There was a crossroads, it was better, and like the last, it was inhabited. Ranith halted the buck immediately upon seeing them, and Alexei steeled his nerves for a repeat performance. Two of the guards disengaged from the camp and headed their way, much less concerned than Alexei would have expected.
"Good afternoon, we are the Night Watch." One of them greeted, staring with interest, but not great intent. He looked at Alexei, then at Ranith. "Draenei. What brings your group this way?"
Recognition, finally, and a lack of hostility. The man still stared at Ranith, but Alexei felt no threat from him. "We travel through on Velen's orders. We are to go to the Dark Portal."
"The Blasted Lands are treacherous. And the Swamp is Horde territory." The man shook his head, sending his companion a fairly obvious 'whatever the fools want' look. "But your business, your Prophet's business, is yours. I am not here to convince you otherwise. All I do is say you are on the correct road. That the way was clear on our last pass. And that the inn in Darkshire will be hospitable to weary travelers."
"Our thanks." Alexei granted slowly, and the man stepped out of his way to let him continue. "Odd." He muttered to Ranith when they were beyond the crossroads. "He knows what we are, but stares like a child at you anyway."
"He's seen a male before… he recognized what you were. He was no threat."
"I know that. He was just staring."
"We are unlike anything they've seen before. Khadgar taught us that their people are much the same as each other. Taller. Shorter. Thin. Heavy. But they have all the same parts. Then we arrive, and we're nothing like what they consider friend, and we're entirely too much like what they consider foe. I think it's going well."
She was probably correct, but he still disliked it. Ranya was one of the people, not a freakish curiosity. He was one of the people… he'd never given it much thought, secure in that fact and the knowledge that he was a fine example of what he was supposed to be. He was used to being looked at because he was striking, well built, handsome, a vindicator, not because he had been born with hooves and a tail. The animals here had those. "What bothers you?" She asked after he remained silent for a long, dark time.
"We have hooves. Tails." She did not bother to reply to such an obvious statement, only tipping her chin to look up at him. "The animals here have those. But the people do not."
She considered the statement for a long moment, twisting her leg at the hock and sticking out a hoof. "I have such lovely hooves." She pondered, vanity dripping from every syllable, and he laughed in spite of his mood. "And you have such a magnificent tail. Alexei… talbuk have hooves. Tails. Horns. It doesn't make them draenei, or any other people. They're still goats. We are what we are… the measure of a people is their hearts, their souls. And I'll put our measure against any of these. As for looks…" she shrugged, "I think they look odd. They think I look odd. We are beautiful to ourselves, and that's all that counts… Why?"
"I just worry." He admitted. "We are few, and we are here without an invitation. If our hosts even begin to consider us as not people…"
"That is a deep and grave worry." She agreed pensively, watching the buck's ears flip back and forth as he skittered along. "We must have faith in Velen, in the naaru. Surely they would not have brought us into such a place…"
"They brought us to Draenor…" He stated coldly, and she dropped her foot back down to the buck's side and glumly watched the trees roll by. Velen's directions had brought great costs before. Why not now?
"All I can say is that I stand with you. You are my beloved." She stated, uncannily able to put her finger on just what bothered him. His beloved. Now, it wasn't just him who could be crushed in this. Now, he played the game for keeps.
