Ch 13 - Shadowmoon has the Cure
The skeleton horse walked through the border lands and eventually stopped by a Gilnean patrol. They at first thought the beast had run after its Forsaken owner had perished, but Liam Greymane heard the grown from the mess of cloth at the saddle. His sensitive wolf hearing heard the ragged breathing, but it was not the worn breath of a Forsaken. This was the breathing of someone who was living.
He walked to the horse and lifted the tousled hair of the form that was tied across the saddle. "Holy Gods!" He barked recognized Lady Helene of Stormwind even with her battered face. Her eyes opened and she shivered looking up at him.
"Don't hurt me…" She whimpered. "Please…"
Liam felt his heart lurch as he gently cut her bonds with his knife. He gently lifted her down and cradled her. "Never sweet Lady." He said softly. He cradled her against his chest. He gazed at her bleeding hurts and wondered what had befallen her. She was one of the few whom viewed him as a human and that humanity she made him feel made him forever in her debt.
He tenderly held her as he mounted the skeletal horse and held her before him. He held her close to warm her. She was so cold to the touch on her arm, but her head burned with a fever. "Come we must return the Lady Helene to her people." He told his guard.
They nodded transforming into Worgen to run alongside the mount.
They entered Gilneas and quickly made their way to Greymane Manor. He tried to keep her still to keep the horse's stride from rocking her too much. She was hurt and hurt terribly. The smell of blood was thick in his nostrils and he could sense she was weak. He had to fetch her help.
He carefully dismounted handing her for a moment to priestess Alexsta. The woman was still in her Worgen form as she looked at the forlorn form she held in her arms. He nodded to her and lifted Helene against him.
"Tirion…"She whispered. "Find Tirion…"
"Tirion?" He asked. "Highlord Fordring? The legendary paladin?"
He looked at her face, but she lapsed into unconsciousness. It was likely a blessing for her wondered how much pain she was suffering. Passed out she would no longer feel it.
He carried her upstairs and into one of the guest rooms as he barked orders to people about him to send messages to Highlord Fordring, King Varian, and for the priestess to come with him. Elizabeth had heard all the fuss and come to see. She looked in the door as her brother laid the broken body down on the bed.
"Moonlight, what happened to her?" She gasped.
"I do not know." Her brother answered. "But she has broken bones that have been attended. She was strapped to a mount." He shook his head and turned to start a fire to keep her warm as his sister drew the coverlet over her.
Highlord Fordring and Jamiy sat in the War Room of Stormwind Keep. King Varian joined them. The younger man looked very out of sorts. He was playing ideally with a piece of wood and a knife. The young man had hardly spoken to anyone since his twin had been kidnapped, but his eyes and demeanor were restless.
Jamiy looked up at the king as he walked to them. Varian began without preamble. "She is on her way home." He said.
"What?" Jamiy looked up. "They let her go?"
"I think you underestimate your sister's ability to negotiate." Highlord Fordring said. He smiled, but it fell away when he saw the King's eyes flick away. "Is she well?"
The King shook his head and extended the letter he held. It bore the Greymane seal. He held another unopened, which he also passed to Fordring. This was addressed to him.
Fordring opened his letter and looked up sharply. Jamiy leaned forward. "What? what is it?" He asked anxiously.
"She is injured." Tirion said.
"How bad?" The young paladin asked.
"It does not say many particulars." The King said. "But she lives." He said. "Tirion has been requested to see to her before she returns to Stormwind." He looked at Jamiy. "She has a broken bone that needs mending. The Gilneans suggested it be done before she traveled to make her more comfortable."
Jamiy nodded slowly. "They always see to her comfort."
Tirion rose. "I will take Hartley with me. A paladin and a priest will have her healed to travel."
Jamiy nodded and walked from the room.
Varian nodded to Tirion. "My thanks for going to Gilneas. I know you have other matters to attend to."
"Jamiy is distracted and I must admit, so am I. I will see her home before returning to Northrend to continue against the Lich King.
Highlord Tirion Fordring arrived at the Gilneas port. He had traveled by boat. It was the fastest way to cross the Great Sea to Gilneas. There was a storm brewing in the sea. The ship had just skirted it making for a night of rough seas.
