Vanesse's Story, page 6

-by Kormok

"Enough!"

A fifth orc shoved his way through the others. His pauldrons were stained a darker red than those of the others, with both the color and his demeanor marking him as a superior officer. The grunts cast seething glares at Kormok one last time before stepping backwards and giving the ground to their commander.

He was a fairly imposing figure, though age had turned his hair white and his face wrinkled. The armor didn't seem to sit right on him, and standing straight appeared to sap his strength. Still, he radiated authority, and Kormok raised a fist to his chest in salute. "Centurion," he addressed the warrior.

"Senior Sergeant," the orc said, returning the salute. "Apologies for their behavior. There has been much fighting recently, and the sight of elves is often enough to drive them into stupidity." The centurion shifted his eyes to regard Vanesse in the saddle. "A prisoner?"

"A ward," the hunter corrected, stepping alongside the dire wolf and taking the reins in his hand. "She seeks asylum in the city, as her company appears to have been attacked and destroyed in the woods of Ashenvale. I do not know how or why they ended up there, and she doesn't appear to understand either."

"You are in luck then," the commanding officer declared. "A diplomatic envoy of her people arrived last week, and they have been granted a seat in Grommash Hold."

Kormok looked surprised, and glanced up to the blood elf.

-by Vanesse

Vanesse shook her head in confusion. "I'm not sure what this means. What is Grommash Hold, Kormok? It sounds important." Vanesse was immediately relieved though to hear this news. If envoys and ambassadors of her people had already reached Orgrimmar, then she would most certainly be allowed in the city at the very least. She sat more at ease in the saddle, her heart no longer filled with fear. Vanesse almost chuckled to herself at how quickly her feelings could change.

"I knew that we would be sending people from Silvermoon, my father told me that envoys were going to be sent to Orgrimmar. I did not think they would be here already." Vanesse smiled at her good fortune. Still, she was not inside the city yet, and her fate, once inside, was yet undetermined. Vanesse decided to hold her tongue from saying anything more, until she was through the gates. The guards still did not look favorably toward her, save for perhaps the commanding officer.

-by Kormok

"Grommash Hold is the seat of Horde power in our lands, the fortress of Warchief Thrall himself." The hunter frowned and turned back to the centurion. "I wish to bring her to the ambassador, if this will be allowed."

The other orc nodded and stepped aside. "Go straightaway to the Hold, Senior Sergeant."

Kormok saluted a second time, then clicked his teeth. Wraith heeled obediently, and the orc led the entourage the rest of the way across the bridge. The streets beyond were strangely uninhabited; there were huts and more fortified structures lining the walkways, but most of their inhabitants seemed to be remaining indoors. What noise and smells there were appeared to be coming from deeper within the canyon, which is where Kormok seemed to be leading them.

-by Vanesse

Vanesse's eyes scanned the empty streets, and looked ahead to their destination as they moved slowly through the streets of Orgrimmar. It seemed much quieter and more lonely than Vanesse had imagined, but she could hear the sounds of business far off, at the other end of the city. She understood now why this entrance was taken. If Vanesse had been brought to the front gates, she would have had to pass through the busiest parts of the city before reaching Grommash Hold, and would have had to contend with the people there. The guards were much more disciplined than others would have been.

Vanesse was not looking forward to meeting with the ambassador of her people. She would have to explain in full what she witnessed in Ashenvale. More likely than not, the ambassador would have her returned to Silvermoon as soon as it was convenient. "At least I get to see the city at least once." She spoke quietly, and smiled, drinking in the sights for as long as she could. "I cannot imagine the ambassador from Silvermoon allowing me to stay, but...we'll see."

-by Kormok

"She is of your people, is she not obligated to assist?" Kormok's mind worked as they traveled deeper into the valley, passing more guards and several merchants hocking their wares in the middle of the streets. The further they went, the thicker the population became, and almost all stares were on the wolf-mounted elf. While there was indeed a slight feeling of hostility, most seemed more surprised than anything.

