Seeking - 16 (An Order of Amber) (Patreon)

I trudged along the road outside of Dalaran for some time. My mind whirling. Why? How? How did I forget Modera was a member of the Council of Six? Was that even right? Would she have known if I mentioned Krasus being Korialstraz?

Could I have convinced her if I had been completely open?

Why had she changed her mind?

Should I have tried to fight what happened, to resist? I would have ended up in the cells. Like Kael'Thas did. Would. Hopefully would never.

To be thrown out, to be barred from the city I'd made home for the last few months, to be told I wouldn't be allowed back–

"God fucking damnit!" I screamed.

Off to the a man driving his cart turned to glance at me, but nothing more. The world didn't care. It felt like no one cared.

A breeze tickled my cheek. No, there werethose that cared. "Did I tell youeverything?" I asked bitterly, "Do youbelieve me?"

The wind picked up, affronted, sending my skirts and hair aflutter.

I let out a short laugh, my lips quirking into a smile for a moment. "Right. Sorry." I'd offendedthem. It still wasn't long before my expression returned to a glower, my eyes fixed on the still looming spires of Dalaran, towering over the land. And denied to me. The place I had placed my hope son making a difference, on changing things for the better, and found the results wanting.

"Was it worth it?"

My hands clenched on my staff, hard enough to feel the rough bark biting into my palms. For all I was angry, for all I wanted to find Modera and somehow rip her a new one, it had been worth it.

I'd learned a lot. Opened the doors on an entire new paradigm of magic thanks to that bitchModera, gotten so much faster and learned my limits – my surprisingly largelimits with Calebren. Found friends and made contacts that, if nothing else, I could say I'd enjoyed my time with. I hoped they would survive, I hoped they would live past the war and I'd see them again – but it was out of my hands now. Dalaran had shown me what the word of one little girl meant, and it wasn't much.

"Time to head home." I said to my elemental companion. Turning away from the infuriating towers in the distance I resumed my march; I wanted them out of sight. I wanted them out of mind.

I didn't want to think about the people I'd left behind in the city without a word.

-oOoOo-

"We're not a charity." Mathias said, his arms crossed over his chest.

"And I'm not asking for it!" I snapped back. "I'm a healer, a magic user, I can fix any problems on the road and help keep the caravan safe."

He scoffed. "Hear that a lot out here. Useless buggers the lot of you. You pay, or you don't join."

I turned and walked away, a scowl on my face. It had become too common of a thing. Just to make matters even betterI'd started bleeding on the road to Ambermill which was just perfecttiming. Sod puberty, everything about it sucked. For both sexes.

Finding a caravan back to Gilneas was proving to be a pain. It was oh-so-tempting to give up and start off on my own, follow after one on the road without a word or go it alone, but I wasn't stupid. I'd near enough promised Caedan to think better about things, to travel safely, and I would. No matter how infuriating people could be.

"Ho there! Little girly, you find your mother yet?"

Turning I saw a man with a cart and pair of horses, along with a black haired woman sitting beside him. He looked vaguely familiar and he certainly knew mesomehow.

"No." I said, shaking my head. Sometimes I wished I had an easier time remembering names. "Heading back to GIlneas where she should be. Soon as I find a caravan who's willing to take me, anyway."

"Hah. Mebe I can help with that. You have a good time in Dalaran? Only been a few months. Shame ye didn't stay; mebe you could've convinced Janice here to take up her studies again."

Oh! He was the man from the gate. A... A-something. Arthur? Arthur. "Got kicked out." It had been a week and it stillstung. I would be even angrier, still fuming and raging, if it hadn't been for the elemental. I needed to name it someday, or find a way to ask its name. "But..." I forced myself to unclench. "It wasgood while it lasted. I was going to leave by now anyway, they just moved my schedule up."

He frowned. "Why'd they do that?"

"Pissed off an Archmage." I said bitterly. "And they used the excuse of Ge– King Greymane leaving the alliance to do it."

"The rumours true then?" The woman, Janice, asked. "Bloody hell. Next you'll tell me his majesty's building a wall to cut us off from the Alliance or something."

