A Struggle

Haggle looked at Lance...thoroughly confused. He shook his head.

Lance's words came a little less patiently. "Did she smell like grog, like alcohol?"

Haggle smiled a little and huffed. He shrugged. "You know me...down here in the tunnels, I just...well, my sense of smell isn't-"

Lance scoffed and handed him more silver. "OH! Like alcohol. I'm sorry, I just...I thought you said something else." He grinned wickedly, then shook his head. "Nope. If she had any kind of aroma...I most certainly didn't pick up on it."

Lance bit his lip. He knew Magdalia would not be the only rogue with such a description, but she usually smelled like she had been drinking. He decided to go back to the city for a more thorough search. He thanked Haggle and ran back into Ironforge...

Mags stepped off the tram as it arrived at the Stormwind station. She sighed as she looked back at the tram and smiled. It had been a while since she had taken it to Stormwind. She headed out to the city of Stormwind and took a deep breath in. "So good to be home." She loved Outland but she always considered Stormwind home, since it was where she grew up.

She was even happier to be there because she knew she could go to SI:7 and show off her new rogue skills. She always used the trainer in Ironforge, so she was looking forward to the faces she would get from her new armor. She whistled for her mount and instead of Thunderbrew running up to her, it was a black stallion...Mydnight. Mags smiled at him and embraced him, stroking his cheek. "I have missed you old friend." The horse huffed and lowered his head walking up beside her as if to signal her to get into the saddle. Mags climbed on and without any signal the horse raced off towards Old Town. Mags giggled as the horse read her mind and leaned down towards his head, holding tight. The horse slowed to a trot as they entered Old Town and Mags sat up, pulling the hood off her head. The horse was heading for the tavern but Mags tugged the reigns away towards SI:7.

She dismounted as they approached the stairs that led to the Champion's Hall and SI:7. She glanced at the Champion's Hall and cast her eyes down. She had always dreamed about entering that place...about being so successful on battlefield that she would be given unimaginable upgrades to her weapons and armor. She shifted uneasily and looked towards the rogue trainer who stood out front of SI:7. She let her eyes meet his and then walked proudly by him into the place.

Hours later she emerged and approached Mydnight who was waiting for her. She grabbed hold of his reigns and walked him down to the tavern. She looked around carefully before reaching beneath the back of the saddle and pulling out a small pouch. She winked at Mydnight, who huffed, and patted the side of his neck. "I'll whistle when I need ya again." The horse shook his head and trotted off down the road. She smiled beneath her mask and turned towards the tavern. She tossed the pouch in her hand over to the other hand and gripped it tight as she walked inside.

Lance searched...and searched. He went to the auction house, to the vault, to the mystic ward, to the forlorn cave...but, she just wasn't anywhere to be found. He sighed, and decided to talk to Bruuk, Gryth, and Haggle again.

He rode over to the bar first. Nothing. He rode over to the gryphon master. Again, nothing. He sighed, and rode back in through the tram tunnel.

Haggle hadn't seen anyone who smelled of beer...but Lance decided to ride to Stormwind anyway. He was confident he had searched Ironforge well enough that someone would have seen her if she was there.

It had been a long time since he had ridden the tram, and it gave him some time to think. He felt exhausted. He hadn't slept since the day before, and he was beginning to lose momentum.

When the tram stopped in the Stormwind station, he ran into the Dwarven District. He was summoning his charger when something nudged him, disturbing his concentration long enough to interrupt him. He grunted and turned to see who had run into him. He wrinkled his forehead. Some...horse, a black stallion...had bumped him. It turned its nose up at him, nipping at his arm. "Hey! What?! What do you want?"

The horse just nudged him harder and then bowed its head down, motioning for Lance to get on. Lance looked at the horse apprehensively and then slowly shook his head. "No...I...I have a ride."

The horse huffed at him, standing straight again. Lance went to summon his charger again, but the horse bumped him again. He groaned and turned back to look at the horse. "Fine, fine, ok."

He reached up and pulled himself onto the horse. Before he could quite get the reins, it took off, riding out of the dwarven district into old town. The horse slowly came to a stop outside of the tavern. Lance grunted as he hopped off, and smiled at the horse. He reached into his bag and offered some harmless herbs up to the horse, gently running his hand over its head and smiling at him. "Thank you."

He turned, and went into the tavern, shaking his head as he walked in...

