< Ruins of Silvermoon, Tuesday April 14, Mid-afternoon >
"Thanks for helping me out, man... I know its not exactly the best idea to bring you here." Hayden kept glancing about as the two Aldavirs walked around to the back of the house.
Duke could only chuckle, "It's alright, I done told ya. I'm a neutral merchant, I've been in Orgrimmar plenty a times with the Fence. I got my papers." The older brother pat Hayden on the shoulder.
They came up to the shed as Hayden pulled open the large doors. A mostly intact but deactivated Lightforged Warframe stood in the back of the clearing. It looked pretty banged up but otherwise still mostly in one piece. Duke gave a low whistle, "... Where in the world did you get one a these, boy." He walked up to the machine, running a thumb over the dusty glass. "How long you had this thing??"
Hayden sighed, resting his hands on his hips as he looked up at it. "Early last year when I was in Nazmir for work. Remember? When I met Roy."
"Dude, I told you this story before. You aint that old."
Duke put his hands up defensively, "Hey now, you gotta cut me some slack. These past two years ain't exactly been the most uneventful so fergive me fer slippin on some details."
Hayden snorted and smirked at him, "... You know what, fine. Fine... Point made."
He reached up and patted the metallic body, "But yeah.. Just north of us the Alliance was attempting an assault to push into Zuldazar from the north. Long story short, Horde forces managed to shoot down this bad boy and they were just gunna haul it off to the city. Melt down the gold.. Use it for something else. So I managed to buy it off them before they could take it with them.
Brought it back here and had plans to spruce it up and tinker with it to get it working but... I got too busy. Eventually I forgot about it."
Duke quietly spoke up, "But now... You got the time to work on it."
Hayden gave a weak smile, looking into the empty cockpit, "Yep.. That's the plan.. Figure it'll give me something to do. Take my mind off things."
Duke was looking at his younger brother now, a soft look of sympathy. His voice was quiet and gentle before speaking up, "You.. heard anythin' 'bout Cowabunga..?"
The paladin had a pained look on his face, quietly closing his eyes as his ears lowered. His shoulders sank with them. "... No. ... I'm stuck on what to do. And every day it eats at me. I don't know if they're alive.. I may have sent them to their certain death. I just keep replaying it in my head if theres anything I could've done different.. Was my decision too hasty? Should I have made a point of contact?? Should I go and find them? What if Nynx's family has me tracked? What if I lead them right to him again??" The hot tears were welling up in his eyes again as the panic started to constrict at his chest.
"Whoa whoa whoa, hey now. Hey now..." Duke approached and settled his hands firmly onto the others shoulders. "Hey now, look at me. Just breathe. Deep breaths... Get a hold of yerself.. It'll be alright. You forget who we're talkin' about. That horse a yers is... somethin' else. Cowabunga is a hell of a horse. Right?"
Hayden sniffled but he slowly nodded.
"Same horse who managed to finagle a carrot out of 7 different people at one family gatherin' and the same horse who kept you alive on the Broken Shore and trampled fel beasts to damn death on Argus. ... Hayden you got a hell of a horse. She's smart. Damn smart. She'll bring herself and yer friend back safely. I know it. I feel it in my jibblies."
Hayden weakly laughed through his tears as his older brother pulled him into a comforting hug. The paladin accepted that embrace and held it for what seemed like eternity. ... Hearing Duke's words.. It made him believe it. Whenever Duke said everything was going to be okay.. Somehow, you always believed it.
The brown haired Quel'dorei reached up and pat his brother on the cheek. "C'mon now. We'll go inside and make lunch first. Then we'll get a portal goin so we can move this thing over ta Suramar fer ya before nightfall. Alright?"
The paladin nodded, "Okay.. Can we make grilled cheese?"
"Sure. And I can make us some ice cream fer dessert."
Hayden grinned, "... Righteous."
