Rain fell heavily on the canvas of her tent, the sound of it like feet marching along at a hard pace. The humidity in the small tent was stifling despite being nearly completely nude. Laerchel stared up at the peaked ceiling. It sagged slightly from the water weight but thus far the inside remained dry. She’d taken care to bury the edges of it, but a little mud was creeping in from the front flap. Sitting up she lit a candle and stared at the partially written letter resting on a plank. There was much to explain, yet she had only been able to write in fits. Lifting a page she looked down at her sprawling, child like script. A year ago she hadn’t even been able to read. The musk of wet wood filled her nostrils as she thought. Feralas was more the forest than she’d ever experienced living in the Eastern Kingdoms, its wilderness was even more untamed than Sholazar Basin up north. She didn’t know how her intended recipient would take the letter. But it was filled with things he needed to know. Shifting she sat the page down and peeked out the tent flap.

Despite the rain, the elf was able to make out the cluster of tents around her. Most of them just dark little shapes in a ring. Her platoon was on its way from Stonetalon to Uldum. At first the decision to head down the coast and then inland to the flooded canyon of Thousand Needles perturbed Laerchel when well traveled and established routes would of taken them easily down the interior of the content, through the Barrens. However, Alliance activity was on the rise. She’d known about their egress into Kalimdor. The ballsy pricks were set to sack the Crossroads when Deathwing came, turning the world on its head. Peridot eyes drifted to the lone tent in the center of the ring, the only other one with a light burning. Captain Nelzum was likely still going over maps they’d picked up at a Tauren outpost in the northern part of the region. The night elves were trying hard to re-establish themselves as the dominant inhabitants of Feralas though the Tauren still seemed to hold the roads. This wasn’t the fastest route, but there was a great desire for secrecy. She wasn’t given the full set of orders but it would not due to have the bulk of the Alliance forces know the were heading that far south. So far they’d avoided the elves.

Letting the tent flap fall, Laerchel once again turned her attention to the letter. Picking the pencil up beside it Lae returns to her meandering, childlike print. It was time to get past the pleasantries and spit out what she needed Cris to know. I haven’t really told you much of what I’ve been doing since I ‘ve been gone. I did not know how to. I’m going to start from the beginning and hope that some of it makes sense…

 ************

Laerchel squinted her eyes against the glaring Durotar sun. The heat shimmered off the red earth and warmed her golden skin. The elf was no stranger to the sun or to summer weather but the heat of the desert was more intense than she’d anticipated. She could feel sweat beading up under her loose mop of blond hair. Tilting her head up she looked at the orc in front of her, forcing her eyes open fully and matching his red eyed stare. This was the third time this week she’d gotten in line to join the horde army and the third time she stood looking up at the recruiting officer, only this time she had no intention of leaving when he told her that the horde had no need of such a small, thin little girl. The others in line to join the horde forces, mostly orcs with a few trolls and tauren speckled in the crowd anticipated a chance to laugh at the elf…agian.

“Why do you bother?” The officer’s voice was raspy, even for an orc. Lae could smell the pipe tobaco on his tabard. He shook his head, staring her down. The troll soldier behind him with a portable desk and parchemnt to jot names looked on the verge of giggling.

“I’ve served the horde before, in many skirmishes, as a scout and soldier though I was never formally enlisted. I do not see why I can’t serve the horde now.” Her brow furrowed but not to squint against the sun, it was ever difficult to keep her temper in check when dealing with the officer in front of her. She straightened her back, feeling the muscles tense between her shoulders. Surely he’d not make her repeat herself again. Her gaze didn’t flicker from his.

They stood there in silence, looking at one another for a long, uncomfortable moment. “What is your name grunt?”

“Laerchel.” She had no idea what changed his mind about her, or even what made him ask why she wanted to join. The previous attempts had all been met with laughter and orc servicemen bodily removing her from the Valley of Honor, threatening to remove her from the city as a whole. Hands flattened against the worn leather of her pants Lae didn’t dare relax.

“You’ll immediately report to Sergeant Skullbash.” The troll was busy jotting down the name, looking incredulous. The recruiting officer pointed to a large building elevated above the small pond in the valley, indicating where she’d find the captain.

Laerchel saluted the officer and hurried in the direction he pointed. Questioning her acceptance would be both useless and likely to have her sent packing. She paused outside the building with the vast metal mesh that served as the roof of the building. Its walls were thick metal, and not always connected. Training dummies ringed the outside staring in at the mass of fresh recruits at the middle. An older orc walked around, talking to his assistant. He wore an eye patch and one tusk was broken at the middle. Lae assumed he was the sergeant she was told to speak to and made her way to him. Thinking of what she’d come to Orgrimmar to do and Cris mad it easier bolstered her courage.

