Warcraft Fan Fiction ❯ The Cronicles of a Spy ❯ Fare...or Fowl ( Chapter 5 )

Chapter 5: Fare or Fowl

 

It had been a few days, somehow she'd managed to pull herself together enough to start marking her beloved friend's pelt with chalk to fit her needs, Vega stared at her from his bed, though neither were allowed to leave their quarters without either proper escort or permission from the king of this land, their new leader. Little had been said between them since the pelt had been brought in. New clothes had been supplied, the military wardrobe supplied to the newest grunts for Vega, while she had a much higher rank assigned to her.

 

Istalri's eyes left the skin of the pelt and looked up at him, the dreams had continued, while she wasn't the one who earned the right to kill the thrice damned prince, she played an important role, she just couldn't let him, nor anyone else know. In this place, she would have been called certifiable anyway, the only one who would believe her would be the man she shared her life with in this room. Her eyes pled with his, yet the stare remained, he held her responsible, no doubt, that he couldn't go home.

 

“You shouldn't have came to the meeting with me then..”

 

“Had I known you were going to pull something so….stupid, I wouldn't have.”

 

“Oh please, that man is as corrupt as the sky is blue.”

 

“He's still our king, and we must do as he wishes.”

 

“Oh for fuck's sake, no we don't, if it was Arthas trying to get us to jump off a cliff to kill us, would we do it? I don't think so.” She pulled her chair from the table and stood up, trodding to the door. “I'm more at home here as a prisoner than I ever was there. My blood made a difference there…I'm sure it does here as well, but at least they're giving me a chance to be me.”

 

“Yes, and I'm the one treated as you were here…no, I'm treated worse here than you were there.”

 

“That-” She paused, then sighed, turning to walk to him, lightly pinning him to the bed so that he had to look at her. “That, my healadin, shall change soon enough. The blood elves have agreed to go through the tests of the paladin, all within the same day. The tests should be nothing for you, you'll surpass me in rank soon enough.”

 

“Ranks…they only change how people speak to you to your face, shadow stalker, Pheo, the wings to my halo when I fall in battle.” his voice was almost crooning. “But unless I am allowed outside, to show these people that I can help them as well, and am willing to do so, then my halo dims, and my wings shall fold, to never be used again.”

 

At his words, she slapped him, and though the sting stopped his sentence, she moved from him and went back to drawing her lines upon the skin of her mount. Their conversations seemed to always end in this manner. No matter how hard she tried, it seemed he was falling into the depression she was trying so very hard to pull herself from. Words were as harsh as blades with them now. She blinked. Blades…that could work. Her thoughts sparked movement; a pen was grabbed and dipped in a vial of ink. Paper was grabbed with the free hand, and both met in the middle. She wrote up a letter to Thrall, the only thing she could do at this moment, and it was sure to get an approval.

 

My lord:

The past that brought us here seems to be lingering, I would like to propose a tournament to get our brethren used to the way ours swing.

This tournament would be open to all, including yourself, should you so choose to join in the festivities. I would take the liberties of arranging the brackets to this division, as well as ask that Vega and I be allowed to visit the grounds of the instructors to remove the rust that may have developed from lack of use. The tournament would allow for us to gain respect for ourselves as well as our new kin, and set our roots here.

In your name we pledge,

Istalri

 

She folded the letter and placed a wax seal over where the edges met, and knocked on the door, where the guard opened it. She handed the letter through, and he to another. Since all outgoing mail had to be approved by Thrall before it was passed on to another, she gave no instructions, merely closed the door.

 

“Another letter, eh? Who's this one to, that idiot of a tankadin that I heard you flirting with down in the dungeon? You should really go to him then.”

 

She scoffed at him, and threw the seal she'd just used across the room at him. “What the hell? You thought I was being for real down there? Is that why you've been treating me like I deserve to be in the dog house, that I've taken one look at a pure bred elf and decided I liked him better?” Her hands placed on her hips, and those eyebrows narrowed. “If it was about genetics, why do you think I would have picked you? No kids, so what, you were the one that was nice. The only one who didn't care what I was, but wanted to see who I was.” Her shoulders slumped. “That…I hope, still hasn't changed. So long as it hasn't, I'll shine on, and I'll keep loving the man that you are. It's not that you're a human, it wouldn't matter if you were a gnome, so very easy to be punt around, so long as you were still you.”

