Prelude: How They Met
Disclaimer: World of Warcraft and all related materials are copyright of Blizzard Entertainment. This story is intended for entertainment purposes only.
The air was rent with the sounds of war cries and battle. Ashenvale had been the seat of many skirmishes since the new Warchief had ordered the expansion of the Warsong Lumbermills. The Silverwing Sentinels and the Alliance had sent many reinforcements to be on guard night and day.
Although she was young, Marithaniel was an accomplished mage. She was one of the recently returned High Born. Like the others of her caste, she was mistrusted and treated with some prejudice. Maithaniel looked past these grievances when she was in Ashenvale. Thus, it was only with mild annoyance that she frowned as the commanding lieutenant told her to stay out of the action.
"You'll only get yourself hurt," the lieutenant shouted. With that, she spun to the side of her Sisters to fight back the marauding Orcs.
Fool, I am top of my class with Fire Magic, Marithaniel thought as she ignored the commander's words and exited the tent. She was greeted by shouts and screams both Orc and Night Elf. Battles raged as arrows flew and axes cleaved. Marithaniel ducked as a wicked arrow blasted near her head. With fury that matched her magic, she launched a Fire Blast into the nearby face of the Orc archer. As the beastial Orc screeched and clutched its face, Marithaniel moved her hands in intricate patterns and whispered the ancient words that called the element of fire to her hands. As the heat built up in her palms, she waited until it was almost to the burning point before hurling the conjured ball at the Orc. The creature's screams cut off as he was blasted off his feet with a shower of sparks. The body smoldered under the heat of the spell and Marithaniel smiled.
"Marithaniel!"
The smile was short-lived as the lieutenant yelled angrily at the young mage.
"I said stay inside!" The lieutenant screamed. Blood streaked her otherwise white hair and painted crimson down the side of her face. Marithaniel wasn't sure if the blood belonged to the Night Elf or someone else. She had no time to consider this unanswered question as a huge Orc warrior raised his axe to attack the lieutenant. With her attention directed at yelling at Marithaniel, the lieutenant would be cut down.
Marithaniel reacted and threw her anger and fear into a mighty fireball that made her purple hair stand on end. As the missile cruised quickly out of the mage's outstretched hands, the lieutenant's eyes widened and she ducked out of the way just in time to see that the deadly spell was not intended for her, but the Orc she was distracted from. When the Orc exploded in a fiery burst and died, the lieutenant scowled at Marithaniel.
"You're welcome," Marithaniel called to her as sarcastically as she could muster.
Not waiting to hear more from the already angry lieutenant, Marithaniel ran off to fight more Orcs. Fire flashed in the night as she, with the Sentinels, sent the Orcs retreating. As she watched the wretches run back to the trees, something odd caught her eye. Lying on the grass was a still form, much smaller than an Orc and dressed in what looked like robes. Marithaniel ran over to the fallen figure hoping to save one of her Sisters.
Kneeling at the female's side (for indeed it was a female), Marithaniel saw that it was not a Night Elf. She turned the female over and a small groan escaped her lips. Marithaniel gasped. The Elf (and it was also indeed an Elf) was not purple but a creamy brown almost chestnut color with hair as bright and red as flame. Like Marithaniel, this Elf had the telltale long, pointed ears of all Elven kind and soft almost fragile features. Marithaniel was entranced at the beautiful Elf. As she leaned in closer to examine the strange Elf, her thoughts were once again interrupted as the lieutenant yelled her name.
Angrily, Marithaniel whirled to glare at the lieutenant. "What is it now?" She yelled back in frustration at being treated like a wayward child.
"I told you to stay inside!" the lieutenant growled and pointed an accusing finger in Marithaniel's way. "You could have set the forest ablaze with your foul magic!"
"My 'foul magic' saved your purple skin!" Marithaniel yelled back in defiance and turned once again to the fallen Elf before she was grabbed roughly by the collar.
"What are you doing?" Marithaniel demanded, her fury heating up faster than any of her spells. "This Elf is hurt!"
The lieutenant looked at the female on the ground and huffed scornfully. "That's a Blood Elf you idiot!" she spat. "Their treacherous kind joined the abominations known as the Forsaken and threw in their allegiances with the Horde!"
Marithaniel was stunned. Elves were in the Horde?
"But she's hurt," Marithaniel said hopeless. No way could such a beautiful female be with the Horde. "She'll die."
"Let the traitor die," the lieutenant growled through clenched teeth. She pulled Marithaniel along by the hem of her robe fully intending on dragging her back to camp. Marithaniel could only look at the Blood Elf lying on the ground as she was manhandled back to the Night Elf camp.
