Ch 9 – The Familiar Stranger
Rhenn, The Lady Marquise of Redridge, now recovered had seemed to dive back into her duties as diplomat to the King of Stormwind with as much vigor as she had before. The King and her mate worried for her, that she was doing too much too quickly, but she seemed to have renewed energy. Tirion, Thrall, and Varian held her confidence and were whom she spoke her full mind to. Though even then she hid much of the pain she felt or at least she tried. One, however, saw through the mask she had built. She evaded him for days until he finally had her cornered. She thought she could be brave and not let the pain touch her. If she made it not exist than it would just go away, right? For two months she let the mask harden and let herself not think on the pain. She did not wish to feel it again. Even ever Thrall or Varian asked on the matter she skillfully diverted them. Grekko, her mate could not face his wife on the matter feeling responsible as it was.
Highlord Tirion Fordring, however, was the only one brave enough to confront her about her feelings about losing the child she had been carrying only two months before. Though she found ways to avoid the man for a time, in the end she found herself alone with him and he stood between her and her exit. The paladin was a skilled interrogator as well as friend and he had broken through the barrier she had constructed around her hurt being on the matter. She had tried to seal off that part of her soul, but like a festering wound, he knew it would come back to haunt her if she did not release the pain and speak about it. Like a toxin it had to be drawn to the surface and expelled. She had collapsed against him and he held her while she sobbed and let the pain that marred her seemingly normal exterior go. It had hurt him as much as it had her because he knew the pain and what keeping it inside did. He had done the same with his son until finally he allowed himself to face his death and mourn. Together Tirion and Rhenn mourned the lost babe, the second she had lost, and together they healed.
The King did, however, have a job for her. The trolls of the north that lived in Zul'Aman were friendly to the Alliance and wished to broker a foothold in the Ghostlands for the Alliance. These forest trolls were independent and were not friends of the blood elves.
Rhenn rode her mare Flamedancer. She was flanked by Nebyuleh, Kamon, and Crispin as well as a company of Stormwind's men that Varian could spare. Most were Homeguard under Crispin to protect the Lady Marquise at all costs.
The small group walked along the path that led from the Eastern Plaguelands to the Ghostlands. A narrow pass connected the two. This pass was named Thalassian Pass for the high elven people who once lived in the Ghostlands and still did in the reclaimed north of Eversong Woods. The guards were uneasy and they came to the tower that guarded the pass. No one was there, but the architecture was that of the blood elves. Towers and sculpted airy rooms were the normal building structures for the once proud blood elves that wished to hold onto what fragments they could of the past. The paint of red and yellow and whitewash was fading from the towers. No one had been caring for this pass for sometime.
Rhenn took a breath as she saw the dark flag flying outside. It was the mark of the Scourge. She looked about. None were about, but the silence made her hair stand up as if they were being watched by hostile eyes. "Let's move." She said.
The dead earth of the Plaguelands gave way to the eerie and dead woods of the Ghostlands. Few lived in this damned place after it had been burned. A screech drew everyone attention to the left where a large bat was flapping away from the cobbles of the road.
The wildlife even in this dismal place seemed scarce. She craned her head about to look at the bare trees that had small glowing mushrooms on them. This place was strange.
The main road was made of cobbles that were over grown with vines and missing in places. There was little light in the dark woods. Evil lived here. Rhenn pulled her cloak closer about her as her mount walked looking about as well. Neb was on her guard holding a long pike in her hands as she moved with the great cat that bore her. Kamon was also mounted on a horse and held his staff ready for trouble. Everyone was uneasy.
Rhenn drew her horse up suddenly. Crispin pulled up slightly ahead of her as Rhenn looked about her nose up as she sniffed the air. "My Lady?" Crispin asked looked about.
"Can't you smell it?"
"Smell what? There is only loam." Neb said. "And rot." She spat. "Scourge is here."
"Are you sure? It is sweet."
"The undead do not smell sweet, Rhenn." Neb said.
Kamon chuckled lightly. "No."
"Flowers. I remember…" Rhenn looked about and then suddenly spurred her mount quickly to the left. Firedancer was a once wild mare and could move very quickly and sure-footed where many could not. She obeyed her mistress's kick instantly.
Crispin gasped. "My Lady?! Rhenn wait!"
The group was so close together no one could move before the sound of horse hooves grew faint and she was out of sight in the darkness.
