"Okay, we need to stop. Like now," Orlaith barked as she rubbed her sore backside.

"Orlaith, we're almost to Astranaar." Kay pointed out.

"I don't care! I'm rubbing blisters on my butt!" She stopped her stormsaber and dismounted. Kay turned his hawkstrider around but didn't dismount. He glared at her with fury for disobeying his orders. On the battlefield she would have been punished.

"We can't stop here," he gritted his teeth, knowing that they were so close to Astranaar, they could be discovered. Before he even had a chance to make Orlaith his.

"Yes we can. If we settle down by the lake, we'll be okay."

"What lake?"

"You'll see. There's a few elementals that hang around there, but we're such a high rank, they won't mess with us. Astranaar guards don't venture out that far to stay away from them." Kay grunted in dismay, but if she was right, then it wouldn't be a problem. Besides, maybe they could extend the rest until night, and he could use that opportunity to crack Orlaith's shell.

"So is it okay?" the priestess bit her lip, and looked at him with dewy eyes. The paladin looked down at her from his mount, and her natural beauty shone in her home environment of the forest. Her iridescent skin glittered with the light, and he remembered the first time he felt an attraction to her. It was raining, and the forest light made her skin shine. His temper settled, and he dismounted.

"As long as you're right, we can stay," he nodded to her. She squealed and threw her arms around his neck.

"A thousand thanks from my behind. I should probably go soak in the water to try and soothe it." She walked over to a small tree, set down her bags, and started to build a campfire. "I'm gonna make something, what do you feel like eating?" He joined her and sat beside her.

"It doesn't matter, after a few months of Akken's food will rough you up for any sort of surprise." He winked at her. She looked down at her pile of sticks, hiding the smile that grew on her face. The fire burst into life, and she sat back. She pulled out her fishing pole and rose from her spot.

"I'll be back," she said, and fingered a bar of soap that she had behind her back.

"Okay," the paladin gave her a causal salute as he unloaded his bags and dropped himself beside the fire. Orlaith spun on her heel, and started towards the lake. A bath in the cool Ashenvale water was going to be wonderful. She loved the forest, especially when she had it all to herself in her solitude. She walked swiftly, excited to submerge herself in the cleansing water. Sure the baths she had in Thunder Bluff at Amuuru's were nice, but it was nothing compared to a bath in the night elf forests. She finally reached her destination and put her fishing pole aside. First things first. She apologized to the pole laying in the grass. She quickly shed her sweaty, dusty robes that she had been traveling in, and dipped her feet in the water. She gasped as it was a little cooler than she remembered, but it was still inviting. A large grin grew on her face as she turned around and walked back a few steps, then turned to face the water. She sprinted towards the lake, and bounded into the air. She curled herself into a ball and gave out a happy yelp. She plunged into the water, and the cool temperature took it's grasp over her. It was shocking at it paralyzed her for a minute, but then she started kicking towards the surface and the temperature didn't bother her so much. She rose out of the water and gasped for air. Her snowy hair clung to the back of her neck, and she swam to shore and grabbed her bar of soap piled by her clothes. She scrubbed her face, arms, and everywhere else she could get clean.

After her vigorous scrubbing, she relaxed, breathing deeply, and her legs rose from beneath her. She lied on her back, floating gently on the water. The evening sun seeped through the trees, reflecting off the water, and danced off of her skin. She sighed, for nothing else on earth gave her this satisfaction. Well, no other place in Azeroth gave her this satisfaction. Well, that wasn't entirely true either, considering how much she enjoyed her time at Thunder Bluff. Orlaith grimaced and clapped her hands to her head. No, no, no! This is not how it goes! You are to return to Darnassas and try to get your old job back! However, the haunting memory of Kay asking if that made her happy tugged at her. She tossed her head, and refused to deal with that issue at that moment. Right now, she was alone in the forest, and that was all she needed. She let herself lie on her back again, floating, letting her mind clear of all stressing thoughts. For now, she would try to soothe her aching head.

That was, until she heard someone clear their throat behind her. She whipped around, ready to fight, when she saw it was Kay.

"What are you doing here?" She demanded, concealing hers naked body under the water.

"I thought you'd need this bait," he said dangling her tackle box at her. "When I stumbled upon a night elf bathing," he raised an eyebrow. "You expect me to just leave?"

"You're terrible," she chastised, reaching for her tackle box, but he held it just out of reach.

"Oh I am far worse," excitement flashed in his eyes, as he knelt down to her. "And you have no one to protect you from it, Priestess." He placed her tackle box beside her fishing pole, and leaned back. "Please, don't stop for me," he motioned for her to continue. The priestess turned bright red.

"Can you just hand me my robes?"

"Why ever would I do that?" He asked, sweetly.

"Kay," she begged.