 

“I…I'm sorry…you're right, I've been acting as a fool.”

 

“Aren't I usually right? Ah well, I've just sent out a letter to Thrall, to arrange for a tournament to allow for the people to see just how you really are, no more of it just being ranks. You'll have honest to god respect from them, just as I will.”

 

“Oh, now that should be fun, for you at least, as a healadin I don't really have much use in those sort of things.”

 

“I hope that you don't think I'll be so stupid to remove healers from the equation. It will be a 2 vs. 2 match up, or maybe 3 vs. 3, depending on how many signups we have. It'll be open to anyone who wants to join.”

 

~~~~~~~~

 

A knock came to her door early next morning, and being a rogue, she awoke just before the first knock hit, she'd curled up next to Vega in the bed the night before, but wriggling out of his arms was proving to be troublesome. With the careful movements, she finally managed just after the third knock, and wrapped a robe around her scarcely clothed form as she answered the door. With the sun barely up she realized that it was maybe six thirty, if she was lucky enough, but there was a guard there that handed her a paper. With a deft movement she opened it, and found it to be a summons. She nodded to the guard, then closed the door to get herself suited.

 

As she dressed, she shook Vega awake, and tossed him a set of clothes to replace his night cloth. Once they were dressed, they reopened the door and stepped in time with the guard waiting there. She hadn't really paid attention to her surroundings as she'd been brought to her quarters, but now she was getting the chance. That chance she took gladly, absorbing her surroundings. They seemed not to be heading towards the lair of Thrall, but to the training grounds. The guard bowed and dismissed himself, leaving the two former alliance with Thrall in the ring.

 

“Sire?” Her voice was questioning, but she didn't show it upon her face.

 

“You Invited me to join in the tournament. Do you think me so weak to stand on equal ground with the likes of you?”

 

“No, my lord, it was merely to offer you a chance to show your superiority in the ring to your subordinates, if you so wished. It is perfectly acceptable to sit and watch as well.”

 

“Would you have done the same to that dog of a king in the other land?”

 

“Wrynn? Yes, I believe that I would have offered the chance, though he would have never accepted. It's simply polite to ask if someone higher in the rankings would care to join in your fun, especially when you need their approval to even hold such an event.” She kneeled. “Forgive me for miss wording my proposal to make it sound degrading.-”

 

“I Accept your proposal. You asked to have an event, and so you shall have it. You will be in charge of seeing to it that everyone is situated, I shall have my men take names and deliver them to you.”

 

“Splendid Sire, joyous news indeed. Shall we make a complete affair of it, shops set out their finest of wares for the event, and deck our warriors with colors?”

“That is covered within your standards, Istalri, I'm counting on you.”

 

“In your name we pledge, Sire.” The two voices chimed in unison.

 

“Dismissed.” With that, he turned while the other two Saluted in the typical style, and walked off.

 

“You know, had it not been so early in the morning we probably would have thought to bring our weapons with us and have killed him where he stood.”

 

“Perhaps you would have, love, but I don't feel like going back to Wyrnn, nor taking up the leadership position just yet, besides, he was there…” She cut herself off, she'd said too much already. “Eh, don't worry about it, aside from all the afore mentioned, that's probably the reason he got us up so early, so that we would leave them at home.”

 

She shrugged it off, then looked around her, there was a box of decorations, some training weapons in the racks. Nimble fingers wrapped around two one handed swords, and she tossed a club and shield to him. They weren't balanced very well, but they would do for now.

 

“Come on, lets get some practice in.”

 

~~~

 

It was mid afternoon when they were interrupted, clothes were laced with sweat, but everything was set up for the tournament that was to be held. The interruption came from a young warlock that had a blindfold over her eyes and seemed to be dressed in bare minimum that would be acceptable. Long ears and blonde hair marked her as the fairer gender of blood elves, and the succubus that walked beside her blew kisses to the two of them, giggling madly. The warlock tapped a staff on the ground to get the two's attention, then spoke in a light voice that held little disgust for the two of them.

