The Fall of Gilneas – Chapter 10: Poking the Ettin
The Fall of Gilneas
Chapter 10: Poking the Ettin
I followed Queen Mia back into the manor’s entrance hall. Citizens stared at us curiously as we passed. We must have been a strange pair to behold – a worgen and a monarch. She stopped at the foot of the massive staircase and turned around. “My husband is in the observatory up the stairs. Just keep going up until you can’t anymore,” she informed me before giving me more specific directions. “Whether or not you can get him to come down, I thank you for trying.”
I nodded, bowed, and began my ascension. The carpeted steps felt astoundingly soft on the pads of my paws and my hand easily glided along the marble banister. I turned my eyes towards the top of the stairs and examined a large portrait on the wall of the Greymane family – Genn, Mia, Liam, and little Tess. I knew very little of the princess other than hearing of the health problems she’d had a few years back around the time she was born. I wondered if she was running around the halls of the manor somewhere. I wondered what Liam was doing – if he’d cut back on the drinking. He was such a mess last time I saw him. I shuddered to think what he might do now that Duskhaven had fallen, too.
Finally, I reached the landing of the next floor and walked down the hall to the right. Before long, there was an open door on the left leading out onto a large, outdoor section of the house. At the end of that pathway stood a massive stone tower perched on the edge of the cliff-side and overlooking the sea. There were no other structures that looked more like an observatory, so I made my way towards it. Inside, there was a long, winding staircase up to the top. These stairs were significantly less comfortable and quite a bit more claustrophobic than those in the grand hall.
As I climbed, I found my breaths becoming more jagged and my heart-rate increasing. Why am I feeling so freaked out? It started to feel as if the walls were closing in around me. I kept my eyes focused forward, or else I feared I would become dizzy. After what felt like forever, I reached the top of the stairs and was confronted with a large wooden door.
Reaching for the handle, I pulled; but the door wouldn’t budge. That was when I remembered the queen mentioning the king had locked himself in the observatory. Well aren’t I just cork-brained? I knocked on the door, my ears able to hear the noise echoing through the chamber.
“Leave me be,” I could hear the king’s call from the other side. “I am not interested in counsel.”
“My King!” I yelled, hoping he could hear me as clearly as I heard him. “It’s Naomi Malmin!” I imagined he could tell I wasn’t completely human from the quality of my voice. Though, I had noticed I was consistently sounding more and more like myself. Maybe I’m just getting used to it. “Queen Mia asked me to…” I stopped abruptly as I heard the sound of the door lock being released.
The heavy door swung open and I found myself confronted with the weary face of King Greymane. He looked like he had not slept in some time and white stubble had spread across his strong chin. “It is you. Thank the Light you survived yesterday’s unpleasantness,” he commented in a tired voice. He invited me in to the observatory.
The room was open, for the most part, with the exception of the wall containing the door. There were several looking glasses along the railing that ran around the circular watchtower. There was a massive telescope in the center of the room going through the roof and pointed at the sky.
“I had heard that you survived the initial dose of Krennan’s treatment. My apologies for not coming to see you; I’ve had…things to deal with,” he said cryptically as I followed him in. “And, of course, with yesterday’s attack and the people gathering here, I’ve been wracking my brain trying to figure out a solution.”
“I understand, sir,” I responded. I could only imagine the stress all of this was putting on him. A question bubbled into my mind. “Um, sir?”
“Hmm?” he grunted, turning towards me.
“You knew who I really was when I was still…you know…feral,” I started. “How…how could you tell it was me?”
He let out a low chuckle. “I can’t say I’m surprised by your confusion. Worgen do retain some features of their human form; the eyes, for instance,” the king pointed out. Do I really still have my eyes? Then again, other people have recognized me after a while. It made a bi of sense. But why would the king of Gilneas know my eyes? “But that wasn’t really how I knew. I could feel your spirit – the spirit of a warrior – fighting against the curse,” he added, as if sensing my confusion. It was then I remembered Lady Armstead had mentioned that King Greymane was like me. “And you were obviously not my old friend and adversary, so I knew it had to be you.”
“You mean Lord Crowley?”
“Yes…when I came across you, I felt something I hadn’t felt around any other Gilnean citizen with the exception of Darius,” he stated. “So when I felt that again after you were found, I knew who you were, instantly.”
“You said you could feel me fighting the curse. Does that mean…can I keep control of myself?” I asked hopefully.
His face dropped. “It’s…possible…You have a strong spirit, that’s for sure, but it is still a little rough around the edges. Had you had some training, I would say definitely.” He looked at me and saw my defeated expression. “I am in no way saying you are weak…the curse is simply too overpowering. I imagine there are few in this world that are powerful enough to completely take control of it,” he added. His eyes darted away from me for a moment. “Only a few…”
I let out a long sigh and we fell silent for a moment. “The queen sent me to see if you will come and make an appearance for the people,” I finally announced, remembering why I am here.
His face was stone set. “I’m sure she did,” he sighed. “But I have nothing to tell them…I’ve run through the situation over and over and over in my head and I can’t think of an appropriate course of action. Armstead wants us to bunker down and wait things out, but the truth is all the Forsaken need to do is starve us out. Godfrey wants me to release the ferals on the Forsaken to soften them up before sending in our remaining militia, but…I can’t just sacrifice my people like that…” It was somewhat heartwarming to hear the king refer to the feral worgen as ‘my people.’
“What about heading into the Blackwald? What if we took shelter in Stormglen?” I offered hopefully. That would possibly put me closer to wherever Gwen is.
He shook his head. “The thought had crossed my mind, but…” He let out a long sigh. “Having no contact with Stormglen, we have no idea what dangers we would encounter on the journey.”
“Wouldn’t the unknown possibility of danger be better than the identified and imminent threat from the undead?” I asked.
“Perhaps it would,” he grunted. “But the people look to me to lead them to safety…I want to be damn sure I’m leading them to safety.” The king ran his hands through his grey hair. I could see the frustration clearly on his face. Thank the Light I don’t have this level of responsibility. “And on top of that…I have to decide whether or not to tell the people.”
“Tell them what?”
“That Duskhaven is gone,” he stated solemnly.
“Gone?” I gasped.
He nodded. “Take a look,” he invited, indicating to one of the looking glasses facing towards the south.
Hesitantly, I approached the little telescope and pressed my eye up against the looking glass. I let out another gasp; Duskhaven was completely under water, not unlike what had happened to the coast. There was a single standing structure perched on a bit of land that had not been swallowed by the sea. Around it, there was nothing but water and floating debris – remnants of a decimated city.
“The earthquakes were unrelenting and the earth simply continued to crumble into the sea,” King Greymane commented.
“We’re right on the cliff’s edge,” I realized out loud, moving away from the telescope and running over to another railing, leaning over it to try to catch a glimpse below me. “Is the mountain still…solid?” I couldn’t see any evidence of the rock-face weakening.
