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| Details |
| Author: | Disknight |
| Summary: | Rozalin awakes in a camp with Crim. The two plan their next moves from there. |
| Rating: | M for Mature 17+ |
Arc: Cobalt Manhunt
Rose woke up in the Deadmines. She was wearing an old dress that she’d lost ages ago now and her arms were missing all the scars they’d accumulated over the years. She was in the kitchen. She would have said she was alone, but that wasn’t exactly true. The whole gang was there. Will, Miles, Gideon, Ansel, Simon, Duncan, Linus, and Matthias. The lot of them took turns, one at a time, while the others watched. Rose screamed for someone to come and help her, to take them away, to make it all go away. But no one did. No one ever did. Except this time… A huge dark figure barged into the room and swept them all aside like so many stalks of wheat. Rose’s heart beat faster as the figure eyed her hungrily. His massive hands gripped her knees and pulled them apart just as the others had, and he-
“STOOOOOOOOOPPP!!!” Rozalin jolted upright and screeched. She buried her face in her hands and sobbed for a long while. As the tears slowly subsided Rozalin raised her head and blinked some clarity back into her vision. She saw her arms… the scars were back. It was just that nightmare again. She wrapped her arms around her knees and shook. It had been weeks since Rozalin last had that dream. It clearly hadn’t lost any of its potency, though. She felt like she was going to be sick. She took deep breaths and grabbed her forehead. Rozalin furrowed her brow in surprise. Was there a… bandage around it? Where the fel was she?
Rozalin finally took a moment to take in her surroundings. She seemed to be in a cave that was illuminated by a small smolding fire a few feet in front of her. It was odd. It may have just been Rozalin needing to wake up yet, but the flame seemed to be burning without any fuel. She was laying in a bedroll that was way too big for her. “What the…” She snapped her neck to the right and nearly jumped out of her skin. There was a wolf laying there staring at her with its ears perked up. The thing was huge. It had to be at least as big as a horse, probably bigger. “Shhhhi…” Rozalin was about to curse, but cut herself off because she was afraid of startling the beast. She was astonished that her cries earlier hadn’t elicited any response other than its curiosity. The wolf’s body looked tense like it was prepared to pounce at any moment, but didn’t appear actively aggressive. She looked to the left and saw a big, long knife laying in its sheath. Rozalin crawled out of the bedroll and picked it up. She wasn’t looking for a fight, but it was better safe than sorry. She unsheathed the blade and grinned as she felt the edge with her thumb. It was deadly sharp. Great! She thought. With this she could finally cut herself out of those bonds she had on her wri… They were already gone… What was going on? And more importantly where was she? And who was that dark figure who presumably took her here?
She finally took a look toward the mouth of the cave and saw what looked like her answer. There was a figure sitting out on the edge of the cave, facing outwards. Rozalin looked back at the giant wolf. It had laid its head down and its chest rose and fell in a slow, steady rhythm. It must have gone to sleep. What? Rozalin shook her head to regain her focus and held the knife firmly in her hand and slowly crept out toward the figure. As she drew closer the figure became clearer and clearer. She could now make out a long black braid. After a few more steps she saw a puff of white smoke waft in the breeze in front of him, and yet a few more revealed the tips of his green pointed ears. Once she was just a few feet away from him Rozalin dashed forward and held the blade up against the figure’s neck. She clenched her jaw and growled. She wanted answers and she wanted them now.
“So you’re finally awake.” Crim said calmly. He blew out a thin line of white line of smoke and turned his head to meet Rozalin’s gaze with his blood red eyes.
Rozalin’s grip on the knife faltered for a moment in surprise, but she did her best to keep a hard expression and pressed the edge harder on Crim’s throat, “Crim? What the fuck… how did you find me?”
“I heard you’d gotten into some trouble and came to Stranglethorn. From there I called upon the spirits for guidance to find you.” Crim responded plainly.
What kind of answer was that, Rozalin thought? Her head was spinning at a million miles an hour. Crim was here? She thought he was busy fighting the Alliance in Kalimdor? How did he hear about this? And more importantly, why did he leave to come chase after her? It wasn’t that Rozalin didn’t appreciate it, of course, but it just didn’t make any sense.
