Chapter 21 – Partial To The Odd Dwarf


Gwen looked up the small hill from the cottage. There, leaning with his back against the lone tree, sat Drew. He had only grunted a hello when he'd returned from Sarah's and made a beeline for his present location. "What's wrang wi' the lad?" Gwen asked Erik as she hung out some laundry.

Erik glanced up from stocking his quiver. "Ah dinnae ken! He widnae speak tae me neither when ah went o'er tae see him."

"Well, obviously ye didnae try hard enough!"

Erik huffed sorting another quiver. "Well ah'm goana try again in a meenit, yince Lhadral gits here. We're goin' tae tak him huntin'."

Gwen tutted. "Ach, you pair'll git that carried away ye'll probably shoot the lad up the arse."

"Gwenmora! S'ch language!" Erik scolded, dropping the quiver.

"Didnae ye dare gie me yer 'language' nonsense Erik Longmaster, or ah'll show ye exactly whar tae shove them arra's."

"Wheest wuman, folk'll hear ye." Erik smirked. He did enjoy winding her up.

She turned to him, hands on hips and a scowl on her face. "And whar the hell ur the folk oot here, Erik?" she said.

Erik simply grunted and continued with seeing to weapons and ammunition. He glanced up the hill at Drew. The lad had been inordinately quiet since returning from his trip with Sarah.

In fact, once Erik thought about it, he had been fairly secretive since his arrival in Azeroth. He knew something was bothering the lad, but he just couldn't fathom how to get him to open up. It vexed Erik, for he thought he'd been close enough to the boy for him to feel he could speak to him about anything.

"Good afternoon," a voice shouted from the approach to the cottage. Gwen looked round just as a huge panther bounded up over the rise towards her. Her eyes nearly popped from her head when the beast opened its huge maw in front of her face. Its hot breath was more than a bit ripe. Gwen waved her hand in front of her face to rid the smell, but the panther just nuzzled her hand. "What on Azeroth div ye feed Rishuul?" she asked the approaching night elf, with a look of disgust on her face. "Her breath is mingin'!"

"Oh she's partial to the odd dwarf," Lhadral replied with a smirk. He stood, arms crossed watching Gwen trying to get away from the affectionate panther.

Erik laughed at the look of mock effrontery on Gwen's face. "And ye cannae get much odder than that yin," he said, his eyes twinkling, nodding in Gwen's direction. He soon stopped laughing when she glowered at him.

Lhadral, a hunter who lived in Darnassus with his wife Umrii and their five children had come over with his wife when she insisted on seeing Khadgar and Sarah's son, Ocel, named after Umrii's late father. The night elf was close on seven foot tall, with long dark green hair and sporting a closely trimmed beard.

A seasoned hunter, highly skilled in the crossbow, his services were sought all over Kalimdor and one or two places in the Eastern Kingdoms. He'd gladly accepted Erik's invite to do a spot of hunting, especially when he heard about the dwarves' lodger. It was a chance to meet the man from the other world who his wife had portalled, along with Sarah, to meet with the naaru in Shattrath. Everyone spoke fondly of Drew, so he thought it was about time to meet him.

He strode over to Gwen. After shooing Rishuul away he picked up the feisty dwarf, gave her a huge hug and noisy peck on the cheek. "And how is my favourite lady this fine day?" His velvet voice asked. He wore an enormous smile as he lifted her.

Gwen chortled. Being picked up in such a manner had her blushing. "Ah'm jist fine thank you Lhadral, a' the better fur seein' you lad, though ye better no let Umrii hear ye saying ah'm yer favourite, she might git jealous. Now pit me doon, ah'm getting' dizzy at this height."

Lhadral lowered her gently to the ground, soft laughter as he did so. As he turned to look at Erik he caught sight of Drew further up the incline. "Ah, so that's Drew. Something bothering him?" he asked.

"Aye," Erik replied, putting the last of the arrows in a second quiver. "He's a bit glum the now. Ah thought perhaps some male bonding wi' a huntin' trip might dae the lad gid."

"Hmm," Lhadral pondered. "With your record for injuring your party members however, it may not be that good a plan," the night elf grinned.

Erik stopped what he was doing and huffed at the night elf. "What? Ah tell ye there's nowt wrang wi' ma ..."

"Calm it, little man," Lhadral grinned, patting Erik's shoulder. "I am only teasing you – and repeating what Taril said about you, of course." Again he grinned, wider this time as he heard Gwen laughing also. Erik huffed and grumbled under his breath.

