Deception (a World of Warcraft Fanfic)

Call to War

Days are long when you have a moment to breathe. No orders from Nazgrim, no urgent letters from Vol'jin, Anduin was a priority. Like turtles, we hid in the inn until later in the evening when we felt it was safe to come out.

Wrathion and I were finally able to get Anduin out of bed, and though he was limited to a chair he was the life of the party. We often spent the daytime challenging each other to matches of chess, which Wrathion had quite a skill for. Anduin and I would team up against him, but only won once, and at that point he wasn't even trying.

Once the sun set we would head out back and set up a bonfire. At first, it was just Wrathion and I sharing tall tales we had heard as a way to unwind, but it didn't take long for the groups of exotic travelers stopping by for a rest to join in. After just a week, no one could resist the urge to listen the the harrowing tales of battles and passionate memories of lost love.

I forced myself to forget the crisis we were in. I was truly enjoying my time off, but the broken statues in the distance were a loud background noise, they wanted to be heard. I couldn't help but ask those passing by if they had seen the vale, but those who had gave little detail.

Raven was enjoying her recovery and had turned into quite the house pet. The patches of fur and knife wounds were beginning to heal, as was the cut in my side from Kyrin's knife. Healing, hiding, denying, that's all we did here.

"Sarah, is that bird carrying something?" Asked Anduin. We had moved his chair outside so he could watch the sunrise while eating breakfast.

I squinted to see through the morning light. The bird, which was not native to this land, might I add, indeed had something clutched in his talons.

"So it does," I murmured, still tired and adjusting to the light, "It's a messenger bird." Most mail in pandaria was delivered by pandaren, or grumble mountaineers over a long distance. Birds such as this were more of a mainland way of delivering a message, it was for one of us.

The bird lowered itself, gently placing the letters in my hand. There were two, one bearing the warcheif's seal, the other was also familiar, it couldn't have been from anyone other than Baine.

"Anything for me?" Anduin asked, trying to peak over my shoulder.

"Nothing." I chirped, turning to block his view. The seal of the warcheif? I thought I had made it very clear I no longer served the man, but the letter would have been delivered to domination point of it had been written prior to the ringing of the bell, Rivett would have brought it with him.

"They need you, don't they?"

"I don't know... I wasn't expecting any mail." I lied. Of corse I knew Baine or Vol'jin would contact me as soon as they got word of what had happened in the vale, I just pretended I didn't for Anduin's sake.

We tried our best not to stress him, kept visitors fleeing the vale away and only spoke of the conflict in private, but I could see it getting to him.

In the time I have spent with Anduin, I learned the one thing he truly hated the most: Being treated like a clueless kid. He had to be involved, even if it meant puting himself at risk. In his handicapped state, it was my biggest concern he'd try to pull another divine mallet stunt on me, and I couldn't risk that, even though it'd bring a smile to his face to know what was going on with the revolution, to be included.

"I'm going inside for a bit, would you like to go in as well?"

Anduin shook his head, "Its a nice morning, I'll stay out here for a bit."

"Suit yourself, I think Raven's with you on this one." The big cat was stretched out at Anduin's feet, she had found the perfect place to take a nap.