Ganked V 2.0b
Chapter 5 Sojourn at Winterspring
Nearly one year passed since their time at Southshore as they crossed through Timbermaw Hold over to the frozen land of Winterspring. It had been a long journey, made longer by the many stops, quests, and dungeons that had proved a ready distraction along the way. Still, Skinflint thought that it would be a good place to ready themselves before entering the newly discovered Outlands, and there were some items there that one could not find anywhere else. It was that reason, and Denevell's wish to see his old home, that they now crossed into the powdery white land.
As they passed the cool, dark of the tunnel and into the white light, they blocked their eyes. The afternoon sun shone so brightly upon the snow, that they were momentarily blinded by the glare. Neiana held her hand against her eyes, the others did the same.
"Fire n' Smoke! Tha light is bright 'ere!" Skinflint declared. "What fool place 'ave ye taken us ta ya 'lf!"
"The light is not so bad once you get used to it, and much of these lands are covered by woods, providing a welcome shade. They were once quite alive before the taint reached us," Denevell soothingly explained.
"Hmph, ye n' yer 'lvish love o' trees. Give me a good bit o' stone ta work wit' n' I'll show ya what's alive!"
"I prefer gears myself. There is lots to do with gears that will liven things up for sure," Wigget declared.
By this time, they had adjusted to the glare, but most could not keep from squinting.
"Let's head on to Everlook. I'm sure that Skinflint has had dealings with the Inn keeper there. Perhaps we'll get a discount," Cyrus wryly noted.
It was becoming a bit of a private joke that Skinflint had dealings in nearly every port, town, and city in both continents.
"That be true. She owes me a favor she does, but I dunno if it'll come ta that. Few enter these 'ere glades nowadays."
"Will we be the only ones here?" Neiana asked.
"Probably not, as there are a few things that can only be found here. Icecap is one example. Darklotus has also been spotted, if you're lucky," Denevell explained.
"Also there be Truesilver 'ere abouts, or so I've 'eard," Skinflint happily interjected.
Down in Everlook, Guntag was preparing some Rough Leather and Blue Dragon Scale hide. Their stay at Winterspring had lasted nearly a month. Sol had found a great deal of silver and jewels to create his beautiful works. Bill had collected enough Icecap and mountain Silversage to make half-a-year's worth of beautiful Sapphire Pigment. Although the art of glyph writing, hadn't been discovered yet, he loved making ink. It was a common enough skill, since nearly everyone needed it. For now, it was used for a practical purpose: journal writing. He wrote a great deal of personal information in the most flowery language, so unlike Sol's more concise style.
For Sol, all he needed was to write the date and a short description of the events, and everything would come to mind if he were to read it. Of the day in Southshore that he ran into Neiana, he merely wrote:
Southshore, Spring - Day 41
Neiana. Mageroyal.
But for Bill, that was not enough. He always added a dash of drama to his entries. It was all great fun for Lucilin, who would read over his notes whenever she was bored. She liked a good laugh. But for Bill, this was a serious stuff. He was planning to publish his work after he was done, under the name of Sr. William. Not that any of the party knew about it, of course.
That day Lucilin was too bored to even glance over his scribbles. She lay upon her bed in the Inn, and stretched one of her legs up in a childish, idle manner.
"There is nothing to do here anymore!" she said with a yawn.
"Well, why don't you cure some of the leather you've acquired? You should take your leather work seriously, Lucilin. You'll never know when you may need the money," Sol chided.
"Yes father, but I think I've done enough curing for one day," she snapped.
Their relationship had become more strained as of late, on account of Sol's apparent change in personality. After leaving Southshore, he inexplicably became more serious and withdrawn, no longer hunting humans for sport. Instead, with a fourth member of their party added, his attention shifted back to battle. She had participated in the Battle for Arathi Basin she didn't know how many times. Although they came out of the experience quite richly equipped, it was less fun for her. She had joined him because of his glib, irreverent nature. But now with Guntag, and his talk of honor, and even Bill, and his love of all things Chivalrous, it seemed that he was being influenced in a way that she decidedly didn't like.
Besides the four, the only other group at the Inn consisted of three Alliance females. One was a Night Elf druid with short aqua colored hair. The other was a blonde human warrior who needless to say, spent most of her time ogling at them when they were together.(At that moment she was looking at her, while she pretended to sharpen her blade.) The third was a rarity, a Dwarven hunter, female who ventured out of Ironforge. She never paid any of them any mind.
"You should really stop staring at them, Lorenna. They're heads are swollen enough as it is," the elf said.
