Twisted Fate
Chapter 3

The Barrens was an interesting place. It could be harsh, but it was also beautiful for its untamed grasslands and the beasts that wandered them. It was here in this rugged wild that Nariel found herself, over five years since setting out from Silvermoon. Life had been eventful for her since then. She had learned much about being a rogue that could not be taught running errands in the well-manicured and protected city. She had mastered combat with her daggers and nearly with her swords as well. The shadows welcomed her, draping their protective shroud around her at her will, and shielding her from searching eyes. It hadn't all come without a price of course - down the side of her shoulder ran a long thin scar, the remnant of a nearly fatal lesson about choosing her battles wisely. Life was unpredictable – she never knew where she might end up until her travels carried her there, but it was also still lonely – which was exactly how she wanted it.

It was for her skills that she had been hired, and had come to the Barrens. A small dwarven outpost in the south was usually ignored by the Horde except for any time they ventured too far out of their hold, but in recent months they had grown more active. The dwarves had refortified and begun patrolling around a bit farther out, and the overwhelming consensus at nearby Camp Taurajo was that it spelled trouble ahead for the small village. Nariel had been asked to investigate for the camp to help settle some of the uneasiness.

Nighttime fell upon the world and with it, Nariel slipped from the small rocky outcrop where she had been observing down to the ground. As she began to make her way towards the dwarven keep she scanned the surrounding area. There were indeed an unusually large number of patrols it seemed. She could hardly take a step before another guard would pass by and she would be forced to slip back into the shadows. When she did make it to the keep entrance however, a loud snore alerted her to the fact that entry here would be significantly easier than she expected, and she confirmed this with a glance at the sleeping guard. Once inside she clung to the corners and shadows until she reached a large opening, where it took only a few silent leaps up a nearby group of stacked crates to reach the rafters, providing her not only with a perfect bird's eye view of the inner workings of the fortress, but a way to traverse between rooms unseen as well.

She slipped silently along one of the beams until she came to a room where a few dwarves were gathered. Creeping towards the corner of the room where they sat, clearly intoxicated, she began to listen in on their conversation.

"I'm tellin' yeh, it's a break!" Said the first dwarf, rather loudly.

"Tha hell it is! I want a bloody reroll!" Argued a second.

"None o' that laddy, I won it fair and square!" Cried the first dwarf.

"Rerolls' are part o' the game now!" The second dwarf shouted as he banged his fist on the table.

"DRINK!" Cried a third dwarf, to which all three grabbed the nearest mug and downed it in a single gulp.

Nariel shook her head and turned to pick another room. Just as she took her first step, something caught her ear.

"Now lis'n here you!" Said the first dwarf, pointing an unsteady finger at the second. "This game's over and I'll be takin' me winnings or we'll settle it with th' cap'n."

At this the third dwarf perked up. "Like hell ya will! We all know he's busy with th' little gnome that's been wanderin around here for the last two months."

The second dwarf tossed his empty mug aside and turned to the third. "Wha's he doin anyways?" he asked.

"Somethin r' other ta do with the quillboar." The third replied. "I dunno, but the capt'n wants to get em cleared out'o Razorfen Kraul. Thinksh we can expand the fort. Tha' little gnome's supposed ta know how."

Nariel smirked. The Tauren would be relieved. Not only were they not the target, but they would be getting some unexpected help against a mutual enemy. Nariel turned and made her way across the rafters towards another room just as a loud crash signaled one of the dwarves tipping over his chair backwards. How they expect to fight drunk if the Horde ever does decide they need to go is beyond me. She thought.

She slid along the rafters silently until she came to a room with a large armored dwarf standing near a rather tiny creature she assumed was the gnome in question.

"- and by that point we'll be ready to move on to the final stage, deploy the siege machines, and clear out the quillboar for good." Said the gnome.

"Aye, what of them then? Will this machine o' yours clean 'em all up or will we have prisoners to deal with?" asked the captain.

"Well I suppose that's up to you." Replied the gnome. "Technically the machine could kill them all…We could just run them over, it's not like they can escape the tunnels." He continued "but I'm not building machines for mass murder. It won't be equipped with any special weapons or anything past its intended use – which is breaking down barriers." He said.

"Aye that's fine lad. There won't be any o'that goin' on. We'll relocate them if we can." Replied the captain.

"Excellent." Said the gnome. "One final thing. The commander wants the machine back when you're done" He continued. "In the –ahem- unfortunate event that the keep were to fall into the hands of the Horde, he doesn't want to lose the machine as well." He said.

"Fine, fine." The captain replied with a wave. "Anything else we need ta know?" he asked.

The gnome shook his head. "Not that I can think of. If there is you'll find out very quickly after you start. Might not find out what exactly, but you'll know that you don't know something!" he said with a chuckle, much to the annoyance of the dwarven captain.

Nariel had heard all that she needed to. She slipped back through the rafters, down to the floor, and out into the night with ease. At a safe distance away from the keep she gave a soft whistle and waited patiently until her gray riding wolf emerged from the bushes where she had left him. With the knowledge that there was no impending danger, she made her way leisurely back to Camp Taurajo, letting her mind drift and watching the night sky. As the came upon the village, she dismounted and tied her wolf to a post before entering the large tent that housed the elder of Camp Taurajo. Immediately, the large aging Tauren rose and spoke to her.