“As far as I can tell, the mountain has not started to break apart,” he assured me. “But you’re right…if the ground is becoming unstable, who knows how long we’ll be safe here.”
“Maybe we’ll have no choice but to make for Stormglen.”
He heaved a sigh. “Perhaps you’re right.”
The king started pacing back and forth around the observatory. I could tell he was deep in thought, so I decided not to try to distract him. “If only the archmage were still here…he could get us out,” I overheard him mumbling to himself.
That triggered memories of something a couple others had mentioned to me in the past. Prince Liam had talked about experiments going wrong; Mayor Armstead alluded to some level of guilt. I want to find out what’s going on. I need to know. “Sir,” I started, swallowing hard before I continued. “Who is Archmage Arugal? And…what does he have to do with the curse?” I held my breath, hoping I hadn’t asked too much.
King Greymane immediately stopped pacing and turned towards me with a morose expression. “You’re so young; how do you know that name?” he inquired.
“It’s come up a couple times…I was told to ask you,” I responded, wondering if and why he was stalling.
The king let out a monstrous sigh. “I suppose it would. Archmage Arugal was a man very gifted in the arcane arts. Originally, he was sent to us from Dalaran to train Gilneas’ mages; however, over time, he became an important member of my council. When we built the wall – when we closed off the country – Arugal worked tirelessly to figure out some way of protecting the people who were stranded north of the wall. He began talking about these dreams and visions of creatures from another plane of existence and asked for leave to travel and research these visions further.”
Visions? Dreams? It was sort of bizarre to hear. Or, at least, it would have been if I hadn’t seen the things I had recently. It would have been stranger if my body wasn’t the way it was now. I heard a constant, dull hum coming from the west.
“He was gone for two years before finally returning with his answers. He had traveled far to the south and had come across a strange artifact – a scythe of some sort. It had the strange power of bringing these beasts – the original worgen – to Azeroth,” the king explained.
“He brought them here?” I blurted. “Why in the name of the Light would he bring such vicious things here?”
“They weren’t wild; not at first. They were completely obedient to Arugal, as he held the artifact; he brought them here. So I sent Arugal north of the wall, to Pyrewood Village. Baron Silverlaine took Arugal in. For years, the worgen protected our people to the north from the onslaught of the Scourge.”
“What happened?” I could feel myself becoming more and more irritated. The king knew about the worgen. He actually sent Arugal to bring more of them? The hum was gradually getting louder.
The king shook his head. “I don’t know. Arugal used to report in every month. Then he stopped. I don’t know if he’s dead or…One thing is for sure: at some point, the worgen stopped obeying him. And then…well…”
“They came here,” I growled. Anger bubbled up in me. King Greymane ordered the building of the wall, cutting those people off…he sent Arugal to build an arm of worgen to fix his mistake…It all leads back to Greymane. I could hear the voice in my head laughing at my mounting anger.
In an instant, I lashed out and got a large hand around the king’s neck, much like I had with Lord Godfrey in the cellar. My grip was firm, but not quite enough to really choke him; I had enough control for that. I could hear my own loud panting. What…what am I doing?
“It would be so easy. Strangle him. Throw him from the tower! No one will know!”
How did I get to this point? I thought about what Mayor Armstead had said to me. If I blamed the king for all of this, I couldn’t not blame myself for what I did as a worgen. Besides, he was only doing what he thought was best for his people.
“Because I like you…I’m going to ask you this kindly,” the king gasped. His eyes snapped open and I was confronted with vicious, dominating eyes. “Release me,” he demanded with a strong growl.
I immediately let go, backing away with my ears down. I let out a low whimper. What did I see in those eyes? They were somehow different from how they usually looked. I saw a familiar rage and ferociousness there that struck fear directly into my core.
“I’m…I’m sorry,” I sputtered, deeply ashamed. How did I let myself do something like that? I can’t believe I just assaulted the king.
King Greymane covered his face with one hand and took several deep breaths. Before too long, he opened his eyes – they were normal. “I understand your reaction,” he stated, having to raise his voice to be heard above the growing humming noise. “Please, don’t worry yourself over…” The hum had turned into a deep, sustained roar. “What in blazes is that bloody sound?”
We both ran over to the railing facing west. “By the Light,” the king and I both gasped in tandem.
A huge object emerged from the low clouds off the coast of Gilneas. It looked like a boat being held in the air by two massive balloons that floated above it. The wood of the ship was lined with metal and spikes. Even at this distance, I could see the impressive collection of cannons and weaponry that lined its hull and deck. Below it, a fleet of Forsaken warships charged forward towards the shore. The Forsaken that had attacked yesterday were little more than a scouting force. This was their full force – the invading army. And they were coming for us.
“How are we going to be able to fight that?” I wondered out loud. We barely repelled two ships!
King Greymane shook his head solemnly. “We have no choice now. We must move further inland. I don’t like it one bit, but…we’re far too vulnerable here; especially with that airship out there. We have to make for Stormglen; maybe the mountains and forest will offer some protection,” he stated.
I nodded. “What do you need me to do?” I asked.
“Get yourself down to the stables below the manor and get yourself out of here. We have to get everyone on carriages and send them eastbound. I pray it’s not too late,” he responded.
“You’re coming to, right?”
“Of course,” he affirmed.
We both swiftly made our way down the winding stairs, back into the manor and down the stairs. Queen Mia was still waiting near the stairs. Her face lit up when she saw us, but quickly fell when she noticed her husband’s expression. He quickly told her what we saw.
“I’ll begin moving people to the livery,” Queen Mia offered. “Please, Miss Naomi; make your way down there immediately and get on the first carriage possible.”
I wasn’t about to argue with her, having seen the invading fleet. But I couldn’t leave without finding my father and Daniel. I had to make sure they made it out, too. ”I will,” I promised. I spun and jogged away.
I ducked into a side room in search of the others. I couldn’t find any sign of my father or Daniel. I darted from room to room. Word of the new evacuation rippled through the crowds and people started to move out towards the exits. Instead of fighting against the tide of citizens, I followed them outside. I dodged around some people to get away.
“Naomi!” I heard Daniel call out. I turned and saw him slowly making his way through the crowd towards me.
“Have you seen my father?” I asked immediately when he reached me.
“I think he was heading towards the stables already,” he responded. “Come on,” he urged.
I complied and we made our way down the stairs to the stables. As we reached the structure, the first carriage began to roll through the gates down the trail. I could see people sitting on the roof of the carriage. They’re really packing us in these things!
My father was waiting down below, lingering off to the side. He caught sight of me. “There you are! I figured this was the best place to wait for you. Now, let’s get going; I’m not letting you stay behind and fight again,” he nearly scolded.
“Daddy, I know,” I sighed, a little embarrassed by his tone. “I have no intention on sticking around here.”
