Seven children ran by, squealing happily as they played some chasing game. They wore threadbare, holey clothing, and were all barefoot. Mud was mixed into their dark tangled hair, and their faces were so smudged with dirt, that Sapphire could not even begin to guess their genders.

"Child, are you even listening to me?"

Sapphire turned her head back to the old man. Ethan stood next to Medivh, and his eyebrows were raised. A small smile quickly hid itself. They were in town, and now that it was day Sapphire could see the villagers now. All men wore swords at their waist, woman and children skittish. Except for the dirty children, for they were happy and cheerful.

"Sorry," Sapphire apologized, and looked back at the children. "Why are those children so filthy?"

"Orphans, children whose parents died. Most starve out on the streets. It happens," Ethan said sadly. The girl bit her lip, and then held out her hand.

"Have any gold?" She asked. Ethan looked at her in confusion, but the moment was missed. Sapphire grabbed his belt, and started looking for his pouch of gold in his pockets. A soft chuckle from Medivh made Ethan's ears burn.

"Might want to move your hand a little to the right," The boy muttered. Sapphire frowned.

"Why?"

"...Never mind."

Sapphire found the gold, and took them. She ran after the children.

Ethan smiled when he realized what she was going to do. Giving gold to poor children. He looked at Medivh.

"Isn't she wonderful?"

"More similar to unpredictable. Tell me, what kind of armor do you wear, boy?"

"Uh...plate?" He was confused by the sudden change of subject.

"And would Sapphire prefer plate or chain?"

Ethan blinked. "Chain probably. Why?"

I am having armor made for the both of you, and I wanted to make sure I was accurate."

The boy was utterly confused. Why was the old man having armor made? As if the prophet could read his thoughts, Medivh just sighed.

"You are going to need them, and I am putting certain enchantments on it. But my power is mediocre at best."

There was a tone of depression in the man's voice. Ethan looked at him sympathetically.

"You can turn into a bird. I don't really know of anyone else that can do that."

"Druids," The man replied. Ethan stopped talking.

They stood there in silence for a little bit, but Sapphire came back. The posse of children followed her, gold coins clutched in their hands. Ethan's jaw dropped.

"Can we keep them?" Sapphire asked, smiling. One boy held Sapphire's leg, and looked up. The little boy scowled at Ethan.

"Is that your boyfriend?"

"Yes he is, Alek-"

"That's good. I have a chance then," Alek said smugly. The boy hugged her leg tightly. There was seven of the children, three boys and four girls. They were all underfed, and Ethan saw that some were mesmerized by the gold in their hands. Most of them were eleven or twelve. He wondered if it was a good idea to bring them to his aunt's house. They were so thin...

Oh, who cares about his aunt? One of the girls, a small creature with a sweet smile, came over to hug his leg too, and he smiled.

"Ow! Ow, Lethumo! Stop," Arthas cried out as Lethumo put ice on the burn marks on his arms and chest. He looked down at the bright redness of the seared flesh. It burned fiercely, but the ice stung. Jaina had been less angry he guessed, for she had hit his arm with a fireball. But the volatile and deadly Beve had hit him straight in the chest. It hurt worse than the arm, and he had trouble breathing.

Lethumo whistled, and had a smirk on his face. "Man. You know how to piss off women. Why can't you just sleep with a woman that does not use magic?"

"Shut up, Lethumo. And I did not sleep with Lady Perenolde. We just talked..." Arthas protested, not sounding very convincing.

The night elf shook his head. "Whatever...Did Lady Proudmoore really threaten to burn off your-"

Arthas groaned, and leaned his head back. He was having a bad day.

"I don't want to talk about that."

A little brown puppy was curled up in his lap, chewing on a scrap of his charred cloak. She heard his groan, and looked up at him. Then, cautiously avoiding his burns, she clambered up and started licking his chin.

"Stop it. Light, haven't I already suffered enough? Now a dog is licking me. Who knows where its mouth has been?"

She stopped, and barked at him, offended. She looked at the burns on his chest, then put a foot on it.

"Argh!" He grabbed the dog, and despite the burns on his arms, pushed the dog off of him. She yipped when she landed on the floor. The undead puppy trotted over to her, and licked her face happily.

Lethumo put ice on the patch of burns Terra had touched.

The door opened, and Arthas saw blonde hair in the corner of his eyes. He craned his head back, praying to the Light it wasn't Beve.

