Reunification - 8.5 (Patreon)

Sorry for the extended delay, Sunday decided to be headache day. This is the first half of the chapter with the rest coming later today when I finish my sleep. In the meantime you get to enjoy the puppy-fluff.

Beta'd version will come with the rest of the chapter.

Next week will be the planned arc-end half-break, so only one chapter on Patreon, which is part of why I'm determined to finish this one fully today.

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Darius paused looking over his men's camp at the sound of a familiar cry and looked to the skies; it seemed he would have a chance to see his daughter sooner than he thought. "See that you keep to Gwyneth's instructions." He ordered the men, nodding to Sergeant Black as she saluted. "We are guests here." Though he had made good on his word to Lord Renard, telling him tales well into the night, he did not imagine that had bought them leave to act carelessly.

Still, he had little expectations that the men would let him down. Those that had served alongside, and even under Gwyneth, had a more than healthy respect for the witches and their magic. Tinged with a hint of undeserved fear, perhaps, but healthy respect nonetheless.

Leaving the shelter of the camp tucked beneath a small cliff her walked into the main clearing, eyes lingering on a time upon the immense frostwolves where they lay. The local bleak wolves, common in the Ember Hills, were tiny in comparison – should they gain a population for themselves... that alone might be worth the peace they offered.

Such beasts could not supplant horses, no more than gryphons of Donovan's like could – above, his daughter's mount screeched loudly to announce his descent – for no kingdom could supply the meat required to feed them. In the hundreds it was possible, to be sure, but not on a greater scale. The rebellion alone, discounting that of the royal forces, had fielded some six thousand cavalry, two and a half thousand mounted dragoons, and made use of countless draft horses to pull artillery and supplies to and fro.

However, that did not meant wolf knights, perhaps trained in Vivianne's graceful style of swordmanship, could not become a new elite force at the heart of Gilneas' armies. If she was unwilling, Hilda could be convinced; though it would be a grand feather in his late friend's cap should she accept.

"My Daughter," Darius smiled genuinely as Donovan landed a few feet before him, "Your Highness. I do hope your trip has been a pleasant one." He inclined his head respectfully.

Lorna smiled in turn. "Pleasant enough. However–" Her words were cut off by a jubilant cry from one of her passengers.

"Puppies!" Princess Tess strained against the straps holding her in place, fumbling with the buckles that held her in place. "Trix, let me go! I see–" Meeting Darius' gaze she seemed to remember herself and her station, clamping her mouth shut and reddening. "Trix, would you undo my belts, please? I want to see the puppies I was promised."

He chuckled at her abruptly changed tone but looked away so as to not embarrass her further. "Greetings to you as well, Donovan." He said, rubbing the beak of his daughter's loyal mount. "I did not expect arrivals so swiftly; nor indeed here at all. We intended to move southward, to Stormglen, where the meetings might take place in comfort without unduly burdening our guests with the rigours of the city."

Slipping off of Donvoan, Lorna helped Trix down before Princess Tess. A wise decision considering the princess' clear intent to run after her puppies, which were of a size with herself, the instant she could. "My husband was unhappy with Gwyneth's refusal to bring our guests to the capital." She said, and Darius heard the undertone that she was unhappy also. "Promises were made to both the Lords and the Commons in regards to the opportunities the Frostwolves offered us, and we were loath to break them."

Darius hummed, a note of disappointment sounding clearly as he considered what his daughter had not said. He knew that the vote in the Lords had been firm enough, greed over thoughts of trade and his own direction towards using the orcs as a bulwark against Alterac's return winning firmly.

For the crown to be mired in promises meant they had made moves after his departure. Making concessions in order to earn favour and support; perhaps a clever move had they considered that they did not rule those whose time they offered freely. "One cannot offer diplomacy with a thousand voices at once." He said chidingly. Lorna was young, as was King Liam, and they would make mistakes. But they could not afford to make the same ones twice. "From the moment you assigned Gwyneth this task you deferred to her judgement, her ability to make peace and treaty."

