Alkalyne-Somewhere in Silvermoon ((open))

[RavenReverend]

Alkalyne sat on the bench near the entrance/exit of the small tavern, staring out at the somewhat empty street. After all there was hardly a time when Silvermoon was ever truly empty. She held a tankard of magically cooled brew against her upper lip between her small tusks just to feel the condensation begin to wet her lips and chin, her eyes somewhat distant.


The guild tabard she'd deposited earlier in the day, not even bothering to leave a letter of resignation but had melted her name from the waxen guild roster tablet in the Ignis house before she'd cleared out her meager posessions from her room, put them in the pack she had leaning against her leg and cleared out. It was high time she found somewhere else to be, she figured.

It was high time she found somewhere to be useful. Her abilities having sat in the dust for a few months before she'd finally made the decision to leave. The guardians had arranged for the guild hall to be somewhat self-sufficient, with enough servants to attend to the needs of the other members, while she could remain aloof as she had been originally.

The only thing she might miss, she confessed to herself, was the face of her hero, Akaras. The troll was the epitome of what she wanted to be. But even he had not returned to the hall in some time...Perhaps, she thought idlly they would set up a base closer to the action where Ignis could be of some use, possibly in the Outlands.

For now, she simply posted up in Thief sign and in normal script on the local bulletin boards that she was available as a mercenary and if an artifact needed finding that she'd be the one to pick up. She held out little hope that her miniscule abilities would attract much attention, though this time did afford her an opportunity to continue her research.

Elek, a blood elf around the Ghostlands had given her a bit of insight into the Amani trolls near there. Nothing she didn't already know really, but to hear it from a blood elf's mouth was a bit different than if you asked another troll...She might have to infiltrate a library, steal a few books...That's the way it worked with these types. No such thing as a free lunch, as her father said more and more these days. If she wanted the information, she'd have to go by written word more than by the spoken and experience more than the written.

Her journal lay open before her, sheets of thin paper she'd gotten off a goblin in Ratchet showing clearly depicted glyphs off Amani temples and even just their gates where she'd taken rubbings using hastily smeared charcoal and a quick hand were being slowly and more precisely transfered onto the pages in the vellum book with ink and a rather used and abused quill. Tracing back with such long lived races about should not be this difficult she kept thinking. With immortality, or close to it, there should be a sense of distance, of obligatory standoffishness in regards to historical accuracy. But it seemed the longer they lived, the more biased the races became.

She took a long slow swig of the cool draught and set the tankard down on the table and tugged her mask back into place for her own peace of mind as she returned her attention to her book, taking care to sketch in with as vivid detail as she could recall the sense of architecture, the glyphs, even pictures of the warriors she'd encountered near the lake. It was almost romanticized the way she drew them, feeling a bit in awe of the Amani, those who would defy the Warchief so brazenly, practice the Old Ways so openly. She could only hope that her respect, her awe for them translated well into the pictures, instead of the actual bodies left behind with twin holes at the base of the skull and the small of the back...

[RavenReverend]

((Please do))

[RavenReverend]

Somewhere in the dark, north of Tarran Mill, she'd found a rock outcropping that provided decent enough protection against the elements and the unseen out there in the dark. Her little wax candle began to pool at the base, it's wick all but consumed by the minuscule flame. It was barely enough to write by.

When finally the thing sputtered Alkalyne fought the urge to sigh, and pinched the flame out instead, her fingers kept only from burning by the wax she held on her fingertips. Over the pilfered pirate armor she wore a thick black cloak and warmers beneath her gloves and even a furred belt to hold the heat in at her waist. The Defias mask she wore kept her nose and face warm while still protecting her tiny little tusks from view. She'd even covered her feet in soft rabbit skin, surrounding that with a more durably tanned hide to walk in like boots since all others had to be modified around her feet. Alkalyne smiled to herself, tossed a handful of sand over the parchment to dry the ink quicker and shook the remains out, before snapping the soon to be tome shut. Then she pulled the cloak closer around her and watched the movements of the shadows in the wilderness.

[Nezeem]

The job was easy. Deliver a letter… The reason he was getting paid so well, was the who and the where…

Southshore, he was to deliver a letter to the spy that was planted there, make sure he wasn’t seen and get out alive… this would be the difficult part…

He tightened his belt as he crept trough the under brush of the forest , but had stopped when he came acrossed a person by a rock looking into the woods. He lowers closer to the ground and pulls his cloak down to cover the illumination of his eyes, as he watches the shadowy figure adjust his cloak.

[RavenReverend]

Her mane though normally kept up in a startling display of defiance in the laws of physics was braided tightly down against her skull in cornrows that fell down her back, the hood now up over them, though it couldn't hold down rather prominent blue ears, and the mask kept the lower half of her face at least well hidden.

