Rearranging the burning logs with an iron poker, Garilos stared absentmindedly at the dancing flames. Although there were others in the inn, he was the only one sitting near the fireplace. There was plenty of room in front of the large fireplace. A handful of rough-hewn chairs formed a semi-circle in front of it, one of which had been pulled close to the fireplace and was now occupied by Garilos. Another chair was taken over by his gear and pack.

The fireplace was constructed of stone and mortar. It had a mantle made from the rough-hewn log of some indigenous tree. Placed on the mantle were a couple taper candles made from beeswax, an empty wine bottle, a large pine cone, and an assortment of knick-knacks, probably placed there by the owners of the inn or maybe by a traveler or two.

Spanning the width of the firebox was a thick iron rod from which several metal hooks hung. Although the inn had its own kitchen for preparing food for patrons, Garilos, like many travelers, often used the fireplace to prepare his own. On several occasions, he had used the fireplace to prepare fish he had caught in the local waters. Over a decade ago, while living in Auberdine, he had learned a technique of preserving fish for later consumption by carefully drying it over a fire. The night elves had taught him that and many other food preparation recipes which had served him well during his adventuring in Northrend.

Tonight, however, Garilos was preparing no food. Shortly after arriving at the inn, he had purchased a simple meal of hot stew, smoked cheese, and ale from the innkeeper. The hot stew consisted of potatoes, a few vegetables, and ram’s meat caught by local hunters in the nearby mountains. The ale, a farmhouse ale, was effervescent enough to wash down the thick, cloying taste of the smoked cheese but otherwise was bland.

The empty plates and mug from his dinner sat next to him on the outer hearth of the fireplace. Garilos had consumed the food without tasting it, his thoughts elsewhere. He had returned to Valgarde looking for Megaly. Upon arrival, he had made a beeline to the inn to inquire of her. When he asked the assistant innkeeper if Megaly was around or if there were any messages for him, the stout woman had shrugged her shoulders noncommittally and then wandered off.

An hour or two later, the innkeeper had approached Garilos with a rolled up piece of hide. “Garilos? This was left for you.” Snatching the item from the hands of the innkeeper, Garilos deciphered the message written on it. Looking back at the innkeeper, he asked “How long ago did she leave this?” With a shrug, the innkeeper replied, “I don’t recall. A day or maybe a week ago. Coulda been more than that too.”

This had been the nearest to Megaly Garilos had been in many weeks and now he had no idea where she might be. Was she only a day out of Valgarde or a month? As best as he could tell, she was headed towards Valiance Keep in the Borean Tundra. If she had left only a day or two ago, he might be able to intercept her. If he knew what route she was taking.

But if she had left a month ago, she might already be on the return trip to Valgarde Keep. Garilos didn’t know what to do. Staying at the inn until the storm blew past seemed the obvious choice for now but what to do after that? Garilos knew Ramsey, his netherwing drake, was never far away. Ramsey probably could get Garilos to Valiance Keep quickly but, if Megaly had traveled by sea, Garilos doubted Ramsey had it in him to search the vast ocean south of Northrend.

Garilos was startled out of his revere when a strong gust of wind blew open the door of the inn with a load bang. A patron seated near the door jumped up and quickly slammed the door closed. “Ugh. I’m not going anywhere tonight, ” Garilos muttered to himself.

Rising from his chair, he gathered up his empty plates and mug and wandered over to the bar. After placing them on the bar, he settled into a stool and said to the bartender, “It looks like I’ll be spending the night here with this weather. I’ll have another pint of the ale.”

(( This originally appeared on Garilos’ Blog as “Garilos Duroc: Return to Valgarde“. ))

From his vantage point, he could see the scattered huts and fire pits of the small camp. Garilos carefully memorized the location of every hut, boulder, and tree in the camp, creating a map in his head which he rotated and examined as he plotted his course of action. He also made a note of the routes of the worgen guards patrolling the perimeter of the camp.

If any in the village were to look to where he was hidden, they would see nothing but shadows within shadows. Even with the moon out tonight, it would be difficult for any to see Garilos.

“Do they have nightmares…”, Garilos asked himself as he silently pulled a dagger from its sheath. Even the blade of the dagger was difficult to see, blackened as it was to prevent any reflected light from betraying its position.

Stealthily rising from his position, Garilos looked about for any possible threats. Upon seeing none, he crept forward to the worgen camp. He silently crossed the open field separating him from the camp, his feet making no noise as they quickly closed the distance to Garilos’ first target.

Walking up behind a guard, Garilos stood a mere two yards from the unaware of worgen. Even their acute hearing and eyes could not detect Garilos tonight. Not this night, not when he had culling to do. There was too much evil in the world for him to fail. He had a duty to cull the evil.

