Orgrimmar - The Portal Line

...

Light filtered through the clouds on the third morning of the camp out and the soft warmth on her face caused the female hunter to stir. There was a brief moment of peace as she drifted from groggy sleep to sharp awareness as her eyes focused; movement. The seemingly everlasting line had shifted to bring an entirely new lot of merchants, soldiers, and medics.

Tegan sat up and lifted her hand to her face, using the back to wipe her eyes. As per usual, her hand came back moist and her eyes felt irritated, the skin on her cheeks raw from tears. She blinked a few times and silently thanked the stars she couldn’t remember the nightmare; achieving sleep at all was difficult enough with the day to day terrors floating in her thoughts.

She looked up and found two resting bodies in front of her; a female troll sleeping in the hammock and a male elf resting on the ground using a supply backpack as a headrest. She held her breath and pushed herself to her feet, attempting to make as little noise as possible as she stepped around them and out of their little camp. Once she had managed to put a pace of distance between herself and her friends, she stopped and looked back at them, a genuine smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

“I’ll be right back.” She promised in a whisper. I just need to take care of something.

--

Tegan walked parallel to the individuals standing in line as she made her way to the front of the checkpoint. Most of the people ignored her but she could feel a few pairs of eyes linger. One person even pointed to her as she passed. “Isn’t she one of the Commanders?”

Tegan inhaled slowly and increased her pace, the last thing she needed was to be pulled into working the checkpoint. She needed to get through and get back in the shortest amount of time possible. Once she arrived at the front, she saluted the guards. The orc nearest to her raised his hand to wave her off. “You’ll have to get in line like everyon--” His original sentence never finished after he turned his gaze on her. He looked her up and down one time before a look of horror flashed before his eyes as he realized his mistake. “Commander Tegan?” He scrambled to salute. “I didn’t expect to see you here!”

Tegan offered up the best reassuring smile she could manage. “At ease, Sergeant.”

The Sergeant, who had been bracing for a reprimand, gave her a look of disbelief.

“I’ll be needing a favor.” Tegan continued before he could raise any questions. “I need to cross over to send a message and then cross back to finish bringing my supplies through.” She explained in short. “I know normal procedure is to only cross over for designated missions but this is critical. I will return in less than an hour.” The Sergeant shifted in unease. He never had anyone cross through the portal and back again as she was asking to do. The strain of the transport on a person’s body would take a heavy toll.

“Are you sure it is wise, Commander? I could easily have another Sergeant take your place here to bring your supplies through.”

Tegan shook her head. “That won’t be necessary.” Her voice had become more stern and signaled that the conversation had no more room for negotiation. “I’ll be crossing over and returning within one hour. You will instruct the magi to give me that clearance. Understood?”

“Yes, Commander.”

Tegan patted the orc’s shoulder as she walked by. “Good.”

----

The feeling of being compressed by gravity was the only way Tegan could possibly explain what teleporting back in time felt like. Her feet hit the ground first and she reached out her hands to prevent herself from smashing her face as she tumbled forward. The world was spinning around her for several seconds and a high pitched ringing wouldn’t leave her ears. She forced herself onto her feet and grabbed hold of the nearest log structure in order to steady herself.

One of her followers, an orc priestess, saw her and immediately rushed to her side. “Commander… did you just come through the portal?”

“Yes. And I’ll be going back again in just a few moments.” She stated clearly, her voice barely above a whisper as she attempted to remember how to breathe correctly again. “Where is Malvorek?”

The priestess shook her head. “Have you lost your mind?” She spoke freely, one of Tegan’s closer followers within the troops. “You’ll kill yourself. Your body can’t take that many trips.”

“I asked you. Where is Malvorek?” Tegan’s tone of voice must have startled the priestess.

“Commander, what has happened?” The priestess tried to get information out of her leader. She knew Malvorek’s reputation for being a bully and knew that Tegan had her fair share of disagreements with the General… but to see Tegan this was was frightening to her.

“He’s… at the Tavern.” The priestess hesitantly answered. Tegan immediately began walking toward the Tavern and the priestess, worried for her, followed her in toe. “Commander whatever you have in mind… I’m sure Malvorek is well deserving but--”

The female Commander shot back a look at the priestess with fire in her eyes. “He deserves far worse than the pain I could ever bring upon him.”

Tegan pulled open the door and stepped inside, allowing it to slam shut behind her. “Malvorek.” His name was spoken like a curse.

The laughter and conversation of the inn hushed quickly as the spectators pieced together the conflict that was about to unravel. The General started to laugh and crossed his arms, leaning back into his chair so that the two legs would lift off the ground. “Oh my. Look who is back from “vacation”... and here I thought you’d be bringing your ‘friends’ along. I’ve been waiting to meet them.” He smirked.

Tegan’s lips curled into a snarl as the General mentioned her friends. This was exactly why she had come without them. He would have sabotaged them somehow. Slowly and purposefully, she reached back and removed an arrow from her quiver, her eyes never leaving Malvorek’s face.

“Now what are you going to do with that?” The General called out to her. “Shoot me in front of all of these people? I knew that you were worthless but an act of treason…?” He trailed off, tsking his tongue. “I told them they should never let a little girl onto the battle-field. Poor mind just can’t handle it.”

“Keep talking.” She told him, aiming the arrow right between his eyes. “In fact. Tell everyone here what you’ve been doing the past two years.”

