I heard her before I saw her.
“Luisette Dawnrise, I am going to kick your scrawny ass!”
Without moving from the spot in which I lay on top of a goblin shop roof in Booty Bay, I called back, “Saeil Redhawk, perhaps you should look in a mirror before you make sweeping generalizations about my assets. I could say the same about yours!”
I heard her huff with indignation as she stormed up the ramp and across the bridge which led to a walkway at foot-level with the shop’s roof. I sat up and looked at Kazdormu, mouthing a silent apology for what was most certainly to come to pass. He gave a small smile and returned to his book – I didn’t blame him. I spun myself around just in time to see a fiery redhead, hands on her hips, peering down at me and absolutely glowering. Alyosha – her handsomely black wolf companion – wagged his tail nervously behind her, torn between offering greetings and staying loyal to his master, foul mood and all.
Saeil hopped across the gap between the walkway and the roof and threw a bound letter onto the ground in front of my feet.
“How could you?! – you’re much too predictable, I knew exactly where to find you – she’s your cousin, your blood!
“No sooner had I received this letter than did the sender show up in person, looking absolutely haggard and like she had been sobbing the entire trip.”
She squatted down to eye-level with me and snatched up the letter. “I’m not going to let you read it – obviously – but if you did, you’d notice the ink was blotched all over and some words were smeared from being dripped on and I’m ever quite sure she wasn’t writing this in the rain!” she shrieked, shaking the letter in front of my face.
I opened my mouth to say something, anything, but Saeil narrowed her eyes and covered my mouth with the letter. “Shifgrethor never cries in front of others,” she began, quietly, but with no less ferocity. “You know that. And yet when she landed in Revantusk Village after a non-stop journey from Arathi, she sobbed in my arms. And it’s all”—she smacked the letter against my head—“your”—again—“fault,”—and thrice, so hard I flinched.
“And furthermore—” Saeil paused in her assault, finally noticing Kaz sitting a few feet away from us, still reading and seemingly unruffled or uninterested in our [rather one-sided] conversation. “Who is… you know what, it doesn’t even matter,” she said, tearing her gaze from Kaz and refocusing her attention onto me once more. She huffed a bit, exasperated and upset, threw her hands up in the air, and hastily sat next to me. Alyosha, who had been lying on the ground with a frantic pant and ears pressed down, took this as a cue as good as any and moved to flop between the two of us, resting his head on Saeil’s lap.
I jumped at the lull in Saeil’s speech and asked softly, “How much do you know?”
Saeil sighed and tenderly ran her fingers through Alyosha’s fur absentmindedly. “Of course, everything,” she replied, looking at me sideways. “God, Luis, a full-out brawl in Shattrath? What were you thinking? …No, don’t answer that, I already can figure for myself.”
I turned to look out towards the bay, and I heard her sigh again.
“Shif’s pretty shaken up about what happened, you know. She was given forced leave by her commander because of her condition, and by the Well, you and I both know we don’t need a loss of a healer – a damn good healer at that – from the frontlines with some of the idiots fighting for our side.”
There was a long, awkward pause.
“You were supposed to be the mature one,” Saeil added softly.
God, did she know how to cut to the quick.
“I know,” I finally answered.
Saeil faced me then. “No,” she countered, “I don’t think you do. We’ve been friends since childhood, but damn it, Luis. Do you know how much shit I put up with from the other rangers for even being seen with you after you and Närcyssa left the priesthood? ‘Fallen priests,’ they said. ‘Traitors to our cause.’ ‘Can’t be trusted; they’re as black-hearted as the blood they name themselves after.’ It was only by the Well’s good grace that my lodge accepted Shifgrethor as my Other even after all that happened.”
She smiled bitterly and continued. “I vouched for you and Närcyssa, time and time again. You don’t think I feel just as betrayed by her as you? You three were like sisters to me.”
I felt my anger spark slightly at this. “You mean to tell me you would have just welcomed her back with open arms? After she willingly became a lapdog of the Scourge?”
Saeil’s eyes burned back into mine. “God, you’ve still a temper.”
“You’re one to talk,” I bit out sardonically, and I regretted it.
“No, I don’t know what I would have done if I met her after her pardon,” Saeil sighed, frustrated. “Hell, I might have even helped you. But her honor is not the one I’m here to defend.”
Alyosha whined, and I patted his rump. “Sorry, love, didn’t mean to upset you either.”
Saeil smirked a bit. “I’m going to go ahead and attribute that apology to myself as well, since we both know just how awful you are at making apologies to people that actually deserve one.”
I gave a small, embarrassed smile, and we sat in silence for a while. Resolved in my own thoughts, I placed my hand on Saeil’s arm. “Thank you,” I admitted softly, not meeting her eyes. “I deserved that, and I’m glad it was you.”
She gave a quick nod, and looked out towards the bay. The sun had started to set, and it covered the ocean in hues of orange and crimson. The normally brown and tan buildings were tinted copper, and small waves lapped up against the dock.
“I can see why you come here so often,” Saeil remarked. “It’s absolutely gorgeous.” She rubbed Alyosha’s shoulder, and he rolled onto his back, thumping his tail against the roof. “You know you’re going to have to come back to Silvermoon with me.”
I nodded and replied, “I know.”