 

“Istalri, Vega, it seems you've been busy…” she looked around, though it seemed impossible for her to see through the blindfold. “…In more ways than one.” when they nodded in recognition, she continued. “It's time to get a replacement for that…..cat of yours.” her hand moved as if she was steadying herself. “We have found one that we believe you would find suitable.”

 

With an eyebrow raised, Istalri nodded a little, the memory of her friend sparking a pang of pain in her heart, but when she was handed a soulstone, she balked, staring into the cat like eyes that gazed back at her.

 

“We….well…I thought you might like to keep your friend by your side until your death…so I sealed his soul within this stone for you…being a jeweler I can fashion a piece of jewelry from it and you can wear it how ever you like.”

 

Her eyes widened, and she ran her fingers over the stone, smirking at the small purr from within at the movement. “If…it's not too much trouble, make it into a necklace for me? And thank you…for this wondrous favor. If there's anything I-”

 

“We, anything WE can do for you to possibly repay this, let us know.” Vega interjected, wrapping an arm around Istalri's shoulders, and smiled down at the night elf. At the nod of the young lock, she took the stone back, and while the succubus winked at them, the lock wrapped the stone in silver, hand wrapping it in the design of a heart and hooked it on a silver braided chain when she was done, then stepped forward to hook the chain around Istalri's neck. The purring once more resumed, and only seemed to get louder as time passed. Once the task was accomplished, the lock turned and motioned for the two to follow her. The Succubus hopped along, whipping her tail back and forth and fluttered her wings; she seemed to be bored with the whole goings on of the three, even as they boarded the blimps.

 

It wasn't until that they'd taken off from the docks that the succubus jumped to life, behaving as a child would and looking over the sides, and then, jumped from the sides, disappearing into the abyss once more. When Istalri brought her attention back to the lock at this point, she was already in the process of re-summoning the Succubus. As the Demoness reappeared beside the girl, she pouted and kneeled beside her mistress, gripping one of the girls arms.

 

“Please, send me back, please, it's so bright out here, and each breath is a painful motion.” The succubus was begging, pleading with the lock.

 

“Sisica…you know very well that these things are not so, and that you quite enjoy this place, so many men to bewitch, I'm sure that it must be quite entertaining for you, it's only on long rides such as these that you try to break the bond between us. Aside from that, you are the reason that my eyes no longer focus properly lest covered in the dark, so do not, I repeat, do not test my patience. If I must remain in the dark, you must remain in the light.”

 

With another pout, the succubus stopped with her protests and sat with her legs crossed, hmphing softly while the time went on. Being that this was to be a long ride, from the lock's statement, at least, she took out a piece of wood and a Gnomish army knife, whittling the time away. As the block took the shape of a hawk strider, she found that she had two watchers, the lock and her pet, while Vega watched from the side rails. She added details slowly, the feathers, then the details upon the feathers. The details became less and less as they moved up to the head, but resumed upon the face, bringing the creature to life, though it remained as much of a piece of wood as it had been when she had begun. At the sound of the captain announcing their arrival, she had all but completed the piece, and nearly filled a near by bucket.

 

 

 

Once they had disembarked, she found herself at the home of the undead, Undercity. The very idea of the place sent a shiver up her spine, but she refused to allow it to show upon her features, and stuffed both the closed knife and the wooden statue into a pocket. In the same movement she popped a peppermint into her mouth to clense her breath as well as keep the smells of the sewers from her nose. As suspected, they entered the place, however the warlock spoke to the first mage, explained the situation, and was granted a portal directly to Silvermoon. Thankful for the change of pace, she nearly leapt through the portal when it was ready, and was followed closely by Vega. The last one through the portal was the Succubus that the lock had deemed Sisica. The blood elf looked around, then slipped a few coins back through the portal to the waiting hand, and continued along her path.

 

The sound of footsteps let Istalri know that there were a few kids, as well as young warriors that had decided to come get a look of the pair being led through their halls, and was glad when they'd left, out into the countryside.

 

“Sorry about that, they always do that when there's someone being led somewhere, they consider it their duty to give them a good scare.” The lock had been plain, but her smile played a mischievous tone that she couldn't place. “You know, you could leave now, if you wanted to go back to your king.”

