#dwarven district

[kjblynx]

Stormwind City

Stormwind Keep

Old Town

Cathedral Square

Trade District

Dwarven District

Mage Quarter

Stormwind Harbor

[justwarcraftstuff]

[Image Description: A Void Elf riding a Starcursed Voidstrider standing in a cobbled road in the Dwarven District of Stormwind City. A hand-shaped machine is jutting from a nearby wall, holding a festively wrapped gift upside down in its metal claw. End Description.]

On the one hand, I love how the Dwarven District goes all out decorating for Winter Veil and takes advantage of their unusual architecture to do cool things like this.

On the other, that gift is upside down and it’s bothering me more than it should. I hope whatever’s inside isn’t fragile.

[jester4554wowfanfic]

Rage of the Blade Song - 14

Writer’s Note: Please, be sure to check out the full series of my World of Warcraft blog on fanfiction.net.

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/8639206/14/Rage-of-the-Blade-Song

----

When the next morning came, both human and Elf flew to Stormwind by gryphon-back, returning to the Alliance capital before the morning had yet grown old.

The skies that day were clear, while hardly a breeze disturbed the sleeping land. As they flew swiftly over the dusty plains of Westfall a red dawn lit up the sky, and the ocean blazed as if alive with red flames. While staring at the brilliant spectacle, Ouroboros thought of his homeland lying across the seas.

With Deathwing's fall and the discovery of Pandaria in the far south tensions between the Horde and Alliance had sparked, just like the days of old. As one foe fell the drums of war were pounded for another, and the whole of Azeroth was consumed by a familiar rage. Even his ancient homeland wasn't left unscathed: with Mount Hyjal left to recover from the ashes, and the forests of Ashenvale the current front for the Horde's warpath, the once glorious Night Elves were being pressed into a tight corner from a vicious enemy.

"I never should have left, but…" Ouroboros said aloud, now voicing his thoughts knowing that they'd be lost to the wind rushing past their ears.

Yet Selina seemed to notice his mouth move, for the young sneak came up beside the sell-sword and motioned at him, as though questioning whether he wanted for them to land. The Elf shook his head and pointed in front of him, where the sprawling city lay straight ahead, and then turned away to brace himself for their descent into the Aviary.

Selina Torwell returned to her previous position and then did the same. She gripped the reins in her hand and looked forward with determination – landing these things always scared the girl, for she worried the animal would rear her off – yet as they flew her eyes continued to flicker toward the brooding swordsman.

(-****-)

The pair reached the gryphon aviary with little problems; Selina did come at the ground too fast, and the animal squawked loudly at her after having to run a short distance before stopping. This caused the girl to let out a sharp yelp, while Ouroboros laughed at the whole display. Then, after both had landed and were well on their feet, they paid the carrier their fare and departed down into the city streets.

When they stepped out from the aviary tower the first thing they noticed was that a larger crowd than usual now bustled about. Curious to know what the commotion was about, and their task now complete, the Night Elf prepared to set out and turned toward his companion.

"Well Selina Torwell, I wish you luck in your travels and your pursuits."

"Wait, where are you going?"

"With that last job finished, I figured that I would set out into the city. Things seem busier than usual around here, I'm curious to know why."

Selina looked away from the Elf and toward the city, where she finally realized that he was right about there being more people than was expected. The faces of the citizens seemed worried and there appeared more guards on the street; even some of the Night Elven sentinels roamed around in greater number.

"Well you won't have much luck asking around out here. Follow me to Kroog's. He's bound to have heard the gossip flying around while we were gone."

Ouroboros shrugged. "Well at least then I'll be getting the info from someone I can trust. Lead on then, Miss Torwell."

"Don't call me Miss again, or I'll pull off one of your ears… It makes me feel old and rickety."

The two of them walked together in silence for some time, making their way out of the Trade District as quick as they could and sticking to walking around the canals to get around. It was a longer route travelling through the city this way, but all the districts seemed to be buzzing with more activity than was usual; and neither one doubted that the Dwarven District would be any different.

Finally, at length, Selina broke the silence between them.

"What did you say earlier when we were approaching Stormwind?"

Ouroboros shook his head as if pulled from some deep thought. "Hm? Oh, it was nothing."

"Well you had to have at least mouthed something; no idiot would open their mouth while flying. They'd probably end up chewing on some bug otherwise!"

"When you're starving those don't make for a bad meal… I was just saying something to myself."

"What was it?"

"Trust me, it was nothing important."

At that, Selina gave the Night Elf a wicked grin. "If you were talking to yourself then I might have to report you to the guards anyway. These are desperate times. We can't have any crazy folk running around the city."

Ouroboros grumbled irritably, and though he didn't buy her bluff, he told the girl what she wanted to know. "I said that I shouldn't have left my homeland."

"That seems like something random to say. Where'd that come from?"

"Selena, you do realize that there's a battlefront on the other side of the sea, right?"

