I never thought that I'd let go

Long enough to fall for someone deeply

Who had the power to erase my fears

And find me so completely

~Lost-Faith Hill~

"Ah there you are Cordana!" said Archmage Khadgar happily. "I had wondered where you had gotten off to."

She was glad she was wearing the encounter suit, for she was sure that the man would have seen right through her. "I had business to attend to early this morning, at the Enclave," she said. Well that much was true. The subject of the business he did not need to know, and she took her place beside him as she always did.

"I thought perhaps today we could dispense with the usual formalities at the Tower and pay a visit to the Commander at the garrison. Or, if you would like, we could head to Stormwind for the day, just the two of us."

Cordana was puzzled. "Archmage, why would you wish to do these trivial things? Are there not important matters we must see to in regards to the mission?"

Khadgar smiled. "My dear, we have both been working hard lately, and I thought that perhaps some recreation was in order. Or do you Wardens not believe in recreation?"

Cordana sighed. "We do not believe in recreation in the midst of a crisis, Archmage. The mission must come first."

"Nonsense!" he exclaimed. "Now take off that encounter suit of yours, and let us have a bit of fun. I shall take you to the Cathedral of Light, a lovely place, and peaceful. They have many books there."

"A human cathedral is hardly of interest to a Kaldorei," she said wryly. "And human books even less so. Perhaps the Commander of the garrison has some intel on the shadow council we can look into."

Cordana loathed the Cathedral. As a servant, she had been forced to go along for every religious service the family pandered to, and as a night elf, the beliefs of humans were facetious and hollow to her. She had considered it a form of torture to be subjected to it so often.

Khadgar formed a ball of light in his hands and tossed it at her playfully. She raised her umbral crescent and deflected it easily without a word.

"If you don't take it off, I shall conjure it off you!" he exclaimed. "I hope you are decent beneath it!"

"You would not dare do that, Archmage!" said Cordana, doing her very best to keep her voice even, although the idea of him magically removing any part of her clothing gave her feelings in silly places she would as soon forget.

Khadgar sighed. "You are right, I would do no such thing...today." He winked at her playfully. "But truly, Cordana, please join me. I am tired of tomes and studies and would like the pleasure of your company, as a friend this day. Will you indulge a cranky old man?"

Cordana smiled beneath her helmet, and slowly lifted it off. She was self conscious about the Archmage's eyes on her as her hair fell free and tumbled down. She disliked being stared at. It worried her that all too soon the staring eyes would judge her and find her wanting. She avoided personal contact as much as possible, even as her deepest heart yearned for it. It was easier that way, never knowing someone's disappointment.

Khadgar watched her. The silky deep purple hair cascaded down and he wondered how it would feel to run his hands through it. The Archmage had been startled the first time he saw Cordana Felsong remove her encounter suit. He had always thought night elves were an attractive people, but he was not prepared for how stunning his assigned protector turned out to be. In his 50 years of life, the powerful magus had had little time to give thought to the possibility of something as mundane as a relationship. Magic was his only mistress and she was possessive and jealous, allowing him no time for anything but her. When Cordana Felsong had shown up in his life, his heart and his mind had been challenged.

Khadgar felt sure that there was no way the Warden harbored feelings of any sort for him. He was a client, an assignment and nothing more. That was the way with Wardens and Cordana's singular focus on the mission should have made it easy for him to work; technically, she should have provided no temptation to stray from the task. But Light, when she took that suit off and looked at him with that unwavering gaze, he forgot to breathe. He could not say just what it was that attracted him to her in such a powerful way.

If he were asked to characterize Cordana, he found himself at a loss for words. He could detail her wonderful, softly curling hair, her long, strong legs and tiny waist, her elegant hands. He loved the curve of her sensuous lips when she smiled, how the lower was fuller then the upper. Her slightly almond shaped eyes with long lashes had the characteristic Kaldorei glow to them that would brighten when she was feeling any heightened positive emotion, and those moments were very rare indeed, as the Warden was well trained in control. Cordana had finely sculpted cheekbones and a straight nose with the slightest little upturn at the end, and a soft oval shaped face. Unlike most of her people, she did not have the facial markings of any clan and her skin was porcelain and fine, remarkably untouched by any scars or blemishes. To Khadgar, she was perfection.

He had tried over the months of their time together to draw her out of herself, out of that bubble of mystery she lived within, keeping everyone at arm's length. Cordana spent most of her time stealthed, nearly invisible, and the only indication he had of her presence was the occasional deep breath she would take, or the shimmer of the air around her if she moved more than an inch or two. He had seen her in the heat of battle and was struck by her fierceness, her exacting strikes and cold, calculating skill.

She could kill without a second thought if anything threatened his well being. She was extremely protective, over protective even, and although it irritated him at times, he felt secure knowing she was there at his side, umbral crescent at the ready.

Khadgar had found his focus and his attention waning lately, and thought that perhaps it was time for them to leave Draenor for a little while and take their focus off the mission. He wanted Cordana to be free of the constraints of the Warden's mantle, both literally and figuratively. She resisted any personal contact, but the Archmage was determined to get past her defenses. He loved a good mystery, and Cordana Felsong was a living, breathing one.

A beautiful, sensuous one.