She pulled her cowl tight around her shoulders dismissing the strange feeling of being watched as being commonplace for being so far from the safety of the well guarded towns. Troll ruins near the river had proven a decent source, finding a Troll shaman there who despite his rather...eccentric desire for the remains of dangerous animals to create spirit totems for those who sought his help, had directed her toward another to the south who knew more of the troll kingdoms than he had.

She decided then as she stood and belted the book to her side to head southward sticking to the river and risking the irascible murlocs wrath rather than stir that of the Alliance. From there...well from there she'd have to find someone willing to rent or sell a strange three-fingered elf a skiff or a boat. Water and vellum combined tended to have mixed results.

Alkalyne didn't notice the Sin'Dorei as she started walking, beginning to hum a bit of a melody with each step.

[Nezeem]

“At least she didn’t see me…”

He thinks as starts to make his way back to the road keeping his distance as not to be heard. The city of Southshore was on the coast and the road would lead him there. As he made his way, he looks back at the woman as she walks.

“I wonder what she is doing out here by herself?”

[RavenReverend]

"Why'd I come out here by myself?" she wondered vaguely for about the thirtieth time that night as she hit the rivershore and began following it south.

Giant spiders, huge bears...there wasn't much out here that was friendly it seemed. Her stomach twisted her insides into knots the closer she came to Southshore. There were a couple of small hamlets along the way, places that focused a lot on fishing. She stopped at one a few miles back and paid a full gold to the man and his wife in order to use the small boat, equipped with fishing bait, a net, a few harpoons and a good old fashioned abacus left over from when the old man had belonged to the militia.

She pushed away from shore, careful to keep her feet away from the water as she sprung into the boat and twisted about lithely. It would be at least a few days of paddling up and down this damned coast before she found who she was looking for...but things could be worse she thought dimly.

Alkalyne dipped the paddle into the river and the skiff shot forward toward open water and closer to Alliance shipping lanes.

[Swerto]

Swerto rode his horse slowly through the roads of Hillsbrad foothills looking for any pesky alliance who were stirring up trouble with his fellow Horde. Why did he still do this anyways? He was no longer a part of Infection... he had resigned earlier this week... he had no reason to be here. Habbit... that was probably it. He was dressed in full scarlet armor and even had the tabard on, as long as his armor was on he could probably pass for a human from a distance... his horse would ruin that line of thought, however.

Southshore was up ahead, but to his side he saw an elf girl swimming in the ocean. This got his curiousity up and he slowly turned his horse towards her. She seemed to be moving up and down the coast, wasting her time in a small boat. Swerto cracked a grin under his helmet and stopped on the shore. He looked to his side and could see the edge of southshore. It was pretty stupid of her to be moving this close.

"What might you be doing?" Swerto called out in orcish.

[RavenReverend]

If she hadn't been wearing the deep crimson mask over the lower half of her face Swerto might have seen Alkalyne visibly flinch. Trying to avoid patrols of humans AND of murlocs would be -so- much easier without troublemakers trying to rouse hostilities. She unbelted the book from her side and whispered a quiet thanks to Samhaine as she slipped it into a waterproofed mageweave bag and with a command word felt the seal become solid.

She halted her progress simply dipping the paddle into the waters and letting it interrupt the course of the little craft, peered into the almost glassy water beneath the boat, then satisfied there was no frogman with a nasty spear waiting to plunge it through her back she slowly stood in the craft and saluted the man on the undead horse.

She thumped her fist against her heart and then held it in the air and then tried very frantically to wave him off after her attempt to show she was horde without revealing to the whole world how horrible her Orc-speak was with her thick Trollish accent getting in the way. "Go away! Chu gonna get me kill't!" she thought frantically.

((OOC: I know other people might feel a little "meh" when others put in NPCs or sort of insert critters etc into roleplay for the sake of making situations dicey, but personally I enjoy combat within RP. So what I'm trying to say before I garble myself too badly is if you want to insert someone, be it a contact, be it a random critter fight etc etc etc. go right ahead. I don't care if my character is the one being attacked either. So long as it's not one of those "oh it's an undodgable, immediately lethal, heart-stabbing, poison pumping strike from Gawwwwd-the-pepper" dealies we're good ^.^))

[Nezeem]

Slipping up the stairs the hooded man stuck to the shadows as he crept to inn door, holding his hand behind his back he turns to see if anyone is looking. With nimble fingers he rotates the tumbler on the lock and the door lock clicks. Moving to the upper common room he takes a seat as a tavern patron walks up the stairs and stumbles to a door at the end of the hall. He fumbles with his key before opening his door and falls into his rented room. Nezeem takes the que that no one is looking and quickly slips into the door he had just unlocked… the door he came for… the one where his contact was staying…

Once inside he gives the room a once over with is eyes before crumpling the letter he was sent to deliver and dropping it in the waist bin. As he prepares to leave the door opens and a Human male walks in, with a plate of food and a goblet of wine. Hugging the wall at the doorway he draws a metal dart from his wrist.