Collecting his thoughts, Garilos focused on the guard. As the guard came to one end of its patrol route, it turned and looked straight at Garilos. And kept walking its route, unseeing. When the guard passed in front of him, Garilos stepped out of the shadows behind the guard and quietly cut the neck of his target with his dagger. Silently dropping the stiffening corpse to the ground, Garilos looked around to see if anyone had noticed his attack. Seeing no one had taken notice, Garilos slipped back into the shadows and waited for his next prey.

“Let them whisper of me, in terror, as they huddle around their fires,” Garilos thought to himself as he prepared to strike again.

As he waited for his dinner to warm up, he cleaned and repaired his gear. Aside from a few scratches in his leather chest piece, his armor was in good shape. He gotten some worgen blood on his pants but that was easily removed with an emulsion of water and herbs he had gathered in the woods near his camp site.

He had had a particularly productive evening, killing a dozen worgen. He finally had to give up the hunt when the camp became alarmed at the unexpected disappearance of its guards. The alarm was raised when a worgen had wandered from the center of the camp to the perimeter. Upon seeing no guards, it let out a loud howl that alerted the rest of the camp.

Garilos was already a quarter mile away on a ledge overlooking the camp by the time the camp was fully alerted. As soon as he saw the worgen making its way to the edge of the camp, he knew his actions would soon be discovered. Running silently, he quickly retreated to a vantage point to watch the ensuing chaos.

With a bitter chuckle, he watched the worgen search the surrounding woods and field for the bodies of their fallen pack members. Garilos had taken care to hide the bodies but only well enough such they were not discovered as he did his culling. He knew nothing he did would conceal the bodies for long, especially as they released their smell of death into the night breeze.

Even now, he could smell the worgen and their fear. He could smell it in the wind and on his armor. Wrinkling his nose, he spat on the ground. “Disgusting creatures.”

Garilos had no intention of being found and already had another destination planned. He had been moving from worgen camp to worgen camp, culling their numbers. Killing just enough at each camp to sow terror in their hearts.

As he walked along the edge of a brushy field, Garilos wondered what Megaly was doing. He had not seen nor heard from her for weeks. He had sent letters to Valgarde for her but had no idea if she was still there. He did not expect her to find him, not with his constant moving from one location to the next. He could only hope she might leave a message for him at the inn in Valgarde.

Looking back upon his recent actions, he wondered what Megaly would say. Certainly she would understand the need to rid the world of such evil but would she question his sanity? Already, Garilos had learned to not discuss his actions with others as they frequently called into question his motives.

What did they know? They were not there when he had to slay the spirits of the Tuskarr. Those spirits of the peaceful Tuskarr, doomed to wander their village, never knowing why they had died or where to go.

Garilos came to stop next to a small creek running through the wood. Setting down his pack, Garilos surveyed the surrounding area. He saw recent signs of animal passing through but signs of humans or similar creatures were already days old.

Digging a water flask out of his pack, Garilos knelt down next to the creek to fill the flask with fresh water. The creek was only a few inches deep at its deepest point. It sparkled and burbled as it flowed around rocks and fallen branches. Its bottom was covered with rocks and fallen leaves.

As Garilos looked at the rocks on the creek bottom, a particularly pretty one caught his eye. “Hey … I’ll send that to Megaly,” he said to himself as he slipped it into his pocket. With a click, the rock settled in with a dozen other odds and ends he had found and saved for Megaly. With that rock were several other rocks, a seashell or two, an odd coin he had pickpocketed from a goblin in Dalaran, a shiny button, a tarnished ring, and a glass marble he had found near a fire pit in the Grizzly Hills.

Patting his pocket, he wondered what Megaly had done with the other rocks he had sent her. Or if she had even received them. Standing up from his spot next to the creek, Garilos sighed. “I gotta get back to Valgarde and look for Megaly again. Maybe she returned to Stormwind…I dunno.”

Hefting his pack over his shoulder, Garilos stood momentarily before stepping across the creek. As he trod off into the forest, he whispered to himself, “But first, one more worgen camp, then I’ll return to Valgarde.”

(( Originally posted on Garilos’ Blog as “Garilos Duroc: Do They Have Nightmares?”. ))

My confusion grows. I learned Ursoc has been resurrected but in a corrupted form! I spoke to the son and daughter of Ursoc. Orsonn said his father was corrupted by the same evil which corrupted Vordrassil.

I don’t know what to do. When I lived among the Night Elves of Ashenvale, they told me of Ursoc and his brother Ursol fighting side by side with Cenarius against the Burning Legion. Both Latissimus and Levatorani told me they witnessed their fall to the Burning Legion. Do I dare tell them Ursoc has been resurrected? That he is corrupted?