“Well…lovely,” he responded, pushing me forward.
We found a carriage that still had room. Given my size, I felt obligated to let Daniel and my father get in the carriage while I stayed outside. I rounded the side of the carriage and found Lorna Crowley sitting beside Marie Allen on the driver’s bench of the stage-coach.
“Hop on up,” Lorna invited. I gratefully climbed up next to her. “I’m glad you finally get to take the easy way like the rest of us.”
“Excuse me, Miss Naomi,” Krennan called, walking up alongside me. “I was able to prepare this for you earlier,” he told me, holding up a small satchel. It’s the serum I asked for. “Just in case you were to get separated from us.”
“Thank you.” I slung the strap over my shoulder.
“Come along, Krennan; let’s find a seat on the back,” Mayor Armstead encouraged, coming up behind Krennan. The old alchemist nodded and they disappeared behind the carriage.
A few more Gilnean citizens packed into the carriage and a couple militia-looking types with rifles climbed up on top. At least we have some protection. It felt good to be with the rest of the group for once. The carriage ahead of us took off, clearing the path.
“Off we go. Yah!” Lorna shouted, enticing the horses forward. I nearly fell out of my seat as the carriage lurched violently into motion. It was almost painful to my sensitive ears hearing the clattering of the wooden wheels on the cobblestone below.
As we reached the end of the summit and began down the mountain trail, the carriage picked up speed – so much so that there seemed to be a slowly growing slack on the horses’ harnesses. We sped off to the east. There came a fork in the path – one heading steeper down the mountain towards what used to be Duskhaven; the other heading towards the King’s Gate.
The trail turned from cobblestone to dirt as we sped towards the massive bridge that was the top of the King’s Gate. It offered my ears a brief reprieve from the sound before hitting the stone top of the gate.
As we crossed over King’s Gate, I stole a glance down towards where Duskhaven would have been – nearly a hundred feet below. My eyes widened. Already, I could see Forsaken soldiers on the march near the water’s new shoreline. They must have been preparing to march on the manor and were merely waiting for the reinforcements required to completely overwhelm us. I was sure they could see the line of carriages making their swift escape. Thank the Light they didn’t try to set up camp outside of the manor before the rest of their forces arrived. Taking out their leadership might actually have helped out. But that would be changing as soon as new leaders came with the ships.
The path down through the mountains on the other side of King’s Gate was steep, winding, and littered with rocks, creating a turbulent and nerve-wracking descent into the unknown. The carriage leaned dangerously as we rounded a turn. I hope those guys on top are okay. I didn’t dare look behind me to check, though. I kept my eyes focused forward to keep from my stomach becoming too unsettled.
As we left the mountain pass, I noticed a pair of tracks running off the cliff towards the swamps below. My stomach churned painfully; I had a bad feeling those tracks were fresh.
“Watch out!” Lorna screamed.
I turned just in time to duck as a massive boulder whizzed past where my head had been moments before. I didn’t have a chance to see what threw it, but I had a good idea. These mountains were home to a tribe of ill-tempered ogres under the leadership of an even more ill-tempered ettin.
The end of the mountain trail came into sight – the spot where we reached normal soil. I could see a downed carriage up ahead, lying on its side. There were people cowered behind it. Hulking, humanoid creatures stood on the mountain cliffs to the south, yelling and laughing as they hurled boulders down below.
“Up ahead!” Marie Allen called out.
“I see them,” Lorna assured her.
“Should we stop and help?” I asked.
“It’s too dangerous; we’d risk the whole carriage,” Lorna responded, her voice rife with regret.
I looked ahead. Someone has to help. I caught sight of a young man dressed in royal garb. Prince Liam? The prince is stranded down there? Or…maybe he jumped off his transport to help. I wouldn’t have put that past him, the reckless fool. He constantly threw himself between the danger and the people. Yet another stupid idea popped into my head. I readied myself.
“Naomi, what are you doing?” I heard Lorna question.
“Get everyone to Stormglen! I’ll meet you there,” I assured her. The carriage neared the stranded citizens. Here goes nothing. Before Lorna could argue, I leapt off the side of the carriage and rolled along the ground until I skidded to a halt.
Well that was spectacularly painful, my mind groaned as I pushed myself up. I was going to be feeling that before too long. I staggered on my paws, trying to keep my balance as my head continued spinning. I heard something and jumped back in time to avoid getting run over by yet another carriage.
After a moment, I caught my bearings. Prince Liam ran up to me. He was cleanly shaven and his hair – though still a little longer than he probably would have usually kept it – was tidy. I couldn’t smell any hint of the alcoholic I had seen the day before. “I’m glad to see you can still stand after taking a spill like that,” he commented. “Our carriage got hit pretty bad.” So that was his carriage. It didn’t change anything. “The one in front of us got it worse.” I thought of the tracks off the side of the cliff.
“The ogres got two of our stagecoaches: this one and the one that fell into the marsh just north of here. I don’t know if they’re alive or dead. We’ve been too pinned down here for me to go check,” he continued.
I looked north towards the marshes. “I should be fast enough to make it,” I mentioned, turning back to Liam. “Keep the people safe while I look for survivors. And…um…you might want to start thinking of a way out of this.”
Liam laughed. “I’m sure I’ll come up with something. I have to top my idea on how to handle the abominations.”
“Good luck with that one,” I jested before running off towards the swamp. It wasn’t too far, but it was stressful. Every moment, I expected to get wiped out by a boulder flung in my direction. But maybe the ogres didn’t want me; maybe they delighted more in using the carriages that kept hurdling through the pass as target practice. We need to take care of them soon or more people be at risk.
But, first things first. The ground softened under my paws the closer I got to the marshes. The dry soil soon became damp and cool. Had it not been for my mission, it would have felt nice. Before long, I could feel water squeezing up from the earth between the digits of my paws, creating an audible squish.
I surveyed the marshes. It was like a series of small islands surrounded by tiny paths of standing water. The carriage was near the cliff’s edge, half-submerged in water and mud. There were people standing around it, looking like they were flailing. Are they sinking, too? I began making my way towards them. My own paws began to sink into the muck beneath them, so it was a slow trudge towards them. I did what I could to jump between the land patches. I was sick of letting my fur get disgusting and feeling like a wild animal.
As I drew closer, I could see they weren’t trying to keep from sinking, they were struggling against the notably-sized crocolisks that inhabited the marshlands. I could see their pale, leathery hides ducking in and out of the water as they propelled themselves around the stranded Gilneans with their six short-but-powerful legs. I could actually hear as their toothy jaws snapped shut menacingly. Well…at least they’re not undead.
