Somewhere near the Heart of the Forest, Ardenweald
Early Evening
You got this.
Tyra stood in front of a large, plain looking tent. She could hear Haxley and Ashoked talking to each other. The worgen could smell the steaks and roasted green beans out here. She adjusted her dress uniform for what was at least the nineteeth time and stepped through the flap.
"If she gets out of line Pariahas can eat her." Ashoke said in response to an unheard question. The illidari popped a green bean into her mouth to accentuate the point. Haxley smirked at her, then looked over at Tyra. She stood at attention.
"At ease, Tyra." Haxley grimaced when he saw her uniform. "This is bad news, isn't it? Who died?"
"No one, Colonel. I need to speak to you about my orders. Sir." Tyra said. She planted her hands on the back of an empty chair but remained standing. She stared at the plate Haxley was holding so it would look like she was staring him down but not really.
Haxley gave Ashoke a confused look. "What about them?"
"They're stupid." Tyra said simply. She flinched but continued. "I don't want to be stuck in Stormwind anymore."
"I can't trust anyone else to sit on those councils, Tyra. The Old Man's disgraced. Uncle Nate's on assignment. I can't send a Rayne or a Talonaxe to a human court." Haxley said.
Shoulders back. Chin up.
Tyra stood up straight. Now she really did stare Haxley in the eye. A growl came out. "Well. Find someone."
"Excuse me?" Haxley's voice grew dangerously cold. She'd only heard that tone when other Dragoons were insubordinate. A fearful chill ran down her spine. He'd always indulged her. She was the younger sister he'd never had. She knew that. But that indulgence had its limits and she'd just blown past them. She maintained the stare.
"First, it isn't fair. I can't do anything outside of Stormwind like come here to talk to Miss Aliothe or - " Tyra started to say.
"Orders aren't always fair, Dragoon." Haxley intoned. He set his plate aside and stood. Even though Tyra was taller than him she felt like he was towering over her.
"Second, it's stupid to keep me there. That city is crazy! There was a shooting at a funeral! I've seen bombings, murders, and been cornered by gangsters! I spent a week sleeping outside the city walls because of the druid killer!" Tyra snarled. Her voice grew louder, the words came faster. Sense gave way to anger and terror. She kept going. "You can send Isis! Reassign the Old Man to Lunarfall and send Stonebrow in my place! But if you tell me I can't leave Stormwind I'll quit and you'll have to replace me anyway! Think about that!"
Tyra stormed out of the tent. Haxley counted to fifteen and sat back down in his chair. He picked up his plate and resumed eating like nothing had happened. Ashoke smirked at him.
"You aren't actually angry." Ashoke said. She watched the flap that Tyra had just retreated through.
"No. I was afraid she wouldn’t have it in her." Haxley said. He caught Ashoke's look of concern. "Relax, I'll change her orders. I would have even if she'd asked nicely."
"Why not tell her that?" She asked.
"Because she needs a win." Haxley said. He took his time finishing his dinner. Then he went to find his wayward cousin.
Finding her wasn't difficult. She had a routine and I was cheating. She'd shaken her bodyguard. She was alone. This was the time. I waited until she entered the tunnel to tap her shoulder. She spun as she shifted. The hand of the bear-thing wrapped around my torso and slammed me against the wall. The wind definitely wasn't knocked out of me. I'm a professional and was ready for that.
Okay, fine, no I wasn't. Tyra's never shift-punched me that quickly.
The white bear-thing stared at me with those ice blue eyes. She growled. Then she dropped me and shrunk back to her worgen shape.
"What are you doing here, Haxley? Won't you get court martialled?" Tyra asked. She sounded exasperated. I couldn’t blame her after the entourage she’d attracted last night. I stood up and brushed myself off. Then I looked around for any guards. You know, for privacy. Not because I’m technically disobeying orders.
"Only if they know it's me. Ashoke said you sounded worried and ran off. I thought I should check in." I motioned for her to keep walking. We fell into step with each other. I'd brought her on enough jobs that it had become habit.
"I...have a..." Tyra stammered.
"Yeah. I know. Skip the how, that's a story for a happier time that’s not-here. What happened?" Our conversation paused as a group of beggars shuffled past us.
"She got cursed and she doesn't know what it is!" Tyra blurted out once they rounded the corner. Her ears flattened back against her head as she said it. Then she looked at a sign. A wall. Anywhere but at me.
I sighed. "Right. This part."
"Which part?" Tyra asked. She didn't shift back to her human form. She melted. I worried about her ability to control her shape. Maybe her mood affected how it happened? That was a question for another time and another druid.
"The part where you want to do something but you can't." I said. Tyra looked down at the cobblestones.
She snorted. "I don't like it."
"None of us do." I said. She looked up at me again. I hugged her. She sobbed. Tyra's always been off. She's never afraid. She thinks, she builds, and she does. She doesn't worry about the same things you or I do. But this was overwhelming her. She went from from confused to dating to separated by a combat deployment within a few days. That wasn't fair for anyone, much less someone dealing with these emotions for the first time. I let her cry herself out before speaking again. "Besides. When you got cursed you got magical powers."
That got her. She laughed a little. "It doesn't usually work like that."
"Maybe not. But If it happened once it can happen again." I said. Tyra looked thoughtful. She nodded.
"Could, uh, we go hunting bandits or something? In Duskwood? I think there's supply caravans going through there. It'd help her without technically going into the warzone." Tyra asked.
"Only if you tell me all about her on the way down here."
"I can do that." Tyra said. A ghost of a smile flicked across her face. "Let's go."
It's the little things. They way you linger on her him when she's he's not looking. The smile you fake to play the part. The quiet dreams you keep to yourself.