"But I can't help it, Daela. They are so pretty!" Lorenna exclaimed.
"It's ya weakness, ya know..." the dwarf murmured.
Lucilin shot Sol a quick glance. Although she couldn't understand what was being said, she knew he could. His only reaction to the conversation was a slight, amused smile, as he continued crafting his item.
"Hmph," she murmured. "Two years ago she would have been hunted and killed. But they've been staying here with us for a month and both yet live. What a waste."
"Maybe we have better things to do now," Sol murmured back.
"Like dig up some ore and make trinkets? Maybe you've gone soft," she shot back with a glare.
Bill stopped his writing and Guntag paused for a moment before continuing, pretending he hadn't heard. GlubGlug slinked behind her master, as though anticipating the fight and wanting nothing to do with it. Two Alliance women openly gawked, while the dwarf politely feigned indifference and tended to her pet, a giant direwolf. This hadn't been the first time the two elves had fought.
"Hold your tongue or you'll find yourself without company," Sol said in a casual tone.
"Well, you've got some nerve as much as we've done," she replied haughtily. "Maybe if I were some human girl, you would be a lot more generous."
She rose from the bed and approached him. Her arms crossed as she glowered over him. Sol stopped his crafting at last and set it down, before rising to meet her.
"I told you that I had already pairbonded before we met. You knew this and yet it was you who pursued me. Perhaps you were too young to realize exactly what that meant, but it is not my problem if you failed to listen after repeated warnings," he yelled.
"If that is so, then maybe I should take a cue from you. Find a human vermin to mate with and birth some half-breed spawn. That is what you prefer, is it not?"
Her voice was seeped with acid so corrosive, even the usually dense Lorenna was affected.
"I'm goin' out," the dwarf woman said at last. "I've no business 'ere now n' neither do ye."
As she stood to go, her human companion gasped. Sol had raised his and, as though to slap Lucilin. But his swing narrowly missed, hitting the concrete wall instead with such force it cracked. By this time, the Inn keeper had entered the building, trying to see what the commotion was about.
"You're going to pay for that," the diminutive goblin, Vizzie, said.
"By the Light! He almost hit her, did you see that?" Lorenna exclaimed breathlessly.
Clearly, she was enjoying the spectacle. Lucilin, on the other hand, was completely unfazed. Even if he had struck her, she would have considered it a victory. The fact that she could arouse in him such fierce passion excited her.
"I got a rise out of you at long last, Sol," she teased.
That's when Sol's demeanor completely changed. His tense body relaxed and his face broke into an amused smile.
"What was I thinking getting so riled up? It's only you, after all," he said. Then turning to the goblin, he removed a few gold coins from his purse and tossed them at her. "Will that be enough?"
The goblin examined the pieces intently.
"I think I'll need a few extra to cover the labor," she replied.
"As expected from a goblin," Sol said with a relaxed laugh.
By this time, the dwarf had succeeded in herding the woman and the Night Elf toward the door.
"I wonder what they had argued about," Lorenna said as she was shoved out the door.
"Beggin' yer pardon!" the Dwarf told Sol, even though she knew it wouldn't matter, before turning to go herself.
With the goblin also gone to see about hiring someone for the repairs, the four were left alone in the Inn. Sol returned to his work, trying to keep the argument from resurfacing. He just knew that if he even looked at Lucilin again, she would open up her "big mouth" and say something snippy. It seemed to be in her nature to have the last word. But he needn't have worried. It was not Lucilin who broke the heavy silence, but Guntag.
"Now that the nonsense is over, it may be of interest for you to know that another group approaches from the West."
"Oh? How many? From which faction?" Sol asked, looking up with interest.
"About four, maybe five. They're Alliance," Guntag replied.
"More Alliance," Lucilin said with a groan. "That's exactly what we need. Good thing we're leaving tomorrow."
"Well, I'm not going to stick around here to greet them. I'm taking a ride. And Lucilin, don't even bother chasing after me this time," Sol declared.
With that said he put on a heavy cloak and headed outside.
As he got his mount ready, he heard the three Alliance girls talking beside the stables.
"Did you say that more people are coming, Geldie?" Lorenna asked.
"Ya, 'bout five more," the dwarf replied.
"Well, I hope one of them is handsome. I am so tired of those elves. They're pretty but snotty, especially the female," Lorenna said.
"I would like to see a fellow Night Elf. There is one in the group, no?" Daela asked.
"Ye lasses think ta much 'bout love. Ya should be thikin' 'bout makin' money, not babies," Geldie said.
