(2023-05-11) Reporting In

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Author:	Alli
Summary:	Thalstan reports in with Elohad at HQ after the mission into the Stockades.
Rating:	M for Mature 17+

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language, misogynistic insulting language, brief mention of torture

There's the sound of heavy footsteps, and a swatch of dark, luxurious hair can be seen peeking up above the railing. Soon enough, the impressive hair resolves into the mail-clad figure of Thalstan at the top of the staircase, his Cobalt wings hidden behind the wide expanse of his beard. He scans Cobalt Company's HQ with bright eyes as he folds his muscular arms on top of his beard. There's the ale barrels, there's the usual spread of snacks, there's the globe, and… there's one Elohad Ference, sitting in his usual chair.

Thal raises one hand in greeting as his face lightens with a mustache-muffled smile. "Sir Ference!"

Elohad grins and rises, setting aside the reports he was reading. "If it isn't the famous leader of the Cobalt Blade! Looking good on those posters, Stouthammer."

Thalstan squares his shoulders proudly. "Thank yeh, sir. I do think those posters came out jus' lovely. All th'others, too, lookin' like proper heroes." He clomps down the staircase with his heavy tread and moves over to the sitting area.

"I sort of wish they hadn't posed poor Zaara that way, but uh, I can't say it doesn't attract eyes." He clears his throat. "Anyway, how'd your last mission go?"

"It would ha' gone better if they'd ha' let us in the Stockades in the first place," Thal rustles his bushy eyebrows as he hops up to sit heavily in one of the chairs. "They could ha' jus' trusted the word of Cobalt. We've always been true and strong as forged iron, have we no', sir?"

"We have indeed. But some people are just stubborn. I suppose this particular stubborn fellow learned his lesson though. Shame it had to be at such a cost."

Thal nods sadly. "Th' whole prison was in an uproar by th' time they called us in. The orc on one side, the Defias assassins 'nother, and Canton on a third. We did save 'im, though. Got 'im safe to Shaw, as a sheep."

"As as SHEEP?" Elohad guffaws. "Okay, that's definitely going in the book."

Thal gives a deep, warm chuckle. "It was Trouble's idea. Arthur, that is. And a right good one. What assassin will look for a little wooly fella?"

"I love it." Elohad grins. "I'm so pleased. Took us long enough to get the team together, but they've been everything I hoped for."

"I'm glad. It's been worth every drop o' sweat, workin' with those folk. Mayhem's still a little keen on the violence, and Vengeance with her, but they keep on the side of right." Thal wrinkles his brow. "We still ha' more questions than answers in a few places. Aiming to head after the key to that lockbox in Ratchet soon, for one. Still no idea what's in it tha's so important."

"It makes for a great story arc to tie all the episodes together," Elo says enthusiastically. "Uh, and also, I mean, important to Kingdom security and all."

"Heh, yeah, both o' those things," Thal grins, mustache rustling. "I do hope it's somethin' exciting in the end. Another thing, the orc assassin we were after was working some with a group called the Crimson Coterie. You ever heard tell o' them?"

Elohad frowns. "It rings a vague bell, but nothing specific. Not an orc clan, surely? Doesn't sound it. They all have names like 'Bloodynose' and 'Dripping Fang'."

"Horde, but I dinnae know what all sort they take. Mercenaries, I gather." He peers at Elohad. "You ever heard tell in your travels o' someone calls herself the Crimson Lady?"

Elo goes pale, and his lips press together. He is silent for a moment. The next thing he says is in perhaps the most vicious tone of voice Thalstan has ever heard from him.

"That scheming bitch."

Thalstan's eyes go wide, and he turns to look over his shoulder. Maybe he's looking for a scheming bitch hiding in the shadows. He turns back to Elo. "Yeh do know 'er then? Dangerous lass?"

"Ha! She wishes." Elo rises and begins to pace, raking a hand back through his thinning hair. "She's a spoiled, entitled elven princess who has taken it upon herself to try to one-up me at every opportunity. She's gotten it into her head that we're nemeses or rivals or something and honestly she's just… nothing to me. Except, apparently, an unending pain in my ass. Pardon my language, son."

Thal blinks, watching the boss man pace. Perhaps wisely, he does not observe that she seems to be a bit more than nothing to him.