Mags walked in proudly, jingling the small pouch, which was apparently full of coin. She smiled under her mask at Elly, the barmaid who hadn't changed a bit. She went upstairs to her old usual table and plopped in the chair. Elly followed up after her and ensured the table was clean before taking Mags' order for "plenty of cherry grog...and keep it coming."

After several trips for Elly and many empty mugs, Mags was beginning to feel the effects. She pulled her mask down under her chin and smiled at Elly as she came back up the stairs with another pair of mugs. Elly gasped and almost dropped the mugs as she jumped at the appearance of Mags. Mags sneered slightly and turned back to her mug. As Elly put the drinks on the table, she stood there staring at Mags.

"Mags...?" Mags nodded at her, taking a fresh mug and gulping from it. "What...What's happened to you?" Mags looked at her with her eyes but moved no other part of her body. She just continued drinking. "Oh... well...this round is on me..." Elly swallowed hard and took the empty mugs from the table and headed back downstairs. Mags' just continued drinking with her back to the stairs and entrance to the tavern. She gulped down the grog like it was water. The pouch she had brought in was on the table and empty. She finished the mug, sipping loudly at the last remnants that remained and slammed it down on the table. She grabbed for the next one with her left hand, while her right hand went to a bag she had tied to her to feel around for her coin.

She smiled to herself when she found a few gold pieces and called out loudly, "I found more coin...bring on the next round Elly!" She yelled this without turning around and holding the coin up in the air over her head. She let the hand with the coin fall forward when she was done shouting and she lifted the mug in her other hand to her lips.

Lance walked into the tavern, still wearing his mask and all his armor. He did not have a distinguished set like Magdalia, instead, he had random pieces of plate that he had found in the various areas of Outland he had managed to survive.

His demon-slaying blade, its red glow reflecting on Lance's leggings, was hung from his side, his golden shield strapped to his back. He looked around downstairs for Mags and then glanced up. Elly approached him and wrinkled her forehead at him. "We ask that you please remove your...uh, helm, while inside the tavern, sir...Just in case anything goes...wrong."

Lance smiled and took off his helm, putting it in his bags as he smiled at Elly. "Sure. Anything for you, Elly." He winked suggestively at her before asking silently. "Where is Magdalia?"

Elly huffed, shaking her head. "Lancesalot. Don't scare me like that. I'll just have to get you back one of these days."

Lance just grinned at her wickedly and nodded. "Uh huh. I shall forever fear that day."

Elly rolled her eyes at him and indicated, pointing. "Mags is upstairs. She is already completely smashed. But don't worry, I started diluting her drinks about five rounds ago."

Lance chuckled and nodded. He took out a few pieces of gold and handed them to her. "Thanks for your help." He looked up and frowned, walking up the stairs and stood next to Mags. It felt like only moments ago he was going crazy trying to find her, but now, he was just grateful she was drunk in a bar. He leaned down by her ear. "Mags...Mags." He shook her gently, trying to get her to look at him...

Mags was startled by Lance shaking her and choked on drink, since she was in mid-gulp. She wiped her mouth after catching her breath and turned to look at Lance putting the mug down. She smiled up at him. She held herself steady and looked at him with clear eyes. If she was drunk, she wasn't showing it. "Hi sweetheart, I guess you got my letter, huh?"

Lance blinked at her, completely confused. "Letter?'' He shook his head, not understanding.

She nodded at him with her eyes wider, "Um...yeah...you didn't get it? I wrote you a letter on the back of yours...well a note really. I left it on the bed." She pointed over her shoulder.

Lance's mouth fell open a little, then closed, and opened again. "Uh..." His shoulders slumped and he exhaled slowly. "...No...I...I did not...it didn't occur to me to...to check."

He sighed, rolling his eyes...never having felt quite so incompetent. "If I had, I probably would have come back a little faster..."

She squinted her eyes at him, turning her body to him. "Then how did you find me? Not...Luna...again, I hope..." She mumbled the last part looking down at the table.

"No I..." But he stopped, thinking about how he had chased his own tail nearly all day and night. He bit his lip. "Yes. I just...when I got back...I was worried that something happened, so I went to her and...I just wanted to...get to you." He leaned down a little nearer to her, no longer towering over her. "All I could think about was getting to you, Mags." He gently brushed away a little hair from her face, wanting to look at her...