I snorted. "He is. Except, it's back in Northgate. Thispart of Gilneas is going to be on the 'outside'."

"Bloody hell." She repeated.

"That why there be so many workers gettin' hired?" Arthur said, rubbing at his cheek. "Half the young men around here seem to be going south for some project, building thing. Not gonna be small, that wall, if it's real."

And time moved ever onward, the clock ticking down. How long would Genn take to finish his stupid wall? How long did I really have until the Third War? What was I even going to dowhen it happened?

"You mentioned helping me?"

"Aye. With all the movement I figured I could take grain, tools, and such south and make a tidy profit. Stuff a worksite needs. No order for it yet, but tha' just means the prices ain't fixed." He rubbed his chin. "Wouldn't mind taking you on if we're headed the same way. Safety in numbers, ya know?"

"Yeah. Why I was looking."

He grinned. "Excellent! Mebe you can get Janice to talk about magic a bit."

"Shove off, Art." She said, smacking his arm. "Just us two an' ol' Dods an' Rens here." She leaned forward and patted one of the horse's rumps. "Art's got a sword an' I can throw fire – if I have to." She said, glowering at Arthur, who was grinning widely. "Or shoot a bow. Plenty for the road."

I nodded. Wasn't a big caravan, but really I shouldonly need someone to keep an eye out.

Technically I already had that with my windy friend, but they had a habit of vanishing here and there. Going off to do elemental things. Fickle was the breeze, not the most reliable even if friendly.

"I'd be happy to join you."

-oOoOo-

Three weeks into the trek south and I determined I didn't like marshes. Especially in the summer. There were mosquitoes everywhere. Outside of my work with the bees and the beehives I'd not done much with insects, they were insects, but over the week in the marsh I rapidly gained determination to figure out a way to make me a less attractive target.

Or a way to control them. Not that I likedthe idea of controlling insects all that much, I hated flies and the rest, but they could exist so long as it was over thereand not next to me.

Janice, who was one of the lucky people who the stupid bugs didn't find tasty, kept laughing at my problem.

But at least we were past the worst of the marshes and lakes now. There should be less insects as we entered the forest proper, not none but not the endless droning swarm that made even just sleeping irritating.

"Your turn to tell a story tonight, girly." Arthur said as we made camp.

Not that it was much of a camp. In the growing stretches between villages Arthur slept in his wagon under a tarp, I made myself comfortable against any trees that were around, and Janice was the one who'd packed herself a bedroll. Both had huddled up under the tarp when it rained; I just let it happen. It wasn't enough to soak me through or get me sick and there was something soothing about the rain.

And, after so long in the marsh, it was closest I'd gotten to a chance to wash my hair in a while. Swamp water wasn't exactly refreshing.

I missed Dalaran's baths already.

"Sure." I answered, my 'turn' to tell stories was coming up more often than it should, but I didn't really mind. "Historical this time?"

"I still don't believe that one about our ancestors being giants was true." Janice said. "Giants to the dwarves maybe, but real giants? They're big. Realbig. I'd believe the Ettins were giant's kids, but not us."

I rolled my eyes at her. I'd gotten enough of that when I'd been telling it, and she wasn't fond of 'visions' as evidence.

"Then I doubt you'll believe this one either." I said, then cleared my throat. "Long, long ago, before the world was Sundered, there was a Stag. A majestic and grand White Stag, whose antlers scrapped the heavens and his hooves stamped out the deep places of the world. Mighty hunters gathered, horned and antlered themselves, seeking to claim him as a prize..."

The tale of Malorne, father of Cenarius, went down decently well. Though like I expected Janice didn't believe it was true. Honestly Iwasn't sure how much of it was true; I knew that Malorne was the father of Cenarius and somehow the goddess Elune was his mother, so the leaping into the sky and being caught by her – the White Lady, greater of Azeroth's two moons – could well have been true. But at the same time it wasn't terribly believable. Malorne being afraid and running from hunters didn't fit much either. He was an Ancient Guardian, a Wild God, blessed by Freya herself and one of the greatest beings of Nature and Life on Azeroth.

In many ways the White Stag was the prime Wild God, through Cenarius and his connection to Elune and Ysera the greatest of them all.

