Forbidden Alliance Ch 11

Finder's Seekers

Throughout her stay with her cousin, Sasha and her newfound allies had planned what they would do, toward Gorthan's, Taz'jani's, and Utakis' rescue effort. Their first stop would be of course Stormwind, they must somehow access the prisoner manifest held in the Stockades. Sasha knew enough from what her father told her, that records of prisoners were indeed kept, and hopefully they could find out just where Gorthan had been transferred. The trail was not altogether cold, even though it had now been well over a year.

Erin could easily teleport them all directly to Stormwind, Redridge though was not so easy, they would have to ride. Sasha had to confess she really didn't understand the mechanics of teleportation, and portal magic, and why they could teleport to one location, but not another, but she trusted her friend when she said direct travel to Redridge was not possible.

Kali'vas owned his own hawkstrider named Arturias. It was a very handsome creature with golden glowing eyes much like his own, and a shining array of black feathers, that shone purple and green in different lighting. This rather large bird was swift, but it could only carry one rider.

Erin was going to have to ride double with Sasha on Frostfyre.

Well, they had a plan of sorts, and tomorrow they would attempt to enact it. They had no idea if it would work, but they were going to try.

*****

Kali'vas had arrived early to Erin's apartment, the rising sun was beginning to turn the sky a surreal shade of pink. Sasha had already made the dreaded step climb to take Frostfyre to the park, they had everything they needed packed and at the ready.

"All right then, this is it, is everyone ready?" Erin announced.

"Most certainly my love." Kali'vas seconded.

"Yes,' Sasha said. Readying herself for she knew not what.

"All right." Erin closed her eyes and began her spell.

Sasha decided to close her eyes too, she still felt a bit uneasy at this kind of portal magic, and she rested her hand on Frostfyre's shoulders. The close contact greatly calmed her.

Suddenly there was a great deal of noise, Sasha was aware of many individuals around her, other than her friends. She opened her eyes, and they were in the bustling Stormwind portal room.

"See, nothing to it," Erin announced cheerily.

Sasha smirked at her cousin. "I think we should try and remain as anonymous as possible, considering what we are about to do, though I'm not so sure how we can do that with my companion," she said frowning a little, at once pulling the full hood of her cape over her head.

"Good idea," Kali'vas replied. "The Alliance are not too fond of us blood elves either, even if the Silver Covenant are allies."

"I know what we can do," Erin said, "it will look a little odd, but this might help." She took a pretty scarf out of the depths of her bag and wrapped it about Frostfyre's muzzle. Hiding her telltale tusks, at least now she could pass for just an extra large wolf. Frostfyre accepted the makeshift muzzle without protest. She had become very accustomed to having her fangs wrapped.

"Well guys, where do we start. Redridge or here?" Sasha questioned.

"I think it best if we get rooms, there we can strategize and plan." Kali'vas advocated as they left the crowded vestibule.

"We would be pretty anonymous at the Slaughtered Lamb," Erin suggested, as she turned to look over her shoulder, and up the winding pathway toward the rather shady establishment.

"Oh, I don't know if it's wise to stay with a bunch of warlocks. I say we get rooms at the Gilded Rose, it's within striking distance of the Stockades." Sasha countered, not feeling at all easy over Erin's suggestion.

Fortunately, the weather was cold, and most about them also had their faces shrouded, against the icy wind. So they didn't look in any way suspicious to passers-by. The trio meandered along the snow-covered pathways of the Park quarter and crossed the bridge toward the Trade district. Sasha could not help but turn to gaze at the forbidding entrance to the Stockades as they crossed over. She stared down at the almost frozen waters, that drifted sluggishly in the canals below.

They found their way to The Gilded Rose, Crier Goodman was announcing all the latest happenings as they passed. One event was to Kali'vas, most noteworthy.

"You see, they are starting to talk about the scourge here too," Kali'vas mentioned. "Looks like there might be some substance in those rumors after all."

"By the Light! I really hope not!" Erin said, distress in her tone. "Scourge in the Eastern Plaguelands again! I hope they are wrong."

The door always stood open at the gilded Rose, in fact, it didn't seem to have a door at all. The establishment was open twenty-four hours a day, every day of the year, except early on a Tuesday of course, to many complaints from the locals. Innkeeper Allison was always on deck to welcome travelers and hand out hearthstones.