Banished to her tent and thoroughly guarded by the lieutenant just outside the door, Marithaniel sat on her cot and brooded. She could not get the Blood Elf out of her mind. Why couldn't she? The lieutenant said that Blood Elves were in the Horde. This was so foreign to Marithaniel that she couldn't wrap her mind around such a concept. That and the Blood Elf was so beautiful. She had never seen such skin color or even hair color on another Elf. It was like fire on a falling star. Marithaniel shook her head and glared at the lieutenant's back through the door. She was about to do something very foolish and, with the Blood Elf in mind, she didn't care. A thought formed in her mind and her fingers waved in the direction of the distracted lieutenant. The lieutenant suddenly stiffened as if sensing something and then slumped to the ground. The Sleep spell was quick and efficient.
Peering out of the tent, Marithaniel rummaged through the small pockets lining the lieutenant's belt until she found a small flask filled with a red liquid. Marithaniel smiled as she dropped the health potion into a pocket and patted the lieutenant in silent thanks. When she was sure the camp was unaware and the lieutenant was deep in sleep, she looked towards the direction she last saw the Blood Elf and willed herself through time and space.
The Blink spell sent her well out of the way from the camp and she ran as fast as she could. She hiked up her robes as she made her way quickly through the trees.It wasn't long before she spied the still form of the Blood Elf that haunted her mind. Marithaniel prayed to Elune that she wasn't too late.
She was lying in the same position that Marithaniel had left her. The Night Elf kneeled beside the Blood Elf and cradled her head in her lap. She was so soft and delicate. Marithaniel placed her head on the Blood Elf's chest and listened for a heartbeat. A faint series of thumps could be heard. By Elune, Marithaniel thought, she was so soft and smooth. She touched the Elf's face and her lips parted involuntarily. She was so beautiful.
Uncorking the flask with her teeth, Marithaniel carefully poured the red contents into the Blood Elf's open mouth and stroked her throat gently to make her swallow. She waited. After a few moments, the Blood Elf moaned and her eyes fluttered open. Marithaniel gasped. They were green. Glowing with a strange light of their own, the Blood Elf had the most intriguing and gorgeous eyes the Night Elf had ever seen. She sat cradling the Blood Elf and looking into her wonderful green eyes in awe and time seemed to stop. The glowing green eyes focused on the Night Elf and suddenly widened. The Blood Elf bolted up from the Night Elf's lap and started to scream until Marithaniel clamped her hand over the Blood Elf's open mouth and pulled her close to her.
"SHHH!" she hissed into the Blood Elf's ear. "Quiet you foolish girl or they might hear you!"
The Blood Elf clutched the Night Elf's arm but did not make another sound. Her chest pounded and her breath came in gasps of surprise and fear. Marithaniel tried to hold her breath as she listened for any sign that her rescue had been discovered. Nothing was heard but the crickets and the hushed gasps of the Blood Elf. When she was sure that they weren't heard, Marithaniel whispered once again into the Blood Elf's ear.
"I'm going to let go of your mouth," she whispered in a voice that set the Blood Elf's heart racing with a different feeling. It was so husky and sensual and the Blood Elf suppressed a moan as the Night Elf's breath caressed her sensitive ear. "When I do, don't scream. We are not too far from the camp and if the Sentinels hear us, we'll both be in trouble. Understand?"
The Blood Elf nodded and sighed. She could feel Marithaniel's heart racing. An assault of emotions whirled through her head: The feel of Marithaniel's heart, the warmth of her body, the soft crush of her hand on her lips ... it was all a cacophony of sensations both wonderful and strange to the Blood Elf.
Marithaniel was in an equal state of surprise and wonder. The Blood Elf was slightly trembling in fear ... or was it desire? Her lips were moist and firm under Marithaniel's palm and her breath was hot and shuddering. It was with great care and a slight pain of disappointment that Marithaniel took her hand away.
The Blood Elf turned and stared at Marithaniel with a strange look that the Night Elf could not interpret. She did not move away but sat demurely only a hand span away. The two regarded each other with equal curiosity staring into each other's eyes and searching each other's faces. Marithaniel glanced at the Blood Elf's lips. They were full and moist and the Night Elf felt a tingle in her palm as she toyed with the memory of touching them. The Blood Elf licked her lips with a slight pass of her smooth pink tongue and Marithaniel caught herself gasping at the quick and sensual motion. Her eyes flew upwards almost embarrassed as she met the Blood Elf's glowing green ones and realized that she was staring just as intently on her face.
"Why did you save me?" the Blood Elf asked in a hushed whisper. Her accent was clipped and almost exotic as if she were not used to speaking Common. Marithaniel was not only surprised that she knew Common but she found her heart quickening at the musical sound of the Blood Elf's voice. Marithaniel swallowed trying to whet her suddenly dry throat and was pleasantly surprised that the Blood Elf's eyes lowered and focused on her lips and neck.
"I saw an injured Elf," Marithaniel whispered in reply. "I had no idea there were Elves in the Horde."
