A Struggle

Her eyes grew wide as she looked at the blade and tried to look back to see her assassin, but her eyes rolled up in her head and her body fell limp and lifeless onto the earth beneath her. Lance was petrified. He slowly looked up to see a warrior standing over him. Then an almost overcoming wave of relief came over him.

"Geeze Lance, I thought you hated the stupid Night Elves..." Idris stepped back and struck down to break the lock on Lance's cage. He stepped back to let Lance get out.

Lance grunted, shaking his head as he stood up. He gratefully took the tabard that Idris offered to him and put it on. "Thank you...so much, Idris." He bit his lip and looked Idris over and looked around. "What are you doing here? How did you even survive the journey to Nagrand?"

"Oh, you know me; I'm the exploring type." He winked.

Lance looked to his side and watched Corki run away back toward Telaar. "You're welcome," he mumbled to himself. He turned back to Idris. "Explore?! What do you mean explore? Idris, you'd better explore your way out of this place before you're spotted. I can survive once I find my armor...but you would be slaughtered. Their magics are too powerful for someone of your strength. Run! Go!"

Idris frown and nodded, calling back his chestnut mare before riding off back toward Telaar. Lance cringed and shuddered, completely stressed out by the events of the last day. He wanted to crawl into a hole and hold himself until he forgot all about it. He looked around and then looked to the paladin. He grinned wickedly and took her sword from her, spitting on her still bleeding corpse as he moved to go in search of his armor...

Magdalia awoke early, as she usually does, and carefully crept out of bed as not to wake Lance. She slowly walked outside into the dark morning and stretched. She was wearing her armor, but she had taken off her gloves and daggers for sleep. After having a small breakfast, she called for Thunderbrew, and they rode off down to the Lower City. She had him slow to a walk so she could look through the faces bustling around amongst the vendors. With a look of disappointment, she rode over to the tavern, and left Thunderbrew outside as she went inside. This time, she asked the barmaid to bring her drinks into the back after making her order. The barmaid smirked at her with a knowing look, and nodded, having seen Mags there many a morning drinking just as heavily as she did in the evenings.

Mags found the back of the tavern empty behind the sheer curtains that cut it off from the rest of the place. She sat at one of the tables and rubbed her head, her fingers running through her hair trying to get the morning knots out of it. She looked down at the table as she thought about what Lance had gone through the previous day, and how much pain it must have caused him, when she could not contain herself and laughed at the situation. Truly, the idea of Lance...undressed...in a cage with a night elf...pouting, and his only hope of rescue comes from a blood elf. It was there that the humor ended. She just thought of what it would be like if that blood elf had been Bal...but then the reality set in. She knew Bal would always be untrustworthy because he's a blood elf...and for good reason. It wasn't like the race had made itself known for being kind and just to all they saw.

Just then, she heard footsteps approaching, and knowing it was the barmaid, she slowly reached her hand into her pocket for a few pieces of gold and held them out without getting up. She felt a hand close around the money and heard the mugs be placed down on the table. Something was different. She felt the hand take the money and then hold onto her fingers, after the mugs were set down. She felt the other hand rest on top of hers. She looked up, slowly, her reaction slowed by still waking up. Her eyes widened and a smile spread across her face.

She watched as Bal bent over and softly put his lips to the top of her hand, kissing it, and then looked up at her and smiled. She blushed immensely as she watched him let go and sit in a chair at the same table, pulling it over right next to her.

"Good morning, Mags." He said as his eyes locked onto hers. She just looked back at him and smiled, not finding the words, and it made him chuckle. "Had a good night then?" Her face changed and went straight as her hand reached out for a mug and immediately put it to her lips. "Oh...not so good...Well, did you want to talk about it?" He said, trying to peer over the mug as she continued to gulp it down. She shook her head at him, not putting down the mug until she had finished it and belched loudly. She covered her mouth, embarrassed, as she saw his eyes widen at her.

"Oh...excuse me. I'm not used to...well...I don't usually care to hold it in." She gave him a sheepish smile. "Lance had a rough night...but it ended well. He actually had a run-in with a...this paladin...this...um...female paladin..." She grabbed for another mug as he raised an eyebrow at her, confused. "...a female blood elf paladin." She put the mug to lips and gulped it down, trying to avoid watching his reaction, but unable to look away. She saw his eyes look at her as the words passed over him. He looked concerned.