I couldn't remember the names of halfof the Wild Gods anymore. Aggamaggan? Something like that, was the Boar. Tortolla the Tortoise, Anivia the Harpy, Malorne the Stag, the Cat I'd forgotten but the Bear was Ursoc. Then there was bloody Goldrinn, father of the Worgen, the Wolf, but there were more. The Celestials? Yu'lon and... I probably had them in my notes somewhere.

Maybe one day I'd get to meet some of them. There weren't anyin the Eastern Kingdoms as far as I knew, which was weird. Did every single one go to Hyjal save the Celestials in Pandaria? Were they allon Kalimdor?

I'd probably only find out if I lived long enough to see past the Third War.

-oOoOo-

Eventually we came upon another group of people, though not travellers on the road but Gilnean soldiers in full livery escorting a number of well dressed men in suits. Actual suits, if maybe old fashioned ones compare to the before. They had ties, top hats, canes, and everything. And scattered up and down the road were more practically dressed workers, carrying... tripods and rope? Some of them had sextant like things or level rulers.

"Ho there good sirs!" Arthur called out cheerfully as we got closer. "This the big work site I've been hearing about? Brought some supplies to sell, assuming there's business."

The suited men barely glanced our way before waving at one of the soldiers. Arthur huffed good naturedly as he watched the man mill about, looking for some specific work man. Before long a man who had more moustache than face visible came up.

"What you brought?" He asked gruffly, and Arthur got down to the business of haggling over his sales.

From the sound of things Arthur'd picked decently well and would make back his coin and then some easily. There weren't enough people here to put that much of a strain on local supplies, but a merchant trundling up would be better than having to bring in shipments yourself.

Leaving them to it I hopped off the cart and started looking around. This was going to be the site of the wall? I'd spent more than a monthtravelling here from Ambermill and we hadn't really stopped much. Sure, cart travel was slow enough I could've walkedhere faster, but not that much faster. I'd been keeping the horses healthy and even invigorating them as we went. We had to be losing a third of the country to the wall, maybe more. A lot of what we'd just passed through might be miserable marshes and scarcely populated woodland but behind that there had been plenty of people.

All Gilneans. All fucked by Genn.

My hands clenched as I watched the men work. They were surveying the land, looking for a good spot; they weren't building the wall quite yet but figuring out where to put it. At least this part, here, on the main road.

I wondered if I could stop them, make the forests here rise up and break up their work. Show them they didn't get to dictate what was Gilneasand what wasn't.

Maybe. Certainly not from where I was standing now. I'd have to hide, to do it in secret, to keep moving and concealing myself while working my magic from afar. And even then... even then I doubted it would work for long. Magic was rare, not an unknown. Someone would bring a hound who could follow a scent, a mage who could interfere with or detect me, or simple numbers would let them corner me. A concerted effort by all of the Witches might be able to do it, but not just me.

And what would be the point anyway? The wall was going to saveGilneas from the Scourge. Stop the ravenous swarm of corpses from descending upon us. At least long enough to mount some kind of defence.

"You curious about the work?" A soldier asked, having followed me. "His Majesty's decreed Gilneas needs better protection."

"I know. King Greymane's building his wall." I said frustratedly. "Abandoning the Alliance like he plans to got me kicked out of Dalaran." I added, glaring at the soldier. He abruptly took a step back, making space between us, and I let out a giggle. "Just another thing to be unhappy about."

No, I wouldn't try to stop the wall being built. It would be stupid to do it.

"Ah... didn't know you were a mage, miss." The soldier said a lot more politely. "We're supposed to ask, if you don't mind me bothering you, what's your business in Gilneas?"

I slowly turned and looked him in the eye. "I've been in Gilneas for a monthnow." I said flatly. "Finding my mother and going home. You can put that in your report or whatever." I waved a hand at him briefly before pausing. "Hey, is there a Northglade near here?"

If I was already at the point where the wall was being built I couldn't be thatfar away from the Mistmantle's home. And if I was looking for my mother it'd be sensible to head there and ask for help, the nobles would be better able to find Todlin Thyme the weaver than I would just wandering around. I doubted Lord Mistmantle would mind me showing up again, even if Lady Mistmantle did.