The winding paths seemed to go on forever, weaving in and out of the cracks between the cliffs above and disappearing into shadowy gullies where red or lavender eyes peered out from their peacebloom haze. A hundred smells assailed them both, everything from the savory aroma of roasting meat to the reeking stink of dung. Orgrimmar was far from a glamorous city by any means.

One final curve in the road brought them to it, the western face of the great fortress, Grommash Hold. A wind cut through the canyons then, gathering the crimson banners in its clutch and tossing them high and proud into the air. To their right, across the path, a twisted and hulking tree grew right from the stone, easily thirty feet high if not taller, with the upper reaches of its trunk snarled into a terrifying visage of warped bark. Upon the thick boughs was chained a heavy metal plate, almost as if it were armor for the tree.

The grunts were plentiful here, as was traffic in and out of the Hold itself. Recruits and veterans alike were a steady stream through the entrance, and none in this part of the city appeared to have taken much interest in them.

-by Vanesse

Upon reaching the hold, Vanesse dismounted from the wolf's back along with Kormok. She nearly stumbled as her feet reached the ground, her legs weak from atrophy after the long ride. The blood elf found her balance, giving herself a moment before she moved again. "I'm not certain. My people are different of late, driven to desperation in light of our addiction, and the Scourge threat at our doorstep. There have been...disturbing rumors of late, concerning what is going on in the darker corners of Silvermoon."

Vanesse shook her head, and swallowed deeply. "We will see what happens though. Right now though, Silvermoon keeps a tight leash on everything they can, I won't be surprised if they send me back." She found it difficult to feel confortable right now, amongst the crowds of Orgrimmar going about their business. They approached the entrance of the Hold, making their way through the orcs, trolls, tauren and undead that had business inside.

The blood elven envoys in the hold itself would be busy for some time before they would be able to speak with Vanesse. This news was not unexpected for Vanesse, but she hoped she would not be kept waiting long. "Its scary really, living in Eversong. The land has a scar, marking the road Arthas travelled through Quel'thalas. In the south, the plagued Ghostlands encroach upon what little remains of what we control of the island. We're assaulted on all sides by everything, we struggle to rebuild and regrow what we can, struggle to fight against the Scourge plague. Its no wonder that our own people are so strict and controlling about what we do. It is what must be done for the survival of our people."

-by Kormok

"That may be the unifying factor that cements any alliance we forge." Kormok nodded grimly, mulling over what Vanesse had said, and walked with her towards the front of the Hold. The masses caught sight of them then, their confused gazes following the pair as Kormok handed the reins of his wolf to a nearby grunt. The orc bowed and led the worg away.

"Stay close to me," he advised, and began to shoulder his way through the throng up the ramp.

-by Vanesse

Vanesse did exactly that, staying very close Kormok as they worked their way through the crowds of onlookers. "I suppose its the same as with your people, and the Forsaken. The Forsaken were the quick to ally with my people, so I heard...I guess its not so surprising, is it?" She tilted her shoulder to the side to avoid getting bumped into by what looked like very sharp spikes on the shoulderguards of a passing grunt. Kormok guided the two through the crowds into the grand hallways of Grommash Hold, where the Warchief himself resided.

Vanesse paused as she glanced into the room, toward the throne at the back. She very suddenly realized exactly where she was, and who was here, and spoke rather nervously. "The Warchief is in here, isn't he? You...you don't mean that I might get to meet him?!"

-by Kormok

"Anything is possible," the orc murmured, barely audible over the din. "The Warchief is often bogged down by the responsibilities of his station. I am a fixture in the Hold when I am needed, but even I rarely speak with him. My contact in the Hold is Eitrigg, who I will need to report all of what has transpired to." The crowd became thicker, the jeers and hoots of conversation drowning out all else until Kormok elbowed and growled the loiterers out of their path. Most stepped aside, others needed to be shoved violently.

The confrontations were mostly posturing. Those who were forcibly moved would turn, bare fangs, and snarl at the hunter who, for all the difference in size compared to Vanesse, was as a small dog amongst wolves. Most backed down when the hunter seemed unlikely to give ground, others earned a cuff on the ear by the heavily armored soldiers that ringed the vestibule.

