Kadris shifted, making herself more comfortable high up in the oak tree. It wouldn't be safe to descend until the night arrived and Elune's power would enable her to blend into the shadows.

It was surprisingly quiet here in the rear of the Horde's advancing army. Most of the supplies and troops arrived by road. If there was any surprise in store, they would've tried to sneak it through the forest, but the only thing of notice she picked up on in the past day was a trace of light magic and a vaguely human scent - some Forsaken priest, most likely. Hardly something of note as Ashenvale was crawling with the undead these days.

She shuddered at the thought. We fought the Scourge at Hyjal only to have another army of the undead at our doorstep just a few years later. Orcs, Trolls, Tauren - these were enemies, but enemies she could understand. Their cultures and languages may have been different, but the same basic ambitions drove them, even if under more barbaric guidelines.

But the undead… The undead terrified her like no other enemy did. Silent, tireless, emotionless… they arrived only to wreak havoc and death. And Thrall - the only Orc she had any respect for - was the one to ally himself with them? What on Azeroth was he thinking?

And now they were facing an undead Warchief. It came as no surprise that before long, her armies were advancing into their sacred lands and decimating her people in the process.

Her mind continued to wander in depressing territory until the last rays of the setting sun pierced through the heavy foliage before finally disappearing. The White Lady now shone brightly and Kadris could feel her power surging through her.

Dropping down silently onto the forest floor, she looked around to ensure she was alone. A mosquito prick in the back of her neck made her slap herself in hopes of thwarting the damn insect, but her hand hit some speck of wood instead. It dropped on the ground - must've been a twig that got stuck while she hid out in the canopy of the great oak.

Stealthily, she ran over to the tree ahead, scanned the forest ahead of her, then made a dash for the next one. Her head spun a little bit, reminding her that she hadn't eaten in some time. Kadris fished out a piece of bread from a pocket and chowed it down quickly - there wasn't time now for snacking, she had a lot of ground to cover before dawn.

It seemed to get darker in the forest as she searched for the next tree to hide behind. She looked up at Elune, but she was still just as bright, high up in the Ashenvale sky. Strange. Another dash and she had to lean on the tree trunk, panting. Something was off. Why was she feeling so tired?

Kadris slid down to sit for a minute, her head spinning in the darkness of the forest. She shivered as the temperature dropped. She reached for a flask at her belt, hoping a sip of water would do the trick, but the flask seemed inordinately heavy. The struggle to bring it to her lips made her vision swim with bright spots.

Her arm collapsed back to the ground, the flask never reaching her mouth. Before she could wonder at what happened, darkness enveloped her.

She opened her eyes to find a tree canopy above her, the White Lady having traveled a ways down towards the horizon.

By Elune, how long did I doze off for?

She tried to sit up and found herself unable to. Her limbs simply failed to respond. Kadris's eyes widened in fear. What in the world —

"Ah, ya be awake now," a voice to her left said in heavily-accented Common. A shadowy figure blotted out the light of Elune above her. "Ya be feelin' de effects of da poison. Don' be worryin', it ain' gonna kill ya. Jus' paralyze ya for a lil while. I tied ya down some for when ya recover."

"Wh… what is… who are you?"

"Ya eider be not very smart or it jus' be de drugs foggin' up ya mind some. I be a troll of da Darkspear. Ya can call me Jimu, if ya be carin' about ma name."

Kadris swallowed hard. Paralyzed from the neck down and captured by a troll was definitely not the way she planned her reconnaissance mission.

"What will you do with me?"

The troll laughed heartily. "Nah-ah, girlie, I be not dat kinda villain dat tells ya all his plans so ya can foil dem. I be leavin' ya alive for now, dat's all ya gonna know. Ya have time to be makin' an escape, but I tied ya down good, so I be hopin' dat won' happen."

His face disappeared and she heard creaking noises, followed by the troll's grunts. Then, his face reappeared and she saw more than felt herself be lifted up and placed on something. The ground shifted under her and the sky above her started to move, followed by a dragging sound from the forest floor.