“If things go south, I need to do this quietly…”

He thinks to himself, as he prepares to end the man’s life. As he readies for the strike to the man’s throat, he is stopped by a hand being pushed out towards him and the man pressing his index finger to his lips. Rotating his hand to an upfacing position, he motions for the letter that was to be delivered. Nezeem points to the waist basket, and moves towards the door. The man shakes his head “NO” as he walks towards the back of the room. He points at the door and then runs his finger acrossed his throat, then points at Nezeem. Not a word has been said so far But Nezeem realizes he is probably trapped for the moment.

[Swerto]

Swerto cracked a grin

"Anyways tell me what you're doing so close to Southshore... its not too smart to be THIS close. If you're going to patrol the coast do it further out so you don't tempt the wrath of the Alliance. Even though the Horde and its various factions is far superior to the Alliance, Hillsbrad is not currently full of an army... and it would take us longer to get here than Alliance."

Swerto simply left his horse sitting there pefectly as he dismounted and walked slowly into the water taking his axe from its place on his back.

[Nezeem]

((for continuity, mine will come later...

Changed to fit better.))

[RavenReverend]

Usually Alkalyne Raptor-Talon was the epitome of grace as far as Troll hybrids and rogues went and usually she had more forethought, more resources with which to plan exercises like this. Even now she knew Ignis Divine simply wouldn't let her flounder belly up. If she asked for help she was sure she could have had one of the higher ranking officers there as back up...However this time she'd foolishly blundered ahead without "casing".

She started to say something, her voice a strange mix between melodic elven and gravelly troll, when she stumbled having taken an instinctive step back where the was no room for one. Swerto certainly looked like he was more than a match for her. Judging by the armor, and the way he lifted his axe...she gave herself less than ten seconds if she managed to do anything.

Given these conditions, the rocking of the small boat, her panic over whether or not Swerto believed this "elf" as to whether she was Horde or Alliance, and her minds involuntary gushings of fear over what precisely could be in the waters this far north grace was hardly what her two toes and due-claw allowed. As the boat pitched one way she plunged over the side and her boot-covered foot, tangled as it was in the netting left at the bottom of the boat didn't allow her to simply drop into the salt water.

Surprised to say the least she opened her mouth to let out a shout and instead let in water, she came up when the boat pitched the otherway, thanks again to physics and she sputtered.

((Bah : ) No mattah.))

[Swerto]

Swerto looked surprised and put his axe on his back. He dived into the water and swam for the "elf" He wasn't sure what exactly she was, her armor hid her species very well, but he wasn't about to let someone drown because he surprised them, and if it was a Night Elf... he could always cut her throat later.

He grabbed the "elf" and turned around towards the shore. Swerto dragged her onto the shore and sat her down. She had a look of amazement on her face.

[RavenReverend]

The surprised look faded as she realized she had water still in her air ways, hacking it up roughly past the red mask covering her face. Thumping a hand to her chest she leaned over to allow herself to cough it all up. It was only upon closer inspection, that one would notice that the second and forth fingers on her hands didn't bend, that the gloves she wore were braced with metal. She'd taken great pains to keep her species ambiguous.

As soon as she'd cleared her lungs she turned blue eyes to glare at Swerto, "Whatchu tinkin' tryin' ta spook me like dat?! I dun try tell joo dat I Horde and joo kep' on comin'! Lookin' fer sometin' an' joo go an' ruin it like dat! Power o' da Horde my big bloo ass. How 'bout Power 'o Observation!"

She wanted to cry, the boat was floating away with her tome in it, and she gave a whimper at it, heaving forward to crawl toward the water again.

"Get da stoopid boat! Et's got mah book!"

[Swerto]

Swerto nodded and jumped on his horse. He ran the other directly slightly and turrned the horse around suddenly. he galloped towards the water at a high speed and stood up. Swerto vaulted off the horse and into the water landing near the boat. He began to swim further and further towards it and grabbed onto it. His heavy armor acted like an anchor and held the bolt still. Swerto climbed onboard and began paddling back towards the shore. When he got in shallow enough water he jumped out and dragged the boat on the shore by hand. Once the boat was on shore he nodded towards the troll. He now noticed her feet and her accent clearly made her as a member of the Horde. He sighed at her and nodded walking towards his horse.

"Sorry for causing you trouble then," Swerto said as he climbed onto his horse. "Will you be needing any assistance or may i continue my patrol?"

[RavenReverend]

A sopping wet blue braid flopped in front of her face, dripped into the dirt, and she sat there stunned. "Assistance?", "Patrol?" Who on Azeroth talked like that anymore? It was like staring into the face of some real, true-blue Paladin's squire, some Azerothian boyscout. Granted a rotting Azerothian boyscout, but that was sort of beyond the point.
Her ears twitched.

