My name is Perfectia Argento Dawnlight and I am a paladin, but people would say I've fallen from grace, but I wouldn't. The thing about it is I haven't written anything for almost a year, I've been away from the conflicts of the Horde, Alliance, and the Legion and now the Ashbringer is nothing but an oversized chunk of decorative metal. Well one of them is anyways.

Imperfecta once told me in a dream that I should embrace something, was it the call to the darkness? That's what I thought, but maybe it wasn't. I haven't written because I have actually been away from the Order Hall where I keep my book, and for the past year I've been abroad on a pirate ship, raiding and plundering ships from the Horde and Alliance. These racial wars I've been so focused on for the past few years seem a bit idiotic, dry, and predictable, but a life as a pirate, well, is anything but.

I killed a high-ranking member of the Paladin Order and two of his friends in cold blood. What's worse is that others saw that I could dual-wield two Ashbringers. The one I've had most of my life and the one that was given to me when I became the first Blood Elf Highlord. I liked the idea of walking into that Order Hall in full blood knight armor and lifting both of those swords in the air, but it seemed that other people didn't like that idea.

Turn back the clock one year from now and remember the dark iron dwarves. I spent my last night with my dragon Protecto in the Aldor Inn. I woke up and found myself tied in chains on a clad iron ship, going somewhere, surrounded by explosives, and more than a dozen dark iron dwarves with boomsticks ready to fire as soon as I woke up. "Well, look what we 'ave 'ere." I said as I looked at all the dwarves, "If it isn't ze consequences of all my questionable actions." Also please note that not everything I said was 'generally funny' took a long time of blurting things out that just came off as annoying to other people. But since I'm writing this I'm only going to talk about the bullseyes on how I was able to talk my way out of this. I did however say something around the lines of giving the whole crew syphilis and tapeworms if they were going to take turns violating me… HEY, I was the only woman there in that group of men, what would you think would happen if YOU woke up in that situation.

I've said before the Ashbringer was a dwarven sword, it was made by a dwarf, and should be wielded by a dwarf, and I think with some hammering anyone could use the Ashbringer, but now it was mine. Or at least it was during that time. When I woke up I told them I was the Highlord and I needed to get back to the Order Hall, but I was interrupted. "No, no, no, you're not." A brown skinned, red eyed dwarf stepped out from behind the riflemen. The strange thing about this dwarf was that he was clean shaven and wore an open collar gray shirt and brown pants. The Dark Iron Dwarf was carrying my Ashbringer on his back, "You quit remember? Now I know you haven't completely forsaken your vows, but who could know about that now, and the Paladin Order is going to be needing a new Highlord soon. The Legions attacks are relentless, more than enough adventurers would likely be willing to take up this sword." He slammed my sword down in front of me and it made a crystalline whisper. He held the sword to his ear, "It still calls to you. Perfectia. You know Tirion Fordring used to think that it was saying 'Perfect again', but now I can hear that extra 'te-ya'. " He leaned my sword toward me, "Of course you can have it back."

I was tied up with my hands above my head next to five explosive barrels, I looked at him inquisitively, shook my head. I smiled slightly, crossed my legs, and laughed under my breath.

"IF!" He leaned it back, "You tell us where the other one is."

I broke into laughter, "Think you can sanitize your hands before you point that thing at me? Zat one wasn't made by a dwarf and is not a weapon of la Light."

The dwarf shrugged and turned his back to me, putting the Ashbringer on his back and having it slightly drag on the floor, "Perhaps, if that were the case then the Corrupted Ashbringer should be destroyed or sold to some blood thirsty Death Knight or Warrior. It really makes no difference to me because your little naaru friend sitting dead center of Shattrath City has been showing us these." He held out a fist size crystal, "Rezalb crystals, found only in the cliffs of Outland. Do ye know what this is, lass?"

I shrugged and shook my head.

"It's the crystal that the Ashbringer was made from," He explained, "now we don't have a blacksmith as skilled as Magni Bronzebeard, but we can make due with one that at least looks and functions like the original." He confessed.

I laughed slightly, "So, what do you need me from, make your Ashbringers, make a 'undred Ashbringers for all I care, it sounds like you gotta pretty good business plan on your 'and, I'm sure a lot of goblins would be jealous of you right now." I stated.