"I could just join you," he flashed her a seductive gaze. Her pulse raced at the thought, and even felt her desire throbbing for him to do so. She swallowed nervously.

"Just pass me the robes," she squeaked. The paladin handed her the clothes, which she rose out of the water, quickly trying to cover her exposed flesh. Kay felt his loins throb harder as she rose from the water. He already had a good look at her floating in the water, and he also caught her little episode a few minutes ago. Kay knew that this was hard on her, which put more stress on when to make his move. It was a bittersweet attraction they had for each other, but he would be damned if he would treat her as less of the night elf she was.

The priestess wrapped her robes around her body quickly, disappointed that she didn't get a chance to wash them. Suddenly, she felt her ears prickle. She looked to her side, where the noise was coming from. Clearly Kay heard the sound, too, because he slowly rose to his feet, and she heard the clink of his plated gloves grab the hilt of his sword. They were quiet for a while, hoping the sound was just a critter or one of the elementals.

"Kay?" She whispered. He made a soft shushing noise, as he crept towards the sound, when a fast blur of silver pounced on him from the shadows. Shadowmeld. She cursed, as a night elf sentinel shouted at the blood elf in Darnassian. A second guard joined in the fight, and quickly slashed across his back. Blood rained down and stained the grass beneath him. Orlaith cried out in horror, as the paladin let out a roar of anguish. He stunned the first sentinel, and quickly turned his aggression toward the second one. His sword clashed with the sentinel's sword, and then the paladin dropped Judgment of Light on the guard and sealed his fate with Hammer of Wrath. But it wasn't fast enough, because the second sentinel was already ready to strike him.

Orlaith didn't think. Well, she thought with he wrong part of her body, because as the guard's sword was about to finish the paladin off, she closed her eyes and put Power Word: Shield over the paladin to protect him. The sentinel's blow bounced off of the paladin, and the sword flew into the air, harmlessly. Kay quickly finished the him off, and ran to the priestess. Orlaith looked into the eyes of the dying night elf sentinel.

"Why, sister?" He asked in Darnassian before he joined Elune in the afterlife.

"Orlaith," Kay grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her gently. "Snap out of it!"

"W-what?" She stammered.

"Are you okay?" He demanded.

"Yes," she answered, "yes I think so."

"By the Light, you didn't have to do that," he grabbed her in a close embrace and pulled her to into him.

"But you would have died!" She protested, resting her head against his chest, blinking back tears.

"Sweetheart, paladins have their own protection, I would have been just fine."

"But you got hurt!" She pushed him back, staring intensely into his eyes.

"I'm fine," he informed her slowly.

"Please let me help you," her eyes grew misty and her lower lip stuck out ever so slightly. The paladin noted her desperation, and his face grew from concerned to serious. She valued his life enough to defend him from her own people. He nodded, and allowed her to lead him back to camp. He sat down by the fire, and she knelt behind him, removing the plate off of his chest. Orlaith removed his tunic, and exposed the wound, which extended from his left shoulder blade to the bottom of his right ribcage. It was a clean cut, but it wasn't deep enough to do some serious damage.

"You're very lucky," she said. "Someone really is watching out for you," she placed her shaking hands on his taut and powerful back muscles. Orlaith closed her eyes and relaxed. Her hands glowed with arcane energy, as she repaired the broken vessels. The blood stopped seeping through his gash, and his skin quickly melded together. She took her hands off and opened her eyes, to see her work was finished. She sat there for a minute, and then she leaned into him, resting her head on his back. They stayed silent for a while longer, and then Kay spoke.

"What did that sentinel say to you?"

"He said, 'Why, sister?'" She whimpered. The paladin breathed out a long sigh. Orlaith flung her arms around him, hugging him close to her and burying her face in his thick shoulder muscles to wipe away her tears.

"Are you proud of what you've done?" He asked, looking over his shoulder.

"No," she whispered. There was a pause, and she licked her lips to speak again. "But I'm glad I didn't lose you." The blood elf spun himself around to face her. The priestess's face was streaked with her tears, and he removed his plated glove to touch her. He ran his fingers along her jawline and chin, and turned her face up to his.

"Orlaith, you are the only female in Azeroth that got my attraction," he told her, and before she could answer, his powerful lips silenced hers. She trembled in his arms, as he tried to comfort her. He scooped her up in his arms, and leaned against a tree. There, in the forest of Ashenvale, Orlaith felt complete. It was the first time she had ever felt such a sensation, and she felt guilty that it was only after she aided her blood elf in combat against the Alliance. But Kay's embrace helped soothe the guilt she couldn't subdue on her own. At least, not without the caraway burnwine. She felt lucky, for he had told her she was the only one he was attracted to! But it wasn't exactly what she was looking for. Orlaith was looking for something more real to stand on. Right now, though, the priestess found comfort in his arms, as his soft, deep voice lulled her to sleep. Kay spent the whole night with her sleeping in his lap, and he sat awake, making sure she was alright through the night. Every time she stirred, he was there, ready for whatever she needed him to do. That night, he was fine with being a pillow.