Lhadral called Rishuul to him. "I think I will go talk to him," he said, starting off in the direction of the rise.

"Ye'll be lucky if he says a wurd," Erik called after him.

"We'll see," Lhadral said back, winking at Gwen.

The night elf took long deliberate strides towards the hilltop, Rishuul keeping close to his heel. He offered his hand in greeting as Drew looked up. "Hello," he said warmly. "I'm Lhadral, Umrii's husband."

Drew reached up and accepted his pro-offered hand. "Hello," he responded. "You obviously know who I am then."

Lhadral shook Drew's hand. "That I do. I thought I would come introduce myself before Erik shoots you."

"What?" Drew's brow furrowed as he stood up when he saw the panther nearing him.

Lhadral laughed. "Oh it's a family joke about him always injuring those he hunts with."

Drew smiled as memories of Taril's tales of misfortune came to mind from when he had visited with Lukha the first time. "Oh yes, I forgot about that."

"May I join you?" Lhadral asked, indicating where Drew had spent a good bit of the afternoon.

"Of course, although I may not be very good company."

"Then it is my duty to cheer you up," the night elf smiled. The panther nudged his legs and looked at Drew. "Oh this is Rishuul," Lhadral said. "She gets annoyed if I don't introduce her also."

Drew put the back of his hand towards the panther, allowing her to sniff him. She seemed to take her time, and padded slowly around him. Finally she nuzzled him. "Another bonus for you Drew, she hasn't tried to eat you."

Drew smiled as the panther curled around him, emitting a throaty purr. "She's beautiful," he said, genuinely impressed by the regal feline.

The two men sat down and at first they simply surveyed what was around them. Lhadral picked a blade of grass and started stripping it back. "So how did your meeting with the naaru go then?" he asked straight out.

Drew leaned back against the tree, wondering if he should divulge anything. He didn't know this hunter, but it was safe to assume he was a decent guy going by his connections to those who Drew knew already. Then he considered how sometimes talking to a stranger was easier than to those closer to you.

He glanced down the hill where Gwen and Erik still pottered about doing whatever chores or tasks they'd set themselves. He felt bad for not confiding in Erik especially. The dwarf had been nothing but a good friend and had welcomed him into his home, but he wasn't ready to burden him with what had happened yet.

He sighed heavily, before answering. "I was only there for moral support," he started. "But Sarah came out with some blinders afterwards."

Lhadral tilted his head. "Blinders?"

"Revelations. Some of which are not my place to discuss."

The hunter nodded understanding, but he wasn't for letting Drew slump into silence again. "So what can you reveal then?"

In an attempt to size up the man, Drew stared at him for a few moments. Lhadral stared back, unwavering. Drew saw honesty in the man's eyes and somehow, he deduced he could be a good friend to have. "Well, this will probably sound odd..."

Lhadral laughed lightly. "I doubt it."

Smirking, Drew continued, spilling everything he felt he could, which wasn't really that much considering no-one, including Umrii and her cousin, had been made aware of the Void. He also admitted about the three other Earthlings who came through the portal with him when he arrived in Azeroth.

"I have a spirit inside me called Camnath Sunspear. He was the husband of Tiene, a demon hunter lieutenant..." He told Lhadral about Camnath's materialisation but was selective in sharing the information the spirit had divulged. He explained how Khadgar had returned home looking less than pleased that he was there. Lhadral reassured him it would most likely be duties with the Kirin Tor which had the Archmage on edge, not the fact he found Sarah's best friend sitting with her. Drew was hoping he was right, although he had to admit, coming home to find your woman holding hands with another man and speaking with a ghost would be unsettling if nothing else.

Lhadral looked at him. Rishuul lay down between the two of them, her tail flicking in front of Drew's face. He tried to swat it away, but she just grumbled and continued flicking. The night elf grinned. "Rishuul thinks you are hiding something. There is more to this than you are letting on."

"Rishuul thinks?" Drew asked incredulously.

The hunter laughed, stroking the big cat's head. "Oh she does, yes. And I agree with her. There is an ominous quality about your tale, Drew, one which I think may eventually involve us all."

On one hand, Drew was thankful that this man was so astute, while on the other, he now found himself in a place he did not want to be. "To be honest, I don't know too much of what is going on. All I know is it involves the Void, orcs from Draenor and the spirit inside me." He sighed in defeat as he revealed the small piece of information he had concealed. "We also need to find Bernie who hosts the other spirit, but I have no idea where to begin looking." And there it was. All out in the open, to a complete stranger. A sense of relief washed over Drew.