I lunged forward, leaping on top of the nearest crocolisk. It hissed in what I assumed was a mixture of surprise and anger. The large creature writhed in an attempt to free itself. I sank my claws into its side. You’re not getting away! Without thinking, I pulled it up and chomped violently down on its neck with my powerful jaws, my teeth piercing its scaly hide and biting into the cold flesh beneath. With a monstrous yank, I tore out the side of the crocolisk’s meaty neck. A little raw for my tastes…and definitely not bacon…but not bad. After a moment, it stopped struggling and went limp in my arms.
The other crocolisks turned towards me, hissing. I hopped between them and the Gilnean citizens, crouching down and snarling. I could feel anger ramping up, making the animalistic aspects of my body feel that much more natural and threatening. I heard a couple of the people behind me gasp.
One of the crocolisks rushed at me, its stubby legs giving it a surprising burst of speed. It opened its monstrous mouth, revealing teeth that put my own to shame. I side-stepped and brought my hands down – claws first – into its skull. Pulling back, I tossed it back into the water of the marshes. I didn’t think I killed it, but it knew it had been in a fight.
I turned my attention back to the other crocolisks, resuming my menacing snarl. My fur began to stand on end, extending almost like soft spikes around my body. They continued hissing, but they were slowly backing away. After I could see the water trails headed swiftly deeper into the marsh, I finally stood up straight.
I turned to the humans behind me. They had their hands up with their palms forward, as if trying to calm me down. Their faces with full of fear. Do they think I’m out of control? “Is…everyone alright?” I asked cautiously, taking several deep breaths.
Their faces changed in an instant from terror to relief. Their affirmed they were still breathing, though there were a few who had some minor injuries. The drivers of the carriage hadn’t survived the crash; their bodies were caught underneath the stagecoach when it hit the marsh. I went silent for a moment, staring at the still-sinking carriage. There was nothing I could have done. I had to keep telling myself that.
I shook my head. “Prince Liam and some others have taken refuge behind their own carriage to the south of here. We have to get to them so we can move on to Stormglen,” I instructed them, unable to rid my voice of my lingering regret.
“How many of our people were hit?” one asked.
“I think only two. I haven’t heard anything else get hit,” I responded, perking my ears up and listening attentively, just in case. I breathed in through my nose. Was that…? I began sniffing the air. I There was a bit of a breeze drifting through the mountain pass; I could smell the distinct stench of death. The Forsaken must be on the march. They’ll be on us in no time. “Let’s get going,” I urged. “The sooner we meet up with them, the sooner we’re can get to safety.
We began to make our way from the marshes. I kept my eyes out for any bold crocolisks that wanted to come back to threaten my people. My mind was running wild. If the Forsaken army is already here, can we really run from them? How are we going to escape? From what I had seen, they would overwhelm Stormglen immediately. A crippling sense of hopelessness began to descend on my mind, casting a shadow over everything I ever hoped for the future.
As we made it out of the swamps, Prince Liam and the members of his carriage came into view. The people were still hiding behind the carriage while Liam stood out to the side, surrounded by heavy boulders. Even from this distance, I could hear him shouting taunts at the ogres up on the ridge. I saw him jump to the side to avoid yet another clumsily-thrown projectile. I guess that’s one way to keep the people safe.
We ran across the open field between the marshes and the carriage. Liam ducked behind the carriage as we arrived. His forehead glistened with sweat, but a wide grin was spread across his face. “These ogres are not the brightest little rays of sunshine,” he joked. Is he having fun with all of this? He looked over the crowd that was following me. “I’m glad to see so many of you survived.”
“I can smell the Forsaken. They’re coming,” I informed him quickly.
Surprisingly, Liam’s grin did not fail. “I expected they would be. Actually, I’m quite pleased they’re not here already,” he responded. Despite his elevated demeanor, I could tell he was taking this matter seriously. “I think I’ve got a plan.”
“What about us?” one of the citizens asked.
“We’ll distract the ogres,” Liam assured them. I think I knew who he meant by ‘we.’ “And once we do, everyone make a break for Stormglen. Just follow the road. Once you get near the Blackwald, stay on the path, no matter what,” he instructed. They nodded.
“So what’s this plan?” I was genuinely curious.
“Well, the Forsaken are right on our heels and now these ogres are trying to flank us, Naomi.”
“Yeah, I got that.” Maybe he has still been drinking.
“These ogres, they’re servants of the ettin, Koroth – the meanest, most destructive force in all of Gilneas,” he pointed out. I nodded; I was still relieved to have not run into the angry ettin the other day during the evacuation. “Well…we’re going to poke the ettin, so to speak.” Looks like I won’t be able to avoid him this time. “If we can bait Koroth into charging the Forsaken’s forward force, we should be able to cover our retreat and buy some time.”
“I’m sorry, but how, exactly, are we supposed to get Koroth to help us?” I asked incredulously. From what I’ve always heard of the monster, he did what he wanted, when he wanted.
“The only way it can work is if we make Koroth furious. We could kill his minions, but that won’t be enough. There’s one thing that Koroth loves above all else, and that’s what we need to trick him into helping us.” Liam took a deep breath. “We need to swipe his most prized possession: a tiger-skinned banner,” he announced.
“So you want me to sneak past his ogres and…”
“No, no…I still want you to kill the ogres…or at least some of them. Cork-brained sons of trolls need to get what’s coming to them. Plus, it’ll get Koroth’s attention, at least – even if he doesn’t care that much,” Liam interrupted. “Then, grab his banner and bring it back to me. I’ve got something special in store.” His grin widened.
I looked up the mountain. I could see a rough pathway. It had to go to Koroth’s lair. I nodded. “That’s some plan.” I let out a long sigh. “I’ll be back in a jiff.”
“Give ‘em hell.”
I sprinted toward the mountains. There were still a few ogres up on the ridge. I could hear their raucous laughter. I could see the rolls of fat jiggling as they laughed, their dimwitted, cycloptic faces contorted twisted and bearing their rotten, brown teeth. Stupid creatures, ogres. The only thing they respected was violence, blindly following the strongest brute of the bunch. And, for years now, that was Koroth.
I leapt up, grabbing hold of a large rock and pulling myself onto the path, right near a large ogre. After the last several days, it was odd to actually feel small compared to something; and this thing was at least a head taller than me and about four times as wide. While he didn’t smell of death, his scent was by no means pleasant – a mix between severe body odor and excrement.
“Huh?” it grunted, slowly turning down to look at me. Its single eye stared down at me dumbly.
Without hesitating further, I jumped on top of the ogre and sank my claws into his fleshy belly. The dense pile of filth howled in pain. I removed my claws and blood streamed out of him. As I jumped away, the ogre clutched the wound, unable to stop the fluids leaving his body, gurgling and crying out for help. The noise drew the attention of the others on the ridge. I made a quick observation: not all of them are cyclops. Huh…I never knew that. It didn’t matter how many eyes they had, though.