Orlaith woke that morning to see the paladin still holding her from the night before. He had dozed off, but his face showed that he stayed up until the very early hours of the morning. She crawled off of his lap, trying not to disturb him, but the paladin's eyes flew open as he gripped his sword, ready for battle. The priestess kissed him on the cheek.

"Kay, it's just me," she said, as he relaxed. He groaned as he shifted his weight to stand up. "Did you stay awake all night?"

"Almost," he replied.

"I'm sorry," she kicked dirt over the small fire.

"I'm not," he rose from the ground and stretched out his back.

"We should get going," she informed him, shuddering with the morning chill. Also, with the thought of them separating.

"Lead the way," the paladin said, mounting up.

Kay rode beside her, as they entered the forest of Darkshore.

"Let's stop for a while," he suggested, and she nodded in agreement. He started to walk away from the path, and she followed him. Then, Kay grabbed her, and pinned her shoulders to a tree. He focused his gaze into her eyes, and she stared back, astonished.

"Orlaith, tell me this." His eyes narrowed and glowed with intensity. "And I want a strait answer this time. Will taking me to Darnassas truly bring you your everlasting happiness?" Orlaith stared back, her eyebrows turning up in deep concern. "I am not bringing this up because I fear the Alliance. Which I don't," he added. She nodded sheepishly. "Orlaith, if you believe bringing Alliance Justice to me will bring you peace, then I will follow you without question. If you believe this will bring you happiness, I will gladly sacrifice my life." The priestess felt her nose prickle, and her eyes started to sting. The paladin's expression softened, and he wrapped his arms around her and held her close. Orlaith let her head rest on the cold plate of his armor, and rested her hands over his large chest. Tears ran down her cheek and fell on the paladin's plated chest.

"There's no need to cry, sweetheart," he said, gently.

"Kay, I don't know any other way of life," she whispered in fear. "Do we have another option?" She looked up to him, her lips parted, her eyes desperate for answers. He smiled kindly at her, and used a finger to brush the white hair out of her face. The paladin suddenly frowned, and looked over his shoulder. He cursed, and let her go. He unsheathed his sword and stood ready to defend.

"We're surrounded," he growled. Orlaith withdrew her staff, and stood firmly with her feet planted apart, ready to fight as well. "Come out! We know you're here!" Kay shouted into the woods.

Slowly, night elf soldiers emerged from the darkness. Twenty at first, then thirty, and it turned to fifty soldiers. One stepped closer to them, and held iron cuffs to subdue their new prisoner. The male soldier spoke first.

"Good job, Priestess. We shall take the paladin into our custody." He made a motion with his hand, and then three hunters stepped out from the darkness, their crossbows and guns pointed directly to the paladin. "Stand down, Priestess," The soldier warned. Orlaith looked to the paladin for guidance, and he looked at her with his stern expression, waiting for her to make her move. She put her staff on her back, and stepped towards her comrades. She turned, and then watched as Kayalos sheathed his sword, and held out his arms. The priestess squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her teeth, as she heard the iron clamp down over the paladin's arms. Tears spilled over her cheeks and she choked back a sob, praying softly to Elune for a miracle. However, she knew that this was all her fault. She selfishly lead him into danger, not wanting to let him go earlier. The troops moved out, escorting the captive to the boats. She followed behind, her heart heavy with shame and disappointment.

Once they were at Darkshore, she saw her brother standing at the inn's door, almost like he was waiting for her. The guards walked past the inn, and up to the docks, and Orlaith still trailed behind them. Kaliden walked to his sister and put his arm around her shoulders.

"You did the right thing, sis," the warrior said, giving her a tight squeeze.

"No, Kal," she whispered gently, watching them load up the paladin on the boat, escorting him down below. "I didn't."

Entering the city of Darnassas, she could see confetti being dropped from the trees, and her people all gathered around her. They all flooded her with questions, and some of them even thanked her. She leaned to her brother and whispered, "Please get me out of here." Her brother pushed the people aside gently but firmly, and led her up to their parent's home, where her mother and father greeted her. With a cake.

"Orlaith, we could not be prouder of you," her mother told her at the table, as they shared the cake.

"Yes, daughter, we are very happy for you," her father echoed, and put a hand on her head. The priestess just nodded at her parents with the same solemn face that had been plastered there for hours. All she could think about was where the paladin could be, and if he was okay. She squeezed her eyes shut and gritted her teeth, knowing that she was foolish for thinking that way. After all, she was the one who condemned him to death, by not making up her mind. She stood up from her seat.

