Caravan, The

Chapter One
by Tellas

Tellas scowled as the zepplin glided over the waters of the Southern Sea. It seemed as though there was a lot riding on his shoulders and he had been given charge of an opperation that had gone from a milk run into a complicated ambush proposition. Still, he hoped that the more experienced Tigers would listen to his direction and follow the plan. The tension at the last meeting was off the charts and for this to work, everyone needed to keep a sensible distance from the churning emotions.

The zepplin came to a smooth stop in Grom'gol and the Tong crew got to work moving crates off of the deck and down to where Nargesh and the wagons were waiting. Ben's cousin was safely hidden in a specially designed crate and they made it out of the gate with little incident. Tellas didn't even notice the big orc slip under the tarp of the second wagon.

The caravan rolled up the hill and came to a stop at the main road through Stranglethorn. A very pregnant looking Kya was waiting on the bridge over Lake Nazferiti.

"Ho there Kya! Ready to take a trip?" Kayce called cheerfully from his horse. The human smiled and waddled forward. Tellas came down from his place on the front wagon and offered her his arm. Through her teeth Kya muttered "I'll get you for this, Pretty-boy!"

A big show was made of helping her onto the first wagon, and Tellas hoped it was enough of a distraction to keep any spys from noticing the warriors slipping quietly into the center wagon.

With everyone on board, Tellas turned the wagon northward toward Stonard.

Chapter Two
by Amoia

The forced feeding wasn't so bad. The vile liquids weren't even too much of an issue. Surely, the room could use some more cheer, but it was still survivable.

It was the bars of a cage.

Entrapped, in a place of closing walls, of cackles carrying evil mirth, of mists that weaved through to freedom and back with such mockery, of rats that nibbled on spare rotten flesh with the temptation of sation to hunger, just out of reach.

A cold and Hellacious prison

The shock of another blow to the face woke her up, drenched in sweat, ready to swing again at her captor. Looking about the inside of the wagon brought a wash of unwanted color to her tearing eyes, and it wasn't long before the weight of eyelids pulled their deceit back over her eyes.

Chapter Three
by Tellas

The wagons rolled through the jungle and Tellas spoke quietly into his comm. He tried to make it look like he was having a casual conversation with Kya but was instead going over Krelle's instructions with the hidden blades in the second cart.

"She could attack anywhere along this road but we guess that the most likely spots are somewhere near the bridge to Duskwood, a couple of spots along the Darkshire Road and anywhere in Deadwind Pass. We're to take her alive if we can but if that's not going to happen, make sure to keep her head intact. Krelle knows some folks that can get her to talk even if the rest of her body is left for the vultures. It's critical that we don't spook her. We need to wait until she's on us before we strike, otherwise, she gets away and we'll have to think of something new. Is everyone clear?"

Chapter Four
by Oleandre

Ollie leaned back on her elbows, her legs stretched before her. Without realizing it, she had started whistling to herself until Kennia clapped one hand over her mouth and put a finger up to her own, signaling that she had to be quiet.

While she could be as stealthy as you please when necessary, unrelieved silence sat poorly with her. Pairing this with the fact that she was tall enough to worry about a telltale bump in the canvas if she sat up straight and her need to be entertained nigh constantly, what had promised to be a good old fashioned tear-it-up mission quickly showed itself to be more of a lie-silently-in-the-back-of-a-cart mission.

Arching her back, she reached down and pulled a well-worn deck of cards out of her back pocket. She lifted them to Kennia and quirked an eyebrow. Fancy a game?

Kennia gave a terse shake of her head and a thin-lipped frown, twisting her head to try to hear what she could through the thick canvas, not willing to be caught with her guard down. She was worried, that was clear, the family was being threatened in more ways than Ollie cared to count. Of course, Kennia was worried.

Ollie shuffled slowly and silently, splitting the deck again and again between her deft fingers. She was worried, too. She found out about 'Lu late and it shook her. She had immediately clamped down on hot feelings of bloody revenge. She would be no good to the family if she operated under a bloodlust, as she learned long ago that her unchecked temper was often her downfall. Using Kya as bait had been a shock too. Ollie was a mook, she knew that and was more or less three stages of okay with being left in the dark for all but the pertinent details, but Kya was a friend and she didn't much care for friends dangling on the end of a fisherman's hook.