Erin and Sasha tried to stay as obscured by their heavy cloaks as they could. They had decided that Kali'vas should do the talking, he was a stranger here after all. The two girls would likely be recognized.

"I'd like two rooms please."

"Well Sir, I only have one single, and a double available, will that be fine with you?" Allison asked.

"Yes certainly," Kali'vas took out his coin purse and paid the price she was asking for the night.

Allison escorted them up the wide wooden staircase to the upper floor. For an inn in a busy city, the place was very plain, but it was quieter up here away from the open entry and small dining room.

"These are the rooms," she said, handing them the keys. "Checkout is at eleven tomorrow morning."

The trio thanked her and she left.

"I guess I will take the single," Kali'vas indicated with a winsome smile, pulling back the cowl of his cloak, and shaking loose his abundant hair, as it was rather warm up here.

They settled down in their rooms, and all reconvened to sit on the large four-poster bed, beneath its royal blue canopy, to further fine-tune their plans. They spoke long into the night and didn't sleep until they were quite sure they had a workable scenario.

*****

They woke early, none of them had slept particularly well. Today anything could go wrong, yet the trio felt a sense of tight unity. They hoped that if all went smoothly, the infiltration would be a success, and they would all be riding out of Stormwind long before checkout time. Sasha once again covered Frostfyre's sizable tusks with Erin's scarf, and they left the inn long before the innkeeper was doling out breakfast.

The dawn was cold, gray, and gloomy, perfect for this reconnaissance. It was only a very short walk to the entrance to the Stockades from their lodging. There were only two entrances to this forbidding structure, with a pair of guardsmen posted at each. Sasha had to hope that once inside this unfamiliar space, she could quickly procure the information they sought. None of them were familiar with the layout of the prison, so she would be going in blind.

Sasha checked to see if any of the guards knew her, with a cursory pass by, once she was satisfied with her anonymity the trio began to enact their plan. She nodded at Erin and Kali'vas, and they began to conduct their 'dispute.'

Sasha waited, Erin and Kali'vas' voices were loud, echoing off the walls of the empty square, as Erin pretended she had been accosted by of all things a blood elf. Sasha was very impressed at her cousin's acting skills. If she had not have known her so well, she would have believed her distress. She hoped though the situation didn't get out of hand, and Kali'vas was arrested.

Shopkeepers emerged from their early morning store inventorying to see who was making all the fuss. She could hear the duo clearly, even from her distant vantage point as she waited with Frostfyre for the right moment to breach the defenses. Already she could see the closest pair of guards had been drawn into the argument, and to give their comrades back up the other two guards left their post. Sasha knew they were breaking protocol, but this was the moment she had been waiting for.

The potion bottle was warm in her hand, as she rubbed at the smooth enclosing glass, thumb ready to pop the cork.

'Frostfyre stay, lay low.'

She wordlessly commanded, as she crossed the distance to the Stockades entrance with purpose, consuming the little vial of liquid, as her slight form wavered for a moment, then blinked out of existence.

She had eighteen seconds to remain unseen. She ran into the large stone hall and looked about, the place was empty, and there were no guards in sight. She could sight the ominous entrance that ran down to the dank depths below, the prisons. She tried to imagine how it would have been for her love there. A creature of the wild, locked up without sun or fresh air, far below.

To the rear of this hall, there was located a small office. Sasha was running out of time. She made for it as fast as her legs could carry her. The potion wore off just as she ducked inside. Luckily there was no one there. Only a desk festooned with paperwork, a single chair, and a shelf full of ledgers lining the rear wall.

She scanned the papers on the desktop, but there was nothing of interest there. Then she examined the rows of ledgers on the shelf behind it. They were, fortunately, all dated, and in order, by date. She reached for one of the last ones, it was the book she sought. She opened it on the desktop and began thumbing through its pages. There were many entries made by hand in scrawling black script. It was only some moments before she found the list of orc captives taken that day in Redridge. There were pages of entries, orc prisoners transported to the Lorderon Internment camp. Some of the prisoners were named, and others only merited a description. Gorthan was not mentioned, nor was a Mag'har, or golden-eyed orc.