Gesturing to his witch, if she deigned to consider herself such any longer, where she tended to Lord Renard's wound with a focus that had left her unaware of Lorna's arrival, he continued. "Trust that was not misplaced." Beside her, Elder Rokhstrom offered her aid as she wove another story for the fox god.

"Of course it wasn't. Gwen always knows what–" Apprentice Trix's adamant support for her teacher was cut off by a loud squeal, leaving the girl paling.

Princess Tess had escaped her minder's attention for but a moment and sprinted towards the wolves, rushing with all the childish surety that the danger was not should she simply will it so. "Puppies!" She cried shrilly, shattering the tranquil air of the glade with her cry.

Shornfang, the largest of the frostwolves, stood sharply and bared his fangs. Yet still she did not slow her rush – eyes only on what lay beyond.

Then, as Darius' cry of alarm mixed with Lorna's and Trix ran after her charge, a bird landed before the princess and turned human – Gwyneth – and swept her off of her feet with one hand. "Bad princess." She said flatly, flicking the girl's forehead. "Apologies, Shornfang." She reached out and rubbed the wolf's muzzle, calming him. "She doesn't realise that her voice can be painful."

"I didn't hurt them!" The princess protested. "I wouldn't."

"Your voice did. Wolves have very good hearing, much better than ours, and you made all of us flinch with your little cry." Gwyneth explained clearly. "Now... more calmly, Princess Tess."

Set back on the ground once more, Princess Tess looked at the wolves and the way they were watching her. Though he could not see it himself the air around her made clear the pout upon her face – as did the indulgent smile Gwyneth aimed in her direction.

Seeing that the crisis was averted and the princess was in good hands, Darius turned back to his daughter expectantly.

"We are lucky to have her, I know." Lorna said, a soft smile forming even as she directed her attention to Donovan as an excuse to avert her eyes from his. "Knowing where hidden orcish clans dwell is the least of it. Have I been pressing too hard, relying on her influence to shore up our reign? I know I angered Vivi with what we had her do, but Gwen did not seem to truly mind."

Darius sighed and shook his head. "You are lucky. She appears to have directed her ire to the king, unwilling to let go of your friendship over a single incident. Whatever it may have been." He might have his suspicions, but they were better left unvoiced. "Queen you might be now, Lorna, but you are still my daughter. Do not forget what I taught you; treat Gwyneth as the bosom companion she is and not a pawn to be used and she will do so in kind. Vivianne's anger will fade in time."

Were things to go too far he might salvage them in favour of his daughter. His blood. But it should not come to that – and his disappointment would turn to anger if it ever did.

"I want her to be the goodmother of my child." Lorna whispered quietly. "She's still... I care for her. Things are simply so difficult now that we needed her help, and she was willing to provide."

"As a good friend will always be." Darius said, thinking of his own friendships with Tobias and Duncan before their deaths. "One simply cannot take them for granted." They would not survive forever, nor could friendships endure all hardships that they faced. Else he and Genn would still be on speaking terms. "And... I believe she would appreciate that. Nor a better protector for my grandchild could I ask for." Giving Lorna one last wistful smile as she placed a hand over her belly, he turned and moved to join the princess in fussing over the wolves.

If she managed to bond with one of the puppies, as she so wished, he would be there to witness it. Nor could deny the warmth he felt at the sight of the young girls simply enjoying life; Princess Tess, Apprentice Trix, Gwyneth, and Vivianne all alternatively feeding and petting the docile beasts.

And, most amusingly of all, Gwyneth's little two-tailed fox patting a bemused puppy on the head with a paw in mimicry of her witches.

Were she still with him, Esme would have joined them; indulging herself with the animals and showing the girls how best to win the heart of dog – or wolf – with a skilled hand and personally prepared treats.