"I'm going to bed," she announced, and spun around to her room. She collapsed on the bed and covered her face in her pillow. She screamed into her pillow as loud as she could, until screaming turned into horrible sounds of half-screaming and half-crying. She did this for hours, until she fell asleep from sheer exhaustion. While she was asleep, her brother opened the door into his sister's room. He watched her face in the moonlight, which was still warped into the saddest expression he had ever seen. He swallowed his own sadness from observing her, and he closed the door quietly behind him not to disturb her.

The next morning, Orlaith woke very early, before the sun was up. She refused to get out of her bed, and just rolled to her side, thinking of what her life was going to be like now. Orlaith had been dreading this since the moment the paladin first kissed her, and she realized her attraction to him. Did she really expect a future to come from this? Surely not at first, but the hope grew with each passing day she spent in the blood elf's company. She wished that she could just wander Azeroth with Kayalos, just following wherever he would go. She groaned a little at the thought of the paladin never being able to wander Azeroth again. Perhaps they would show mercy on him? Fool! Screamed in her mind as she blinked back tears.

"You were right, Kay," Orlaith said to the walls of her room. "Bringing you here did not make me happy. Not only did it not make me happy, but I think I'm worse off than before," she choked out through the lump in her throat. The paladin would parish, and it was her own fault. Her own selfish needs. What was this feeling of dread? She was shocked that she felt such impending doom with the death of the blood elf. This was the man that had killed her comrades, but yet everything she truly wanted would die with him. She gasped a little. There was no possible way. Absolutely no way. Did she love him? Had she fallen for the blood elf?

She swallowed the lump in her throat, and begged that it wasn't true. But it was the only logical explanation for why she was feeling as crummy as she was. And it explained why she only reacted to his touch alone, and his voice. She sobbed gently, for she dreaded that she would never hear that voice ever again. She thought of breaking into the dungeon to see him. But what can I do? I'm just a healer! I don't even know where he is! She cursed. He could already be in Stormwind.

Her thoughts were interrupted with a knock on the door. Orlaith quickly wiped her eyes dry with her hand, and gained control of her emotions.

"Come in," she said in monotone, and the door creaked open. It was her brother.

"Um, Orlaith," he began, "High Priestess Whisperwind would like to see you in the temple. I'll take you." The snowy-haired priestess reluctantly left her bed, and went to her brother. "You're not going to clean up?" He asked, and Orlaith shook her head. "Okay," he shrugged, and they left the house and walked to the palace where Tyrande Whisperwind was. They dodged night elves in the street, praising Orlaith for protecting their city. Orlaith felt her heart sink further with every expression of gratitude. She breathed a sigh of relief once they reached the temple, and they walked up the curving ramp to where the High Priestess stood. Orlaith bowed with great respect, and she saw the High Priestess smile.

"My child," she began. "On behalf of Darnassas, we thank you for your loyal service."

"Thank you, my lady," Orlaith answered, but then she spoke before she could stop herself. "I was wondering, what is to become of the paladin, Kayalos?" The High Priestess's face grew stern.

"He is to await trial in Stormwind. He will stay here until we can move him to the stockades." Orlaith's eyes grew wide.

"He was only doing to us what we had done to his family." She shot out.

"Orlaith!" Kaliden chided.

"Kayalos was left for dead in his village in Eversong Woods. We slaughtered innocent civilians, my lady. I think we should be at trial, not him." She said, almost choking on her words to hide the secret of the scrolls. "Please, my lady," she bowed her head in desperation, "I beg you to show mercy on him."

"Orlaith! Are you daft?" Kaliden demanded. He turned to the High Priestess, "I apologize, my lady. She has been quite shaken since yesterday." Tyrande nodded in pity.

"Orlaith, my child," she said softly, "I am sorry, I understand your pain, and I wish I could help. Unfortunately, it is out of my hands now. The Alliance wants blood, his blood." The small priestess burst into tears, and bowed quickly before she ran out. She knew the High Priestess had to act in the Alliance's best interest, instead of her wishes, but she was still crushed and heartbroken. She heard her brother calling for her, but she kept running, hoping for some peace. She kept running, until she reached outside of the city towards Wellspring Lake. She ran to escape the citizens of Darnassas, her family, the secret of the scrolls, but she couldn't run away from her mind. She reached the water, and dove in. She sunk to the bottom where she stayed for a minute. I don't deserve to live. She scolded herself, but even she feared suicide. She swam to the surface, and dragged herself to the shore. She rolled on her back, looking to the ceiling of leaves the trees provided. Her home was beautiful, but she couldn't get the paladin out of her mind.

She thought of the first time he smiled at her, the first time they shared a kiss, and how she gave him her maidenhood. Orlaith felt that she could never forgive herself. She rolled to her side, and remembered how well he took care of her during her stay at Thunder Bluff, and the kindess of Amuuru and Akken. She shut her eyes as she realized that she had failed the shaman, who had wishes of her son and her to unite. It brought her just as much pain as losing Kayalos. She trailed off in her thoughts, praying to Elune for a miracle.

