2. Adenah Thorgint: Love and War

Red was the colour of the sky and the soil beneath their feet the stench of blood filled their nose while the battle was raging on. Many had already fallen but they still kept going and pushed themselves onwards against the fel orcs and demonfilth. Adenah stood in middle of it all, a sword held in her hand while casting the occasionall spell. Amongst all faces hers was one of the youngest by far, only sixteen winters or maybe seventeen. Dressed in torn and tattered cloth armor covered in blood and dirt while she pressed on together with the remaining forces, a fierce flame visible within her eyes. She was not unfamiliar in these scenarios and the way the young girl moved showed a clear display of experience while her lithe body darted from side to side, trying to get closer to her father who was more upfront. With her eyes focussed upon the large man she advanced between the other rangers and magi, slipping towards the side and not hearing her mothers voice. The sounds of battle easily drowning out the cry of the woman who saw her daughter dissapear in the fray.
Adenah was weary from the battle, her steps less steady and strong while she moved and against better knowlegde she stepped out of the protection of the line for a brief moment which changed everything within seconds. One of the orcs had managed to remain unseen while approaching their flank and the girls attention was faltering too much, only realizing her criticall mistake once she saw the massive being rise before her with two axes suddenly lashing trough the air the moment it decided to cast off the shadows that had kept him hidden.

With a shrill cry of suprise she raised her sword in an attempt to parry the attack but at the exact same moment she could suddenly hear the desperate cry from her mother who appeared between them, having blinked forward to protect her flesh and blood and shield her from the axes being aimed down upon the young woman.
“Adenah .... Move .. NO!”
Never before had she felt so frozen or helpless, not a single reaction to the change of events when she witnessed in a flash how the two axes struck her mother who dropped down lifelessly before her feet. If not for the others around her she would have been next but the men and women who fought at her side had already stepped up and the orc was soon nothing more but another corpse on the field. Just like her mother. The battle went on in a daze as Adenah slipped further into the groups, away from the danger and her face pale in shock. Pain didn't come instantly and it's what kept her alive or otherwise she would have fallen aswell that day if her breakdown would have occured mere moments after witnessing the death of the woman who had given birth to her.

Her scream of terror filled the air once silence had taken place and the battle was over, the young girl running around the field to return to the fallen body of her mother. A scream of hurt and sorrow resonating through flesh and bone, a cry for a lost loved one.

It was then that she opened her eyes, lips parting as if she had indeed been screaming but there was no sound, it was silent and dark around her. The air had cooled off where she was sat in the tower of Fort Triumph, in a far end spot in the round room while she held a book upon her lap which had nearly slipped down. It took her some time to shake of the vivid images of the events that had returned to her in a nightmare and only realized that she was crying when one of the tears fell down on the opened page of the book.
Guilt for how her mother had died washed over the young woman again, something she had never been able to let go off no matter what others had said. Fighting here in the Barrens had made her recall many other fights of the past, especially this one that has made a great impact upon her life.

The magan utters a soft sigh with her fingers trailing over the book before slamming it shut, forcing herself to derail her thoughts to something less painfull. Even if that wasn't the easiest thing to do with the raw pain of the loss aching inside her chest. With a glance around the tower she could see that it was deserted, most must have gone to their tents already, only the sound of idle chatting outside indicated that not everyone had called it a night yet.
She didn't move, keeping her eyes locked upon the moonlit entrance of the tower while all images of her nightmare flashed before her eyes again. With a loud thud the book crashed into the wall when she suddenly launched it into the air out of frustration due to being unable to think of something else like she wanted to. A soft sob building up in her troat as she shakily forces herself to stand up, her back leaning against the wall for support.
“I'm so sorry Ma' ,,, I wish ,,, th,,-”
She doesn't finish her sentence, letting the words linger and remain unspoken because she knew, remembered now, that her mother was proud of her. The Ancestors had told her and perhaps it was time for the magan to move on from her guilt that seemed to catch up with her on several occasions ever since the event.
Her mind was racing while she stood in the darkness of the tower with the nightbreeze cooling the area at last after yet another day of scorching heat in these barren lands in which they had been stuck for several weeks now. Weeks of battle and more losses, just like back then. Exactly like back then with only one or two differences.
For the first time she wasn't fighting at the side of her mother nor her father but stood side by side with people of her home. After nineteen years she could finally say that she was risking her life for a homeland that she knew, a nation of which she was an active part and not just by birth.

And love.

Her saddened expression slowly changed when her lips began forming a soft and dreamy smile, erasing the suffer glowing in her eyes. No it hadn't been easy and somewhere along the road it had been harder then she would have ever imagined it to be, confusing the young inexperienced girl beyond imagination on how fast things had changed.
Back in Arathi things appeared so much easier and simple, there had not been any confusion just the bliss of happiness of her first love. Back there it all felt right even if it had brought stress and troubles to her with her family. Family she barely even knew and had come into her life and tried to seize controll of her decisions. Perhaps she just had been carried away on the feeling that was new and exiting to her after all years of war. Or maybe she just had so much more to learn about love that she had been going too fast, too soon.
How was she supposed to figure it out? She was happy, perfectly happy with how things had been and yet ...
It all changed so fast, her mind and heart at turmoil for the irresistable attraction she felt towards the silver-tongued marine upon the ship. Her curiousity once more got the best of her when she simply did not stay away, even after all the drama and gossip around the Thorgint-family she hadn't seen the danger of moving closer.