"A run-in, you say? I'm guessing it didn't go well..." He watched again, wide-eyed as she finished the second mug and slammed it on the table.

She scratched the side of her head looking down, "No, well...she tried to kill him." He shrugged at her.

"Do you expect anything less?" They both turned as they saw the barmaid approach and she smiled, seeing them, and took the empty mugs away, saying she would bring more, and Mags nodded at her. "Alliance and Horde will never live on good terms...not again...The best you can do is assume that the other would kill you if given the chance, so you don't give them the chance...not even to speak." Mags nodded at this, knowing he was right. She put her head on his shoulder, and he took her hand in his. The barmaid came, and put two more mugs on the table, and Bal paid her. He softly caressed her hand in his, even though her skin was rough, he acted like it had no effect on him.

She sighed and slowly closed her eyes "Poor Lance, though...he was so embarrassed. He tried to hide the whole situation from me, and when he finally told me...I laughed...well not about the paladin trying to kill him, but the other part..."

"What other part?" He asked with interest, still touching her, his fingers trailing up her arm.

"Oh...he got captured by some ogres and...um...well they stuck him in a cage with a night elf...after stealing everything he had on him." A smile crept across her face again "Even now...I just...wow...as highly as I hold him, it's just funny to think a cage could hold him."

Bal grinned and chuckled softly under his breath "Yes, I can see how that could cause a funny picture in one's head."

She finished the next two drinks, and they decided to head out and go their own way again, promising to see one another again. Again, she could not wipe the smile on her face as she mounted on Thunderbrew and headed towards the Zangarmarsh.

Lance awoke, practically minutes after she'd left him. He wrinkled his forehead and sighed. Where did that girl get all of her energy...did she even sleep when the sun came down...or when they were...together? He frowned and sighed, reaching to the floor to gather up the armor he'd stripped off before going to bed.

He didn't eat breakfast, walking outside onto the rise to look over the city. He loved the city of the Naaru. He loved the Draenei. He loved the annual celebration of hallow's end. He bit his lip and went back to get a treat bag from the innkeeper before he summoned Vergere and left the rise, making his way down to the lower city to walk around.

He paused by the tavern, laughing to himself. Duh. He shook his head as he laughed again and went up to the tavern's entrance, walking in slowly to question the barmaid. It just made sense. It made so much sense...now that he thought about it. Mags could drink any human under the table and he knew that she'd probably even out-drunk several dwarfs.

He approached the girl carrying the drinks and got her attention. "Have you seen a young girl, a rogue, with black hair and fair skin, about this tall?" He held up his hand to indicate her approximate height.

Kylene wrinkled her forehead before her expression grew shocked. "Uh...nope, sorry. I've never had a girl like that in here."

Lance wrinkled his forehead. What the hell? Why was she lying to him? He shook his head slowly. "No...no no no. Where is Magdalia? Where is my wife? Don't lie to me. Every city and village that Mags has ever been to knows who she is."

The blood elf was beginning to grow tense, and Lance, with his freshly opened wounds and grudges against the blood elves, still healing, was losing patience. But he was not going to be banished over some dishonest, barmaid, blood elf. She backed up against the wall, Lance emulating her step by step until she had no where to run. "I-I-I," she cleared her throat, trying to even out her voice and grow confident. This humility he was forcing on her felt so foreign and was extremely unwanted.

"I have no idea where Magdalia is. She isn't here. She was here this morning. It's not my job to keep track of your wife, Paladin. Why don't you go check the Scryer Tier?"

"Because she isn't a scrying, blood elf whore, barmaid. Her loyalty lies with the Aldor."

"Hmpf, whatever you say, human. But I would venture a guess her loyalties are not as unwavering and sound as you assume."

Lance thinned his eyes at her, almost drawing his blade. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

She shrugged at him. "Take it however you like, human, but please, get out of my way? I do get Alliance and Aldor customers in here who also like to drink. Will you at least release me to serve them?"