The General’s eyes narrowed. “What I’ve done?” True confusion was momentary before the warrior put it together. He growled and stood up, his troops standing with him. “She’s clearly gone mad.” He accused flatly.

Tegan pulled back the arrow she had notched so that it was even with her mouth, the tension there. Her own troops were starting to stand, inching toward her. “Don’t do it, Commander.” She heard one of her own beg her.

“Two years.” She declared to the room. “Two years stolen from loved ones. Two years stolen from family…” She paused, glancing around the room at the confused faces. “Two years stolen of hope.” Her gaze returned to Malvorek.

“What did you do with the letters?” She demanded.

Malvorek glared at her silently and his lack of response caused the room to buzz. One of Malvorek’s men turned to him. “What is she talking about? What letters?”

Tegan answered for the General. “Our General has been intercepting in-coming and out-going mail for the past two years. Anything he deemed “unnecessary” to the cause…. never reached the intended destination.”

The entire inn’s buzzing was becoming a loud hum as the different innsfolk started to question one another.

“We were told it was because of the time!” Someone from the back of the room shouted.

Tegan shook her head. “Messages pertaining to the war resolved at either location just fine.” She tilted her chin up. “If you don’t believe me. Try now. Try again to write to your families. Your loved ones…he won’t be stopping you this time.” This announcement caused the room to roar with questions and anger.

“THAT IS ENOUGH!” The General roared and tamed the room. He started towards Tegan and she readjusted her aim, following his head. He stopped several paces out before her. “It doesn’t matter what I do. You are all under my command and if I say there is not to be distractions from the war-- then it will be so!” He pointed a finger at the innsfolk. “Commander Tegan, you are dismissed!”

Tegan smirked, her bow and arrow not moving.

“I SAID GET OUT.” Malvorek made one step toward her before an arrow plunged into his shoulder as he reached for his hammer.

“General Malvorek. This message is from Thrall: You have hereby been relieved of your title as General and are to report to him this evening for crimes against the Frost Wolf troops.”

He charged her and another arrow was delivered into his thigh, causing him to stumble. He knelt before her, looking as though he might try and kill her.

“And this message is from me--” She stepped forward, pressing the tip of her arrow against his forehead as she promised him in a calm voice. “If you ever even think about messing with my people again. I will kill you.”

She stepped back and three of her followers jumped forward to restrain the former General. The priestess who had walked her over to the inn stood frozen with her hand covering her mouth in disbelief.

Tegan reached out to put a comforting hand on her friend’s arm. “Things will get better now. Write to your children.”
The priestess nodded slowly and opened the door for Tegan to exit the building.

Once outside, Tegan looked up to the sky to gauge the sun; she would need to run to make it back to the portal in time. She placed her fingers between her lips and whistled, a young Talbulk appearing before her. She swung herself into the saddle and urged the beast into a gallop across the Ridge. As she rode, she took out a piece of paper to scribble a few words.
----

The second time through the portal left Tegan unconscious when she arrived on the other side.

The note in her hand read “All messages to and from Draenor have now been cleared.”

Thick plumes of smoke billowed through the crowd as the day's first light pierced the clouds. All styles of tents from all of the races of Azeroth dotted the horizon, supplies were stacked building height with guards lazily lounged on them in various state of consciousness. Camps and huddled figures packed as far as the eye could see began to stir as the sun signaled it was time to begin a new day in the endless wait.

The line quickly became a makeshift town with vendors arriving daily to take advantage of the captive audience who had nothing else to do but listen to them hawk their wares.

Val, draped in what could best be described as an old blanket with a hole cut in the middle, crinkled his nose at the various smells that he walked through. He had found the morning to be the least frustrating as all of the frustrations still laid asleep near fireless ash mounds from the night before.

He had left his area of the line to locate one of the missing members of the group that he was traveling with. Tegan. A young female elf who he had once knew as one of the most inspiring and free spirits to grace the woods with a bow in hand. He always had admired her ability to survive, he never knew how far she would go. As he scanned people in the line he had to keep reminding himself that she now donned the color of blood as she flew under the militaristic flag of the Horde.

“Ay ‘chu want som’ egg’s?” came from his right. A small Goblin who has awoken early shaked a small speckled blue egg  at him. Val was caught off guard causing him to grab at his chest to apparently attempt to keep it from leaping out of his body..

“Wow...wha...I did not see you there… ahh what? No, no im good on egg’s…”  He tried to squint at the rather heavy looking shape that was tightly being gripped by a dry green hand.  “Is that even an egg?” The goblin seamlessly rolled it up his sleeve and crossed his arms.

“We’ll It ain’t even fer sale no more’s..” The old goblin lifted up a flap to what was some sort of makeshift tent made out of stacked empty cages.

Val made a light whistling sound “Aye wait, how about this. I wont grab one of the hundreds of soldiers laying around you and point out this little scam you got going here. Which I have to say, I don't even know how you get past the part where someone actually touches that “egg”. “ He paused. “This cant possibly work, how do you..” He stopped, shook his head to refocus himself. “It doesn't matter, So I need some info.”

The goblin sighed and rubbed his hand over his face smoohsing his features around. He released his hand allowing his features to slowly slide back in place. “Make it Q’wik”

Val took a step forward and quieted his voice “ Have you seen an elf soldier walking around? Light brown reddish hair, not as full as mine, tad dry.” He pulled the blanket he was wearing back to make sure the goblin saw his bow hanging down behind him.