Ollie shuffled, pushing the aces to the top while she did so. When we find Nightshade, the thought made her smile. Granted, she didn't have "dibs" on taking care of the druid, but a girl could dream of one or two potshots... maybe a few minutes alone, just the two of them and her trusty hammer. May all the beasts in the Emerald Dream help her if the missing members of the Tong didn't turn up again hale and whole.

Yes, she was worried, lying in the bed of the cart, nerves strumming with the promise of action, but people dealt with stress in different ways. Jaw locked tight, Ollie shuffled her cards.

''We need to wait until she's on us before we strike, otherwise, she gets away and we'll have to think of something new. Is everyone clear?''

Ollie turned to Kennia for confirmation.

Chapter Five
by Derona

Derona rides alongside the wagon, shifting in the saddle as she looks around at the jungle and sighs. Seemingly a boring ride so far, something was up but she had only been told it was going to be high risk shipment. She idly draws her sword and begins to sharpen it with a whetstone using her knees to guide her mount. Derona can’t help but grin, if she’s lucky she might get to use it before the day is done.

''We need to wait until she's on us before we strike, otherwise, she gets away and we'll have to think of something new. Is everyone clear?''

Her smile widens as she seemingly nods to herself.

Chapter Six
by Kennia

Kennia's mood anly seemed to sour as time went on and still no attack. It was bad enought to get into her armor in silence withen a moving wagon. Now here she was ready to jump and nothing. The head under the canvas wagon was sweltering and there was no breeze to at least offer some relief. Ollie seemed to find a way to pass the time and she was quiet about it. Kennia wished she could find somethingt o ocupy her but instead she waited, her muscles tight. She ran into her mond what she would do to the Druid Bitch. But for now all she could do is wait and cook.

Chapter Seven
by Oleandre

Ollie unlaced her leather tunic and shrugged out of it. In another ten minutes, she had managed to pick the stitches out of the sleeves of her top and pulled them off as well, leaving her in only a tight cotton vest waist up. Kennia arched a brow at her as she settled back down, but Ollie only shrugged.

She'd fight naked if she had to, as long as it meant some reprieve from the heat. Sweat rolled down the back of her neck and the steam of the jungle condensed annoyingly on her bare skin. Of course, she couldn't bring herself to complain too much, one look at Kennia would still her tongue. Kennia was a warrior through and through and wore heavy plate, not the leather duds that Ollie preferred.

She looked up at the leaves casting shadows on the canvas and wondered how much longer until nightfall. Surely the druid would wait until after dusk to attack. Its what I'd do, Ollie thought to herself, pursing her lips. Uncle Dern taught her to keep her eyes sharp and use the cover of darkness to her advantage and not her detriment.

She shifted again and wondered idly how much more of her armor she would shed in an effort to deal with the heat and at what point, if ever, she would begin to grind on her boss' moral sensibilities.

Kennia gave her a quizzical look and Ollie realized she had been grinning like a fool and sobered up immediately. Better not chance it, she decided, thinking it would be best not have to answer for questions from one boss about why you were naked in a cart with his wife and your other boss.

Still, Ollie prayed with all the power of her decidedly non-devout heart that dusk fell soon.

Chapter Eight
by Murithi

Mur rummaged through her bag, almost burying her entire head into it at times. "Mmrgh, where's that damned lense?" Her face emerges from the bag. "They're garbage anyways." she says, tossing the goggles onto the road. Looking around the caravan, Mur noticed a solemn expression on the crew's faces. She turns her head to her shoulder, eyeing her back and mumbling into her comm. "Come on people... lets turn those frowns upsidedown." She pauses and shakes her head. "If we look like we're expecting death, we'll probably find it. Best if we make ourselves look as inconspicuous as possible. After all... this is just a routine shipment, am I right?" Fastening her bag back to the saddle, Mur pulls her eyes back to the road.

Being out of the loop for so long made Mur a bit cold to this whole situation. She had only really -met- Talula once, and many of the other tigers only a handful of times more than that. Did she hate, this Nightshade character? No. But like many people before her, this particular druid posed a very real threat to the Tong, and that was reason enough for her to do everything in her power to get rid of the pest. And when it came down to it, that is all this mission really was to Mur, pest control.

