(21) Gift

The Trade District of Stormwind bustled again, Annaliese found the city filled at its most the later it became. Truthfully, she rarely stood so openly on the bank stairs as she did now. It was true, the Scions of Darkness had gathered a bit of notoreity, but it hardly meant that their members could not be civilized. Anna smiled a bit at passerby as she searched through her mail slot. A heavily plated paladin tipped his head at her respectfully as he passed into the bank, and she grew a bit more confident, bowing in reply. It was a start, a single positive gesture amongst all the scowls.

A neatly wrapped package was pulled from the mail slot, small and white. Curious, Anna sat down at on one of the bank steps, perhaps in the way of a travelers--no matter, waves of people merely parted around her. Slowly, she untied the ribbon of the package, and gasped at what lay inside.

"Oh…" came a soft breath as she pulled on the silvery chain, on which was attached a lovely pendant, shaped into the form of an eye. The iris of it caught her attention most, glimmering like moonlit water, it seemed more liquid than solid. Admiring it as she did, she almost forgot the box, a slip of paper folded neatly inside of it. Holding the beautiful pendant in her hands, she read the small letter.

'Come to me.'

Turning the paper in her hands, she furrowed her brow, finding no other instruction, let alone a name. For half a moment, she wondered if this was some vain attempt on Knath's behalf to gain her attentions again. Yet, no, this was different, for her hand positively tingled with increments of magic as she closed it up in her fist---it was not a malefic energy, not some beautiful lie meant to weigh the power of the D'Morts over her. Her fingers curled outward to look upon the pendant again in her palm. A slow, soft smile spread across the woman's lips. Moving her hair aside, she took a little effort to fasten the chain around her neck. There the eye-shaped pendant rested on her chest, it's glimmering iris like silver water.

He still thought of her, she realized.

How he managed to find her in Stormwind, she couldn't know. She glanced around, wondering if somehow he was watching her now. She hadn't seen him in perhaps a week now? Since leaving the Gilded Rose, she packaged the fond memory into the recesses of her heart. Surely she'd never see him again. But he had created an opportunity for her to visit, a simple scroll of magic, and she bent to the offer. Though the time was treasured, it was also a lesson, that she did not belong within the Horde. A forsaken and a human woman? Together? Even disguised, it was too dangerous. She had heard the horror stories of captured Alliance spies, seen the prisoners within the Apothecarium…

Yet, her heart fluttered with the notion of seeing him again.

Annaliese let out a breath of a sigh, the paper held tightly in her hands. She should have thrown it away by now. Yet she wore his necklace without a second thought. The warlock paced back and forth on the steps, confusing the line of people waiting outside of the bank. A hand caught her sleeve, and she stiffened, whipping about to find…

…a glowering gnome.

"Ma'am! Would you please stop and go to the end of the line?" the gnomish mage piped up at her. "Well? Move it! Please?"

The gnome sighed heavily as she waddled into the line, a very distracted Annaliese leaving the little mage to her own thoughts. The warlock toyed nervously with the gifted pendant as she made her way across town to the Flight Master. Wait. Where was she going? She didn't even know where to go!

Annaliese just knew she had to find him. Somehow. She didn't care. Calling upon the powers of the void, she envisioned hellfire enlivened, and her call was answer, the dreadsteed, Wraithsong pawing violently at the fresh green grass of Elwynn's forest, and burning it to a cinder. She cupped the muzzle of the demonic horse in her gentle hands, which it tried to nip at vehemently. Annaliese sighed, thinking of ways to make her travel easier.

"If you are good," Anna began, the demonic words sliding from her lips in an eloquent whisper, "I will feed you all the soul essences you desire…"

Wraithsong's ears flexed, at attention, and the demon nuzzled her fingers, staying still finally. Mounting the calmed demon, Annaliese readied the reigns and smiled with the thought of her lover in her mind. A hoot, and the flutter of wings, pulled her from her thoughts however, and she found herself looking up.

"Hoots!" she exclaimed, recognizing her lover's pet. The owl perched on her shoulder gently, ruffling its feathers, and gave another slow, calm hoot.

"You've come to guide me then…?" Anna asked, perplexed as the creature eyed her with wide, wise eyes. It suddenly leaned down, and prodded her pendant with its beak, clicking the iris of the eye in place.

"What are you….?!" the shiver of cold magic drifted through the ends of her body, head to toe then, Anna's breath stolen from her. She peered down at her figure, and blinked, her skin pale with death, though her heart beat readily behind the illusion. The strong illusion, even her soft voice was masked with its dark echo as she spoke.

"A thoughtful gift…"

Hoots chirped once in agreement, and took flight. Another loud hoot ushered her to follow as it rode the wind. With that, the "Forsaken" sped off into the night on the legs of her demon, with an owl leading her into a new world.

He was worth it all.