Lance exhaled harshly, and frowned at her. He backed away, and let her go back to serving her drinks. He was taken aback by how seriously he'd reacted...to mere words, simple empty accusations. But...what she said...it had him worried...it touched on his fears and paranoia. What did she mean? Lance swallowed his pride and went back to her, this time petitioning her with much more tact and compassion than before. "I'm sorry, Kylene. I...I don't know what came over me. Perhaps if I pay you? If...I sweeten my inquiry with a few pieces of gold? Then will you tell me where she went and explain your words?"

Kylene chewed on this, looking at the paladin with great apprehension and hesitation. She sighed and held out her hand, only to have it filled with gold. She stared at it for a while, still hesitant, and looked back up at him. She frowned and leaned in closer, whispering to him. "Your girlfriend was here earlier, about an hour ago. She ordered drinks, and a blood elf named Bal paid handsomely for half of them. I've seen them together before...outside the bar, in the city." Her voice dropped a little more. "And I am sure, a human like you, with your power...and your wealth...you could probably do much better than that drunken girl. Besides, she appears to have moved on...perhaps you should too..."

Had he not been so shocked, so utterly numbed and devastated, he might have killed her, right in the bar, for talking about Mags like that. Kylene walked away, pocketing her gold. Lance just stood there. He felt numb. He felt dead. He couldn't move. He just stood there, gaping, shocked.

He went to move, but his body...didn't seem able to properly interpret his commands. He stumbled and fell into a chair. His elbows fell onto the table and he just stared at it, his hands moving through his hair, ruffling it. He couldn't breathe. He felt lifeless. He couldn't even cry, couldn't even shed a tear and sob in despair at the loss of Magdalia.

She was lost to him. He knew...he would never have her back. It made sense...it added up. Why else would she have been so...her reaction the previous night. She was in love with a blood elf. Any other person of the Alliance fold, he knew, would have been infuriated by his story, by the thought of his potential death, sought revenge even. But...Mags had just laughed...she...had found his experience...humorous...

He rested his forehead on the table...and began ordering drinks...

Magdalia approached the flight master in Shattrath intending on heading to the Zangarmarsh when she realized she really hadn't been gone that long, she still had time to spend time with Lance. She turned Thunderbrew around raced towards the Aldor rise. Her heart raced at the idea of jumping back in bed with him, especially after a few drinks in her. She flew off of Thunderbrew on approaching the inn and ran inside and stood next to the bed she and Lance had been in. She stared down at the empty bed, the sheets were tossed aside and not been fixed yet. It seemed he hadn't left long ago. She ran back outside and looked around quickly. She called Thunderbrew back to her and rode him back down into the Lower city and searched everywhere outside.

As she passed by the tavern she grinned to herself and slowed her ride and then kept going. She didn't see him anywhere. She raced back up to the Terrace of Light and looked all around. She could not find him. She thought to herself if perhaps he would have already flown off or even headed back to Azeroth. She came upon the Scryer elevator and looked up at it. She wondered how far she could get and if Bal was even anywhere to be found. She watched the rise lower in front of her and there Bal appeared in front of her. She laughed at the irony. "Just the rogue I was looking for..."

He gave her a snide grin "Oh, really? What can I do for you this fine morning?"

"Help me find my husband." She looked around, "He's wandered off, you know what he looks like, I described him to you, you think you could help."

"Ha! I can do more than that, I can tell you exactly where he is..." Mags jumped back at this and peered closely at him.

"Where?!"

He stepped forward putting a hand on the bridle of Thunderbrew - he snorted at the tug - "He's in your heart...silly..." He giggled at her and she gave him the quirkiest grin.

"Yea..." she blushed, "but I really wanted to have some time with him before he got too busy, please help, come on...we'll just split up, ask a few people and meet back at the tavern when you're done."

He smiled at her taking another step closer and wrapping his hand around her leg, looking up at her, "Why can't we look together?"

"Duh...because we'll be seen together...the last thing I need is for us to stumble into Lance and him see us together and totally assume that I'm cheating on him."

Bal laughed so hard he squeezed her leg, making her jump and giggle, "Cheating on your husband? .. with a blood elf? Who would believe that?" He continued laughing and she began to laugh with him and then caught herself.

"He would...and it would be his first conclusion. There's no way he would ever think that I'm just friends with you, or even that you are teaching me things from the enchanters on the Scryer rise...he just would never listen to me. He would always see you as a threat and...I would lose him."

