Meeting upon Strahnbrad

Erieannan rushed up the road, the feeling of sickness welling inside of him, together with excitement and nervousness.

It had been years since he felt that, more precisely since he dared, for the first time, to ask Niniel Ain'Ethil, the Ranger, go with him for a walk in the deep sunset of Quel'Thalas.

It made him be annoyed and yet surprised. The world had fallen to ruin and destruction around himself, he had become this sort of evil-hate-you-all summoner, better at curses than conversations by the fire, destroyed more Scourge minions than he could count...and he could STILL feel butterflies in his stomach!

Daria trampled behind him on the narrow path. Convincing her not to come had, again, proved impossible.She was as stubborn as rock, he told to himself,irritated. However, when he glanced back at her over his shoulder he did it with affection. He cared for her in a twisted matter-of-fact way...his sister, his child, yet never a lover. And he desperately hoped she felt the same.

Erieannan nearly chuckled, thinking at the way in which Daria seemed to cling on her sword. The object definitely looked to0 big for her to be able to even raise it, not to mention fight. But she did a good job with that, he had to confess. Clumsy, childish and silly as Daria may have tried to appear, in battle she was all a swirl of blade and anger.

He felt again in the pocket for the letter he had just picked up in the morning, from the mailbox in front of Tranquilien inn.

It was rather short, briskly written in a not-so-perfect Common, that made almost no use of pronouns and possessives.

"Told Velen. He agreed to withdraw assignment and let me go. ( Strange. Rather expected spider-guard in Amberweb Pass for months!) Spent 3 days fishing in Menethil Harbor and got soooo bored that Alterac Ruins now seem friendly. I'll be in Strahnbrad tomorrow evening if that's of any importance (that was mean, I know). Light bless you, Laan..."

Recalling the almost cryptic content of the missive sufficed to make the damn butterflies stir again in his stomach,as he fought to maintain composure.

Strahnbrad was a Syndicate base. A dangerous place. Why in the name of Arthas and his damn Scourge didn't she pick something more... relaxed?

As they approached the place, Daria seemed to fall behind. Stopping every now and then to look around, listening to every little sound the wind brought to them. Erieannan knew she was not tired. She was just covering her back, and his own, for the matter. Because he was too absent minded to do it and it would be so easy for someone to set a trap out there.

But he pressed forward, trampling in the fresh fallen snow.

A sudden noise and he stopped, ready to call out for one of his demons.

No need to.

There was an unmistakable burst of fire from the center of the ruined town and then two or three Syndicate members, running as fast as they could, followed by another blazing flame.

Laandra stood in the middle of the small piazza, her hands on her hips, a contemptuous expression on her face, as she yelled after the fleeing humans.

" Cowards!"

He wasn't able to stop his laughter, as she saw him and her face suddenly filled with overwhelming joy.

Daria furrowed her brow, trying to remember the last time she had heard Erieannan laugh.

Had she...EVER?

Definitely this was to be the strangest day in her life since the fall of Quel'Thalas, she mused, finding herself a good spot to sit down, on a boulder of rock.