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.