Magdalia shook her head and hair from his fingers leaning away to look at him, her hair now shaken and several strings hanging in front of her face. "Why Luna? You know so many other druids...and you dislike them all...but why her?"

Lance stood up and looked at her...confused. "I...I, what? Mags, I know..." He wrinkled his forehead and started to count on his fingers. "I know three druids...that...I can remember...right now...and yes, I hate most...every OTHER druid I have run into, because they all swindle and cheat and..." He started to make fists with his hands, growing angry with the thought., but then stopped, exhaling. "Luna is a kind, trustworthy individual. What is wrong with that?"

Magdalia smirked at him and grabbed her mug, bringing it to her lips. She inhaled deeply and frowned. She leaned the chair back on the back legs, yelling down the stairs. "Come on Elly...bring me a real drink, or I'll just go get my own!" She sighed, slamming the chair legs back down and looked over at him, brushing her hand through her hair to comb it away from her face. "Because...she's...she's...there's just something about her..."

Lancesalot pursed his lips patiently and just looked at her, waiting for this explanation that she must have had in mind to justify such an accusation. "Oh? There is 'something' about her?" He paused and nodded slowly. "Ok, what about her bothers you, Magdalia? Because...she's stronger than you? Because...she doesn't like trouble as much as you do? Because...she is a night elf? What is it, Mags? What about her, specifically, bothers you?"

Magdalia grabbed the mug that Elly brought back up and took a couple of gulps before nodding at her, and putting it down on the table. She was taking in Lance's words and trying to make her response as calmly as possible. "She's..." She took in a deep breath and took another drink before turning her body to him in the chair. "She's a flirt...and it's...annoying...and I just don't see why you can't go to Najila instead..." She turned back to the drink. "And how dare you say she is more powerful than me...stupid owl beasts...I could shred every antler and feather..." She grumbled through her teeth drinking again.

Lance sighed at her. "Mags, Luna is a friend. Najila...is not a friend. She is another druid and a former sentinel. As far as friendship...perhaps there was some kind of friend-like relationship there, but Najila and Tragenn are neither approachable...or...friend...like...to me. Yes, they did find me and say 'Lance, you have a responsibility to go bail Mags out of another jam. Stop being so angry that she was running around with a blood elf behind your back and get over yourself. You need to save her, and, we're just too lazy and/or busy to do it ourselves.' Yeah, REAL friend-like." He leaned down by her, his voice growing impatient. "Did you know that when Luna helped me find you, the only thing that kept her from coming with me, following me against my wishes, was because she had recently used her hearthstone. Otherwise, she would have come with, and maybe SHE might have even been able to heal you, been able to cure your wounds and prevent your scaring. For you to talk bad about Luna is like...would be like me talking bad about Alexanderr!" He sighed, turning away from her. "Congratulations...by the way...on...getting to 67..."

Magdalia rolled her eyes as she lifted the mug higher and finished it, putting it down slowly, putting her elbows on the table and resting her head in her hands. Her voice was steady and angry. "If a holy pally can't heal me...why could a silly boomkin..." She bit her lip and leaned back in the chair, folding her arms, her voice not changing. "Ok...I'm sorry...I just...I don't know..." She stared at the table.

"Oh, you don't know? That's...that's your flawless reason to be so angry because she helped me find you? Oh, ok. See, because, with how angry you were getting, I thought for a second you had like...a legitimate concern." He sighed dramatically. "Well, that's a relief. I was worried for a second." He made a show of wiping the sweat from his forehead. He shrugged. "Well, now that I know you're safe...I need to head back to Outland. I...have things I need to do...if I am ever going to get my swift flying mount..." He turned, starting down the stairs and headed outside.

Magdalia leaned back in the chair on the back two legs again, putting her feet on the table. "Whatever..." She kicked the table in frustration, and in doing so, sent her chair flying back and slamming on the ground. She lay silent for a moment still in the chair as it lay on the ground. She grabbed at the back of her head and squinted her eyes. "Ow..." She slowly rolled over and stood up, grabbing hold of the stair railing. She stumbled down the steps and headed out after him, holding her head. "Wait...Lance..."

Lancesalot got outside the tavern, pulling his mask back on and getting his armor situated. He started to summon his charger, to get ready to ride off towards the gryphon master, when he heard her voice. He jumped down and looked over at her. "What?"