Neb growled and leapt from her saber transforming into a large dark feline herself. She shot off in the direction that Rhenn had gone. She was worried for her friend. These lands were where the living rarely traveled.
Rhenn for her part kept sniffing the air. Something on the soft breeze that rustled the leaves was calling to her. A forgotten memory. She did not know why the smell called to her or even why she felt the need to follow it.
She followed it at a quick pace for about an hour and then found herself face to face with a dilapidated old house. Windows were off the hinge, leaves were blown into the door, and paint was falling in strips from the walls. No one had lived in this small dwelling for some time.
This place was strangely familiar. She did not know why. She touched the walls and her mind was filled with images of people she did not know. A tall high elven lord in rich robes. Another in red armor. A woman. Someone lying on a bed.
'Even you, Mahela, you could not save her' A male voice said.
Rhenn jumped back alarmed by the images. What was this place? And why did she remember? She walked to what appeared to be a garden, though it was overgrown. She knelt and lifted a small white, star-like flower. The smell was coming from this tiny flora. She cocked her head as she tried to remember why she knew it. She had never been to the Ghostlands before and she did not know this flower from elsewhere. She lifted it as she straightened and continued to smell it.
She walked to the side of the building. A small clearing was there. In the exact middle was a stone that had been broken and had moss growing on it. She walked to the stone. The broken piece lay beside it as if it had been struck off the base. It too was covered in moss. She lifted the piece and cocked her head. She saw writing on the stone. She lifted it and read the name, though it was not in common. It was in Thalassian, a language she was not sure why she suddenly knew.
A'latha
Who was that? She looked and knew by the flowers that were wilted about it that it was the grave of a the person written there, but who was she? Someone had lovingly cared for the grave, even though the headstone had fallen into neglect.
She cocked her head to the side. Why did this place seem to draw her very core to it and yet she did not know it.
She then heard a noise. Passing it off as some animal she continued to look at the broken piece in her hands. Too late she reacted as she found herself knocked to the ground with a sword against her throat. The broken piece flew away and she stared at the blade and felt the tip against her neck flesh. She flattened in surprise and silently admonished herself for not taking more care. Slowly she looked up at her captor.
The red armor and stern features could only belong to a Blood Knight.
She spread her hands wide showing she was not a threat. The Blood Elf paladin regarded her. His hair was silver and his armor had gold leaf. He was of high rank. He squatted, but kept her still with his blade upon her chest and against her throat. His green eyes took in her travel clothing. A gauntleted hand reached up and pushed her hair back from her face and behind her teardrop ear. He then looked at the blue lines of her Tuskarr tattoo running down the right side of her face. Rhenn hardly dared to breathe as he looked at her.
Finally, he looked into her eyes. "Anaria shola." He said.
She blinked.
He frowned slightly. "Anar'alah belore. Anaria shola"
She shook her head. "I do not understand well." She said slowly first in Alliance common. Then she repeated it in the common tongue used by both sides.
He sat back on his heels. "Why not? You are half-Sin'dorei." He said. His accent was lyric as must elves were.
She shifted and he allowed her to sit up sensing she was not a threat to him. She kept her hands in full view of him at all times.
"Why are you here?" He asked. He planted the sword point in the earth and looked at her as he held the pommel. He dropped to one knee and looked at the grave marker. "Why are you here in this place?"
"What is this place?" Rhenn asked as she noticed the bouquet of flowers at his side. He gathered them in his free hand and sighed as he looked at them.
He looked up at her. "My wife's body is here." He said simply. He shrugged and laid the fresh flowers near the headstone. He gently wiped the dirt from the broken edge and shook his head. "She died many years ago." He said brokenly.
She took a breath. "I know this place."
"How?" He asked.
"I do not know. I see…" She looked up at him and then shifted her weight and lifted a hand to touch his face. He balked a moment and leaned back and moved as if to lift his sword. She paused and then continued. "You were here." She whispered. She rose to her feet and walked back to the house.
He cocked his head and rose to his feet. He followed her on his guard for trouble or a trap. She paused at the door before walking in. Part of the ceiling had collapsed and more of the pungent white flowers grew on what looked to be the remains of a rough log bed. She touched the bed post lightly and took a deep breath.
"These flowers were blooming that night." She whispered as if she were thinking aloud. "A woman died on this bed. You. I saw your face more than the others." She turned to face him. He had come in and stood watching and listening.