"I'm sorreh...I didn' mean ta be such a pain...Ya jus' startled me is all. I was tryin' ta keep quiet bein' out here an' all." She stood with a grunt, dusting herself off, a bit and pulling a wet glove from her arm to offer her hand to Swerto, "I'm Alkalyne Raptah-Talon. Tanks fah comin' in aftah me. Yah didn' have ta do dat."

"Act'lly I -am- lookin' fer somet'in an' mehbeh you can 'elp me. I was wonderin' if mehbeh yah'd seen a naga roun' here. E's s'posed ta be real smart 'n stuff an' I was tol' 'e might be able ta point me in da righ' direction."

((OOC: Yeesh. ; ) Got to love butchery of the English language with geographical vernacular!))

[Swerto]

"Name's Swerto. Guess you could say I was a knight of the Dark Lady, but I'm indisposed for the time being." Swerto said nodding in her direction.

"Naga are all over this coast. I was here just over a month ago killing them myself. They breed like rats and are probably at full population for the area again. I suggest you check under the water, they are an amphibious race. Try contacting a warlock for help with the swimming thing."

[RavenReverend]

At the statement she looked veritably crestfallen and then looked out over the expanse of the bay. Then shivered at the thought of swimming. Granted there weren't many sea-going monster crocolisks. No matter what the older generations might tell her to scare her.

She -had- to find that old naga the crazy old Troll had talked about! He had -information-!

"Well..." She sighed, obviously disheartened by what he'd told her, her shoulders visibly slumped, "Tanks annehway. I oughtta get back out dere, and get ta lookin' fer 'im. Sorreh to pull you from yer patrol Swerto, Knight o' de Dark Lehdeh indeesposed. I'll letcha get back ta et."

She turned to the boat with a sigh and started to push it back toward the water again. The Troll's word hadn't been completely invalidated by what Swerto had told her. So Naga were prevolent in the area. It just meant that there was more of a chance she'd actually find the damn creature.

She pulled her glove back on, and replaced the coverings on her boots so her feet and hands were disguised again and attempted to budge the boat...Damn that undead HAD to have been strong, the thing only budged a few inches with each thump.

[Arnok]

"Boaw!"
A large grey wolf barked and splashed around in the water near the shore. He sank beneath the water only to reappear moments later, panting and sneezing. He turned in towards land and hauled himself up on shore and walked over to what appeared to be a heap of grey, green, and brown leathers and furs, and proceeded to shake vigorously.

"what the!?!?"
The heap shifted and it looked like there was someone under it, someone who'd been sleeping 'till his dog tried to dry out.

[Arnok]

The being emerged from the skins and glared at his pet.
"Alright! I'm up already! I take it you want to go?"

The dog just sat there, wagging his tale expectantly

"Fine, gimme a moment"
The orc tied the skins into a bundle and slung them over his shoulder. He pciked up a riding pad and settled it over the wolf's shoulders, then he pulled out something and consulted it before turning his mount south, towards Tarren Mill, and rode off.





((and now I must be off, was fun reading :) ))

[RavenReverend]

After a good few long minutes of pushing and pulling the little boat Alkalyne managed to get it into the shallows and hopped in once again, this time hopefully with Swerto's understanding it wasn't with a night-elf as a pilot. She thanked him and pushed away from shore again.

I gotta find dat naga...I can't let de opportunity get away... This time the boat shot forward again toward Alliance territory and her hood was drawn up, again looking much the part of a night-elf.

Her eyes down cast she searched the waters for the amphibians like Swerto had advised her, and even scanned the horizons for sand bars, desperate for any sign of the old one the Troll had advised her of. She cast a look to the spot just under the seat where she'd left the book she'd been working on just to verify it was there.

[Arnok]

The grey wolf came loping along the banks, a longish object gripped in his jaws. He turned at the top of a hillock and sat for a moment, wagging his tail as an orc in shredded leathers and wools ran after him. The orc stopped at the base of the hillock and wiped his brow with the tatters of his tatters.

"D****it Iron! Come back here! I need the quiver so we can get dinner!"

The wolf looked a bit affronted at the "we" and turned to run down the side of the hill.

"Wait, wait, wait. I need the quiver so I can get dinner. The sooner I eat the sooner we can leave this thrice forsaken corpse territory and get back to the guildhall!"

The wolf cocked its head, seeming to think about his master's words, then dropped the quiver, barked once, grabbed and ran again. Swearing about wolves and empty stomachs, the orc took chase after his companion.

"Damn all hells, when I catch you I'm making a RUG! You hear? A RUG!"

[RavenReverend]

((Good to see you live, 'nok ; ) ))

The young female gave a glance toward shore and flinched. The noise. Damn it. If that didn't draw the Alliance she didn't know what would. Spotting the outrunners already heading out, she started to head further from shore and closer to trade lines. The wolf and the orc were making far too much noise for her taste.