"What I meant was, if you're worried then why did you leave in the first place?"

"Ahah, well it wasn't exactly by choice. I was put on leave away from the front lines several months back. Well, even though the military didn't want me fighting, I couldn't sit around idle, and so I came here, to the Eastern Kingdoms, and started lending my sword wherever it was needed. Honestly, I was probably allowed to return by now, but I got so distracted over here that I never made the time to return to Teldrassil."

Selina blinked in amazement. "Wow, that's a lot of travelling…"

"I guess for most it'd be, but after wandering for 10,000 years it becomes routine."

"So why were you put on leave?"

"Is there a reason you ask so many questions?"

"Sorry, it's a habit I picked up being around members of SI:7."

"What? Are you telling me that you're part of the SI:7?"

"Well, if I was, it's not like I could tell you that anyway. I've just around a number of interrogations in my time."

"So why would I answer a question like that in return?"

The girl smiled and chuckled lightly. "Because I'm off-duty. So are you going to tell me, or what?"

Ouroboros sighed and rubbed his chin for several moments. "Because I had a breakdown on the battlefield…"

"Oh…"

Selina asked no more questions after that, and, though the city murmured with much anticipation as midday encroached upon the land, a heavy silence hung in the air.

(-****-)

When they entered the home Selina called out to announce their arrival. "Kroog, we've returned."

"Well isn't that a fine way to start my afternoon?" His gruff voice called out from somewhere in the house, before the Dwarf walked out from around the kitchen corner. The home smelled of warm bread, salted meat, and, as expected, ale. "I was just makin' myself a batch of breakfast before headin' over to the forges. I thought I'd have today off, but it seems that they'll be needin' another few pair o' hands at the smithy. Oh, right, breakfast. Anyway, you're both more than welcome to join me if you'd like."

"Thanks Kroog, but I have to go upstairs and work on something real quick."

"Ah, the letter – so the deed is done then?"

"Yes," then she turned toward Ouroboros and held out her hands as though showcasing a prize. "Our friend here has a few questions to ask of you, so maybe one of us will at least be taking up your offer."

Kroog, the Dwarf, turned his head slightly to the side and eyed the Elf. "Does he now? Well you go on ahead dear and take care of business. As for you, swordsman, feel free to leave your gear in the corner and take a seat at the table. Meanwhile, I'll fetch us a bite to eat."

"Thank you Kroog."

They each went away from each other: Selina walking up the stairs; Kroog returning to his kitchen; and Ouroboros to his great sword along the corner wall. The Elf then followed his host's steps toward the kitchen and seated himself at the table. The Dwarf had already set out one plate, and was in the midst of preparing another.

"Actually Kroog, I'll be fine with a piece of bread and water. I'm feeling a bit light in my head at the moment."

"Well I can help with the bread, but I don't have any water. There's only ale."

"You're kidding. Then what did you simmer the meat in?"

"Don't look so daft boy; ale of course!" The Dwarf laughed upon seeing the aghast look on his visitor's face, and followed up the remark. "I do have some kegs o' melon juice though."

"That would be fine."

He waited at the table while Kroog gathered the rest of the meal, and, before long, everything was set and the two were seated and enjoying a meal together. Ouroboros took a bite from the chunk of bread Kroog put on his plate, and chewed the still warm loaf thoughtfully. To follow-up the bite he took a sip from the wooden mug filled with chilled melon juice; it was almost too sweet to the taste, but then watered down fast enough; part of a seedling managed to find its way into the drink as well, which Ouroboros eagerly chewed as though eating a nut.

After a few more bites, the Night Elf finally spoke. "Since you mentioned helping at the forge, I guess it's safe to say you're not a part of SI:7 like Selina is?"

Kroog chuckled. "She told ya about that, did she?"

"More-or-less, she hinted at it enough at least. She's very skilled, so I'm honestly not too surprised."

"Aye, that girl Selina's a gifted lass she is. As for me, I help maintain her equipment, just like the father before."

"Her father?"

"Aye, he was a member of SI:7 too, pretty high up there, and I helped him with his gear as well. He was a damned good agent, one of their best, and he taught Selina all he could. Alas, the old bloke is retired now; bought himself a little cabin in the woods somewhere out in Elwynn."

"So Selina was trained by her father to be an agent?"

"Well, yes, her adopted father anyway. Came across her while she was just a baby, only one in the village to survive; he couldn't just leave her to die." Then Kroog went rigid, and a look came across his face as though he'd said too much. "Bah, there I go ramblin'! So what did ya want to ask?"

"Ah…" The Elf said before pinching his forehead between his thumb and index finger. "I was wondering if you knew what all the commotion was that's going on in the city. The place was terribly busy when Selena and I left from the aviary tower, and things didn't seem to have settled down much while we walked here."

"When did the two of you get back?"

"Just before the sun had risen fully."

"Oh my, then that means you missed the announcement."

