Chapter 17

Varian ignored the stunned look the guards gave him as he strode into the keep. Fox's head rested against his chest. Pausing to say "Mathias Shaw will be by shortly with a healer. You are to escort him to my room directly." That was all the time he spent on the subject. Moving deeper in the keep. Sparing no notice for the questioning looks the guards and staff were passing amongst each other.

The two guards scrambled to open the door for him. "Leave it open." He called over his shoulder setting Fox down on the large expanse of his bed. He sat down at her side reaching out to touch her face. The warmth of life had not left her cheek. Closing his eyes, he sighed in relief. Still he would not allow himself to be pacified. So many things could be the cause. Just because she was alive, did not mean she would remain so. The events of his past more than validated his concern.

Opening his eyes, he studied her face. Most beings had calm expressions when they were unconscious. Serene from the release of life's stress. Not Fox. Not the lush lower lip that looked as if she was almost pouting. Fine lines of worry, unnoticeable when she was awake graced her brow. Varian ran his fingers across them in a passive attempt to sooth her. He turned hearing the rushing sound of feet. Relief when Shaw's image filled the door frame.

"My King? You summoned me?" He was panting from his run across Lion's Landing. The black pants loose on his hips. The tunic style shirt had clearly been pulled on during his mad dash. The black boots were also unbuckled. The impressive part is that they had stayed on his feet at all.

"Fox collapsed at the flight point. She is completely unresponsive to my attempts to awaken her. I hope you brought a healer?" Varian looked back down at Fox. Finding it hard to move across the room to greet Shaw.

"Fox?" Shaw's face took on a concerned frown. He rose on the balls of his feet, and leaned to the side to see past Varian's much larger frame. "I don't understand. She has been on countless missions over the years. I have admittedly sent her on missions just to test her skill, and never has there been an issue. What kind of hell could take her down?"

"The very same that would rouse us out of our bed at the crack of crazy in the morning, Mathias." A silvery haired night elf came around the corner. She entered the room and locked her glowing eyes on Varian.

"What is she doing here?" Varian locked eyes on Sheylann. She was quite possibly the last person he wanted walking in at this moment. In the past Varian had dubbed her a blight on humanity. Seeing as everywhere this druid went, things seemed to fall apart. In fact, that is how Shaw had ended up with her as a lover. Varian had sent him to keep tabs on her. Trying to avert the next pressing disaster she would send crawling across his desk. At least their affair had curbed some of the damage. It had been months since Varian had a single report on her.

"You wanted a healer." Mathias pointed out as he looked from Varian to Sheylann. "I just found the closest one at hand."

"She's a feral bear tank of destruction." Varian snarled pinning cold eyes on the druid. "Not what I require at the moment."

"Guardian's can heal. Besides, V, I am also a renowned Alchemist. So if there are poisons involved, I am going to be able to identify them. If not, and you need a potion prescribed, we can skip the middle man and I will create them for you." Sheylann stretched her arms over her head. "So what's the problem? Old war wound acting up? Arthritis setting in?" Looking around the room taking note of the woman in his bed, "Or you forgot to wrap the package?"

Varian turned to Shaw sharply. It was clear who was going to be taking the blame for the insolence. "I swear you should have looked further then the next pillow over for a proper healer, Shaw. I am not going to forget this." He was more then seeing red, he was turning it. "Ever."

"Shey, love, could you stop antagonizing the King for a moment?" Shaw swallowed hard. Typically he kept them separated. Sheylann's humor matched his own. Her respect for command did not. There for, she never tempered her comments as he would. Shaw rushed to set a hand on her arm. Trying to impart the gravity of the situation she was putting him in.

Sheylann smiled over at Shaw with soft affection, "Alright, I will try to be serious." She ran her fingers down the side of Shaw's cheek, until one slender finger dropped off his chin. Turning she walked over, and looked down at the human female that had yet to move. "Fox?" Looking up at the two men in a rare expression of surprise, "What have you done to Foxy?"

"You know Fox?" Varian sounded almost defeated. As if the mere acquaintance with Sheylann could have polluted Fox beyond all redemption.

Shaw coughed and turned away from both of them. Composed he looked back at Varian and said, "I did tell you I sent my very best agents after Sheylann, and she managed to elude them all."