Finally, Kormok and Vanesse entered the smoky inner hall, with Wraith having vanished somewhere in the multitude. Before them, at the far end of the chamber, the massive throne of the Warchief sat upon a dais, flanked by burning braziers. To each side of the dais stood a steel-encrusted honor guard, grim and silent in their duty.

The Warchief himself cast only a cursory glance towards them as they entered, returning his attention to the petitioner who was speaking his concerns. The mighty leader drummed his fingers upon a skull at the end of his right armrest, the bone over the right eyesocket gouged and cracked. In the Warchief's other hand was a warhammer, the broad head of which glowed faintly even in the light of the fires.

Just to the side of Thrall, one hand on her hip and the other resting on one of the bony protrusions of the throne, another blood elf stood. Her attention, unlike that of the orcish leader, remained upon the two newcomers.

-by Vanesse

Vanesse's eyes fell upon the blood elven representative in Orgrimmar only briefly. She only kept eye contact for the briefest moment, not wanting to draw too much attention from her, although there was little she could do to stop that now. Vanesse walked behind Kormok, finding it easier to simply follow behind him as he pushed his way through the crowds. Her eyes glanced over Kormok's shoulder, spotting the one who Kormok had named Eitrigg. Eitrigg was in for quite a story, it seemed, as was the blood elven emissary more than likely.

Vanesse wringed her hands nervously and impatiently. She hoped this did not take long, and she did not look forward to retelling her story. Her mind had tried to forget, at least briefly, the trials and tragedies of her journey as best she could thinking only ahead to what awaited her. The stares she and Kormok were receiving throughout the Hall were not helping her confidence any either.

-by Kormok

Eitrigg met Kormok's gaze as he approached and offered a gap-toothed grin. The younger orc clapped a hand to the other's shoulder and smiled in return. "Good to see you, old one."

"Aye, you little bugger, welcome home," came the reply. Eitrigg's one good eye slipped to the left and fixed on Vanesse with no small measure of curiosity glinting in its otherwise milky depths. "Who's your friend?"

Kormok released the elder's shoulder and turned, extending his arm towards the blood elf. "This is Vanesse. I discovered her in the Nightsong Woods, and the tale of our journey is most troubling. I had hoped she could find asylum here, and the sight of the elven ambassador is reassuring in that regard." The hunter nodded encouragingly to his ward. "This is Eitrigg. Go on and explain to him what has happened."

-by Vanesse

Vanesse swallowed once, as she began to tell the story of all that had happened to her. "We were a part of a trade caravan, on our way here. We were going to be the first, and the journey was supposed to be by portal. The caravan gathered in front of Silvermoon, I was in a cart with my father. When we went through the portal though, we ended up in Ashenvale forest, instead of Orgrimmar. Before we knew what had happened, arrows started raining over the caravan...I fled into the woods and hid." The blood elf bit her lip nervously, but after a moment continued. "I...I watched the caravan as it was destroyed and burned, and as everyone was killed. They didn't find me though, and after they left I ran deeper into the woods..."

Vanesse related her story, every detail, from the moment of the caravan's destruction, to Kormok's finding of her, and the journey from Ashenvale to Splintertree Post, and all the way to Orgrimmar. She stopped herself as she started describing their entrance into Orgrimmar, realizing that such detail was irrelevant by now. She told Eitrigg everything he needed and wanted to know from her. It had been easier than she had thought it would be to retell her experiences over the past days.

"I'm here, with no family or home anymore. The Kaldorei took everything from me when they attacked. I'm...I'm not vengeful though, but...I want to know why this happened. Why the caravan did not arrive where it was supposed to, and why the Kaldorei were waiting for us."

-by Kormok

Eitrigg ran his fingers through his scraggly gray beard, the muscles around the corners of his eye and mouth twitching as he mulled over the story. Finally, he nodded and looked to Kormok. "This has the makings of a big problem," Eitrigg declared. "If the girl's story is true, this may not be the first or last time it has happened."

