Pride
Aside from the cold, Northrend hadnāt been so bad. Sure, fighting undead was messy and immensely frustrating when they seemed relentless, but eventually even the Scourge had to regroup from time to time.
Traveling as a part of her human friend Osipās command, Tralaia reveled in scouting these new (to her) lands. Grizzly Hills especially reminded her of her home in Ashenvale, an endless forest of enormous, proud trees and the life that flourished there.
Then, one day while they were determining assignments, Osip asked for volunteers to deliver a missive to Dalaran, the Kirin Torās city which had incredibly moved to Northrend from the Eastern Kingdoms. Tralaia spoke up quickly, especially since the missive was to Osipās other daughter, and Tralaiaās best friend Lithviaās aunt, Natasha Darklight. Osip reluctantly agreed, and soon Tralaia was bounding across the Howling Fjord on Shynaās back, grinning fiercely as her long purple hair whipped behind her.
---
Cresting the hill from Dragonblight, Tralaiaās silvery glowing eyes widened when she first set her sights on the Crystalsong Forest. This⦠this was a Magical Forest. If she had been asked before that moment the most magical forest she had ever seen, she would probably describe the enormous mushrooms in Zangarmarsh on Outland, but this? The trees floating above the ground (reminding her of the islands in Nagrand) and clearly made of crystal instead of wood and bark? Yes, she had a new standard to compare to.
Shyna padded forward, the large nightsaber having enjoyed the journey just as much as her mistress. They didnāt get to just run very often anymore, and Tralaia smiled, reaching forward to scratch the big cat behind her ears affectionately.
āI know,ā she murmured in Darnassian, āWeāll have a nice run back too.ā If the continent were ever safe enough for flight masters, the opportunities to just run would shrink even further, but until then, Tralaia intended to take every single chance she could get.
As they made their way deeper into Crystalsong, Tralaiaās breath caught when at a distance, she spotted Dalaran. The enormous floating island, spires of a magical city extending to the clouds. She had vague instructions on how to reach it, and those instructions started with getting directly underneath the city, but Tralaia wasnāt prepared for a floating city that rivaled anything Nagrand could offer.
---
Tralaia slowly walked down the street of Dalaran, rather obvious as she took everything in. She was not the only obvious first time, well armed visitor, and the enormous muscled cat walking alongside her kept anyone wanting to exploit that fact looking the other way.
After asking a guard for directions, Tralaia made her way through the Magic Commerce Exchange towards the residential spires beyond. However, an incredibly bright flash of color caught her eye, and Tralaia stopped in her tracks, staring at the store front. It appeared to be a flag store, and her heart swelled when she saw the kaldorei crest displayed alongside the other members of the Alliance in one window. That smile faded a little when the other window displayed the Horde and their various member nations, but she had to remind herself this was a neutral city.
Intending to ask about purchasing a kaldorei banner, she headed inside, Shyna left outside and sniffing at a garden box filled with glowing roses.
Tralaia ducked slightly as she entered, the building of course designed more for humans than night elves. She spotted a dwarf woman helping a human woman in Kirin Tor purple robes, and started to circulate through the store, looking over the varied, colorful designs.
There was an especially colorful set of flags that caught Tralaiaās attention, not noticing when the dark-haired mage thanked the dwarven shopkeep, tucking a rolled up orange-tinged flag of some kind under her arm, and departed.
āHallo miss, what can I do for ya,ā the shopkeep, similarly dark-haired to her customer, smiled up at the tall elf. āIshnuāalah, good afternoon,ā Tralaia greeted the dwarf in Darnassian then Common. āI was looking for a banner of my people, but I noticed these.ā The shopkeep nodded as Tralaia gestured at the wall covered in bright colors. āAh, aye, quite eye-catching, aināt they? Thatās our pride collection.ā āOh? Pride in what?ā The dwarf smiles and comes out from behind her counter, walking to Tralaiaās side and reaches up, half holding up a flag of the rainbow. āAye, like for instance, this is a pride flag for everyone, men who love men, women who love women, those who love everyone, those who donāt roll in the hay as it were,ā but Tralaia had stopped listening, staring down at the shopkeep.
āAh.. Iām sorry, you mentioned women who love women?ā
āAye, aye lass! Here,ā she released her hold on the rainbow flag and reached for another, just as colorful but filled with warm colors, oranges, pinks, reds and a white stripe in the center. āThis one here is a lesbian flag, for women who love other women.ā
Tralaia blinked slowly, reaching for the flag as if it might burn her. āThatās⦠not a Common word Iām familiar with,ā she said, slightly in a daze as she examined the flag closely. āAh? No fancy elvish word for that,ā the shopkeep teased with a friendly grin. Tralaia returned it weakly. āThe only word I know is,ā and Tralaia said a word in Darnassian, the one etched into her glaive when she was barely more than a girl and a fledgling member of the kaldorei military, trying to find her way on her own and out from under her motherās shadow.
The dwarven woman startled at the sharp, angry word spoken. āOh⦠lass, Iām sure you must know that is quite the slur against such.ā āYes,ā Tralaia says, voice softer as she is becoming choked up. āIām aware⦠may I?ā The shopkeep nods quickly, and Tralaia pulls the lesbian flag closer, examining the stitching and its warmth as glowing tears start rapidly filling her eyes. āWell, now you know a better word, lass,ā the shopkeep says kindly. Tralaia nods slowly, sniffling as she hugs the flag to her chest, tears falling as she bows her head and closes her eyes, briefly lost in memory.
---
āAbsolutely not. You will not see her again.ā Mother. Stopping a young Tralaia from continuing to pursue a girl her own age. Again.
---
āHey, easy now, youāll grow into that body one day for sure.ā The confident smile, the sweat on her brow highlighting her mandalas, her strong body flexing and rippling as she unloaded crates from Suramar to Zoram, and humoring the love sick young Tralaia desperate to get her attention, to understand the burning warmth in her chest she hadnāt ever felt before.
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Tralaia in her bunk, staring at the harsh word her sisters-in-arms had etched into her glaive and wondering why she was the one being punished when several other pairs among them openly flirted or would vanish for hours into the forest when not on duty.
---
Tralaia opened her eyes, returning to the present, either not noticing or caring about the dwarven shopkeep looking sympathetically up at her. The kaldorei woman straightened, and took hold of the flag she was hugging, then wrapped it around her shoulders as if it were a cape.
The shopkeep smiles kindly. āYou look lovely, miss.ā
Tralaia returns the smile, finally after ten thousand years of living on Azeroth and Outland, knowing the word, the right word for what she was, how she felt.
āThank you. I feel⦠I feel⦠⦠proud.ā