She hated leaving them behind, but this was too important to simply end her personal quest at the end of a spear so close to getting to the Amani...

Her boat practically slipped past the harbor, skimming the edges barely, merely looking like a fisherman.

[Nezeem]

((now is the right time.))

“GUARDS! Help me the Horde is here!”

The words rang crystal clear, as Nezeem contemplated stabbing the man who blew his cover, but quickly dismissed the idea when he realizes the man is holding the window open as he stands next to the sill! Giving the Spy a nod, he runs at the window diving out of the second story Inn and hits the ground with a roll, followed by a kept up to his feet and he is on his way! As Nezeem runs, he hears the window break followed by shouting in Common.

“He Jumped out the window!”

Quickly making his way to the dock he can hear the heavy boot stomps on the wooden planks, followed by the sound of a hammer cocking to a rifle!

“Crap!”

He quickly dodges to his left rolling on the ground and back up to his feet as the gun shot buzzes past him! Rolling up to his feet he makes one last jump off the dock and into the water!

As he hits the cold water he feels his heart pounding in his chest as his rush of adrenalin courses through his veins! This is bad because he is burning air way to fast to stay under any amount of time! Quickly surfacing he hears more gunshots as he looks to a small boat outside the bay leaving the area.


“Perfect!”

Diving back under the water to avoid the barrage of bullets being shot at him he slips the small vial from his vest and drinks it quickly! With a rush of energy, his movements become fluid but rapid! Cutting through the water almost as a fish, he quickly catches the boat, and the rowing fisherman!

Using his small nekode, he hooks hand on the over hanging net that slightly drags in the water and continues to swim, not adding any drag to the boat and alerting the fisherman of the stowaway…

[Arnok]

The orc came up behind his wolf, who had finally stopped running, to sit on the bank watching the river. After retrieving his quiver and checking to make sure none of the bolts were broken, he followed his pet's gaze to the water and noticed a ripple near the fisherman's net.

"Huh, must have caught a big fish..." He looked down at his wolf "C'mon, we gotta go home." The orc lifted his arms and looked down at his tatters. "I need to get Feral to work her magic on my clothes"

He turned to go and started to walk off, but stopped when he realized Irontooth was still watching the net. "What's so int'resting about a fishing net, Iron? C'mon!" No amount of persuading could shift the wolf from his post. "What is so thrice damned int'resting!? We need to get home!" He threw up his hands in exasperation, then settled down next to Irontooth to wait for his pet.

[Nezeem]

Being dragged through the water at a slow rate, Nezeem is being choked by the heavy weight around his neck. His cloak which normally gives him concealment, is now acting as an anchor, as he coasts next to the boat. He unhooks it and lets it fall to the ocean floor and takes a slight breath, trying to keep his head mostly submerged, he glances downward to watch his expensive cloak fall. He sees the ocean floor is alive with activity of all types. Such things would normally not alarm him, but then notices the trail of crimson that he is leaving behind him. With the chill of the water, he hadn’t even noticed that one of the bullets had found its mark, and his leg was bleeding into the fresh salt water.

“Well maybe I can talk my way out of this…”

He thought as he tried to figure out a way to not startle the fisherman too much. He was in no position to attack the person, and he really didn’t want to catch a fishing rod to the head. Rolling on his stomach he prepared to speak, when he hears a familiar voice humming… The Kal’dorei woman he had seen earlier…

“Great… well here goes…”

He thought to himself as he spoke out loud in Elvish.

“M’lady, please do not be alarmed. I mean you no harm. I merely wish to ride in the boat rather that out… I am wounded and if you would permit me the honor, I would do the rowing for you.”

Holding his dagger ready, he waits for a response.

[RavenReverend]

The commotion on shore had already drawn Alkalyne's attention, she had stopped rowing quite so fast, though the flurry of gun fire had found her three fingered hand holding the old man's abacus awkwardly in the strange prosthetic she wore over it. She laid the gun in her lap and hooked the paddles in the rings to the side, her eyes intent on the shore for the moment before looking over the horizon scanning for whatever it was that had drawn the guard's fire. She silently prayed that Swerto the knight, and that Orc had gone before the city had been roused to attention. She swore aloud when she heard Nezeem speak and stumbled backward in the boat before crawling to the side peering over, a long braid falling over her shoulder to touch the water.

Wide blue eyes blinking she peered down at Nezeem clinging to the nets she'd cast out moments earlier. Her Elvish was horrible to say the least, but she saw the dagger in his hand, and knew by the look of him what he was. The black hair hanging in wet curls about his face, the glowing green eyes set in his pale skin...a blood elf. One of the Horde.

"Firs'" she said quietly in Orc, "Joo gotta be quiet! Joo gonna get us both kill't!"

She leaned over the side, careful to distribute her weight so as not to topple the boat over, and grabbed his arm, dagger in it or not and leaned back attempting to pull the blood elf in.