"You have returned!" he said excitedly. "What news then? Must we evacuate the village?" He asked.

"No elder. You can be at ease." She replied to a collection of relieved sighs around the tent. "The dwarves are gathering strength and preparing for an assault, but their attack is aimed south at the Quillboar of Razorfen Kraul." She stated.

"Then we are safe for now it seems." The elder said, adding with a relieved sigh. "Thank you rogue."

Nariel said nothing but nodded respectfully to the elder Tauren before turning and slipping out of the tent. She made her way to the inn where she would sleep for the night – for free, thanks to the gratitude of the village. Entering the room, she sat down on the edge of the bed. This was the part of the day that she hated the most – and every night was the same. She slipped her hand up behind her ear, unfastening the buckle on her mask. As it slipped off, she felt her protective shield instantly replaced by uncertainty and fear, and her memories immediately started fighting to escape where she had locked them away so long ago. Quietly she laid back, squeezing her eyes shut and praying that sleep would come quickly.

But she knew it would not.

In the morning she rose early, before the sun was out. She dressed quickly and slipped outside to her wolf. Silently she filled a small canteen with water before mounting the creature and setting off North. Her destination was the Crossroads, which would take her nearly the whole day to arrive at. The small town served as the intersection of a number of roads that could take her in wildly different directions depending on what she felt like. She hadn't yet decided if she would go north to Ashenvale - though she doubted it, she never liked Night Elves -, west to the Stonetalon Mountains, or east to Ratchet and then on to the Eastern Kingdoms. She would camp there for the night while she decided where her travels would lead her next.

She was nearly halfway through her journey when out of the corner of her eye she caught sight of a slight movement. She turned her head just in time to catch a glimpse of soft white fur as it disappeared into the grass. Intrigued, she halted her wolf and slipped off, down out of sight herself. With a few quick steps she was over near where she had seen it, and as a gust of wind blew the grass, it parted and she saw a beautiful white tiger crouched a mere few yards ahead of her. The object of its attention was a raptor that had come stalking into the area, no doubt looking for an easy kill itself. Nariel watched the tiger work, masterfully hunting the beast. With each small gust of wind, the cat shifted around to prevent its scent from wafting towards its prey and giving it away. Each step brought it closer and closer until finally it was within striking distance.

Only then, far too late, did the raptor realize its imminent demise. With terrifying speed and ruthlessness the tiger pounced, and it was over instantly. The prey had barely enough time to let out a small screech before it was silenced by the jaws of the tiger clamping down upon its throat. Nariel was enthralled by a creature that was so beautiful and yet so deadly at the same time. She was surprised then when a pair of loud cheers rose up at the tiger's victory.

"Beautiful!" cried a smooth, deep voice.

"Merciless!" said another, more rough.

As Nariel watched, a chattering Orc and a Blood Elf rose up from a bush under a nearby tree and headed towards the giant cat and its raptor.

"I tell ya she's getting better and better." Said the Orc.

"Absolutely, that was a flawless kill." Replied the elf.

"The creature had no idea until her teeth were practically in its neck!" said the Orc with a laugh.

Nariel watched the pair converse, confused until she noticed the bow hanging from the Orc's back.

Ah, a hunter. She thought. Which would make you…

She turned to look at the tiger, but was shocked to see it was nowhere to be found. She scanned the area but saw only the Orc and the Elf, locked in joyous conversation. Her only warning of what happened next was a soft low growl, before a gust of wind parted the grass in front of her to leave her staring into the snarling fangs of the creature she had admired moments before, only inches from her face.

Nariel had just enough warning to dodge backwards, avoiding the creature's jaws at they snapped shut around air that only a moment before held the small elf. Fueled by a rush of adrenaline, she sidestepped again, avoiding the cat's swipe before rolling backwards in the grass and performing a vanish - a signature rogue trick that had saved her life a few times before. Immediately she turned and moved so her scent would miss the cat, mimicking its earlier trick. The creature responded to her unexpected disappearance by slinking low into the grass out of sight itself.

The sound of the commotion had caught the attention of the Orc, who was now scanning the grass for his pet. Nariel had begun to retreat back to where her wolf was waiting, content to take the draw versus her opponent when she found the very thing she was trying to avoid waiting in the grass ahead. With the startling speed it had displayed in ending the raptor, it pounced on her, this time leaving no chance for her to escape. She landed on her back, giant paws coming down to pin her hands where they fell and a large fanged mouth snarling at her. Just as the cat reared back to clamp its jaws down, a loud shout echoed across the field.

"No!" Cried the Orc and the elf at the same time.

"Frostbite! Down!" Yelled the Orc as he ran towards the pair waving franticly.

The cry came a moment too late as the jaws clamped shut, but to the surprise of both the cat and its prey they closed on thin air, repelled from the tiger's intended target as if some force pushed them away.