"Uh." The soldier said, looking rather nervous. "I'll just consult the maps, miss mage?" He took a step back, clearly looking for an excuse to leave.

"Go." I said flatly. As he turned and near enough sprinted away I broke down giggling. That was stupidand not the reaction I was used to, but strangely amusing nonetheless.

Arthur had found his destination and wouldn't be going further, but when the boycame back along with a map I knew where I was going. Northglade was being incorporated into the Wall as one of its fortresses, which didn't bode that well for Mistmantle's lands. Cut right down the middle on both sides of the wall with no planned gates for miles up or down. Looking at the suited men, none of whom I recognised, I wondered in what world it made sense for the locallords to not be involved in this.

Darius Crowley should be here. These were his lands, Mistmantles, not... whoever those people were, no matter how well they dressed.

Giving the pair I'd spent the last few weeks with my farewells I set off again.

-oOoOo-

I arrived at Northglade Castle as something of a drowned rat. Even with prior warning from my senses and elemental friend when the weather decided to take a particularly Gilneanturn I'd ended up soaked. Just about the only thing on my that wasn't thoroughly drenched was my bag with my books in it, which I'd gone through a lot of trouble to keep safe. I didn't care that the ones I'd bought in Dalaran were spelled to be protected from water damage, my notebooks weren't.

Thankfully the guards at the castle recognised me anyway. I suppose it wasn't any old day a girl showed up riding a gryphon with a dwarf and I'd stuck in their minds, so before long I was let in and ushered into the rooms I'd stayed in before.

And one, long, bath later I was ready to greet Lord Mistmantle and his family.

"Thank you for hosting me once more, Lord Mistmantle." I said, giving him a curtsy as soon as I entered the dining hall. I smiled briefly at Vivi before doing the same to Lady Mistmantle, who turned her nose up at me. There was another man there, with a pretty smile and the same gorgeous red hair that Vivi had. "And you, Lady Mistmantle. It is a pleasure." I lied.

She didn't like me and Vivi didn't like her, so I had reason enough to dislike her too.

"You're quite welcome." Lord Mistmantle said genially. "I'm sure you've a few stories to share with us, my daughter has had a few theories as to what might have delayed you for so long."

Only Lady Mistmantle's hand on Vivi's shoulder stopped the girl from dashing at me from the way she was vibrating.

"Yes! I heard there was a troll attack on one of the villages and a travelling mage beat them back! Was it you and Sir Caedan?" She blurted out excitedly.

"Um, no." I hadn't heard of any such thing. "I took the opportunity to travel to Dalaran..." I said, then blinked as I remembered what else I was supposed to have said. "I apologise for not greeting you sooner, my lord," I rushed, "but I was hardly presentable."

He chuckled and waved a hand, dismissing it as an issue. "No, I've heard the weather all afternoon even through our stout walls. I could hardly ask you to present yourself in such as state as you must have been." He gestured to the young man at his side. "You haven't met my son, Howard, have you? He was away with Darius during your time here."

"Indeed, we have not had the pleasure." Howard said, striding forward and taking my hand from where it dangled at my side. Somewhat to my bafflement he raised it up as he leaned down, gently pressing his lips to the back of it. "My sister spoke quite highly of you, Magus Arevin." He said, a charming and shining smile on his face.

There was an odd whining sound that it took a moment for me to realise was coming from me. My cheeks were aflame too, literally feeling like they were on fire. "Um! Ah," What– what was I supposed to do here?!

"Howard!" Vivi whined, breaking from from her mother and tugging at her brother's sleeve. "Stop trying to seduce all of my friends!"

"But they all made such wonderful sounds!" He laughed, turning and lifting his sister up and spinning her around. "How could I possibly resist?"

Watching him toy with his little sister didn't let my blush abate, but it did give me a chance to try and get my heart back under control. He was verypretty, which was a new thought I hadn't encountered properly in a long time.

It was hard not to stare. His well tailored buttoned shirt and jacket showed off his lithe and fit form well enough without being blatant, and his easy smile was charming just as much as his... his... seductiveone had been. And his hair, his hair was gorgeous.

