the book?"
"Yes," she said, "although it's very confronting in some parts."
"The Sin'dorei's hatred of the Alliance is not based on trivialities," Rommath stated, surprised again to see the human nodding her head in agreement. "But it is getting late," he added, not wanting to discuss such things with her any longer. He was sure her understanding would only go so far before traditional loyalties caused her to start arguing with him. "I suggest you retire for the night, tomorrow will be a busy day for us both."
"I will," Braelyn said, then bit her lower lip again. "Thank you," she blurted out suddenly. Rommath raised his eyebrow at her.
"For what?"
"Buying me all those clothes and things." She would not meet his eyes, but Rommath could still see the proud tilt of her chin, and realised that it was not easy for her to be thanking him.
"It was in my own interest to do so," he said. "You looked dead, and if I had let you stay like that, I would have never heard the end of it from Halduron or the Regent-Lord."
"But, if I looked dead you could tell yourself that I was Forsaken, and not a horrible human come to torment you," Braelyn replied, the barest hint of a smile teasing her mouth.
"I'd hardly consider that an improvement," Rommath said, dryly. "The Forsaken are not always the most trustworthy of allies." With that, he gave the human a slight bow of the head, and disappeared out the door.
Braelyn grumbled under her breath as the tiny green crystal slipped out of her hand and rolled across the table. Rommath's promised 'busy day' turned out to be several 'busy days' and involved making her sort out a new batch of enchanting reagents by colour and size. Rommath had very exacting standards, and was not above making her redo an hour's work if he was unhappy with her efforts. It was mind-numbingly tedious, and for the fifth time in as many minutes, she thanked the Light she had not chosen enchanting as a profession. I'll stick to skinning and herbalism, thanks, she thought.
She was sitting in a room that Rommath used as a laboratory, along with his two apprentices. Braelyn had introduced herself, which compelled them to return the favour; their names being Astylia and Baldren. Since then, they had shown no inclination to want to get to know her at all, opting to ignore her as they went about their studies. Hurt at first, Braelyn decided it was probably a good thing, as she could tell from their conversations that they were a pair of stuck-up snobs. Their favourite topic was the utter uselessness of humans as mages.
They should say that to my mother.
Braelyn rescued the wayward crystal, and placed it in the basket set aside for 'tiny-and-green'. The two apprentices suddenly started to work more diligently, their conversation about "pathetic human mages" abruptly switching to one about the uses of spirit dust combined with mageweave cloth. It was easy to see why; their master had returned.
It had been interesting watching the Grand Magister with his students over the past days. He was still the stern, aloof man Braelyn had met the first day of her arrival in Silvermoon, but he wasn't as cold. While there was no laughing, or even that much smiling, going on, he was respectful and encouraging. It was enough to make Braelyn quite wistful. Even though they'd shared a civil moment a few nights before, she was not foolish enough to expect the civility to last; simply because she was neither a Blood Elf, nor a mage. The only reason that nothing had disturbed the peace already was the fact that there hadn't been time for trouble to arise.
"Braelyn," Rommath snapped, and she could tell he was in a bad mood. Braelyn had heard a rumour from Lorelai that the Kirin Tor were making life difficult for the Sunreavers out in Pandaria, and that Rommath and Lor'themar Theron may have to take a portal there to sort things out. She hoped it were so; the break would be nice, and give her a chance to investigate the city properly. She wanted to make another attempt to escape, but was unwilling to try while she was still so unfamiliar with the city's layout.
"Yes?" Braelyn replied, keeping her voice as neutral as possible.
"Gather the blue crystals you've sorted, and come with me. Aethas has need of them."
At the mention of the Archmage's name, Braelyn felt her face light up. She liked Aethas, and hopefully he would find a way to let her know if his message to her mother had been received. She grabbed the basket of blue crystals, and followed Rommath outside.
The trip to the Spire was made in silence, Braelyn enjoying the fresh air and sun on her skin. She must have started to slow down because Rommath told her to hurry up. "It's not my fault you stalk about the place so fast with your long legs," she retorted.
"Do not attempt to goad me, woman," he snapped, "unless you want to find yourself locked in your room for the next month."
"You wouldn't dare!"
"I'm tempted to," he replied as they entered the Spire and approached the Regent-Lord. Braelyn was about to start yelling when she caught sight of two uniformed people standing alongside Lor'themar, Halduron, and Aethas. They were both clad in the tabard of the Argent Crusade and were speaking about their need for new recruits. One of them was an Orc, but the other one was human. For a moment, she felt an insane flicker of hope course through her body; then the human turned around.
Braelyn froze in horror, as she realised that her deception was at an end already. The male Crusader was no stranger to her; it was Anders, one of her father's oldest friends, and his shocked expression told her that the recognition was mutual.
"Braelyn Hawke!" Anders exclaimed loudly "What on Azeroth are you doing here?"
The silence was so loud that Braelyn swore she could hear what was being said in Undercity. She looked wildly about the room; Aethas was looking sympathetic, while Lor'themar and Halduron seemed surprised. Her flight response kicked in, but before she could move, Rommath's hand tightened around her arm, causing her to drop her basket.
"Hawke?" he said, barely concealing a smirk. "As in Archmage Ellysan Hawke, of the Kirin Tor?"
Braelyn groaned, hanging her head, as if her hair could shield her from the approaching doom.
Wait... when did my mother join the Kirin Tor?
"Why, yes," Anders replied. "Ellysan is her mother. Her father, Jasper Hawke, is an old friend of mine. Child," he added, looking at Braelyn, "why are you here? Don't you know how worried your parents are? Your cousin told them you were most likely dead, but then Elly got a message saying you'd been abducted by a death knight!"
"Odariah's alive?" Braelyn demanded, head snapping up to look at the Crusader.
"Yes, alive and well; along with that strapping Night Elf lad of hers."
Braelyn was so relieved that she started to cry. "Thank the Light!"
"Braelyn is a... guest of ours," Lor'themar explained. "And will remain with us until we discuss this new information with the Alliance," he added, seeing Anders about to protest.
"I'm sure Lady Proudmoore will be happy to hear what you have to say, my Lord," Rommath said, practically purring with glee.
Damn mages.
AN - I struggled a bit with this chapter. I hope it's okay. I will probably revisit this once I get the story developed a bit more. I also thought it high time we got a good description of what out heroine looks like. She takes after Mum, bless her.
Next chapter: Lady Proudmoore's reaction, and Braelyn discovers some unnerving information about the extent of the Blood Elves' addiction to magic.