Are even the Ancients turning against us?

With love,
Garilos.

The following appears to have been written at a later time.

I’ve lost all hope. I’ve been asked to kill Ursoc.

The hastily scribbled writing below appears to have been written after the above writing.

What is this old god Ursoc speaks of, Yogg-Saron? Can its evil corrupt even Ancients such as Ursoc?

Why does the druid stare past me as I tell her I have slain Ursoc as she had asked?

(( Originally posted on Garilos’ Blog as “A Short Letter to Megaly”. ))

Dear Megaly,

I hope you are well. I’ve been busy helping the Tuskarr of Moa’ki Harbor in The Dragonblight. I first came across this race of fishermen while working for the Alliance forces operating out of Valiance Keep in the Borean Tundra.

After living peacefully for centuries in their primitive villages, the Tuskarr recently came under attack by the vicious Vrykul. The Vrykul destroyed countless villages in the Borean Tundra and the Dragonblight. I’ve spent many days and nights assisting the Tuskarr, so much so they now accept me as a member of their society.

As much as it pained me to see the harm brought by the Vrykul, I am not surprised by the actions of those savages. My experiences at Valgarde taught me to give no quarter to the Vrykul. It is good to see the Tuskarr have learned the same lesson and are now holding their own against the Vrykul.

But I can’t understand what I’ve seen done by the blue dragons. In a quest to control magic, the blue dragons ripped open a ley line under Indu’le Village, a Tuskarr village in the Dragonblight. The resultant explosion of magic energy killed most of the village and drove the survivors insane. The poor spirits of the slain tuskarr wander the village, trapped in this world. I cried with grief when I was instructed by the Elder Mana’loa to slay the spirits so they could move on. It was as if I was slaying the spirits of my own ancestors!

Why would the blue dragons needlessly cause so much harm to the innocent Tuskarr? The tuskarr are simple fishermen who live their lives centered around family and kin. Were not the dragons appointed to protect such people? It is bad enough we must contend with Arthas’ betrayal but now we must face the apparent betrayal of the blue dragons!

There is no peace. Every where I look I see the corruption sown by the Burning Legion. The undead forces of the Lich King walk the land, a threat to every living creature. Even the dragons can not be trusted as they madly grasp for power. I’ve even heard rumors of insane Titans.

I’m questioning my understanding of the world. Everything seems to be a lie. The world feels wrong to me.

Garilos.

I reported to work this morning, thinking nothing different of the day. Little did I know the Lich King would be sending his minions today! The docks were repeatedly attacked by undead dragons and lumbering undead…organ donors. I’m okay and hope to see you soon.

Garilos.

Megaly read the letter again slowly. Just two years ago she wouldn’t have been able to read it at all. She frowned in worry wondering what was happening in Stormwind and more importantly, what was happening to Garilos.

She’d spent two days in Booty Bay with him and enjoyed the time more than she had expected. She knew it had to end though. She had to return to the orchard and help her father ready it for winter. When the courier came riding up with the dispatch this morning she had been surprised to learn it was for her.

“Somethin’ wrong?” Her Da asked as he walked up to her, pitchfork still in hand from pitching hay in the barn.

She nodded, wondering how much she dare say. The valley where the orchard and a few other small farms sat seemed to be well protected. With the exception of a Defias infestation that had been cleared out several years ago, this area seemed to escape the worst of what the world threw at it. “Thin’s is gettin’ bad in Stormwind,” she said. “Gar sent me a letter sayin’ they got undead swarmin’ the docks. It ain’ jus’ a few either.”

Her father frowned. “Do ya gotta go?”

She shook her head. “It’d be too late before I got there anyway. An’ someone needs to make sure we got somethin’ defensible set up at the mouth of the canyon. Jus’ in case.”

He nodded. “I’ll spread word to the other farms. Whatever is goin’ on in Stormwind migh’ not spread this far. Then again, it migh’.”

With that he turned and headed for the house, leaning his pitchfork by the door and stepping inside to talk to old Betti. The nanny would stay with Ralston while Da would travel to the other farmsteads. Meg would ride out to the canyon mouth and see what needed to be done to blockade it. She would also scout the area for defense position. While the locals weren’t great fighters, they were skilled enough to defend their lands. If anything came for them, they’d give one bugger of a fight.

She crammed the letter into her pocket and hurried toward the barn. Muffin looked up from her grain bucket and whinnied a greeting. Meg spared her a scratch behind the ears before she pulled her saddle off the rack and set about getting her ready to ride. Sensing the tension, Muffin twitched her ears and shook her head in anticipation. Being a trained war-horse, Meg recognized this as her signs that she was getting ready for a fight.

