In the morning, she woke up wedged under Elunara. She tried to figure out how to get out without waking her, but Elunara stretched.
"Sorry, you were crying."
"I... I was?" Susan blinked.
"Yeah." Elunara continued to stretch. "Sorry, Tulani used to have vicious nightmares, and now it's just automatic reaction."
"You both rolled out of my reach." Grogek grumbled.
Tina bounced on Grogek's stomach. "Hi, Daddy!"
"Hello, little girl. Get off of me."
"I dun wanna!"
He plucked her off of him and sat her to the side, standing up, and stretching.
"Can I ride in your lap today, Daddy?"
Elunara sat, and began to shove spoonfuls into Lulu's mouth. "Not today, Sugarsweet. You can for the first portion, but once we come out of the mountain, your daddy has to help defend the cart. Can you drive the horses on a basically straight course?" She looked over at Susan.
"Yes, of course."
"I'm going to see if an old friend is at the first stop, he's completely crazy, but I can get him to help us through the zone."
"How crazy?" Grogek raised an eyebrow.
"Uhhhh, crazy enough that I'll have to be extremely convincing for him to not kill you."
"Usual method?"
"Not likely to work."
"Then he's insane."
She snorted. "He's still a man, it's just... he hates orcs with a passion that makes Grommash look like a pansy who wears pretty flowers in his hair." She twiddled her fingers in the air.
Grogek's eyebrows shot up. "Now, I might be worried."
"Nah, I'm going to go with slave..." Elunara tapped a finger. "I could convince someone you're my slave, right?"
Susan cackled. "From looking at him? No. From speaking to him? Yes."
"I love that sound out of you." Elunara winked.
"I do too." Grogek tugged Susan into his embrace.
Tina giggled wildly. "He's my daddy, he's my daddy!" She sang and danced about.
"Come on, you little maniac, let's get everybody in the cart." Elunara hefted Lulu up on to her hip.
"Ugh, this place is so HOT." Susan complained.
"It's about to get SO much worse, we're going into a mountain, and it's enough to make you barf." She pointed. "Turn up this path, once inside, you'll head right. The door out will be the lowest point."
Grogek nodded.
"Once we're out, I'll get us to the last safe spot. We'll rearrange, and then I'll go speak to my friend." She rocked her head back and forth. "I use the term loosely."
They came out into the main chamber of Blackrock Mountain. "Oh, WOW! This place is amazing!" Susan grabbed her stomach. "I agree with the barf..."
"Look, Daddy! Dragons!"
"Yeah, they won't bother us. Hey! You two! Fly low, ignore the dragons, we don't want to tangle with them today."
"Fine!" Tasha snorted.
"There's the door! At the end of the ramp, come to a stop."
"Alright, love."
At the bottom of the hill, they stopped.
"I don't want to move!"
"Too bad." Elunara tapped both children on the forehead and tucked them into the basket. She secured the lid. "They'll stay out until we get through. This is the longest, meanest, most difficult part of our journey. I need to focus on keeping the horses running. Meanwhile, Grogek, you keep your axe handy and take out anything that tries to get us. I'll do what I can, and our air support will spit at whatever we manage to miss." She looked up. "If you spot any fire spiders, snag em." She sighed. "I forget if they're here. If I can get this guy to help us, Grogek, don't speak. I'm going to convince him you're a mindless slave."
"Alright."
"I'll be back." She took off. On her way, SaTa dropped down and snagged a scorpid.
"I think I can spit acid now." Sasha blinked. "You keep your acid, I like my fire." Tasha snorted.
Elunara raised an arm. "Hey, Sexy, remember me?"
"Ah, Elunara... the only person I've ever met who's bloodlust runs deeper than my own." He grinned.
She licked her lips and smiled. "Yeah... Listen, I've taken on a pair of escort quests, and I'm looking for some help."
"Here?"
"Yeah, it started off with an Orc delivery, and then I picked up this mother and her children... It's complicated, but I've got to get them from here, to Redridge, at the very least."
"Orc delivery?"
"Yeah, I found a leader guy, took him out, and discovered he has a fair bit of information that King Wrynn wants. If I can safely deliver him, IN TACT to Stormwind, Varian Wrynn himself will handle the interrogations." She summoned her dagger, and twirled it in her fingers. "Plus, it'll be a tidy bounty for me."
"How do you have him?"
"Mage scroll thingy. He's completely under my control. However, if I take too much damage, the control is broken, and you know how THAT goes."
"Hm."
"Plus, I took on this woman and her two kids. She needs to get to Redridge to reunite with her husband. I've been using the mind control to get the orc to protect us through tough spots, but there's no zone tougher than Burning Steppes."
He considered for a moment. "I'll do it."
Elunara and her follower walked back to the wagon. "Susan, this is John J. Keeshan, he's a war hero. He'll get us through."
"Oh, thank you very much." She smiled.
He took her hand and smiled. "You are quite a beauty. Pity you are already taken." He kissed the back of it.
"Oh!" Susan blushed and spared a glance at Grogek. "Yes, of course."
Keeshan noticed Grogek. "Is this him?"
"Yeah, don't mind him; he's well within my control." Elunara climbed up on the back of a horse, while Keeshan climbed into the cart.
"Where are the children?"
"In that wrapped basket there. Let's go!"
Susan cracked the reins.
"We have ogres and trolls on the right!" Elunara yelled. "Be prepared."
Grogek stood and planted his feet on either side of Susan, balancing himself. He cut down a pair of Ogres from where he stood. Elunara threw her dagger, catching the troll in the throat, before she summoned it back to her. Green and red spit balls hit worgs and humanoids alike.
"What are those beasts?" Keeshan yelled.
