Interrogations...

"Ei'an?"

Daria's voice sounded a bit sleepy as she turned on her side, on the blanket, putting her right arm under her head.
The house was silent, with only the sound of wood crackling into the fire and the howling of the wind outside. Not really a house, the young woman thought, more of a ruin, laying on the border of Ghostlands and Plaguelands. They had all decided it was time to take a break. No news the Scarlet Crusade was after them. That the Alliance would send in spies. It was more the fact that everyone's nerves were way too tense, on the verge of breaking loose.

People do need from time to time to take their thoughts off this fight, Daria thought, snugging better under the warm cover. Visit what relatives they may have in Silvermoon or Hillsbrad. Enjoy an evening at the tavern without worrying about the effects of alcohol ingestion on the next day's battle. And trying to cleanse the Plaguelands from the Scourge is like finding the proverbial needle in the haystack. It never seems to end. So people need to take a break and remind themselves why they fight and what they are ready to die for.

There were only the two of them left behind. No other place to go, Daria figured.

The house was deserted and quiet. It felt lonely. And Erieannan's thoughts wandered away, too far from the Plaguelands and her. She missed his company, as if he were absent. Not that he would be a real entertainment. Rather gloomy all the time, with unpredictable bursts of irony, or sheer sarcasm.

"Ei'an", she whispered again and she saw him raise on one elbow in his own bed, a few meters away. "Ain't sleepin' either, are ya?"

"No", he softly agreed. " I ain't".

When he started to speak in her own "unpolished" manner, something was on the verge of becoming utterly wrong.

'Whatcha thninkin' of?" she drifted on.

" Nuffin'".

Second time, Daria counted. Where was the nicely rounded up Common with Thalassian accent?

" Ya been like that ever since ya came back..."

"It's nothing."

"Who's she?"

"Sleep".

" After ya tell me..." she pressed.

"Sleep."

There was a bit of threat in his voice, but Daria chose to ignore it.

She acts like a child. Stupid, spoiled little child. Probably most of the people don't think she's actually smart, or in her right mind. That's until they see her fight. But she indulges in it, since it still feels good to be silly and let him protect her.

Ever since he found her, a thirteen years old girl, wandering through the ruins of her home.

Her parents lay dead somewhere. Or maybe...maybe they have been also turned into monsters by those odd-looking men, draped in their dark robes. There's a foul smell in the air and the village keeps burning.

She's the only one alive. The only one left.

Yes, she thought , as she shifted again in the bed, her right arm aching from the uncomfortable position, at least until the elvish priest found her. Eased the burning pain from her mind. Took her with him. Even back to Quel'Thalas. To witness another slaughter, a second end-of-the-world as they knew it.

She has been with him from the very beginning. She's seen him torn apart and destroyed, turn onto the shadow. He does not frighten her, not even if he would summon an infernal right in the middle of the house, which he can actually do...and she saw it...

After all this time, she still likes to pretend she's a child. It helps with the pain and the hatred, when they threaten to consume her from the inside. He will protect her, as if she were nothing but a frightened little girl.


Even if she would put a dagger and a sword in the back of whoever dared even touch...not to mention actually harm Erieannan Saralonde.

'cause she's a fighter and a damn good one, with all her wits about her, at least enough to see that he's troubled and dreams again of the horrors they've seen.

" Ei'an...who's she?". Daria rolled on her back, staring into the ceiling. "Ei'an..."

" Anar'alah belore, woman!" he burst out in Thalassian. "I've told you to sleep."

" She ain't one of us", she concluded, hiding her head under the pillow. The sounds came out muffled, but Erieannan was still able to make them out.

" Daria..."

There was suddenly anger in the way he spelled out her name.

An infernal would destroy the house, Daria thought. Not even Erieannan could be so reckless.

Smiling, she rolled again under the blanket, that was by then totally crumpled.

" Whatcha hidin' from, Ei'an? Know ya all think I'm 'cheap' 'cause I spend too much time with men, but ya can talk with me 'bout this sorta matters, ya know..."

" I don't think you're cheap" he said, carefully considering his alternatives to make her drop the subject. Or shut up for once. As if the churning longing in his chest wouldn't be enough. All made worse by the spare time.

Daria's head came again out from under the pillow, her hair now tangled beyond any attempt at combing.

"Ei'an"...

With a sigh, Erieannan seriously begun to ponder the option of tying her up and silencing her for a while.