Gilneas as always was surrounded by mist and rain. The waves were starting to swell. The storm was already affecting the sea around the small human nation. Tirion looked up the clouds. The land always seemed so cold and uninviting. No one the people here were cold as well.
Hartley looked about and then they moved quickly to the end of the pier where a man was standing waiting flanked by several others. "Highlord Fordring?" The man asked. He was a man nearly seventy, but was large and well muscled. By his clothing he was a noble.
"Yes." Tirion nodded. "Hartley." He said nodding to the Draenei beside him. "An honor to at least meet you, your highness."
"Greetings. You have arrived just in time." The man said. "The lady grows weak and her fever burns." He said.
"Helene has a fever?" Tirion asked suddenly more concerned.
"Yes." Genn nodded. "And it will not break. She fights, but grows weak." He said as they mounted the horses nearby.
"Take me to her." Tirion said.
Genn nodded. They rode for nearly an hour to Greymane Manor that overlooked Greymane City. Tirion had noticed the people staring at him as they trotted through the town. He sighed ruefully. Likely these poor people had not seen a paladin in shining armor in quite some time. They continued up the path to the manor.
Tirion followed Genn through the maze of halls to a large oak door. Genn paused. "When we realized she was not overcoming her hurts we moved her to a family room. They are not as drafty and the fire places warm better."
Tirion nodded as Genn opened the door. The fire made the room cozy, but Tirion's focus was on the young woman lying in the middle of the large bed. She was on her side curled in a ball. He took a step forward. A young Gilnean child was gently pressing a rag to her sweaty brow. A woman stood back watching.
Tirion went to Helene's side and took in her bruised face. "Light, what happened to her?"
"We do not know." Liam Greymane said rising from where he had been stoking the fire. "She asked to find you Highlord Tirion. She will only allow Emily to touch her. It is like she fears being touched."
Tirion nodded as he removed his gloves looking at Hartley. "We will require you all leave so we can assess her."
"We cannot just leave…" Bess Greymane protested.
"It's all right momma. They won't harm her." The small child said moving away. She looked up at Tirion. "He is good." She walked to him and touched his hand. She then smiled and walked out.
Liam gathered his sister and father and they retreated, though Bess continued to protest leaving the woman with people she did not know.
Tirion turned back to Helene as she shivered. Tears ran down her cheeks.
"Helene." He whispered. "Child…"
She turned and opened her eyes. He swallowed. The fever was taking a toll on her. She looked half mad as she watched him. He reached to touch her and she shifted away and turned back to the pillow.
"Helene. It's Tirion. You summoned me." He whispered leaning closer and using the hushed tones he would for a child. Something was very wrong.
"Tirion." She murmured.
He nodded.
She turned back. "Vendel'o eranu." She whimpered as tears sprang to her eyes again.
"Help you forget what, child?" He asked. He had not known she knew Thalassian.
She sobbed and pushed the blankets down. She continued until the dark stain on the robe was visible to his eyes between her thighs. Tirion swallowed hard and closed his eyes. He said a soft prayer to the Light to give him strength to not only bear her emotions, but his own. Tenderly he reached a hand and pressed it to her cheek. She stiffened and then relaxed as she summoned the Light to aide her in her recovery.
She took a shaky breath and relaxed visibly. She knew she was safe and she was under the care of someone she trusted completely.
Tirion looked grimly at Hartley who was preparing herbs. The Draenei lifted his gaze and met Tirion's for a moment. He too knew the implications of what he saw. The bruises, broken bones, cuts, two broken fingers, a broken wrist, and blood between her legs were all signs of a brutal attack. Also there was something deeper, darker that clouded her healing.
Tirion set to work to try to save the soul of the young women before she retreated into herself. Hartley assisted the elder paladin as they called upon the Light to not only heal her wounds, but also her mental anguish.
Two days later when she had healed physically, but for her fever, Tirion called upon Gelta, a Kirin Tor mage whom he had brought with him. The girl was stable enough to travel and porting her to Stormwind would be far less taxing than the ship across the sea. She burned with the fever that refused to break and it was starting to take its toll on her already fragile body.
