“You speak rather well for a savage troll!” one sentinel yelled.
“That's not nice to say,” the troll laughed, “if I took a bath in the well of eternity I could have pretty glowing eyes too, you know.” she struck him in the back of his head. “OW! We could very well be cousins and this is how you treat me? I hate to see what you do to those poor peaceful tauren.”
“The same thing we will do to you,” another sentinel said, “So how about you explain why you've come here?”
“I be hoping to buy some ammunition and maybe some drink, from the vendors here, but I guess my gold's no good.”
“As if we believe such a flimsy story!” the sentinel laughed.
“Hey I had a white flag but one of your archers shot it off when I got here.”
Illiana made here way to the front to look at the gaudy captive. He looked up at her and smiled. Sweat was blurring the warpaint on his face. She seemed to be drawn into his eyes. Then she caught herself. The screech of an owl notified her to something in the area very near by. Soon after a voice in her head confirmed it. Starclaw, one of her companions a frostsaber who had been transformed by the waters of the well of eternity, spoke to her. Two forces of energy are flanking the group one light and one not so light. She looked at the troll who smiled again. “You're not alone,” she said. Her words sent a ripple of nervousness throughout the sentinel ranks.
The troll laughed, “I be a beast master, mon. I never be alone.” then he spoke some thing in his troll tongue, Zandali they called it. Two leopards roared and made their way through the crowd. One was white with blue light escaping from its eyes and moth, the other was black and surrounded by a shadowy aura with glowing red eyes. The came and sat next to the troll. They looked up at Illiana. The voices rang in her head. We could've killed you all you do realize that? The white one said. We would have if master hadn't stopped us. The black one said. The lizard still would have anyway. It added. That's why he didn't get to come. The White one said.
“So if you could have easily dispatched us why didn't you?” she asked.
“Like I said I needed ammunition,” the troll said, “had I brought a bow I could have cobbled together a few arrows but I be rather partial to this gun at the moment.” He motion to the rifle slung over his shoulder. She walked over and lifted up, it was one given only to valiants of the Champions of the Darkspear trolls. “The bad news is that I be an ambassador, who came here under a flag of piece and was attacked when only seeking peaceful trade.” the troll said, “And I have a strong dislike for the warsong, but that's neither here nor there.”
“Let him up,” Illiana said.
“Sister?” the others said confused.
“His words ring true,” she send, “the beasts sitting before you are testament to that. If he was able to stop six of you alone and without ammunition, what do you think would have occurred had they assisted him.”
“But sister he's a filthy troll!”
“Would you have the goddess frown upon us for attacking a peaceful visitor only on those grounds. Pride almost brought the downfall of our people once and called for the legion to Kalimador.”
“Were you by chance there?” the troll asked, “because no one living among the horde are blessed with so long a life as to have witnessed the first coming of the legion. I'd really like to hear about it. Stories speak of an elf named Shadowsong, if he lives I'd like to talk with him, his strategy during the battle is legendary in itself!”
“You know much of elven histories,” She said.
“No I know much of azeroth's history,” the troll said, “I have traveled these lands in pursuit of knowledge. How the races of azeroth exist in nature how they have shaped the world. These things draw me to the farther's libraries as quickly as the earth itself draws me into the wilds.”
“You are a strange troll. I had thought your kind to be cannibalistic wildmen,” she laughed.
“Sometimes,” the troll grinned, “but to be frank you elves taste like old star wood. Too much time near those magic ponds of yours.”
“You are indeed strange. To answer your question, my years are not so great as to have lived during the war, he was born only a century ago.”
“You don't look a day over 80 to me,” the troll laughed.
“What do you call yourself troll?”
“Squall Stri'dah, of Sen'jin, Ambassador of the Horde.”
“Release this troll, I will take responsibility for him,” she said.
“Yes sister,” the sentinel said as she bent to cut his restraints.
“Thanks,” Stri'dah said as he rubbed his wrists, “so how long do you plan to have your pets stalk me?”
“What?”
“The tiger spirit tries to hide among the trees to the south while the owl spirit swoops over head, it was the one that alerted you to the presence of my companions. Based on the smell you have a frostsaber somewhere nearby and a hippogriff.”
“Your talented,” the elf smiled, “so how did you know of the owl and the tiger.”
“For me they be like giant lights on the borders of my vision. The spirits they speak readily to me.”
“I see,” she said, “what of your own companions?”
“Stry'kar be the spawn of the Loa Har'Koa,” he said pointing to the white one, “Stal'kyr been corrupted by the Drakkari in my travels to the north.”
“I see,” she said, “well follow me.”
“No disrespect but I'd just like to get my ammo and go,” Stri'dah said.
“Technically you are my prisoner, so you can do what I say or you can go back to the sentinels.”
“What interest have you in me?”
“You, none, but your companions are a different story all together.” She lead him to her home not far from there. It was a simple place with the necessary furnishings, reminiscent of the soldiers quarter. She motioned to a table, “Sit, and tell me of your companions. I have traveled to Zul'Drak and met the Loa goddess Harkoa, but her spawn in the area are corrupted to savagery by the ice trolls. Much the same way your other companion is.”