Is he… carrying me somewhere? She must've been in a stretcher that he was dragging. Images filled her imagination. Being dragged into a troll cave to be eaten alive… being brought to the Banshee to be killed and raised into undeath… tortured for information… none of the possibilities ahead of her came seemed at all pleasant.

But what could she do? She was paralyzed and she was bound. She couldn't do anything… all she had left was speech.

"Jimu, was it?"

There was a brief pause in the dragging, but it resumed quickly. "Yah, girlie, whatcha need?"

"Where are you taking me?" It felt strange speaking up at the sky and hearing a disembodied voice in reply.

"Already told ya. Not tellin'."

"Fine. Can you at least tell me what poison you used?"

"Doncha be worryin' about da poison, girlie. Jimu know his poisons, he be gettin' dem right. It'll wear off in an hour or two."

"I'm… sure it will. I wasn't asking because I was concerned. I was just wondering what you used to take me down." The troll wasn't very forthcoming with information, but she was hoping to get him talking about something and maybe she could get him to slip up about their destination at least.

"Dat be my trade secret. Not tellin'."

"Well, how did you find me anyway? I was shadow melding."

The troll chuckled. "Ya night elves all be thinking you special cuz you got dat Elune powah. Nah, mon, I be knowin' ya tricks, dat's all. Jimu be knowin' night elf tricks a long time, I be seein' through dem."

Good, that's better. Keep talking. She scoffed at him. "You don't know anything about us, troll. What can you know about our goddess and the power she grants us?"

Another chuckle from somewhere above and behind her. "Oh, I be knowin', girlie. I be knowin'. Caught you right easy, didn' I? Jimu been followin' ya for three days now. Know ya every step."

"You're a lying troll. You only just spotted me when I jumped down from the oak."

"Now why would Jimu lie to yah? Nah, mon, I see you sneakin' through our lines back at Wildbend. Stayed right in our camp dat night, in dat mighty big tree in da middle. Been keepin' an eye on ya since den."

Well, damn. She had no idea she was seen so early in her mission. That rankled a bit, being spotted by a troll. "So why didn't you take me down then?"

"Now where be da fun in dat, eh girlie? Been needin' to see whatcha be up to first. And not like dere was anytin' sensitive in dese here parts anyway, right?"

"So what are you? Some legendary rogue? How were you able to find me so easily when an entire Horde military camp could not?"

She felt the stretcher lifted briefly as the troll must've shrugged. "I be tellin' ya: Jimu know da night elves. Jimu know dem real well." The dragging suddenly halted and she felt herself be lowered, looking up at the sky and the towering shadow of the troll above it. With Elune behind him, she couldn't make out his features, but he certainly seemed very tall from down on the forest floor. She saw him take a flask from his belt and take a swig. "Here be da ting though," he said while wiping his mouth with his sleeve, "When ya know someone real well, it be hard to hate dem after dat." He returned the flask to his belt and looked down at her. "'Know ya enemy,' dey be sayin'. But if ya really know ya enemy, den dey don' seem all that bad no more. Dat seem fair to you, girlie?"

He turned back around and picked her stretcher up, her view shifting again, and the dragging resumed. What the hell was that monologue all about? Kadris had no idea how to respond to him. What is he, a troll philosopher?

"So… you don't hate me?"

Another shrug that lifted her stretcher. "Nah. Dis not be personal."

"So why are you doing it?"

"We be at war, girlie. I be likin' ya kal'dorei, even if ya be a bit arrogant sometimes. But ya woulda killed me right quick if ya saw me first. Likin' don' be matterin' none when ya at war."

"You didn't have to fight though. Why did you join this war?"

"Ya not be very bright, eh? Der's a war. Ya, we be attackin' first dis time, but only cuz da Alliance woulda attacked us if dey had a chance. Da Warchief, she be knowin' war. Don' always agree with her on da methods, but sometimes ya gotta be havin' a leader like that for ya people to be stayin' alive, ya get me? I be here for my people, for our survival."

"Seems like the only ones fighting for survival are the kal'dorei."