“No fightin’ today,” she muttered, pulling the cinch strap tight. “Jus’ scoutin’, girl.”

Once saddled, Meg mounted up and rode out of the orchard. She didn’t stop to look back for her father. She knew he’d already be on his way to speak with the other farmers. As she rode her thoughts turned to Garilos again.

She had no doubt he could handle himself in a fight. She’d already seen signs of that in the times they had spent together. The Scourge, however, were not your normal enemy. A fatal blow to a living creature was often nothing more than a scratch to the walking dead. She clenched her teeth as she rode. Even though she believed he could take care of himself she still worried. More so than she thought she should.

Though he hadn’t said anything, she knew he was becoming more attached to her than she was comfortable with. What bothered her even more was the fact that she was becoming more attached to him than she wanted. Since she’d returned to the orchard she found herself missing him more each day. She didn’t miss just him in her bed, she missed him. His laugh, his voice, his rough personality. She didn’t like him being so far away and facing this danger alone.

She urged Muffin into a gallop, her mind racing and confused. She didn’t want to get attached to him. Not to anyone. She’d been down that road before. The thought of sending him away hurt more than she wanted to admit, however. She didn’t have to be anyone but herself with him. He didn’t try to change her, to make her into something she wasn’t. More than anything, that was what she enjoyed the most.

She missed holding him at night. She missed waking up next to him. His presence felt like he belonged. The thought that she was becoming too attached to him scared her. The thought of losing him scared her even more.

The day had started out like any other day. He arrived at the docks just after sunrise and set his work crew to unloading a small merchant ship. He and his crew worked steadily, taking a small break mid-morning and another break for lunch. The rest of the afternoon was much like the morning. Then, near the end of his shift, chaos ensued.

Garilos was directing cargo when several members of his crew stopped, looked to the sky, and exclaimed “What in the Light is that!”

Turning to look, Garilos felt his blood run cold upon seeing the mighty frost wyrms flying towards the docks. “Run! Run for cover!” he yelled. He barely made it off the dock before the first frost wyrm hit the dock with a frost blast. He turned to see if any of his crew had been hit. Upon seeing no one hurt, he turned and ran toward the gates leading into the main part of the city. As he ran up out of the harbor, he yelled to several city guards, “The city is under attack! Raise the alarm!”

Upon reaching his destination, a small storage locker where he kept most of his armor and gear, Garilos quickly donned his full battle dress. He felt a surge of excitement as he buckled his scabbards to his waist. It had been a long time since he had fought in battle but he knew what needed to be done.

As Garilos stepped back out onto the street, he was immediately grabbed by a city guard, “You there! To the docks to defend the city!”

With a proud salute, Garilos yelled back, “Aye sir, I’ll be reporting for duty!”

As he ran back towards the dock, Garilos thought it ironic the surge of pride he now felt from rushing to the aid of Stormwind after deserting the Alliance forces several years ago. Back then, while serving at Honor Hold, he had felt no sense of duty while defending that unlivable rock. But now, he knew what he was fighting for and defending. This was his home, his people. And there was Megaly.

Garilos had barely enough time to wonder if Megaly was safe before he arrived at the docks. Looking about, he quickly found the ranking officer and ran to her. “Sir! Garilos reporting for duty, sir!”

The officer gave Garilos a quizzical look. “I don’t recognize you and you are not wearing a City Guard uniform.”

“No, sir. I served in Outland with the Alliance forces. I’m … on leave, sir.”

“Aye. I’ll take whomever I can get. Report to Corporal Standish over on dock 4.”

“Yes, sir.”

Running to the assigned dock, Garilos quickly surveyed the scene. Already several small merchant ships were sinking into the harbor. The war frigates were holding out only because they were heavily armed and already partially defended. Garilso saw several men dead on the docks. With a feeling of relief, Garilos determined none looked to be members of his work crew.

Spotting the corporal, Garilos ran up to and announced, “Reporting for duty, sir.”

The corporal looked Garilos up and down before saying, “You look like a veteran. Where did you serve?”

“Honor Hold, sir.”

“Good. You ever serve on a ship?”

“Yes, sir. I’ve sailed many voyages, sir.”

“Great!” Pointing to a war frigate, the corporal commanded, “Report to the captain of the Excelsior.”

“Yes, sir.”

Garilos felt his excitement rise as he ran toward the ship. He had worked on many merchant ships but had never served on a naval craft before. Running up the gangway, Garilos spotted several men fending off a frost wyrm. Wasting no time to report to the captain, Garilos leapt into battle besides the beleaguered men. After many minutes of intense fighting, the frost wyrm retreated out of reach before letting loose a frost blast at Garilos and the men. Garilos barely managed to dodge the blast as he ducked and rolled along the deck. Jumping to his feet, he saw the wyrm flying away with obvious wounds.