“Well maybe next time you pull a stunt like this you can let me in on it a little earlier!” Rozalin’s hand trembled. To think of all the things she thought that dark figure had in store for her and it was just Crim all along. Tears streamed down Rozalin’s face while she scowled at him.
Crim’s expression softened seeing the fear in Rozalin’s eyes, “Forgive me. My options were limited and there was no time to explain.”
“Try again!” Rozalin shouted, “I’ve got the jump on you now. Why shouldn’t I slit your throat for what you fuckin put me through!”
Crim’s eyes remained hard as stone as he replied, “You can try.”
Rozalin flinched at his resolve. She removed the blade and clutched it close to herself. Her chest heaved. The past few days had been one thing after another and she was exhausted.
“Your sleep was troubled. I can only guess as to why based on the things you muttered, but I had a feeling that you would feel more comfortable if you awoke alone and with a weapon nearby.” Crim turned to look out at the nearby pond. He placed the mouthpiece of his pipe between his lips and took a long drag.
It wasn’t until then that Rozalin’s heartbeat slowed from its breakneck pace. She stood there silently and stared at Crim. That was surprisingly considerate of him. She looked down at the knife. She could have really hurt him if she had wanted to… “Yeah… yeah, that’s true…”
“I took the liberty of patching you up a little as well. Your head was in rough shape and I did my best to ease the pressure from your concussion.” Smoke billowed out of his mouth and nose while he spoke, “But other than that I left tending your wounds to the spirits. I brought you here in the condition I found you.”
“You mean…” Rozalin looked down at herself. She was still in the same clothes she’d been in while she was marching with the Seahawks, grass and mud stains and all. She was even still wearing her boots. It was clear he barely touched her. That was hardly the proper procedure for healing…
Rozalin sighed in relief and collapsed to her knees, “Good… I… what all did you hear me say?”
Crim turned over his pipe and tapped out the embers of the leaves he was smoking out onto the dirt, “Enough to know you needed some space.”
He knew. He had to have. Rozalin had woken up Lena in the middle of the night more than once from screaming in her sleep. Yet even so, Crim was doing everything he could to let her face him with dignity.
Crim tucked his pipe back into his belt and tossed a mango at Rozalin, “Eat up. I’m sure you’re hungry.”
That was an understatement. As soon as the large, ripe fruit came into her view Rozalin’s stomach growled and her mouth salivated uncontrollably. She grabbed the mango, peeled it with the knife in the blink of an eye, and chomped down on it. In just moments the flesh had been gnawed down all the way to the pit. After she finished she looked down at her hands all covered in sticky juice. And that was to say nothing of how caked in dirt and sweat she was besides, “Hey, uh…” Rozalin motioned toward the nearby pond, “Mind givin me a little space to wash up?”
Crim narrowed his eyes in thought, “We still have important matters to discuss. Namely what we do next from here, but…” He grunted, “I suppose your mind will be clearer afterwards.” Crim got onto his feet and shouldered his axes. “Meet me inside when you’re finished.”
What we do next… Rozalin thought while she watched Crim disappear into the mouth of the cave. What we do. He was really serious about helping her. It was so confusing. She liked to think of him as a friend, but still. Rozalin never would have expected him to come all the way out here and fight a whole band of mercenaries just to keep her safe. It felt strange, but… in a good way. The traces of a smile played on Rozalin’s lips. She made sure to wipe the look off of her face before she looked back to make sure Crim had gone and then stripped down and headed into the pond to clean herself off.
The cool water was bracing and Rozalin eagerly waded in up to her belly. She splashed water up onto herself and scrubbed all over. She knew it was just a dream and none of the old gang had ever managed to take it that far, but each time she had that nightmare she still felt disgusting until she was able to wash up. Once she felt like she had her body back, she dunked her head in the water to pull herself all the way back to the waking world.