"What announcement?" Ouroboros asked while clenching his fingers.

"Couriers rode through the districts earlier this morning with news from across the seas. I hate to be the one to tell ya this lad, but it seems that the Horde hit your people pretty hard over there. The Alliance front over in Kalimdor has been pushed back quite some ways. No one has said it, but things sound pretty bad. So there's a huge rush to get new fighters out there, not to mention equipment."

Ouroboros sat in silence for the rest of the meal. He remained looking calm, but it was clear that the color had drained from his purple face turning him pale. The Elf appeared suddenly weary, and in his eyes was a deep sense of worry.

When Kroog finished eating he gave his guest a concerned look before taking his plate to the counter. As he moved to leave the house, the Dwarf put a hand on Ouroboros' shoulder. "I'm sure things are fine lad. Your Elven lot across the seas are whispered as legendary for your skill. This will be a short laugh for the Horde, mark my words!"

Done speaking, the Dwarf took off out the door, while Ouroboros remained sitting at the table. He stayed unmoving for a long while, only staring at the food on his plate, until the sound of Selina's feet scuffling on the floor above brought him back from his worrisome thoughts.

The Elf pushed himself away from the table and went to put his plate beside Kroog's. By the time he finished with that, Selina was already down the stairs and standing beside the door.

"Well, did you have a nice talk with – what's wrong? It looks like you're worried about something."

Ouroboros breathed out slowly. "Apparently the news that has everybody so riled up was a report from Ashenvale. It seems that the Horde have broken past the front – that they've beaten back my people…"

"Oh my…"

"Yeah… So I'm going to head out there and see what can be done."

The Night Elf started to walk past her and reach for the Bladesong.

"Wait a minute. Go with me to my friend's house real quick and I'll help you get more information on what happened, maybe even the means for you to get over there as quick as possible."

"Hm, why would you do that?"

"You scratched my back, so I figure I can return the favor."

"Selina, you'll have my eternal gratitude for this."

"Hold on, this isn't free. Since your name is too long, I'm going to start calling you Boros from now on!"

(-****-)

After leaving from Kroog's house, Ouroboros and Selina went directly for the Cathedral District to stop by her friend's house. After walking all the way from the Dwarven District the sun was beginning to set, touching the tops of the mountain range that the city lay nestled in.

When they reached Cat's house, Ouroboros left to stand by the fountain in the middle of the courtyard, while Selina climbed over the fence and into the yard.

She didn't wish to disturb her friend's family with what had happened, nor be forced into explaining to Cat's father why she'd decided to show up. However, Selina felt it was best that she tell her friend the fate of those who attacked her. She'd written a letter for the girl to read in private, one that she would be left upon her windowsill for Cat to find when she next opened it.

So, climbing into a crouch upon the wall, Selina slinked her way over to where a part of the house jutted out close to the top of the wall and jumped onto it. She scaled her way onto the roof, and then proceeded to climb up to her friend's window. The task proved easy enough for the SI:7 agent, and in seconds she had reached her destination. Gripping the windowsill with one hand, she used her other to pull out the letter that had been tucked into her belt, and pinned it to the wood surrounding the glass.

Being certain that nobody saw her and passing by no windows, the girl quickly scurried back down. Once she was safely on the wall, Selina jumped down, and went to search for Ouroboros by the fountain. She found him standing beside the glistening waters that spurted forth from the triple rimmed bowls, which depicted glorious carvings of holy figures doing battle against wicked foes. In the fading light of the evening sun, the waters almost looked to be made of gold as they splashed to-and-fro.

As Selina approached him, Ouroboros must have heard her, for he turned around. "Well, is it done then?"

"It is," she said while nodding." Thank you for waiting. Let's go to the headquarters and see if my Commanders know anything."

"Sure thing, you had to do this. Now let's-" but he was cut off from finishing.

"Hold there Brother, we must ask for your name."

Selina and Ouroboros both turned to face the newcomers. They were two sentinels still wearing the tabard of Teldrassil, which meant that their business was direct from their own city.

"Ouroboros Bladesong, Sisters, for what reason do you require my name?"

However, upon hearing who he was, both sentinels sighed with great relief. "We've been looking around Stormwind for most of the day in search of you Ouroboros… You must come with us."

"I do not mean to question your orders, but what for Sisters?"

"We do not know the details, other than that it concerns the Horde's recent attack in Ashenvale Forest. You must come with us."

"Of course, lead me where you will."

"Well, I guess my services are no longer required then."

Then, as if he'd suddenly remembered something, Ouroboros turned back toward his companion. "Selina! Thank you for your generosity, truly. I hope that we'll be able to meet again someday, Selina Torwell."

"Good bye, Ouroboros Bladesong…" She said, while extending her open hand.

Ouroboros looked at the gesture for a moment before reaching out and shaking hands. He then turned to follow the sentinels, leaving Selina by the fountain to stare at him while he walked away.