A look of rage came over him, he leaned forward in my face, and pointed at me. He actually had a pretty strong chin and dimples. I would even go as far to say that he was actually quite handsome, "You see that's where I thought we could come to an agreement. With the holy Ashbringers it's possible to forge and carve crystals and transform them with holy and healing magic. But we can't make them sing like yours does." The dwarf walked away and held up his hands in the air, "The one we've designed doesn't do the catastrophic damage that Tirion Fordring could do, or the legendary strength Alexandros Mograine had. Few of them have that tenacity Darion had." He put his hands behind his back and looked at me, "and you, Perfectia Dawnlight, that could wield this gargantuan heavy sword, as if it were made of cardboard while cutting and burning at the same time and who's holy fire can melt steel and-." He said calmly.

"Oh yeah you dirty baby, keep going.." I joked.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Oh I should be sorry." There was mistranslation there, 'pardon' means 'sorry', "I talk dirty talk when someone eats me out."

"You're not funny."

"I know son, I'm Perfectia, your daddy." Because that's a dad joke.

"I'm trying to have a serious conversation with you here."

"Oh, and so am I, and I'm failing, and I'm sorry for zat. It's just zat I'm a little tied up at le moment because zis little boy took my favorite toy and now e's asking me where les batteries are, like I'm 'is alcoholic mother." I laughed, "Maybe get mommy a beer and I'll show 'ow to get it to vibrate."

The dwarf quickly brought a swift punch to my lower jaw, "STOP TALKING!"

It made me groan in pain, I heard my ear ring, and I felt my brain jar in my head. I shook my head to keep myself from losing consciousness, "OOWWW… Your 'ands are freezing. Can you please warm up zem up before you get 'ands on?" I looked at him questionably and moved the muscles in my jaw. "Terrible bedside manners."

He rolled his eyes, "Your jawline is pretty thick for an elf. I thought you could take a hit a little more gracefully. Also, old habits, when Thane Thaurissan was in charge women knew their place."

I smile crookedly, "Well now I see why le Council of Three Hammers were so untrusting to your kind."

"What would you know of that?" He asked.

I looked at him questionably, "What do you know of me?"

He shrugged, "You, you're nobody, but Moira knew Alexandros Mograine personally and she'd like to meet him again."

"Of course, it seem I 'ave a few fan," I smiled as I looked around, "but, why zis? Why le ship, and kidnapping, le whole finger on la death button, we could 'ave 'ad zis talk over a few drink."

The dwarf laughed to himself, "I did hear you had a bit of a drinking problem so don't be stupid, you know why we had to stop you, and what you don't seem to get is, that we can't let you go back to the Eastern Kingdom. We need you to forge Perfectia and from what I've heard you're pretty good at it. We just need you to tell us where the other Ashbringer is and possibly tell us how to make improvements on the other ones."

"And if I refuse? Going to 'it me some more? I've been to Blackrock Depths before, you would do more damage making me listen to Twilight Hammer recruitment pamphlets." I said jokingly, laughing to myself.

I saw him roll his eyes, "You really like attention, don't you? You know I heard what Garrosh did to you. Not the hip injury, but before that. He kept you in Ragefire Chasm for almost half a year, alone, blind, and not a soul to speak to."

I was disturbed by the thought, and also a little surprised he knew that. I knew it only took a few days for alcohol withdrawal to wear off, but I had no idea of the passage of time while there. The pain I felt during my time there lasted the whole sentence. Isolation was a fitting punishment that suited most elves, more than torture, violation, or death threats. "You're right, it was very traumatizing for me. I'll be recreating zese events wiz crude sock puppets and a terapist for le rest of my life."

He saw my face and laughed slightly, "We're at sea, no one will find you, and we have time. Those screams you heard in Blackrock Depths. Well, those were just people we left alone." The dwarf smiled maniacally at me, "Bind her hands and bring her on deck." He ordered his men.

They did as they were ordered, bonded my hands behind my back, brought me upstairs, the ocean sun hurt my eyes after being in the dark room for so long. My eyes adjusted and I saw that they had Protecto in elven form trapped in a net that was too big for him. He transformed into a dragon and the size seemed to fit, he was stabbed on the side with a spear that made him cry in pain and changed back.

