It was both dishonourable and impolite to discuss another individual in their presence. Both soldiers had been aware of this and as a consequence had moved outside to a more appropriate location.  With the shaman now pacing the cobbled pavements with better balance and more vigour, the paladin could do nothing more than release a sigh and rest his back against the fence.  One leg crossed over the other and arms folded he could have given the illusion of a relaxed individual if his expression hadn’t given away the entire story.

“Her name is Dannyka, a young paladin from the Exodar.” Tsnumi began to brief the shaman at last.  Once he was satisfied she was not about to call forth an elemental flame to wreck havoc on the town. “Apparently she possesses great potential, has quite the skill in the healing arts but I cannot confirm this,” he shrugged loosely and released a soft sigh.  He has a sneaking suspicion that regardless of whatever words may come from his mouth, the Draenei would never stop pacing.

“Ironic that he would choose another Draenei and another who possesses the ability to heal,” it was a bitter observation as the cloven hoofed woman swung round and began to pace in the opposite direction. So he had replaced her with an individual that was nearly identical, a woman who lacked her strength and prowess but all the same.  He had found someone safe, someone affectionate and someone who could grant him a family immediately – for all his words…

“He never wanted to wait, did he?” A completely rhetorical question and yet it was enough to make her pacing halt.  Her gaze lifted to the otherwise uncorrupted blue sky and she furrowed her brow.  It had been over thirty years since the majority of Draenor had even seen such a beautiful sky and yet somehow, it now lacked the appeal it had once had to her.  It now seemed dull, grey and as empty as the black and void filled skies above the Black Temple.  Something stirred within her and she unclasped her hands from behind her back – clenching them she swung round again and returned her gaze to the paladin.

“Is there something exotic and desirable about the females of my race that make your Azerothian blood boil?” she enquired at last, her voice cold and otherwise filled with a cruel quality that was often reserved only for taunts upon the battlefield. “Perhaps it is the tail, or the smooth contours of our horns but you are all so anxious to acquire a piece of us.”

Unfortunately the paladin lacked any viable response to her words and instead, kept his expression as unreadable as he could.  It was often better to allow women to rant, to blow off steam and he could only hope that he could provide the outlet necessary for her to calm down and recover.  Now was not the time to point out that she too had been interested in the ‘exotic’ races that existed on Azeroth – perhaps another time when she had recovered and had a sense of humour again.

That would take a while.

“Pick up the young ones who have yet to develop any sense of self and purpose.  Steal them while they are young, naïve and idealists,” she shook her head and bitterly cursed the part of her that had been so set in her ways.  Slowly but surely she was being granted the knowledge that if she had been younger; if SHE had crashed in the Exodar then her life would have been simpler.  Her battles would be less stressful and her ideals would be real. However, age and conflict before certain Draenei were even born had led her to be cynical and secluded before Draenei had even existed on Azeroth.  The Spirits hadn’t necessarily misguided her but they had most definitely been vague and had told white lies.

“It all makes sense now,” she mused calmly, lifting a hand to her head as she brushed the silver strands from her eyes.  Holding them near her ear, she returned to her pacing but her strides were slower and more controlled.  She had already slipped into her own thoughts and calmly sorted through the pieces of the puzzle, pieces that were now fitting into place. The spirits had not informed her that he had gone missing again or that he was alive because he had proven himself worthless. She had sacrificed everything to find him, had fought her way into the depths of the Undercity and he in return?

…Had left her for another woman.

It appeared those spirits that guided her were just as angered as she was by his betrayal.  She had never asked for an identical level of honour or etiquette, she had accepted him with his quirks and protected him as best she could.  All she had asked was for him to wait and to understand that she was not simple.  It took her time to slowly remove each barrier from her petite form and while she had removed many – she hadn’t removed them all quickly enough.

He wanted children, he wanted an heir.

She hadn’t been ready.

To say she hadn’t wanted children was inaccurate…she had wanted nothing more than to settle down when she was ready.  She would have gladly had children when she felt she was no longer needed, when another of equal value could take her place.  While there were many of great potential, it would still take months (even years) for this to occur and then she would be ready.  Given that Draenei had no age, in much the same fashion as Night Elves…time became almost irrelevant.  So why had he forgotten this fact?

“I gave you everything,” she whispered softly, her hand dropping limply to her side as she began to walk away from the town and towards the lake.  Helmet (and companion) forgotten, her mind was elsewhere as she drifted further.  There were no attempts to stop her from wandering, it would have been unwise to interrupt her and thus she remained undisturbed. Untouched even by passers-by, she was permitted to mull over every little thought in her head and with each revelation barrier upon barrier began to reconstruct itself around her.

She had taken a risk, after the loss of the one who had given everything to her she wasn’t certain she would have recovered. However, Raniero had come her way and had worked hard.  His words had been persuasive and slowly but surely she had taken steps to lower her barriers.  She had taken a risk in allowing herself to be vulnerable again and ultimately she had placed her greatest bet on the table – her heart. It had been a risk that she should have never taken; even the embrace of the spirits was no longer enough to sustain her.  It was with this in mind that she came to a halt by the Crystal Lake and admired her own reflection.  She was a young Draenei in comparison to her kind, her beauty remained pure and yet she could finally see it… Lowering herself slowly to the ground, she removed the glove from her hand and placed her fingertips on the water’s surface.  Admiring the ripples she became aware that there was darkness in her eyes that those from the Exodar lacked.  Though her eyes might have glowed, their ethereal nature was more eerie and disturbing than alluring to those who lived within this world.

She was empty and that scared people.

Lifting her hand, she continued to observe as the droplets of water began to stain her palm.  However, she found no comfort in this and even the faint whisper of the spirits in her ear did little. She had returned to this town without any true idea of what she sought, it might have been closure or a chance to embrace some fond memories but oddly enough they simply weren’t there.  In a bustling town she was very out of place, where people found friends she appeared to find nothing.

What she had once known was dead.

“Fairytale endings are for the weak, aren’t they?” she mused quietly.