“Sergeant Skullbash, sir?” Lae made an awkward attempt at saluting, life in the woods and with a rowdy crew of pirates hadn’t really prepared her too well for the formalities of proper military service. The orc stopped and focused his good eye on her. He didn’t say anything but stared at her looking annoyed. After a moment Lae continued not sure what he was expecting, “I was told to report to you-”

“Get in the middle with the rest of the grunts.” He’d cut her off before she could stammer on any further and went on with his conversation. Lae did as she was told and went to the middle with the others. She didn’t see another blood elf in the bunch and decided to stand next to the cluster of Foresaken. The smell wasn’t particularly pleasant but at least they didn’t make her feel so small.

It felt like an eternity had passed before the sergeant turned to the group of grunts piled into the middle of the ring. A few more had trickled in after Lae, the majority of them were orcs, and a couple of goblins. “ATTENTION!” Barked the captain rather unexpectedly. Everyone in the middle of the room stood as straight and stiff as they were capable, and something resembling ranks were formed. Lae found herself between two muscular orcs.

The sergeant walked the line and with a switch produced from his belt he swatted the ends of out of shape ranks to get the group into a perfect square. “Maggots I will never show you how to do this again. You will stand like this and at attention till you push up peacebloom or die! Do I make myself clear?”

A chorus of “Sir, yes sir!” sprang from the new soldiers. Lae couldn’t look around but she felt the tension around her. Was Skullcrush going to be in charge forever or was he a pit stop to harsher orcs to come?

 ********

Lae stopped writing. She’d filled few pages with her recruitment day. Looking out the tent flap she could see the sky lighening outside. It’d be time to march soon. She sighed and looked back down on the page, I was so scared Cris. But I thought of you and what that bastard admiral had done to you. So I stayed in place between the two orcs and swallowed my fear. But oddly, despite my fear and determination I can look back now and see that perhaps I was kind of enjoying the experience. It was nice to have some kind of direction again after finding out you were married.

The sun was a faint glimmer on the horizon when Laerchel awoke.  The cold wind blowing down the mountain had not made sleeping easy by any means and the throbbing in her head seemed to be matching the rhythm of drums in the distance.  Her eyes shot open wide as she heard them, they were of an army on the march and she could only thinking of one such army that would be on the march to Tarren Mill and it didn’t bode well for her. As quickly as she could force her aching body up off the ground she began to head South. Her shoulder sent lightning bolts of pain to her spine as she limped and hobbled.

The drums were getting closer.  She could hear the rumble of marching and war machines.

***

A scout paused and looked at the wreckage in front of him.  There was blood and dragging, awkward foot steps.  Whoever had survived the crash was heading to the south, away from the army headed from Alterac to Hillsbrad.  Horde?  He could think of no other reason why an injured person would flee.  Looking up Jaden signaled the other two members of his party in from where they’d been snooping up the base of the mountain.

“Find them.”  Would he have the person killed if they were horde?  Take them prisoner?  Hell, would who or whatever it was be alive when found?  Jaden reached up and scratched the back of his head, eyes focused on the tracks once more.  He suspected an elf, the foot prints weren’t big enough to be an orc’s nor shaped like a troll foot.  Part of him hoped it was a human or a night elf and the person ahead was just lost in their injured delirium.

***
Lae wheezed and panted as she stumbled along.  She knew that she was not making much progress and common sense told her there would be scouts ahead of the forces.  She could hear the army more loudly now.  With a jolt and a whine she hit the ground, and not for the first time.  Her legs had given out from under her again, and the pulsing mass of her damaged shoulder sent fresh waves of agony through her.

Laying there she pondered just waiting for the army to catch up.  Perhaps she’d be taken prisoner and not right out executed?  Curse her glowing eyes, she’d pass for a high elf without them.  After a long moment she forced herself up off the ground, a difficult task with one working arm and an aching, damaged body.  Her head would not stop pounding.

***
Jaden stopped and looked down at the impression on the ground.  His target was certainly weak.  This was not the first sign of falling he’d seen while pursuing the survivor of that crash.  the other three members of his scouting troupe joined him, they’d fanned out to see if the person had tried to hide somewhere or if there were others out here too.  “Go back to the General, tell him the way is clear.”

And it was.  There were no signs of others in the area, the person he was following was obviously alone and he was gaining on them.  He had to be anyway, judging but the stuttering, messy trail they were leaving behind.  When not a single soldier moved he looked at them, “I’ll be along shortly, there is absolutely no reason for four of us to be tracking one person, and by now the General will be wondering where our reports are. Now go.”

As his squad made for the main army he quickened his pace after the Crash Victim.  At this point he was certain it was an elf, the tracks didn’t match up to anything else.  Looking up he could see Sofera’s Naze in the distance, and a small, dark figure slowly moving across open land.  Jaden grinned to himself and took off in a run, yes he’d catch up quite easily.  The figure couldn’t be more than a mile ahead.

***
Laerchel struggled to breathe.  She could see one of the nazes up ahead though she had no idea which it was, her head was hurting too badly and she’d lost her sense of direction some hours ago.  She knew she was going south, and south would eventually lead to safety.  The appearance of the land formation that jutted into Hillsbrad was proof of it.