"Dat be true, but only cuz da Warchief made yah generals look like a buncha fools. Ya think if ya Priestess had a chance to take us out, she wouldn't be attackin' us? Nah, mon, dis world is eat or get eaten."

There was a lot Kadris could've said about the difference between Alliance and Horde war methods, but arguing with the troll seemed counterproductive. She decided to try a different tactic instead.

"You say you know the kal'dorei. Ever been with a night elf woman?"

The troll properly cackled this time. "Nah, girlie, I be not havin' dat kinda fortune."

"Want to?"

The dragging stopped abruptly and he set her down again with a thud. His face appeared above her. They must've changed direction since the last stop because the light of Elune now illuminated him from the side, showing her half of a typical troll face with a big nose ring and short stubby tusks protruding from his lips.

"Now ya be listenin' to Jimu, girlie. First, if ya gonna try to seduce me, at least be waiting until ya not paralyzed anymore, ya get? What ya plan being? I coulda had my way with ya while you be passed out, I could have my way with ya now, and ya be not able to do anything about it." She felt a blush coming on and thanked Elune it was nighttime so that he couldn't see. "Second, I be not dat kinda troll. I like my passion freely given, ya get me? Third, I not be stupid. Ya be stabbing me any opportunity ya have. And fourth, ya gotta have honor, girlie. Death is betta than bein' raped, don' be offerin' ya body just to save ya hide. Nah, mon, I be takin' ya where ya need to be taken and dat's da end of da story."

"Elune, take my life right now," she prayed in Darnassian, because being lectured by a troll holding her captive about the value of her chastity was the most flabbergasting thing she had ever experienced.

"Elune will do no such thing," a voice said in Darnassian. Who —

It was the troll! It was the same voice, with the same cadence, but… speaking perfect Darnassian. She tried arching her neck to look back at him and while her muscles gave a slight response, she was still too weak to do anything of consequence.

"You speak Darnassian?"

"Well, there are no night elves for miles, so you do the math, girl." Again, perfect Darnassian, just a hint of the trollish cadence to his sentences.

Kadris opened her mouth and closed it several times like a fish. "Who are you?"

"I'm Jimu of the Darkspeak and your captor. That's all you need to know, girl."

"I've never met a troll who speaks Darnassian, let alone fluently like you."

Jimu chuckled. "Well, as one of your poets once said, 'There are more things in heaven and earth, Horathius, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.'"

And now he's quoting kal'dorei poetry at me. This was shock far more effective than paralysis. She was at a loss for what to do or what to say. The world was not making sense anymore.

"Are you some kind of troll philosopher?" she finally managed.

The troll chuckled again - it seemed very easy to get him laughing. "Something like that."

"A rogue troll philosopher. With a knowledge of poisons."

"Heh. I like learning."

"So you won't tell me where you're taking me?"

"You'll find out soon enough, girl."

Kadris sighed. She couldn't move and speaking hadn't helped either. All she got for her efforts was a lecture of her use of her sexuality and a quote of kal'dorei poetry. She looked up at Elune and made a silent prayer. This wasn't going to be easy.

–

Her paralysis was gone by the time the sun rose, replaced by searing pain across her entire body. She was indeed lying on a hastily put together stretcher made of logs and tightly strung rope. Plenty of that rope was tied around her whole body, making her entirely unable to move and cutting off circulation in far too many places, causing the pain. Her weapons were obviously gone and even if they weren't, she could barely wiggle her fingers, let alone saw at the rope with her dagger. The troll wasn't taking any chances.

"You couldn't have just tied my arms and let me walk on my own?"

Jimu shrugged. "Can't have you running away, I'm afraid."

"Can you at least loosen the ropes a bit? It's cutting off my circulation."

"Nope, sorry."

"I'm in pain."

"You're a warrior. If you can't handle pain, you're not a very good one. We're not too far now anyway, it'll be over soon."

"Soon" was definitely a relative concept. It must've been hours until she noticed the forest getting busier. She spotted orcish peons cutting down lumber and a number of Horde warriors patrolling the surroundings. One of the first ones called out to Jimu in a language she didn't recognize and he responded. It must've been a password of some sorts, because Jimu continued on unmolested afterwards.

