For the Whored

If Elunara thought the townsfolk were nice before, now they were just smothering. She was certain which ones were just being nosey, and the few that wanted confirmation that the kid wasn't theirs. Other times, she eyed their gifts and food with suspicion. Tulani tried to assure her that this was normal, but normal in Elunara's world involved being shunned and mistrusted. She felt that she hid behind Tulani in these situations.

The townsfolk got together and built a nursery room off the back of the Barracks. Tulani sewed an army of stuffed animals. Elunara drew constantly, and had filled the walls with scenery from nursery rhymes. Tulani took over most of the care of the child, as Elunara was completely at a loss. In fact, she felt a little jealous.

"Let's go for a walk, I cannot sit still today."

Tulani laughed as she replaced a diaper. "You haven't sat still since Ina cleared you to move."

"Here, I want him." Elunara picked Darguni up and laid him on her shoulder. "Come with me."

"Alright, alright. Let me just put this in the basket."

Elunara stood outside. She waved at the people who waved at her. She was still a little unsure about it. Tulani stepped out and closed the door. They threaded their fingers together and started to walk.

"Grogek is supposed to get a new shipment of trainees any day now."

"He'll be happy about that." Tulani smiled and waved at someone.

"He's whipping them into shape faster and faster. He's going to have his own personal army soon."

They had a giggle.

"Well, he is picking his favorites out to stay." Tulani cocked her head to the side. "That's an odd crest."

"What are you tal-" Elunara froze. Her eyes grew wide and she backed up a step.

"Lu? What's wrong?"

"It can't be." She whispered. Her grip tightened on Darguni and she turned to run, but Grogek was behind her.

"I was look.... What's wrong?"

Elunara stared at Grogek as if not seeing him. She wrapped her arms around the baby and looked as if she would flee.

Tulani pointed. "That set her off."

He looked up. His eyes narrowed. "That is the banner of her homeland." Grogek scooped Elunara up. She began to struggle, but when Darguni began to cry, she focused on comforting him.

"Why are you taking me there?" She whispered as a tear streamed down her face.

"We have been summoned. I think it's time you faced this."

Tulani ran along behind. "We'll be here for you. Whatever "this" is."

Grogek deposited her at the door to General Renwa's office. "Now, are you going to FIGHT, my little she-wolf, or are you going to cry?"

Tulani ran a hand down Elunara's hair. "I can take him if you want."

Elunara let out a shaky breath. "No. No, I want to keep him. He... he helps."

Grogek shoved the door open and the three of them made their way inside. The woman standing in front of Renwa's desk looked back and her eyes grew wide. She looked back and forth between the three faces and her gaze rested on the child. She turned back to Renwa.

"Is this some kind of JOKE?"

"Commander Grogek is a respected officer of my company. Elunara is a valuable mission specialist and Tulani is a gifted tailor and healer. This is no joke; in fact, I believe you needed to see them as they are; a family." Renwa nodded to Grogek. "This is Tyrande Whisperwind, current leader of the Night Elves."

"And my mother." Elunara added.

Both Grogek and Tulani gawked at Elunara.

"I see she failed to mention that part to any of you." Tyrande glared.

Though she knew she was perfectly still, she could feel the shaking deep in her chest. Darguni began to whimper and she turned her attention to him. "Hush, hush, my sweetness. Don't cry. I'm ok." She rubbed her cheek against the baby's head.

"That thing is YOURS?"

Elunara glared back. "He is not a thing. He is Darguni and he is our baby."

Tyrande covered her face with her hand. "You can't do ANYTHING normal CAN you?"

She handed the baby to Grogek and propped her fists on her hips. "What is normal, mother? Fucking the same Night Elf, until I get bored and find me a second Night Elf? Maybe pop you out a pure blood heir ever so often? That was never my life, mother. I never wanted that."

"No, you just wanted to let any lesser who wanted a touch, have a touch! Then what did you DO? You spit in the face of everything that we are!"

"Says the woman who beds herself with an amalgamation of ANIMALS!"

"He is a noble druid and he is frozen in that form, it is not his fault!"

"Like you care about whose FAULT anything is!"

Renwa came around the desk and put himself in the center. "STOP IT, BOTH OF YOU!" He roared.

"You bed yourself with an Orc." Tyrande scoffed.

"And a Draenei, and a Human, and whatever else agrees."

"I said stop." Renwa growled. "I did not bring you in here to fight like angry cats."

"Why did you bring us here?" Grogek handed Darguni to Tulani.

