Burden of the Heart

And here is the next chapter. Starting to get to the heart of this story and the inevitable end now! For some reason writing a grumpy, social awkward Darion Mograine amuses me to no end...and his somehow enduring dislike of Taynia's mare. Maybe by the end of this story he'll push it off a cliff or something...and have it come back to haunt him. I kid, I kid. These comments are often written late at night when I've finished writing the rest of the story, thus they tend to ramble a bit, no?

Anyways, here is the next chapter. I hope you enjoy. Thank you to everyone that added this story to their alerts and favorites. It is appreciated immensely!

As always,

Le Pomme

Chapter 4: Understanding

Darion came slowly back to the land of the waking with a growl rolling over to avoid the dastardly rays of the sun in his face. Blast that ball of light in the sky for waking him- The Highlord's eyes flew open quickly and he sat up expecting the worse. He was suppose to take the second watch, not sleep until morning! There was no way that priestess could have pulled and all nighter. She was dead. She was captured...she was asleep peacefully in her bedroll.

For a long moment the Highlord stared at her sleeping form in a stupor of sorts. Sleeping? Why was she...why wasn't he...and then a scowl appeared on his face and he stomped over to her and gave her a hard nudge in the side with is plate boot. Taynia gave a whine but opened her eyes blearily looking up at the angry figure of Darion Mograine sleepily. Then her eyes were wide and she was shrinking back nervously reaching a hand up to fiddle with her hair, "I uh, just thought I would lay down for a bit to rest my eyes...but...I guess I feel asleep..." she said in a near whisper.

He just continued to stare at her, fuming. Then Darion did something even more frightening. He smiled. It wasn't a nice smile or a friendly smile. It wasn't even a sarcastic smile. It was a chilling crazed angry smile that looked more like he was getting ready to bite her head off, "You just fell asleep eh? Well then who was keeping watch last night if we were both asleep? The horses?"

"Well, if someone came they might have started making some noise..."Taynia said looking away from the look he was giving her, blushing in shame.

"Oh of course. That would makes perfect sense," he said in a patronizing tone before narrowing his eyes, "You are not allowed to be on watch. This is not some happy forest. It is populated by vicious undead, beasts, and the Scarlet Crusade is still prancing about. Your incompetence is alarming for a priestess of your rank," Darion growled, "So make breakfast and then we can get on our way to Southshore,"

Taynia sunk down at least three feet. Any further and she would be sinking into the ground. Her face was blushed in shame and her eyes were downcasted at his treatment and foul mood, "...I didn't want to wake you. You looked like you needed it," She said.

He winced at the tremble in her voice. He had went from making her miserable to making her cry within the span of a day. It was probably a new personal record for him in pushing people away. Darion sighed and took a seat next to her, staring at her. He was unsure what to do to comfort someone when he didn't want to say he was sorry for his words, "...well..." he cleared his throat trying to sound friendly, " maybe you'll get better in the future,"

"...that was a very back handed comment," Taynia said glancing over at him, "but I guess I'll take it as a compliment..."

The Highlord let out a sigh running a hand through his hair, "You are a very good cook. You are an annoyingly devoted priestess of the light. You are pretty," he began trying to do something to salvage the situation he had caused with his bluntness.

"You...you think I'm pretty...?"

By the light she had to hear that out of all he was saying. Darion resisted the urge to smack his palm against his forehead and weep tears of blood for how well this morning was turning out, "Yes. By living standards of course," He grumbled getting to his feet again stalking over to the mounts.

"Just get breakfast ready so we can get going,"

He turned so he wouldn't have to see what kind of expression she would make to his demand. He began to tighten the saddle on his mount ignoring the beast's irritated whuffles. It was going to be a long hard ride and if he had to drag Taynia along the way by the reins of her stupid mare, so Light help him, he would. Darion knew one thing for sure; he had to get rid of her before she got any further under his skin.

…...

The week had not gone by as unpleasantly as Darion had assumed. A week and a half and he had nearly forgiven her for falling asleep. Nearly. He kept watch at night now although a part of him ached to fall into that blissful unconscious state he had rediscovered because of the woman. He wouldn't admit that to her. He didn't want to encourage her but she always seemed to bounce back from his harsh mannerism. She was...oddly tenacious about things.

Talking being the biggest. She talked. A lot. She never seemed to run out of mundane little things to say. Darion was sure it would drive him nuts at first, but now...there was something almost...human in listening to such little tasks and conversations. He didn't have to answer or reply other than short answers. He could listen though and he preferred to listen and try to imagine that living world again.

"So Aaron thought it would be smart to try and wrestle the crocolisk down but it nearly bit his ass off! You should have seen that rouge hollering about, " Taynia said with a wide grin, "Eventually the Helania, our mage, tried to help but ended up giving him a frozen throne of an ice box attached to his rump!"

"Sounds like you had quite the party," Darion replied idly watching the area of Hillsbrad for any wild animals or gutsy Horde that got to close, "Why aren't you traveling with them now?"