Seeing the captain near him, Garilos said “Captain, Garilos reporting for duty.”

“Good work there! Stay on the ship and fend off those damned dragons! As soon as I can get permission, we are going to sail out of here to protect the ship. We are sitting ducks in this harbor.”

With a nod, Garilos acknowledged the captain and returned to defending the ship. For the next few hours, he ran from one hot spot to the next, fending off the frost wyrms and lumbering abominations. Wave after wave, the attackers came and were pushed off.

After seemingly fighting for hours, Garilos found time for a break. Looking around, he saw bodies of frost wyrms, abominations, and city guards everywhere.

Realizing he was exhausted and seeing that reinforcements had arrived, Garilos decided it was a good time to make his leave. Looking over to the captain, he saw him leaning against a railing, an exhausted look upon his face. Seeing Garilos looking at him, the captain gave a weary smile.

“Aye, Garilos. It was a hard fight.”

“It was. We fended them off with the loss of only a few men.”

“We did better than other ships. Just as well, I never got permission to take the ship out of the harbor. Probably because the harbor master is dead.”

Nodding, Garilos said, “I’m gonna take my leave now. I’ve got to find someone. Make sure she is okay.”

With a knowing smile, the captain replied, “Aye. You did us well, Garilos. When you can, come on back. The skies are clear of those cursed dragons but no telling when they will return.”

“Ay, sir, I’ll come back as soon as I can.”

“I need to get something to eat,” he muttered as he rose from his chair. As he strode toward the door, he grabbed his swords and buckled them to his belt. Taking a quick look around the apartment, he felt a twinge of loneliness. With a sigh, he pulled the door closed and strode down the street.

Several minutes later, he walked into the Blue Recluse.

“Hey, Gar. What can I get for you?”

“Evenin’ Joachim. I’ll take whatever stew or soup you got, a hunk of bread, and a pint of your light ale. Oh, and throw on bit of cheese with the bread. I’m famished.”

With a sigh, Garilos settled down onto a stool next to the bar. “It’s been a long day, Joachim. I was almost done with my shift when the harbor was attacked by dragons and these huge abominations,” Garilos said to the bartender.

Placing a pint of ale in front of Garilos, Joachim said “I’ve heard reports of an attack by the Lich King on the harbor. Is that why you’re wearing your armor?”

“Lich King, eh? That’d explain those beasts attacking us.” After taking a drink from his pint, Garilos continued, “Yeah, ran from the docks at the first attack to get my armor and weapons. As soon as I reported for duty, I was sent to defend on of the naval frigates. Spent most of the evening fending off the dragons who seemed intent on destroying all ships in the harbor.”

With a curious look on his face, Joachim asked, “You reported for duty? I thought you were done with the army.”

“I was. That is, I was done serving at Honor Hold. No point in defending that hellish hunk of rock. But this is home. If I can serve to protect my home, I’ll do so.”

When Garilos finished talking, Joachim disappeared into the kitchen and soon returned with Garilos’ food order. “Here you are. No mutton stew tonight. I think this is a pea and ham soup from the look of it. Haven’t had any yet so I don’t know if its any good.” Pointing at the cheese, Joachim continued, “This is Stromgarde Muenster. It’s a mild cheese. I’m sure you’ll like it.”

“Yeah, I will. After working all day and fighting after that, just about anything would taste good.”

As Joachim turned to leave, Garilos quickly said, “Hey, Joachim. You know where I could find a scribe and courier? I need to send a message to someone.”

“Oh, yeah. Hmm. Lemme think.” Scratching his head, Joachim’s face suddenly lit up. “I know! That fellow over there in the corner is a scribe for hire. He probably knows a reliable courier too. Just ask him.”

“Thanks,” was Garilos reply before he leaned forward and began shoveling the food down his throat. In a few minutes, the soup, bread, and cheese were all gone with only a few crumbs left behind. Letting out a loud belch, Garilos straightened up and relaxed a little bit.

Turning to look where Joachim had pointed out the scribe, Garilos saw the man was reading from a book. Next to him on the table was a small glass of wine and a plate of half eaten cheese.

Standing up from his stool, Garilos muttered to himself, “Well, let’s see what this guy can do for me.”

Garilos walked over to the man’s table and stood there momentarily before saying, “Good evening. The bartender says you are a scribe for hire.”

“I am. Won’t you have a seat with me? I’d stand and shake your hand but I’ve got a bad leg.”

“Thanks, I’ll do that.” After seating himself across the table from the scribe, Garilos continued, “I’ve a friend I need to get word to. I can read some but my writing is not good. How much do you charge and do you know a reliable courier?”