"Mostly, I wanted to show you as a family. But, Tyrine has apparently been very influential back in Darnassus, and claims Elunara should be tried for treason."

"That worthless bimbo." Elunara smacked her forehead.

"Regardless of what she said, Grogek has been training our troops for well over a year and has helped us make amazing progress here in Draenor. Elunara, much to her regret hasn't been on a mission since she brought Grogek to us. I can even make the argument that Mylune almost ruined the mission that brought Grogek to us. Elunara had the tenuous position of trying to work Grommash to our advantage. Whatever transpired between her and the errant rogue, helped to cement her hold on the fortress, giving us detailed information we otherwise would not have had. If you care to read through the mission reports, I'd be glad to hand them over."

"Oh, and because you didn't ask..." Elunara took Darguni back. "Grogek is my husband; we had a ceremony and everything. Tulani is... somewhere between my wife and my girlfriend?" She shrugged. "We haven't figured that ceremony out yet."

Tyrande's mouth dropped open, and Renwa smacked his forehead. "What is WRONG with you?" He groaned.

"What?" Elunara shrugged. "She should know how MY FAMILY works."

Tulani stiffed a giggle.

Elunara jerked her thumb at Tulani. "See? ONE person is used to me by now."

Grogek dropped a hand on her shoulder and kissed the back of her head. "That's my vicious little she wolf."

"Ok, two." Elunara rubbed her hand on the baby's back.

"What is wrong with you, she asks." Tulani continued to fight giggles. "I contend, what is wrong with everyone else?"

"Well, hell, you were in the ceremony, does that count or should we do a new one?" Elunara cocked her head.

"Oh no, please don't fuss over me, I'm quite happy as things are."

"Your happiness is my main concern." Elunara kissed Tulani on the nose.

Tyrande stomped her foot. "This is outrageous! You submit me to your pathetic little games..."

Renwa shook his head. "Silly actions or no, Elunara and Tulani are together. Ask anyone in the town and they will recognize Grogek and Elunara to be married, most of them attended the wedding. Ask them again and they'll say that they don't understand it, but Tulani is as a part of that family as the rest of them. I have to agree. These three are quite the valuable part of our town and I for one won't let you take any of them."

"Take her where?" Grogek growled.

"No one's going anywhere, big guy." Renwa patted his arm. "Not only will I stand in your way, I'm quite certain the entire town will. Want to get technical? I can pull in troops stationed all over that owe something to Grogek and Elunara."

"Wait," She tapped her chin. "Last I checked; most are afraid of me."

Renwa laughed. "Quite terrified actually."

The door broke open and Grogek had to shift out of the way. Captain Jordan, along with Jerry and Louis were pouring sweat and panting.

"Heard... you were being.... Arrested." Jerry panted.

"Boy, do I need to fix that endurance problem?" Grogek snarled.

All three men snapped to attention and did their best to hide their exhaustion. "Sorry, sir." Jerry saluted. "We came fresh off of training, sir."

"Sir!" Captain Jordan was flushed but maintained composure. "I can't let them take her, Sir."

Renwa raised a brow. "And why not?"

"She's too valuable a mission specialist, sir. And she keeps the Orc in check. I'd shudder to think what would happen if he were angered." Jordan eyes Grogek warily.

Tyrande spit. "Men think with their dicks."

"Oh, mother, you HAVE learned something from me." Elunara snorted.

"I dare you bring me one man who hasn't fucked her." Tyrande continued.

Louis raised his hand like a boy at school. Jerry sheepishly raised his hand too.

"As if I believe that."

"Jerry and I..." Louis looked at Jerry and grabbed his hand. "Well, we're not interested in women. I-If you get my meaning."

Elunara grinned. "So you're telling people now?"

"N-No! Please don't..."

Elunara sighed. "Guys, I wish you would."

Jordan scratched the back of his head. "They wouldn't be all that surprised."

Tyrande grit her teeth. "Can we get back to the topic at hand? I did not leave the safety of my own time to sit here and listen to this mindless prattle!"

"Then go back home!" Elunara snapped. "It's not like I'm allowed to go there anyway. Am I wanted for treason, mother? I mean, I did have to slit that dumb bitch's throat just to hold my cover. Or would you have rathered I let them "safely" capture her, and break her spirit and her mind? Believe me, the only reason they didn't do it to me, was they thought I'd enjoy it too much."

Renwa sighed. "Has there ever been a point in your life when you thought before you spoke? EVER?"