-oOoOo-

Tess paused as she peered over the top of one of the big tree's roots, her feet dangling below and barely touching the top of the weird blue grass. Her puppy thought she had escaped her! Running away and making her chase. But they'd been silly and stopped; sniffing at the ground, ears perked up to listen, and even looking about – but not up. No one looked up!

Clambering to the top of the root, her bare feet quiet on the bark of the tree, she jumped forward and landed next to her puppy, lunging and wrapping her arms around their neck. "Got you!" She laughed as they barked in surprise and confusion. "Found your and caught you!" Pressing her arm into the soft and cool fur of the best puppy ever, Tess felt as happy as the day she got Trix to admit they were friends.

Silly Trix, they'd been friends for ages before that. Months and months. Just because Tess was a princess and Trix wasn't didn't mean they couldn't be friends with each other! Otherwise she'd never have any friends. Which would be sad.

She giggled as her best puppy ever licked her face, then squawked as she was rolled and pushed into the grass. "Hey!" She felt her puppy on top of her, pinning her down, as they barked into her ear.

"I know you're stronger!" Tess laughed back, trying to wriggle out from their paws. "You're a big puppy! Of course you're strong. But I'm sneakier, the sneakiest!" Even more sneakier than Trix's teacher when she was a fake-puppy-fox. One day she would ride her puppy like Gwyneth had let her ride her fake-puppy-fox form. One day.

Freeing an arm she started batting at her puppy's paws, which quickly turned into a game where they swiped at one another. Her hair was in the dirt and she could taste the grass be she didn't care at all. She was playing with a giant puppy.

A loud grunt left both of the frozen mid swipe, Tess' hand on her puppy's chest while her puppy's paw pressed into her nose. "Fun games?" The big white-bearded orc, Gal-Fangar, asked. His voice was deep and rumbly and he didn't talk good, but he didn't sound angry. Nor did the big wolfy by his side. Shornfang. Her puppy's father, the biggest puppy in the whole wide world that made horses look small. One day her puppy would be as big as Donovan too!

"Yeah!" Tess laughed back easily. "Do we need to stop?" She was having fun but important things were happening too. She heard her new sister, Lorna – who was a good sister and made Liam happy – talk about important things, like trade and treaties. Father always talked about treaties like they were big things even if the paper they wrote them on was small.

She didn't want to stop, but if it would help her sister she would. Even if she was a sneaky princess, which made Mother mad, she was good princess too.

"No." Gal-Fanger said with a shake of his head, then frowned which made his tusks pull at his face weirdly. Orcs were weird, why did they have green skin? Did the tusks get in the way? Why did he only have a beard and no hair? "Yes. Where see. Worried." He finished.

Tess took a moment to understand what he said. "Oh. Okay." She tussled with her puppy for a moment longer, getting a playful little whiny snarl. "They want us to play where they can see us. Wanna go sneak up on the big fox?"  She asked, getting a bark of agreement.

It'd be fun. The big fox was where everyone was, letting him listen while he napped and slept and stuff. He was hurt, which was sad, he was pretty and shouldn't be hurt. But Lorna said there had been a war and he got hurt in it like Ronald and Darren had; they should bring a priest to help him! Or a witch, but Trix was a witch and so was her teacher so why hadn't they helped him?

Frowning at the thought, annoyed they hadn't helped the big fox, Tess got up. She'd order them to help Lord Renard, such a pretty fox didn't deserve to still be injured. Even if it took years and years they should help him get better!

"Heh." Gal-Fangar grunted with a toothy – tusky? – grin, then moved away with his wolfy in tow. That was practically permission! Mother wouldn't agree, but that didn't mean she was wrong.

Getting out from under her puppy, Tess got up and led the way. Clambering up the roots and shushing her puppy when she scrabbled noisily; she had to show her how to move quietly, one paw at a time and softly without using her claws. The big fox had big ears and would hear them if they weren't quiet.