"Secon', joo try 'n kill me an' ahm gonna be qui' put ou'."

[Nezeem]

“Troll..? Oh thank the Shadow… bout time something went right…”

He said as he drops his dagger in the boat and pulled himself up slowly into the boat, trying to staying low.

“I thought you were Kal’Dorei and wasn’t sure if I’d have to defend myself. Thank you for doing me the honor of the ride.”

Removing his pack, he digs for a scrap of linen to stop his leg from bleeding.

“Apparently they are getting better at their aim…”

He says as he wrings the salt water from his black hair, and smiles at her with a sly smirk.

[Arnok]

The orc had been sitting on the bank, watching the elf and now the half-troll's plight with mild interest. He wondered if he ought to try and get a message to them about the humans that had marched past his hiding place shouting words he couldn't understand. He had caught "Sin'Dorei" and thought they might be talking about the swimmer. Eh, what the hell he thought and took out a bolt and tied a message he'd scrawled hastily with a charcoal stick. He took aim at the boat and fired it in a long arc out to thunk into the gunnle.

[RavenReverend]

Thankful for the crimson mask to disguise her own burning cheeks at the mention of her half-blood, Alkalyne cleared her throat as she nodded her acknowledgment to Nezeem. She turned to her packs she'd stowed beneath the seats and fished out a dry cloak. By no means was it elegant, but it was thick and it was dry.

Her head whipped to the side as a bolt landed with a solid thunk in the arching neck of the boat. Cursing her luck, she wished people would stop meddling in her affairs. What had started as a simple quest for information was beginning to get a fair bit more complicated.

Her tapered ears pricked for noised of incoming projectiles she looked about as she pulled the bolt from the gunnel and then to Nezeem to see how he came with his leg.

"What is dis? Look like chu got de entiyah 'lliance aftah joo!"

She unfurled the parchment and read carefully. She recognized his handwriting from documents back at the Ignis Divine house near Brill, the papers indicating just what was needed in the stables that sort of thing.

She dared to peek her head up over the tiller near the back of the boat, toward shore, searching for a tell-tale sign of the hunter, maybe a glimpse of the crimson-red tabbard.

"Dya have anyting shiny on yah?"

[Arnok]

The message reads: "Friends, there is a patrol of humans heading towards the docks. They said something about a sin'dorei and it didn't sound very good. If you would like my aid, respond in a method other than killing or harming me. Or my wolf. --Freelive"

[Nezeem]

Already staying low, Nezeem tries to slide under the seats of the boat to hide better.

“Shiney? Yeah here…”

He takes out his polished signaling mirror, and slips it to her, taking notice of the prosthetic as he touches her hand.

[RavenReverend]

Nodding Alkalyne thanked Nezeem softly and handed him the cloak and then stood in the boat as though pulling in her nets only to cast them out again, then turned toward shore, angling the signaling mirror so it flashed only in the direction from which the bolt had come.

I-G-N-I-S -a pause- A-L-K-Y Was what she flashed repeatedly, hoping Arnok would get the basic code.

Then from beneath the cloak, she produced a small compound cross bow, arcane runes engraved along its smooth ebony length in gold, and a small quill. She smoothed the charcoal into a dim smear and then wrote over it, took a scroll from a tube on her side, inspected it then wrapped and tied both around a small crossbow bolt.

She promptly loaded, took aim, and fired at a tree, hoping for all intensive purposes that since she couldn't see Arnok that she couldn't possibly -hit- him.

"Dun be too harsh 'bout de disguise...jus' tryin' ta work wit what I got." She smiled beneath the mask, wrinkling the corners of her eyes and giving them a bit of a merry twinkle as she looked over at Nezeem and replaced the crossbow on her belt, "Look like we got a frien' on de shore dat I didn' tink we got."

[Arnok]

Arnok had settled back down when the bolt whizzed through his hair. He'd seen the signal and knew that it meant they were willing to have help, though he'd forgotten what the codes meant. Aldorar had tried to convince him they were important to learn but he had forgotten them quickly. He looked at the bolt and recognized it as one of Alkaline's. He picked it up and opened the case and unfurled the message to read it.

[Nezeem]

Tucking his ears back behind his head, Nezeem sits up and wraps the cloak around him to keep warm. Limping to the taking up the rowing seat, he puts his thinner arms to good use.

“Not one to judge, I am in the business of deception myself… So… Where are you headed M’lady?”

Slyly smirking, as he stares at her pretty blue eyes when she smiles at him.

“Never seen a Trolless with such vivid eyes before…”

He smiles once more as he continues to row.

[RavenReverend]

"Hol' up a minute an' we get a response from de orc we got on de shore. He tell us what we got goin' on dere an' you can decide whatcha want ta do. I dun tink ya want ta stick wit some stinkin' troll all day." she gave a boisterous good natured laugh at the irony, disregarding his comment about her eyes in the meantime, "Annehway, he give us a hollahback anneh minute now. I just be lookin' for someting, dats all."