“Easy now pinky” The goblin released the fabric door and turned around “Le’s not go aroun’ sayin’ stuffs an’ threats  like that… Yeah I seen pinkies like ‘chu all ov’a the place.” He leaned on the cage nearest to him “Saw one jus’ late las’ night push ‘er way to da front of the line. Saw one carrying a basket of...”

Val perked up with all of his focus now aimed intently at the goblin. He knew no one would make it anywhere near the front unless they had some rank to pull. Apparently Tegan had acquired such rank in abundance over the last year and was giving it some use. He cut off the rambling goblin.

“Last night? Did anyone go through the portal last night?” His brows furrowed deeply and his mind was racing. Did she abandon them all again?

The goblin made a buzzing noise with his chapped lips “Bzaap! Shot ‘em right through, I ‘tink dat..” Val was already sprinting towards the direction of the portal before the small green being could finish his sentence. The goblin let his mouth hang a moment. “Pinkies alway’s wit’ the runnin’” he let out a cough and ducked down to go back into his tent. A blue rock fell with a thud and the goblins skittering hand scooped it up into his clutches.  He scanned around for prying eyes, satisfied he violently pulled his tent door shut.

Vals lungs burned with the mornings cold air as he sprinted and leapt. He determined the fastest way was to make it to the portal was to run across the structures and supply piles as the floor was littered with sleeping bodies. He ignored the various shouts as almost no one else agreed that it was the best route to take.

The portal was in sight.

Eleanor. Eleanor?! ELEANOR!!!

Elsee shot up with a start, her hair matted to the right side of her creased face with sleep. She whipped her head around, momentarily unable to separate dreams  from waking life, squinting at the now mid-morning light and bustle around her. Her pulse raced for a moment before she let out a groan, falling back to her place in the hammock and letting her legs drag on either side. Bringing her hands to her face she rubbed at her eyes and cheeks, whining to herself. She dropped her left arm over her eyes, letting her hand swing limply beside her.

“I’m telling you guys… T’is is why we need walls.” She let out a sigh and pursed her lips in a pout.  Realizing there was no response to her complaint (for the 1000th time) she dropped her arm from her eyes and blinked at the brightness in the direction of where the other two had been.
“Guys?” She strained to lift her head over the edge of the netted hammock.  

Her heart leapt. Gone!
But the documents?!

She whipped her head to the stack of crates, still tucked underneath the other hammock.
“Jeez!” She sat up in the hammock, swinging her legs over to the one side and letting her loose hair fall in front of her shoulders.  Things were already abuzz around her. People were getting armoured, and surprisingly already getting drunk and cooking fish. She scrunched up her nose at the Male Shu’halo who insisted on doing all these things at once, just a few tents away from their own.  She gave a huff and stood barefoot, walking towards the two posts that held up their tent, facing the street.

“Ey!! EYYY!! EYYYYYYYuh!” her nostrils flared as she shouted at the Tauren. “Not everyone appreciates t’at kinda t’ing, you know!! How am I supposed to go t’rough my day smellin’ like a fish and havin’ to watch you sip’n’spray by lunchtime?!!”

The Tauren had paused, mid bite on a hefty side of still-steaming fish, blinking rapidly at Elsee in confusion. She scowled back at him unblinking for a solid minute, before throwing her hands up in the air and turning back to the middle of her tent with a scoff.  She had it in her to whine again, but was interupted by a new voice.

“Hey, Lady!”

Elsee spun on her heel, ready to smack whoever was about to get on her nerves now.  An average sized Goblin stood before her,  wrestling something from his sleeve.
“You wanna buy a’ egg?”

“Commander Tegan!” The Orc Seargant Aknor cradled the smaller body of his superior. His large hands brushed her hair away from her mouth so he could listen for signs of life. Trickling red leaked from her nose and the inside of one ear.  As her followers had warned, the portal had taken its toll. Her eyes were not seeing the portal gate or Aknor…


The room was quiet; too quiet for a room supposed to be made for children.  The flowers Tegan had gathered were placed in a vase and displayed beside the toddler sized bed. She knelt down beside the bed and adjusted the covers on a native Frost Wolf girl, perhaps a few years away from adolescence. The girl smiled and Tegan forced herself to reflect the expression. The girl was in terrible shape after her village had been bombed. Burns covered a good portion of her body and the local healer was doing the best he could to keep the infection from spreading and her fever down.

“Hey you.” The elf greeted warmly. “Look what I found…” Tegan reached behind her back to produce a stuffed rabbit that had scorch marks and one ear torn off.

“Babby!” The girl squeaked and reached for her dearest toy but cringed in the process. Movement left her in excruciating pain. “You found her!”

Tegan gingerly handed ‘Babby’ off to the girl. “I promised you I would.” She then thumbed at herself and smiled brightly. “I’m a hunter, remember? I can track and find things!” Tegan pointed two fingers at her eyes and then again at the rabbit. “He couldn’t hide from me.”

The girl buried her face into the toy and breathed in deep. It smelled like home.

Tegan reached out to give the girl’s hair a gentle caress. “I can’t stay very long today…I’ve got to go back.” She explained, her voice torn. All she wanted to do was nurse the little girl back to health. The girl had no family left after the attack. Tegan was one of her only visitors other than the healers that rotated.

The girl whined and reached out for Tegan’s arm, pleading. “Can you stay a little longer?”  

Tegan glanced out the window to check the sun for a time reference. “Just a little longer.” She gave in. The girl beamed and snuggled back down into her blankets, crushing ‘babby’ to her chest.