Kayalos started to come to, and felt intense pain in his jaw first. He started to reach for it, when his arms wouldn't move. He pulled harder, forcing his arms to obey, when he heard the clinking of iron chains. Those bastards, his arms were above his head, and he was standing against the rock of the dungeon. Well, he was standing now. While he was knocked out, he was being held up my the chains, dangling by his arms. He yawned, and his lips cracked, and the taste of blood filled his mouth. His lip ached, and he remembered once he got into the dungeon, the beatings began. The Alliance dogs wouldn't even let him defend himself. Once they clubbed him pretty good and fell to the ground, they started kicking him everywhere. The stomach, the face, nowhere was off-limits. Kay knew he wouldn't fight back anyway.

He wondered where Orlaith was at that very moment. She never gave him the strait answer he asked for. No matter, he would have to stay alive long enough to hear what she had to say. If she was happy, he was ready to die, and see his parents again. However, he felt a sense of dread sweep over him like a wave crashing down on him. He would have enjoyed spending much more of his time with the priestess. He even planned areas they could hide until the Alliance and Horde made peace, if it ever came in their lifetime. The dread in his gut grew, as he thought of the child that they never had a chance to bring into the world. He had never thought of having children before, but the thought of a family with the priestess brought comfort into his heart. He wanted the child to have his fighting spirit, but with Orlaith's gentle nature. And Kayalos knew he would protect both of them forever. Was he a fool for wishing such things? He didn't even know if the priestess wanted such things from him.

But he wanted it. He wanted to see her laughter again, and to hold her small, female body against his. And he wanted to be there with her until the of his days, and more importantly, not like this. He couldn't let it end like this. His thoughts were interrupted by footsteps down the hall of two men. The light of a torch approached, as he watched it grow lighter under the wooden door of his cell. Then he saw two pairs of feet stop at his door, and heard the turning of a key. Kayalos cursed. More beatings, or his trip to Stormwind? He preferred the beatings. The guards had told him of his fate while they wrecked havoc on his body. Nonetheless, he refused to show any weakness to those butchers. The door squeaked open, and Kayalos's eyes burned at the sight of the torch. Two night elves walked into his cell and closed the door behind him.

"Let's get this over with," the younger one said, "quickly." The older one approached him slowly, eyes intense with suspicion.

"Kayalos," the old night elf began in Orcish, "I am Orlaith's father." He pointed to the younger night elf, and said, "brother, Kaliden." The blood elf's mouth twitched, but he remained silent. "I speak little Orcish, and poorly. I must ask question." The paladin's eyes grew curious, as the old night elf searched his thoughts for the right words. Kayalos sighed and closed his eyes.

"Calm your thoughts, old man. I speak fluent Common." Usually the paladin would never let such secrets go, especially in the enemy's presence, but he was in a sympathetic mood. Most of his kindness was coming from his relation to the female he cared a great deal for.

"Good," Kaliden spoke up, "Then let me ask the question." The warrior rushed up to the paladin and got in his face. "Do you love my sister?" He glared. The paladin's eyes grew wild as he choked on air. Well I guess I see where Orlaith gets her tact from.

"Kaliden," his father barked, and the young warrior stood down. "Listen, please, paladin. My daughter, she's not well. She hasn't been well for years, but I see something inside her is crumbling. I believe something between you and her has happened, especially the way she defended you in front of the High Priestess."

"What?" Kayalos demanded, shocked.

"She begged for her to show mercy on you," Kaliden scoffed.

"Do not know what is going on, so we thought we would ask you a few questions." The old warrior said, "I've never seen my daughter so depressed before. Why is that? What happened?"

"I don't know, you should ask her," Kayalos rolled his eyes. He felt it wasn't her father's business, getting into her daughter's relations.

"He's asking you," Kaliden growled.

"You wanna let me down so I can show you what a little thing called 'manners' are?" Kayalos snarled.

"You sure picked the right time-" Kaliden stepped forward, fists clenched, ready for a good fight, when the old warrior stepped between them.

"Calm yourselves! Please. The guards could hear, and once they catch us down here, we'll be up on the wall with you. Listen, we want to help, paladin." The father said desperately. Kay froze. What on earth could an old man and one warrior accomplish?

"Kayalos," the old night elf began. "I need a serious answer from you. Please be honest." He took in a deep breath. "Are you in love with my daughter?"

"I'm not sure," he answered. "I care a great deal for her, though."

"Caring is not enough, paladin," the father spoke again, and then motioned for his son to follow him as they walked to the door. "Simply caring is not enough for you both to face the hatred of the Alliance and the Horde," he informed the paladin, right before closing the heavy wooden door behind him and locked it. Once again, the paladin was left alone in the dark with his thoughts. The blood elf clenched his fists, wishing for his freedom, just so he could ask Orlaith the same question.