For his part he could not believe it. How had she known what had happened? Unless… He took a breath. Blood elven children could remember feelings, smells, and images even from their births. His wife had died on that very bed many years ago giving birth to…
Suddenly his eyes shot up and he stepped forward and pinned the girl to the wall roughly. She struggled and cried out, but did not fight him other to try to get free. He looked down and lifted the necklace from around her neck. He then dropped it as if it burned him.
Rhenn watched him. "Please…It is the only thing I have from before I was adopted."
"Adopted…" He said the word. He looked at her face and the tattoos. "By what?"
"The tuskarr." She whispered.
He looked at her face again. He could see her face. "A'latha." He whispered. "Anar'endal dracon." He swore. He took a step backwards as if her touch burned him and looked at her.
She took a breath and looked at him. "What? Who is she? Why does this place have memory for me and I have never been here."
"What is your name?" He asked slowly.
"Rhenn Amarose." She whispered knowing she should not lie to him. She felt an odd connection to him. "Marquise of Redridge." She looked about. "Why?" She asked.
"Because you have been here. Once." He said slowly. He turned from her and sheathed his weapon. "Rhenn." He said. "You are more beautiful than I ever would have imagined. Even with the color." He said gesturing at her tattoos.
"How do you know me?" She asked.
"I didn't until now." He then looked about hearing a noise. "You must leave." He took her arm and propelled her to the door, but when she froze outside he quickly moved in front of her when three blood knights lifted bows aimed at her heart.
"No!" He barked. He rattled off a quick sentence to the men. Bow strings went lax as he kept her behind him. The men shifted and then nodded and left then. He took a breath. "You must leave these lands. It is not safe for you, child."
"But why is this so familiar?" She looked at him as he walked her to her mount. He lifted her bodily up onto her horse and looked up at her. He reached up and touched her face and smiled a little.
"You were born here." He said. "Now go."
"But…who are you? Why do you haunt my memories?" She asked as he took the reigns and led the horse away from the place.
"Because I am your father." He said. He slapped her mount's flank and sent her into a trot away.
Rhenn gasped. "Wait…I must…" She turned in time to see a dark blur jump and land on the man and pin him to the earth. The large cat was not the color of a wild cat, but a shape-shifter.
Rhenn jumped down and transformed herself into her wolf form. She ran back quickly and bodily shoved Nebyuleh away. She stood over the blood knight. She crouched as she transformed into Rhenn again holding a knife. The man was startled
"Rhenn move…I must…" The knight tried to move her to he could protect her.
"Be still." Rhenn barked.
Neb transformed into her night elf form. "What are you doing? He is an enemy. This whole place is surrounded by blood knights. He is the leader." She barked to Rhenn.
"What is…?" The blood elf could not follow the Alliance speak as the two friends looked at each other.
"He is allowed to go free."
"But he is a…"
"He just saved my life. I can return the favor." Rhenn said. She helped him to his feet. He dusted himself off and regarded the Druid.
"She is lucky to have such friends."
"One call and you will be a pin cushion." Neb said.
"One call and you will be headless." The blood knight countered.
"Both of you stop it." Rhenn said. "Go. Now. Please." She said to the blood knight.
He reached a hand up and removed his glove. "I never thought you would have lived." He looked at Neb. "Take care of her little Druid." He said. He made a soft call and his armored steed appeared. "You are so like your mother." He mounted. "Shorel'aran, child. Sinu a'manore." He rode away looking back at her.
"Wait!" Rhenn cried out. "What is your name?"
He pulled his mount up short and turned back. He regarded her a moment. "It is better for forget." He said.
"Please…" Rhenn said.
He sighed. "Anthalas." He said finally before turning back away.
Neb looked at Rhenn as the man disappeared and his knights fell in behind him. She blinked. "What the hell was that about?" She walked to Rhenn's side. "And who the hell cares what his name is?"
"I will tell you later." Rhenn said as the rest of the group came to them. She pressed the small white flower into Neb's hands. "I had to see some flowers."
Neb was about to say something when the Home Guard captain came to her.
Crispin looked at her. "My lady…" He said dipping his head. "It would be better for my overall health and blood pressure, if you didn't run off like that."
Rhenn smiled. "Forgive me." She said. She mounted. "I believe according to the maps Zul'Aman is just a few ticks this way." She said nodding to the East.
He nodded.
They all rode to the fortress built by the trolls.