Her steps became less and less stable as she moved.  The elf closed her eyes and tried to force the pain away.  The sun had climbed high in the sky now, it was mid-morning at the earliest.  Must, keep moving.  I ha– her thoughts cut off as she hit the ground once more.  Exhaustion was setting in and hunger.  She’d not had a thing to drink today, and the journey from the foot of the mountains was taking its toll on her injured body.

***
The human’s target was growing larger on the horizon, still a dark shape but a closer one.  Jaden was beginning to think it had stopped moving.  He quickened his pace, taking the thought as encouragement, why throw away the opportunity to gain more ground?

Time flew as he made his way down across the open field leading out to the naze.  The figure was no longer indistinct.  An elven woman lay unceremoniously heaped on the ground not a hundred feet away.  Slowing to a walk he continued to her.  He knew she was injured but not how badly, and it may well be a trap.  Had she caught sight of him with a glance behind her shoulder?

***
The sound of footsteps brought her back to alertness. Lae’s eyes shot open as she heard an approach.  Completely unarmed she stayed still, her eyes looked franticly around for a rock, anything useful at all.  Nothing.  The fingers of her good hand sunk into the soil and she loosed a clot of mud and dirt.  It was a long shot but perhaps it could work.

The figure approached, she heard the steps more clearly now, but still she stayed where she was.  The end of the naze was just short sprint away, if she could conserve the energy for it.  Her heart pounded in her chest as a hand touched the damaged shoulder.  It caused her to whimper in pain.  No, she supposed she couldn’t feign unconsciousness now.  The hand didn’t let go and she let her body be rolled over.  Her fingers squeezed more tightly to the dirt in her hand.

***
As Jaden came on to her he could see her sides moving with breath.  So she hadn’t died, good.  He took a moment to study her as his feet came to a stop beside her body.  Blond hair was matted with blood.  Her clothing was badly damaged and it looked like a sling of some sort was strapped around her.  He knelt down and grabbed the swollen mass of one shoulder, unless she was a master of ignoring pain she’d have to react as he rolled her over by it.

Her whimper was unmistakable and he saw glowing green eyes for a brief moment before mud filled his vision.  He whipped his head to one side and cussed as he reached up to wipe the dirt from his eyes.  He heard her scramble to get to her feet and reaching out he grabbed hold of what felt like a leg.

Lae had rolled to her feet as soon as she threw the dirt, hoping it’d bought her enough time.  Under normal circumstances it would have.  She had just about made it a step forward when a hand caught her leg and she fell forward, overbalanced.  The smell of earth was almost overwhelming as her body wracked with pain.  She tried to claw forward with her good hand, heart still pounding.  Both feet kicked at the figure but it seemed quite useless.

“Give it up you, git.”  Jaden growled at the struggling woman, he reached out and grabbed her by the belt even as she kicked at him.  Dirt still stuck to his face and he had to squint to keep it out of his eyes.  Releasing the leg he hauled her back by the belt, almost enjoying her cry of pain as her damaged arm was dragged across the ground.

She didn’t understand what was coming out of the man’s mouth but it didn’t matter.  He had caught her. As her body was pulled back across the ground she stopped struggling.  It was a waste of energy at this point.  The man grabbed her damaged shoulder again and roughly hauled her up on her knees.  She screamed at the pain of it.  What a horribly effective tactic.  The pain was overwhelming and she’d of fallen onto her face had the hand not stayed there to hold her up.  She looked forward across the track of land that would lead to safety and felt hope start to fade away.

Jaden hadn’t quite wanted to be this rough but apparently this is how the woman wanted it.  He loosened his grip on her shoulder slightly.  The mass of soft tissue and no bone made it obvious the thing was dislocated.  He stared down at her, thinking.  He could haul her back to the army, or wait for them to get here.  He could execute her?  But what had she done to deserve to die.  Surely she knew an army was approaching, or else she never would of tried to get to Hillsbrad in this condition. The general would simply have her killed if he turned her in.  With a ‘hmph’ to himself he stared down at her a moment longer before letting go of her.  “You don’t understand a word I’m saying, but consider yourself lucky and get out of here.”

Lae fell forward and hit the ground with a grunt.  The man said something with a rather aggravated tone.  She heard him walking away from her.  Free to go?  She didn’t understand but didn’t take the time to second guess it.  A moment later she was on her feet and heading down the naze.  From its edge she could see Hillsbrad nestled bellow.  The town looked quite different than the run down mess she’d last seen.

An adventurer was reporting something rapidly to an Orc officer down there.  Something about an army on the march.  Lae collapsed on the ground just inside the town boarder.  When she next woke up she was in the inn, in a bed.  There was an Apothecary present and it occurred to her that she’d had medical care.  Soon she’d head for Booty Bay and find Cris, then it would be back to business as usual.

End.