TAGS: hmofa, female worgen, female vulpera, male human Just so you know, before you get into this story... I don't know a lot about the warcraft universe (or writing for that matter) so I'm currently in the process of rewriting it and fixing some plot stuff. ---------- REVELRY The moon hung low in the night sky over Elwynn forest, strands of moonlight dancing through the forest canopy as Julian ducked and weaved through root and branch. He and his partner were stationed within Elwynn as sentries on the lookout for invading blackrock orcs. While the situation was serious, they rarely made incursions and he spent most of his time as he always did - hunting, skinning, and butchering wild game. Tonight would be no exception. His partner, Eliza, had long since retired for the evening after laying some traps for smaller game. Julian, however, had his eyes on a bigger prize. The tracks he'd been following through the freshly-mudded wet forest, they had to have been from a boar. He crouched low, gripping his spear tight. His prey was just up ahead, and he had the advantage. Boar hunting was a dangerous game, but a lucrative one. The leather and meat alone would be invaluable, as the two were expected to live off the land in lieu of stretching thin the already-scarce supplies of the watch. Not to mention the look on Eliza's face when he brings a full-blown boar back to camp. The padded soles of his boots served to muffle his steps as he crept forward from his concealed position and approached the boar's flank. He would go for the heart to give it a quick death. He had no intention of chasing it down through the moonlit forest, or worse - fighting it. Julian raised his spear and drew in a sharp breath. With explosive force, he dipped to the side and then lunged forward, ------------ He made his way into a small clearing surrounded by dense thickets, still concealed from above by the canopy of the forest. Within the clearing was their encampment. Various wooden furniture and goods were strewn about, tanning racks with not only hides but also meat jerky, two tents - one larger and one smaller. It was far from the glory of a grand human city like stormwind, but for Julian, it was home. "Liza!" he shouted, struggling to pull his prize over the thickets. The larger tent rustled, as a wolf-like creature brushed aside the leather flap and stared at him from within. "Give me a hand with this!" The creature emerged from the doorway and stood at its full 7-foot height. Rippling muscles were concealed underneath a layer of thick light-brown fur. Sharp green eyes stared at Julian through the moonlight, until finally the creature broke out into a jog and spoke. "Let it go, you're tearing the hide! I'll get it!" The wolfess placed a clawed hand on Julian's shoulder and gently brushed him saide. She then easily reached over the thicket and carefully lifted the carcass before hoisting it on one shoulder. She was stronger than him, for certain, but a fully-grown boar was surely heavy even to her. "Aye, she's a big one isn't she? I saw the tracks around sundown, shame it took so long to catch up." Julian unceremoniously removed his equipment as he spoke, letting it fall wherever it would as he walked. Eventually he settled on a plain cloth shirt and pants. She turned to face him. "You couldn't have found a smaller one?" Eliza grinned as she carried the boar to a nearby table they'd fashioned out of a large tree stump. With a grunt, she dropped the carcass and sat down, flexing her claws. "I'll get it carved up, see if you can find some cheese and ale, or something." Eliza spoke as she set to work removing the beast's hide with her claws. "I was waiting for you to return before I ate." "Had I known, I wouldn't have--" "Caught such a prize? I know!" she laughed at his attempted humility. "I don't mind, really. A meal's always better with good company, afterall." Julian smiled at her words. She'd come a long way from the lone wolf she used to be when they first started working together. He left her to her work and made his way to their storage tent. He paused as he entered. Woodchips littered the ground and a small carved wooden statuette lay half-finished atop a table. He picked up the statuette, examining it more closely. It roughly resembled a wolf's head, but the finer details had yet to be carved out. He set it aside, reminding himself to ask her about it later. For now, there were more important matters to attend to. He skimmed the tent, eyeing a bottle stashed behind a sack of grain. "There you are." he whispered under his breath. "Bit more kick than an ale, but I sure don't mind." Bottle-in-hand, he emerged from the tent, feeling the cool night air once more. He recalled seeing stormclouds on the horizon earlier in the day and a thought struck him. "Liza, you think we can risk a nice, big fire?" The wolfess, halfway through her flensing, replied. "Why not?" She seemed irritated by the interruption, so he didn't press her further. He stashed the bottle of stout once more and fetched some fresh firewood. The smoke would be seen for miles, but they were (as always) within friendly territory, so there was little to fear. An hour passed, and though it was long past midnight, the pair of rangers worked hard preparing a lavish feast for themselves. Recent times were far from peaceful in the grand scheme of things, but their neck of the woods had been rather serene as of late. At last they sat down and beheld the banquet that lay before them. Roasted boar meat, slices of smoked cheese, an array of garden vegetables and tubers harvested fresh earlier in the day. Eliza raised the mug to her nose and gave it an experimental smell. It was pleasant - she could make out hints of walnut, vanilla, and various earthy scents contained within the black liquid. "This isn't ale." she stated. "Nope. I figured I'd bust out something I've been holding on to, make tonight even more special." Her eyes, previously focused on the curious drink, darted up at him. "Special, huh?" she mused. A few seconds passed before she gestured to her mug. "So...? What is it?" "Oh, right. Dwarven stout. I helped a merchant stuck in a ditch a few years ago, gave it to me as thanks. Been holding on to it ever since." Julian explained. "Usually I save it for special occasions, like a pal's wedding, or after a close call. Or..." "Or now." she interrupted, smiling at him. "Or now." he repeated. Eliza's eyes darted up as Julian raised his mug. She met him half-way with her own. Unsure of how strong it was, she took a quick experimental sip. While it certainly smelled nice, the taste of dwarven-levels of alcohol was poorly hidden by its fragrance. Her partner spoke up. "It's an acquired taste." he must have seen her making a face or something, to mention that. "No, it's good. It's just different. I like it, really." To prove her point, Eliza took another, longer sip of the bitter drink. To her surprise, it wasn't as bad as her palette had led her to initially believe. She would have forgotten entirely about the food, had her stomach not reminded her at that moment. Her portion was already laid out - far larger than her human counterpart's. "Let's eat." ---------- An hour passed and the embers of their bonfire began to cool. The dwindling warmth quickly gave way to the chilly night air. While their supper sat half-finished, the bottle was now nearing empty. Eliza stared at her polished-off mug for a moment. "I'm empty... lemme have some of yours.." her words were slurred. "I think you've had enough." Julian replied "Plus, don't want the rest of my drink tasting like dog water." The wolfess giggled at his joke before putting on a mock expression of outrage. "I'm not a dog!" She rose unsteadily to her feet and began to clumsily walk around their impromptu dinner table. "You are. You're a big ole' puppy dog." he jabbed back as he took a swig, waiting for a clever reply. Her response was to approach and collapse on top of him. Julian's drink flew from his hands and upended its contents as the pair tumbled back. Eliza froze up as she stared wide-eyed at the spilt mug. As she glanced down at her partner's prone form, her eyes glazed over. If she felt any guilt about her partner's lost booze, it was all gone now. "Liza, wh-" was all he could say before she darted down and pulled him close. Julian would've complained, were his head not pressed into her fur-covered chest. Even through her leather vest, he could feel the soft mounds of breast hidden beneath. She held him there for a while, sniffing at his hair and sighing contently. "Liza?" Julian's voice was muffled as she held him close. Julian struggled against the wolfess' strong grip, managing to free his head into the nape of her neck. The smell of boiled leather quickly gave way to the scent of wild grass and berries. He fought every carnal urge in his body as he spoke. "Liza, the food'll go bad if we leave it out. Let's get everything cleaned up and head to bed." She pulled away, leaving him pinned under her hips as she leaned back. "Mmmm... maybe I'm still hungry." her eyes were fixed on him. "Maybe I'll eat you up instead." She unbuttoned her vest, allowing her sizable breasts to spill free. Julian chuckled. "If the drink makes you -this- affectionate, I'll have to stop by the markets in stormwind more ofte-" his words were cut short as Eliza darted down, locking her lips with his. He could still taste the booze on her breath as her long canine tongue darted inside his mouth clumsily. She pulled away once more, breathing heavily as a thin strand of saliva connected the two. "You..." Julian panted, still catching his breath. "You can be pretty persuasive, huh..." She was past words now, letting out a low whine as she waited, watching him remove his own shirt. She could feel a soft bulge poking into her rear from beneath his trousers. It wouldn't be the first time the two had made love under a moonlit night sky. At least, that's what would've happened, had a loud high-pitched yelp not pierced through the haze of their desire and echoed throughout the dead-quiet forest. Eliza froze in disbelief, her ears shooting up. Did she imagine the sound? "Did you..." she trailed off. "Yeah. I heard it, too." Julian replied with disappointment in his voice. "We've got to check it out. Sorry, love." She sat atop him a moment longer, clearly hesitating. She could overpower him and take him right there, but it wouldn't be right. She wasn't just some wild beast. "Liza..." Julian spoke softly as he reached up. Her ears flattened submissively as he caressed the side of her head. "It's probably just a fox or something. You set the traps, right? We'll give it a quick look, head back, and pick up where we left off." She nodded, slowly rising to her feet. By now, the mood was long gone, though her desire was still present and the heat within her loins would certainly not go away on its own. But they had a job to do. INTRUSION The winds began to pick up and the rustling of leaves blended with the sound of approaching rainfall. Julian and Eliza headed north from their camp, following the direction of the strange sound they heard earlier. Eliza spoke up, still somewhat dazed from their earlier festivities. "The more I think of it..." she began "I haven't seen any foxes around this area." "No, probably not. The larger predators have driven them out for the most part. That's why I think we should take a look, instead of leaving it for the morning." Julian replied, scanning the ground. Eliza placed a clawed hand on his shoulder, halting his stride. "Tracks up ahead. You see 'em? By the sprig of silverleaf over there." She pointed off in the distance. His eyes weren't as well-adjusted to the darkness as hers, but Julian could make out a faint glimmer in the distance. "Can't see as well as you, Liza. Let's get a closer look." She nodded. "Let's just figure out what it is so we can get back already." "What, you don't want to deal with wet fur?" "Oh, as if it won't be your problem as well." her tail brushed against him as she resumed walking, locking her eyes to the tracks up ahead. Julian sighed, devoid of any further banter. With how often the two shared a bedroll, she was right. Eliza suddenly froze in place, her ears shooting up. "Not a fox. Trolls." her eyes narrowed as she focused on the tracks. She shook her head. "One troll, bare feet. Some others wearing boots, not sure what they are, but I count three or four." Her brow furrowed. "We were out here all day, how in the light did we miss them?!" "Raiding party... moving with the storm? Maybe they got impatient." Julian gripped his hunting spear. He watched as the moonlit wolfess loaded her intricately carved long rifle. "The bootprints are much more recent. Not sure what that means." A drizzle began to fall, stray raindrops catching on the leaves overhead. The storm was advancing fast behind them. -------- The shouting died down hours ago, but Kyrahni's short legs carried her deeper and deeper into the strange human forest. The trees alone were unlike anything she'd seen in her homeland, but there would be time to admire the scenery later. Her pursuers were unlikely to give up the chase just because of the terrain. They likely knew this land already and it was only a matter of time before they caught up. She paused a moment to catch her breath. She needed to get her bearings, but could barely see above the wild grasses of the forest let alone get a sense of where she could find civilization. "Trees..." she whispered between labored breaths. Her best option would be to climb one of these massive trees and scan the landscape from an elevated position. The vixen took a few more deep breaths before beginning her ascent. Her clawed hands facilitated her climb, easily digging into the bark of the odd foreign tree. Being light and nimble, she easily scampered up between the myriad of branches and poked her head above the forest canopy. Her oversized vulpine ears flopped as she shook her head back and forth, clearing it of stray leaves. Her heart sank - it was far too dark to spot any landmarks of note. To make things worse, there were storm clouds on the horizon, and campfire smoke in the distance. She tried to keep a clear head - the orcs that are after her, they wouldn't risk setting up camp this far from the mountains, would they? She couldn't take that risk. For what she did to the blackrocks, they would have her head. Kyrahni disappeared beneath the canopy. Stray leaves danced through the air as she scampered between the branches, making her way back down to the forest floor. She landed on all-fours with a thud, taking a moment to recover from the short fall. "Hol' it right dere, lil' fox." She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the gravelly voice. A troll, most likely, given the accent. She considered making a break for it, but she doubted her short legs could outrun the large stride of a troll. "Turn 'round. Slowly." She did as he asked, turning to face her captor. Even hunched over, he was easily eight feet tall. His hair was dyed a bright orange and styled into a mohawk, and various tattoos adorned his green body. In one hand he held a vicious, jagged knife, and a number of javelins lay holstered on his back. The troll leaned in