"Off! Get off her!" Shouted the Orc as he arrived at the scene.

Immediately upon hearing the command, the giant cat retreated, going to its master's side. Nariel lay there for a moment, perplexed but thankful to be alive before sitting up slowly. The elf knelt at her side, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you ok?" he asked.

Nariel nodded in reply and the elf let out a sigh of relief.

"Whew. I was afraid I was too slow with the shield." He said.

Nariel looked up at him, somewhat confused in her reply. "What?" she asked.

"I'm a Paladin" Was all he said in reply.

"I see." She said, her voice hiding the small sting in the back of her mind that appeared as his words recalled images of the only other Paladin she had ever known. "Then I believe I owe you thanks." She added, rising to her feet.

As she did the Orc approached the pair. "I'm sorry. She's never attacked anyone like that before." He said. "At least, not without a command to."

The elf turned to look at the cat. "Yes, it's quite strange. Why would she go after you?" he asked Nariel.

"I don't know. I was riding along when I saw her stalking the raptor. I stopped to watch and had been poking around the grass for a better view." She said. "Perhaps she thought I was a threat, seeing as I was stealthed." She continued.

"Aye, that's likely." Said the Orc. "Though it's a wonder she didn't spot you before she took down the raptor." He said. "It wasn't until after that she picked you up." He finished.

The elf turned to Nariel. "It's quite impressive you managed to get away from her, even for a moment." He said.

"She's never lost her prey before." Said the Orc.

Nariel forced a small smile at the compliment. "Well, I for one am happy to be the first." She said.

The pair before her each gave an amused laugh before the Elf turned to Nariel.

"I am Solarius, by the way. This is my friend and traveling companion, Molikor." He said. "And I believe you have met Frostbite" he added, motioning to the cat.

She gave a curt nod. "And I am Nariel. Well met." She said.

"Aye" replied Molikor.

"Where were you headed before this Nariel?" asked Solarius.

"To the Crossroads" Nariel replied.

"Wonderful! So were we. We just stopped for a little sport. Perhaps we can finish the journey together?" he asked as Molikor nodded his agreement.

Nariel hesitated momentarily, glancing at the pair and their cat that had tried to kill her moments earlier. The two were friendly and outgoing - admirable qualities to most - but she was content with her solitude. Still, it was hard not to travel together if they were heading the same direction. They could take different sides of the road she supposed, but…

"Very well then." She said, suppressing a sigh. "I just need to collect my mount." She added as she turned back to the road, giving a sharp whistle.

A few minutes later the trio were on the road again, Frostbite padding along behind them playfully chasing any stray bugs that came too low.

"So Nariel, what brings you to The Barrens?" Molikor asked.

"Nothing in particular." She replied before quickly adding "It's just where I ended up.", trying to head off any further questioning.

"Aye, it must be nice to seek the journey rather than the destination." Molikor said. "We're here from Stranglethorn." He added. "Solarius over there" Molikor nodded towards the Paladin as he spoke "needed to get away from all the trolls-" He said

"- so he seems to think -" added the Paladin

"-and I myself can never turn down a reason to hunt. There's nowhere better to hunt exotic creatures than the Barrens, so here we are" Molikor said with a laugh.

"It's mostly true." Said Solarius "except the part about me. I'm perfectly happy with trolls." He said.

"Aye, he's a little too happy about them sometimes." Molikor said with a grin. "Especially the females. That's why he had to get away."

"Now he's just making things up." Said an increasingly flustered Solarius.

"Let's go ask Ton'ka if I'm making it up then eh?" teased the Orc.

"I for one don't understand what the fascination is about with this place. It's just flat grasslands." Solarius said loudly, changing the subject.

"You weren't saying that when we were sitting in the bush, watching the master huntress at work." Said Molikor as he jerked his thumb towards the large cat.

"Bah." Said the Elf with a dismissive wave.

"Don't mind him." Said Molikor. "He's just mad that his ears stick up over the grass." He said. "Gives him away every time, he's a terrible hunter." He added quietly.

"Wh- My ears are perfectly normal thank you!" Cried the Paladin. "And you've just insulted our new friend as well." He added, pointing at Nariel.

"Oh no no, she's got it right." Molikor said. "Look at her ears, she can practically lay them back flat!" He added mockingly towards the Paladin. "Why, she only got away from Frostbite after all! And here you are saying she's doing it wrong. You! Of all people." Said the Orc in his best mock condescending tone.

The remainder of their journey was filled with more good natured banter between the pair, and try as she might to keep her distance, Nariel couldn't help but find herself somewhat amused. When they finally arrived at the Crossroads the sun had set, and Nariel made her way to the room she had purchased for the night. Nothing about the day had been particularly upsetting – other than almost being eaten by the giant tiger -, but as she closed the door behind herself she quietly slipped over to the bed and sat down on the edge, dread overtaking her. For all the laughter that the day had brought, she knew from the moment Solarius had spoken to her that as soon as she lost the distractions that they provided, the weight of the one tiny word he had said would set off a fresh wave of pain that even five long years had not helped her learn to cope with.

Paladin…