"We-ell, they can't be too important or we'd ha' heard o' them 'fore now," he says running a hand over his beard in thought. "Do yeh think they know Cobalt, in the Horde?"

"Oh, I imagine they've heard, yes, after the portals in Outland, and the mail system working again… Cobalt has done things that affect the entire world, Horde included. And that bitch Aro'ephel just can't stand not trying to compete with us." He continues to pace. "Well, nice job so far, princess - first I've even heard of your little outfit."

"Tha' an' it was from an orc in a Stormwind prison," Thal nods. "Not th' best kind o' hearsay. So. Are we competin' wi' her an' her folk?"

Elohad exhales audibly, an aggravated ppfff. "Of course we aren't! There's no competition. We're Cobalt Company." This reminder seems to calm him somewhat, and he returns to his seat. "Let her play mercenary leader all she wants. She's not me, and she never will be."

"Okay, no competition. But… wha' should I do if I run into one? A Crimson? Treat 'em as th'enemy?" Thal looks worriedly at Elohad.

"Treat them as the Horde," he says flatly. "Because that's what they are. If you're in neutral territory, leave them alone. If you catch them in Alliance territory, kill on sight."

"Even th'elven princess?" Thal may have read novels involving elven princesses, even if they're not his type.

"Especially the elven princess. She's always been petty and malicious, and now she's a traitorous fel-sniffing blood elf on top of it all. So yeah. Off with her head. I'll drink a bottle of good Alliance whiskey to celebrate and then piss it out on her grave."

He takes another deep breath.

"Sorry. She… did a lot of very awful personal things to me even before she betrayed the Alliance. And this just kind of blindsided me. I'll calm down."

More deep breaths.

Thalstan's eyes are round as the end of a beer barrel. "Alrigh' sir, alrigh'. They Bern sniffin' around Redridge, but I think we would ha' heard if they did anythin' dreadful."

Elo growls. More deep breaths. "So uh… other than that… you resolved the situation successfully it sounds like?"

"Yes, sir. We ought yards hear about his info from Shaw any time now." Thal reconsider this statement and adds, "Providin' he's in a sharin' mood."

Elo manages a laugh. "You never know with Shaw. But I think he owes you at least a bit of intel, after all you've done."

"I sure hope so." Thal sits back thoughtfully, and then continues in a more reporting tone of voice, "We cleared all those folk out in th'Stockades, though the Warden's probably got the cells full again by now. The Defias looks ta be on its last legs. They'll melt and collapse into th'lava soon eno', is my thought."

"Ah, that would be amazing. Just to be rid of them once and for all. I'll give you all a hefty bonus if you can manage it."

"I'll let th'team know," Thal chuckles warmly. "Give 'em a bit of a spur on. Anythin' else you'd like ta know about th'mission or how th'team's shapin' up?"

"I think you've been doing a good job of keeping me informed. But I'm always here if you have more to share." The smile is back.

Thal considers less volatile things to share, and then settles on, "Zaara's learnin' Common right quick. I think her slogan now is 'Eat a Storm'. Catchy, that. An' Ves complains, but she's always come through when we need 'er. Arthur is a fount o' good ideas. I wonder why folk thought he was trouble."

"Eat a storm…" Elo repeats enthusiastically. "Okay, that's going in the books. Got to love a good catchphrase."

Thal grins, rustling his mustache. "An' Tadget is… we-ell, I'd expect no less o' the 7th Legion, but she's a deadly li'l lass."

"She behaving herself all right?" He raises a skeptical brow.

"Oh, yeah," Thal nods eagerly, shifting the mountain of ruggedly handsome hair. "When she says she wants ta torture somebody, an' I say no, she hardly e'en protests. Verra good team player."

Elo laughs out loud. "I think you're just the leader she needs, Stouthammer. As my son would say, 'ppreciate you."

Thal grins. " 'ppreciate you too, sir. My life would no' have been the same if I hadn't joined up wi' Cobalt."

"And we needed you, too, badly. So it's a win-win situation. My favorite kind of situation." He grins and rises, moving to Thalstan to shake his hand. "Thank you for your report; I won't keep you any longer. I'm sure you've got a lot on your plate."

Thal rises and reaches up to shake his hand. "Always do, but tha's jus' the way I like it."