close, brandishing his knife. "You definitely be da one I'm lookin' for." His breath reeked as the words left his mouth. "Now you got a choice, lil' fox." "Da bounty da blackrocks be puttin on your head..." the troll held his knife to Kyrahni's throat. "Dey neva said it had to be on your neck." Her eyes went wide. "So you can be a good lil' fox and come with me, or I can bring your head to dem myself." A whistling sound pierced the air as an arrow found its mark in the troll's back. Kyrahni fell back as her captor lurched forward. He let out a ear-piercing yell, spitting profanities in his native tongue, as he spun around. Three figures emerged from the forest, clad in leather armor, adorned with tattered crimson cloth. They appeared to be brigands to her's eyes, but she couldn't be sure. Two of them in the rear held plain wooden bows. Their leader had a simple longsword. Their leader pulled aside a crimson facemask and spoke up. "Bloody horde mongrels. Easy pickin's here before you lot showed up. You got any last words, scum?" It was as if the troll completely forgot about her as he closed the gap between them. He gripped the arrow lodged in his back and tore it out with a grunt. "Dis don't concern you. I be in a good mood, you turn around, I don't take your heads as well." One of the brigands nocked another arrow. The troll must have reacted to the sound alone, dashing to the side reflexively as the second arrow sailed past. "Jatha be takin' your heads as well, den!" That must have been his name. Jatha let out a blood-curdling yell as he closed the distance, tossing a javelin in the process, which found its mark in one of the bowmen. He then clashed with the leader, grappling as their weapons impacted, ringing in the night. Kyrahni slowly stood up and began to back away from the conflict, but one of the bandits turned his bow upon her next. Before she even processed what was happening, a searing pain shot through her leg as an arrow found its mark. She glanced up, expecting a second shot. Relief washed through her as she saw the bowman grasping at a gaping neck wound. She wouldn't have much time to escape, Jatha would likely make short work of their leader. She stood up once more, keeping weight off her injured leg, and limped toward a nearby bush. If she couldn't run, she would have to hide. She grit her teeth, trying to fight through the pain as she collapsed over a fallen tree and tumbled to the other side. A loud, deafening crack echoed through the woods. Kyrahni glanced up, just in time to see a flash of light and smoke. From up ahead, two more figures emerged from the darkness. Her ears lowered reflexively when she saw a massive wolf-creature glaring at her. She'd never seen anything like it. "Easy there. Don't move." Kyrahni noticed a human at its side, addressing her before turning to the wolf-creature. "Liza, you get him?" "No, damn it all. It's the drink." a deep, husky voice replied with annoyance. "I missed. He ran off into the woods. Dealt with the defias though." "Saves us the trouble." the human replied. "Guess there are foxes in Elwynn afterall, huh." he laughed. The wolfess rolled her eyes. "I'd rather not stay out here for too long with that headhunter running around. Defias are liable to send another group out as well." The wolfess nodded before gesturing to Kyrahni. "I'll carry this one, but deal with that arrow first." Kyrahni was speechless. She could speak common, of course, but these were people loyal to the alliance - and they weren't butchering her? After an awkward moment of silence, he cleared his throat. "Let me deal with that arrow. I'll treat the wound properly when we get back to camp." Kyrahni nodded as he approached. She let go of her injured leg, revealing the wound to the ranger. He crouched down, examining it for a moment. "You're a lucky one." he said. She didn't see how. The ranger grasped the fletching of the arrow and glanced up, locking eyes with her. "This is going to hurt." he said plainly, before tearing off the back end of the arrow. Kyrahni yelped in pain, ripping out chunks of grass from the soil. He then grabbed the other end of the arrow and pulled it loose from her leg. Blood shot out with the arrow, dying the green grass a dark crimson. At that moment, she was acutely aware of how large the wound really was and began to feel faint. The ranger tore off a strip from his shirt, tying it tight around her leg before addressing the wolfess. "Liza, let's go." She turned back and nodded, approaching Kyrahni and effortlessly lifting her with one hand and depositing the vixen on her back. "Don't pull on my fur." she said plainly. The human laughed once more. "I'll keep my thoughts to myself, Liza. Don't worry." His comment earned him a half-hearted smack before the two set off once more. The group travelled in relative silence, the previous danger weighed heavily on them. Between the exhaustion from her escape, the blood loss from her wound, and the exceedingly comfortable wolf-hide she was gripping, Kyrahni felt herself dozing off until finally the human broke the silence. "What's your name, stranger?" For the first time, Kyrahni spoke to her saviors. "Kyrahni." she weakly replied. "I'm Julian." he gestured to her carrier. "That's Eliza. We're rangers from stormwind, we keep the peace around here and try to help out travellers like you whenever we can." "Mmm." she mumbled, sapped of the strength for full sentences. "So, don't worry. You're in good hands." he paused. "Claws. Good claws." Eliza gave him a shove for his antics, clearly not in the right mind for jokes. ---------- By the time the trio arrived at the rangers' camp, the rainstorm was upon them in full force. Strong winds scattered stray leaves through the air and pooled rain splashed down from the canopy. Julian and made a run for the supply tent, presumably to grab medical supplies, while Eliza made her way to their sleeping tent, gently setting Kyrahni down on the soft bedroll within. The wolfess turned to the small vixen. "Wait here. Julian'll deal with that wound." With that said, Eliza left her alone in the spacious tent. Kyrahni leaned back on the canvas bedroll, trying her best to ignore the pain shooting through her leg. Her exhaustion and blood loss took a toll as she drifted in and out of consciousness. She woke from her half-slumber with a start to find Julian holding her shoulder. "I'll apply some healing salve and bandages. We don't have anything better, unfortunately, but it'll do the job. Try to relax." She nodded once more, presenting her wounded leg to the ranger. He produced a small ceramic jar containing a thick green paste. Kyrahni gasped as the cool paste made contact with her bare leg. She shivered as she felt the pain slowly fade from her body, replaced with a dull, cold sensation. She leaned back, resting her head on the soft canvas, and closed her eyes. With the pain dealt with, she settled into the bedroll and sleep found her quickly. A rain-soaked Julian found his way to the supply tent and quickly tied the linen flap shut behind him. "Half-expecting the damn winds to pick up the whole camp, tents and all..." He turned to see Eliza's clothing scattered all over the floor. She was seated a few feet away, drying her soaked fur with a cloth. Julian set the healing salve aside and made his way to her, discarding most of his own clothing in the process, when an idea struck him. He turned and rummaged through a nearby coffer, procuring a small hair brush, before seating himself on the planked floor beside the worgen. "Let me." he said. Eliza nodded, her expression softening, and leaned back, resting her head in his arms, and closed her eyes. Julian took his time, starting with her swept-back hair. He patted it down with the cloth until it was adequately dry, then carefully began to brush away the various knots. There was an immediate reaction from the wolfess, her mouth opened as she shivered in pleasure, her head tilting back with the stroke of the brush. Julian smiled warmly. "Good?" he asked, continuing to attack the tangled mess. Her reply came in the form of a low, rumbling whine. "I'll keep going, then." He worked his way down, wringing out the now-damp cloth, and set to work drying her canine face. There was a certain feminine beauty to it, he thought. Surely there were stranger things to be attracted to in this world. His thoughts drifted to murlocs and he shuddered, quickly returning himself to the task at hand. He set aside the brush and began to caress the furry ears atop her head. Eliza's eyes fluttered open in surprise. Breathless words left her mouth. "Are we..." "No. Just having some fun." he said. She shut her eyes once more. "Don't tease me, then. Hurry up." His hands lowered, cupping the sides of her face as he leaned down and planted a kiss on her forehead. The worgen shifted in his hands, a faint blush visible through her furred cheeks. After a short moment, he began drying her once more. "Up." She complied, lifting her head from his lap and sitting up, presenting her back. Through the thin layer of fur covering her lanky body, he could see lean muscle. Whether it was their rough lifestyle or the result of the worgen curse was beyond his knowledge, but he admired her physique nonetheless. He worked his way from her shoulders to the base of her tail, meticulously scrubbing and brushing out any dampness. Every so often, she would twitch in response to his actions and a muffled whine would escape her lips, which she would quickly suppress. Julian cleared his throat and issued his next order. "Tail." He caught a glimse of her rump as she half-stood, allowing her soaked tail to rest in his hands. Her furry tail poofed up as he scrubbed the rain out of it. As he began to brush, her legs gave out and she fell backwards, returned to a seated position. "We'll deal with that later, then." "Turn around." he commanded. Once more, she obliged and turned to face him. She stared blankly, her eyelids hanging low. By now, the faint blush from before was anything but. "Chin up." he said, reaching to brush around her collarbone. His eyes began to wander as he caught glimses of tensing muscles. He didn't bother asking for approval as his hands wandered down to caress her ample fur-covered mounds. She seemed rather modest about the size of her breasts, but he could scarcely contain one in the palm of his hand. He continued to gently work the moisture out of her ample, yet perky chest, taking perhaps a bit too much time. With one hand, he lifted one of the heavy orbs and dried the fur underneath. She was strangely silent as he went further down, running his hands across her abs. Even through the layer of wet fur, he could feel the strength of her toned core. He glanced up to see her eyes closed and her brow furrowed in an effort to stay silent as he groped her muscled body. "Liza." he said. She opened her eyes. "Lay down, I'll be back in a second." Confused, the wolfess leaned back and watched him retrieve a leather jacket from storage. He placed it behind her head before sitting back down on the wooden floor. She leaned back, resting her head on the garment, and felt at ease. It had his scent. "Right. Where were we..." he wrung out the damp cloth once more before issuing another command. "Leg up." He started with her right, running the cloth over the outside of her thighs, past her knees, around her calves, and ending at her canine feet. He set her leg down. "Other leg." He began his work anew, giving her left the same treatment before gingerly placing it on the floor. He reached toward her still-soaked inner thighs, suspecting the moisture down there wasn't just from the rain alone. This time he did glance up, wordlessly awaiting her approval. She nodded, panting heavily. Julian quickly dried the last of Eliza's rain-soaked legs before tossing the cloth aside. While his trousers pitched a rather sizeable tent, he would worry about his own needs in the morning; by now, the pair were far too tired for anything strenuous. He ran his hands along her thighs. She offered no resistance as he softly pushed them apart. He leaned in close, laying a trail of feather-light kisses as he reached her groin. He could feel the heat radiating off her sex as he closed in. His hands found their way to her groin; he took his time, running his fingers everywhere except her most sensitive area. He wanted her on a hair-trigger before he even began. Not just because it would feel better, but because he lacked the energy to go on much longer. A clawed hand found its way atop his head and gripped a tuft of his damp, messy hair. He couldn't blame her for being impatient after their interruption earlier. His hands spread her vulva wide as he dove in, locking his lips to her mound. His tongue darted around inside. 'Write the alphabet.' he told himself, remembering the words of an old dwarven ranger he once worked with. The worgen's reaction was strong and immediate - she let out a long, drawn-out whimper as her ears lowered. Her thighs closed in on Julian's head, pinning him to her most intimate area. He noted that even lost in pleasure, she was careful not to apply too much pressure. Years of trial and error together had made them remarkably compatible and aware of eachothers' limitations. Before long, her body seized up and began to writhe in pleasure. Julian had to strike now. He pulled his head free from her grip, still trapped by her thighs, and brought his hands to bear. He rapidly pumped his fingers inside of her as she twitched and convulsed, until finally she arched her back and howled in pleasure. Her partner continued with his carnal work until she collapsed to the ground once more. Julian, finally free from the wolfess' grip, withdrew his love-soaked hand and wiped it clean. Julian stood up once more, wordlessly retrieving a spare wool blanket, and sat in front of his partner. Her glazed-over eyes scanned him, until she remembered he had yet to receive the same pleasure she was recovering from. "What about y-" "Nevermind that, love. Rest." He unfolded the blanket and crawled atop the exhausted worgen, resting his head inbetween her ample breasts. "We can deal with it in the morning." He continued, pulling the wool blanket over the two of them. Eliza's arms found their way under the blanket and pulled him close in a tight hug. Before long, the two rangers drifted off to a deep sleep, accompanied only by the sound of the rain. RECUPERATION Kyrahni woke from a dreamless sleep. A brief moment of panic set in when her eyes fluttered open to unfamiliar surroundings, followed by relief as the events of last night found their way back to her conscious mind. She could still feel her leg throbbing in dull pain, but a good night's sleep covered by warm furs and linens had worked wonders. While she wouldn't be scampering around any time soon, she was content with the relative safety she had found in the care of the odd rangers. Her ears perked up as she heard lowered voices from the other tent. She awkwardly shuffled out of the far-too-large bedroll and crawled to the tent flap leading outside, taking care not to put weight on her injured leg. The sun was low in the sky, just cresting over the mountains to the east. It cast long shadows over Elwynn in