Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost

Chapter 8

~Erro's POV~

"Erro,

My precious little Erro. I can't imagine how the Kirin Tor are treating you. I worry about you every day... I have a bad feeling that something is going to happen to me. To this town. To the Alliance, and I pray you will stay safe. You are strong. You are brave. You are brilliant, and you had a brilliant, brave, strong father to match. Take care of yourself. I love you.

Sincerely,

Your Loving Mother, Genetrix" I wipe at my eyes, feeling Garona still there behind me. I fold up the letter and stuff it into my bag next to my stuff animal. I hurry out to the horse where Khadgar is still reading. "Lothar, let's go. This just got personal."

"What do you mean?"

"I'll tell you all after these orcs are dead or agree to peace." Lothar's eyes are wide at my sudden anger, but he shakes it off. "Alright, men, break is over. Let's get moving." Garona rides next to Lothar now, no doubt telling him what I'd found in the house. I feel Khadgar's hand rest over mine, "Are you okay?"

"That house where I was attacked the day you got here... It was my mother's." He is silent, not knowing how to respond. We stop on the side of the pathway along a ridge. Lothar begins tying up his horse while I help Khadgar down. "Bookworm, take the first watch." I laugh to myself as I tie up my horse. "Respectfully, commander, my name is Khadgar."

"My deepest apologies, Khadgar," Lothar says with no sincerity to his voice. "You see, I thought we bonded when I didn't put you in a prison cell for breaking into the royal barracks." I don't bother holding back my hearty laugh, "Good one, Lothar."

"Now take the watch," Lothar finishes. I gather the things I had found in the house and walk around the corner to find some peace and solitude as they make a fire for nightfall. I look at the painting, continuing to brush ash and soot from it. It is almost clean up until you reached the top part that was in the frame. That edge is now jagged and singed. I trace my mother's face, looking at her deep blue eyes, her long purple hair. Her pointed ears that stuck up above the other elves'. She was beautiful, and it was hard to believe she was just Illidan's concubine. The way she spoke of him upset me that she was just his concubine.

The sun had set now, and I turned invisible, stuffing everything into my bag. I leaned against the corner of the rock, looking at the three people. Garona was asleep, and Lothar was going to town on some mutton, it seemed. Khadgar refused to tear his gaze from Garona. Finally, she awoke, and he found interest in the branch in his hand. "At least you're not reading," Lothar laughed. From the ache in my chest, I only wished he was reading. I looked at him, watching the way his eyes moved along with his thoughts. From Garona to the branch in his hand, to Lothar who was talking to him. The way he attempted to push the thought from his mind by rubbing his hand over his eyes.

"He wishes to lie with me," Garona said bluntly. I felt the ache in my chest grow even more painful along with a spike in my anger, causing the fire to jump intensely. No one noticed for they were too concentrated on Garona's words. "Beg your pardon?" Khadgar asked. Lothar has a giant smirk on his face as he goes back to eating. "You would be injured." Lothar is attempting not to laugh, while I am attempting to get my anger under control. "No, I don't want to lie with you." I turn myself visible, forcing a laugh, "You shouldn't be surprised. Khadgar would like to lie with every woman he sees." Khadgar shoves me jokingly as I sit next to him. "He would not be an effective mate, anyways." I smack Khadgar's shoulder laughing. "Wait, if he wishes to lie with every woman he sees, does he wish to lie with you." I choke on the sudden breath of air into my lungs, causing me to cough multiple times into my hand. "Um. I don't know. Maybe."

"I would not be surprised, you are a strong mage." Lothar chuckles at my sudden discomfort next to Khadgar who is beet red now. My hood is up, covering most of my face. "Why do you laugh? I can't see how you humans survive such a thing. No muscles to protect you. Brittle bones that break."

"You don't look that different to us. How do you survive?"

"Broken bones heal stronger. Mine are very strong." Lothar seems to choke, whether it be on his words or his food, I don't bother trying to figure out. He manages a small, "I'm sorry."

"Do not be. My name, Garona, it means cursed in orc. My mother was burned alive for giving birth to me."

"They kept you alive, though."

"Gul'Dan did. He gave me her tusk, to remember her." She pulls her blanket to her chin, letting the tusk on the string clatter against her chest. Khadgar heaves a sigh, fiddling with his fingers, "My parents gave me to the Kirin Tor when I was six years old. That was the last time I saw them, or any of my brothers and sisters. It brings a family honor to offer a child to the Kirin Tor. To have their son taken up to the floating city of Dalaran and be trained by some of the most powerful mages. Less so, to have him run away."

"Is it my turn now?" I joke, earning a chuckle from Khadgar. "My mother was a concubine to the Betrayer after Sargeras burned out his eyes and emblazoned his skin with arcane sigils. After his mind was corrupted, and he betrayed his people. A lot of people see him as a bad guy, but I know a lot more than them, as told by my mother, who was exiled when I was born. She was forced to leave the elven people and call herself anything besides an elf. Before she left, they told her of my fate, being taken to the Kirin Tor, as I was born with my father's amber eyes but also his eyes after they were burned away." I shouldered off my cloak, "I am emblazoned with the same sigils... From birth. So, I was treated as a freak of nature within my own people. Most of which, worshipped nature. I was taken to Dalaran as soon as possible. I must've been only three when I went to Dalaran, so I have no memories besides the strange looks and sneers when I would walk by." I sighed, "That house back in the town... It was my mother's. I did not know she even left Kalimdor, but there was a painting of us and my old stuffed toy. Even a letter was written for me..." As I said this, I pulled out the painting of us and unrolled it. Khadgar looked over my shoulder. "Is that you when you were young?" he asked with wide eyes. I laughed, "Yeah, it is."

"You were so little! And so cute!" He grabbed the painting, showing it to the others. I rolled my eyes, snatching it back. Lothar sighed, "Well, that was tearful."

"Says one who didn't bring a story to story time," I jokingly chided him. He rolled his eyes, "I'm sorry, mother." Everyone snuggled into their sleeping bags, taking a turn at watch before falling asleep.