A rush of rage came over me and I looked down and saw that these dwarves were a lot shorter than me. I moved into a walking stance, positioned my hips, and with my abdominals I screamed and brought my head forward on one of the dwarf's skulls. I had broken boards with that strike and saw the dwarf fall over, unsure if I had killed him. I turned around and brought some low kicks to some of the dwarves' legs and I felt the Ashbringer go into that dwarf leaders' hands. I ran toward the dwarf with the spear that was stabbing Protecto and kneed him in the chest and felt it follow through under his chin. He fell as well. I fell on my back and grabbed the spear, breaking the wooden spear in half.

I saw that dwarf leader come toward me with the Ashbringer and I summoned both the Corrupted Ashbringer and the spectral version of the Ashbringer and brought them up to block the physical one. "You gotta be kidding me." He said as he saw two versions of the sword.

The two Ashbringer left my hands and I was holding onto two black and gray sticks that fell into pieces of ash and broke into burnt wood in my hands.

I heard the sound of several boomsticks charging handles being pulled back and were pointed in my direction, but Draves the leader of these Dark Irons still held the Ashbringer pointed at me. "Oh, so this is why we couldn't find it."

"Let 'im go, you don't mess wiz le P and P! (Perfectia and Protecto)" I ordered.

I heard Protecto sigh loudly under the net, "YOU JUST HAD TO SAY THAT DIDN'T YOU?!" He looked over at another dwarf that was holding a spear, "You know what, go ahead kill me."

The dwarves got a good laugh out of that and even made a few jokes of their own about the pun. Protecto seemed like he was more damaged by the words that any weapon ever could.

"I could lass, I really could," He put the Ashbringer behind his back, "You've managed to free yourself from dark iron bindings but, we're a hundred miles out at sea. Even if you and he were to get off this boat unscathed you two would never make it to shore. And you killed two of my men."

"Zey are most likely still alive." I argued.

The dwarf that I headbutted was picked up by another, "No, he's dead."

I rolled my eyes, "Okay to be fair 'e looked worst before I did zat. You should be paying me for cosmetic work."

He laughed, "Oh, I don't think that's going to happen. You see they're smart enough to know not to not get within arms reach of you." The dwarf looked away in distant thought, "But stupid enough not to remember that there's enough powder on this ship to blow us all to kingdom come."

I don't know what came over me, I just started laughing, and I started walking away from the whole thing. "Wait, so are you going to help us?" He asked.

"Nope. You can put me back in chains if you want to." I answered.

"But we have your dragon." He gestured toward Protecto.

"Yep you sure do."

"We will kill him if you don't help us!"

I stopped, turned around and looked at the dwarf leader and all his men, "I used to be so indecisive. Now, I'm not so sure, but I think you'll kill both of us if I do. You wanted to know where le other Ashbringer was, I showed you. You wanted me to make new Ashbringers, well zat's something I've never done before." I turned my back and walked to the door leading under the deck. "But good luck with your fakes! I'm sure no one will know la difference!"

I spent a few days on the lowest area of the ship with Protecto in elvan form which was good, because I had someone to talk to, but he was sick most of the time from motion sickness. I realize that Protecto couldn't actually eat in this humanoid form, but he could throw up, and it was sand.

They had to bring him up on the upper deck so they could feed him, but give or take a few hours and he was motion sick again.

I had lived on an island most of my young life and I knew a little about sailing and how to weather the storm. They did give me conjured mage bread that not only helped with hunger but slightly helped with arcane withdrawal. Also, surprisingly I didn't need to defecate while I was down there. It was really boring but me and Protecto played 'I spy' and talked about what we wanted to eat when we got home. He talked a lot about various ways to prepare lamb and how he liked sleeping covered in lambskin blankets.

We made a version of checkers with stray screws and nuts we found along the ship. While we were playing he asked me, "Do you ever get the feeling someone is playing games with you?"

I thought back, "Now that you mention it… All the time actually, but I've been thinking…"

"Wait, you can think?" Protecto said jokingly, "You have a brain? Why is this new information to me? Imagine all the things we could have accomplished if I had this information earlier. I thought you were just a mindless task rabbit that just needed to be taken places."

"It's been four days, are you still not over the P and P joke! Do you really think they would have kept us alive if they didn't like us at least a little?"

"I'm just kidding, I know you're a whole person on the inside, even for a blonde." He looked away, "But were you really going to leave me there to die?"