She tried to keep the move inconspicuous, letting her pack and cloak fall in front of the mageweave bag containing her book. She really didn't need anyone knowing this was a quest of vanity.

"What were ya doin' in Sout' shore annehway?"

[Arnok]

"Dammit, I never could get the hang of troll" he muttered to himself as he looked over the message. He followed Alky's example and rubbed the charcoal to a grey and wrote over it. "Do you want me out there with you, to stay put, or to go to the docks, guns blazing?"

"I hope it's in plain orcish this time" he sighed as he took out his pistols and began to check to see they were loaded. He didn't have any extra shot or powder, his brother and his men had seen to that. He only had the weapons he had left at his camp and his guns, which his brother's men hadn't known what to make of.

[Nezeem]

Chuckling to himself as he brings the boat to a gentle stop in the water.

“If I were a pretty boy Mage, or one of those stick up their… heh, I might not want to be seen with the likes of you… But I grew up on the streets of Silvermoon… I’m one of the things those people look down their noses at.”

Leaning forward he smiles at her and whispers almost as if someone were around to hear it…

“And you don’t smell…”

He avoids the question all together about being in Southshore.

[Arnok]

Freelive finished checking his pistols and looked down in surprise to see that the message was still on the ground next to him.

"Perhaps it would be more effective if I sent this over" he mused aloud. And so, he fired it off over the water towards Alky and the elf.




((heh, realized I hadn't said he actually fired it off. my bad))

[RavenReverend]

The moment Arnok picked up the note he'd started to write on he realized a second slip of paper floated to the ground delicately. Inscribed on it was what appeared to be a spell, and at the bottom a blue seal with a water droplet and the orc symbol for air-a water breathing spell, a seemingly good answer to his question. ; )

"Well den," She smiled again beneath the mask and offered her hand, prosthesis and all to Nezeem in greeting, "Alkalyne Raptah-Talon, atcha service. Let's 'ope Arnok is smaht and uses de spell I gave 'em eh?"

She gave another good natured laugh and peered over the side of the boat, "If dey t'ought I was a fisherman at firs' dey ain't gonna tink it now. Hoo, joo boys gon' mess tings up for me sometin' awful."

[Arnok]

Grinning, Arnok twisted catches on his guns, sealing them against water, and dove in to the water, his wolf hot on his heels. He swam across, making less progress than you'd think for someone who knows how to swim. He cursed at his limbs, shrunken from lack of food over the past week as he breast-stroked over to the boat.

Upon reaching it he thrust an arm above the water and clasped the gunnel of the boat. He pushed his head above water and gasped for air. "Move over to the other side so I don't tip the boat".

[RavenReverend]

Alkalyne threw her weight to the opposite side of the boat, reaching a long arm toward Arnok to aid him in getting in. Even with the weight of a rather miniscule orc like Arnok, as thin as he was, the little skiff dipped. It wasn't made for many people.

She sighed as her mind raced. Her thoughts turned again to the Blood Elf in the boat with her. What on Azeroth was going on?

[Arnok]

Arnok clambered into the boat with Alky's help looking like a green drowned rat. He wrung his hair out over the side and then pulled out his pistols to make sure they were undamaged by their brief jaunt underwater. Satisfied that they would fire if he needed them he looked over at the half-troll.

"Good to see you Alky, 's been a while since I saw a friendly face." at a whine from his dog who was paddling in the water he looked over and hauled Irontooth into the boat, causing it to sit even lower in the water "one without fur that is" he amended. "So, are you looking to just be on your way or do you want to meet the humans head on?" He seemed to be ignoring Alkaline's look of exasperation at the interference in what ever she was doing, from human, elf ,and orc.

[Nezeem]

Taking the womans hand as to shake it, Nezeem turns it and kisses the back.

"Tiss a Pleasure to meet you, Alkalyne. My name is Nezeem Throatcutter."

He shifts to the other side of the boat to counterwiegh the Orc as he pulls himself up. He looks with a nervous look as the mention of heading back to the Humans is said aloud.

[RavenReverend]

A shapely brow arched as she blinked at the kiss to the back of her palm and the curious look didn't fade even as Arnok clambered in with Irontooth.

"It's good ta meet anotha' Horde out here even if I didn' intend ta." She drawled a bit then turned her attention to the Orc, "Dey sweepin' out t'look fer somebody den."

She looked to Nezeem, knowing by the bullet hole in his leg, and by the fact he'd been clinging to the boat that he was probably what roused the suspicions.

" Well...I'm jus' lookin' fer somebody. If joo need ta be dropped somewhere I'm sure anuddah frien' a mine can help look for et."

[Nezeem]

He looks at her with a grin, then back to the Orc sitting next to him.