A few of the Horde gave them strange looks, but most went on with their business without even taking notice.

Once they passed a huge wall of stakes and entered a city of tents, she knew where she was. This is the main Horde camp.

They continued on for some time, passing by tents large and small. To her surprise, the camp seemed quiet: most of the tents' inhabitants were present, cooking food or sleeping next to fires. A group of orcs was playing dice on a tree stump. This is not what an army camp at war looks like. What is going on?

Jimu finally stopped and set her down, but she couldn't quite make out where they as he blocked the view behind her.

"I be bearin' a gift for da Warchief," she heard him say in Common.

"The Warchief is busy," said a female voice with the typical magical echo of the undead.

Kadris shuddered. The Warchief? He is taking me to the Banshee. Oh, Elune! Do not let her make me undead!

"Dis be an Alliance spy I capture in our rear. Da Warchief commanded me to bring any prisonahs to her directly."

"The Warchief has declared a ceasefire, troll. She is negotiating a peace agreement with King Anduin as we speak. You are not to take prisoners or continue fighting."

"What?" The troll sounded incredulous. Kadris was stunned, too. A ceasefire? Peace? "Ya be tellin' me da war is ovah?"

"It may very well be. Now release the prisoner." The female voice sounded strange. The echo was strong, but underneath it was the stereotypical intonation of a kal'dorei speaking Common. Was this undead once one of her sisters? She craned her to try to get a look at the other speaker, but all she could see was Jimu's big furry boots and a large white stallion stood to the side, tied to one of the tent's large pegs. The runes on his reins were distinctly quel'dorei. What is it doing in a Horde camp?

"Now listen to me dere. I be given a direct ordah by da Warchief. I not be lettin' dis prisoner go until I get a direct ordah from her as well."

She heard a sigh and the brush of a tent cloth. What in the world is going on? She said the war may be over? How could Sylvanas agree to peace now? She was pushing us back on all fronts!

She heard footsteps and the brush of the tent cloth one more time.

"What is the matter?" another female voice said. Kadris shuddered, hard. That's her. That's the Banshee!

"Warchief, ya ordered me to hunt da spies sneaking into our rear. I caught dis night elf a few miles south of our camp."

She heard a snort. "You missed a far more important spy in our rear, Jimu. But perhaps it is for the best. My dark ranger says it true: I have commanded a ceasefire. You are to release the spy."

"Yah, Warchief."

Jimu appeared above her with a hunting knife in hand. He deftly cut the rope in several places and pulled it off from her. The pain of blood flooding back into her numb limbs was even worse than the pain of it not being there. She groaned and her vision went white for a few moments.

She felt two strong hands under her armpits and was lifted to her feet. The hands stayed there until her vision cleared and she stopped wobbling. The pain was subsiding quickly. She opened her eyes.

Sylvanas Windrunner stood right in front of her, a dark ranger to her side. The Banshee's cowl was a dark purple, the crimson of her eyes glowing with menace from beneath the hood. Her lips curled into a smile.

"Consider yourself fortunate, elf. Were you captured yesterday, I would have questioned you, tortured you if necessary, and discarded you when you told us everything. Maybe Raised you after, if you proved worthy. Instead, you can go unharmed. When is your birthday?"

Kadris blinked. "Uh… the third of Quel'Asta."

"Perhaps you should mark your birthday on this day instead. You are free to go." She turned to the troll. "Good work, Jimu. I may be in need of your services again soon. Do not leave this camp. I will send for you."

"Yah, Warchief."

"We are finished here then." She turned and re-entered the tent behind her.

Kadris rubbed her wrists and glared at Jimu.

"I be sorry, girlie," he said in Common. "If I be knowin' 'bout da ceasefire, I be not takin' ya prisoner. It be notin' personal."

She swung her fist with all her strength, catching the troll off-guard and landing a solid blow to his jaw. Jimu staggered back, nearly falling, and held a three-fingered hand to where she hit him.