Out in the glade she saw Lorna talking with the other orc, Rock... storm? Rookstorm and Gwyneth and 'that damnable Crowley'. He didn't look damnable... but maybe that was an adult thing she didn't understand yet. Straining her ears she could just barely hear some of their words, and she tried wondering if it was about her and whether she'd get to keep her puppy.

"–not an alliance. We cannot offer that so easily, but if the Frostwolves face a threat from others we will be able to intercede on your behalf. Open talks to deescalate the fighting." Lorna answered something Rookstorm had asked. "Diplomacy is not something your people have much experience in."

"But it is something you will need in the future." Gwyneth added, looking like she knew things she shouldn't. Which she might, she knew things that made Father angry and got those archmages to come looking for her... "The valley can't stay hidden forever, and even if you could fight away all that challenged you for control of it, is that how your clan wishes to live? Battling for their right to live in the home they carved out for themselves?"

Rookstrom didn't look happy and kept staring at Gwyneth. "It is not. The valley is our home now, the mountains enough for generations of Frostwolves." She snorted and shook her head. "Yet you offer words without blood, without oath. What comes if your fellow humans seek our lives, our home, our destruction? No doubt you would side with them."

Difficult adult things, not interesting at all. But before Tess stopped paying attention Trix's teacher started laughing.

"If you think that you don't know humans! The kingdoms fight as much as the clans used to, Elder Rokhstrom. We banded together because of the threat of the Horde, and will remain together because there are even worse things in the world. But if Alterac comes for you, wanting to reclaim their territory, we'd be on your side. There's no love lost there. If Ironforge, or Lordaeron... well, unless you attacked them..." She trailed off and looked to Lorna.

"We would not side with them. Our treaty would require us to speak on your behalf, and, in time as trust grows, more might come of it."

Lorna kept speaking, but Tess wasn't interested anymore. Well, maybe a little – they needed to protect the land of the giant puppies! But first came sneaking up on the big fox.

Her puppy peered over the root beside her, looking down on the napping face of the big fox. His eyes closed and breathing slowly. He looked so pretty up close, almost as pretty as her puppy was, and it made her angry at the one that hurt him. How could they hurt such a pretty fox?!

Slipping down the root she goat closer, close enough to feel his breath on her face. Behind Tess her puppy yipped quietly, not following her; this close she felt just how big he was. Big enough to eat her up in one big bite.

Maybe getting so close wasn't a good idea and she started to back away – then a big puff of air knocked her over.

He was awake! Big gleaming eyes cracked open and stared at her, mischievous and amused. "Oh, what do we have here? A little princess sneaking up on a sleeping beast? Why... I've not had a damsel in distress to myself in ages." His grin was wide and toothy, big and menacing, and she trembled. "One shouldn't sneak up on a god, girl. They might take offence."

"But you don't?" She asked, voice quivering and feeling tears well up in her eyes.

"Of course not! You're doing just what you should, sneaky, sneaky little princess." He chuckled playfully, shrinking down to a much less scary size. "Your friend is looking for you in the woods. She's worried out of her mind, you know. What a mean little prank to play."

Tess' heart sank. She didn't mean to get Trix in trouble, or make her worried. She just wanted to play without being coddled. But she came back when Gal-Fangar asked her, didn't she? Stupid Tess. "Would you... if I tell you a story, would you have her come back without being punished? You like stories." She thought hard on what she might be able to tell. Not the bed time stories Father told her, he'd know those. He was older than Gilneas! "Um. How I rescued Trix from the dungeons?"

The not-big-fox grinned widely. "Why, that sounds quite equitable." He settled down, hurt leg held to the side while he rested his head on the other in front of her. "Nim, do go find our lost little witch."

Putting on a 'court smile' like Mother taught her, Tess started telling the story. She might have embellished it a little, making the sleepy guard she stole the keys from more awake and aware, but if anything Lord Renard seemed to enjoy it more because of that. Offering his own suggestions to make the story better, like a daring escape with Trix's magic to make a vine out a window.

She wished she'd thought of that. They'd never have gotten caught if they ran through the gardens!