I laughed, "I am petty as I am powerful and fickle as I am fine, so yes? We're imprisoned but we're alive, I was just wondering, did you ever think we could be more than just friends? Maybe I would have done more if I was romantically drawn to you."

He looked away and shook his head, "You're not the first humanoid that has asked me that, but I wasn't in Outland helping Netherdrakes simply out of charity. I found them physically attractive and after a daring rescue and some courting I, well, you know."

"Oh." I said surprised, "Do you have someone special in your life?"

He laughed slightly and shook his head, "It's not like that. Most nether drakes have very little intelligence, they're more like sharks by behavior and design, but once they're freed from captivity they're easy to latch onto. Then they just lay their fertilized egg on some mountain side. I would normally have to bite and wrestle a mate into submission and I have gotten into skirmishes with other males while courting. I usually win if I'm not ambushed by a few."

"That sounds awful and dangerous."

"That's life, Perfectia. Everything is a competition, especially fornication. I know you don't understand because you're a woman, but I don't think that's a bad thing. However, adventuring as a blood elf is fun, but you remember when I was trying to perfect this transformation, right?"

I nodded and remembered all the strange, sometimes disturbing looking dragon hybrid transformations Protecto managed to change himself into.

He looked away, sigh, and looked at his hand, "You know I never thought I live without my talons, but thumbs are pretty amazing, I would have been able to open those locks without them, but you never actually told me what was under a male elf's small clothes. I thought it just came out from between scales or skin like it does for us dragons."

I was a bit disturbed by where he was going with this, "Okay, stop. We can drop this. I feel like I need to wash myself after hearing this."

He laughed, "What even brought this up?"

I shrugged and laughed, "You're not terrible looking Protecto, we're here, and I started wondering since Jaina has done it."

He nodded, "I think Kalecgos had a stronger understanding of how those things worked for humans. He could have been with several humanoid species, but frankly I don't see why any woman would want to be with a dragon, human looking or not. When they can't even give you offspring."

I shrugged, "It's not about offspring, it's about power and acceptance. A lot of people say that you're handsome, Protecto, so people would accept it and even be jealous of me. Kalecgos, he's powerful, I know you don't understand because you're a man, but I don't think that's a bad thing."

He half smiled and shrugged, "Well, I'm not interested, sorry… I mean, that feeling of descent, I don't know how you people can do without it. You don't know what you are missing."

I recalled a memory, "Oh, well, actually I kind of have, but are you saying you are willing to fly double mounted?"

Protecto laughed hysterically and shook his head, "No, I'm going to have to draw the line there Perfectia." He looked away, seeming disgusted, "Also, you people bleed a lot, like, a fourth of the time, and it smells awful and you go about your day, doing whatever."

I put my head down, "Oh yeah… I'm sorry, I know that freaked you out that one time and you almost dropped me."

He shrugged, "You've done it more than once, but I don't complain about it now."

I looked at him confused, "Thank you for not mentioning it… How do you guys do it?"

He looked up, blushed, and shook his head, "Ever see a rocket get blasted out of a cannon and watch the way it spinned around before it hit its target?"

I nodded, "I think so."

"Kind of like that but intertwined."

I remembered seeing something like that in Outland around the Black Temple and other places that had lots of dragons, "I always thought you were fighting."

"Nope," He said with a laugh, "don't tell anyone I told you that. I think it would make people uncomfortable if everyone knew. I just learned to transform a few years ago and I only learned because I wanted to help you, like you helped me."

I smiled at him, "Thanks. You know I sometimes feel like it's really hard for me to make friends, better yet something more than that. Everyone is so stupidly busy."

"Is it because you're heavy?" He asked. "I mean I have no problem with it, I carry you all the time."

I rolled my eyes somewhat offended, "Don't get me wrong here, I agree, but seriously, screw you."

He looked away, laughed, and shrugged, "You know I've missed you Perfectia. I don't want to see you get hurt, but I'm sure you'll find someone. Maybe you just need to lower your standards and see what you like. Play the field."

I looked downward and remembered back, "I've only been with one man and that was two years ago."

He nodded and rolled his eyes, "I know, you told me, but what about that one-"

"Please don't bring that up." I interrupted quickly.

"Your first ex, I understand."

"We didn't even date," I explained, "It was like physical therapy for my dyspareunia."

He shrugged and giggled to himself, "But you had orgasms right?"

I looked away in slight denial, "It was therapy."