"That's rather flattering." Sheylann leaned over Fox and began examining her. She never bother looking back at the men as she worked, "But I never eluded Fox. We became fast friends for a time. Then you called her back to Stormwind on a matter of more pressing urgency. It was terribly disappointing, and I blame V, for it. So don't worry to much Mathias."

Varian's stormy mood was complicated by his worry for Fox. When he snapped another look of promised reprisal at Shaw. The fact the King was remaining completely silent had Shaw starting to sweat bullets.

"Sweet Moon Mother!" Sheylann's voice almost roared. She had just pulled Fox's palm open to reveal the unopened vial of Mishka's potion. Lifting it so that Varian and Shaw could see. She was absolutely livid, "Whose brainless idea was it to give her this?"

Varian watched as the Night Elf pulled the bottle of glowing blue liquid close for inspection. "Is it poison?"

"No. It's a drug. One that should never be in the hands of any rogue! Of all the thoughtless ideas anyone could come up with. I am just... Rawr!" Sheylann's fangs showed as her nails began to lengthen and point in a partial druid transformation.

Mathias moved again to come up next to her. Putting his hands on her arms in a calming effort. "It's okay, you have it now. Wait. It looks like the same stuff you gave me. You said it was perfectly safe! That it was just meant to keep me awake."

"Yes, Shaw, it's the same stuff, but I dose it out to you. I don't let you have vials of it." Sheylann shot Varian a narrowed gaze, "And I would never be forced to use it if you were not so atrociously over worked."

"Shaw sets his own hours." Was all Varian was willing to say. He was not concerned about their personal issues. What concerned him most was the rogue in his bed. "What about Fox? Will she be alright?"

"She should be, but I doubt you will be treated to her delightful wit today, possibly even tomorrow." Sheylann shook her head and looked back down at Fox. A deep sigh before adding, "She is going to have to sleep off everything she has done during her rampaging drug frenzy. Whatever that was. So, my dear tyrannical overlords, just what vicious little side mission was she sent on this time?"

"We left her at Lion's Landing, yesterday morning. With the expressed orders to sleep. I do know she had been up an entire day previously." Shaw cast a sheepish look at Varian. "At least that is the way I understood it."

Sheylann was not one to let subtle statements merely pass over her. The glowing eyes widened and her mouth dropped open. Trying to process the information Shaw had just supplied. "Get out!" Then looking at Varian she could not restrain the impish smile. "Is it true?"

"That she was up the previous day and night? Yes. I can attest to the truthfulness of that statement. Seeing as I was the one who originally made it." Varian crossed his arms over his chest. He failed to see what had Sheylann so worked up.

"Finally got back on the horse, V? Well, Fox in this case. Still, damn, back in action and bragging about it too!" Sheylann moved her eyes over Varian in a discerning way.

"What in the name of the light are you implying, Shey?" Varian snapped back at her as realization dawned on him. "We were stranded in Paw'don. She was guarding me."

"Yes, I can see that. Fox would be possessive over her man. There was this one time we went skinny dipping in Winter Spring. It was amazing. Anyway we..." Sheylann started rambling,

"Get her out." Varian looked at Shaw. The tone he had used was most authoritative.

"Yes, your Majesty." Shaw made a grab for Sheylann's arm, and tried to move her toward the door.

Sheylann pulled free. "Stop that! I happen to be closer friends with the afflicted, more so then either one of you. So I can tell you there is no way Fox was putting the spurs to our King. No matter how charismatic he was being.

"I never said she did!" Varian choked out, coming to his feet with indignation.

"But you implied it." Sheylann lifted a finger at him.

"Shaw!"

"Fine!" Sheylann dropped her head down to her hand. The lifting it she turned completely serious. "Before I leave, there is somethings we have to do."

Varian moved across the room and pulled a chair out. Hopefully the added distance would keep him from wrapping his hand around Sheylann's throat. Dropping in to it he leaned forward rubbing his hands over his face, "Name it. Just so I can be rid of you."

"First, you should send someone to retrace her steps. Just so you know where she was and what we are going to expect during her recovery time."

"I will send for Learen." Shaw moved to the door. "Find one of my men and send him for Learen. He was to meet with me today. So check my office first."

Varian sat up and looked at Sheylann, "And the other thing?"

"We need to move Fox out of your bed and into her own bunk." Sheylann stared hard at Varian.