"Can you plead her case to the Warchief on my behalf?" Kormok asked.

"I'll do you one better. Ambassador Dawnsinger will probably want to speak with her on this. With blood elves trickling into the city every week, I doubt it will be a problem if she stays here." At that last, Kormok seemed to relax a bit. "There is still a lot of fear and confusion about their presence, as I'm sure you found out." Eitrigg shrugged, then grinned. "I'll take care of it. In the meantime, I have other things for you to attend to, if you're willing to leave the girl's fate in my hands."

Kormok glanced to Vanesse. Her journey from here on out was no longer in his hands.

-by Vanesse

Vanesse nodded to Kormok. "I'll be ok. Thank you for bringing me this far, Kormok, I'll never forget this. I'm safe now, and I'll be well taken care of from here." She glanced behind her toward the Warchief’s throne, where Ambassador Dawnsinger’s eyes still fell upon Vanesse whenever her attention could spare it. She would be well taken care of indeed.

The blood elf smiled a little, and on sudden impulse threw her arms around Kormok in a brief, but light hug. “You’re going to visit whenever you get back to Orgrimmar from whatever it is you’re doing, right? You had better!” She smirked teasingly, before regaining her composure. Vanesse did not want to embarrass Kormok any further in front of Eitrigg than she already had. “Well, assuming I’m still here. I may return to Silvermoon, but I’m going to see if I can at least spend some time here before I do.”

She bowed her head to Eitrigg. “I’ll leave you two be to discuss whatever business you have. I imagine the Ambassador might want a few words with me.” Vanesse took some steps back, and started working her way through the crowded halls. She found a corner near the Ambassador, where the two could clearly see each other, waiting for a moment when the Ambassador would be free to speak with her.

-by Kormok

Kormok blinked in surprise when the elf embraced him, coughing in embarrassment and darkening under the cover of the mask. Eitrigg laughed and slapped the orc on the back as Vanesse moved on. The hunter's eyes lingered for a few thoughtful moments before he focused on his old friend.

Eitrigg's smile faded and his face became grim. "Come with me, Emissary. What we need to discuss is not for everyone's ears."

The two vanished into the crowd.

-by Vanesse

"The girl's story disturbed me quite a bit. To think that one of our own could betray us like that. You've been in contact with Silvermoon, what have you heard regarding the portal summoner?" Ambassador Dawnsinger was not in a good mood after hearing the fate of that caravan. She paced back and forth impatiently on the stone floors, in a private room with another emissary from Silvermoon.

"The mage is nowhere to be found, he disappeared completely shortly after sending the caravan to its death. We found one of his contacts hiding out in Eversong, a dwarf. He is in custody, and will be taken care of," the man responded, sighing tiredly as he tapped his finger against a nearby wine glass. "But I sense that's not all that disturbed you about the girl's story, something else caught your attention, didn't it?"

"Perceptive as always. Yes, there was a part of the girl's story that aroused some suspicion in me. I think the girl has more talent than she is aware of. I want her tested before I send her back to Silvermoon. And I want her watched, Orgrimmar is not a safe place for our kind." The ambassador ran through the story in her mind, going over every detail the girl told her of the brief encounter she and the hunter had with the Kaldorei. It was a typical showing of power from an untrained potential, but she had to be certain.

"I already set a guard on watching her, she's well looked after. She won't come to harm in the city as long as we keep our eyes on her. As for the tests, you're well aware that Grand Magister Rommath has decreed that all magical potentials be trained without exception. Are you sure that's what is best for the girl?" He mused, taking a sip from his glass as he waited for a response.

"We're fighting for our very existence, her wishes be damned. That she be trained is what is best for Silvermoon. I don't like it anymore than any of us do, but this is how things have to be. Besides...if she really does possess the talent, its a gift, not a curse. But enough about the girl. Tell me about this new emissary Orgrimmar is sending to Silvermoon..."