Oddly, the hunter didn't even flinch at the mention of the Void. Drew wondered if it was something the Azerothians knew would eventually make an appearance. "I take it Sarah doesn't know where to look either?" Lhadral asked, stripping another blade of grass.

"No. The only thing I know is that they favour the Horde."

Lhadral raised his eyebrows. " is unfortunate."

Drew shrugged, disappointed. He had somehow hoped the night elf might have some idea how they could proceed.

"However," the elf went on, his lips forming a charismatic smile. "Rishuul is a good tracker, and if we can determine which way they went, along with something perhaps belonging to them or touched by them, then she should be able to get us on the right path."

Drew sighed. "I don't have anyth-" Oh, but I do! I don't think I want to show him that though, he thought.

The night elf looked at him expectantly. He was too smart. He knew Drew had something. What the hell, Drew shrugged. Reaching into his jeans back pocket he produced the note Bernie had left tied to his person, the morning after their first night together. He handed it over to Lhadral, a look of slight embarrassment on his face.

Lhadral read the note then smirked, before he laughed openly. "I'm not even going to ask," the elf said, slapping a friendly hand on Drew's shoulder.

Drew couldn't help but grin.


Sarah wiped the tears from her eyes. Khadgar's wordless mumblings were killing her. She had so hoped that she would have found some inner strength to tell him what he needed to know without crumbling every few words. But even having confided in Drew first and crying herself dry then, the task of telling Khadgar had not been made any easier. Especially when he avoided looking at her.

She sat on the sofa while he crossed the room and stared out of the window over Stormwind harbour. His shoulders were taut, the line of his jaw severe. She had only got as far as telling him she could read his thoughts and his wanting to keep things from her was what spurred her to go to Shattrath, to find out more about her abilities in a hope she would know what to do to help against the Void. Finally he spoke, but his voice was low and dark. "You should have come to me instead of going to the naaru."

A spark of hope ignited by the simple fact he had spoken."I doubt you would know anything about the naaru and demon powers I possess. You may however, have answers about the Void. Would you have told me anything though?" she asked.

He scoffed. "With a revelation such as your being able to read my mind, I would have thought there would be little use in trying to keep things from you."

She inched forward on the sofa, wondering if she should approach him or stay put. "I did not mean to probe, Khadgar," she said.

He turned to look at her, but remained where he was. "Nonetheless, you did."

She sank into herself. It felt she was being chastised by a school master. "It just...happened. I knew I was hearing your thoughts for days, but..."

"Days?" he asked in a harsh whisper.

"Yes, but they were incoherent, I could not make out any words."

"So are you telling me you honed the ability?"

"I – I..." She couldn't bring herself to lie nor to admit that it was what she had attempted. Her lack of confirmation or denial gave him the answer he sought and he swept towards the door, his face rigid. "Wait!" she called after him. "There's more I need to tell you." It was impossible for her to keep the tremor from her voice.

He took a couple of steps backwards before he turned to face her. As she looked into his eyes, she couldn't help but wonder where 'her' Khadgar was now. This man in front of her was so stern, so cold. What had been going on to change him so? Surely it wasn't just because she had confessed to reading his mind and taking matters into her own hands. Impatience was behind his eyes also, waiting for her to confess some other crime.

"When I entered the Twisting Nether to get Illidan, I thought ...I thought I had survived the transition between our world and that of the dead."

Khadgar's lip twitched. "You obviously did Sarah, you are here now." No kindness in his tone.

"I died. The naaru told me although it was for a brief moment, I had nonetheless passed from this life. Illidan had asked them to help him restore me, so that the fel would not harm our baby. But, a fragment of my soul still walks the Nether, making me incomplete."

She could see by his slightly furrowed brow he was trying to diagnosticate what she was telling him. With a deep breath, she let it tumble from her lips. "Illidan inadvertently infused me with the night elves' curse of immortality and as my soul is fractured, I am also left barren. I can have no more children." Her throat burned and the tears flowed freely. She had needed to get everything out in the open, and it had to be done quickly for fear she would not be maintain her nerve. Not that it eased the pain. "I am sorry," she whimpered, unable to look at him.

The silence in the room was deafening. Then, Khadgar spoke. "Illidan has done this!" The suppressed anger in his voice made her look up.