She went silent at that giving a small shrug. He stared at her carefully before turning back to the road, "You don't have to answer that. It isn't my business,"

"No it is fine," she said lightly, giving a soft smile, " It was just the five of us. Aaron, Helania, Brolon, and Lord Roland. We grew up together. Helania was my friend as was Brolon. Aaron and me well...we were a bit closer and the same with Lord Roland," she paused smiling a bit at the memories.

Darion didn't say a word waiting for her to continue, feeling a sense of irratation and he couldn't place, or perhaps didn't want to place where the irratation came from. Taynia closed her eyes, "It was a bad situation. Everyone was killed except Roland and myself in the Felwoods. He grabbed me onto his Felsteed and dragged me out...Roland cares a great deal about me but he always felt I should be allowed to do my own thing before...well..." she blushed a bit playing with her hair.

Darion arched an eyebrow at her, "Before what?"

She turned to look out to the horizon. The sun was just starting its descent. The priestess shook her head and gave a smile, "Just not now Darion. Another time. It is a complicated situation. Something my mother had wanted..." she paused shaking her head and then smiled brightly at him, "Southshore is just over the next will stay the night won't you? My friend, Fenrik would not mind having you over for helping me to obtain and deliver the herbs needed for his ailing wife! His young son and daughter are a handful as well if you don't mind children,"

The Highlord turned to stare at her, "...children?" he said the word as if it was some sort of foreign phrase. The death knight could not remember honestly when was the last time he had seen children let alone sit down to dinner with the small snotbags.

"yes children Darion," she said with a smile, "Do you have any children?"

Darion gave a snort rolling his eyes, "I died childless and I'll remain childless. Undead don't reproduce,"

"Well you said Death Knights don't eat and sleep and that has been proven wrong. Perhaps you are wrong about this as well," Taynia said with a cheeky grin.

He paused to give her a withering look, "Do you know how wrong any child of a death knight would be? It would be...an abomination worse then anything Arthas could have created,"

The statement hung in the air and Taynia remained silent. However her face was worked up in a pensive expression carefully turning over what he said in her mind, "or," she began slowly, "Or it is a blessing of the light to bless you with the chance again to make life,"

He quickly turned to stare at her as she looked away sheepishly rubbing the back of her head, "Sorry...that probably sounded really dumb,"

"Yes. Very dumb," Darion agreed quickly, "Now lets drop the topic...children are annoying. I will stay for a bit to see you are alright but then I'm leaving. I must get back to the Ebon Hold quickly,"

The truth was her statement touched something deep inside him. Some sort of fluttery feeling that had nearly vanished when he plunged the Ashbringer deep into his chest...hope. Was there a way to live after death? He quickly shoved those thoughts from his mind clamping down on it with an emphatic no. Life after death was a living hell to endure. There was now only the facade of living.

Taynia kicked her mare forward with a smile that was forced. He could see a tinge of something else to it but he couldn't place the emotion, "that is too bad. I would have enjoyed your company a bit more despite how cold you can be,"

"It is not my place to remain among the living," Darion said nudging his deathcharger forward after her, "Life and death cannot live together in peace,"

She remained silent regarding him again before sighing, "Let us not talk about such things. It is too nice of a day to speak of destruction and grim tidings! I'll race you the rest of the way, Darion!"

Then without warning, she was taking off the rest of the way to Southshore. Darion blinked before allowing a rare smile to grace his lips before taking off after her, the deathcharger easily gaining ground on the mare, "no one outruns the Highlord, priestess,"

She laughed going down the last rise, the trees parting to reveal the town of Southshore...or what was left of the once cozy town. Taynia's pulled her mare to a skidding halt and stared in mute horror at the sight. Nothing but ruins remained. Ruins and large plague engines pumping the destructive green slime over the area killing everything in the town. Not even scraggly weeds dared to grow in the tainted town. She mutely dismounted the horse staring at it. She ignored the silent Highlord who dismounted next to her, holding the reins of his deathcharger in a tight grip. Darion looked at the destruction and felt the sharp edge of hate grow in him.

The scene looked like something straight out of the strategy books of the Scourge. The loss of life, the use of a plague, the absolute destruction...One would've guessed that Arthas was not even dead. Such a sight had been common during his reign of terror. It brought back a lot of feelings. Most of those feelings of rage, anger, hate,and an unbearable grief twisting deep into him. Taynia took a step forward as if in a daze biting her lip hard enough that a small trace of blood could be seen. She was crying but keeping back those cries of anguish as if that would make this whole scene real.

He put a hand on her shoulder and held it to keep her from rushing into the plagued land. She fought only a bit before letting out a choked sob, "But...there were children...sick...elderly...why...who..."

Then she broke down. She shattered bringing her hands to her face and cried dropping to her knees. Darion watched her feeling that same ache of sadness and grief tempered with the anger. He understood this feeling. Hopelessness. He understood what she was feeling and he watched her, unsure of what to do. He had always bore the feeling silently not expressing it, not letting anyone know. He kept the strong front for his men. Taynia didn't have to do that and couldn't disregard and forget emotions like he had done. The Highlord understood the feeling but he didn't know what to do to comfort those feelings.

