Daughter of Azeroth

82 | OUR DESTINIES WERE ALREADY ENTWINED

Idira woke to Khadgar's touch. The fire had reduced to a smoulder, leaving her caught in the thrall of her innate chill. She sat up. The fairytale book slipped from her numb fingers and toppled to the floor. Khadgar picked it up.

'Love, Courage, and Honour,'  he said, reading the title. 'These are very sad stories.' He murmured a spell and rekindled the fire. 'The Horde races prefer tragic endings to their fairytales, believing a difficult ending reflects life more accurately than the happy endings of the Alliance versions.'

'Perhaps the Horde are wiser than we,' Idira remarked, rising to her feet, letting him wrap his arms around her, enclosing her against his warmth. 'Their children will not grow up to be disappointed, as I am sure many of the Alliance's have.'

Khadgar made a non-committal sound as he leaned over and set the book onto the side table, still holding her in his arms. 'I read these stories when I was Medivh's apprentice—the whole book in one sitting—hoping each new tale would come to a better end. Not one of them does.' He caught her chin in his fingers and tilted her face up to his. 'Call me a romantic, but I like to believe in happy endings. I must, for why else do we fight?'

Idira blinked, unable to find an adequate response to his question. He kissed her brow, undisturbed by her silence, seeming to accept it as evidence of her concurrence.

'We have just a few minutes before I must take you to meet the others,' he said, 'if there is anything you would like to have teleported to my residence I can send it over now.'

Idira looked down and shook her head. 'No, there is nothing,' she whispered.

'Not even one or two books?' Khadgar suggested, hopeful. 'I am sure none of them would mind leaving the fortress to stay with you.'

Swallowing the lump in her throat, she shook her head again, unable to answer.

'Ah, well, perhaps this isn't the time,' he said, gentle. 'I imagine you have other things on your mind at the moment, hmm?'

She looked nodded, envying him his ignorance. He let her go. She sank back onto the chair. 'Are you hungry?' he asked. 'I could conjure some food if you like.'

'No. Thank you,' Idira said, letting her gaze drift over him, memorising him. She bit her lip, her heart aching, unable to stop herself from thinking of what was to come.

'It will be alright,' he said, keeping his eyes on hers. 'I will be beside you the whole time. Kalec and Xe'ra will be there as well, along with Archdruid Malfurion. We will be in and out, quick. No harm will come to you, I swear it.'

She stood up, abrupt, agitated, dismayed by his words, knowing he would soon curse himself for ever having said them. 'I should get ready,' she said turning away so he wouldn't see her face, the tears glinting in her eyes.

'Of course,' he said, moving to the door, 'shall I wait for you in the library?'

'No,' Idira said, dull, thinking of the grieving books, 'not the library.'

He came back to her and took her by her shoulders. 'What is it?' he demanded, his eyes searching hers. 'A blind man could see something is troubling you.'

For several heart-stopping moments, she thought he could read her mind, his gaze so piercing, so filled with sadness, she couldn't answer. He pulled her into his arms, holding her fast against him.

'Is it what grieved you yesterday?' he asked, soft.

She wouldn't lie to him. Her face buried against his chest, she nodded, blinking back her tears. He waited for her to say more, but she kept quiet.