“Stal'kyr be a strong one,” Stri'dah said, “he was meant to be sacrificed, but he would not be so easily downed, though the experience changed him greatly. He lost his playful nature, and has become fatalistic.”
“But what of the other, Stry'kar you said, how did he escape the corruption.”
“That be simple, he wasn't in Zul'drak.”
“What?”
“Have you heard of the spirit Loque'nahak?”
“The mate of Har'Koa?”
“That be him. He be investigating the strange goings in Sholazar where I ran into him. A number of his children be there as well. Stry'kar was one of them. He accompanied me to help his mother and decided to remain with me for the time being.”
“I see.” she sat pondering for a moment. “Are you hungry?”
“Do you have anything besides grass?” Stri'dah asked, “I hear that your kind be pretty finicky eaters. Probably part of why you taste like old wood.”
“I've spent my share of time in the wilds, and one learns that being predatory is a natural way of life just as much as flowing water.” pulled a slab of dear meat from the drying rack and haded to him. “You call your self Squall Strider?”
“Yes,” Stri'dah said, “ Something wrong with that?”
“No, it just reminds me of a story my mother used to tell me when I was a child, to keep me from staying to late into the day.”
“The Squall'Jin,” Stri'dah laughed.
“Yes how did you know?”
“The Blood Elves still tell the story as well. With his tusks of iron, hair and eyes of lightning and voice like booming thunder. With axes wrapped in hurricanes of blood. Who will come and eat if your a bad little elf.”
“Yes,” Illiana said, “I know it's silly but it still scares me when I think about it late in the day.”
“Then you should never meet my little brother,” Stri'dah laughed, “The only thing he ain't got is the tusks of iron.”
“I know it's just a story to scare children.”
“If that's the case than you should be scared of my little brother.”
“What?”
“Squall'Jin ain't no made up story. He was a real troll, Kei'Jin of the Thunderax tribe. The elves feared him so much that the told stories of him to scare children into going to bed on time. His sons took the title Squall for themselves. Which be where I come in. Me and my brothers be the last of the Thunderax tribe.”
“I thought you were of the Darkspear?”
“Well I wasn't born a Darkspear. Though I don't look like much of an Amani. That's my mother's fault. She may have even been Darkspear herself.”
“You really are a strange one.”
“You tellin me I hardly sound like a troll, mon,” Stri'dah said, “Elder Sen'jin thought it was hilarious.”
“It sounds if your life has been difficult.”
“Being different has advantages,” Stri'dah said, “no one expects you to do what everyone else does. It gave me a lot of opportunities that other trolls would never have from their own prejudices. The Darkspear, Mok'nathal, Farstriders, and Dark Rangers have all opened their doors to me. Even Hemit Nesingwary welcomed me into his hunting party.”
Illiana raised and eyebrow.
“Vol'jin made me an ambassador just because I was differnent. But why the sudden interest in me? Like you forgot about my companions.” He grinned.
“I never asked you about your life story,” Illiana said, "you just started talking."
“But you listened pretty closely.”
“Hardly, but it would have been impolite to stop you.”
“Really,” Stri'dah, “My mother's Amani pride would be shattered if she saw me here chatting with an elf.”
“You said your mother was a Jungle troll,” Illiana said.
“Did I?” Stri'dah grinned. “Well it be the middle of the night. I don't have glowing magic eyes so it be time for diurnal creatures like me to sleep.”
“You can bed down in here,” Illiana, I have business to attend to. I'll leave someone to guard you while I'm out.”
“Fine,” Stri'dah said. A frostsaber that seemed to be made entirely of arcane energy appeared in front of him. It was the spirit he had sensed in the trees before. “Starclaw, right?”
“You are gifted troll,” the spirit said in his head.
“No, I just be good with names,” he laughed as he rolled over and shut his eyes. Hours later Stri'dah rose. He glanced around finding the elf curled up in a chair not far from him with the spirit at her feet. He found a box of mammoth cutters on the table, most likely left there for him. He went to the wind. Leapt up grabbing the ledge and swung himself onto the roof. He whistled summoning a wyvern adorned in green battle armor.
“Trying to escape?” Illiana said.
“I didn't think I was that loud,” Stri'dah laughed.
“You wern't but the sound of wyvern wings was,” Illiana said, “you still are my prisoner you know.”
“Consider this my jailbreak,” Stri'dah said, “besides you couldn't stop me if you wanted.”
“Is that so?” but before she could react a lizard, a warp stalker, appeared in front of her. Sweeping its tail it brought her to the ground it snickered and then vanished in a flash of magical energy. She rubbed her butt, “you really have interesting pets.”
“Don't mind Dray'k he just be an ass,” Stri'dah laughed, from the back of the wyvern. “As for Sym'ba, he be pretty fast. And can out fly a hippogriff any day. But thanks for the hospitality. If you can track me down I'll return the favor.” With that he flew off into the sun. Another precaution against pursuit. Before long he was out of sight, that was one swift mount.