Magdalia approached him slowly, still rubbing her head as she talked to him. "Forgive me...I'm sorry...of all people...I know...I am the last that should be jealous..."

Lancesalot folded his arms, his mask concealing his expression. "Go on..."

Magdalia's mouth dropped opened at his response and she dropped her hands, looking at him. "I...should have never said such things..." She looked down, chewing on her lip. "Just...don't leave me here...alone."

"Alone? Mags, don't be silly. You have Elly and Bruuk and...your grog." He shook his head. "You're never alone, not as long as you're in the city."

"But...no...I want to go with you."

He looked at her, confused. "But Mags, you have Alexanderr. Shouldn't you wait for him to get back? I mean, what benefit could you possibly get from...running around Outland with me? All I do is just, sap all your experience." His voice sounded truly concerned, but with his mask on, she had no way of knowing if his expression would portray otherwise.

She grinned at him and shook her head. "But, I'm 67 now...and he's 70 now...so...I would...well if you'd let me tag along..."

He shifted. "Alex is level 70 now?" It appeared he didn't hear anything else that she had said, but he paused, and even with his mask on, it was obvious that her revelation had caught him off guard.

She squinted at him. "What's wrong with that?"

He was silent for a long moment before he shook his head, slowly. "N-...nothing. That's...that's great, isn't it?"

"Yeah...it was kind of funny actually...he reached 70 the same moment I reached 67..." She smiled to herself crossing her arms observing his reactions.

"Wow...that...must have been..." He exhaled, stopping, his shoulders slumping. His voice grew lower as he spoke again. "Let's...let's just go..." He summoned his charger and looked down at her, waiting for her to do the same.

"My hearthstone is ready...can I just meet you there?"

"In Shattrath? Sure...I'll...catch up to you. Meet me in the Lower City."

"Alright."

Lance made his way to Nethergarde, taking the journey through the dark portal and flying to Shattrath. He lead her over to Fantei, knowing that he would recruit her for the efforts with the Wildhammer Clan. "Does he have anything for you to do?"

"Go to Wildhammer."

"Ok, let's go then."

He ran up the ramps to the terrace and took a flight to the stronghold, knowing Mags would be right behind him. He was glad to bring her to Shadowmoon, and hoped that she would let him help her get her helm from Zorus, the one that would allow her to see the ghosts that often traveled in the valley...

"I don't understand. What do you mean you have nothing?"

"Um, we have no new leads, no new...anything. The trail on Balthurian and Ethriall has gone completely cold."

Lance sighed with frustration, nodding. "Well, just...continue to keep an eye out, keep your ears open?"

Tiber nodded, summoning his charger as they both got outside of the cave. He looked down at Lance from his charger. "You should really just let it go, Lance. Killing these two blood elves, you are so obsessed with, is only going to distract you from what you should be focused on."

Lance rolled his eyes, scoffing, and looked up at Tiber with a "give me a break" expression. "Seriously, Tiber: If you are going to try to convince me that slaughtering two more blood elves is going to hurt anyone..."

"I didn't say that, but maybe you should just think about things bigger than petty revenge? What about working more with the Cenarion Expedition and with the skyguards?"

Lance summoned Vergere and looked over at Tiber with an irate expression. "Tiber, why don't you quit worrying about me and get a flying mount. That way, when you come all the way out here to the spawning glen to meet me, you don't have to ride a silly little horse all the way back to Shattrath." He scoffed, shaking his head, and winked at Tiber as he took off...

"Is it completed? The orb of second sight."

"Yes, it is finished. Do you have the elixir?"

"They have both been brewed. Soon...we will be able to put our plans into motion. We'll show them what they have yet to see...and it will tear them apart. The truth...will devour their love."

"Good. Send for me when the remaining preparations have been made. No blundering sloppiness, this conspiracy must be flawless if it is going to work against them both."

"Of course. It will be infallible."

Lance, riding through the skies of Skettis, was distracted and thoughtful. So distracted, he hardly stayed aware of what he had gone to Veil Ala'rak for. Vergere jerked him suddenly to avoid one of the Monstrous Kaliri. Lance grunted and leaned down to stroke her feathers but she turned to try and nip at his hand, clearly irritated with him for his lack of focus. Lance recoiled and grunted back at her. "Fine. Never mind then." He jerked her to one side and doubled back to throw down the explosives into the final nest, destroying the remaining amount of eggs assigned to him.