Jaina looked at him with a conflicted look in her eyes. She had worry, and anger in her eyes. Arthas tried to look as pitiful as he could. She folded her arms, and opened her mouth to speak, but Arthas cut her off.

"If you came to burn me again, at least don't burn anything important."

"Bastard," She growled, "I ought to kill you now."

"I have amnesia! And I still love the Jaina that I do remember."

The woman's expression was unreadable. Then, she came over to him, and sat across from him.

"Explain."

Arthas sat up, and winced. There was silence, and Lethumo was still there. Both humans looked at the elf. He got the message, and left quickly, lest there be fire again. Jaina turned to Arthas, and raised her eyebrows.

"Start, and you better explain well, or you will look like well done steak."

Ni'kua howled as they attacked him. Grasping, clutching hands. Children, he hated children. They were all filthy, and had more fleas than he did. They stroked his fur, and grabbed his tail. One tugged at his exposed backbones, and he snarled angrily. He snapped at the one, and the boy yelped, falling over backwards. He snorted happily.

One of the girls giggled, and hugged the animal around his neck. The plaguehound growled, but let her cuddle against him.

Ethan was watching over the children, and Sapphire was talking to Medivh. Whatever he was telling her, she was disturbed by it. Ethan had wanted to listen, but he had been rudely dismissed by Medivh. Right now, he could feel her agitation. Sapphire had touched him with her power when she had given him her blood to drink, and where she had touched him on his neck, it was now prickling. He got a sudden urge to bow down to her, and ask her to command him.

He shook it off.

There were shouts in town, and the boy looked up. They sat in the gardens of the manor, which were a little overgrown. There was the sound of hoofbeats, and Ethan saw a rider coming up in the courtyard. He ran off to meet him.

"What news, rider?" Ethan asked politely. The man pulled his horse to a stop, and looked down at the boy.

"Where is Lady Perenolde?"

"Busy, but I can relay the message to her."

The man smiled indulgently. He looked very high-ranking, and Ethan wondered who he was. He looked gruff, and rugged, not like most nobles looked like. But his armor gleamed in the light of day, and looked adorned with gold. Highly impractical. A noble, of course.

"Sorry, boy. But I must speak with my cousin."

Isiden Perenolde. Ethan smiled.

"Greetings, my lord Isiden. I am-"

"I don't care what you are, little boy," His elder, second cousin snorted. He put his horse back into a walk.

Sapphire came toward Ethan, and smiled. But obviously, Isiden thought it was directed to him. And he smiled back, but it was lustful, and he looked at Sapphire hungrily.

Rage welled up in Ethan, and he growled. His aggressiveness had left him after being with Jaina Proudmoore, being alone without Sapphire, and lack of honing his old deathknight abilities. Now, its pent up energy left him.

With a snarl, he grabbed the horse's reins and tugged with strength no mortal man his age would possess.

The horse cried out, and Isiden did so too. The animal fell to the ground, legs thrashing. A cry of pain was Isiden getting his leg caught underneath the horse.

Ethan's eyes glowed blue, and he spoke with a deadly hiss.

"Never look at my Sapphire again."

He left his relative struggling to get free of the horse, and went over to Sapphire. She smiled coldly.

"I love you..."

Ethan kissed her furiously, pulling her against him, and growled huskily in her ear. "I know."

She kissed him back, and then gasped. She stiffened in his arms, and yelled out in pain. Ethan was suddenly afraid.

"Sapphire!" He held her up, and she started trembling. Her body started growing colder and colder. She collapsed in Ethan's arms, unconscious.

"Medivh!" Ethan screamed, and he saw a raven fly off to the house.

Arthas came running soon, wincing as if hurt. He found Ethan holding Sapphire with an iron grip. The boy snarled when the man tried to take her, but a quick smack to the head got him back to his senses. He relinquished Sapphire's limp body to Arthas, and quickly found the orphans. They were frightened, but he was able to coax them into the house, where servants took care of them. Ethan went to Sapphire's room. Jaina was standing at her daughter's side, hand on the girl's forehead. She looked up at Arthas and whispered something.

"What?" Ethan demanded darkly. The two looked at him.

"It'll be okay. Sapphire-" Arthas tried to take Ethan by the shoulder, but the boy yanked away. He snarled, and fled the room.