Kaliden rode to his sister's favorite place in Teldrassil, the lake by the Oracle Glade. It was where she always retreated to when she was upset when they were kids. It was probably where she was hiding out now. The sparkle of the lake revealed itself as he grew closer, and he saw a figure lying in the sun. Orlaith, he dismounted and walked to the female. She was curled on her side, using her arm as a pillow, and staring into the light reflecting off of the water.

"Hey kiddo," Kaliden sat down, cross-legged beside her. "We know something's up." She didn't say anything. "He's still here, he's in the lower level in the dungeon." The corner of her mouth twitched. "Do you want to see him?" Orlaith's heart soared. She would gladly sacrafice all of the magic she possessed, just to be next to him for a few minutes. But, she had deeply betrayed him, and now he was facing a brutal death because of her.

"N-no," she whispered, choking back tears. Her vision went blurry, and her eyes stung viciously, for her constant tears had dried them out.

"Orlaith, seeing you like this is very painful for Mom and Dad," he put a hand on her head, and just rested it there, "as your brother, I want you to be happy. Whatever that is. We all feel the same way. We don't care what you do with your life, as long as your safe and happy."

"R-really Kal?" She asked, her voice broken up.

"Of course, Lai," he smiled at her. The priestess sat up, her legs curled beside her and leaning on one arm. She rubbed tears from her face with the sleeve of her robe.

"Even when I was in Outland all that time?" She asked, sheepishly. Kaliden frowned.

"What do you mean? When you stayed behind?" Orlaith nodded in response. "Why would you ask such a question? Of course we didn't care. Mom and Dad agreed with me, if you loved healing in Outland so much, what was so wrong with staying there?"

"I thought I was an embarrassment, because all the other families had sons and daughters bringing home such great stuff and stories."

"You honestly thought that for the past two years?" He demanded. The priestess bit her lip, and nodded. "How could you think we love you any less based on your rank?" Orlaith shrugged.

"Kayalos taught me to live for myself, and not regret it. I'm very thankful for that," she sighed. There was silence between the two, as they listened to the sounds of the forest.

"You love him, don't you?" Kaliden finally asked, the stern expression on his face as before when he asked Kayalos himself in the dungeon. Orlaith's eyes filled with tears again, and she nodded.

"Oh Kal," she burst into tears and grabbed her brother into a bear hug. She clung to him and sobbed. "I love him so much, I wish I could trade my life for his." She admitted.

"Come on," he picked her up as he stood. "We're going to see him tonight." Orlaith gasped.

"No! Please, I can't face him after this," she begged.

"Orlaith, you can't run from this. If you do, you'll regret it for the rest of your life. Put away your pride for now, you need to meet with him. Let's get home, we can get Dad to come with us to let us in."

"I'm a wreck!" She tried one last excuse. Her brother smiled at her, and kissed her forehead.

"You can easily fix that. Let's get you cleaned up." Kaliden led his little sister from her hiding place, and back into the city. Once they entered the house, her mother met them at the door.

"Orlaith, daughter," her mother began, "a funny little gnome has come by. He insists he knows you." The priestess raised an eyebrow.

"Who?"

"His name is Timer," her mother answered. Orlaith made out a weak smile.

"Yes, I know him. He built me the tools necessary of-" she stopped herself before she could finish her sentence. She swallowed her tears of emotion back and squeaked out the rest, "-capturing Kay."

"Well he's in the kitchen, and he's asking for you." Her mother nodded her head in the direction of the kitchen. Orlaith walked past her, and entered in the kitchen, to see her short friend sitting at one of the tables. When he saw her enter the room, he jumped down, clearly overjoyed in seeing her. She knelt down to his level, and hugged her friend gently.

"Timer," she smiled, as he pulled away to safe talking distance between them. "How did you get here?"

"I heard that a night elf had captured the dreaded paladin and brought him to Darnassas. I had to come and see you. You've been missing for weeks!" Timer rung his hands. "We all feared the worst."

"Oh," the priestess tried to think of a lie. She felt awful telling it to such a gentle and good friend. "Well, there was a few problems with the tracker."

"Really? Why didn't you come back?" Timer cocked his head. "I would've gladly fixed it."

"Well, um," she bit her lip, "see, I lost it, and I didn't want to, um, make you make another one," she looked around the room to try to add to the story. "And then I got lost in the Barrens, but luckily I just made my way through everything."

"Uh huh," the gnome searched her expression and knew immediately she wasn't telling the truth. "How 'bout them crocodiles?"

"Oh, jeez you will not believe how many I saw!" Orlaith lied through her teeth.

"Orlaith," Timer said slowly, "there are no crocodiles in the Barrens." The priestess started to shift her weight as she thought of one last lie.