The ogres were large and very, very slow. Cutting through them was easy compared to the Forsaken soldiers I had fought against before. With those out of the way, I climbed up the pathway. The smell of filth grew stronger. I soon came to a place where the trail opened up to what might have been a part of their encampment. There were the remains of large animal carcasses, partially picked away, lying around the ground. Flies swarmed around above them and I could see little vermin scurrying between the rotting rib-cages. I covered my snout to try to block out the smell. I can’t wait to get somewhere I can actually enjoy this new nose of mine. There were too many dreadfully unpleasant smells as of late.
There were a few more ogres in the camp. They seemed restless; I wondered if they had heard the shouts of the others I had dispatched. I thought about taking them out, but I didn’t want to push my luck. They were slow, but ogres were known for their strength. If I took on too many of them, I might screw up and get myself hurt – probably killed.
Instead, I crept past them and continued up the trail. A little further up, I came to the mouth of a gigantic cave. Out front, a large banner stood, covered in orange and black-striped fur. There was a huge, red hand-print upon it. I suspected it was blood.
I snuck around to the mouth of the cave and carefully peered in. I let out a soft gasp. There he was: Koroth the Hillbreaker. I had heard stories, but I never pictured…this. He was massive – easily fifty feet tall. He had two heads – one was bald and had a look of superiority in its big eyes; the other had long, mottled hair and showed nothing but rage on its face. There was a strange dichotomy to his body. On the side with the bald head, he seemed slightly cleaner and his fingernails were short. On the other side, however, his fingernails were long and unruly, much like the hair on that head. Upon his shoulder sat what looked like the crest of a roof; perhaps his form of armor. He had what looked like the corpse of an entire ox tied to the belt of his loincloth. I thanked the Light that he was wearing clothes; I didn’t want to even imagine what might be under that cloth. Koroth sat in a giant throne of stone. His eyes were open, staring out at his banner; both heads watching it with pride.
He is really not going to like this, I thought to myself as I backed away from the cave. I turned towards the banner, planning my move. After taking a deep breath, I dashed forward, and snatched the banner from its post and ran.
“Who dares to touch Koroth’s banner?” I heard a deep, rage-filled voice bellow from the caves. The sound of it struck fear into me, but in a different way than the dark ranger had yesterday. This was fear of his raw strength. “You puny thief! Koroth find you! Koroth smash your face in!” He was becoming angrier by the moment. I actually felt the mountain shake with each lumbering footstep as the ettin emerged from his cave and gave chase.
But I was already half-way down the trail by that point. I nearly tripped several times as I sped down to the ground. I can’t let him catch me… I also didn’t want him to see me. I hoped that all he saw was a blur as I snatched his banner. This was one creature whose bad side, I really did not want to be on.
By the time I reached the broken carriage, only Liam remained. He must have sent the others on. The smell of death had grown stronger; they were close; really close. I held up the tiger-hide banner.
“You did it! And you definitely got him angry; I heard him myself,” Prince Liam chuckled. “Let’s hope this works.” He strung the banner up on a stick that he broke off from the carriage. “Wait here.”
Liam walked towards the mountain pass. The first of the Forsaken soldiers turned the corner and marched down the road. There was one atop an undead horse in front. He held up his bony hand to order a halt. Liam stood alone, less than twenty feet from the army, in defiance. He planted the banner at his feet.
“You will come no further, Forsaken scum! By the warn banner of the ancient Greymane clan, I expel you from our ancestral lands!” he challenged with a strong voice. He took several steps back.
The Forsaken general began laughing. He dismounted his unnatural steed and walked forward. He snatched the banner. “Worthless mongrel,” it spat with a raspy voice. “I will order our outhouses cleaned with the rag you call a banner!” Some of his soldiers laughed. “Now the time has come…”
A monstrous roar echoed across the sky. Suddenly, Koroth launched himself from the mountain and landed with an earth-shaking crash near the Forsaken forces. “You stole Koroth’s banner!” he bellowed at the undead. There was a humungous club in his beastly hands. “Now Koroth will pummel you into pulp!”
With a mighty swing, Koroth slammed his club into the scores of troops, smashing through them without slowing his stroke. At once, the Forsaken troops began to scurry about, trying to engage Koroth. The ettin continued to swing away, crushing more and more Forsaken with each blow.
It…it worked! I couldn’t believe it. I wondered if Koroth would ever figure out the deception – that he was helping the Gilneans without realizing it.
Liam walked up to me calmly. “Better than the barrels and the abominations, yeah?” he chuckled.
“I should say so,” I said in disbelief, watching the chaos ensue behind him. “Koroth will cover our escape. It’s time to regroup at the fishing town of Stormglen. I’m led to believe that there will be shelter and supplies for us there; at least for a little while.” I hope there are the supplies Krennan needs out there. I patted the satchel at my side. We must meet with Lady Armstead; my father will have left her in charge of taking care of our people,” he explained. I nodded, having already assumed as much.
We began walking up the trail, my ears still tuned in to the carnage that was going on behind us. “So how long do you think Koroth will be able to hold them off?” I wondered.
“I expect he’ll push them back and make them rethink their strategy. But I don’t think he’ll be able to hold them off forever. But hey, it kills two birds with one stone,” he responded with a chuckle. “You fought well, Naomi. The Light has truly blessed us when it gave Gilneas you.”
“I don’t know about that, but thank you,” I responded quietly. My body began to ache. I imagined I was probably starting to feel the effects of taking the tumble off the carriage. That, and climbing up and down the mountain was not the easiest of tasks, especially when being pursued by an enraged ettin. “I’m just glad we’re safe.”
“Oh, we’re not safe. Far from it,” Liam commented. “But we’ve earned ourselves a breather. We shouldn’t have anything to worry about for at least a couple of days.”
“I hope you’re right. Your father seemed worried that the Blackwald wasn’t safe. I’d hate to have to worry about both the Forsaken and what could be lurking amongst the trees,” I sighed. To a degree, I knew what lurked amongst the trees. Gwen’s out there, somewhere.
I stared off ahead of us. I could see the dark trees of the forest approaching. The road we were on would go through the southern edge of it into Stormglen. From there, we would be surrounded by the Blackwald. Having studied the maps of Gilneas in the past, I remembered there being another path from Stormglen into the mountains to the northeast, but that went straight through the heart of the forest. If there really was anything malicious in those trees, that road would be a deathtrap.
Prince Liam nodded. “I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors of a particularly nasty worgen that has been prowling the Blackwald,” he mentioned. That’s Gwen; I’m sure of it. “And there’ve also been reports of more worgen activity in the area in general.” He cleared his throat. “Hopefully, if we don’t bother them, they won’t bother us,” he added.
I let out yet another sigh. Now that we had been forced to leave the manor and come down here, it presented the perfect opportunity for me to go and finally look for Gwen. But, what if she really was that one worgen everyone was talking about? Would I be able to find her? If I did, would she try to kill me? Could I beat her if she tried it? Not likely with as sore as I am. I decided it wouldn’t be wise to try to go out tonight.