"She speaks the truth." Everyone looked up at Grogek. "When we thought you were our prisoner, your behavior was strange and disturbing. Even that night that..." Grogek swallowed hard. "That he broke every bone in your body... he was terrified of you. You were locked in that room because of his fear. He never said, but I saw his face. He even ordered me to kill you. But I couldn't." Grogek ran a hand on his head. "Even then I knew; you were a feral wolf, of which I had never seen. Such ferocity in the face of pain. It was beautiful." He stared at Elunara. "Your friend... had you not killed her when you did, she would have been tortured, and when we had nothing left to rip from her, you would have been forced to kill her to prove your allegiance, or died by the blade."

The silence hung thick in the air. Jerry and Louis tried to back towards the door. Elunara and Grogek just stared at each other, ignoring the world around them.

"And you give yourself to this Orc?" Tyrande was appalled.

"I love this man."

Tyrande looked dumbstruck.

Grogek leaned down and brushed his lips against Elunara's. He began to speak in orcish and she replied in elvish. He pulled her into his arms and placed a hand on Darguni.

"You don't even know what that word means." Tyrande frowned.

"Actually, mother, I do." Elunara shifted her head and frowned. "And I now understand that you don't love me."

"WHAT?" Shrieked Tyrande.

"You love the idea of who I should have been. Who I could never be. No, you love an ideal that does not exist. You were quick to throw me out of Darnassus, but you never tried, even once, to understand me."

Darguni started to whimper and Elunara handed him to Tulani.

"I spent thirty years of my life believing my emotions to be dead. Believing I was never capable of love because I could never experience love. It took an ORC and a DRAENEI to unlock the parts of me I thought broken. And you know what? I'm grateful to them. They love me because of who I am. They know what I do. In fact, he sends them to me. Like little gifts."

Tyrande turned pale.

"Tulani here, walks in, says "oops sorry", and comes back after they leave." She jerked her head in the direction of the nursing Tulani. "And yet they both still love me." She laid a hand on Grogek's chest. "Say it." She whispered.

"I see you. I know you."

She grabbed a fang and pulled him down for a kiss. She turned back to Tyrande. "You see, mother, I know love very well. When someone loves you, they do all they can to understand you, even when they don't." She reached out and patted Renwa on the chest. "Love takes all kinds, actually."

Tyrande put a hand to her forehead. "You have this whole town tied up, don't you?"

"And so much more. Though, Renwa here is actually an old lover turned friend. I do like to pick on him about it."

"Years ago, you wouldn't have used the word lover. Even I know that." Renwa shook his head.

Tyrande sighed and leaned back against the desk. "I believe I have been put in my place."

"If you care to play nice, I'll even let you see your grandson." Elunara gestured to the baby. "After he's done eating, of course."

"Why does she nurse him?" Tyrande cocked her head to the side.

"Because I cannot."

"Unfortunate."

"Captain Jordan, Jerry, Louis." Renwa raised an eyebrow. "I believe you all have duties elsewhere."

Jerry and Louis acted like they escaped with their lives. Captain Jordan had the dignity to walk out properly.

Elunara laughed. "To think Captain Jordan was avoiding us those months ago."

"You're good at slapping people the way they need to be slapped." Renwa shrugged. "I can't believe our Tulani has come along so well." He dropped a hand on to her head.

She grinned up at him. "I had a good teacher."

Renwa turned to Tyrande. "Tulani here was captured and sold by ogre slavers into the sex trade. They had her for a little over a year before a set of adventurers rescued her. She found her way here and attached herself to Elunara. It came at a cost though, the women she was rescued with turned on her after learning of Elunara's checkered past." He sighed. "Due to the delicacy of the situation, none of us really knew what to do."

"Elunara saved me; as she continues to do, over and over. I was glad to return the favor when you so foolishly ripped your own stomach open." Tulani wagged a finger at Elunara.

"I wasn't going to deal with a broken pelvis, thank you very much!"

Tyrande blinked back and forth. "You did what?"

"She cut open her own belly, when our son wasn't going to be born right. She probably saved her own life." Grogek nodded. "She is the fiercest she-wolf I have ever known."

Elunara laughed. "I have no idea why I like when you call me that."

"What other exploits have you been up to?"

"I ripped a guy's balls off."

"They were still mostly attached. Though he did deserve it." Renwa shrugged.

"I spent most of my time drawing portraits these days, though the past several months I've been sick with child, so I haven't been able to leave my bed. Before that I've been doing full body sketches in order to build a compendium for the healers to use."