"Oh well, that was because some of the beasts might have looked like them! But you're right." She shrugged, "No crocs in the Barrens." She smiled at him, nervously.

"Orlaith, please, I just want the truth. There are crocodiles in the Barrens, by the river. However, crocodiles are not the issue here. You're strait out lying to me." The gnome stared at his feet. "My family and I were worried sick." The priestess felt herself being eaten away with guilt.

"I'm sorry, Timer." She began, "I just," she thought of a good way to express what happened. Unfortunately, there was no good way of putting that she fell in love with the enemy. "The truth is your device worked great. I should return it to you, since it is your work." She stood up, and started to get it. "I'll go get it for you."

"Just wait a minute," the gnome's gaze turned harsh. The priestess froze in her tracks. "Now listen, I don't give two darns about what happened to the device. I just wanted the truth of how you were doing."

"Timer," Orlaith sat back down on the floor.

"I'm sorry, I lost my temper," the gnome scratched at his head. "I just figured we should keep our friendship up."

"Oh, I would enjoy that-" she started to say.

"But, I see that there is something else nagging at you." He gently patted her hand. "I'm not insulted in the least, and I do wish you the best. My doors in Ironforge are always welcome to you." Then, the gnome stood on his tip-toes, kissed her on the forehead, and took his leave. He said his farewells to her mother, and left to the local inn. Inside the inn, the gnome searched through his bags, and pulled out the engagement ring he had in his bag. He stared at it and sighed. He felt foolish for coming, but it only enforced what he feared; rejection. The gnome packed up his bags and bought a ticket home. He truly did wish the night elf happiness, but it was clearly not with him.

The priestess paced in her room nervously, waiting for her brother to tell her it was dark and quiet enough to sneak outside to the Darnassas dungeons. The meeting with the gnome proved to herself how much she changed within the last few weeks. She fingered the tracking device that Timer made for her and set it inside a drawer. She checked the mirror one last time, and sighed. She had woven flowers into her hair, redefined her leaf tattoos under her eyes, washed all the dirt from her skin so it glittered, and she wore a white woolen dress that she made years ago when she first started tailoring. It was a little bigger than she remembered, but it still brought out her natural beauty. Orlaith moved to her bag, as she removed Kay's ring. She fingered it, and closed her eyes, and breathed in deeply. She remembered his warm smile, and her heart ached to be near him again. She wished to entwine her hand with his once again, and the thought brewed butterflies in her stomach. Her eyes snapped open as she decided that she had to tell him. Orlaith had to tell him exactly how he made her feel, even if he didn't return her favor. Her heart sank as she thought of the worst case scenario. "I'm waiting to be taken to my death, and you bring this up now? Silly girl!" She heard him snarl in her mind. Maybe she shouldn't tell him. Even if she told him how much she cared, would it make any difference in their situation? No. It was impossible for her to infiltrate the dungeon, especially with her brother and father standing right there, watching. She didn't even have the keys to get into his cell. A knock came to her door and she jumped a little.

"Lai?" She heard her father say behind the door, and he opened it, light flooding into her room. It was darker than she thought.

"Is it time?" She asked hurriedly. Her father nodded, and she saw her brother behind him arming himself. "We're not going to kill him?" She squeaked.

"No, dear," Her father answered. "It's just in case." Her brother nodded in agreement.

"Let's not waste any more time. They're in between shifts," Kaliden ordered. The priestess nodded, as they took their leave from the house.

Kayalos awoke to the sound of the key turning to his cell door. It swung open, and once again light flooded the room. He heard a woman's gasp and then light footsteps rushing towards him. Orlaith, he thought, and he suddenly felt his anxiety and despair dissolve from his system. Like all the weight he had was lifted, and the pain from his arms and wounds were gone. His eyes adjusted and grew wide, as he saw Orlaith standing before him, looking more breathtakingly stunning than ever before. But her face reflected deep despair, as she reached out and put a soft hand against his swollen cheekbone. Her hand glowed with light as he felt his pain dissipating.

"Kay," she whispered, "what did they do to you?" She moved her hand to his shoulder and it returned with glowing light. She was healing him, and doing a damned good job of it. He smiled inside, for this was coming strait from her soul.

"Oh, you know," he gave her his half-grin, "what the Alliance dogs do best." He saw her eyes fill up with tears. "Don't cry, don't you dare do it for me." He growled, eyes narrowing.

"I can't help it," she snapped, blinking back her tears. It felt so good to be with him again, even if they were arguing. She couldn't help but miss their arguing.

"How did you get here? More importantly what are you doing here?" He demanded, as she finished healing him. That's when she stood on her tip-toes, and threw her arms around his neck in a tight embrace. He felt her shaking a little, and she pulled away a little, just to look into his eyes.

"I had to see you," she said desperately. He breathed out a small sigh.