“Will you sing me that song?” The muffled voice requested from behind the toy.

Tegan tilted her head. “Which one?”

“The sleepy song.” The girl stated, as if it should have been obvious.

The elf commander laughed softly. “Anything for you.” She said and then reached into her bag to pull out a tiny old music box. She tapped the trinket and it began to play a soft and low lullaby. Tegan hummed to it for a moment… she could truthfully only remember a handful of the lyrics but she tried her hardest.

“Just close your eyes…
The sun is going down.
You’ll be alright…
No one can hurt you now,
Come morning light.
You and I’ll be safe and sound…”

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Unbeknownst to the three companions, a man draped in the darkest of fabrics had been surveying the group since the evening prior. Juni’s instructions had been to protect the documents should the trio become distracted or otherwise incapacitated. The secondary instructions had been to ‘look after’ Elsee. Whatever that meant.

The ‘dark priest’ curled his lip at the empty camp with the documents left unattended. He exhaled slowly and muttered to himself about responsibility. The owl perched on his shoulder cooed and he fed the creature some sort of treat he produced from his pocket. The bird allowed him to borrow sight. In exchange, he made sure the creature didn’t starve. Fair partnership in his mind.

Keovi watched second hand as Elsee was approached by the Goblin and his eyebrows lifted. Now this would be entertaining. He folded his arms across his chest and was about to get some form of enjoyment out of watching the thief scam until shouts from the portal gate were heard.

The dark robed elf approached Elsee slowly but purposefully, his ‘gaze’ turned in her direction but not focused. “Juni warned you all to take care of the supplies…and here you are about to barter them away for a rock.”

The Goblin glared daggers at him and muttered. “Might as well be an undead pinky… bad mouthing my business…can’t even see what I’m selling and he’s got to be judging!”

----------------------------------------------------------------------


“Somebody get a healer!” Aknor shouted over his shoulder to the general public. Tegan’s lips were pale and her breathing shallow. He helplessly tried to pour a healing potion into her mouth. He looked away only when he heard his men start a commotion near to him.

The guards were attempting to corral an elf that had come sprinting from the back of the line.

“Whoa! Stop! Hey! Where do you think you’re going?!” A soldier demanded, stepping in front of Valendil to block his way.
---------------------------------------------------------------------


Tegan blinked. It was morning again. She was standing outside of the children’s house. Another bouquet of wildflowers had been gathered. She reached for the door but it opened on its own.

A Sin’dorei in all black stood before her. She stumbled back a step, startled and glared at the man for surprising her. Her lips parted to chastise him but at closer inspection she felt her heart stop in her chest. All black… eyes of without sight. This man was no healer…

“Why are you here?” She demanded but her voice came out choked, her throat betraying her.

“You know why, Commander Tegan.”

She heard his words but they sounded too foreign. She couldn’t breathe.

“No.” The word came out but it was less of an answer as much as it was a sob.

Her mind screamed. Every fiber of her being felt as though it were being undone.

“No. She was getting better… SHE WAS GETTING BETTER.” Tegan reeled.

Keovi exhaled slowly. He had been warned that the Commander would likely react this way.  

“The healers. The healers could have saved her. Why didn’t they save her?”  Tegan managed through clenched teeth, still un-accepting of what she was being told. But the man’s answer hit her hard.

“You are right. They could have.” He moved to step around her but Tegan grabbed him by his arm and pushed him back. “But they didn’t. The decision was made weeks ago. The General instructed today to relieve the girl of her misery.”

Tegan stared at him with wide eyes. What?

Keovi, knowing the female Commander would not release him alive if he did not get her to see reason, continued. “Commander, you have spent several hours each evening here tending to this one girl.” His voice became stern. “You have been spending valuable time attempting to save one while hundreds more die each day the war continues.”

Tegan released the dark priest’s arm, she felt herself slowly fall to her knees, clasping her hands over her mouth in order to stifle the sobbing that caused her entire body to shutter.

Keovi’s lips pulled into a thin line. Although he was not empathetic by any means, he felt incredibly uncomfortable in situations of grief. He smoothed out his sleeve where Tegan had wrinkled the fabric and took one step away. “Pull yourself together Commander.” He continued on his way.  Without Keovi blocking, she was able to see inside the home. ‘Babby’ lay in the middle of the floor, unattended…

“You end the war Commander… and no more little girls will have to die.”
----------------------------------------------------------

Shouts. There was shouting.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Where was she going? Where was she? She blinked once or twice.  She turned her head to see Valendil and the guards.

Where was he going?

A large hand turned her face and she found herself looking up at Aknor.

“Commander Tegan?” He asked loudly, concern flooding his voice. “Has anyone found a damned priest yet!?” He snapped.

“Val--.” Tegan tried to move her arm but it was sluggish, like she had been sleeping on it all night.

The Sergeant shook his head, not understanding. “Val? Val-what? Val-who?”

The Orc’s hand dwarfed him as it wrapped around his shoulder holding him back. Val knew he was not getting forward unless the towering Orc wanted him to. Another large hand smacked onto his back yanking him across the loose red dirt. He felt his feet leave the floor.

“This is for Officers of the horde. Back of the line with you” The bass of the voice rumbled through Val’s body. The Orc effortlessly swung his arm and tossed Val back a few feet, he slid and caught his balance.

“That commander, I know her! What has she done? Why is she..” he motioned to his nose to mimic the blood trickling from her face.

“Did she go through the portal twice? Why is that happening? Aren't portals safe? I have never...”