It was getting late by the time we reached the dark and twisted trees of the Blackwald. Most of the leaves were gone and it was hard to tell if the trees out on the edges of the forest were even still alive. It was incredibly creepy.
Liam and I fell silent as we passed through the trees. I was listening carefully for signs of threats. The breeze rustled barren limbs of the gnarled trees. Somewhere nearby a twig snapped and I visibly jumped. I’m a seven-foot tall humanoid wolf and I probably just got scared by a squirrel. I am pathetic. I forced myself to take several deep breaths to stay calm. If I get too worked up, maybe the curse will take over again. I don’t know why I assumed that, but it seemed to make sense to me. Again, I patted the satchel at my waist. I knew I’d be back in Stormglen by tonight, but it gave me a bit of peace of mind knowing I had access to the treatment myself.
My stomach started growling. All I’d had for lunch was a little bit of bread. I became aware of how dry my mouth was, too. I really hope they have food waiting for us. I recalled the bacon from this morning; it had been heavenly. My mouth watered just thinking about it. Would there be anything even close to that left out in Stormglen?
After what felt like forever – what with my increasing hunger and my body becoming more and sorer from pain and exertion and all – we came to the gates of Stormglen. There was a large building just inside that resembled an inn. I could see the carriages sitting next to this structure. Some tired people sat around them. No one seemed to be talking at all and they all just looked…defeated.
“I had better go find my father. I’m sure he would like a report of the afternoon’s events,” Liam mentioned. “Thank you again, Naomi. Go rest. I’m sure there will be more to do soon.” Finally someone who doesn’t pretend like they’re not going to ask me to help again.
I nodded and bid him good night. I wandered towards the inn, sure that that was where I would find Mayor Armstead. She would be able to tell me where to find my loved ones. As I walked up the stone road, I gazed down to the town beyond the tavern. It looked deserted, with the exception of a few small groups of evacuees moving about. The street lamps weren’t lit and there seemed to be only meager lighting coming from any of the windows – like someone just lit a candle and decided that was enough. I could see the shadow of a dark lighthouse just to the south along the coast. It all just looked very depressing.
I stepped into the inn. I could tell it, too, hadn’t been inhabited for quite some time; until recently, that is. There were cobwebs in the corners and between furniture. With the exception of where it seemed people had been working, a thick layer of dust had settled on all of the surfaces.
I peered around. There were many people inside, most sitting at tables and just all-around looking miserable. I could see Lorna Crowley sitting in a chair in the corner, reading through a very musty-looking book. Mayor Armstead was standing near the back wringing her hands while my father paced back and forth near her. Daniel was nowhere in sight. Everyone looked up as I stood in the entryway.
I took a deep breath and marched towards them. My father met me half-way and gave me an open-handed whack on the side of my head, a scowl set on his face. I stood there, stunned; staring down at my father. “You cork-brained little…” He stopped and let out a deep breath. Then, he threw his arms around me. “Stop doing that! You were supposed to stay with the carriage.” The tone of his voice crushed my heart.
“You gave us all quite the scare when you jumped,” Mayor Armstead commented, walking forward and placing a hand on my father’s shoulder to separate us. “But it’s good to see you made it, Naomi. We were worried when the group returned without you or the prince. It looks like most everyone made it.” She looked around at the downtrodden citizens. “We’re not doing too bad so far for an emergency evacuation,” she stated. If this isn’t bad, I don’t want to think about what horrible would look like.
“I’m sorry,” I apologized quietly, feeling oddly ashamed.
“No…don’t apologize. You saved those people,” my father told me in a considerably more calm voice. “You just had me worried sick about you.” He took another deep breath. “You’re still my little girl after all.”
I remained quiet for a moment. “Where’s Daniel?” I finally inquired. Mayor Armstead and my father exchanged glances. “He’s…out in town helping out with the evacuation efforts,” Mayor Armstead responded after a pause. It sounds like they’re keeping something from me. “He needed a distraction after he found out what you did, so we put him to work. We’ll send word that you’ve arrived safely; I’m sure he’ll be along post-haste.”
A trembling hand landed on my shoulder and I spun around. It was Krennan. “Miss Naomi…a word,” he said in a quiet, worried voice. Oh no. Bad things always happened when he looked this nervous.
“Krennan, not now,” Mayor Armstead implored.
He shook his head. “No, she needs to know.”
I could feel my stomach tightening. Is it about Daniel? Did something happen? “Know what?” I asked frantically. They couldn’t not tell me now.
Krennan cleared his throat. “The crates containing the rest of the serum to help you keep control over the curse was in one of the carriages that was wrecked by the ogres,” he announced in one breath. “And…I can’t seem to find anything that might allow me to make more,” he added with regret.
Shit. So the satchel at my side was all that was left – a week’s worth of the treatment. “So I don’t have much time left as me, huh?” I clarified. Everyone looked away from me, affirming my statement. We were silent for a long while. I let out a long exhale. “Well, looks like we need to find a quick way out of this mess, huh?”
That seemed to lighten the mood ever so slightly. “We’ll figure something out, I’m sure. We always have so far,” Mayor Armstead sighed. “But now, go get yourself some dinner; we’ve got stew on the pot at the hearth. Rest up and we’ll start hatching a plan tomorrow.”
I nodded and walked past the mayor. I wasn’t sure how long I would be able to keep my composure. I thought I had a month…now I only have a week. I had no choice but to tell Daniel. But tell him what, exactly? How could I break it to him? He had been so…hopeful…about our relationship; this would crush those hopes completely.
My father fell in beside me as I followed the scent of food. It wasn’t the most enticing aroma I’ve smelled, but it was more than a welcome change from the stench of the undead and ogres. That I could do without, entirely.
“I’m scared, Daddy,” I muttered under my breath so no one around could hear.
“I know you are. I am, too,” he responded warmly. “Like Gw-Mayor Armstead said, though; we’ll figure something out,” he encouraged. It was at least slightly amusing having caught him almost speaking so informally of the mayor.
“I hope so…I really do,” I wished out loud. “I don’t want to go back to being…that. I don’t want to have to watch myself do those things without being able…” I stopped myself, remembering that I had lied about what the curse had felt like to my father. “…stop myself,” I finally finished. My father didn’t respond, but he did seem rather pensive. It was killing me not knowing what he was thinking, but I didn’t feel brave enough to ask.
Someone handed me a bowl of the stew. I looked up and blinked a couple of times when I recognized the barmaid from the tavern at Duskhaven. Looks like she finally came around to serving me. I thanked her and she actually thanked me back. Great…people may like me now, but that’s not going to last much longer.