"Now dis?" he growled, "Dis be personal."

He charged her with a speed that surprised her, headbutting her so hard that she fell to the ground. He tried to make use of his tactical advantage by climbing on top of her, but she slithered away to the side and caught his leg with a swipe of hers, tumbling him to the ground instead. Mounting his chest, she pressed her hands into the troll's neck.

"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!"

Searing pain in her scalp made her vision go white again as she was pulled off the troll and to her feet by her hair. She spun around to confront her new attacker, only to find herself face to face with… Tyrande Whisperwind.

The Priestess's eyes shone with rage as she slapped Kadris with full force. "Are you not aware of the ceasefire, sentinel? King Anduin has negotiated an agreement that will grant our nation peace and preserve our people. Do you know how much has been sacrificed to bring this about? Are you trying to throw it all away by provoking a conflict with the Horde?"

Kadris shrunk back from the verbal onslaught. "Priestess, this troll took me prisoner…"

"Prisoner? I see no bindings on you!"

"He has only now released me, but he…"

"Enough! What a pitiful excuse. You will apologize to him, immediately. I will not return to war over some petty conflict."

"Apologize, Priestess?"

Tyrande glared at her. "Know how to start fights, but don't know how to end them? You heard me, sentinel. Make your apologies. And make them sincere."

Kadris stole a glance at Jimu, who was patting dust off his clothes and grinning. I'm not apologizing to him. I'm not at fault here.

"Priestess, I — "

The troll stepped in between them and bowed to Tyrande. "Priestess Tyrande," he said in Darnassian and the night elf woman's eyes widened in surprise, "there is no need for an apology. Like I told this sentinel, her capture was nothing personal. It's only natural that her temper would flare up a bit after such a mistake. No harm done."

Kadris stared at him. Oh no, you damn troll. You're not outdoing me at diplomacy. "Still, I apologize," she hurried to say, touching his shoulder for him to turn around to face her. "Neither of us knew about the ceasefire. It was unfair for me to blame you."

"Heh, well then your apology is accepted." He stepped to the side to face both night elves. "There, Priestess, it's settled."

Tyrande observed him warily. "Very well. Your Darnassian is excellent. Where did you learn it?"

"Ah, I thank you. I like to learn. I mostly read books."

"There are books on Darnassian in Horde libraries?"

"Some, in Silvermoon, yes. Others… could be obtained… for a price."

"I see. Perhaps Anduin wasn't wrong about this after all," she muttered under her breath. "What is your name?"

"Jimu, of the Darkspear tribe."

"Well then, Jimu of the Darkspear, perhaps we will meet again. Good day to you."

The troll bowed. "Good day to you as well, Priestess."

Tyrande glanced at Kadris. "You are not welcome at our fires tonight, sentinel. Find alternate arrangements. You will rejoin us tomorrow."

Kadris opened her mouth to protest, but the Priestess had already begun to walk away.

"Well, that's my cue as well," Jimu said. "So long, girl. Don't get into any more fights." He cackled as he turned away from her to walk down one of the camp's alleys.

Kadris stumbled a bit. The adrenaline in her blood seemed to have vanished in an instant, leaving in its wake an overwhelming fatigue and hunger.

But… she was alone now. Except for the scowling dark ranger at the entrance to the tent, there was nobody around and she had nowhere to go.

She looked at the troll quickly disappearing into the distance. You've gotta be kidding me.

"Jimu, wait!" she called after him and ran as fast as her quivering legs would take her.

The troll turned around at her call and grinned.

A/N: This chapter was totally inspired by my recent re-reading of "The Binding That Saves" By WoMo ( s/3315652/1/The-Binding-That-Saves), a lovely fanfic that is unfortunately abandoned with just a few chapters to go. To be honest, I had the idea of these characters before I had an idea of what to do with them in the Blunderbuss AU universe. I simply sat down and started writing because I love putting characters into situations and then seeing what they do. I hope you liked them.

P.S. I barely hear from any of the readers. Is anyone enjoying this fic? Should I keep posting? Y'all are quiet out there.