The large Orc guard put up a hand to silence the elf “I'm not answering any of your questions boy. Move along.” Val went to open his mouth, the orc looked him in the eyes with the a gaze that would of silenced Thrall himself. “Move. Along”

Valendil put his hands up and walked backwards, his head trying to look behind the orc to see what was happening in the commotion surrounding the limp frame of Tegan.

He knew he had to get back to Elsee. He turned and sprinted back to where they camped in the line.

Elsee was less than amused. She had been awake for less than five minutes, and everything was already terrible. There was a smell, a rising event somewhere near the front of the line, and already two dudes trying to jump her junk.
Not one to call herself a morning person, she took the rising noise as a omen to an impending horrible rest of her day too. Everything drowned out as she contemplated her many sudden woes, languishing in self agony. She didn’t hear a word either said. She tilted her head back, closing her eyes, letting out a resounding
“AUUUGHHH!”

 She left a slightly snarled upper lip on her face when she brought her head back down to look at the Goblin and the Dark Figure. Flipping her curly bed-head hair over her shoulder, she struck a contrapposto with her left hand on her hip.  
“Listen, boys. It is too early in the dang morning for all t’is. You want some time wit’ me, you gotta wait until the sun’s goin’ DOWN, not up! And I’m working, besides! ”  

She rolled her eyes.  Being just steps from her tent, she turned on her heel in an act to dismiss them both. She adjusted her posture and sauntered back towards the tent posts, as lady-like as she could manage in the state she was in.

Boys will be boys.

Keovi tilted his head as Elsee demanded her space with a side dish of sass. His eyebrows then lofted in half hearted amusement.

The dark priest had the three companions labeled in his mind. The 'bleeding heart Commander', the 'dramatic young shaman', and the 'nature loving pacifist'. He had briefly encountered direct contact with Tegan several months ago but the event could be considered less than pleasant. He didn't understand why Juni had trusted such important documents to such a disjointed lot of misfits.

Keovi had a vague idea of what was occurring at the portal gates but he needed to confirm. With a soft spoken word, he broke the connection with the bird of prey and sent it soaring up the line to find out details. He didn't need sight to converse with the young troll.

He followed her back to the tent but allowed for ample space between them. "I was given instructions to safe guard the documents. And you specifically." His voice was calm despite how he anticipated a large amount of protest.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Tegan managed to point to Valendil just as her friend threw up his arms in the air. She watched him step back a pace before Aknor blocked her view. The ringing in her ears preventing her from hearing clearly the exchange between Val and the guards. She frowned and shook her head. The simple words of 'I know him. He's okay. Let him through' weren't forming.

"Him." Was all she managed and then brought both of her hands up to press against her temples. Her head felt like it had been split open. She had felt this way once before in her life after a horrible concussion.

Aknor had managed to collect a small handful of priests who hovered around her. One reached out to try and take her vitals and she swatted at his hand. "Don't touch me." She buried her face into her knees and wrapped her arms around her head to stop the world from spinning.

The priest recoiled and looked to Aknor for some sort of instructions. The Sergeant knew he wasn't going to get his Commander any help while she wasn't cooperative; no one would dare break the orders she was giving no matter her mental state.

"You. Find the elf that came up here a few minutes ago and bring him to me. Maybe he can reason with her."

Elsee just wanted to get dressed, splash some water on her face and tie up her rats nest out of her face. She was back in the threshold of her tent when one of her braids caught her peripheral vision and she noted it’s rather frayed state. She reached up to unravel it and start a fresh one when bro was creepin’ again.  She looked at him from over her shoulder, processing what he was actually saying this time.

“What?” She paused for a moment, unraveling that he wasn’t in fact there to jump her junk. An unfamiliar wave of rejection rushed over her as she decided she was NOT going to be nice, now. She kept her back turned to the stranger, picking up her right hand to look at her nails casually.

“Ugh. You mean Momma sent you? She want me to come and sleep at home at night, too?”

It almost seemed like she might slow down, and pause for breath or allow someone else to speak.

“She didn’t have to send me down here wit’ all t’ese! What’s TAI doing even? What’s ANYONE else doing?! I’ve got important t’ings to do too, you know! And sendin’ a stranger? T’ats just… rude. How far is the house from here? A couple miles? GAH she is so UNFAIR!!!”
She stomped her foot a little on the last word for emphasis. She gave a half-turn towards him, still mostly looking at him from over her shoulder.

“Sah. Who are you, now?”

Val already had put a decent distance from himself and the portal. He lept and slid through the various obstacles in front of him. His mind racing. He muttered under his breath as he lept over a Tauren trying to start a fire “Just had to leave Darkmoon” The Tauren didn't even look up.

Their spot in line stood out to him as it was the least prepared, no structures save for a makeshift hammock that Elsee somehow acquired. His pace slowed as he saw a figure clad in dark fabrics talking to Elsee’s back. From his experience anyone is all black wasn't there to shoot the breeze.

He came to a trot and then to a walk. He attempted to ease himself into the crowd to not cause any attention to himself. He squatted down next to a rather large fire that seemed to be a communal fire as no sleeping arrangements surrounded it. Various meats and veggies were skewered and sizzling on the heat. He focused his ears to the conversation behind him as he quickly pulled a hot spiced potato wedge and slid it into his mouth.

Keovi closed his eyes and remained quiet throughout Elsee's onslaught of protests. One corner of his lips was pulled into a tiny smirk. He knew that the first set of questions were rhetorical and so he offered her no answers other than his name.