"Yes, but how did you get here?" He asked again, and she turned towards the door, where her brother and father were giving them their privacy, and also standing watch for any coming guards.

"My family," she smiled, and then turned back to him and smiled. He stared into her glowing eyes, which had changed to happiness from a moment ago. His face softened into a smile, and couldn't resist capturing her lips into his. A feeling of power surged through him, and he pulled back, trying not to make her family feel strange. Orlaith trembled all over as she clung to him tighter.

"Kay," she started, "I needed to tell you something. Please, believe me," She released him, and stood back a little. She wrung her hands, and Kay saw that she was wearing his ring on her thumb.

"Go ahead. I'm listening."

"When you asked if bringing you to Darnassas would bring me peace and happiness," she silently prayed to Elune one last time that he would believe her, "I was about to say no." The paladin's eyes grew soft, and the ends of his lips curled up.

"I know," he said, reading her face. She was telling the truth. Orlaith's face lit up and she blinked back tears, as her heart filled with warmth and courage. She felt strong, and while she was on this high, she added:

"Kayalos, if I had gotten the chance back in the woods, I would have told you that I want to stay with you. Forever. To follow you to anywhere you would lead me." She swallowed the lump in her throat. "Kay, I love you. You're the only one I could ever love. I want to say that to you every morning I wake up by your side, and every night I fall asleep by your side." The paladin's heart soared, as his arcane magic swelled around him. Softly, wind blew through her hair, as the iron shackles holding him to the wall groaned. The paladin squeezed his eyes shut, flexed his arms, and filled the halls with an earth-shaking roar. The iron shackles broke, and he fell to a knee. The priestess rushed to his side and put her hands on his shoulders, dropping to her knees.

"By Elune, are you okay?" She asked, and the paladin looked up at her with a fierce look in his glowing eyes. He grabbed her, holding her tightly.

"Orlaith, I accept that offer," he whispered into her long, elf ear. "As long as you're by my side, I can do anything. We can do anything." He pulled her back to see her face, which was full of hope, and love.

"Oh Kay, I love you." She said again, smiling.

"Orlaith, I love you, too," he replied, and he meant it, with every being of his soul. He captured her lips in his again, kissing her gently.

"I hate to break up the party, guys," Kaliden interrupted, and the two looked at him. "But we've got to go."

"What?" Orlaith stared at him blankly.

"Your mother and I gathered some of our savings together, and we paid off the boatman to take you guys to Darkshore." Her father said with a warm smile. Orlaith's jaw dropped.

"What? Why?" Orlaith jumped to her feet, and Kay rose to his feet. His legs ached, but he put it out of his mind.

"Dear," her father walked up to his daughter, "we want you to be happy. If being with Kayalos makes you happy, we want you to do it." He held her tightly, knowing he would probably never hug his daughter again in this world. He let her go, and he went to the blood elf, who held his hand out for the old night elf to shake it. The old warrior's face grew grim, but he accepted it. "Please take care of her." He whispered, before letting him go.

"You'll never have to worry about that, I promise you." Kayalos assured him. The night elf nodded.

"We have to go." Kaliden interrupted. "Now." The group gathered themselves up, and Kaliden locked the door behind them. They crept out silently, and exited the dungeon. Kaliden handed Kayalos his cloak. "So you're not sticking out," he grinned. The paladin took it, and covered his head. They quickly headed to the portal, and Orlaith looked back to her home, where she saw her mother in the window. Her mother nodded, and for the first time in a long time, her mother smiled at her daughter. Orlaith felt a rush of relief, and she nodded back. They entered the portal, and they were on the other side of Darnassas. They walked towards the docks, and Kaliden pulled a few bags out of a bush. Orlaith looked at her brother quizzically, but once they reached the docks, she understood.

"Here," Kaliden said, holding out the bags, and Orlaith took them from him. "It's weapons, some food and water, and some tools."

"And take this," her father said, holding out two small bags to Kayalos, "it should get you far enough until you can make some of your own." The paladin opened the bags, and his jaw dropped slightly.

"Old man, this is way too much," The paladin shot, and Orlaith looked over to see two full bags of gold pieces. The priestess gasped.

"How can we ever repay you?" Orlaith asked.

"Live a long, happy life. Give us grandchildren." Her father smiled, and held his daughter one last time before the boat came into sight.

"I will try to contact you," Kaliden said, as the priestess hugged her brother.

"Don't get in trouble," the priestess begged, before they quickly got on the boat. They waved goodbye as it pulled away from the dock towards Darkshore. Orlaith got her wish as she entwined her hand in the paladin's. He turned to her and kissed her on her nose.

"So, I guess we should get married now, huh?" He asked, smiling as he held her hand in his. Orlaith laughed, and threw her arms around his shoulders, and his arms wrapped around her curvy waist.

"Nothing would make me happier," the priestess replied, and she kissed her blood elf.