That led me to a single, devastating realization: if I live long enough to return to becoming feral, it’ll taint my memory. It’ll undo everything I’ve done – every relationship I’ve sought to repair. I didn’t know which option was worse: dying or becoming an animal.
I wandered away with the bowl and plopped down in a chair near Lorna. “You look exhausted,” she commented, peering over her book at me. “Probably sore, too, with the speed we were going when you hopped off. Everything alright?”
It occurred to me that she may not have heard what Krennan had said earlier. “Besides there only being enough of Krennan’s potion to keep me sane for another week, then yeah,” I muttered in frustration.
Lorna put the book down and stared at me. “You’re serious?” she asked. “Well ain’t that a bit of bad luck.” I’d say it’s a little more than that. “You need to talk about it?”
“Not really feeling like gabbing on about it all night. Light knows I’ll have to face it eventually, though,” I responded.
“Suit yourself. When you need an ear…”
“Thanks.” Lorna went back to perusing the musty pages. I could tell from the appearance that it had seen better days; the tattered binding seemed to just barely be keeping the pages in. “Lorna, what are you reading?” I asked curiously. I expected she would be the type of person to take better care of things like this.
“I’ve found a journal by a man named Bradshaw. The pages were falling out, and I think some of them might be out of order, but I’m trying to piece together what happened here after the curse broke out. Who knows…maybe the people in this town found a way out. Maybe there are still survivors out there. Maybe my father is still alive,” she responded in a sort of rambling tone.
I could tell the last part was simply wishful thinking. I also figured she meant she hoped he was still alive and not a beast. “Anything interesting?”
“Oh, there are loads interesting, but nothing terribly helpful yet. It will take some time, but I’ll try to make sense of what I have. It doesn’t look like everything is here.”
I turned my attention to the bowl of stew. I could see little chunks of meat and other difficult-to-identify food…potatoes, maybe…floating in the broth. My stomach growled again. Maybe I shouldn’t eat it. Maybe I should starve myself. The last time the curse took hold, I seemed to have some sway over it when it was ravenously hungry. But, then again, a starving animal is just that much more dangerous.
I let out a sigh. I’ll figure out a way to deal with myself, but I don’t want to be in constant pain and weakness. Besides, I’ll need my strength if I’m going to find Gwen. But was that really such a good idea? What would I do now if I found Gwen? I couldn’t possibly bring her back here; there would be no way to return her to sanity. Maybe she could be the one to put an end to me. I shook my head to dispel the thought. I didn’t know what I was going to do when I did, but I knew I needed to find her.
I raised the bowl up to the end of my snout and tried to pour some into my jaw, careful not to let any spill out of the side of my elongated mouth as it went back to my throat. It wasn’t astoundingly delicious, but it did the trick. “Do you really think there are survivors?” I asked after a moment.
“There weren’t any bodies when we got here. They had to go somewhere, right?” Lorna responded.
“We have heard rumors of survivors further in the mountains, near Tempest’s Reach,” Mayor Armstead interjected, walking up near us. “We’ll send scouts there immediately, but I am concerned about what lurks in the Blackwald. I have no idea if it’s safe to move the people.”
“It’ll be safer if you do and leave me here,” I stated.
“Oh poppycock,” the mayor scoffed. “I promised you before that we’d make sure to keep you safe in the event you lost control. Even if there is a…temporary lapse in your treatment, we’ll get it going again.” But how many lives will I endanger when they try to cage me? And what about transporting me? If the Forsaken are pursuing, I’d just slow them down. I didn’t bring up any of these points of argument. There may be time for that later.
I consumed more of the stew to give me an excuse not to start arguing about this. A few minutes later Daniel entered the inn. I watched him with saddened eyes as he marched towards me. I have to tell him.
Just like my father, Daniel praised the Light for my safety. But, instead of hitting me, he just stood there, awkwardly looking like he wanted to say something. “Naomi, I need a word with you in private,” he finally declared.
I threw a glance over at Lorna, who jolted her head to the side. I nodded, rising to my paws and setting the bowl on the table. This is probably better; I don’t want other people being privy to this exchange. I let him lead me up the stairs and down the hall to an empty bedroom.
We sat side-by-side on the bed. Daniel seemed really nervous; which only made me look more and more uncomfortable. “So…I…I had something important I wanted to talk to you about,” he finally stammered.
“I have something I need to talk to you about, too,” I replied with a long sigh.
“You go first,” he offered.
I shook my head. “No, you go first.” I wanted to procrastinate as much as possible.
Daniel took a deep breath. “Well…you and I had talked about…you know…you and me staying together. Well…” He began fumbling around the front pocket of his jacket. Uh-oh. I started to guess where he was going. “With as uncertain as the future is, I thought…I wanted one thing that was…you know…” He cleared his throat. “More certain. While you were gone, I…” He took another long, deep breath. “I spoke with your father. I told him I didn’t care if you were covered in fur or had horns and leathery wings. I convinced him I was serious.”
“Daniel…” I started. Is he really doing this? Now? I shuffled uncomfortably.
“He gave his blessing for me to ask…for your hand,” he concluded, producing a fairly simple bronze ring. “I…I know it’s not fancy, but I didn’t have a whole lot of time or materials,” he started to stammer nervously without awaiting my response.
I scratched the back of my head. “Well, fuck…”
Daniel looked really taken aback. “I’m…sorry?”
I buried my face in my hands. “I should have gone first,” I groaned.
“What…what do you mean, poppet?” he asked, his face falling further. “What’s wrong?”
“I only have a week left, maybe,” I cried. My nose stun fiercely as tears accumulated in my eyes. I relayed Krennan’s report. “I know…I know you’re hopeful…you’re sickeningly hopeful. It’s so sweet, but…” I looked straight into his eyes. “I…I can’t…”
“But…last time the curse took hold, you didn’t kill me at Keel Harbor. Maybe you could control it,” he pointed out optimistically. He put his hand on my knee.
“I’m going to kill him first, the moment I’ve wrested control from your vile potion,” the voice in my head promised. “I’m going to tear his jaw off and shove it down his exposed throat.”
I shook my head. “I don’t think I could stop it, this time. I wouldn’t be able to ensure your safety,” I explained sorrowfully.
“Naomi…you can’t ensure my safety anyway,” Daniel pointed out. “We’re being chased by an army of malicious, sadistic corpses. You have a week? We could be dead tomorrow.”
I opened my mouth to respond, but I had to pause. That’s…true. “Then what would be the whole point?” I wondered aloud. Why would he even bother to ask if he knew we could be dead at any minute?
“The point is…if we’re going to die…or, whatever…I want to die knowing that we, I don’t know…had something,” he responded. His voice was unnervingly calm. “Do you love me, Naomi?” He stared directly at my eyes.
“I do, but…” I began to protest.
Daniel put a finger on the tip of my snout, resting it on my nose to silence me. “If we weren’t likely going to die …would you marry me?” he asked. Something about the conversation had taken the pressure off him and he spoke much more confidently.