 

As they came to the hatchery Istalri turned, facing the lock in a pose that even made the succubus gasp. “Ah, but that would be a test…I will however resume my part as a double spy now, and send a message to Stormwind, lest you have some rules against that?” Istalri's smirk matched the lock's own, and as she shook her head, Istalri borrowed the table of the Hatchery and penned a note, then handed it to the lock for inspection. “I believe this is convincing enough?”

 

The lock raised a thin brow, nodded, and handed it back. This time Istalri folded and sealed the letter, then called for a bird, sending it off with the letter attached by a silk string and a strand of her hair in the knot. It was then that the lock motioned for them to continue to the top floor of the building. Rat shack was a polite description of the room, but in the middle was a large nest, atop of which a brilliant red bird who's feathers became a bright yellow at the tips, being that the birds themselves could not fly, this one's feathers had decided to curl at the tips upon his head and slightly on the wings. As it stood to greet it's new rider, it lifted it's tail feathers, three of which had grown long and they too, went through the transition of red to yellow. As for his feet, they were a deep almost charcoal black, in stark contrast to the anklets and other adornments, which, unlike those of its usual race, were a bright silver with blue inset gems that when you looked closely held a tinge of green. The sight of the bird took Istalri's breath from her lungs, and even moreso when it stepped over to her and put it's beak on her shoulder, accepting her as it's rider.

 

“He needs a name, Istalri, as his rider, that is your right. For now, we have just been calling him, `little bird.' He is young, yes, but he will carry you far, and fast.” The lock smiled as Istalri walked around him, touching the soft feathers of her new mount, and the satin lined saddle that adorned his back, the details were not unlike that upon her necklace, and she gasped at the recognition. Everything matched. Her eyes darted to the lock, who merely nodded at her, the bird waited, his head tilted to the side.

 

“Celobro, or Honor, Cel for short.” Her voice came after a long pause, and the bird chirped, preening her long hair, which had grown almost down to the middle of her back since the events that brought her here. “Now, I have one more favor to ask-”

 

“A matching outfit to match everything else? Already completed, costom made. The group of us had it made ready when you left us the first time with six arrows in your backside. I do trust those didn't scar?” She shrugged. “As for the group of us, you'll find out who we are soon enough I trust. Myself, my name is Heja.” As she spoke, she removed a red with white and yellow embroidered riding suit from a chest, and handed it to Istalri, then made the motions to where the dressing room was.

 

Once inside the room, Istalri had to laugh, the suit had six arrows in the form of two asterisks, one upon each cuff at the neckline. She slipped it on, glad to be out of the sweaty clothes, and turned to find Vega standing with a pair of scissors in one hand, raising an eyebrow with a question. At the curiosity, she motioned for him to come in, then at the line of which she wanted the trim to go up to. She'd chosen the shortest of the styles she knew he was able to perform, a cut that ended at her jaw line and was angled upward slightly at the back. By the time they were finished, Istalri slipped the hat that she'd been given, over her head, it wasn't much like the dorky thing one would think, but the classical circlet that slipped beneath her hair and created an invisible protective barrier, the only odd thing being that from the circlet protruded three feathers that matched her bird's own. Willingly the two stepped from the room, and out into the fresh air, where Cel was waiting with Heja, who was holding the reins to two birds, while Vega's charger stood proudly behind them.

 

“We wont be going far…just over to a little…party.”

 

The trip wasn't long at all, and soon they were relaxing with a bunch of blood elves, easily passing by the hosts' tastes with her riding suit's décor. Toasts were being thrown around by several of her peers, and she found herself smiling while being guided to a table where three others sat. Those three she'd only heard stories of. A Femme troll sat in the middle, with two blood elves at her side, both were akin in femme, and they chattered away, though it was interrupted as one went to fetch a male blood elf from a group of giggling girls that had gathered around him. Some left that scuffle with burnt hair, others ran from the fire that followed close behind. The Raven haired male sat between the troll and the other female, and from the red in his cheeks he was drunk off the waves of the party.

 

Heja's voice pierced the noise of the crowd, “I see that Nyhm's been enjoying himself, this is that ignorant half blood that's caught his eye, and is catching everyone's eye in her new threads.”

 

Istalri blinked, she couldn't speak, but was soon handed a glass of ale, and a toast was proposed by someone, her mind seemed so buzzy, she couldn't remember who, but she remembered the words clearly. `To a new life.'