the morning fog. The air was cool and humid following last night's rainstorm and the foliage glistened with a coating of fresh rainwater. Kyrahni, still sitting in the tent opening, closed her eyes and listened in. ---------- Julian stirred awake as Eliza sat up. "Ah, sorry." she whispered. "I didn't want to wake you, but this floor's killing my back." He yawned, sitting up in her lap, and mumbled something unintelligible in response. He raised his arms high and stretched. Eliza grunted as he fell backwards into her bust once more. "Sun up?" he asked. "Not quite yet. I'd say about a half-hour." "Good." he spun around and buried his face in the fluffy cavern between her breasts, letting out a deep sigh. There was that familiar smell again - wild grass and berries. His improvised bed lay down once more as a pair of clawed hands stroked his back. They lay there for a while, enjoying eachothers' company as they waited for the haze of sleep to leave their minds, until Eliza spoke up. "How bad was her wound? The Vulp, I mean. I can't remember her name." "Kyrahni." Julian replied, mid-yawn. Eliza didn't much care for learning every traveller's story out there, but her partner had a good head for it. He slowly raised his head to eye-level with the wolfess. "Arrow was a clean break, no risk of infection. I'll have to take another look at it this morning and reapply the bandages." he turned his head, glancing at the medical supplies he haphazardly left around the tent. He lay back down on his fur-covered matress grumbling. "...and maybe the salve as well, if I applied it wrong." The worgen lowered her head, nuzzling into her lover. "I'm sure you did fine." "We were both pretty drunk, Liza. Thank the light we managed to make it back safe and sound." he trailed off, mumbling about yesterday's events. She hummed happily, ignoring his lecture, as she nosed into his hair. "That headhunter's still somewhere in Elwynn." he continued. "And the defias back at the clearing, their bodies have to be dealt with." he sighed and continued, listing the tasks for the day as they came to mind. Eliza's arms trailed down from his broad shoulders to the small of his back. "Guess I'll start with breakfast." he finally concluded. "And maybe I'll ask our guest a few questions, you don't often see her kind around h-" he stopped with a gasp. One of Eliza's clawed hands found its way down and cupped around his clothed groin. Her husky voice whispered softly into his ear. "Well, let me wish you a good morning." her words reverberated in his head. Before he could reply, Eliza spun around and Julian found himself on his back. Her breasts swayed as she loomed over him, blocking out the scarce morning sunlight that lit the tent. She stared down at him with a mischievous look in her eyes, before pressing her lips to his. She pulled away after a brief moment. "Let me pay you back for yesterday." she whispered, inches away from his face while a clawed hand continued to caress his manhood. Words escaped Julian as he grunted in approval. Clearly there were worse ways to wake up. "Good. I'll make it quick." The wolfess smiled for a moment before disappearing beneath the blanket. She rested her snout against his chest, taking in his comforting scent once more. Humming happily, she worked her way down until her eyes were locked on a pair of linen undergarments, stretched to their limit. Eliza's long tongue hung low as she nosed up against his thinly-veiled manhood. "Quick, huh?" his voice snapped her out of her haze. She snarled playfully in response as she gripped his waistband with her sharp canines. Julian gasped as she yanked them down, tearing the cloth apart in the process. His rod, still at half-mast, spilled out from the torn clothing and rested atop her snout. She lay there a short moment, taking in his masculine aroma, but she knew they couldn't afford to spare too much more time with this carnal distraction. His shaft swelled and rose to its full length as she maneuvered to its front, wrapping around it with her wide tongue like a coiling snake. Even in her lust-addled trance and the blanket muffling her senses, she could hear him grunting in pleasure as she skillfully worked her tongue. Her tail swept the floor happily as one of his hands darted underneath the blanket and stroked her head. She pulled back, releasing him from her wet, coiling muscle. A clawed hand rose to take its place and tightly gripped the masculine organ as she dropped lower, nuzzling against the orbs beneath. He hissed in pleasure as she pressed the flat of her tongue against his perineum and slowly dragged it up, cupping his sack in the process, before she dropped back down and began the cycle anew. All the while, she relished in the sound of his moans as she continued to vigorously pump at his erection. At last, she felt him twitch as a rope of ivory shot past her mouth, coating the blanket above and dripping down onto her forehead. She quickly repositioned and took the entirely of his length into her jaws, humming happily as the remainder of his seed spilled forth and painted the inside of her mouth. Eliza flung back the covers and glanced up at the speechless ranger as she massaged his still-engulfed length in her maw. Once she was certain his vigor was spent, she swallowed the thick mess and gasped as she released him at last. She rose to her feet as she wiped her mouth clean, leaving a small wet stain on her furry forearm. "Now we're even again." she smiled as she fetched a set of dry clothing. Julian, still a mess from the waist down, simply lay back and watched the wolfess as she dressed, taking in the sight of her lithe body while he basked in his afterglow. "You need to do that more often." he said, breathless. She didn't reply, instead slinging her rifle over her shoulder and exiting the tent with a visible skip in her step. ---------- Kyrahni ducked back into the tent as soon as she saw the wolfess emerge from across the clearing. She crawled o the bedroll and slipped under the covers once more. She wouldn't bring it up - it would be strange. She only hoped she wasn't seen. Eliza pulled back the tent flap and stood in the entrance for a moment. Her voice was markedly colder than before as she addressed the vulpera. "Are you awake?" Kyrahni sat up slowly, feigning a yawn as she nodded. The worgen looked as though she was about to say something, then crouched down and leaned in close, tilting her head with a puzzled expression. Kyrahni suppressed a sinking fear inside her stomach as she stared back, wide-eyed. "Are you alright? Your face is flushed, you look sick." "No, no! I'm not sick. I'm fine, really! I'm just..." she glanced down at the bedroll, lined with animal hide. "I'm just hot! It was really hot in here, you know?" The words left her mouth at lightning speed. Eliza withdrew in surprise, taken aback by just how fast the little fox could speak. She seemed at a loss for words. "I'll be fine. Really. Except the leg, but y'know." As she spoke, she felt the anxiety leave her system. "You're Eliza, right? I think that's what I heard yesterday, anyway. I was kind of drifting in and out, there." The wolfess raised a clawed hand in protest. "Okay, okay. Slow down. I'm heading out for a bit, Julian's going to come by and see to your wound again. Just stay put, alright?" Kyrahni nodded and breathed a sigh of relief as she was left alone once more. Did listening to their... 'morning ritual' really have that kind of effect on her? She shook her head and sat up once more, trying to take her mind off the heat within her loins. She glanced around the tent and was relieved to spot her backpack a short distance away. She half-expected them to have searched through her belongings. She reached over and pulled it close, double-checking its contents. She took whatever looked important when she was fleeing the blackrock camp and only now had the time to actually examine her prizes. A couple small trinkets she could pawn for some gold, but more importantly, some maps and documents written in orcish. She furrowed her brow in contemplation. Her orcish was rusty, but the documents and maps seemed related; likely detailing military plans. Maybe some higher-ups in the Alliance would grand her sanctuary in exchange for these. She knew they had no outstanding issues with her people, but the alliance the vulpera had with the horde wouldn't do her case any favors. It was something to think about, at any rate. She neatly folded the documents and placed them aside, making a mental note to speak to the 'couple' about it. Kyrahni's contemplation was interrupted by a rumble within her stomach. Of course she was hungry - she hadn't eaten anything since yesterday afternoon! She looked through a small pouch on the side of her pack and retrieved a small biscuit. It wasn't much, but it would tide her over until she could bother those two for something better. She grimaced as she bit into the meager ration with a crunch. Her ears twitched, picking up something from the other tent. The human must be getting up, at last. She could hear rustling clothes and a clinking belt buckle. She shook her head, clearing it of lascivious thoughts. As she took another reluctant bite of the stale biscuit, her ears swivelled and tracked the ranger as he made his way around the camp. The steps increased in volume - he must be approaching. Julian entered the tent looking tired and disheveled, clad in a thin cloth shirt and leather trousers. In his hands he held bandages and a familiar ceramic jar. "Morning..." he furrowed his brow. "Kyrahni?" She nodded with a smile. "Mhmm. You're Julian?" "Ah, you remembered?" "Er, not exactly." she glanced down at her biscuit. "The big wolf girl... Eliza. She reminded me this morning." "You -did- lose a lot of blood last night." He shrugged. "Anyway, let me take another look at your wound. Couldn't see too well last night." She winced as she pulled her wounded leg free from the bedroll and exposed her thigh. "Still hurts." she mumbled, idly munching on her biscuit. Julian knelt down, placing the bandages and salve aside. He gently grasped the wounded fox's leg and began unwrapping the blood-stained bandages from the night before. Her face flushed once more - she could smell the worgen all over him. Kyrahni bit her lip as his hands brushed aside the peach-colored fur of her thigh. He furrowed his brow in frustration. "Damn it." Kyrahni's eyes widened as he retrieved a small blade from his pocket. "I'll need to shave the area around the wound so the salve can do its job." she breathed a sigh of relief as he continued. "Hold still, I wouldn't want to cut you by accident." The two sat in silence as the ranger carefully cut away the fur around her wound. Before long, her orange fur littered the ground and Julian began to treat her wound for the second time. Kyrahni inhaled sharply as she felt the cool salve make contact with her skin once more. She shivered as Julian massaged the salve into her wound. Within moments, the lingering pain in her leg dulled significantly. He continued to work in silence and wrapped a fresh bandage around her thigh. With his work concluded he stood up once more. "Think you can walk?" The fox shifted, putting a little weight on her injured leg. She gasped and fell over in the bedroll. "Nuh uh. Not happening." "Well, it won't do you any good to stay cooped up in here all day." Kyrahni yelped as he leaned in and scooped her up in his arms. She broke into a laugh as he carried her through the threshold of the tent. "P- Put me down!" she exclaimed. He stooped low and deposited her on a wooden chair - one far too large for her small frame - and made for the supply tent. "How about some breakfast, eh?" he half-shouted from across the camp. Kyrahni's eyes lit up as she slipped her bushy tail through the back of the chair. "Yes! Yes that would be great! What do you have?" she eagerly replied as sat on the edge of her seat, swinging her legs. Julian thought for a moment. He hadn't done complete inventory of their supplies in a few days. "Bacon and eggs it is." She watched him enter the tent and heard him rummaging through the crates and barrels within. "Some coffee for Liza..." she heard him mumble to himself as he set aside portions for breakfast. He emerged from the tent carrying a small cast iron pot & pan. Kyrahni's eyes followed him as he sat near the unlit bonfire in the center of the camp, placing the cooking utensils off to the side with a frown. "Damn rain drenched the firewood. It'll be a few minutes, I've got to strip the wet bark." "Oh! I can light that for you." Julian glanced back at the vulpera skeptically. "And how are you going to do that?" She smirked. "Stand back." The ranger shrugged and stood up, pacing a short distance away from the bonfire. Kyrahni took a deep breath and closed her eyes before presenting an outstretched arm. She clenched her fist tight, and then opened her palm to reveal a small floating wisp of fire, roughly the size of a candle flame. Julian's eyes went wide with realization. The vixen gave a wry smile as she continued her spellcasting. The wisp of flame reshaped itself into a crude firefly and took off from the palm of her hand, flying circles around her arm. In its place, she formed another, and another, until she had practically conjured a swarm of them. Finally, she snapped her fingers and the swarm flew into the sky, as if each individual flame-insect was guided by a single mind. The ranger stared in awe as the swarm of fireflies danced through the air in mesmerizing patterns before crashing into the bonfire below, instantly igniting the damp kindling with magical flame. Kyrahni folded her arms with a satisfied expression. "That's how." As soon as the words left her mouth, she collapsed back in her seat in exhaustion. "Are you-" "Yeah yeah yeah, I'm fine." she groaned. The display of magic exhausted her; she could have just tossed a bolt of flame, but she felt like showing off. "You're making coffee, right?" He was caught off-guard by her question. "Er, yes." he stammered. "You heard that?" "I heard a lot more than just that..." Kyrahni muttered under her breath before responding to him. "You see these ears, right?" she twitched her ears for emphasis, each one easily larger than her entire head. "Right, right. Wouldn't be much point in whispering around you, I suppose." Julian shook his head in disbelief as he turned to retrieve the food, talking as he walked. "Been a while since I've seen a mage." "That's surprising." "I live out in the woods, girl." he ducked into the tent, continuing his speech. "The only company I'm graced with are the animals, brigands, sometimes orc raiders from the mountains..." he trailed off. "And Eliza!" she shouted back excitedly. "Right." he smiled warmly as he eyed a small sack of coffee. "That goes without saying, though. We're partners." The sly fox felt like pushing her luck. "Only partners?" Julian emerged from the tent and set down a tray of uncooked food near the fire and began preparing breakfast. A short moment passed before he responded tersely. "No." Kyrahni felt her face redden at his reply, filling in the blanks mentally. How did they end up like this? Did she force herself on him? Why was she so interested in them? So many questions ran through her mind. "If you want more than that, you can ask her yourself." He quickly changed the subject. "I need to know, how did you end up here and why are you being hunted by the horde? I thought your people were allies?" Kyrahni fidgeted nervously. She didn't expect to be interrogated so soon. "Can this wait until later?" "I suppose." Julian shrugged as he retrieved the pan and planted it in a small metal frame above the bonfire. The arcane flames heated it up far faster than any mundane fire. "This is my job though. We'll talk about it more when Liza returns. She should be here soon." he continued, cracking two eggs into the pan and throwing in some sliced bacon. As the food sizzled, he reached over and retrieved the pot, emptying a small sack of coffee grounds into it. "Wait, how do you know that? She didn't say when she would come back." Julian chuckled as he tapped his nose for emphasis. "She'll smell the food, obviously." ------- COMPLICATIONS Eliza emerged from the shallow river, shaking her drenched hair clear from her eyes. A quick dip was just what she needed. The frenzy associated with her kind took form in many ways, but lately it seemed as though she had been particularly... 