"You've serviced most of the men in my battalion." Grogek snorted.

"Oh yeah, that's always my favorite part."

"You've help restore the lives of the refugees, and helped find them homes." Tulani added. "She also sings to them when they are sad."

"Well, yeah I guess I did."

"You've help find jobs for many people, and helped reorganize the town a few times to accommodate them." Renwa nodded.

"I guess you, could claim that."

"You infiltrated a major enemy base, became the kept pet of the Warchief and started pumping back endless pages of Intel that helped us win key points. You also managed to explode half their fortress in the escape." Renwa pointed.

"How DID you give them that information?" Grogek interrupted. "I never figured it out."

Elunara pulled out a sheet of paper and scribbled some runes. "Remember these?"

"Yes, I saw them in your work, but never understood their meaning."

She wadded it up and tossed it over her shoulder. The page hit the ground and caught on fire. Once it was gone, a paper floated down from the ceiling and landed on the desk. She picked it up and handed it to him. "Teleportation runes."

Grogek examined the paper. "Amazing."

"Nifty, huh?"

"You are aware she used you for information?" Tyrande gawked at Grogek.

He grinned. "Enjoyed every minute of it."

"Oh, yeah. I slit your sister's throat."

"Well, she wasn't entirely sane by then."

Elunara snorted.

Tyrande walked to Renwa's chair and just sat down looking flustered. "I can't get my head around it."

"Nobody ever gives me enough credit."

"Well, you are head strong." Grogek said.

"And hot headed." Renwa added.

"And not afraid to rip out someone's throat when they piss you off." Tulani added helpfully as she had the baby over her shoulder.

"I love you all." Elunara responded sarcastically.

"Aww, but you're so sweet and caring." Tulani smiled.

"And always looking out for others." Renwa supplied.

"You have the heart of a she wolf. Brave, strong, and vicious. And you use it to protect this town." Grogek kissed her on the forehead.

"Stop, you're all going to make me mushy." She reached out and Tulani handed up Darguni. She cuddled the baby.

Tulani readjusted herself and stood up, laying her head on Elunara's shoulder. Grogek leaned over Elunara's other shoulder and rested one hand on Tulani's shoulder. He brushed a finger over the baby's cheek. Elunara leaned back against him. Even Renwa scooted closer. It was a complete unit Tyrande was staring at. They had dismissed her and were a focused on the baby. The little one sneezed and then she saw it. A single fang sticking out.

While Tyrande was staring at that, she noticed Elunara brush her lips across the top of the Draenei's head. Renwa said something and Elunara rolled her eyes. Grogek was speaking to her and she laughed and kissed his chin. This was not the defiant and nasty thing she had thrown out of her city all those years ago. If even half of what they said was true...

Tyrande cleared her throat and all looked at her as if she had magically appeared. "I guess I should get a closer look then." The Orc eyed her, the ferocious beast ready to defend his mate. Renwa stepped aside, but angled himself in such a way that he could step back between her and his lover. The Draenei looked mild enough, but her stance was ready to protect. How Elunara had managed to surround herself with such people was beyond Tyrande's comprehension.

She approached with caution.

Tyrande leaned down and ran her finger on the baby's cheek. "Is that a fang? How old is he?"

"He's only a couple of weeks old. He was born with that fang."

"That's..." Tyrande stared into her daughter's face.

"Strange. I know." Elunara sighed.

"But we are a strange family." Tulani added simply.

"That..." Tyrande blinked and straightened up. "That is very true." She finally said.

"Speaking of family," Elunara frowned. "Where is Malfurion?"

"He had to stay behind and take care of Darnassus. He advised against this trip, but I knew I had to handle things personally." Tyrande bit her lip "May... May I hold him?"

All went on alert, but they awaited Elunara's answer. Elunara narrowed her eyes. "Why?"

"Because up until about ten minutes ago, I did not know I had a grandson."

Elunara's lip quirked. "I suppose for a minute or two."

Tyrande was as fascinated by this little group as she was by the child she now held. He was quiet and seemed to be staring at her with eyes beyond his age. She only held him for a short time, but when she handed him back, the tension seemed to go out of the others.

"Show me this strange little town of yours."

Elunara had given Tulani the baby and walked with her hand twined with Grogek's. Tulani fell in step behind the two of them. She didn't seem insulted by this position; in fact she was more relaxed now, like an old routine.

"Let's return Darguni to his room. He needs a nap." Tulani said.