"Well my buisness is concluded here... I am free for now... Wel... at least resonably priced... I could take some time to help, it would be the least i could do to pay you back for the ride."

[RavenReverend]

"Duzzen' ansah de question but annehway we should fin' a place ta put in. Dis boat ain' big enough fer the t'ree of us an' a dog." She said, and then lifted the mask away from her face at the bottom without revealing any of her blue face beneath it to either of them and placed her fingers between where anyone would presume her tusks would be and let out a whistle.

She leaned back in the boat a bit, and waited for a few seconds before scanning the skies and finally caught sight of the red and blue macaw heading their way, and raised an arm for him.

"Any port in a storm! Any port in a storm! RAWK!" The bird squawked as it caught Alkalyne's outstretched arm and she replaced her mask, smoothing it and tucking it back into the Defias armor.

"Port, I needja ta do a fayvah fa me."

"Any port in a storm! RAWK!"

"I needja ta find a good place ta set down in. Ya know. No 'lliance. Ya got dat, Port?"

"RAWK!" The macaw bobbed his head, mocking a nod before spreading his wings and taking to the air again circling high above.

[Arnok]

"Nice pet" Arnok said as he leaned back a bit in the boat, crossing his arms behind his head and closing his eyes. "I don't s'pose you meant little-ol'-me by 'anuddah frien', did you? 'Cause otherwise if you don't want t' dock, Iron and I can swim back t' shore." He cracked an eye and looked at her, trying to gauge her reaction.

[Nezeem]

Nezeem adjusts his bandage and smiles,

"I probably should be getting back to town... Unless you are in need of another scout..?"

He smirks at her and gives her a wink.

[RavenReverend]

She gave an "invisi-grin" to Arnok, "I was achully tinkin' 'bout de bird bu' a'right. We shoul' prolly put in annehway. Dis guy bleedin' and bannages come off in de watah. Dere's tings in de watah. Mean tings."

She looked back to Nezeem, "Ow's dat leg by de way? And joo agree wit' dat? Puttin' in somewhere a' leas' clear a' de oomans."

[Arnok]

"Alright," Arnok looked over at Nezeem and then at his bandage, he grunted dismissively, "Sloppy. I'll do that aright when we get settled in on shore, you don't have that one nigh tight enough."

[Nezeem]

Nezeem is usually not in the habbit of letting anyone help him, but he also does not look gift mounts in the mouth. With a nod he agrees to let the Orc wrap his gunshot wound.

"It's not bad, the bullet passed thruogh without hitting the bone. I should be fine. So who are we searching for out here? I'm not too good of a tracker, but I can definatly scout."

[RavenReverend]

((Sorry folks. Emoing + drawing + tired = baaaaaad combo. I think the SAD is kicking in. **turns on her desklamp with the UV light in it, sighs, cries**))

Alkalyne hesitated a moment while the males discussed bandages, considering just how much to tell them both and finally when Nezeem piped up to ask she made her decision. Ah well...

"Troo't be tol' we lookin' fer a scaley...a naga...one a dose fishmen tings. 'E's got infahmation I need."

[Nezeem]

Nezeem looks at her couriously.

"Hmm what type of info?"

He thinks to himself, but just smiles and acts niave to the oddness of asking a Naga for anything.

"Well where do we start?"

[RavenReverend]

"I was tol' 'e on dis coas' somewhere. Likes ta sit on a san'bar waitin' fer 'is weekly visit from a frien' a 'is. Dis time 'e sen' me instead. I figgered dat bein' dis near de 'lliance I'd be bettah goin' alone. Easiah t'disguise m'self from a distance.

"'e said fer starters dat dis guy 'as a 'ut made outta bones an' skin a dose tings...dey look like eh...lizar' combine wit' a do'fin..Y'know..loooong neck and tings? Murloc seem ta tink dey tasty...Annehway, dats what we lookin' fer I guess."

Her accent was thick, but she tried very hard to make herself understandable. She gestured with her hands and soon enough, there was a squawk and Alkalyne looked up as Port swooped down to land on her arm.

"Dere joo be. Whatcha fin'?"

[Arnok]

Arnok shrugged "If you want my help, you have it. If you'd rather I patch the elf up and be on my way, that works too. I'm not on any particular business right now except for getting back to the Guildhouse"

[RavenReverend]

Alkalyne looked to Arnok, and nodded flipping another braid over her shoulder, "Joo can do whatcha wan' mon. I dun wanna keepchu away from de Guild anneh longah den ya hafta be. Bu' I 'preciate anneh 'elp."

Port flapped a few times and finally took wing away from the boat. She gestured after it, "Port fin' us a place ta put in 'ere. We follow 'im 'e lead us dere."

[Nezeem]

Nezeem nods with a smile and starts to row the boat. Keeping his word of paying her back he wonders if the person they go to extract info from is co-operative...