He nodded trying to hold in a laugh, "Oh yeah, orgasms are very therapeutic. I think I might need some therapy soon though."

I laughed slightly, "You know some of these Dark Irons aren't terrible looking. Draves is actually kind of hot for a dwarf. I wish more of them were familiar with razors and soap."

"Didn't he smack you?" He remembered that I told him about that before.

I thought back and remembered, "Oh right."

He rolled his eyes, "Don't bring yourself that low. Jeeze Perfectia, you're still learning. What you really need to do is go out there and say, 'I'm new to this game.' It's okay. We all start somewhere. But then you get right in there and you just gotta get going and gotta believe in yourself and be like, 'Can I do this? Will I do this?' And the answer should be, 'Yes and yes' and if the answer isn't yes and yes, make it the answer, because you're the f—ken legend. And that's all there is to it."

I nodded, "Yeah, maybe you're right."

He looked out at the dwarf that was outside, "Hey where's me tuna!?"

"I thought you weren't interested in female humanoids." I joked.

He repressed a laugh and rolled his eyes.

—-

A few days later our ship met up with another Dark Iron ship and I was taken to another ship in front of Moira the queen of the Dark Irons, "So you're the Ashbringer." She stated.

I shrugged slightly, "Well technically Draves is le Ashbringer since 'e 'as le sword."

"But you can make your own." She asked.

"Technically yes."

"Technically I saw you with two and I've received letters that you can summon them."

I shook my head and shrugged, "I need some-zing to focus on, it doesn't always work when I want it to, and it's been known to backfire from time to time. So, I'm not really sure 'ow it really works." I looked at her, "I'm just an adventurer, a paladin, I don't just go around summoning Ashbringer's willy-nilly for every stupid task I'm given."

"How did you learn to summon, could you teach others?"

I told her about how I was there when Alexandros Morgaine died when I was nine, how he saved my life, but I left out any information about Lirath Windrunner or how he tried to kill me a few days after.

"Can I speak to him?" She asked.

"Oh, I don't zink it really works like zat." But when I said that the Ashbringer was behind my back again and there was a strong draft coming from outside. I looked outside, and the sun was nearly down. I looked around slightly confused, and Moira seemed like she had been crying, " 'ow long, was zat?" I asked.

She shrugged slightly and shook her head, "A little less than three hours I think. He explained everything. My men will send you back to Light's Hope." She smiled, "You're lucky you know."

I looked away slightly disturbed by the whole thing, "I just lost tree hours of my life. Zis 'as 'appened more zen once you know. You zink I'm lucky? 'E 'unted me down like a dog, 'e killed two of my best friends right in front of me. Maria Adams and Thane Korth'azz, zey were like family, and zen 'e enslaved Sir Zeliek after 'e was trying to protect me. Alexandros Morgaine wasn't a hero, 'e was a monster. I would 'ave given any-zing to see 'im die again. Do you 'ave any idea what it feels like to 'ave a monster inside you, to take control of you?"

She looked downward as if recalling a painful memory, "Aye." She nodded. "I do. He was trying to protect you."

"I DIDN'T ASK! Zis is my life; odd zer people shouldn't be allowed to take control of me."

The sound of cannon fire could be heard from outside, which surprised everyone, "What's going on?" Moira asked.

"We're under attack." A Dark Iron dwarf claimed as he came into the captain's quarters.

"The Horde?"

"We don't know."

I looked outside and saw that a storm seemed to be brewing far out to sea near the setting sun and the sound of distant thunder could be heard from far away. As I looked outside the sounds of dwarves' banter could be heard as they got to their battle stations. Moira got off her throne and looked outside. She pulled a spyglass from her pocket, retracted it, and looked out to the distance in front of the ship. "Bloody pirates."

"My queen, we can't aim the cannons when they are attached like this and they're coming toward the bow. We should raise the white flags while we still can."

Moira looked at him angrily and clenched her teeth, "Riflemen at the ready!" She shouted, and the command echoed among the other sailors, "Rest of you, cut the lines except where they were attached at the bows."

"Perfectia!" I looked at her somewhat startled, "When I was a lass, Morgaine showed me he could fight on a tightrope, can you?"

I shook my head in disbelief, "I don't know."

"I need you to stand on the line where we are attached to the bows and it will move our cannons into position." She ordered.