The Gilneans did not have a portal room, but the mage portal brought them to Stormwind's mage quarter. Tirion carried the young woman wrapped in a blanket to Argent House nearby on the canals. He nodded to his Argent Crusade crusaders as well as two Death Knights whom were also staying. Tirion walked to his own apartments and laid the girl in his own bed.
Familiarity was what she required. He knew victims of rape often could not stand to be touched and he knew she would soon demand to bathe. He would have to keep her from scrubbing herself raw. For now at least the fever would keep her in bed. She had not fought him when he had stripped her to see to her hurts. The realization of what she had gone through had made him taste bile. Some women would not have survived. It was her fighting spirit that kept her alive. It was the same spirit that had kept Rhenn as an infant alive until she had been drawn up from the sea. The Light and the force of will kept her alive now. He prayed it would be enough.
Her physical hurts had been treated with due skill. The fever baffled him, but now that her body was mending, he hoped it would disappear. Her wounds internally could not be repaired, but Hartley had packed clothes soaked in herb laced water into her to stem the bleeding and promote healing. They changed her bandages once every couple hours to insure the best healing possible. The bruises on her thighs and arms marked her porcelain flesh. Finger marks from being held very tight. For a man to abuse such a sweet child so was no man at all. He craved power and domination and the only way he could have it was to abuse those smaller than he.
Her head wound was relatively small, but had bleed significantly. The deep bruise had spread down the side of her face. He had cleaned the blood from her and then held her with the tenderness of a father. If she had been born of his loins, he would have sought justice already, but since he needed to stay level headed to keep Jamiy, Varian, and possibly Grekko from being rash, he could only hold her and whisper softly.
Though Tirion was bounded by blood and honor to Eitrigg, he was starting to feel his personally alliance and wanting for peace wavering. Hellscream was responsible for this. He had managed to get that from her tortured nightmares that she woke screaming. He had been there and held her as she calmed. He was amazed that she trusted him so. Many would have nothing to do with another soul until they could process what had happened, but she had summoned him, allowed him to tend her, and allowed him to comfort her.
As soon as she was settled he sent Hartley to fetch King Varian, Lady Rhenn, Grekko, and Jamiy. Jamiy would do better once he knew she lived, but Tirion would have to control the lad to keep him from seeking to go and challenge Hellscream to avenge his twin. Tirion swallowed as he stood watching the girl from the door as she shivered in her sleep. He had made a sleeping draft that would allow her to heal and not wake for a few hours. A blessing. Her dreams and waking moments were filled with the memories of being held captive and raped.
He heard the door open and he gently shut the door and walked toward the landing.
"HELENE!" Jamiy cried. "Where is she?"
Tirion met him on the stair landing. "She sleeps for now. Come. We will wait for her to wake before you see her." He said steering the man away.
Grekko, Varian, Thrall, and Rhenn all stood in the entry way. Rhenn was in a severe dress, which Tirion knew meant she had left a meeting with some Stormwind guild to see to her daughter. Her hair was pulled back and wrapped about her head in two tight thick braids. She looked anxious at Tirion as he nodded to them.
"Tirion is she well?" She asked coming to him. He looked down and took her hand. He kissed it lightly and bowed over it.
"She recovers." He said avoiding the question.
She gave him a puzzled look and he ignored that as well.
"If you would join me." He said walking with his hand on Jamiy's shoulder. They entered the meeting room and sat down. "She is resting. I will not tax her with visitors or too many visitors while she is weak." He said.
"Weak?" Rhenn asked.
"Yes, my lady." Tirion said formally. "Helene is very delicate. She has a fever and several broken bones."
"That bastard…" Jamiy hissed rising to his feet. He walked to the window and folded his arms.
"Peace Jamiy." Tirion said softly. The younger paladin looked up at the elder and sighed.
Grekko was pacing lightly. After a few moments he stopped and dropped beside his wife.
Varian folded his arms as he sat back. "We will wait then."
Tirion took a breath and nodded. He ordered tea.
Hartley came to the small group sitting in the meeting room. He nodded to Tirion who stood. "Jamiy, I will have you come up now." He said.