“I know several good couriers. How far does the letter need to go?”

“Just to Elwynn Forest.”

“Oh, then, there is no issue finding a courier for that. I charge two copper per word. The courier probably will charge a couple silver.”

Nodding, Garilos said, “Alright. Here’s the message…”

Garilos watched with interest as the scribe carefully wrote down his words. While it was true he could read, his writing was nearly illegible and he prefer not have Megaly see his poor spelling.

A few minutes later, the scribe was repeating Garilos’ message back to him, reading it from the sheet of paper in front of him. “Here you go. That’ll be a silver piece.” After Garilos handed him his payment, he continued “You can find a courier in the trade district near the front gate on the left as you face out from the city. Ask for Belkan or Neecher. Tell them scribe Cantrell recommended them.”

With a quick nod, Garilos stood up from his spot at the table and returned to the bar. Looking over at Joachim, he nodded and dropped a couple coins on the bar when he saw the bartender had seen him.

As he walked through the city towards the trade district, Garilos’ thoughts turned toward Megaly. He was glad she was probably safe, outside the city at the orchard, but he also wished she had been there with him. From looking at her and from seeing the ease with which she handled her equipment, he suspected she was a capable fighter. He would liked to have her there to share in the camaraderie of defending home. Also, having her with him meant he knew where she was and whether she was safe.

After Garilos had delivered the letter to the courier with instructions on how to find the orchard, he headed back towards Megaly’s apartment. He had his own places he could rent if he wanted but he hoped to find Megaly at her apartment.

As he walked through the neighborhoods of Stormwind, he occasionally saw troops and other fighters moving in the general direction of the docks. Yet, for all the action in the harbor, the neighborhoods themselves were quiet. If he was not already so weary, he would return to the docks to defend the city but he knew a tired fighter was a dangerous one, dangerous to oneself and to those around them. One tired, careless swing with a sword could easily harm more than just the opponent.

Garilos quickened his pace when he came within sight of Megaly’s apartment. He stopped just outside the door and gently knocked on it. After a few more unanswered knocks, he quietly opened the door. His heart sank with disappointment when he saw the place was empty. “Damn,” he cursed under his breath.

Garilos stepped into the empty apartment and closed the door behind him. As he slowly removed his armor, he felt the tiredness and aches of his muscles. It had been a long time since he had fought like that. He was glad his muscles still knew how to react but it was clear to him he had lost some of his fighting edge. “Is that what happens when you settle down? You lose your edge,” he thought to himself as he eased a boot off.

As Garilos lay down on the empty bed, he momentarily regretted laying on the bed while so dirty from fighting. He had no time to find a bath house before coming here. “I’ll make it up to her by sending the sheets out for cleaning,” he promised himself as he drifted off to sleep.

“Cursed by Elune! What’d the Anchorite mean by ‘Let her find her feelings on her own?’ Can the Anchorite read my heart? The harder I try, the more she will push away? Does she mock me?” Garilos fumed, “How’d the Anchorite known I had seen Megaly? And what of this subtlety she talks of? Sounds like the craftings of the nobles, with their twisted truths and lies!”

Slouching into a chair in the corner of the room, Garilos went over his conversation with the Anchorite. “She must have told the Anchorite. But what’d she say that draw the Anchorite’s concern?”

Slamming his fist on the table in frustration, Garilos fumed.

“Due I dare seek her out? I know nothing of subtlety.”

Looking around the room, Garilos realized he’d be spending his night in a filthy hovel instead of in the arms the woman he found so completely fascinating.

Reaching into his pack, Garilos muttered, “At least there’s the bottle.”

Megaly woke slowly to the rising noise of traffic through the cobbled Stormwind street outside the window of the small apartment. She could see the soft glow of false dawn just starting through the gaps in the curtain. She stretched and started to go over in her mind the work of the day. Next to her she felt Garilos begin to stir as well. She smiled contently and gave him a light kiss before sitting up in the small bed.

She had been reluctant to spend the night with him. He wanted more than she could offer him. Or so he said. She had to admit, though, that it was a pleasant night indeed. Despite what she let him and others believe about her, she hadn’t taken anyone to her bed in many months. Fear and heart soreness discouraged her from letting others get close to her. Even for a single night. However she also had to admit that she had wanted him. Badly. Despite the fact that he was getting far too attached to her already.

She rose and began to gather up her scattered clothing tossing the occasional piece of his to him with a smile. “Much as I’d like to sleep in,” she said, “I gotta job here in Stormwind escorting tha’ prissy little aristo I tol’ ya about.”

With a nod, he replied, “Aye, I’m gonna look for work down at the docks.”