I looked at her with a slight doubt, but I nodded my head and ran toward the front of the ship and yelled out to the dwarves cutting the lines not to cut these ones. There were more than a few, so I didn't need to tightrope walk across. Once I hit dead center I started jumping on the ropes to get the ships in position. A few more dwarves got the idea, got one the lines and the boats slowly started to move. I looked outward at the pirate ship and it had its cannons pointed at us. I heard the commands to fire, followed by the sounds of cannon fire from the Dark Irons ships but saw those cannon balls hit water. "Bear up men, you're still short!" I heard Moira scream. The command to bear up was repeated.

"Your highness, they are out of our range!"

The lines that kept the ships attached were sinking in the ocean. I could hear the sounds of cannon balls falling and crack wood on the deck. I climbed up the rope to the ship I was kept in and I made my way to the lower decks. My eyes illuminated the lower decks in a slight green and I saw Protecto in dragon form throwing up sand. "Are you okay?" I was concerned.

He shook his head, "They've been poisoning my fish, I can't breathe fire."

I took the Ashbringer and slammed it into the lock, seeing the metal spark as it made contact with my sword. I slammed it one more time. It was still locked but it had a little more give now.

I saw Protecto change into an elf with streams of black smoke and he backed away, "Move." He said and rushed and slammed the metal prison door with his shoulder flinging it open. He grabbed his sword and shield and was about to start putting on his armor, but we heard and felt more cannon fire to the top deck of the ship we were on.

When we made our way up we saw that the upper deck was holy and not because I blessed it. It looked like alterac cheese and when we got up to the upper deck the boat was in splitters. I saw Protecto's eye go wide as he looked up at the sky, "GET DOWN!" He screamed and took the impact of a cannon ball with his shield knocking it to the side.

"Can you fly?" I asked as I was ducked down.

"We'll die if I don't." He transformed again back into a dragon and I got on his back and took off away from the ship. I move on his scales to make him move toward the pirate ship, "What are you doing Perfectia?"

"We can't fly all the way to dry land, we have to take back our ship." I stated.

I heard him sigh while carrying me and he took me to the enemy ship. The pirates had already started shooting at the Dark Irons with rifles and I heard them scream as they were shot dead. I jumped from Protecto's back and cast Blessing of Protection on myself before my feet made contact with the deck floor. This surprised the riflemen as I saw them all turn around, but I was surprised as well. There were orcs, humans, worgen, and even dwarves attacking these Dark Irons. They turned their rifles on me and I kicked one of them under the chin making contact with my heel of my boot knocking him off the deck and into the water.

I backed away and I swung my sword in a half moon across the riflemen. They screamed as some of their cloth and leather clothes took flame. One of them came at me with a broadsword and I moved his sword out the way, came down with my forehead down on his nose, and grabbed by his neck and slammed him into the ground. I felt some rifle slugs go into me and I filched as they made impact with my skin. I looked around and saw that there were a lot more riflemen on this ship and they were all aimed at me. I wasn't wearing my paladin armor else I would have felt I had a fighting chance. "DON'T" I heard a scream.

I looked at where it was coming from. It was Moira, "She's not one of ours, she was our prisoner." She pleaded and there was a tall dark-skinned human behind her with a black pirate hat and sleeveless trench coat. "I'm who you were looking for right? You don't have to kill any more of my men." She claimed.

The dark skinned human nodded, "Bring the powder and crystals to our ship." He looked down at Moira, "Start writing your letters to your friends in Ironforge. No one will believe we have the queen of the Dark Irons unless it's your handwriting."

She looked down and nodded.

I took the Ashbringer off my back and heard the sound of charging handles being pulled back and aimed at me. I held it by the hilt between my middle finger and thumb and put up another hand in defense. I saw the dark-skinned human smile at me.

"The alcoholic Highlord of the paladin order. I think we got quite the hall today." He claimed

I shook my head, "I don't think that title holds the same weight as it did before. I think the Paladin Order will be more worried about not getting this back." I held the sword with two fingers outward.

He stepped forward and slowly reached for it, "The Ashbringer. I've always wanted to hold this sword of legend in my hand."

I shrugged slightly and held it closer outward. He grabbed it and I smirked as I let go and saw him nearly fall over from the sheer weight of it, "Son of a…!" He shouted as he nearly fell over.

I laughed, picked it up again, and put it on my back.