A terrible realization rose in her then, Gorthan didn't look at all like the Blackrock orcs. Even the most ignorant would realize he was Mag'har. With the dark portal incident in the Blasted Lands of recent times, perhaps SI 7 had taken an interest?

Oh by the Light, she hoped not! She could not save him then.

She cast about her frustrated, she had to leave here and soon, preferably before the guards resumed their posts.

The information must be somewhere!

In a last-ditch attempt for success, she opened the drawers in the desk, laying there among numerous other sundries was a small, red, leather bound book. It was old and stained. She flipped through the pages, the majority of them were blank, but the beginning few were filled out. That's when she saw the mention of the golden-eyed orc, and the dates correlated!

She shoved the small volume into her shirt front and pulled the second invisibility pot from her pants pocket.

'Here's to ten minutes.'

She hoped it had been, as she chugged the potion, it had a strange taste, kind of bitter and earthy. Once more she was undetectable, as she raced to get outside. She easily made the place where Frostfyre was waiting patiently as she had been commanded.

Erin and Kali'vas were now nowhere to be seen, the guards were talking before meandering back to their posts. It was time to rendezvous in their room, study the newly acquired information, and pack their new belongings to head for Redridge.

*****

Cozy and warm as the city bustled to life about them, Sasha, Erin, and Kali'vas sat on the canopied bed, eyeing the entry in the small red volume. The longhand was difficult to read, and it was smudged to incomprehension in places. Sasha strained her eyes, as she leaned over the book in an attempt to glean any of the information there.

"Oh no!" She cried.

"What is it?" The others were also trying to peer down the stolen book.

"SI 7 did have him, it says here he was given into the hands of a Renn McGill, and taken to a prison complex in Deadwind pass." She looked at her friends, her dark eyes questioning. "There's no prison there, at least none I know of."

"Oh god! I hope we don't have to go into Karazhan!" Erin said sounding panicked.

"Karazhan?" Sasha had no idea of what had got Erin so frightened.

"It's Medivh's old address, and yes, not a place we would want to venture, let's hope we do not have to," Kali'vas stated with concern, as he packed the last of his items into his black satchel.

*****

They left Stormwind shortly before midday and decided it would be prudent to skirt the town of Goldshire, where many of the guards knew Sasha well. The two girls rode double on Frostfyre's willing back, while Kali'vas rode his handsome hawkstrider Arturias, it was very obvious he loved his bird.

They covered the distance across the expanse of oak covered Elwynn swiftly, much faster than Sasha's previous journey on foot had been. This time they had their papers and were ushered through the Three Corners checkpoint with expedience. The guards seemed less on edge than they had been during the time of the conflict. They were waved on by with a cursory check-over and a cheerful hello.

They rode into Lakeshire, the afternoon was fine and clear, the blue and gold pennants fluttered high above the bridge. It was much warmer in this region in winter than in Stormwind, and there was very little snow. Just the occasional settling drift that lingered in the shade.

"Let's see if we can find our answers in the town hall. They probably have records. Hopefully, we can clear this all up, and be in Darkshire by nightfall." Kali'vas said, as he dismounted Arturias and pet him on his feathered head. The big bird squawked loudly.

Many of the population turned to look at the blood elf with suspicion, but fortunately, so far they had not been accosted. They walked up the wide steps and into the large hall. Many petitioners were waiting in line to see the Magistrate. Most of them looking aggravated.

The group bypassed them and went straight to Colonel Troteman who stood off to one side. He was a neat-looking man dressed in all black, his gray hair cut in a high top.

"How can I help you?" The Colonel said.

Sasha did not hesitate to speak up. "We good Sir are looking for someone. More specifically someone taken into custody here last summer, after the hostilities with the Blackrock. A pair of troll slaves, have you any idea what happened to them?"

The Colonel studied Sasha for some moments and then looked over her companions. His eyes rested for long moments in the blood elf before he finally answered. "As a fact I do remember them, young lady, as you know they were with the enemy. We detained them in the jail for a time, but we really didn't have any just cause to keep them, but we could not let them go free either."

Sasha didn't like the tangent the man was taking, but she remained silent.