Rhenn looked up at him. "She has not asked for her mother?"
"She has, but she asked for her brother first." Tirion said. It was a lie, but it would easy the younger man's heart. Rhenn nodded slowly.
Tirion led the way to her room. He opened the door and Jamiy stood at the door a moment letting his eyes adjust to the darkened room and to take in his sister curled in a ball watching the dancing flames of the fireplace.
Jamiy then at once moved and swept the young woman into his arms in a hearty embrace and caressed her matted hair. "Helene. Praise the Light you are well." He said.
He felt her stiffen in his arms before she violently put her good hand to him and pushed him back from her. "Go away!" His twin sobbed. "Dirty! I'm dirty and used. Go away!" She cried. Her voice was barely above a whisper, but it hit Jamiy as if she has punched him.
He jumped backwards away from her as she started to sob and wrap her arms about herself. She rocked a little holding herself and muttering. He stared mute at his twin.
Jamiy's eyes were wide with horror at the change in his sister. He did not like it and he was terrified she was lost somewhere within this frightened and injured woman before him. This was not Helene. He turned to Tirion and then looked down as he walked out of the room.
Tirion heard him go down the stairs and out the front door. Tirion had been expecting her to at least let her twin comfort her. Twins were often closer than most lovers and he knew her rejection stung not only Jamiy's pride, but his heart as well.
Sighing he eased her back to lying down and soothed her by rubbing her brow tenderly. She soothed almost instantly. Her eyes were shut as she laid down in her fetal position again. He wondered what it was about him that calmed her. He was honored and saddened he and Hartley were the only two males, so far, she allowed to touch her since the assault.
Tirion had her drink another sleeping draft. Her fever seemed to be getting worse. Red marks were on her face and sweat fouled her already matted hair. Tirion gently touched her with his palm blessing her with the Light to ease her and calm her mind.
She was resting within a few moments and he walked from the room. He walked downstairs and was met in the meeting room by King Varian, Rhenn, Thrall, and Grekko all looking at him. The same question appeared to be echoed on their faces. Why had Jamiy stormed out?
"Your highness, Thrall, if you would excuse me for a few moments, I must talk to Rhenn and Grekko in private for a few moments."
"She is my goddaughter." Varian protested.
Lady Rhenn laid a hand upon his arm. "Let me humor him for now Varian. I will inform you after."
Reluctantly, he nodded.
Thrall dipped his head. "Very well." He then lifted a pouch and dropped it on the table. "I have more tea for her. Hartley said you required it."
"Aye. Keeps her from dreaming and waking to memories." Tirion said.
"Memories…" Varian asked.
"If you please." Tirion said.
Thrall and Varian walked into the hallway. Thrall watched Tirion walk to the two and sit. Rhenn was seated and Grekko stood behind her his hand resting on her shoulder. Her hand was over his. It was the most intimate gesture Tirion had seen from the pair since Grekko had hit her.
Thrall for his part walked upstairs. He sensed something was very wrong with Helene. He needed to see what it was. Varian began speaking with some of the crusaders and hardly noticed the orc leaving.
Tirion took a breath. "Helene is not well. Physically, given time, her wounds will heal. Her spirit, however, came close to being broken, and if she loses her will to thrive, she may yet pass on."
Rhenn gasped.
Grekko seemed to contemplate that. "What happened to her Tirion?"
Tirion looked up at him. "Your daughter is the victim of a violent rape Grekko. Helene fought and fought hard. She broke bones trying to escape the torment." He took a breath. "It was violent enough she still bleeds internally."
Rhenn's eyes closed and she paled. Tears came to her eyes. "My baby…" She whimpered. "My baby girl!" she suddenly began to sob.
Grekko turned her chair and gathered her into his arms and held her to him. He soothed her tenderly. He whispered to her and kissed her hair as she sobbed against him. He pressed his cheek to the top of her head and wept himself for his daughter whom had suffered.
Tirion took his leave and found Varian in the hallway watching the pair. Varian caught his arm as he watched Rhenn sob against her husband and Grekko hold her to him.
"Helene suffered at the hands of Hellscream didn't she."