He stood up, "Leave the sword in my quarters and head down to the lower deck."

I looked around and looked at Moira and she nodded her head.

"Fill up on the prison cells with as many Dark Irons as we can, as for the rest. Take them to BloodSail Island on Kalimdor."

"Captain? We already broke both of the spreaders on both ships during the attack." One of the pirates claimed.

He shrugged, "There are two floating ships, the Dark Irons should be able to fix it up, else they can start rowing if they want to go home." He looked around, "Rest of you. We set sail toward Ironforge."

I saw Protecto come on the pirate ship, changed into an elf, put up his hand in defense, and saw him drop his sword and shield.

Once again, I was kidnapped with Moira and about eight other Dark Irons now. "You wouldn't 'appen to 'ave another Ashbringer laying around, somewhere would you?" I asked Moira.

She laughed, "I think I might have left them in my other hand bag where I left my tank keys." She looked at me, "You look pretty good for an elf you know." She complimented.

I rolled my eyes, "You mean fat?"

She shook her head, "No, maybe, most elves look pretty skinny and malnourished. Night Elves basically live off vegetables you know, and it shows. Not you though I guess it makes sense if you're drinking beer all the time, I heard you have a bit of a drinking problem."

I rolled my eyes and shrugged slightly, "I don't have a drinking problem. Most paladins fast but I like to eat because of the colors."

She looked at me confused, "Of food?"

I laughed slightly, "Never mind."

She looked at me questionably, "Okay, so could you get us out of here."

I looked outward and saw the pirates that were outside. Their guns seem to be their best weapons, while their swords were cheaply made. The lug that was in my leg took a lot of healing magic to remove, but they didn't have any real armor. Just clothes and leathers and it was also doubtful that any of them could wield the Ashbringer, but someone came down with trays of corn starch mush and started siding bowls and spoons under the prison cell. Few of the Dark Iron started grabbing at the bowls and started eating and one of them brought one to Moira. She shook her head and refused, and I thought back, "Zey don't 'ave a mage on zis ship." I thought out loud.

One of the Dark Irons looked at me, "We had you living off conjured bread for more than a week. Did you really want to go back to that?" He asked.

A few more bowls slid under the prison cell and the pirate that gave us food went back upstairs. I came closer to Moira and whispered, "I zink I can get us out of 'ere."

Moira looked at me inquisitively, "How?"

I smiled slightly, "I'm going to need all your spoons when you get done eating."

They gave me all their metal spoons, about ten of them when they were done eating their corn mush. I prayed to the Light that this didn't backfire. I looked at Moira, Protecto, and all the Dark Irons and thought that even though they weren't in immediate danger we didn't know what these pirates had planned. The spoons won't last long. I knew that for sure, but I breathed in and tried to recall the first time I could do this at will. It was a painful memory, but it was a time I felt the Ashbringer was at its strongest.

It formed in my hand and transformed all the spoons into the Corrupted Ashbringer and I slammed it down on the lock on the door. Moria jumped up and pushed on it from the hilt. "Men help us pry the door open."

The dwarves came to me and started pushing the sword strongly and I felt their strength tired down. "Your Highness, this sword is draining us."

"Just a little longer, fight on." Moira pleaded.

I pushed, feeling the sword drain some of the dwarf's life energy away and pulled as hard as I could. The door flung open and the Corrupted Ashbringer disappeared and I was holding ten black melted metal spoons in my hand. My right arm started to tingle, but I could still move it. It just felt like it was asleep, it took some effort to move it again. I followed Moria and her Dark Irons upstairs to the living quarters and not all the pirates were asleep. Fights with fist were ensued as the pirates realized we were out of our cage. I ran up the stairs to the upper deck to the captain's room where I left the Ashbringer and kicked the door open, surprising the captain and an undressed female orc in the same bed together. I grabbed the Ashbringer and pointed it at the undressed dark skin human captain. I was surprised as I looked at them as barren as the day they were born, "We 'ave your ship now, call off your men before I 'ear gunshots, or I will cut you for every blast I hear."

He raised his eyebrow, shook his head, and sighed, "Lane, could you."

She smiled crookedly, looked me up and down, and sat up "Yes captain Blackgrave."

She got off the bed and I looked at her disturbingly, "Cover yourself." I demanded.

"I don't take orders from you." And she walked past me stark naked.