"I was just hoping for the company," Daela said defensively.
"You dwarves think about babies too little! I'm surprised that there are any dwarves at all," Lorenna argued.
"Well, ye better be thinkin' less 'bout it, Lorenna, less ye find yerself goin' 'ome wi' one in yer belly!"
Sol chuckled as he mounted his horse. They must have heard him, because the three women immediately stopped talking. Their eyes were glued on him as he passed them by. He gave them a slight wave as he trotted by on the Charger.
"Do you think he could understand us?" Lorenna asked the others.
"Even if he didn't, we should be more careful," Daela said.
When Sol left the gate, he turned to the west and saw the group of Alliance approaching quite clearly, but they were indistinct. The sun was already hugging the western horizon, so they rode on with the light against their back. He observed them approach for a few seconds before heading straight towards the lake. The ruins were beautiful, and he was sure there were a few ghosts left to kill.
Meanwhile, Guntag, Lucilin and Bill remained in the Inn, busy with their own preoccupations. GlubGlug had decided to comfort Lucilin. She was stroking her tough green fur while she lay contentedly on the bed.
"You really are a pretty spider," she began to murmur.
"Lucilin," Guntag called.
"Yes? What is it?" she asked with annoyance.
"When you said that thing about having a half-breed, is there a reason for it?" Guntag asked.
"I was just pointing out that he has a weakness for human girls, is all. Why?" She replied offhandedly.
Bill and Guntag looked at each other, before Bill, to her surprise, replied.
"We have suspected for sometime that the woman which was pairbonded with Sol was human," he explained.
The idea stunned Lucilin. She froze in the middle of petting GlubGlug, much to the spider's dismay.
"What? Why? Did he tell you anything?"
Guntag shook his head.
"Hrm, no, but I have thought of it since that day at the Hillsbard Farms. Although I didn't relish the idea of killing a human child, I would have done it for the sake of keeping the mission from becoming compromised. I know for a fact that they would have done the same. But his face when he saw her...it was like everything died at that moment and nothing else mattered but letting that little girl live," Guntag explained.
Bill nodded.
"Although I wasn't there, I heard it from the two Forsaken who were given the task of watching as you work. They not only confirmed what Guntag said, but also laughed at Sol's apparent horror at a simple cannibalism, something I'm sure he'd witnessed many times before."
"Well, no one likes that!" Lucilin cried defensively.
"And then there was that girl at Elwynn Forest," Guntag continued. "I remember you teased him about it once. What did he say? That he did not kill children. But he didn't merely spare her, did he? No, he gave her a gift."
"He felt sorry for her," she argued. "You should have seen her! She was ragged and dirty."
"That was more than kindness. That was unrealized paternal love, Lucilin. Love that he also displayed with my son when we visited earlier this year. I am a father, I could see the pain when he thought no one could see. It is as I would feel if Gullang were suddenly taken from me."
She eyed them silently for a second before continuing her argument, although with less conviction.
"Ok, so he was a father. I knew he had been pairbonded. He told me so himself. So that doesn't come as a surprise. But why especially does it have to be a half-breed?"
Once again, it was Bill who pointed out what they were both thinking.
"We were not sure ourselves, but as you can see by the wall, the mention of a half-breed, as you call them, made him act in a very unchivalrous manner. Very odd, wouldn't you say? And as you noted, he does have a weakness for human women, as much as he likes to pretend he doesn't. That woman in Southshore, for example, was in no danger."
Lucilin bit her lip and sank back into the bed. She rested her head upon her hands and then gasped.
"Oh by the Sunwell, what have I done? He will hate me forever..."
Guntag and Bill could see her shaking, even if she hid her tears well.
"Listen, Lucilin, we know how passionate you can be, and how you feel. But if there are any more disturbances like this, I will ask you to leave. We will be going to the Outlands soon, a very dangerous place by all accounts. We don't need the distraction. Sol has some renown, and he makes money. But it will not be difficult to replace you, do you understand?" Guntag said with more harshness than he intended.
She nodded silently as she turned from them, hiding her tears in shame. GlubGlug poked her with one of its legs, begging for a pet.
"Oh you, I must be good or who knows what you will do," she said as she gave the emerald spider a pat.
That is when the silence outside was broken by a disturbance. People were laughing and shouting at once. Backs could be heard being patted and above the den, the rough, garbled dwarvish was heard. It seemed that several surprise reunions had occurred.
It was then that Neiana entered the room, unaware that she had just been the topic of conversation. The inn keeper was with her.
"Which beds did you say were ours?" She asked Vizzie.