"As you know slavery really isn't legal in these parts, even though the two trolls had been slaves of the Blackrock, at least that was their story. However, they are not humans, so rather than have them running about, and potentially causing a security breach, we elected to continue their servitude. They were sold for a token sum to a local farmer, the Jainrose's, as I recall, they have a small hamlet west of the town."

"Well thank you, kind sir, your information has been very useful." Sasha was happy at least her friends were possibly very near. How to free them though?

The trio stood outside armed with this newfound knowledge. Agreeing to ride at once to the Jainrose's spread. The small compound was not far. They dismounted and were keenly observed by a very attractive young woman as they approached. Her raven hair was tied back tightly, but her fringe hung down the sides of her appealing face. She wore a green blouse that exposed her midriff and a long black skirt.

"What can I do for you travelers." He said.

"We are looking for two troll slaves," Sasha said, as she looked over at the neatly planted gardens beyond.

"You mean 'MY' slaves." The woman bristled, her former friendliness gone, as she crossed her arms defensively. "Ones I paid good coin for."

"My good lady, may I interrupt?" Kali'vas sensing the situation was about to get heated, decided to pour on his charm. "I am sure that we could happily recompense you for any coin you paid, and possibly a little more on top for your troubles?"

Erin looked at her beau, she hoped he indeed had the money?

The woman looked at Kali'vas, and her features softened, she was on the scent of profit, and Kali'vas Sunblade was a very charming elf.

"Perhaps some deal can be made," she finally said.

The statement to Sasha's ears was a great relief.

"They are behind the house in the fields." The woman announced.

Sasha hurried behind the large cottage, it was obvious this farm was a profitable venture. There were two blue-skinned figures bent over weeding the large plot, she recognized them at once, her wonderful troll friends. She ran to them calling their names.

Taz'jani looked up first, Utaki as he often did registered happenings slowly, such was his great age.

"Sha Sha!" Taz'jani all but shouted as Sasha ran into the blue troll's outstretched embrace.

Erin and Kali'vas stood holding hands at the edge of the newly planted field, watching the emotional reunion.

"We are here to free you both," Sasha said excitedly. "Then I must find Gorthan. I have a lead, but I don't know if he is even still...alive."She stumbled to get the final offending word out, but with the involvement of SI 7, the prognosis for a happy ending was not nearly as high as it had been.

Utaki looked up from his work, he was an ancient troll, he never did anything swiftly, he smiled on seeing a familiar face.

Taz'jani's expression was one of elation. "I will go wid ja, to help. You look so grown sistah, and Frostfye look at her! So big!." Taz'jani hugged Sasha to her hard, almost crushing the petite woman. Sasha leaned into her friend's embrace, as Utaki looked on.

"Be good ta see ja," he said, "after all dis time."

"You too Utaki," Sasha broke from her friend's grasp to hug the elderly troll, mindful of his protruding tusks.

She could see across the field that Kali'vas was already negotiating for their freedom. "Come let's get ready to leave."

She watched ten gold being exchanged for a bill of sale, and the business concluded they were all free to depart. As they walked out of earshot, Sasha could not help but say. "Ten gold! the price was ridiculous, some people don't make that in six months! Besides, you heard the Colonel, he said a nominal sum. I bet she didn't pay more than a single gold piece, and maybe not even that!"

"It's all good," Kali'vas shot back good-humoredly. "My Father provides me with a generous stipend, and I never spend it all."

Sasha still felt like she should try to pay it back, knowing she would someday. Ten gold was a substantial sum.

They stopped on their way out at the stables and the smithy. Again Kali'vas' seemingly bottomless coin purse purchased a plain, but sturdy horse, that the trolls may ride. They were waiting for the ostler to saddle their purchase, when one of the patrolling guards noticed the odd-looking trio, and purposely strode up to them hand on her sword pommel.

"State your business?" She sounded most unfriendly.

"We were just purchasing a mount and then we shall be gone," Sasha explained quickly, the last thing they needed now was more trouble.

"See that you are, we don't like trolls, nor blood elves here in our town."

"Well, there goes any opportunity of finding our friends here some weapons."

Kali'vas sighed, to the retreating guards back.

"We had best be going," Sasha said, as she mounted up on Frostfyre in front of Erin. "I guess we will provision in Darkshire, and hope the natives are more accommodating."