She watched him casually as he dressed. He was strong but not as bulky as some men she’d spent time with. She liked them that way. A few scars on various parts of his body spoke of the life he’d led and the harshness of the world they lived in. She had a few of her own. Maybe they could spend an evening exploring each other’s scars. Even the eyepatch gave him a sort of dangerous, rakish look she found extremely attractive. She turned away, resisting the urge to go wrap herself around him. She didn’t have time for early morning fun. She had a job to do and needed to get to the bath house and get cleaned up before she reported for duty.

She shoved her saddlebags and alchemy pack into a corner. She wouldn’t need them today. She tucked a small pouch with a few coins in her pocket and picked up her armor, slinging it heavily over her shoulder. She studied him for a moment more and gave him a half smile. “I’ll be back here tonigh’ if ya wanna join me.”

She heard him loose a sigh and look at her with a smile. As he rose, he grabbed his pack and flung it over his shoulder. “I’ll be working down at docks today. Not sure when I’ll be done, probably at sundown. I’ll come looking for you.”

Garilos tried his best to ignore the approaching morning. Morning meant waking up and calling an end to the pleasant evening he’d had. For the first time in a long time, he had needed no booze to put him to sleep. As it was, he had slept soundly and without the unpleasant dreams that often troubled his sleep.

As he dozed, he felt Megaly lean over and kiss him. When Megaly rose from the bed, he realized there was no further point in laying around any more. Stifling a yawn, he sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

“Much as I’d like to sleep in,” Megaly said, “I gotta job here in Stormwind escorting tha’ prissy little aristo I tol’ ya about.”

With a nod, he replied, “Aye, I’m gonna look for work down at the docks.”

As he slowly put on his clothing, he reflected on the previous night. Realizing he might have been overly persistent, he wondered if she had slept with him just to shut him up. As he watched her dress, he hoped he had not messed up his chances with her. Pulling his boots on, he wondered if he should apologize for last night.

The sound of Megaly’s voice pulled him into the present. “I’ll be back here tonigh’ if ya wanna join me,” she said.

With a sigh of relief, he relaxed a bit. Giving Megaly a smile, he said, “I’d like that.” As he rose, he grabbed his pack and flung it over his shoulder. “I’ll be working down at docks today. Not sure when I’ll be done, probably at sundown. I’ll come looking for you.”

Meg left the apartment and made her way to the bath house. As she entered the steam filled building she dropped her armor off with the attendant and made her way to the women’s section of the building. Finding an unoccupied tub filled with warm water in the back, she stripped down and immersed herself in the soothing water. This was the only thing she didn’t like about staying in the apartment. She missed the private bathing room off her room at the manor. But even two years later she still found it difficult to stay in the room she had shared for a time with Alistair.

She dunked her head under the water and came up wiping her dripping hair out of her face. She reached for the rough bar of soap and began to scrub vigorously trying to wash away memories more than odor. She never thought anyone could hurt her as bad as he had. She never wanted that to happen again.

She frowned thinking about her night with Garilos. She knew he wanted too much. She couldn’t understand why she had agreed to spend the night with him. Even more so, she couldn’t understand why she had offered to spend another night with him.

A nagging voice deep inside forced her to admit that she wanted more than just a single night with him. She enjoyed the feeling of his hands caressing her. Enjoyed his roguish looks and rough personality. Though she did wish he had hair. She would really like to run her fingers into it while—

She dunked her head again to rinse the soap and rose sputtering. She really needed to focus on what needed done today and not fantasize about Gar. She sighed as she stepped out of the tub and snatched up a towel. What was she to do though? She’d made it a rule not to get attached and not let anyone get attached to her. Eventually they got tired of her and tossed her aside. Now not only was she letting Garilos come back again, but she had invited him.

She roughly dried her hair and frowned in thought, her mind turning the whole thing over and over again. She wanted to see him again. Wanted to spend more time in his arms. She was certain it was simple lust that drove her. What else could it be?

She paused, a thought occurring to her. What would be wrong with just keeping him for a lover? If she didn’t get attached to him emotionally then there would be no problem when he was done with her. She could enjoy him for a few days or weeks until he got tired of her then they would move on their own ways with no issues.

She smiled and shook her head, pulling her clothes back on and finger combing her wet hair. It was so simple. She felt a fool for not realizing it sooner. She knew he would tire of her eventually but if she only took from him physical enjoyment there would be nothing to hurt when he left.

She tossed her towel in a basket and strolled toward the door with a lightened heart. She handed a few silver to the attendant and collected her armor, strolling with a smile from the bath house to where she would meet her aristo. Such a simple and carefree solution. One that would work out for both of them quite well.