"Will my name matter? I expect you'll call me a bastard regardless." The tone of his voice made it sound like he was attempting humor; an olive branch. He detested the idea of 'babysitting' and was only interested in finding out what these documents meant to the world and how it would shape history forever. At least it was a mutual disdain for the agreement.

"Keovi Blackshard." He introduced himself after a brief pause and bent over in a formal bow. The dark elf looked like a young adult but his mannerisms were of an old soul; reserved and proper.

The dark priest parted his lips to speak when the screech of his owl caused him to stand tall and raise an arm for the bird to perch. The priest's calm expression darkened and he sighed in annoyance.

"Your oh so brilliant Commander didn't believe the warnings about portal crossings. If she isn't moved away from the gates, the portal's spell might send half of her back to Draenor and that would be quite a mess to clean up." He paused, irritated by Tegan's mistake. "Oh, and I would advise that you find a better way to store those documents...If I knew where to find them; so could someone else."

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Half a dozen soldiers spread out through the line, asking the different groups of people if anyone knew where Tegan's camp had been the night prior.

One of the soldiers came across the Goblin. "You there. Do you know where the Commander's supplies and crew were?"

The Goblin glared and thumbed over his shoulder at Elsee and Keovi. "Black pinky is new. There was another one. Don't know where he went and don't really care. Bad business that lot!"

The guard nodded and moved past the Goblin. The little being raised his fist and shouted at the grunt. "Information like that costs gold you know!"

“Well, KOBE. I don’t HAVE a commander, okay? Sah. You can jus’…”
She paused

“Oh wait! You mean Tegan??” She blinked, turning around to face him fully and finally paying complete attention.  She let go of her braid and took a step towards him.

“Somet’ing happened? But it’s so early!!!” She looked over Keovi, double taking on his eyes and giving a micro-expression of ‘creeped out’. Her eyes drifted to the fire behind them, where the Tauren had been cooking the fish, recognizing a familiar shape. Right before snapping her attention back to Keovi in front of her for explanation, she had one last complaint…
“ And how come she didn’t take the dang box?!”

Val fluidly swung his bow around to his front under his makeshift poncho. To someone who didn't know what he was doing would assume he has shifting to get more comfortable near the fire. His ears focused on the voices. Kobe. Cody? Elsee’s interpretation of his name messed up his concentration.

His brow furrowed at hearing Tegans name. He untied the arrow that was secured to the side of the bow. He didn't have his quiver as he was not expecting any sort of confrontation. He should of know better, this is how it always goes.

He notched the arrow under his shroud, he slowly rose to his feet flipping the fabric back. He waited for Elsee to give him some sort of sign.

Keovi offered only a half-hearted shrug with his shoulders about why the Commander did the things she did. Psychology and understanding of motives wasn't exactly Keovi's strong suit.

"To be quite honest, I don't care what fate befalls the Commander. But I'm no fool in thinking my task won't become painstakingly more difficult if she dies." He paused and the owl on his shoulder looked towards the portal.

"I'm sure I can remove the spell from her. But I'll need someone to convince her to allow me to do so. You see, your little Commander isn't exactly fond of my work." He stepped into a half turn toward the front gates. "Will you take me to her? Navigating around these brutes isn't pleasant." Keovi was being as pleasant and charming as he could; but how pleasant and charming could a snake really be?

All the while, the dark priest had no awareness of Valendil's intentions.

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A guard reached the group just next to the communal fire and barked at those seated there. "Was anyone here a member of the Commander's company?"

Elsee’s vision focused back onto Valendil as he rose and started spazzing out.
No. Don’t you dare.
She narrowed her eyes, huffing. It really had been too long. He had no clue how to read this shit anymore. She rolled her eyes, extending a hand and manifesting about half a bucket’s worth of luke-warm ethereal water onto his head.  She gave a smirk, pretty sure that would give him the right message, and looked back to Keovi.
“Yeah. I’ll take you t’ere. Gimme a second.”

Elsee had decided that the cropped vest she wore as a shirt and cut off leather shorts were probably not exactly going to get her any mileage in this line. Her hair was beyond help, so it was going to have to wait until after all this. She picked up her super-official-Darkspear robes and slipped it over her arms and down her shoulders on top of the pieces she was already in. Even though she knew it was terrible, she couldn’t help but look down at herself.
Cute. #fml
“Okay, Let’s go, buddy. You want me to hold your hand?” She was only half kidding, paling slightly at the thought of being seen with this weirdo. “No, seriously somet’ing wrong wit’ your eyes?”
She looked him over once more before moving past him towards the street.
“Who’s gonna watch t’is stuff?”

‘I didn’t sign up for a bath’ was the first thing his mind yelled inside his skull. Warm water veiled his vision and brought his perfectly shaped hair cascading across his face. He didn't make a sound or move he just slumped back in place. He knew it was from Elsee, she was highly into the water spells as of late.

He pulled in a deep breath and let it out, blowing his hair up slightly with water spattering out into the fire.

He raised his hand half heartedly “Here, I was traveling with the commander” It was still foreign referring to her as that.

He stood up looking like a soaked nightmare. He slid off the blanket he was wearing and tossed it right onto the fire. The damp fabric produced ample billowing white smoke until it caught and went up in flames.

Val vigorously ran his fingers into his hair, gave it a shook, and whipped it back. It looked better than a majority of peoples in line.