"I have plenty of empty rooms in the main keep for visitors. She will be more comfortable in one of those." Varian tried compromise. He understood the need to remove Fox from his room, but out of the keep entirely? How was he to keep an eye on her? Visiting the barracks would be out of the question. He was very concerned for her well being, seeing how close they had become. He would even go as far as considering Fox to be a friend at this point.

"No. You have to send her out! Even bringing her in here makes her a target of envy and gossip." Sheylann advised in the most serious voice. "It could end up impacting her ability to work with the other subordinates."

"I have to take Sheylann's side on this matter." Shaw nodded. He could see that the King was disliking the truthfulness they were giving him. But such considerations were more then necessary. Varian was King of Stormwind, and Leader of the Alliance after all. The closer you became to such power the more of an open target you could become to their enemies.

Varian begrudgingly relented. "Fine move her to the barracks. I want to be notified when she has awaken. Then when she is ready bring her by the main counsel chamber so I can get an accounting of what exactly happened. Something like this must never be allowed to happen to anyone under my command ever again."

There was a knock at the door and a young night elf with green hair stood there. Lifting a hand to the occupants. "Yo."

"Goldenleaf?" Shaw looked to Sheylann. Knowing the other druid well. Sheylann was his assigned mentor, but it was always a rather odd situation ,since he was far more capable and trust worthy then the blight of humanity herself.

"I was in your office, when I got word you wanted Learen?" Goldenleaf stepped just into the room. Clearly uncomfortable with the location of this meeting. "He will not be coming."

"Why not?" It was Shaw's turn to be upset. "I expressly told him I wanted to speak with him this morning."

"He did leave you a note. Shall I read it?" Goldenleaf held up the scroll in his hand so everyone could see.

"Belligerent noncompliance from that little gnome at every turn. If he wasn't the most skilled killing machine in the known universe I would have done with him." Shaw looked at the ceiling. The last thing he wanted to do was go off on a tirade, about one of his men, in front of the King. "Go ahead, read it. Because knowing Learn and his big mouth you already know what is written there."

"Shaw: I have come as you bid me too. I waited a full six minutes. One minute over the allotted time you requested of me. Seeing that it is Stab the Tauren Day, and I simply will not miss it, I will be off to what ever battle ground will have me. - respect you, respect you so much, Learen." Goldenleaf rolled the letter back up.

"You wrote it for him didn't you." Shaw looked deflated.

Goldenleaf nodded in guilty admittance, "It's very close to what he told me to write. Beside the respect part. I believe the word he used was hate. He hates you so much."

Sheylann started laughing out right.

"Do not feel to bad. I can understand his emotion." Goldenleaf indicated his head toward Sheylann.

That stopped her laughing. The eyes pinning on her little moonkin prodigy. "Goldenleaf, since Learen isn't here I would like to request..."

Goldenleaf looked to Shaw, "She means demand."

"That you take over the task we were going to assign to the gnome. Which means you get to act as an SI-7 agent today."

"I get to kill people for gold?"

Shaw put his hands out in open confusion. "Why is that the only thing, you people think we do? No. Goldenleaf, I need you to retrace Fox's steps, since we left her at the Flight Master in Lion's Landing yesterday morning."

"If it keeps me away from Sheylann, I am all in."

Varian could not choke back his laugh at that. "You realize, I am beginning to favor this Night elf. Perhaps if he does a commendable job I will offer him a position on my personal staff."

Sheylann scowled at Varian's crack. "Goldenleaf, just one thing before you go. Could you help me move the rogue to her own room in the SI-7 barracks?"

Goldenleaf looked over at the bed and cast a glance around the room.

"It's fine. Just make sure you are very careful with her." Varian motioned for Goldenleaf to move.

The Night Elf walked over and lifted Fox into his arms. Varian was struck by how small she as in comparison. He was going to have to talk to Shaw about the missions Fox was being sent on. Over tasking her would lead to a repeat of today's events, and he still had a hollow pain sitting in his chest from it.

As they left the room Shaw turned to Varian. "Don't worry, I will get another SI-7 agent to stand guard until she wakes up. So do not concern yourself over this anymore today. I do apologize for the inconvenience."

Varian didn't say anything. He just waved his hand to dismiss Shaw. A short time later he followed the group out of his room, and headed for the main counsel chamber. There would be no fishing today. There would probably be no Fox today either. But there would be paperwork.