'voracious.' The cool water helped clear her head - not to mention the sweat from the night before. She wasn't entirely sure how good Vulperan noses were, but she didn't want to risk any awkward conversations with their new guest. She rose above the water, standing to her full height, and made her way to the shore to dry off. Her clothes were nearby, draped over a nearby branch. Her rifle closeby, along with two pails. She should have set them out to catch the rainwater the night before, but it slipped her mind in its distracted state. As her digitigrade legs made contact with the shoreline, she began to dry herself in a particularly canine fashion. Light-brown fur poofed up as she shook the water from her tall, lithe form. The wind whisled past, carrying the scent of smoke and meat. The worgen sighed with a content smile. With her fur dry, she set to work getting clothed and ready to return to camp. She slung her rifle on her back and took the two pails in her clawed hands before setting out. The prospect of breakfast motivated her as she paced through the forest. Though she memorized the area around their camp ages ago, the smell of freshly cooked food pointed her in the right direction and quickened her steps. Before long, she caught wisps of smoke in the sky and approached the brush surrounding the camp. Her ears perked up as she heard Julian's voice. Her tail sprung to life, sweeping away the fallen leaves at her feet. She pursed her lips and let out a sharp whistle. She heard a shout in response. "Hold on!" he shouted as he rose from his seat near the fire. She could see Kyrahni there as well, rummaging through a small backpack. Julian ran over and met her at the edge of the clearing. The two smiled as they made eye contact. "I brought fresh water. Give me a hand." her long arms hoisted one of the heavy pails over the bushes into his waiting hands, which he quickly set down before she passed him the other. Relieved of her burden, Eliza dropped down to a crouch and leapt clear over the dense foliage, landing on all-fours. She continued after landing and broke into a wolflike gait. She sprinted at lightning speed before skidding to a halt, a short distance from the center of the camp. It was relieving to run free and embrace her wolflike nature, from time to time. The wolfess stood and stretched, returning to her full bipedal height. The morning sun beamed down, bathing her in a warm, golden light. She felt at peace. Kyrahni, seated a short distance away, clapped at the wolfess' display of athleticism. "That was amazing!" she exclaimed. "That was like, ten feet high! And you were so fast!" She stared down at the seated vulpera. "Oh? I'm sure it wasn't that impressive." "No way! I've never seen anyone move like that!" Kyrahni was beaming at her, clearly impressed. A short distance away, a scroff escaped Julian's lips. "You can conjure up fire from nothing and -that- leaves you awestruck?" Eliza's ears swayed as she cocked her head at the ranger. He continued. "Liza, our friend here is a mage." Kyrahni's astonishment faded to a frown. "I can show you later." She glanced down at the open backpack atop her lap. "I'm kinda drained right now. Y'know, mana and all that." Her furry hands darted forth as she resumed rummaging through its contents. Eliza pulled up a chair and sat next to her. "Lose something?" "Nope. -Someone- did though." she replied, matter-of-factly. "Uhh, what?" "I'll tell you after we eat, okay? It's important, but it can wait." she folded up the backpack and set it beside her chair. "I think." Right on time, Julian arrived, carrying two small plates of food - strips of boar bacon atop a fried chicken egg. He passed one plate to Kyrahni and set the other on a table off to the side before jogging off once more, returning with a far larger plate bearing 'worgen-sized' portions. "Coffee in a minute or so." he said, passing the heavy plate to his lupine partner. Eliza nodded in thanks before shoveling a handful of bacon into her maw. "Now." Julian addressed the vulpera as he sat down next to the two. "What are you doing around here?" Kyrahni, halfway through consuming a strip of bacon, swallowed her food and chuckled nervously. "Well, it's a bit of a long story." The worgen to her side, halfway through her meal, spoke up. "We've got time. Let's hear it." The little fox cleared her throat and began. "I left Vol'dun with three others. We were... explorers, I guess." she set aside her plate of food and continued. "Our people haven't really ventured outside of the desert, we don't know a whole out about this big wide world out here. There's no..." she paused, thinking for a moment. "My people have no real perspective about what goes on out here. We wanted to change that." "So what, you just wanted to see the sights around Azeroth?" Julian interrupted. "How does that lead to being hunted by your own allies?" Kyrahni furrowed her brow and stared into the campfire. "I'll tell you." ---------- The sun was low in the sky when the vulperan party arrived. Kyrahni could count fifty-or-so tents scattered loosely throughout the valley - a welcome sight after a long, harsh journey through the mountains. A furred hand grasped her shoulder as a smaller, gray-furred Vulpera crept to her side. "Finally! I told you, we should've taken a boat." Erisa, one of her companions, released her shoulder and walked past. As she descended, a tower off in the distance lit up and a horn sounded. They must have been spotted by their destination. Kyrahni smiled at the sight. It would be nice to have a warm meal and a proper place to sleep, once more. Exploring was fun and all, but the farther she was from home, the more she missed having the more basic necessities. Nonetheless, she would soldier on. The peach-colored fox turned and waved to her other two vulpine companions, waving them on. "We're here! Come on!" she yelled back, before following Erisa down the shallow cliffside. A short distance away, Uden and Uzai - crimson-furred twins, male and female respectively - lagged behind. Unlike the two leading the pack, they were armored from head-to-toe - a fact that had saved their lives numerous times during the course of their journey, acting as the escorts for their more learned companions. As the four reached the bottom of the cliff, a small band of orcs approached in greeting. They were led by an older one with balding, gray hair tied back into a braided ponytail. His green skin hung loose around his face, wobbling as he spoke. "We were not expecting visitors to our encampment." his words pierced through the group's exhaustion like arrows. "Tell me why you have come here." The entourage was quiet for a moment, before Erisa spoke up. "We're humble travellers from Vol'dun, exploring the world for our people. We don't intend to cause any trouble." "Trouble tends to follow your kind, little furred ones." he scowled for a moment before his expression softened with a sigh. "But you are welcome here." Kyrahni sighed in relief. After such a perilous journey through the mountains, the last thing she wanted was to offend the closest thing to safe refuge. They weren't sure what kind of welcome the humans to the south would give them, it would be nice to have a safe haven in case they were driven out of Stormwind. "My name is Erisa." she smiled and bowed at the wisened orc. "I am joined by my friend Kyrahni" she motioned to the mage. "and our protectors, Uden and Uzai." the twins nodded in unison. The old orc waved away his compatriots back to their duties. "I am Brrumog Ironhunter, leader of this band." He turned to walk back to the encampment. "I am of the blackrock clan. This encampment is a base of operations for..." he stopped suddenly before continuing. "Mining." The group followed behind, listening as he spoke. "Our hunters have yet to return, but there are cauldrons of broth from our last hunt. Feel free to help yourselves, but do not take advantage of our hospitality." his eyes narrowed as he turned to face the group. "We have few supplies to spare, even for trading. You -must- leave in the morning." There was pleading expression behind his stern eyes, however faint. The quartet followed in silence as Brumog led them through the fortified encampment. While the camp was mostly inhabited by orcs, Kyrahni spotted a few other races that she recognized - some ogres towered over the inhabitants, hauling heavy stones and crates. They seemed to be dim-witted, however, and complained a great deal as they worked. There were a few green-skinned trolls migling with their orc brethren as well, brandishing grisly-looking weaponry and strange totems. At last, Brumog stood before a small tent staked to the rough mountain ground. "This tent's owners perished earlier this week. You may rest here for the night." "I'm sorry to hear that." Erisa's ears drooped low as she spoke. "Was it a mining accident?" "Er, yes." The old orc paused a moment before replying. "A cave-in." With that, he bid the group farewell and left the four alone in their small corner of the encampment. Kyrahni crept within the tent and was surprised to find the ground covered in animal furs. She immediately dropped her backpack and curled up on the comfy floor-sized bed. She could've drifted off into a midday nap if Erisa hadn't entered after her. "The twins are off looking for an armorer." she shrugged off her own belongings and sat next to her friend. "That old guy was lying to us." Kyrahni whispered. "There's no good pathway for mining supplies, no tunnels, nothing." Erisa pressed a clawed digit to her mouth, shushing her. "Not so loud! You think I don't know that?" she stood and glanced outside the tent nervously before sitting back down. "I want to find out what they're doing here." Kyrahni bolted upright in an instant. "No, no, no no nonononono" hear oversized ears flopped around as she shook her head in disagreement. "I have a bad feeling about this place. We should just stay put, grab some food, and leave in the morning." "C'mon, 'Rahni. We got in way more trouble back in Orgrimmar. I'll just ask around and see what I can find out, nothing else." "This isn't Orgrimmar, though. This isn't even the same clan of orcs! You can't just..." Kyrahni stopped abrubtly, noticing her raised voice, and let out a defeated sigh. "Fine. Ask around, but don't get in any trouble, okay? I don't like the look of this place." Erisa smiled sweetly and shuffled over, embracing her peach-furred friend with a hug. "Get some rest, girl. We'll all be back before sundown with some warm soup." she pulled away, leaving a hand on her shoulder. "Or whatever it is they've got cooking in those cauldrons." Kyrahni laid back once more as her friend turned to leave. "Stay safe, silver." ---------- "So the orcs are up to no good. Big surprise." Julian shook his head as he filled two mugs with coffee and handed them to the pair. "Hush, Julian." Eliza sipped at her beverage, grimacing when her tongue touched the hot liquid. She turned back to Kyrahni. "The vulpera you were travelling with, did you know them very well?" Kyrahni stared into the bitter black liquid in her hands wordlessly with a somber expression. "Kyrahni?" Eliza gave her a soft nudge. "Oh. Sorry." The fox took a quick sip from her drink before continuing. "Erisa and I grew up together in the same village. We used to call her Silver 'cause of her fur color. Then she also got really good at talking to people, so the name stuck." "Uden and Uzai, the twins. They volunteered to protect us. Not sure why, maybe they just wanted to see the world as well. Uden was pretty hot-headed, but his sister kept him under control." she paused. "Most of the time." "And... they didn't make it out with you?" Eliza interjected. Kyrahni shook her head. "I'm sorry." The three sat in silence for a moment before Julian spoke up. "Go on, then. What happened next?" ---------- Yesterday. The night passed uneventfully. The commotion in the camp never really died down with parties returning at all hours, but the vulperans had long since learned to tune out such distractions, having travelled in caravans for years. Kyrahni rose before the sun, stepping out into a dimly lit encampment. She slept early the night before and left her friends to their own devices; she was relieved to have found them all sleeping safe and sound beside her. With any luck, they'd be back on the road within the hour. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness and spotted another party of orcs descending the cliffside. Her eyes widened as she noticed a few of the orcs were visibly wounded and in chains. Were they enslaving their own kind? There must be some explanation. She ducked back into the tent. "Silver, up!" "Mmmm... is it time to go already?" the grey fox groaned before sitting up with a yawn. "What did you find out yesterday?" "Uhh... not much. The big guy, Brumog - He found out I was asking questions and sent me back here. Why?" "Something's going on out there, I think these orcs are slavers." "What?!" Erisa bolted up in shock. Kyrahni nodded. "There's a bunch of them, bleeding and chained up. We should leave before they come for us." "That doesn't make any sense, though! They could have captured us whenever they wanted yesterday..." "That old orc told us to leave as soon as possible. We should do that." Kyrahni looked down at Uden and Usai, sleeping in eachothers' arms. She crouched down and nudged the two awake. "Get up you two. We have to go. Now." As the twins stirred to life, the commotion in the distance grew ever-louder - or ever-closer. It was hard to hear what was going on with so many jeering voices. She peered outside for a brief moment, the crowd had grown in size, surrounding two older orcs in the center. She recognized one from yesterday - Brumog, the leader of this encampment. The other, she hadn't seen until now. She assumed he was part of the group that just returned, as he was still wearing gruesome, spiked armor over most of his body. "What's happening out there, 'Rahni?" Erisa whispered from behind as the twins packed up the group's belongings. "I think they're arguing about the slaves." Kyrahni squinted, looking for an opening. "This might be our only chance to slip out unnoticed." Panic set in as an orc locked eyes with her and broke from the crowd, stomping toward their tent. She rushed back inside. "Someone's coming over." "Come out now! We go see chief!" a booming voice shouted from outside. Erisa slipped out of her leather top and pushed past Kyrahni, opening the tent. "We'll be right out! We're just... getting dressed!" she replied. The orc looked down at the half-dressed vulpera for a brief moment before his face went flush and he turned his gaze away. "Oh, uhh... okay." he mumbled. "but hurry or chief get angry at me too." "Thanks, big guy!" she flashed him a quick smile before ducking back inside. "That'll give us some time. Let's cut through the back of the tent. I think I saw a path leading out that way." Uden nodded, unsheathing a (comparatively) small sword and piercing the fabric of the tent. The noise was mostly masked by the jeering crowd of orcs, but he was nonetheless careful to cut slowly. The seconds passed agonizingly slowly as he made his way down to the floor, creating a tear in the tent roughly four feet tall. The plan would have worked, had one of the orcs not circled around the tent. Uden's ears drooped low as he slowly stepped outside. The orc folded his arms and huffed in annoyance. "You come, bring others." Uden cursed in his native tongue as the four vulpera emerged from the tent one-by-one. They were led from the outer edge of the camp to the center. "Chief! We brought visitors to you as you asked!" one of their captors shouted. Kyrahni wasn't sure how anyone could hear him over the commotion, but the two orcs turned to face their party. The armored orc that led the slavers spoke up. "Father, these ones must be sent to the mines as well." Brumog was outraged. "You are mad, boy! It's one thing to go after tribeless orcs in the mountains, but to imprison visitors from the horde?! The warchief would have us killed!" He shook his head. "Urngar, my son, you must understand there are rules we must follow!" The situation was becoming clear in Kyrahni's mind. There was a conflict of leadership within this group. The blackrock tribe was recently brought into the horde, but they must be struggling to integrate. The chief's son paced around as he addressed the crowd. "We cannot take the humans' land without steel, and we cannot work the mines without slaves!" The crowd cheered him on as he spoke. "I will not have my people fighting with sticks and stones any longer!" He turned to face his father once more. "You will have these outsiders taken to the mines, or I will do it myself -- on my honor, I swear it!" "You have no honor, bastard!" The crowd went silent. Kyrahni's face went pale as Erisa stepped forward. "My people were -liberated- by your kind, and now you're enslaving us just as we were before?!" she snarled as the mohawked warrior stepped forward. "What gives you th-" A large green hand struck her furred face, sending her into the air briefly before crashing into the ground. The twins sprung into action, Uden rushing to the wounded fox's side while Usai drew her sword, stepping between the orc and his prey. "If you would insult my honor, outsider, then you would challenge me to Mak'gora." he unsheathed a blade easily the size of a full-grown human and stabbed it in the ground at his feet. "Are you issuing me a challenge, weakling?" Kyrahni's eyes darted to Brumog, hoping for a way out, but the old orc was silent as the situation unfolded. He had lost the favor of his people; they wanted blood, and they would have it. Usai narrowed her eyes and pointed her short, curved blade at the armored juggernaut as she stepped forward wordlessly. The crowd roared with laughter as Urngar grinned with malicious intent, leaning on the hilt of his greatsword as he addressed the pint-sized warrior. "If you amuse me, little one, I may let your friends leave." He stood back up to his full height and gripped the sword, resting it on his shoulder. "But I cannot say the same for you." "I am short on time and patience." Urngar turned and walked a short distance away. "You may keep your armor and weapon - it will do you little good afterall - and it is only fair that I keep mine as well." the orc grinned as the vile words left his mouth. There was no fairness to this fight at all. The crowd cheered with renewed fervor as it formed a ring surrounding the two. Blood ran from Erisa's head, but she seemed lucid as she and Uden watched on in horror. Kyrahni knew she had to do something. With the crowd distracted by the fight, she easily slipped away and hid behind a stack of crates to think of a plan. 'There's no water for miles...' she thought to herself. 'These tents, they're all made of furs and leather, and the fortifications are mostly dry wood and stone...' If one part of the camp was set alight, the fire would spread rapidly if left unchecked. The crowd would have to disperse to deal with the fire and they'd have an opportunity to escape in the chaos. Kyrahni's ears twitched as she heard clanging steel, the duel must've begun. With little time to spare, she sprinted off to the largest tent she could find - the outside was lined with old, rotted wood and staked skulls. It certainly looked important to the orcs - possibly the chief's tent - but more importantly, it looked flammable. She darted off, keeping low as she made a mad dash for the oversized tent. As she approached, the din of battle faded into the distance. The structure was completely unguarded with the entire camp cleared out to observe the duel. Kyrahni slipped inside and took in her surroundings. The interior was crowded, to say the least. A large rectangular table surrounded by chairs took up most of the floor space. There were some chests and weapon racks lining the walls, and even a few books. What caught her eye, though, was a pile of maps and letters scattered atop the table haphazardly. 'This isn't where they sleep, it's a war room.' she thought to herself as she approached and examined one of the letters. It was difficult to understand the intended message, she never could read orcish that well, but enough words were clear to her that these were important to them, maybe enough to have them expelled from the horde if the right people saw it. Kyrahni's mind snapped back to reality, she had no time to read everything - or anything, for that matter. She hopped atop the table and grabbed as much as she could - maps, documents, letters, whatever looked important - and crammed it into her backpack. Once satisfied with her haul, she scattered the rest of the parchment around the tent for kindling. She snapped her clawed fingers, producing a spark of arcane fire for but a moment. The scattered parchment was set aflame almost immediately. She needed fires all over the camp to distract enough of their captors to permit their escape; by the time this tent was on fire, she will have set many more ablaze at opposite ends of the encampment. She dashed back outside and glanced toward the center of the encampment as she crept around the perimeter. It was miraculous that Usai had lasted this long against that monster. She couldn't see clearly through the dust, but she could see a red blur darting around Urngar, sparks flying wherever her short blade struck his armored greaves. Kyrahni shook her head. Usai was buying her time and she had to make use of it. She navigated around the outside of the camp until she was at the opposite end. Turning back, Kyrahni saw smoke rising from the war room. Now was her chance. She turned to face a watchtower made from old logs. Conveniently, it was built into the wooden fortifications lining the camp. A ball of flame was conjured into being, floating a few inches above one of her clawed hands. She willed it forward, sending it flying into the watchtower with explosive force. At once, the tower burst apart, setting fire to the airborne logs and the camp's palisade. At the same time, the war room at the other end of the camp was fully engulfed. She could see some of the crowd dispersing as groups ran to deal with the rapidly spreading fires. She had no time to waste - someone would be approaching her position shortly, she had to find the others before anyone figured out what was going on. Unfortunately for her, that would be difficult. The stubborn bastard, Urngar, seemed to be intent on continuing with his fight and there were still many orcs surrounding the dueling ground. A band of three orcs approached her position, yelling in orcish as they brandished weapons. She bared her teeth in anger. What kind of leader would place his own honor before the well-being of his people? She had to put a stop to this, but she couldn't intervene directly - she stood no chance against an entire camp alone - but if she did nothing... She wouldn't let it come to that. The first orc's eyes went wide as a fireball struck his bare chest, scorching his body and sending him flying backward with explosive force. Kyrahni shifted her focus to the second, bring her clawed hands together and conjuring forth a continuous stream of flame. The orc screamed as he was completely engulfed and set ablaze. The third managed to close in with her and raised his sword high - Kyrahni ran forward and slid between his legs as his sword harmlessly came down behind her. She didn't need to outrun him for long, she only had to reach the center and give her friends an opening. She thought back to countless nights in Vol'dun spent entertaining children and travellers with magical fireworks, they would work here as well. As she ran, a dozen wisps of flame were brought forth from her hands and ascended into the sky. Through the dust and smoke they were dim, but after a few seconds, they burst open into a spectacular display, turning the morning dawn into her canvas as colors danced through the air. She felt weak from all the magical exertion, but had enough left in her for another fireball or two. As she closed in on the now-distracted crowd, Kyrahni leapt with all her might, vaulting off the shoulders of a two-headed ogre, and landed within the dueling ring. There was blood everywhere - Usai lay near-motionless on the ground by Urngar's feet, her chest was rising and sinking rapidly as she gasped for breath while blood pooled beneath her broken body. Kyrahni was speechless. She was too late. Erisa and Uden were nowhere to be seen, Usai was as good as dead, and she was here alone. She should have ran. Stupid girl. Should have looked out for herself. Should h- Urngar noticed the intruder and heaved his greatsword into the air once more. "I thought I took my time with -this- one..." he kicked Usai off to his side, eliciting a yelp of pain from the wounded vulpera. "But you, firestarter... I will skin you alive and have you mounted on my wall for this!" he then charged, gripping his greatsword in both hands, and swung in a wide arc. His helmet was off. Kyrahni leapt into the air, narrowly avoiding the orc's sweeping strike as his greatsword cleaved through the gravel below. She landed atop his shoulders with vulpine precision and pressed her still-flaming hands into his eyes. The reaction was instant, and exactly what she wanted. He screamed an incoherent mix of pain, anger, and confusion as he dropped his sword and grasped at his face. She leapt off before he could reach her, but the crowd must have interpreted her intervention as cheating - they surged forth to detain her for what she did to their duelist. She did her best to navigate through the crowd, but drained of magical energy and stamina, she was an easy target. It was a troll that caught her - grabbed her by the tail and hoisted her in the air, pressing a jagged blade to her throat. "Boss, what we be doin' wit dis one?" he spoke in his strange dialect. "Since ya lost da duel and all..." "Kill it! Now! I want its head!" the blind orc yelled in response. As the blade touched her neck, Kyrahni closed her eyes and summoned up the last of her willpower. She had little mana left within her, but it was enough. The troll sliced through the air as she disappeared, leaving a puff of smoke in her place. When Kyrahni reappeared, she found herself just outside the burning palisade walls. She picked a direction and ran. ------------ "That blink gave me the head start I needed to outrun them," the little fox finished off her coffee and continued. "They chased me all day, barely had any time to catch my breath. But when I reached this forest, I guess they just... gave up?" "It makes sense. We're not the only ones keeping an eye out here, there are patrols all over the place - especially near the borders and the roads." Eliza explained, "I guess the next part of your story is where we found you?" "Yeah... I never really thanked you for that, so..." Kyrahni shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Thank you." The worgen simply smiled in response before Julian interrupted. "Those papers you stole, Kyrahni," he began. "You said they were in orcish?" "Mhmm." "Let me take a look." Kyrahni looked at him in confusion as she retrieved her backpack. "You know orcish?" "I know enough." he said as the vulpera passed her bag to him. "Enough to tell what'll be useful and what won't." Julian retrieved a crumpled mess of paper from Kyrahni's bag and frowned. "Well that's lovely." he peeled a single sheet from the pile and put back the rest. "I'll sort the rest out later, let's see what we have, though." he began to scan the document. "I'm sorry about what happened to your friends..." Eliza addressed Kyrahni once more. She sighed in response, staring at her now-empty mug. "We all knew what we were getting into," she glanced up, now expressionless. "I just have to accept that they're gone now." "You don't know that." the wolfess replied. "You lost them, but they could still be out there." Kyrahni shook her head. "I don't want to talk about this." "Liza, I think we've got something." Julian interjected once more. "This one here," he tapped the crumpled sheet of paper. "is a complete list of all the prisoners that camp sent back home." "And?" "There's humans." ---------- ALTERCATION It was midday by the time Julian finished looking over all the orcish documents. The one-crumpled mess had been arranged into neat stacks, ordered by date. A short distance away, Eliza was meticulously reassembling a rifle, showing the components to a curious fox. "Wait, so..." Kyrahni furrowed her brow, staring at the disassembled weapon. "Tell me how it works, again?" Eliza glared at her diminuitive companion. "I just told you how it works. Every single component." "I know, I know. I wasn't listening. Give me the short version, please?" Eliza pointed at an iron mechanism built into the carved wood of the rifle. "The flintlock mechanism creates a spark." She pulled it back and pulled the trigger on the gun, and sure enough a burst of sparks shot out from the mechanism. Kyrahni nodded, then snapped her fingers, creating a similar, magical spark. "Normally, this-" Eliza held up a steel tube. "would be attached to the gun when you do that." Kyrahni nodded. "And you put the powder in