He trotted over to where the Orc expedition was calling from.

The sound of rushing water caused Keovi's ears to perk and both he and the owl 'looked' in the direction of the sound. He narrowed his eyes out of habit even though his ability to see was only borrowed from the feathered familiar. "Hm." His lips pulled into a thin line. He didn't enjoy not understanding situations, but he didn't have the time to ponder on this one.

His attention returned to Elsee as she was climbing into her robes. A small smirk returned to his lips as he watched her fuss. Although beautiful women were never a priority for the dark elf, that did not mean he couldn't appreciate when there was one around.

His eyebrows lofted at Elsee's observation. "Yes. Without magic, I'm blind." He stated the obvious but then realized he may he sounded condescending and he added after. "I had to trade my sight in order to accomplish a certain spell."

He chuckled softly. "I won't subject you to holding my hand. I would just appreciate general guidance in case the bird here gets distracted..." He lifted a hand to tap the owl on the head.

The dark priest lifted his arm and waved it over the documents as well as the supplies. The items all faded until the could barely be seen. It was the same spell shadow priests used to cloak themselves. "If anyone attempts to bother those items... they'll be very unfortunate indeed." He followed after Elsee, again allowing her space.

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The guard looked at the soaked hunter as if he were insane. "You were with the Commander?" He repeated with heavy skepticism. Regardless, the orc was following simple orders.

"Right. Aknor needs to see you then immediat--" The guard watched as Valendil walked off and just threw his arms up in a flustered motion. Damn elves.

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Aknor was struggling to keep Tegan from inadvertently hurting herself.

"You must stay down, Commander." The Seargant pleaded with her as Tegan once again tried to push herself up to her feet.

"I....no."

"....get away..." She forced a few words out, unable to coherently put together a sentence.

She knew she needed to get away from the portal. They were holding her there. Why were they holding her there?

It was as though her head was going to split into two and it was becoming more difficult to see. They warned her the portals would make a person sick if they went through multiple times but.... this. This was worse.

Val knew the route to take. He figured it futile to ask any questions to the guards who escorted him.

He looked behind him and saw Elsee walking with the dark figure. He slowed his pace to match up with theirs.

“Nice one” He flipped his sleeve at her to splash whatever water was still clinging to his arm. He now walked alongside Elsee with the guards trailing them and Keovi to Elsee’s right.

“Who is this jolly looking fella?” He said out of the corner of his mouth as he thumbed over at Keovi. The owls stare caught Val's eye in a vortex of focus “Somehow…” His voice floaty “The bird creeps me out more than him…”

He got his foot snagged on a random tent tie down and he stumbled forward caught his footing but he broke his focus with the owl.

Elsee started walking as soon as Keovi had cast the spell on the crates. Good enough. After about two steps, Val caught up with them. She jerked to the side to avoid any flailing limbs as he stumbled, rolling her eyes again. She motioned slightly with her head to Keovi.

“Momma sent ‘im. Cause we can’t do anyt’in on our own, apparently.”

She squinted, looking through the crowd and trying to gauge the best path. Squaring her shoulders and straightening her back, she moved through the various surges of soldiers and vendors. On occasion she’d look back to make sure Mr. Creeps was still in tow. The closer they got to the front, the more condensed and funneled the crowds were getting. She began to slow her pace to give herself time to assess what was happening. Her eyes wandered to Val by her side.

“You see Tegan up t’ere?” Before anyone could have answered, a female Orc holding a clipboard bellowed into the crowd.

“GROUP 24C!!! Pack it in! You’re movin’ today! That means 24B, you’re goin’ through starting NOW! MOVE IT! Schedule is TIGHT  today, folks! DO NOT make me push you back a day!”

Nearly simultaneously afterwards a Tauren and Pandaren began translating, in their respective languages, what one might assume was the Orc’s message to the crowd.
Elsee reached inside BOTH her tops and pulled a ticket from her cleavage. There was a scrawled 24C on the crinkled paper.

“Oh! T’at’s us! We’re movin’! We’re goin’ t’rough tomorrow!” Elsee couldn't help but clap her hands excitedly after stuffing the ticket back in her top.

Val watched the paper being devoured in her cleavage, he blinked “Do you have anything of mine in there?”

At this point in the line it was chaos. Different languages being yelled every direction, flurry of bodies running every direction. It was not helped by the fact that the next group was being called through. A wave of action and panic surged over the line as the meaning for the wait was finally becoming a reality. Kodos were being harnessed up to large carts that had supply crates stacked higher than you would of thought possible.  

The crowd started pushing. Val pushed back to hold his ground

He looked to the guards “Can we be on our way?” Just as he said that a Tauren back stepped into him, he strained under the pressure “Please???”

“The bird creeps me out more than him…”

Keovi arched an eyebrow at the comment. Wasn't the woods-elf supposed to appreciate all forms of nature? He gave it little thought, his full attention returning to the task at hand.

“Momma sent ‘im. Cause we can’t do anyt’in on our own, apparently.”

No. Mother send me so that you do not get murdered the moment you step through the portal because you know of these documents existence. These overly sarcastic thoughts were kept to himself.

The dark priest stepped up in line with Valendil and Elsee. Valendil's last comment was found to be very curious.

"By all means. I can issue you through today if you wish." He purred but there was something very wrong about the tone of voice he used with the offer.

"I'll just go ahead and try to piece back together the Commander's brain while she tries to kill me. I'm sure in the end everything will turn out." Sarcasm dripped from his words and he stepped away from the two. He heard Aknor's pleading from just on the other side of the line.