"Oh those four, but I don't think I can let any more of you stay. I don't have any more, room, unless someone decides to sleep on the floor - or leaves."
"We'll take turns. We're quite used to it," Neiana said generously.
"Well, I'm going to see about your mounts with the stable boy. I hope you enjoy your stay!"
She sat upon the bed, lay her pack on the floor, and sighed. It had been a long trip and she was ready for the welcome rest, and the bed, although she was willing to give it up if someone else wanted a turn.
No one recognized her at first. It wasn't until she removed her cowl and unclasped her heavy cloak that Bill curiously glanced up from his scribbling. And then, there to his amazement, he recognized the very girl they had been talking about, Neiana. But he had to be sure. Lucky for him, a man burst into the door, followed by a very familiar Gnome woman.
"Neiana! Did you know that Geldie is Skinflint's niece?" the man asked.
She looked up, surprised.
"What?"
"And get this, the elven woman, whose name is Daela, is the daughter of one of Denevell's oldest friends. Can you believe it? We're going to have a big party at Donova's. She's back from the hot springs and she and Skinflint go way back!"
"Why, Cyrus, I haven't seen you this excited in a very long time. You've been rather broody lately, I was starting to get worried," she said.
"Oh, and the human Laurenna is one of Cyrus' friends from Theramore," Wigget offered happily, wanting to join in the fun.
"Is she? Well, I can't wait to hear all the stories she must have from your time there," Neiana said with a grin.
"Oh, well, I wouldn't call her a friend," he said, embarrassed. "I... was more like an acquaintance and..."
"We should hurry. You know how dwarves are, if we don't get there first they'll drink all the ale!" Wigget exclaimed.
"You're right. Let's go!" Cyrus said hurried. He took Neiana by the hand and led her out the Inn.
"But my cloak!" she exclaimed.
"Oh you'll be warm enough," he said.
He took the edge of his cloak and wrapped it around her shoulder, holding her close.
"You see?" he replied with a teasing grin.
The darkness hid Neiana's blush.
"Yeah..."
The party left and the three horde characters remained, largely as they had been before the woman entered.
"Rowdy humans," Guntag grumbled.
"I know. They have no sense of propriety," Lucilin sighed, forgetting that she had been the noisy one only moments before.
Bill said nothing. He knew that if he aired his suspicions, that they would do everything in their power to make sure that Sol did not see her. Oh, it wasn't as though he was pining after her. He would be surprised if he had thought of her at all in the last year or so. But still, if the interest had been there before, then there was no reason it wouldn't surface again once they met. More than likely, nothing would happen. But if it were, and if he were to lose his head and fall in love -with a mere human and an enemy at that- then it would end in disaster.
As a human he had been quite the romantic, falling in love easily and pouring over books on knighthood and chivalry. Now as a Forsaken, although he was drawn to the same subjects, he did not have the sentiment to understand them. Conflict and love were things to be studied and experimented with, much in the same way that an Apocathery studied and experimented with plants and their effect on humans.
He turned his journal to that day, just to be sure, and read the relevant passage.
...Sol and the woman stood in the field, for what must have seemed an eternity. They said nothing, nor did they move. Her right hand held the staff, beautiful and statuesque, glittering in the noon-day sun. Sol held her left hand between his palms. Slowly and reluctantly, she withdrew her hand, only for it to betray her, inching forward, as though yearning once again for his touch.
So entwined were they in each other that they did not hear the two Alliance dogs come up behind them. One of them was a gnome Warlock, proud and haughty, sitting tall on the flaming Felstrider. The man was a warrior of much renowned, proud and fierce, his eyes burning with jealous furry.
"Neiana, get away from him!" he called.
She turned to him.
"Cyrus!"
He laughed wickedly. This would be fun to watch.
AN: Thanks for the reviews!
I have speculated that elves in general have the ability to be bonded with few people romantically due to their long life spans. Let me explain, they live longer and have a high infant life expectancy. This leads me to believe they have a much less active libido than in other races which are short-lived and therefore require larger families for survival. This leaves elves free to concentrate on other pursuits. I don't think elven marriages are too physical, as we don't see many children after hundreds of years. It could also be that they simply have a harder time conceiving.
A long life, coupled with a more spiritual perspective would lead to deep bonds. If not mate for life, it would be extremely difficult to form another bond that would match the romantic intensity of the first experience.
At any rate, that concept of "pairbonding," finding one person and then forming a deep physical and spiritual bond, which would make it extremely difficult for the elf to fall in love again, is my invention. But I think it is plausible.