there, then a little bullet, and that's it?" "Liza, come here." Julian called out from across the camp. Eliza flattened her ears and sighed in frustration. She normally enjoyed this kind of meticulous tinkering, but the constant interruptions were getting on her nerves. She put aside her half-assembled rifle and turned to Kyrahni "Don't touch anything. If I lose even a single screw, it won't work properly." The Vulpera nodded in response, only to immediately pick up the rifle the moment Eliza turned around, gazing at the intricate carvings engraved into the wood. Eliza strode across the camp and flipped open the tent in which Julian was working. "What." she said to the ranger, annoyance evident in the tone of her voice. Julian peered up from his work, suddenly apologetic. "Sorry, I hate to pull you away from your work, but this is serious." "How serious?" "There's a list of all the people they've captured and sent to work as slaves, including the dates they were taken." he held up a small manifest, Eliza assumed it listed names and dates, but she didn't know orcish. "It coincides with the decline in blackrock raiding parties, and the increase in disappearances in Elwynn." "So it's not just people getting lost in the forest." the wolfess pondered. "They're taking people. But how? We have patrols all over the roads, sentries all over the forest." Julian thumbed through another stack of papers, before retrieving a crude map. "They watched us, figured out when and where our patrols were sent out. And..." he held up another document. "They were told to only attack single travellers, and only at night." He sighed as he shuffled the papers into neat piles once more. "We have to get this to the garrison." Eliza nodded. "We should bring our witness as well." "Witness?" Julian raised an eyebrow. "She's more of a victim, if anything." "She knows the location of their raiding camp, as well as the layout. She saw firsthand what kind of equipment they had and fought them herself." Eliza folded her arms. "Not to mention, we can't just leave her alone out here." "No, no. You're right." he leaned back in his chair. "I'd ask you to go tell her, but I'm sure she heard all of this already." "I did!" a voice shouted back from outside the tent. "Let's head out after dinner then. An hour to reach the roads, a couple more to reach the garrison." Julian stood and stretched. "Then we can stay there overnight and head back in the morning. Sound good?" "We could cut through the brush. It'd take far less time and we could make it back by nightfall." she replied. "We know our way by now." "Rather take the roads, but..." Julian scratched at his beard contemplatively. "Better to bring them the news as soon as possible." "Give me an hour to get my gun back in order." Julian approached and wrapped his arms around the wolfess, who reciprocated the gesture. "I won't interrupt you anymore. Have your fun, I'll get everything else packed up." 'It's not about fun!" she lied. "I'm not going anywhere unarmed!" "I don't think it's -possible- to disarm you." Julian grinned, taking one of her clawed hands in his. Eliza's tail happily darted back and forth at the gesture. Julian was careful not to say anything more with the eavesdropper outside, satisfied with placing a chaste kiss upon his worgen's hand before returning to his seat to pack up the stacks of paperwork. Eliza returned outside with a slight blush to find Kyrahni staring back at her, wide-eyed, rifle-in-hand. She stomped over, fury in her eyes. "I didn't touch anything!" she blurted out. "I'm just looking at the engravings on the wood!" Eliza's expression softened slightly, but she continued her approach and snatched the rifle from the vulpera's hands. "Don't touch." she said simply. "Did you carve that out yourself?" The wolfess nodded and sat back down. "With my claws." she set the rifle down and got to work reassembling it once more. "Now let me focus." Kyrahni watched silently as Eliza's hands darted around the table, swiftly reassembling her weapon. It almost looked like she was solving a puzzlebox, the way she knew where every little component went purely by instinct. Before long, the rifle was fully reassembled and Eliza sat back in her seat with a satisfied smile. "Where did you learn to do that?" Kyrahni asked. "I used to be a gunsmith, back when I lived in Gilneas." "What happened?" Eliza raised an eyebrow and answered, slightly offended. "What do you mean, what happened?" Kyrahni went pale. "I, er... Why aren't you--" she stammered. Oh, Right. You don't know our history, do you?" She signed in relief. "No... no I don't. I'm not exactly from here, y'know." "I..." Eliza paused, considering her words for a moment. "I -used to- be human, just like Julian." Kyrahni's ears shot up. "You're a human?!" "Not anymore, obviously. It's the worgen curse. I was bitten in the defense of Gilneas." "Who bit you? How?" "I don't remember it too well, my memory isn't so clear around that time. Worgens, we..." Eliza paused once more, searching for the right words. "We lose control very easily. Being outdoors helps. Hunting helps. So I fled the city and lived alone in the wilderness." Kyrahni tilted her head. "So how did you end up here with Julian?" Eliza huffed in response. "That's a much longer story. Maybe I'll tell you later." "On the road?" Kyrahni smirked. "Sure." "So... what about the carvings on the uh.. wooden parts?" She pointed to the floral patterns engraved into the rifle. "I, er..." Eliza laughed sheepishly. "I've been practicing in my spare time. " she held out the stock of the rifle. "How is it?" Kyrahni ran her hands along the engravings. "It's really good! Where I'm from, you could get rich off of this kind of thing." She withdrew her hand from the weapon, wary of invoking the wolfess' wrath. "Well, thanks..." Eliza was at a loss for words. Kyrahni changed the subject. "Should we get ready? It sounded like you really needed to get that stuff to the garrison." "Oh!" the wolfess snapped back to attention. "Good idea. Do you have everything you need in that pack there?" She gestured to Kyrahni's backpack. "Yeah." Kyrahni nodded. "I'm good. Only thing I'm missing is a working leg." "Right, I'll have to carry you again, won't I?" Eliza sighed as she wrapped up some strips of jerky and stowed them in a travel bag. "I swear, usually that salve works faster." Kyrahni shrugged and gestured to her bandaged thigh. "I tried putting weight on it earlier, didn't go too well." she lied. In truth, she could walk just fine with minimal pain. She just liked being carried up high. "How far are we going?" Eliza glanced up at the sun, high in the sky. "It'll probably be sundown by the time we arrive at the garrison." she tied off her travel bag and slung it over her shoulder. "We'll be cutting through the brush, it-" She was cut off. "Yeah, I heard you before. Faster." Julian emerged from the tent, bulky backpack in hand. "All ready to go?" ---------- Kyrahni rested her head atop Eliza's as she sat on the wolfess' shoulders. With the steady motion of her mount's footsteps and soft, downy fur, she would have been rocked to sleep ages ago if not for the idle conversation keeping her awake. "So..." she nearly slurred her words as she spoke. "What's this curse you have?" She felt a rumbling from beneath as Eliza responded. "Well, I told you already I used to be a human." "Mhmm..." "I was bitten by a worgen during the defense of Gilneas." she ran a clawed hand over her forerarm, tracing an invisible wound nostalgically. "I remembered reading something about wolf attacks - you're supposed to wrap your forearm in a jacket and hold it out as a distraction. I thought it would work with worgen as well, but those teeth are sharper than you'd think." "You mean, -your- teeth." She smiled. "Yeah." "But that's not the end of it." Julian chimed in. "The bite's infectious. The wound isn't supposed to -kill- the victim. Worgen bites turn you into one." "That's right." Eliza continued. "I wasn't too worried. Popped him with a pistol as soon as he sunk his teeth, but when the wound turned black?" she chuckled. "I thought I had sepsis or something, but then there was fur sprouting around the wound, and before long..." she gestured vaguely to her 7-foot form. "I became this." "I'm sorry." Kyrahni's reply was almost a whisper. "That sounds horrible." Eliza laughed. "You get used to it..." she glanced over to Julian. "I'm glad it happened." Kyrahni watched the two lock eyes. "What about you, big guy? What's your story?" He was surprised by the fox's sudden inquiry, but replied in earnest. "Well, where should I start?" "How'd you learn orcish? I can't even read it that well and they brought my people into the horde." Julian chuckled. "Wetwork, girl." "What?" "I was in the army a few years back. Humans and orcs have been fighting for decades, so when I enlisted as a scout they had me learn orcish in case I stumbled upon anything useful." Kyrahni grinned. "I guess that paid off, huh?" Julian nodded. "Took me a bit to remember the runes, and it's not a perfect translation..." his grip on his spear tightened. "But if they're really taking people as slaves? This close to the capital?" He shook his head. "They're in for a hell of a storm, girl. I'll tell you that." Kyrahni's thoughts drifted back to her friends. Uzai bleeding to death, Erisa and Uden missing. She shook her head and changed the subject. "What about before then?" "What?" "I mean, why aren't you with the army any more?" Julian looked as if he was about to say something, but then went quiet. "You don't have to speak of it, Julian." Eliza interjected. "No, no." he shook his head. "I'll tell you." Kyrahni's listened silently, her curiosity piqued. "My family hails from Stormwind, but we fled to Lordaeron during the second war." he cleared his throat and continued. "Grew up in the capital, enlisted, and found myself in the army of Prince Arthas Menethil." Kyrahni furrowed her brow. Where had she heard that name before? "Figured I'd be fighting orcs, just like my father." he began. "But our enemy was far more terrible." His face went pale as he continued. "Necromancers. Cultists. The undead." "Oh! I've met a few undead in my time, they smelled kinda funny, but they didn't seem all that bad. There were a few in Orgrimmar." "The forsaken? They're... different." he clarified. "They're... normal. What we fought was a scourge." "Julian..." Eliza spoke softly. "Prince Arthas led a campaign against them. No matter how many of the ghouls we killed, there were more lying in wait." he ignored her and carried on. "Killing the undead, that didn't break me. Even when I saw the faces of women and children in their ranks. The friends of faces in their ranks, that didn't break me." He looked over at Kyrahni, seemingly staring through her. "But Stratholme..." Eliza was silent, staring at the ground. A moment of silence passed. Kyrahni was afraid to ask him to continue, but he spoke at last. "The second largest city in Lordaeron, next to the capital. And the entire thing was infected with a virulent plague. People were turning into zombies, and the good prince told us to put them all to the sword before that happened." He sighed. "I deserted as soon as he gave the order. Left the camp, ran back to the capital, and fled back south to Stormwind with my family. We've been here ever since." With the heavy story behind them, the three pressed on in silence. -------- Jatha silently crept through the forest, wincing as he felt the wind upon his arrow wound from the night before. He sighed in frustration as he heard his entourage following in suit. "You see something?" one of the three orcs spoke up. Each of them were equipped with a hand-axe and various armored plates strapped to their bodies haphazardly. "Keep dat mouth shut, mon." he whispered. "Dem foxes have good ears." The orc silenced himself. Jatha could tell they weren't the brightest lot, he only hoped their skill in battle would make up for their dimwitted, clumsy nature. His eyes followed the tracks through the mud. There was a well-travelled path here. To the untrained eye, it would be invislble; but to a trained headhunter like himself, the signs were clear - logs dragged to the side, carefully trimmed shrubs, trampled grass... Where the path led, however, Jatha did not know. Raiding parties rarely found themselves this deep in enemy territory, usually sticking to the plantations and orchards on the outskirts. But the vulperan bounty was too tempting to ignore. Ordinary hunters would have been deterred by their quarry's skill with magic, but he was no ordinary hunter. He brushed his hand against a bronze amulet around his neck. The blackrock shamans said it would shield him from magic long enough to close in for the kill. He had no reason not to trust them. The orcs trailed behind as the stalked along the path, javelin in hand. He could hear voices through the birdsong and rustling branches, they weren't far. -------- The trio continued to plod along the forest path. By now Kyrahni had dozed off completely, resting her small frame against the wolfess' back. "Shouldn't be too far now," Julian said mid-yawn, before tearing off another strip of jerky. "Hope they've got some warm stew cooking up." He passed the smoked meat to Eliza, who greedily downed it in one bite. Kyrahni's ears twitched as she was slowly stirred awake. "Ah, did I wake you?" Eliza spoke softly to the half-asleep vulpera "Sorry. It shouldn't be much farther now." "I wasn't sleeping." she mumbled unconvincingly. "I heard something." "We'll keep it down. The garrison is ju--" Julian froze as Kyrahni raised a finger in silence. She turned her head as her ears swiveled around, tracking some nearly-inaudible source. At last, her eyes went wide and she spun around, grabbing Eliza's ears and yanking them down as hard as she could. "Get down!" she shouted. Eliza dropped low as a vicious javelin soared overhead, missing the pair by a hair's breadth and embedding itself into a tree. Kyrahni tumbled off and crashed against the mud below. "Ambush!" Julian tossed his backpack to the ground and raised his spear toward the oncoming attackers. He couldn't make them out clearly - they must have been tailing them and taken up concealed positions. "Get to cover!" he shouted to the pair as he vaulted over a fallen log. Eliza hopped over not long after, gripping a dazed Kyrahni by the scruff of her neck. Heavy footsteps advanced through the foliage as another javelin soared overhead. Eliza's eyes narrowed. "How many?" she asked, shouldering her rifle. "Four." Kyrahni answered, wiping the mud from her eyes. "I heard four." "Liza, try to get a clear shot. I'll lance anyone that gets close." Eliza nodded and rose to a half-crouch, glancing over the log. Two orcs were barreling toward their position, while another was stumbling through the brush, circling around to their right. She assumed the fourth was doing the same on their left. Regardless, it was the perfect opportunity to pick one off. She rose higher and took aim... A loud crack echoed throughout the forest as a fist-sized hole bored its way through the first orc's chest, painting the foliage behind him a macabre red. Almost immediately he dropped to the ground, clutching at his