Having such vibrant red hair was criminal. The Mistmantle children were lucky.

I liked my brown hair, brown was a good colour, but theirs was just so pretty. Especially the way it caught the light from the chandelier and kept the glossy sheen that I didn't have the time, or funds, to achieve.

"Howard." Lady Mistmantle said, her tone bringing him to a stop instantly.

"Yes, mother." He said dutifully, putting Vivianne down.

"One day you will settle down with a good lady and have to stop doing that." Lord Mistmantle said with a fond smile. "But I suppose that is not today. Do get around to it before I grow too old to spoil my grandchildren."

"I won't wait that long, father!" Howard protested.

"What's Dalaran like?" Vivianne said, having reached my side and taken my arm.

My eyes glanced back at Howard for a moment, before she prodded me in the rib to regain my attention. "It's... a city of magic." I said, and started telling her about my stay in Dalaran.

The conversation kept up as food was served and we ate. Lord Mistmantle had been to the city before, so he had his own insights and tale to tell, but he had hardly stayed as long as I did nor been as involved in the purposeof the city.

Topics wandered, Lord Mistmantle's frustration with the workers on the wall which were draining away resources from his town were blatant. It was by sheer good fortune he was on the insideof the wall, his castle deemed a good place to situate a barracks and bastion along its length. And yet, with Northglade town sitting to the northof the castle, that meant while the castlewould be within the Wall, the town would not.

All of his people would be uprooted, their homes torn apart, to make way or be left out in the cold.

"What happened with Sir Caedan? He didn't travel with you to Dalaran." Vivianne asked.

"We parted ways at Pyrewood." I said, thinking back to that day and wishing I'd explained myself better. Enemy of ten thousand years gone? He was a Dwarf,no a Night Elf! I'd made such a mess of trying to convince him, and yet he'd believed me anyway. The elementshad believed me. "I found a clue about my mother that would lead me back south, and he left to return to Aerie Peak."

"And from there you took the time to visit Dalaran." Howard concluded.

I nodded. "I was never going to be closer, and it's Dalaran. I learned a lot... before, well." I waved a hand. I'd already said how I got kicked out.

"I see." Lord Mistmantle said, a look of commiseration on his face. "If it isn't an intrusion might I ask what the clue was? I still feel I owe you a debt, especially as I have since learned you healed a number of my subjects during your stay, so I will aid you if I am able."

Vivianne smiled brightly at me. "Tod is still very appreciative!" She chirped happily. Her mother's glower growing deeper at the blacksmith boy's mention.

"That was part of my reason for coming here, actually." I said, nodding to Lord Mistmantle. "I was given a name. My mother travelled back south with a tailor by the name of Todlin Thyme. The master weaver in pyrewood who my mother had worked for said he came south, to somewhere in Northgate, to replace someone who had died."

Lord Mistmantle paused in his eating, slowly resting his cutlery on his plate and looking thoughtful.

"Isn't that the name of the tailor who we bought your dress from?" Vivi said, sounding puzzled. "I remember him saying something–"

Whatever Vivi said next washed right over me as blood started rushing in my ears. Liz, Elizabeth, my mother's assumed name. The tailor had mistaken me for someone– I'd been right thereand missed her.

There was a screech. I was standing, my chair pushed back as I stared forward almost blankly. Thoughts whirling through my head at a mile a minute.

The dress I was wearing. A woman, the tailor's wife had made it. Not for herself, not for a customer, but because she wanted to. For someone she cared about but wasn't able to give it to. It was nearly perfectly sized for me, barely needing adjustment as I grew. And only the places that it had been taken in to fit my then smaller frame that I easily let out. He'd come south from Pyrewood. Married a woman. He'd called me Liz.

"My apologies–" I said, the words catching in my throat.

Lord mistmantle gave me a firm nod. "Go." He ordered.

Not hesitating a moment I turned and fled, sprinting out of the castle and barrelling through the doors out into the rain. Two thoughts dominated my mind.

I'd found her, I'd found my mother.

And she'd replaced me. Todlin's wife had been pregnant.