Chapter Nine
The Bloodscalp scout scowled from the hilltop as he peered at the caravan going through the jungle below him. It looked like easy pickins', but the shamans had all warned the tribe to avoid confrontation tonight. Something about an eclipse.

The troll growled in frustration as the carts slowly wound their way through the dirt path. He spat on the ground and turned away from the caravan, headed back to the ruins that were his home. If he couldn't get a fight on the road, he'd find it somewhere else.

The caravan creaked on as the sun slowly sunk below the horizon, making its way north out of the Vale and into the waiting darkness of Duskwood.

Chapter Ten
by Kayce

Kayce rode along side the wagons, ever watchful of the jungle around them. No signs of any disturbance so far. From what he'd heard about this Nightshade character, she was a real psycho, so he's have to be ready for anything. Having lived through a fairly sheltered childhood, excitement and danger were fun for him. He couldn't wait.

But the hours plodded on and the sweltering heat took it's toll on his enthusiasm. His bottom was starting to hurt from riding on horseback for so long and his armor was beginning to chafe with the humidity. But he rode on without complaint. Night began to fall, and still nothing happened. No trolls, no bandits, no psycho druids.

The caravan entered Duskwood and Kayce was thankful for his good night vision. The place was definitely creepy. He vaguely wondered if they were going to stop here for the night or keep traveling though Duskwood in the dead of night. Neither option seemed very appealing to him.

Chapter Eleven
by Nightshade

The wagon train didn't stop in the gloomy Alliance town of Darkshire. Kya and Murithi rode openly while the Horde Tong kept their faces hidden. The road was steep into Deadwind Pass and the Tigers grew nervous at the grave silence of the place.

Kayce and Derona exchanged glances as they made out dark shapes resting in the trees. Crows. Dozens of them. Silent and still, they watched the caravan climb higher and higher into the mountians. The afternoon sky dimmed as the shadow of the moon began it's journey across the sun. None of these were good omens.

Reims urged the horses of the third wagon on and Ben leaned over and said "Oi don't loik this". They had almost reached the halfway mark of Deadman's Crossing when Tellas signaled the wagons to halt.

She was standing in the middle of the road ahead. She was wrapped in the midnight blue skin of a great jungle cat. On her body were painted the symbols of death and her hands ended in wicked steel claws. A human face peered up from beneath the panther's head and she said in raspy tones. "My mistress Nightshade sends you congratulations, Kya Nali, on the child you will not live to see. She wishes she could be here with you, but she has a meeting with the Master of Tigers."

The words barely had time to make sense before the raiders stepped out from behind their rocks and charged. The sky grew dimmer still as dozens of angry crows took flight.

Chapter Twelve
by Kyanali

Kya, who could not even frustratingly see her own feet, rose shakily to her feet to hear what the female was saying. Her courage had fled and everything was in dizzying disarray. Off balance already from the pregnant guise, she heard the words but they took a few seconds to register.

And then, letting her role of a pregnant woman in rage intersect with the very real horror she felt at the last words she heard, Kya screamed out into the heated air with unbearable fear for Tai, "KENNNNNNNIIIIIIIIAAAAAAAAA!"

As the scream echoed, Kya stood drenched in sweat and panic while the Tigers around her swarmed onto the road where the painted female stood mocking them all.

Chapter Thirteen
by Kennia

Kennia felt the wagon stop but it was the yell that really sprang her in action. Using her swords she slashed throught the canvas of the wagon and jumped down to get to Kya. All her training as a knight with her Silvercrane cousins and Blood elf's came to her mind. She was in pure action and all that was in her mand was defend her family even at the cost of her life. Right away she sees a woman in a panther guise. Thinking it the druidess she moves right in to cut the womans lags from under her. Never before was kennia more sure in a battle then she was at that instant. All her training made her body and blades move together.

Chapter Fourteen
by Vonnacht

Reims grabbed Ben and hustled him off of the cart and alongside. He opened the door, winking at Nargesh and the others inside, and stuffed his friend inside. Slamming the door, he drew his blades and turned, ready.