fatal wound. The other advancing orc ignored his comrade's demise, letting out a terrible war cry and breaking into a sprint, axe raised high. Eliza ducked down and rushed to reload her rifle as the orc's footfalls grew ever closer. The second his ugly green mug crested the top of the log, Julian surged forth, running the orc through with his spear. A look of confusion washed over the greenskin's face before his eyes went dull and he dropped to the ground. "Two more." Eliza stated, pulling back the flintlock mechanism on her gun. "Ears," she asked. "Any idea where they are?" Eliza turned just in time to see a lanky green figure sprint off with a peach-colored ball of fur tucked under his arm. "Kyrahni!" She hollered, dropping to all fours and bounding after the pair in pursuit. "Liza, wait!" Julian shouted to the wolfess, but she was already long gone. There wasn't any time to lose. If that was the troll from last night - the one that killed three brigands alone - then they would need his help. He stood up and nearly broke into a jog after them, but his eyes went wide with realization - the wind was whistling. He ducked low as an orcish axe cut through the air above his head, slicing through a few strands of hair. A second sooner, and he would have been decapitated. The orc didn't let up, he brought his axe around and swung vertically, aiming for the crouching ranger. Julian tumbled backwards into a roll, avoiding another axe-blow and rising to his feet. He tried to establish a defensive stance, but the orc rushed him down before he could even get his bearings. A hard green fist barrelled towards his face. He stepped to the side, only for the orc to change tactics and grab his shoulder. With his opponent presumably immobilized, the orc raised his weapon once more. Before the axe hit its mark, however, Julian spun his weapon around, striking the orc's grappling arm with the haft of his spear. At the same time, he pushed away, dashing back and gaining some distance. There was a pause in the battle as his opponent stared him down, shaking the pain out of his arm. Orcs weren't as stupid as many within the alliance liked to believe. Orcish shamans and warlocks were as intelligent and powerful as any learned Dalaran mage, and orcish warriors lived only for battle - they were well-drilled and powerful soldiers, easily able to fight two fully armored footmen at once in a fair fight. Fortunately, he wasn't the kind of person to fight fair, especially against an orcish raider. It was just a matter of leveraging the fight in his favor... --------- Stray branches shot past as Eliza sprinted after her prey. She could tell the troll was making no effort to hide his tracks, instead making a concentrated effort to outrun her. It was a foolish decision. Worgen relished in the hunt, and there was no greater thrill than that of chasing down the hunted. She could see him now, growing in the distance as she gained ground. Kyrahni was tucked under one arm, struggling in vain against the headhunter's grip. The troll glanced back, visibly frustrated, and procured a small phial from his belt. He tossed it over his shoulder, creating a cloud of obscuring smoke in his wake. Eliza coughed and sputtered as she passed through the soot-black smoke. The cloud obscured her target and made her eyes water, but she could his footfalls just up ahead. She was close enough. Mustering all her strength, she pushed off the ground with a mighty leap and pounced the troll from behind. She collided like a battering ram, knocking the troll to the ground and breaking his grip on Kyrahni, who was pushed away by the impact. The pair skid across the forest floor, flattening grass and shrubs in their path, before they came to a halt. Eliza wasted no time. Too close for her rifle, she brought her sharp claws to bear and swiped furiously at the troll. He was caught off-guard at first as her claws sank deep into his tattooed chest, but quickly brought a dagger up and deftly parried her blows. Sparks flew as eliza's claws chipped away at the metal of Jatha's dagger.At last, she found an opening and jabbed him in the ribs, claws outstretched. The headhunter yelled in anger and pain as her claws pierced his flesh. There was no time for her to celebrate, however, as her opponent fought through the pain. He grabbed her shoulders, brought a leg up, and tossed her overhead, sending her flying head-first into a tree. Jatha rose to his feet and unsheathed a second dagger. He glanced down at the deep gouges in his torso and chuckled. The bleeding had already stopped, it looked as though his wounds would be completely healed in a matter of minutes. Eliza scowled as she rose to her feet, rubbing her bruised shoulders. "Troll blood..." she whispered to herself. She recalled one of Julian's war stories. Trolls were blessed with powerful regenerative capabilities, able to recover from seemingly fatal wounds in a matter of hours. There were even battlefield accounts of trolls regenerating entire lost limbs. Suddenly, there was a flash of bright light as a ball of fire impacted the headhunter, enveloping him in flame. The foliage around him lit up as well, spreading the flames even further. Eliza leapt back, avoiding the rising plumes of smoke. Kyrahni stood a short distance away and shot Eliza a grin, smoke rising from her outstretched hands. "I'm glad you caught up," she said. "I couldn't break his grip no matter what I did. I even bit him a couple times!" Eliza breathed a sigh of relief. Magical fire was one of the few things that could counteract troll regeneration. "I guess you're good to walk, huh?" Kyrahni chuckled sheepishly. "Y-yeah, I've kinda been good for a while." The wolfess slowly shook her head. "We'll talk about it later. We need to get back to ju-" "Taz'dingooooo!" a deep voice shrieked from within the smoke. The wolfess' eyes went wide with realization. She quickly pushed Kyrahni to the side as Jatha emerged from the flames, seemingly unscathed. She quickly unslung her rifle and took aim, but he was too close. The troll batted it away as she pulled the trigger, sending her shot wide into the trees. With her arms raised, he followed up with a quick stab to the side of her abdomen. Eliza tried her best to fight through the searing pain in her side and spun her rifle around. The solid wooden stock cracked as it collided with the troll's jaw, sending him reeling back in pain. She wanted to reload and get another shot off, but he would give her no such opportunity. Her opponent quickly darted back in, bringing both daggers down in an overhead strike. With no other options, she raised her rifle to block the attack and pushed him back once more. Her heart sank as she saw her weapon mangled beyond repair - the strike had bent the barrel and damaged the striking mechanism. But a worgen could not truly be disarmed. Furious at the loss of her weapon, she charged forward, arms outstretched, eager to tear the flesh from his bones. Jatha's eyes went wide at her sudden ferocity as he scrambled to block her sudden assault. If their strength was evenly matched before, it certainly wasn't anymore. Her blows felt like lightning bolts as he scrambled to parry them aside. Knowing he wouldn't accomplish anything on the defensive, the headhunter slashed at her eyes, only for Eliza to raise her forearms in defense. She reacted little as the blade cut through, and pressed the attack once more. With a wicked grin, Jatha continued to pepper her with small cuts and stabs, focusing not on delivering a killing blow, but on wearing her out. A worgen's fury wouldn't last forever, afterall, and the longer he had to regenerate his own wounds, the better. Kyrahni's eyes flicked about, watching the fight. Eliza was losing ground. Her attacks were powerful, but the troll wasn't meeting her strength head-on. He was deflecting, evading, leaving her off-balance and delivering safe counterattacks. Her mind wandered back to Usai's duel. She couldn't do anything then, and she can't do anything now. No. She shook her head and focused. There was some reason her spell failed to hurt him, she just needed to figure out why... -------- Julian's heart quickened as the shot ran out through the forest. Eliza must've caught up, though he could only hope she and Kyrahni were safe and sound. He couldn't afford to waste any more time with this grunt. He dashed in with a thrust of his spear, hoping to lance the orc and be done with it, but his opponent dodged to the side in the nick of time and rushed forward, eager to capitalize on the closed distance. Rather than retreat, Julian darted past the orc, ducking under a large green fist inteded to clothesline him, and put his back to a nest of brambles. As he predicted, the orc spun around and charged him once more, eager to keep the momentum of the fight in his favor. Julian positioned himself to block the orc's incoming axe blow, but it was a feint. He dropped low at the last second and hooked his spear around the orc's legs. He yanked hard, tripping his enemy and sending him careening into the brambles ahead. The brambles alone wouldn't be enough to kill a pig, let alone a fully grown orc, but they weren't intended to. The orc thrashed around in pain and anger, tangled in the prickly vines. Julian raised his spear high and brought it down, intending to finish the fight in a single stab. His face went pale as his spear came to an abrupt halt. The orc had grabbed the weapon just beneath the spearhead and gripped it firmly. Before he cound react, his spear was tossed aside and Julian was disarmed. The orc was still tangled in the thorny bushes, however. Julian knew he had only one shot at this. He withdrew his skinning dagger and dove headfirst into the brambles after his opponent. He fought through the pain as the vegetation cut into his skin. "Die, damn you!" he shouted as he brought his knife down on the entangled orc. The stab was blocked, lodged in the palm of the orc's hand, but he pulled it back and stabbed again and again, wherever he could find an opportunity. Before long, his opponent was riddled with holes. Julian panted in exhaustion. Orc blood coated his hands and stained his clothing a dark red. He rose to his feet above the lifeless greenskin and sheathed his dagger. Wincing in pain, he stepped out of the brambles and retrieved his spear. There would be time to celebrate his victory later. He needed to reunite with the others. ----- Kyrahni's heart raced as she probed the troll's defenses with various spells as he fought. Her initial barrage should have incinerated him, but he emerged unscathed. She conjured a smaller fire bolt and tossed it experimentally. It was hard to see among the smoke and flames, but it fizzled out a short distance away from him. It was magical shielding, for sure. She was snapped out of her concentration when another splash of crimson erupted from Eliza. The troll managed to duck under a flurry of swipes and embed his dagger deep within her stomach. Whatever frenzy took hold of Kyrahni's friend, however, would not let her die so easily. It was then that she saw it. A gleaming golden amulet fastened around Jatha's neck. He didn't have that before! Was that the source of his shielding? "The neck!" Kyrahni shouted. "The amulet! Grab it!" She tried to keep her commands simple. She wasn't sure how much this frenzy was affecting her friend's mind. Jatha's eyes went wide. He tried with withdraw his dagger from Eliza's midsection, but the bloodstained worgen grabbed his wrist and pulled herself closer. Rather than leaving his weapon, he continued to pull in vain. His stubbornness would prove to be his downfall as Eliza's free hand raked through the troll's neck. Immediately, he dropped his weapons and stumbled back, grasping at his throat. Within Eliza's viscera-covered hand, a golden glint. Jatha dropped to his knees, gasping for air. Even with regenerative powers, it seemed as though trolls still needed to breathe. Kyrahni wasted no time. She was still relatively drained, but there was enough arcane energy within her to finish off this bastard. Palms outstretched, a brilliant jet of flame erupted from her clawed hands and engulfed the breathless troll. As the arcane flames dissipated, a charred husk lay motionless on the scorched grass. Before she could celebrate, however, a strong lupine arm took hold of her. "Hey! What are you--" she could barely squeak out words of protest as Eliza set her down a short distance away from the spreading flames before collapsing into the dirt, blood pooling beneath her body. "No! Get up!" she yelled, but the worgen lay motionless before her. With great effort, she gripped Eliza's shoulder and turned her upright. She lost consciousness, likely from losing all that blood. She pressed an ear to her chest - her heart was still beating, and her breaths were shallow. She had to do something about all the blood. She ran her hands along her body, searching for the worst of the knife wounds, and managed to isolate two deep stab wounds and some nasty gashes. Summoning up the last of her magical reserves, Kyrahni set fire to one hand. She wouldn't hurt herself with the flames, of course, but the heat would cauterize the wounds and prevent further bleeding and infection. Taking a deep breath, she pressed her immolated hand up against the first of her friend's wounds. She had only ever heard about this kind of thing - never done it herself. She was entirely unprepared for the sight of steam and charred flesh, the hissing sound, the awful burning smell... It was almost too much, but she had to keep going. She did the same for the rest of Eliza's wounds. The whole process became a lot easier after the first few. Her ears shot up. Footfalls in the distance. She had no weapons to speak of, and her magical energies were completely depleted. "Julian?!" she called out. "Hey!" a distinct, masculine voice echoed back in the distance. "Julian! Get over here!" Sure enough, she spotted him in the distance, sprinting over. He was covered in blood, but he didn't seem injured. Exhausted, yes. But not injured. He slowed to a walk as he approached, still a fair distance away. "Thought I lost you two until I saw the smoke." he gasped between breaths. "Nice work." Kyrahni rose to her feet and shouted. "Shut up and get over here! She's hurt bad!" As soon as the words left her mouth, he dropped his weapon and rushed over, unslinging his backpack. "By the light..." he mouthed, seeing Eliza's bloodstained form. "What..." he was speechless. "Just... help her! Like you helped me!" Kyrahni stomped as she spoke, nearly shouting at him. "What are you waiting for?!" Julian shot her an angry glare, as if he was about to say something, but then dropped his backpack and sat down on the grass next to Eliza's prone body. "Tell me what happened." She was surprised by how quickly he sobered to the situation. His tone must have rubbed off on her, as she sat down next to him. "Two stabs. Here, and here." she pointed to the wounds as she spoke. "Some other gashes all over her body." "They look--" "Yeah, I, uhh..." the human word escaped her vocabulary. "I... burnt them shut. She lost a lot of blood before I had a chance to help her." Julian sighed in relief. "Good, that gives us more time." he