Subigo Rex was back. He had returned from wherever he had disappeared to and the attempts on her life seemed to have been doubled. Twice, no... three times in one night! And if it weren’t for the White Wolf and the captain of The Stormwind Guard, she surely would have lost more than a bit of flesh and blood.
Lucien and his Wardens had carried her to safety, taken her to the cathedral for healing. She had had no choice but to let herself be carried away, as her inner fire had completely stripped her of the ability to physically function. She could only raise an eyebrow questioningly as Lucien pulled a kit from his belt, unrolling it on the table and selecting several tools. Were these all for her? Did he mean to do the healing himself?
She didn’t have the energy to fight him. He was kind to her, though, as he was during every one of their encounters. He chatted easily with her while he cleansed, disinfected, and then stitched her wounds. He praised her response to the pain, or rather... her lack of response. And then he had offered to train her. Lucien had offered her a service he said he offered few others. Completely baffled, she accepted. Of course she accepted. Perhaps some decent training would give her a shot, just a fighting chance, at survival.
The Wardens had nearly refused to let her even leave the cathedral. A moment of panic as she though of the preparations she must make, the appointments she had needed to keep, in order to leave the city. Too much for a Guardian to be locked up in a cathedral.
She twisted her fingers in Goliath’s mane, fighting the urge to lean forward and rest against his powerful neck. Good thing she resisted, for what a sight that would have made for Ginlan. As if she hadn’t already taken enough hits that day, there was her warrior. She had a hard time thinking of him as anything but, despite the fact that they had both moved on with their lives. As it always did, her breath caught in her throat at the sight of him. He looked, as per usual, utterly gorgeous. His armor had been exchanged for the night with fine clothes, gloves and new belt included, but a weapon remained at his hip. Rarely was he caught without one.
The helpless smile graced her lips as she drank in the sight of him, but her gasp must have more audible than she’d thought, because he turned to face her.
“G’day, Maris.” Maris. She had expected it, but still it stung.
“Hello,” she murmured quietly, nodding her head in polite greeting.
The conversation was interrupted several times, but she she couldn’t force herself away. Orion, Aria and Caz, even Xodius showed up before things went quiet again, leaving the two of them alone.
A slight look of confusion crossed Ginny’s face when Xo flew off. “Aren’t you dating the Flame Warden?” he asked, frowning at her.
She shook her head, smiling sadly as she watched him fly to meet Faila. “He belongs with Faila. It is for the best.” She couldn’t meet his gaze, couldn’t force the words out. And I belong with you... But again, it was not meant to be. He had found new love. And she was glad. Ginlan Redmane deserved all the happiness life could possibly throw at him. Before long, as she knew it would, her heart could not stand the ache of being so near him and she made her excuses.
Where to now? She turned toward the docks. There was a boat waiting to take her away to Kalimdor, should she choose to be ready. Was she, though? There was little doubt in her mind that she needed to take the fight away from the city, but there was one more place she needed to visit before she ventured across the ocean.
And so she headed for the only place she had really ever considered home.
Gilneas.
Marishea Ramsey
