User:Akuyim/War

War
Kranik gingerly laid the tray of herb baked eggs on the dining room table of the cottage. Shuna lay wrapped in the voluminous confines of their bed, she would awaken soon and be hungry. With a smirk he popped one of the eggs in his mouth, placing a small note next to the tray.

He walked outside and stretched again. Walking behind the cottage to the stables, he led his new blue raptor from his pen. He checked the saddlebags one last time, before mounting up. He had to grab supplies from Tarren Mill and would be gone a few hours.

With a quick spur, he sped down the winding mountain path to the road below, and vanished into the thick foliage.

Shuna lazily rolled over to where Kranik should have been. She blinked a few times as light from the window illuminated her face. She yawned, and was about to call for him when, the scent of breakfast wafted upstairs. She smiled, and slid out of the large bed. She whisked her robe from the floor and wrapped it around her. Cinching the belt tight, she ambled tiredly from the lavish bedroom to the dining room below.

There on the table was a small folded note, and a tray of nearly one dozen herb baked eggs. She cocked her head to one side, she had never known her Kranik could cook. She oozed into her chair and popped one of the eggs into her mouth, as she picked up the note with her left hand.

Unfolding it she read.

Went to Tarren Mill for supplies

Be back later.

-K

P.S. Keep your strength up for later.

She folded the note back up and placed it back on the table as she enjoyed another of the eggs. She could even envision his coy smirk as he wrote the P.S. She smiled, as she wondered what she would do while he was away.

She briefly entertained the notion of trying luck at bread again, but she just got so frustrated it wouldn’t be worth it. She wanted to relax, it was bright and sunny out. She decided, she would play with her herb garden. Although, it wouldn’t be much of one to look at. Mountain Silversage was pretty enough, as was Wild Steelbloom, Goldthorn and Earthroot, not so much.

Lost in thought, she reached down to the tray, only to discover she had already finished them all. With a languid stretch, she stood up and retreated back to the bedroom to find her gardening clothes and hat. Some of their things, remained firmly entrenched in some of the bags, and boxes that they simply hadn’t gotten to yet.

Outside, she stopped and marveled at the sight of the river coursing below them. Zyberahk and Storm were off marking their various territories. She went to the stables to make sure Rory and Beasty had been fed.

Straightening her hat with determination, she marched to the right side of the house, where she had marked off the ground for her herb garden. Kneeling down with seeds and tools in hand, she began to toil.

He looked at the elven woman in shackles, as he led her down the road from the Alterac Mountains. He slammed his bony hand into her chest to stop her. He pulled an ornate spyglass from his belt to what passed for his left eye. Scanning the horizon of the mountains, he soon spied what he was looking for. A large cottage, and more importantly, a single troll woman, toiling in the dirt outside.

He yanked the leash of the woman beside with his right hand, dragging her forward. He held the spyglass up to her eye. “You see that woman?” he hissed.

She nodded.

“Kill her.” he finished. He slid the spyglass back into his belt. With that done, he drew the key to the numerous shackles and locks that confined the elven woman.

She looked at the forsaken man a moment. “Her death ensures my going home, yes?” she asked hoarsely as she rubbed her bruised wrists.

He nodded. “Yes. Quicker its done, quicker you go home. My mistress always keeps her word.”

She turned her attention back to the small blue dot, kneeling on the ground. She strode confidently forward, with each step, shadows began to overtake her. Using the thick foliage as cover she stalked her way up the mountainside.

Kranik cursed himself under his breath, as he rode back towards the cottage. In his morning surprises, he had forgotten to grab a letter he was going to mail. He began to wind his way back up the mountain trail.

The forsaken stood stoic and shook his head in disbelief, Kranik was not supposed to be home. There was no way to warn the assassin. Forcibly he sighed, they couldn’t afford a screw up.

She heard the beast rush past her from her vantage point. A smirk appeared beneath her veil of shadows. She began to cast her spell. In a moment, her mind was one with the troll riding past her.

Shuna looked up, partially startled to see Kranik riding back so soon. She cocked her head as she looked at him, something was off. He leapt off the raptor and began to race up the hill towards her.

As he started to draw a little closer, something was off the look of vacancy in his eyes.

“Kran?” she stammered.

He withdrew his dagger from his belt in his right hand, and continued his mad dash forward.

“Kran?” she yelled, a tinge of fear escalating on her voice.

They felt the presence in there with them. He couldn’t stop it from controlling his actions.

“I need you to help me.”

“No, ju bad.” “If you don’t help me, we are going to hurt Purty Shuna.”

“Kranny likes Purty Shuna, Kranny no wan herts her.”

“Then help me. I can’t do this alone.”

“Whut Ju wan Kranny tu du?”

It was in that moment, he realized he didn’t know what he needed done from his other half.

He was mere steps away. She stood there in shock, numbly her mind raced for her defenses to come into place, but they wouldn’t respond to her.

His left hand, shot out grabbing a fistful of her hair, and yanking it backwards.

“Kran, ju wouldn’t hurt me, ju love me.” she stammered as tears started to form at the corners of her eyes.

It was at this moment, Kranny did the only thing he could do. He threw a tantrum.

“NO HERTS PURTY SHUNA!” he screamed.

The other entity, paused a moment. Startled by the fact that there was another voice in the same head she occupied. But the pause was a moment too long. Kranik wrestled control back to himself.

The dagger shot out towards her stomach. Time ground to a halt. She closed her eyes, awaiting the stabbing pain that would surely claim her. It never came.

She opened her eyes, and saw Kranik’s eyes. The dead vacancy that was there was gone, replaced by the eyes she had always known. She gulped and looked down as he let go of her hair. The dagger was so close to her shirt, that if she exhaled she could feel the cold steel point against her.

He turned quickly, as the shadow broke from the foliage. Her attempt gone awry, she needed to get away. With a growl, he whipped one of his throwing knives from his behind his back.

As it sailed through the air, he broke into a full out sprint chasing it, and the wispy shadow of death. It imbedded itself into her back, she shrieked a moment but continued to run.

He easily covered the distance between them. He shot out his left hand and palmed the back of her head. Driving it into the rocky mountain face beside the trail. The dagger was already plunged into her back.

He pushed her face into the mountain side with all his anger and might. “Who sent you?” he growled into her ear.

An arrow lanced her temple, silencing her. Leaving the question unanswered lingering in the air.

Kranik dropped the corpse to the ground and gazed in righteous fury at the forsaken bowman.

The bowman bowed. “Please forgive my tardiness, Kranik. The Queen dispatched me to inform you, that one of her enemies, seems to have located some information on you. They sent someone to kill you and your wife. I do hope you are both ok?” he said respectfully.

Kranik glanced at the blood elf at his feet. “We are fine.” he growled.

“The Queen will be glad to hear that, she asked me to give you this summons.” he presented the rolled up parchment, and walked away.

He clenched it in his fist tightly. “If it’s a war they want, it’s a war they shall get.” he hissed. He kicked the lifeless corpse at his feet. The elves would pay.