"If he didn't, though Khadgar, I would not be here and neither would our son."

His eyes blazed. Then she saw it. The animosity towards Illidan which she had sensed in his thoughts, was still raging. But why? Illidan had become his friend, a trusted ally. The change in Khadgar irked her at that moment. "Would you rather he hadn't?" she asked, still fighting the tremor in her voice.

The Archmage held her gaze. She tried to reach into his mind, for he seemed unwilling to offer any verbal communication. "Stop it!" he said, sharp. "Stay out of my head Sarah. It is off limits." He turned and strode down the hall to his study where he closed the door, firmly.

She stood, stunned. Who was this man? Cold, calculating and angry. And she still had not explained everything. He had not heard about Camnath and that he was key to helping with the Void. Hurting though she was, she would not be silenced so harshly. And not by the man who she had willingly changed her life to be with. Fists clenched, she stormed to his study and without stopping she threw the door open.

He stood behind his desk, rifling through the chaos of documents on its surface. His steel eyes flashed at her. "Don't you knock any more?" he said coldly before continuing searching his desk for something, or perhaps nothing.

She ignored his comment. "What is wrong with you?" she demanded. "I have just revealed some truly painful facts about myself and you dismiss them as if they are of no importance! Where is your compassion? Where is your understanding?"

"I do not have time for such luxury, Sarah."

"Luxury?" she screamed.

"I am trying to fathom how to save this world from complete annihilation can you not understand that?" He swept round from the desk to stand in front of her. She inched back, his stature strangely intimidating. "You have no concept of what we are facing. This enemy will wipe out everything we know, our homes, our cities, our hopes, our lives. Perhaps you immortals will be safe..."

She slapped him. He barely flinched but his eyes remained hard. "Don't you dare be so condescending to me," she said in a hoarse whisper. Clearing her throat she soldiered on with the information she had. "Remember Tiene? The blood elf demon hunter?" Khadgar gave the briefest of nods. "Well her husband's spirit has for some reason taken up residence in Drew. Camnath is his name, and he has told me that I can help in this coming war, but first I have to find Tiene's spirit who is also hitching a ride with someone else."

Khadgar's stern posture relaxed slightly. "To what end?" he asked.

Sarah had hoped he wouldn't ask that. "Truthfully, I do not know. But Camnath said they will be instrumental in this battle and I need Illidan to help..."

Khadgar turned from her with a grunt. For some reason he had a real grudge with the demon hunter.

"Whatever your gripe is with Illidan, whether you like it or not, he was prophesised to be the one who would turn the tables on the Void."

"Yet he has to always include you!" the Archmage shouted. She glanced down for a moment as she saw his fists clench. "I am trying my best to ensure you and Ocel are safe, as well as trying to work out how to protect everyone else..."

"Then why won't you accept that we can help?" she intervened. "Are we stealing your thunder or something, Khadgar? I thought we were all in this together, all of us fighting for the love of Azeroth."

"We can help – we are all in this". It's always been we, where he is concerned. Ever since you came here, it's been about him. From the moment you stood in Varian's court, it's been about him. You were willing to sacrifice yourself, for him!"

"What?" she staggered back in disbelief. This was a jealousy issue? No, there was more to it, he was using this a guise. "Are you listening to yourself? This is insane! You know fine that it was not about the man himself but about righting a terrible wrong which ended up helping save us from the Burning Legion."

"Which again, the two of you had to be at the head of the crusade!"

"Oh, for fuck's sake! Are you and your little group of Six feeling so inadequate that you have invent some sort of conspiracy? Are you really that concerned that just maybe he is more powerful than all of you put together?"

His eyes darkened. "With you, his little pet beside him, perhaps?" He turned his back on her.

His words stung but she responded as best she could, battling with her anguish. "By Elune, you can be a real prick at times, can't you? I was an unfortunate result of circumstance Khadgar, one which you seemed happy enough to have back for a while. But I have learned I can be useful now in the forth-coming fight. So whether you like or not, I intend to be there."

The sound of Ocel crying drifted along the hall. His eyes turned to the door and then briefly made contact with hers before he resumed looking through his desk. "Your son needs you," he said over his shoulder.

And there was the killer of all strikes. Your son, he'd said. Not our son. She could not help but respond, even though she struggled hard to fight back the tears. "Well, I certainly hope he grows up better than his father." He faced her, annoyance still gripping his features. She turned and left, but she heard him slam something very heavy on the desk surface as she closed the door behind her.