procured the same salve he used to treat Kyrahni the night before, as well as a roll of bandages. "Keep an eye out, a patrol will have seen that smoke. With any luck, we'll have some help carrying her." "Er, wait. What?" Kyrahni stuttered in confusion. "Carrying her?" ----- INTERLUDE Erisa's blue eyes peered past the metal bars of her cage and darted around the scorched camp. While the fire left in Kyrahni's wake had reduced the slavers' defenses to ashes, the interior of the camp remained relatively unharmed, and the orcs were hard at work rebuilding the palisade walls and watch towers. Uden sat nearby within a cage of his own, staring up at the sky. His crimson fur was matted with dust, as well as small scrapes and bruises. He put up more of a fight than she did. Losing Kyrahni was one thing, but he went hysterical at the death of his sister. He was calmer now, but she could tell he was hiding his pain. They were well and truly alone in this accursed place, with only eachother to count on. "Uden." Erisa whispered as she extended one hand through the bars of her cage. He snapped out of his haze and glanced back at Erisa wordlessly. Upon seeing her outstretched arm, he reached out and grasped her clawed hand within his. It hurt her to see him like this. "We'll get through this." She weakly smiled. He smiled back, but said nothing in response. A gruff voice startled them both. "Chief tell me to bring you this." A pudgy-looking orc stood before their cages, holding two small bowls of... something. "You bite me, you no eat." It was only now that she was aware of how hungry she was. The last time they ate was before the incident, and the mystery stew wasn't entirely appetizing. The orc hobbled closer and passed a bowl to each of them through their respective cages. He turned around and began to leave, only to stop dead in his tracks and hit himself in the head. "Stupid!" he whispered under his breath. He spun around and approached the captive vulpera again. "Chief also say..." he paused, thinking for a moment. "Chief go see you..." another pause. "After... nightfall?" He looked at the two, as if asking for approval. Uden looked over at Erisa, who appeared just as confused as she was. "Uh... okay?" he said. The orc grinned wide and trotted off happily with a skip in his step. "They say Korg no remember good! Korg show them!" Erisa made a mental note to remember his name, just in case. It would help to know as much as possible about these people if she needed to formulate an escape plan. She stared down at the food she was given. The wooden bowl was mostly filled with broth, but a few small chunks of meat and vegetables floated around near the top. It wasn't particularly appetizing, but she was too hungry to care. And by the sound of the slurping and smacking nearby, she could surmise Uden didn't particularly care, either. The evening passed by uneventfully. Most of the encampment was busy tending the wounded or repairing the fortifications. By nightfall, there were few souls still awake. The pair of vulpine prisoners were left relatively unguarded in their iron cages, strangely enough. Uden stared off into the distance, watching an orc leave the chief's tent. He seemed to be headed in their direction. "So, what do you think he wants?" "It doesn't matter. If the chief wanted us dead, we'd be dead. Look at where we are." Erisa leaned back against the iron bars of her cage. "Let's hear him out, okay?" "It's not like we have a choice." Uden grumbled in response. Erisa was surprised to see the orc approaching was not the simpleton from before, but the chief himself, Brumog. He wore heavy robes, likely some kind of nightwear. Recent events had not treated him well, he looked years older already. The sagging skin around his face and dark bags under his eyes did him no favors. He stood before the two and exhaled, seeming to deflate as he hunched over. Whether it was just old age or sleep deprivation, he was bagged. He stood there, staring at the two in contemplative silence. "My standing among my peers is dwindling." he spoke as if orating to a crowd, not two individuals. "My son is now blind -and- stupid." he took a deep breath. "And now I have to deal with you." "Deal with us!?" Uden interrupted, raising his voice. He stood up and gripped the bars of his cage as if trying to pry them apart. "We did -nothing- to you people, and you took us as slaves!" "Uden, quiet!" Erisa whispered. "You killed them!" he yelled. "Kyrahni and my sister!" "I did not ask for this, Vulpera," Brumog straightened up to his full height and snapped back. "Now be silent!" Uden grit his teeth in anger, but held his tongue. "Good..." Brumog whispered, crouching down to eye-level with the two prisoners. "I have only realized too late in my life that these people I surround myself with are dishonorable bandits, murderers, and slavers. I once took pride in my clan, and now look at them." he spread his arms, gesturing around the run-down encampment. Erisa's eyes went wide. "You mean--" Brumog's raspy voice cut her off. "If I released you, I would be cast out." he turned and stared into her eyes. "But if I gave you the means to escape..." he trailed off. "Where would you go?" "Home. Back to Vol'dun." She replied without hesitation. "And you know the way back?" "We'll find a way." Brumog's withered lips twisted into a slight smile at her words. "Good... Be with your people, not here in this warzone." The old orc passed a small key through the bars into her waiting hands and stood up once more, stretching. "I'm very tired, little ones. Tired of all this." He turned to leave, but stopped suddenly. "Only one of your friends fell that day. The firestarter escaped." Erisa bolted upright. "Kyrahni's alive?! She was surrounded, though! We saw her with a knife to her throat!" "Mage tricks..." he grumbled. "Disappeared into thin air, nothing but smoke in her place. Some scouts saw her outside the walls a few minutes later and gave chase. I have yet to hear back from any of them." Brumog strode away with a great weight lifted from his shoulders as the two prisoners plotted their next move. ----- GARRISON Eliza groaned as her jade eyes blinked awake. She was surprised to find herself resting in a soft bed, covered in a downy blanket inside a warm, dimly candlelit room. She felt lightheaded as she sat upright, feeling aches and pains all over her body. Glancing down, she noticed several bloodstained bandages covering her midsection and arms. It almost looked like she was hit by cannon shrapnel. She lay back down and nestled into the comfortable bedding, staring at the ceiling. She couldn't remember much of what happened after the ambush, only bits and pieces. Orcs and a troll, a patch of scorched forest, a broken gun... A broken gun. That must've been what caused her frenzy. She grimaced as the scene played back in her mind. Her beloved rifle bent into scrap metal, the engraved wood scratched and burnt to cinders... She pushed aside those thoughts. It was only an object. As long as Kyrahni and Julian were safe, it didn't matter. The door to her room opened with a creak, bringing her back to the present. "Oh! You're awake!" due to her short height, Kyrahni's high-pitched voice reached Eliza's lupine ears before she even saw her past the edge of the bed. "Wait a sec, don't get up!" she said. The pitter-patter of light footsteps disappeared down the hall outside. A few minutes later, she returned with Julian in tow, who shook his head upon seeing the wounded worgen. "Kyrahni," he said. "Fetch that potion from the quartermaster, would you?" "Alright!" she replied enthusiastically, before trotting out of the room and shutting the door behind her. "Potion?" Eliza asked. The ranger nodded. "Fresh shipment of healing potions. They said only to save 'em for emergencies..." He moved in and sat beside her on the bed, eyes glancing up and down her wounded form. "I think this counts as one." "You're not a warrior, Liza." he reached in and stroked the side of her head. "You're a damn fine shot, but..." he trailed off with a sigh. "Promise me you won't be that reckless again." "If I didn't chase after him, Kyrahni would've died." "I know, I just worry about you. You're big and strong and all that, but you're untrained. Predictable." Her ears flattened. "Did you come here just to insult me, Julian?" Julian opened his mouth as if to say something, then went silent. He glanced back at the door, then leaned in close and pulled the wolfess into a tight embrace. "I don't want to lose you." he said, stroking the back of her neck. "That's all." Eliza reciprocated, weakly wrapping her arms around his back and holding him close. She nosed against his neck, tacking in his comforting, masculine scent. If she weren't so heavily wounded, she would've pulled him under the covers to take advantage of having a nice comfortable bed for once in their lives. Julian reluctantly pulled away and sat up once more. "How are you feeling, anyway?" "My whole body is sore and I feel... dizzy. Light-headed." He nodded. "I figured. You lost a lot of blood." tracing a finger along her banded forearms, he continued. "Kyrahni said you were carved up pretty bad. If she hadn't seen to your wounds before I arrived, well..." He placed a hand atop hers. "Let's just say you're lucky to be light-headed and not dead." "I guess I owe her one, huh..." she rubbed her eyes. "How long was I out?" "A couple hours," Julian glanced out the window. "We were ambushed around mid-day, we arrived at dusk, and now it's nightfall." "And what about the docu--" "Nevermind that, love," he raised a hand in protest. "I'll bring it up with the captain in the morning. Right now, you need to rest." The familiar pitter-patter of clawed feet closed in before the door burst open and Kyrahni came jogging in. She held a phial of viscous, red liquid close to her chest, and seemed out-of-breath. "S-sorry it took so long," she panted. She didn't seem surprised to see the two in bed together as she approached. "Uh, here." she passed the potion to Julian. "You've had one of these before, right?" Eliza shook her head. "Never needed to." she couldn't help but wonder how the viscous red liquid tasted. "Down it all at once." he uncorked the phial and handed it to the wolfess' waiting hands. As instructed, she tilted her head back and upended the contents in her mouth. It wasn't half bad - the texture was reminiscent of watery pudding, and it had a pleasant cherry flavor. "Back in the army, some lads got addicted to these." he explained. "Used to hurt themselves just to get another fix. Best to just have the one." "Are you hungry?" Kyrahni eagerly interjected. "The food here is really good!" Eliza only now noticed how empty she felt. Blood loss notwithstanding, her last meal was in the early morning. "Light, yes. Anything you can find." "We'll get you something," Julian leaned in and kissed her forehead, eliciting a blush from the wounded wolfess. "But then I want you to get some sleep, alright?" "Wouldn't want you to worry about me... you've probably done enough of that today." she smiled as she watched him stand and exit the room, followed closely by their vulpine companion. ----- "This place is pretty big for just a garrison." Kyrahni spoke as the pair walked side-by-side through the halls. "I thought we were headed to a castle or something." Julian shook his head. "Given how close we are to the capital, it's pretty easy to keep this place well-supplied and fortified." He pressed to one side of the hallway, allowing an armored footman to pass by, then continued. "Plus, the patrols that keep the roads safe? They're based out of here." Kyrahni stopped and stared at the soldier that passed by. The plates of steel interconnected perfectly and its polished surface reflected the light of the dim lanterns. She might have assumed the man was a metal golem if not for the grumbling from beneath his helmet. "Poor guy. I'd hate having to wear all that in this heat." Julian remarked. "One of the perks of being a ranger, I suppose." He reached a stairwell and held the door open for the little fox. "After you." Kyrahni stepped past her escort and made her way down the stairs. She grimaced as she felt her clawed feet scratch the wooden steps. She doubted anyone would notice, however, after she saw the boards were already damaged beyond pristine condition, a few were even bent out of shape. "Yeah, the steps aren't in the best condition, but they'll hold." a voice chimed in from behind. "Until they don't." She figured they were in one of the The garrison was made up of a central rectangular building with four stone towers at each corner. On the outside, it looked like a small fortress surrounded by training grounds and target ranges. The interior was mostly small dormitories, similar to the one Eliza was inhabiting. There was also a central supply room and, of course... "The mess hall." Julian said, opening a door at the bottom of the steps. There weren't many awake at this hour, it seemed. The room was sparsely populated by a few weary-looking souls picking away at their meals. The room wasn't very lavishly decorated, but there was a large fire pit in the center surrounded by rows of tables and chairs. A few glanced up from their meals, but paid little attention to the two as they passed by, makin their way to the pantry. Being silently watched by this many people made Kyrahni a little uncomfortable. She tried to make small talk. "What are you getting her?" Julian grabbed a plate as he stepped past an unused table. "Not sure yet, we'll have to see what they've got down in the cellar." They passed through another doorway and down a set of stairs into a cool cellar. Shelves and barrels lined the room, stocked with everything from dried meat to wheels of cheese. There were even a few kegs of ale inconspicuously tucked away in the corner of the room. Julian scratched at his beard as he glanced around the room. "Chef's asleep, we'll have to make something ourselves." "Wait, we can just take anything we want?" Kyrahni asked, shocked. Were the soldiers allowed to just come in and grab whatever they wanted? How did they keep track of it all? Julian chucked. "Of course not, but I'm taking what I want anyway." He strode into the room and began filling up the plate. He grabbed some dried meat, bread, and cheese. "Not exactly a feast but it'll do." he held out the plate to Kyrahni. "You mind melting that cheese and toasting the bread?" "Wh- with my magic?" Kyrahni replied, confused. "Uh, yeah? Is that a problem?" "No, no. I've just never really used it for cooking before." she channeled arcane energy into her hands and produced a small jet of flame. While she worked, Julian withdrew a tin flask from his belt and headed to one of the kegs in the corner of the room. "Is it really a good idea for her to be drinking in her condition?" she asked, hearing him press down the tap and the sound of splashing ale. "It's for me." he took a long swig from his flask, only to fill it up again. After repeating the process a few more times, he stifled a belch and tucked the flask away once more. "You done?" She glanced down at the cheese toast. "I guess." she said sheepishly, still unsure about her magical cooking skills. "Let's go, then."