Well this is the finale folks, but there is a sequel in the works! I hope you have enjoyed it.
Completing the Bond
Gorthan slept peacefully, just as Utaki had said he would. With the passing of the hours, the injured orc's skin regained its color and warmth, his wounds ceased to seep and bleed, and it appeared the wondrous salves that Utaki had employed, had made a marked difference in his recovery. The witch doctor reassured her that he would live, and be made whole.
Sasha sat dutifully by Gorthan's side, she found she could not sleep, even though she was most weary. Frostfyre sat just behind her, her furry back making contact with Sasha's own. Sometimes the young woman's dark-lashed eyelids would flutter closed, and she would lean back, to drowse momentarily against her furry friend. When she awoke from these periodic rests, she sat tracing the familiar lines of her long-lost love with her fingers. Delighting in all he was, overjoyed to be by his side again. Willing him to pull through.
Her friends sat about the fire or snoozed in their bedrolls. There was no time here in these ancient catacombs far beneath the earth. Sometimes the adventurers would talk amongst themselves softly, mostly benign small talk. Sasha would often look up to see Erin's small hand clasped in Kali'vas' strong ones. They made such a fine couple, she thought, she hoped that in time her Aunt and Uncle could see Kali'vas for the wonderful being, he truly was. This adventure had been proof of that.
Eventually, Sasha could remain a watchful sentinel no longer, and she fell asleep, her arms entwined about her love.
Sasha dreamed of happy things. Bright, golden, sunny days, her close-knit and loving family, the little rented cottage in Elwynn, that she and her father had shared. Her subconscious mind knew she could never return there, to the places of her heart. Places where no orc or human could ever find peaceful acceptance. She dreamed all of these things, and more, as if saying one last, long goodbye, one she knew she could never make in person.
When she finally awoke, the others were sleeping, but there was still a hot, blazing fire to see by. Sasha sat for a moment, collecting her waking thoughts from sleep, she stroked her love's cheek with much affection. His ears twitched, and his lip drew back from his tusks at her light caress. He can feel me. That made her abundantly happy and gave her courage for what must be done.
Sasha had, in a time that had seemed so long ago, packed in her backpack, some paper, ink, and a quill. Though in her heart she had dreaded to write this letter.
'My Dearest Papa,'
'It is with great sadness, that I must say my farewell to you in this way. Mere words on paper are not something I am comfortable with as a parting, and yet my choice in the matter is made. Last year I tried to tell you of my heart, and I knew you understood, even if you told me it could never be.''
'You told me to forget him, however I could not, just as you have never forgotten Mother. I know my heart Papa, and I had to follow it, even if it is to places, far from my family and home. I fully intend to be with Gorthan, Papa. I know there is no place in the kingdom for a human and an orc to be together in peace. I am well aware that this love we share will take me far from home and family, perhaps forever. I will miss Aunt Evelyn, Uncle Ben, and Erin, but especially you my Dear Papa. You will always hold the biggest place in my heart.'
'I hope that one day, I will be able to return to a time and place of better understanding, until then, know I love you greatly, and you will always have my greatest fondness,'
'your loving daughter Sasha.'
Tears spilled from her dark eyes that sparkled in the firelight, as she reached the conclusion of her notation. She carefully let the ink dry, then neatly rolled the missive, securing it in one of her best hair ribbons. One her father had given her.
Then she just spent time admiring her love and willing him back to health.
*****
Gorthan remained in a deep, sleep, for two cycles of the sun. The adventurers had been dragging in more wood from the surface for the fire. Sasha was becoming very impatient for her love to awaken. Utaki had to constantly reassure her that he was fine and that the orc was healing as fast as could be expected. The potion of dreamless sleep was powerful, he went on to state, made from the purple lotus, found to grow mostly around the ruins in Tanaris. Sasha knew this firsthand, as she had no recollection of the night after the battle when the deceptive doctor had made her drink a lesser tincture of the plant.
"Sasha is that you?" She heard a deep gravelly voice ask from the darkness, beyond the bright circle of hungrily licking flames.
She turned suddenly, dropping the bundle of logs she had been carrying with a loud clatter on the flagstones. Frostfyre bounded from her place and whimpered.