Tegan was on her feet but she was barely recognizable with the blood that seeped from her eyes and nose. Keovi exhaled an annoyed sigh as his owl allowed him to see her condition had worsened.

"Commander Tegan. Sit down before I paralyze you. I will not tell you twice."

Tegan's eyes widened at the sight of Keovi and she snarled. Her arm reached back to try and draw and arrow but only made it half way. Her entire body then crumpled to the ground. Keovi didn't threaten; he promised.

The dark priest motioned for Valendil and Elsee to come over.

"Keep her calm." The words came like an order. "We're all going to have a bad day if this doesn't work. Especially nature-boy here."

Elsee shrieked when she saw Tegan’s face.
“How are you gonna get all t’at blood back in t’ere?!” She shouted at Keovi as she half-ran to his side. Placing her hands on her knees, she bent at the waist looking closer at Tegan.

“What the heck happened to you!? Who beat you up?!”  her eyes looked around wildly from Tegan to Keovi to Val to just about everyone within 10 feet. “T’is guy gotta put your juices back where t’ey belong. Okay? You gotta be still.” She made a face to some of the gawkers who were standing idly by. “Don’t just stand t’ere! Get some water and cloth!”

She looked at Keovi. “My healing’s barely gonna help somet’in like t’is. T’is not normal damages…” She shook her head in frustration, mostly at herself and her limited abilities.

Val followed Elsee into the room. His senses were on overdrive as he processed each thing he saw. What lept out in front of him like a red flag was the way Tegan reacted to Keovi. He knew she didn't lash out unless something was truly deserving. Val knew this elf shrouded in darkness was not an old friend.

He stood tall and faced Keovi, his finger pointing and jabbing with each word as if to sink it into his chest.

“Keovi…” Val’s voice started low from deep down within his body “ You… Will… NOT… be needed here.” His lips were parted in almost a snarl.

He turned to Elsee “If its going to barely work start NOW.”

Keovi rolled up his sleeves, the ruins on his arms then evident. Elsee's keen observation of how the damages were not normal were accurate.

"She did this to herself." He answered for the incapacitated Commander.

Valendil's strong reaction caused Keovi to pause only for a brief moment. "Unless you are trying to kill her, you won't interfere." He replied calmly to the upset hunter. "Yes. She hates me. She can continue to hate me all she likes... but only if she survives."

Keovi's attention shifted to Elsee. "I'll need you to heal her after I remove the portal's spell. Healing her before I'm done will waste your energy."

The Dark Priest leaned over the Commander who could do nothing but wheeze in the state she was in. He continued to explain as he scratched ruins into the dirt beside her.

"Crossing through these portals isn't simple. In order for these portals to exist in the first place means that a cross over in time exists. Very powerful magic. Each time a person crosses from one point in time to another, the magic has to assign the person's existence to either present time or the War in Draenor. A person cannot exist in both fields."

Dark energy began to glow from Keovi's hands. He knelt beside Tegan and hovered his hands over her head.

"Either the Commander crossed over too quickly and the portal is therefor ripping her into two different places..." He paused, his eyes narrowing as he pulled a dark energy cloud out of the Commander. "...or someone tampered with her magical aura so she would not be able to return here." He sounded to have sided with the later theory.

Keovi's eyebrows lofted as he looked entirely impressed with himself as a shock of static energy zapped into his grasp. Whatever dark energy he now harnessed was trapped between his caged fingers. Slowly and with effort, he collapsed his hands together and the energy cloud vanished.

Tegan was released from Keovi's paralysis and she bolted to an upright position. Her hand flew to her mouth in order to stifle the blood-flow as she coughed. Her mind was clear but her lungs felt on fire and her head still was splitting. All of the physical damages done by the portal magic remained.

She couldn't remember what happened. Only that she had come through the portal and suddenly everything was wrong. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to wipe at the blood on her face to rid herself of it. What happened?

Keovi had stepped a few paces away so he would not be within Tegan's line of sight, not aiming to have the Commander attempt another shot at him.

"You might what to heal her now." He mentioned.

Elsee looked at Val like he had gone insane. She had no clue why he had reacted to Keovi the way he had, but the crowd was roaring so loud at this point she could barely process anything. Once Tegan stood up she knew there was no way she could do what she needed to at that moment. She needed space, and less attention.

She bit her lip, attempting to recall nearly every water spell she’d let fall from practice. Every time she had to heal  a scraped knee or a broken arm it flooded back more than a few painful memories for her. The Throne of the Elements. That Waterfall. Him. Fire was really her only elemental practice these days; she understood it quicker and in better detail. It’s results were more satisfying and it gave you more power than water could ever drip into someone.

“Shut up BOT’ of you! Grab her. Let’s go.”

Elsee drew a deep breath and stood, throwing open her arms towards the sky. Only one thing would handle both of her problems: Clear the crowd and help with all this blood.

“Atuad Lukou! Iman wi cyaa! Nehjo bwoyar o wassa han yayewata t’ief!"
A heavy warm rain began to patter around them. Two birds with one stone. The crowd began to scatter for cover, and the healing rain was hitting Tegan. It was enough for anything topical, and it would ease any pain she felt… hopefully. She started whispering the words of the next spell under her breath, unsure she would be able to recall them all. Her feet lead her out of the portal line towards a supply tent nearby, hoping the two behind her would get their shit together and do as they're told.