I heard a loud whistle from outside, "So we parley?" The captain asked.

I shrugged, "That depends on Moira."

"Weren't you a prisoner, why are you helping her? I didn't have any plans for you, the Ashbringer is useless to me." He claimed.

"I don't care." I claimed.

He looked away and laughed slightly, "You don't have enough Dark Irons to operate this ship and possibly make it pass the Maelstrom, will you kill us all?"

I shook my head.

He leaned forward to grab something and I pointed the Ashbringer closer to him, "I'm just grabbing me clothes. I'm not as shameless as Lane."

I looked away and nodded, "You and her… are you?" I hinted.

"Yes." He said quickly, "She's me first mate." and laughed slightly, "In several aspects of the word."

I looked at him for a second as he got dressed, getting a bit of an eyeful of his rear, and looked away quickly, "That must be nice. We never considered living out at sea." My heart hurt with jealousy and I heard him get off his bed, "Are you decent?" I asked

"Who." He asked.

I looked at him and he was dressed in his black trench coat. I shook my head, "No one."

It was still the dead of night, but the upper deck was lit up with a few torches. I stood behind Blackgrave and Moira had Lane behind her with a blade at her throat, and all the pirates and Dark Irons were in the middle. "Lane, will you put on some clothes please?" Blackgrave requested.

She looked at him confused, "We still outnumber them. These Dark Iron only agreed to parley because I had her. We still have the powder and crystals even if she's dead."

"Nobody else has to die!" I shouted.

"Like 'ell they don't" Moira shouted, "They attacked and killed more than half of my men."

"And how did you think we knew you'd be here? So many of your kind miss the days of Thane Thaurissan's rule." Blackgrave argued.

She looked down at all of them, "Who?"

"The former king of the Dark Irons. Thane-"

"I know who my dead husband was," Moria interrupted, "I mean who misses his rule?"

Blackgrave shrugged, "Didn't give me his name, but was clean shaven for a dwarf."

She had a look of shock and realization, "Draves that worthless sack of kodo sh-. He is so DEAD when I get out of here!"

"We keep the crystals, powder and we get sugar and hops if you get safe passage back to Ironforge. Do we have a deal?" The captain debated.

She narrowed her vision to the captain, "That bit of information just bought you all of those things, we have a deal."

Blackgrave stepped toward Moira even though my sword was touching his back and shook her hand. He looked at his orc first mate, "Lane, clothes please."

"I'm going to bed; you guys can sing Kumbaya if you want to." And she went back to the captain's bedroom.

It was a three-day sail from where we were to the Eastern Kingdoms. I got to know Moira Thaurissan a little better and we compared stories. Some were light hearted talks about her father on the forge, some were tragic stories about her abusive husband that I wouldn't feel right keeping in this diary, but I told her about a few things about the Horde and why I left the Order. For a long time I told her I was looking forward to coming back. But when we came to Menethil Harbor I couldn't bring myself to get off that ship.

Moira looked at me standing there, "Perfectia, we have mages that can teleport you back to Dalaran."

I shook my head, "I'm not going back." She stepped forward concerningly and I took the Ashbringer off my back. "Your father made this sword. You should take it."

She shrugged, "I'm not a paladin."

I sighed, and held it out in front of me, "Then make more. Make enough to defeat the Legion. Just don't let faction politics get in the way please."

There was a look of despair in her face, "We still need you, Perfectia."

I shook my head, "I need this. Over there I'm just a member of the Horde, here it's different, and I need that."

Moira hugged me from the knees and I bent down. "Don't pick me up again." She ordered with her finger in front her when I was down to her level.

I laughed and hugged her from under her arms, "I'm going to miss you." She said,

I nodded, "I'm going to miss you too. Kill Draves, he hit me in the jaw pretty hard."

She nodded and laughed and took the Ashbringer from me. She held it with two hands and felt the weight of it and looked back at me. I stepped back onto the ship as the plank was brought back on the ship and I waved to her and she waved back.

"So, you're really not coming back?" Protecto asked me as the ship started to go out to sea in dragon form.

I shrugged, "I don't know, I just want something else right now."

He nodded, "I understand, but I don't think this is goodbye, when you get back ask around in the Caverns of Time and someone should be able to find me."

I smiled and nodded, "I'll keep that in mind."

"See ya later." He said and flew off the ship.