Adenah had felt ashamed and hurt for turning her back to Calath, allowing herself to be lured into the passionate embrace of another man that was not her fiance, not her love.
Just like many had reminded her off she was nothing but another Thorgint, just the same like all others before her. At times she had believed such herself but had learned that she had made a decision to -not- be like them. Giving up on Calath to prevent him from being hurt further and not act like others had done before her, show that she would not make the same mistakes.

While closing her eyes the woman shakes her head again, the smile upon her face growing wider with the worry and confusion still present in her mind. It wasn't like she had planned but from then on it had been a whirlwind of emotions coursing through her and despite the results of her reckless and naive acts she knew that it was right. She had done what felt right to her and she would stick to her decision.
The uncertainty of her future had been gnawing on her for a long time, unsure wether or not she could trust her own heart or the man who had slowly been captivating it with his smooth talks and heated touch.
It has hurt her more then anything before to know that her actions might have caused only pain to others and herself for nothing, only to be proven wrong by others but that's not how it turned out. Each doubt had been replaced by a growing love with each kiss and each touch from Drazial. No matter how much she tried to keep her mind clear she failed horribly over and over again. The feeling of his arms around her and the strong passionate attraction she couldn't deny or resist had made her fall head over heels for him. Naive or not, she wanted to pursue happiness afterall. That wasn't such a bad thing to chase was it?

No matter how turbulent things had been at the start and how nervous she had been to actually openly show her affection and love there was no way she would have been able to ignore it. While the emotions she had felt for Calath had been pure and sincere she couldn't compare them to the stronger and more magnetic attraction she was experiencing for Drazial. The risk of her heart being played with only to be cast aside like many had been before was something she was willing to take. Adenah felt that she could trust him and she would, only to be able to see her own emotions reflected in his eyes and shelter herself within his arms. Be it him in his normal form or the once terrifying form of a massive worgen.
Day by day she had grown closer to him and it had made her see she wouldn't step away, simply because she couldn't. Every fiber in her being screamed out to be with him and nobody else, every pain or worry worth it for her to take that leap forward. Every spoken word of affection sounding like the sweetest music in her ears and every lusftull gaze and touch setting her on fire from the deepest core inside her.
Even with her lack of experience she could feel that what he could awaken within was something to be cherished and valued, that how only he was able to make her legs weaken the way he did.
For Adenah there was nobody else, stupidly infatuated and madly fallen in love with him she would not give up that easily. She had already felt for a brief moment how it shattered her heart to think that she had lost Drazial and it had shown her in the most painfull way that he meant much more to her then she would have wanted to admit at that time.

The cool breeze softly blowing through the open entrance of the tower caressed over her sweaty face and she moved a hand to brush it into the strands of growthed hair, her expression alot calmer then it had been a few minutes before. Stood against the wall behind her as she allows her mind to wander to more peacefull memories then the one brought forth by the nightmare. Her heartbeat strong and steady within her ribcage, emotions overwhelming her once again only by the mere thought of the one man who could make her head spin and her blood rush to her cheeks by a single word.
With a low and affectionate whisper she allows herself to let his name pass her lips, a certain acceptance in the tone while she simply wishes to feel the sound upon her tongue.
“Drazial Legraine”
Adenah softly pushes herself from the wall, the darkness of the night hiding the glowing blush that shows upon her now radiant face when she starts walking to leave the tower. Her steps carrying a trace of a certain lightfooted stride when stepping outside and allow her eyes to wander around the shades of the camp.
The shapes and figures that are still moving around or sat by the fire nothing more but unsharp blurs but it doesn't bother her anymore. She had grown used to the handicap of her flawed eyesight.

Her head turns towards the right when she descends from the small slope, seeing the gathered crowd around one of the campfires she tilts her head and approaches slowly, taking in the forms and faces once being closer to them. Lingering upon the worgens gathered she then casts her attention upon the one infront of her when he speaks. Recognising the voice that makes her heart jump and skip a beat she doesn't halt her steps and moves forward to him. Both her arms reaching out to rest onto the strong and broad shoulders, touching the fur with a light stroke of her fingertips while leaning forward to hover her head right next to his.
This felt exactly right to her, no more doubts and no regrets. Feeling his body underneath her touch was enough to have her heart swell with love and let the smile upon her face grow wider once more. This is where she wanted to be, and she would stand up against anything that came her way trying to stand inbetween. Adenah had made up her mind and nothing would make her change it again, it had been hard enough to end up where she was now. With the man she had grown to love against all odds. While leaning her head against his she closes her eyes letting her thoughts scream out in a bliss of happiness.
“I love you with my whole heart, Do midor dek Drazial”

Damn you Drazial!

Lovely story as usual! <3

Dawh, that Adenah..

Another great read, especially because I got an abundance of shout outs Keep up the good work, your stories are always a pleasure.

Nostalgia attack. Good times.

Good times indeed, silly nostalgia ^^