For what seemed like a long while to him but was probably only a few minutes he looked at her awkwardly.

"Come on Darion," he thought angrily, "What would Tirion do in this situation?"

Tirion most likely would be calling for a crusade of the light and charging to Undercity to serve up the Banshee Queen on a silver platter. Hell, Darion was very tempted to do the same thing at the moment! But it wasn't the right response. He had a feeling that Taynia wouldn't appreciate violence even if it was completely justified.

"By the light..."he mumbled to himself rubbing the back of his head. He racked his mind for a person who would do the right thing in this situation. Jaina...what would Jaine Proudmoore the peacekeeper do?

He took a deep breath and held it closing his eyes summoning up every ounce of his strength to do the hardest thing he had to do this journey so far. Darion dropped down next to her and roughly pulled her against her in an awkward armored hug. Taynia gasped a bit as she was crushed a bit against his breastplate looking up at him wide-eyed. He looked down meeting her gaze, frowning a bit and fighting a suspicious blush that thankfully his helm hid, "...I haven't done this in a long time alright? I know it isn't the best hug but I figured it is what Jaina or anyone else who is all touchy feely would do," he said gruffly trying to keep up his tough exterior as well as save face from his terrible first attempted hug in his undeath.

She only stared at him before giving another sob and wrapping her arms tightly about him and burying her face against his ice-cold breastplate as if she was afraid he was going to walk off. He knelt their and just continued to hold her feeling like a prized idiot. Mind you, a prized idiot who was feeling warm tingles of fuzzy caterpillars crawling under his skin, but still he felt ungodly stupid sitting there, confused at why she was hugging him back. If Renault could see him now, no doubt his older brother would have been laughing his ass off at how lost his brother looked at the moment.

He just loosely held her and turned to look at Southshore. He remembered it. It was a town that his father used to take him to when he had been a boy. A stab of nostalgia entered the fray of emotions in his mind. Darion grinded his teeth slightly. More than anything, the Highlord hated being useless. The fact he couldn't do anything but go on a rampage irked him. There had to be some other way...

Then a light seemed to dawn on Darion as he sat holding the weeping woman who was slowly sinking down more against him, exhausted from the day's ride and the shock of Southshore's destruction. The Highlord looked down and carefully lifted her head up to meet his gaze, "Allow me to escort you home after a brief stop,"

She only gave a brief nod. Darion helped her to her feet and then he guided her back to his mount. He didn't ask her permission before picking her up and sliding her onto the saddle of his mount and followed up behind her. Taynia blushed slightly looking away wiping her face but didn't protest. She leaned against him. The creature comforts from being close to some sort of sentient being was more important than pride at the momment. The Highlord gently brushed some hair from her face looking down at her, "I need to speak with Sylvanas," he said, "We are going to Undercity but no harm will come to you, this I promise. Not all the Horde is what the Alliance paints them to be and vice versa. I doubt they will even bother with you,"

She only gave a nod biting her lip. He turned his deathcharger about and set his gazes north. Taynia only closed her eyes leaning against his chest. He kicked his mount into a fast gallop leaving her damn mare behind, swishing its tail before the dumb animal followed after them with a whinny. So much for trying to abandon the stupid beast.

Taynia gave no protest, already asleep against him. Darion shifted about to better cradle her against his body trying to ignore the somehow alarming fact that had just entered his world. Taynia was a woman. He was a man and he was dead. Such a thing was obvious when they met, he wasn't stupid. Yet it seemed having her this close made that fact even more alarming. Despite the fact of him being undead, she was still attractive and a woman. She was making his stomach give that funny lurch that felt like maggots were spawning in his guts. She was making a sudden warmth flow through his body. Darion swore he could almost feel his heart starting to flutter in his chest. It was all in his head though. He clamped down on the foreign feeling again and kept his eyes ahead and kicked the deathcharger faster.

The Highlord turned his thoughts to the encounter to come between him and the self style Banshee Queen Sylvanas. It would be a "diplomatic" exchange of words. At least he would do his best to be civil and get down to the bottom of this tragedy and wouldn't allow his runeblade to do the talking. He wouldn't tell Tirion, at least not yet. Not until he had answers to why someone who had hated the Lich King just as much as he had would turn to using his tactics. He doubted Thrall of the rest of the Horde would approve of these tactics even.

The slumbering priestess shifted against his chest, her soft lips parting as the sun began to set. Her mare panted along loosing ground but still following like a lost loyal dog. Darion let himself become lost in his thoughts but it wasn't as easy as it use to be. It was too...quite.

"When I was young, my brother thought there was crocolisk in the sewer of Lordareon..."he said out loud to fill the silence, "He wanted to wrestle it...probably would've ended up just like that rouge of yours," He looked down at Taynia, "...I find it weird that now I need to mindlessly talk to myself just to make up for you being asleep,"

It was mundane pointless chatter and something that he always avoided and hated to say and listen to. Yet now...

He sighed and looked down at her, "You are such a nuisance" he mumbled reaching a hand to run a hand through her hair in almost a fond manner, "What in the blazes have you started to do to me?"