–

After saying goodbye to Megaly for the day, Garilos made his way to the Blue Recluse in search of breakfast. Stepping into the dark interior of the tavern, he blinked for a few minutes as his eyes adjusted.

“Gar! By the Light! I’ve never seen you in here this early.”

“Mornin’ Joachim.”

“What brings you out this early, Gar?”

With a chuckle, Garilos sat down on a barstool next to the bar. “Breakfast. What do you have to eat?”

“I got some of that mutton stew of Connors you like so much.”

“That sounds good. If you got any fresh bread, I’ll take a hunk and a pint of ale.”

When Joachim walked away into the kitchen, Garilos took a quick look around the tavern. Seeing no one he recognized, his thoughts returned to the night before. The question of whether he had been too insistent kept playing through his mind. He was happy he had slept with her but he worried nothing would come of it and he again would be looking for another partner.

“Here you go Gar.”

Startled out of his thoughts by Joachim, Garilos gave a quick smile to the tavernkeeper. “Thanks! I have not felt this good this early in long time.”

“Heh! I don’t ever recall seeing you in here before noon.”

“Well, I guess a good night’s rest will do that to me.”

Chuckling, Joachim replied, “I noticed you were not here last night to close down the place. I thought nothing of it, figurin’ you were away at sea or something but now you got me wonderin’.”

“Oh, it ain’t nothin’. Just had something better going on than drinkin’ ’til I pass out.”

With a laugh, Joachim replied, “Alright. You gotta tell me about this woman sometime.” Turning away, Joachim walked down to the other end of the bar to wait on another customer, leaving Garilos alone in his thoughts.

As Garilos ate his breakfast, he thought about his plans for the day. With all the activity on the docks arising from the Alliance’s not so secret movement of troops to Northrend, he knew he could find plenty of work today loading ships with cargo. “I should look for a permanent job on the docks if I’m gonna be chasing Meg. She won’t want a loafer in her life,” Garilos thought to himself. Suddenly remembering the way she had said she’d see him tonight, his heart quickened with excitement. “Maybe I didn’t blow it last night.”

Feeling energized, Garilos quickly drank the rest of the ale before placing several coins on the bar. Nodding goodbye to Joachim, he got up from the bar and said, “It was good to see you Joachim. I’ll catch you around some time.”

“Alrighty, Gar. Take it easy.”

Garilos made his way quickly to the docks. The sun had been up barely an hour and already the docks were bustling with activity. Looking around, Garilos saw the dockmaster yelling at someone near a large frigate. Making his way quickly to the dockmaster, Garilos noticed there were more ships in the harbor than usual. “Heh! Plenty of work today!”

Walking up to the dockmaster, Garilos said “Hey, you got any work?”

Turning to see who was talking to him, the dockmaster smiled when he recognized Garilos. “For a hard worker like you, I’ve got plenty of work. If only half these lazy lowlifes worked half as hard as you, Gar, I’d clear these docks in no time. Okay then, standard pay and terms. Report to crew chief Hazeldon on the northernmost dock. He’s got a large cargo ship needing to be loaded. Tell ‘im I want you in charge of a crew. I need someone who knows what he’s doing. Now get out of here!”

“Right O!”

The rest of the day was a blur for Garilos. As soon as he completed the loading of a ship, he was sent to another. He hardly noticed the sun rising to its peak and then slowly settling towards the horizon. Suddenly realizing it was close to sundown, Garilos panicked when he thought he might have forgotten an important engagement.

“Oh! I told Meg I’d be done at sundown,” Garilos thought to himself.

Scanning the docks, he looked about for the crew chief. Upon seeing him standing next to the dockmaster, Garilos yelled to his crew, “Okay, finish up with that pallet. I’m done for the day. Report to the crew chief when you are done.”

Walking towards the crew chief and the dockmaster, Garilos decided now would be the time to ask for permanent work. “If I’m going to settle down, I’ll need a steady source of income,” he thought to himself.

Upon seeing Garilos approach him, the dockmaster yelled, “Gar! You done for the day?”

“Yes, I am. I’d work longer but I’m meeting someone in a little while.”

“Alright. Here’s your receipt. Take it to the bursor over there to get your pay.”

“Thanks. Oh, by the way, do you have any permanent positions on the docks? I’m looking for steadier work.”

With a loud guffaw, the crew chief responded, “We were just discussing offering you a job. You want to be a crew chief? I’d love to have you on the docks.”

With a surprised look on his face, Garilos blurted, “Yes! What about the pay?”

“It would be about double what you make now, Gar,” was the response for the dockmaster. “I’ll talk to the bursor tonight about it. Report to the bursor tomorrow mornin’.”

Nodding, Garilos could hardly believe his good fortune. “I can’t wait to tell Megaly,” he thought to himself.