“I…I would, but…”
“And if you weren’t in danger of losing control of yourself in the next few days, would you marry me?” he interrupted.
“…Yes…” I finally responded in an oddly defeated tone.
“Then I’ll ask you again.” He held out the ring. “Naomi Malmin…will you be my wife? I know it’s insane…I know there’s basically no chance there’s a happy ending for us. But even so…I want the end to come with us together. And on the miniscule chance we make it through this, our love will only be that much stronger.”
This really is insanity. “I must be barking,” I sighed, reaching for the ring.
A sheepish smile spread across Daniel’s face. “Well, you are a…”
“Finish that joke and I promise you you won’t have to wait until the curse comes back before I kill you,” I threatened quickly.
He laughed. “So you’re saying you’ll marry me?”
I picked the ring up off his palm. “I suppose I am,” I replied. I turned it over in my hands several times.
“That wasn’t so hard, now was it?” he taunted, moving closer to me.
“Well I’m sorry I expected a marriage proposal to require a bit more…permanency,” I responded.
“I wish we had a little more permanency,” he acknowledged. Daniel laid his head on my shoulder. “But let’s enjoy it while we can, yeah?”
“Yeah.” I slipped the ring onto the fourth digit of my left hand. It fit perfectly around my worgen-sized finger. How in the name of the Light does he know my finger size? “How did you…?”
“Unimportant,” he threw in quickly. I dropped the subject; I didn’t want to spend the time dwelling on it.
“So…what do we do now?” I asked. How’s it supposed to feel being engaged? I felt…different… but I couldn’t really pinpoint why I felt different.
Daniel shrugged. “I’m not sure…” He started laughing. “I didn’t plan this far ahead. To be honest, I never thought I’d be able to talk you into it.”
I tried to suppress a laugh, failed, and accidentally snorted – which made me burst out in laughter. I felt an overwhelming wave of affection for Daniel. I can’t tell if he’s oblivious or just that optimistic. How could he just go headlong into these things without thinking them through? Wait…isn’t that…I do that, don’t I? This man and I are meant for each other. While laughing, I went to put my arm around him and I must have moved weird because pain shot through my side. “Ah!” I gasped, wincing in pain.
“What’s wrong?”
I massaged my side. “Nothing…I guess I’m just sore, still,” I responded. “Don’t worry about it.”
“Let me have a look,” he requested, reaching for the edge of my shirt.
“What, so you’re a doctor now?” I replied sarcastically.
“No, but I’ll have a look anyway,” he shrugged. I put up no resistance as he pulled my shirt and pants off. He’s my fiancé, after all. It was strange to think that word. He quickly discarded the clothing. “So where does it hurt?”
I pointed to my side and he began to massage the side of my abdomen. I fell back onto the bed, swung my legs around, and closed my eyes. “This fur is pretty soft,” Daniel commented.
“Shut up and just keep doing what you’re doing,” I muttered. He obeyed and continued working his hands around my side.
“Do your feet hurt?” he asked.
“They’re paws, now,” I corrected. Why did I say that? “And yes.” I bent my knees with them pointed towards the ceiling. Daniel grabbed one of my paws and began to rub his thumbs into the pads on the bottom. I let out a quiet moan; it felt really good. It was like the pain was just fading away. He forced my ‘toes’ to spread out ever so slightly as he maneuvered his hands around my paw.
After a moment, he stopped. I felt him moving on the bed. “Daniel, what are you…” I started, opening my eyes. He was right over my face. “Ack!”
He ran a finger along the top of my snout. “This fur is particularly soft,” he stated quietly. I tensed up; I don’t know why but it felt incredibly vulnerable with him stroking my furry nose. Then, he bent in and planted a kiss right between my eyes. “So do you think if we…” He raised his eye brows. “You know.” I nodded. Yeah, I get it. “Do you think I’d catch the worgen curse?”
I opened my mouth and then shut it. Uh… “I…actually have no idea,” I responded. Does it work like that? I know bites spread the curse. Could I even transmit the curse under the effects of Krennan’s serum?
“Should we ask Mister Aranas?”
I pushed him off. “No way in hell am I asking him that!” I snapped. I’ve never been a particularly proper woman, but I wasn’t so crass as to discuss such things with a man like Krennan.
Daniel chuckled. “Okay, okay…”
“Better not risk it. Maybe if we had more of Krennan’s potion, but…” I trailed off. I can’t believe I would even consider the possibility of infecting him even we had the treatment available. “No, we shouldn’t.”
Daniel looked legitimately put off. “Fine,” he sighed, rolling to the side and lying next to me.
“Sorry.”
He rolled over on his side and began running his hand up and down my belly. “Curse or not, you’re an amazing woman. I pray to the Light I actually have a chance to marry you.”
His hand ran over a couple of particularly sensitive spots…a good sensitive. It took quite a bit of attention not to let out a gasp. “You’re…not too bad, yourself,” I managed to respond.
“What are these bumps?” I heard him wonder aloud as his fingers brushed over the spots again.
“St-stop that,” I requested weakly.
He shifted around to get a better look. Then he started to let out a manly giggle. “Love, did you know you have extra nips?” he laughed.
“What do you mean I h-ah!” My voice fell flat as he pinched one.
“I didn’t know worgen women had six nipples.” He really seemed to be enjoying himself.
Neither did I. I slapped his arm away. “That’s not funny.”
“It’s hilarious.”
“Just…stop,” I snapped impatiently. I was sick of feeling so…different. For a moment – one single moment – I wanted to feel like a normal person.
“I’m sorry. I just want to help you feel comfortable in your skin,” he apologized, resting his head on my fur-covered breast. His body fit perfectly between my body and my arm.
A pang of guilt swept over me. “I’m sorry,” I apologized. “Let’s just…enjoy the evening, okay?” I’ve done enough fighting for today.
While we lay there, innocently just holding each other, an undeniable sinking feeling began to build in the pit of my stomach. Recent history has shown that something out there doesn’t want me to be happy. At every turn, something new would come up to make my life worse and test my sanity. Now, I would spend the next few days playing the happy couple before our tragic, but inevitable end. And I still had so much I had to do before I lost everything. What have I gotten myself into? And why did I allow myself to drag Daniel down with me?
As I tried to drift off to sleep, fiancé still in my arms, I continuously ran through the situation in Gilneas. I didn’t know what the plan was, but I knew I had to help. I didn’t have much time left, but I could use that time to ensure my Daniel made it out of this.
But there was someone else I had to find, first. She reached out to me in dreams. She wanted me to find her. And do what, I’m not sure. Maybe she wanted me to end the suffering I was all too familiar with. Regardless, I needed to find her. I’d figure out what to do from there when that time came.
Being so close to the Blackwald, I prayed that time would soon come.
Mind of Malm 