"My love," she said timorously at first, rushing at once to his side. Gorthan had partially arisen from the bed to look about him. He was examining the extent of his wounds by the firelight.
He looked up at the young woman's silhouette, smiling one of his crazy-toothed smiles.
"Sasha." His one word held tones of reverence and love.
The two hugged then, Gorthan mindless of his injuries and the pain, a tight powerful hug of two starved souls. Sasha's tiny body was buried in his immense arms. She kissed him deeply, she had never thought to see him again, and with the involvement of SI 7, her hopes had plummeted even further, and to find him at last, so still, so near death. It tore her more than she could have ever realized. She would not be parted from her love again, not for convention, not for family, not for anything in this world.
They slept that night for the first time, a beautiful sleep, each finally cognizant of the other. Gorthan was too injured to do much more than share some loving kisses and some skin-to-skin time. They said little, but they didn't need to, they were together at last.
The next day, Gorthan was well enough to finally vacate the catacombs, with sturdy Taz'janis' and Frostfyre's help. He put his arms about the tall troll's shoulders and rested his other hand on Frostfyre's sturdy back. Slowly, they made their way up top. It was fortunate that Taz'jani was so strong.
His bright, gold eyes squinted, and blinked, even in the faded light of Dreadwind, as he left the dank basement out into the light. He had, he told his friends, been imprisoned underground, for many months. Where he was relentlessly questioned over his appearance among the Blackrock, and on matters and politics of places far away, all of which he did not have the answers to. So it had gone very badly for him. With SI 7's failure to glean the information they sought, they finally gave up as their prisoner was hovering near death. It was a miracle, and pure orcish strength he had survived.
Because of his long ordeal, Gorthan was still not well enough though to be ready to make any kind of journey. It was agreed they would camp on the edges of the settlement, until such a time that Gorthan was somewhat stronger. They still had a few supplies in their saddle bags, and they could always shoot a skyshadow. If they needed fresh water and wine, they all knew where to look.
The following days they rested, they were good days, even in this dreary place, and with each passing one Gorthan got stronger. The injuries that marred his flesh would take time to fade, as would the weakness caused by months of deprivation.
There was little to do but sit, and talk, as they waited for Gorthan to suitably recover. Though it was on everyone's mind, even if no one had spoken the thought out loud, what would two trolls and an orc do in the world of humans? It was obvious to everyone that Sasha and Gorthan would never again be willfully parted. She couldn't take him back with her to Stormwind, or even Elwynn.
It was unlikely too that Gorthan, not of the Blackrock, would seek to rejoin them, and take Sasha with him to Blackrock mountain. With these difficulties, no one had said a word on the matter, each waiting for someone else to broach the difficult conundrum.
Sasha had though been privately, dwelling hard on the problem. She knew they could not sit here forever, supplies were dwindling, and they couldn't realistically exist on skyshadow for every meal. At some point Erin would have to teleport them to someplace more habitable, but where was such a destination? Stormwind was definitely out, Ironforge too. Maybe Dalaran would tolerate them, but what would they do there?
Later that evening, once the others had bedded down for the night, and the fire had died down to a blazing bed, of super hot, and angry, orange coals. Sasha and Gorthan sat hand in hand, both of them staring into the remnants of the blaze. It would need more wood soon, it was hardly a good idea in this unwelcoming place, to not keep the fire well-tended.
Sasha was dwelling on that night, the torching of the orc camp, and Stonewatch keep. It seemed every time she looked into a fire these days, those final, fear-filled moments, began to play in her head. Would she never be free of them?
She heard her beloved sigh, it was a heavy, troubled sound, it turned out he had been dwelling on that night also.
"Sasha Dearest," he pat her on the back of her hand with gentle affection, the weight of his palm was solid on her own tiny one.
Sasha peered up and took in his bright, golden eyes, part beast, part monster, and part nightmare. Yet to her, they were the purest love. She didn't speak, instead, she rested her slight head against his great chest, and let him know that she was listening.
"There is something I must do." His voice was no more than a rumbling baritone. Barely audible, to not wake the others.
She nodded against him but still said nothing.
"That night before I came to you, as you know, I had been down to the worg pens. I had freed all the beasts I could before we were overrun.