Tirion looked at the girl's parents and then back to Varian. "More than any of us can understand." Tirion said sadly. He turned to return to his patient's side.
Varian watched the pair in the other room as he felt his heart become sick and hard to what had happened to the young woman.
Above Thrall walked to the door. He stepped inside and froze at the door. The smell of Garrosh Hellscream filled his nostrils and he instantly was on edge. The only living being in the room was Helene and she was sleeping in the bed. She looks so childlike as she lay curled up becoming as small as possible.
He stepped forward and something was on the air. He leaned closer to her. "Goat's Beard?" He asked. She stirred and he stepped back. He did not wish to wake her. He could smell the blood. Goat's Beard was a common enough plant from the Barrens. The hearty small plant made for mild hallucinations and so was part of shaman rites to see into the spirit word. However, it also taken in slightly higher doses proved to be a useful anti-pregnancy narcotic. However, if taken in higher amounts than a small spoon full for a human would act as a poison. Her breath smelled of the slightly bitter herb and wine.
Tirion walked in and saw Thrall moving about preparing herbs.
"What are you doing here?" Tirion asked.
"She was poisoned." Thrall said not looking up.
"Poisoned?" Tirion asked. That explained her fever that did not recede. Her body was fighting it.
"There is only one cure for Goat' Beard. It is dangerous, however. The flower grows near extreme heat." He said. "It was only discovered not long ago."
"Goat's Beard?" Tirion stepped forward. "How do you know this?"
"Can you not smell it?" Thrall asked. "I know Garrosh's stench clings to her, but beneath it."
"I can smell nothing." Tirion said honestly.
"Humans." Thrall said. He continued his work. "The plant is rare and I only have a small bulb. More must be retrieved."
"From where?"
"Shadowmoon Valley."
"In Outlands?" Tirion asked.
"Yes." Thrall said. He looked up finally at the Highlord. "That is why she still bleeds. Garrosh did not wish her to carry his child. He poisoned her, but I believe the crone he summoned used a dose for an orc woman not a human. It is slowly killing her."
"Hellscream forced a miscarriage?" Tirion said sounding shocked.
"No he prevented a pregnancy." Thrall said. "The coward had his way and tossed her aside to die. He is not worthy of the title he stole."
The girl whimpered in her sleep. Tirion gently pressed a cloth to her brow. "Rest child." He said calling upon the Light to surround and protect her. She took a deep breath and her body shivered, but she did not wake.
Thrall stood and looked at her as he passed Tirion the tea. "Make as much tea as you are able to from the bulb and try to keep her cool. Pray that we return in time. As the drug begins to attack her body and she can no longer fight it she will begin to bleed from her gums and nose. She also will begin to become delirious. I have only seen one case before we had a cure. A woman had been raped by a Satyr in the border and she ate a full plant to rid her womb of the child."
"We?" Tirion asked looking up.
"I am taking Jamiy and we are finding the herb."
"That will be dangerous for you to leave this sanctuary."
"Yes. A risk I am willing to take." He said looking at the girl once before he moved to leave the room. Tirion nodded and then eased the girl up.
"You must drink this." Tirion said.
Thrall found Jamiy not far from the great house. He was seated on a bridge wall looking at the canals, seemingly lost in thought.
"Come, lad. We must save your sister."
"That woman isn't my sister. She doesn't even know me."
"Do you have any idea what she has been through?" Thrall asked.
"Someone beat her, but she will recover. Won't she?" He asked looking up at the orc.
Thrall took a breath. "She was violated Jamiy. Violated and poisoned. Come. The cure to the poison grows far from here. She knows you. She just is dealing with having her person being attacked in every way possible."
Jamiy had been ready to speak, but his mouth shut hard as he rose his feet grimly. "Who…who touched her that way?" He reached up and took Thrall by his collar. "Answer me…"
"I know not." Thrall said. He refused to raise this boy's hate against anyone, including his own enemy. He loosened the man's grip. "Come."
Jamiy nodded and followed the orc to the Mage Quarter. They ran upstairs into the wizard's sanctum where opened portals to several cities stood. Thrall looked at the images. He then chose the Tower of Light that was reflected in the portal. It would take them to Shattrath.
It was the quickest way.