Bal shook his head stopping his laugh listening to her, "Why would want to be with a husband that is so untrusting?"

She leaned down close so he could be sure to hear it, "Because I love him...with all that I am." She cocked her head to the side with her face very close to his. She was holding tight to Thunderbrew's reigns as she leaned as to not fall off. Bal heard her and smiled and moved his hand on her leg to her shoulder, his other hand reaching for her hands on the reigns and pulls her towards him causing her to fall off into his arms off her feet. She laughed at him and he laughed back at her. She playfully smacked his chest. "Oh, put me down..."

He slowed his laugh and allowed he to regain her footing. "I'm sorry, I couldn't resist...you should have dodged me."

"Oh, don't pull that on me, I don't even have all my armor on, I'm not ready for dodging attacks."

"Well, perhaps you should in the company of a..." leaning in with a sly grin, "...blood elf...we're so evil you know."

"Ha! Come on, are you gonna help me or not?"

"Tell you what, you go on foot and talk to people and I'll make a circle on my flying mount around the city looking for him...no one will suspect a thing." He winked at her.

"Oh! You're a genius" She jumped up and hugged him tight and he spun her around before putting her down. She climbed back on Thunderbrew. "So I'll meet you at the tavern then." He nodded and she spun Thunderbrew around and raced back towards Lower city.

Not even an hour had passed before Lance was close to unconsciousness. His tolerance didn't hold a candle to Mag's and his mind was easily numbed and affected. His forehead was planted on the table in front of him. He groaned occasionally, now far too intoxicated to order more drinks.

In his state of mind, he didn't have to think about the boulderfist ogres, think about the blood elf paladin or how quick she had been to slay him. He didn't have to think of Mags and the betrayal he felt. Then he barely felt/heard a hand slam down on the table. Lance could hardly even lift his head. His forehead came off the table and inch or two before he groaned and set it back on the table. His words were slurred and muffled as he spoke. "Wuh-huuuut. Hoosh there? Leave me...alone..."

He barely felt the hand lift his chin to look at him. "Wow Lance, what the hell happened to you? Did someone get your wife pregnant?"

Lance smiled groggily, laughing. "wiefffff...pregant...HA! That's a good one..." He groaned again and went to look up at the face...and fell out of his chair onto the floor. He felt undeftly for the support of the table and felt two strong arms prop him up.

"Oh god Lance, I'm so sorry..."

"mmmph..." Lance tried to focus and see who this was. He obviously knew him...but he could not identify him. "Itch...wash bound to happen...sooner er later...We puhladins of light...are not known for our skillsh with women...which is why we HAVE the Light, you see."

"Uh huh...Well, at least your doing the classy thing instead of drowning your sorrows..."

"Yes! Exactly! See...if...it had been Mags...she would have drank herself...to death. Me, I drink in moderation."

"Moderation...as in the imaginary place that exists where ever you happen to be?"

Lance grunted at this and groaned. "NNNN...sounds about...right." He went to stand and simply collapsed onto the floor. Again, the gentleman picked him up and helped him into a seat. He heard the barmaid whispering and heard the man whispering back...but he still couldn't...see. "heh...can't you just...leave me...with my booooooze? I'm quite content here, just...drowning my sorrows as you put it..."

The man sighed and Lance heard him leaving, walking away. He rested his head back on the table and felt himself dozing off, his consciousness sufficiently affected for him to finally pass out...

Magdalia searched all over, asking everyone she saw about her husband, she was feeling more frantic now. She really wanted to see him. A few hours went by and she noticed about the time she was about to ask Skettis for help. She stopped herself and turned Thunderbrew slowly around and headed toward the tavern. She had him at a walking pace so she could still search the faces as she passed. She looked overhead for a moment and saw several flying mounts, not knowing which one was Bal. Her face grew worried. She was afraid to admit that she would have to wait another day to see him. She didn't want to do that. After what occurred the last day that they were apart, she felt responsible to be there for him as much as she could.

She knew that Alex could wait for her in Zangarmarsh, and that he would understand if she needed more time with her husband. She approached the tavern and slowly dismounted outside, still letting her eyes wander around the crowd. She heard flapping and then saw Bal land in front of her. She looked at him with hope and curiosity. He simply frowned and shook his head.