Rozalin shook her head and wiped her eyes. Nothing changed, but it felt like she was looking at a whole new world now. She soaked in the clear pond for a while and wrung out her hair as she took in her surroundings. The pond was on the edge of a clearing nestled in a valley somewhere in the mountains. The view was breathtaking. Rozalin smiled and leaned back to float in the water for a little while. She closed her eyes and thought that maybe it would be nice if she just stayed here for a few days. Roughing it in the jungle with Crim sounded kind of fun. It had been too long since her last real adventure. When she heard what sounded like a twig snapping in the distance Rozalin shot back under the water’s surface and covered herself. It was just a parrot gathering materials for a nest. Well the dream was nice while it lasted, Rozalin thought as soon as she realized. She wasn’t going to get much relaxing in until the people who were hunting her down were dealt with for good. She stepped out from the water and pulled her undergarments back on. She went to grab her shirt and pants too, but paused. She was still dripping wet since she didn’t have a towel, and looking at her skin, she still had a lot of bumps and bruises. Hmm… it’s not like she was going anywhere for a little while yet, so there wasn’t any harm. And she was pretty bruised up, but none of it looked too bad. For the most part she was just sore from being run ragged trying to fend for herself for the past several days. Rozalin shrugged and picked up the rest of her clothes along with the knife and headed back up to the cave. Getting a quick checkup wouldn’t hurt, would it?
The smell of roasting seafood wafted out from the entrance. “What’s cookin, big guy?” Rozalin asked with a grin.
“You’re back.” Crim was turning some fish skewered onto small pointed sticks. He glanced up to look at Rozalin but looked back at his cooking when he noticed she wasn’t fully clothed, “I caught a few fish earlier. You’ll need your strength if you want to get out of here.”
“You got that right.” Rozalin dripped and took a seat next to Crim, “I guess that’s the next thing we gotta plan, huh?”
Crim grunted and continued turning the fish over the flame.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Rozalin asked. Her choice of words were harsh, but the question was asked plainly enough.
Crim gave her a brief sidelong glance, “Cooking. You need your strength.” He repeated.
“Yeah I know. And I’d kind of like to eat sometime today, so gimme that.” Rozalin snatched the skewers out from Crim’s hands and scooted in front of him to hold the fish closer to the fire, “You’re not gonna get any char on this holding it so damn far away.”
Now positioned in front of him, Crim was afforded a clear view of Rozalin’s back. Her damp skin glistened in the flickering light of the fire. Crim took particular note of the pair of dimples in the small of Rozalin’s back while she leaned forward to cook their meal. He found it difficult to draw his attention away from them or how her wide hips flared out underneath them. It took a moment for Crim to choose his words, “Are you trying to dry off in the fire?”
“Sorta, yeah…” Rozalin turned her head back for a second to look at him. She noticed Crim’s eyes move up to look her in the face and her cheeks got a little red, “I don’t need my clothes getting all wet and uh… well I figured you could finish fixing me up? Got a lot of bruises here still.” She chuckled nervously. What was she doing? Why didn’t she finish dressing? She was fine. They both knew that, but now she was sitting here half naked letting Crim stare at her backside.
Crim grunted and adjusted himself to get up on his knees, “Let me take a look.”
“Right…” Rozalin stuck the skewers up in the ground at an angle to continue cooking while Crim looked after her wounds. It wasn’t anything she hadn’t done with him a dozen times over in the ring, but it felt a bit different now that she was starting off in nothing but her panties and a tank top rather than having to work her way out of her armor first.
“Hey, uh… Crim?” Rozalin asked.
Crim held Rozalin’s arm and waved his hand over it until the scrapes and bruises dissipated, “What is it?”
“Just wanted to say thanks… For thinkin to wait until I was awake to finish up with this.” Rozalin chuckled a little. She wasn’t good at being so sincere.
Crim grunted and continued working over the rest of her body. He remained quiet and on task while he tended to Rozalin, but she did notice a couple of times that his gaze lingered a little around her hips and chest. Rozalin felt her body tense up at the attention. She was about to push him away, but something in the back of her mind told her not to. She was nervous, sure, but she wasn’t afraid… It was a novel sensation. She couldn't remember the last time she’d welcomed this kind of attention from a man. To be fair she did prefer going after women most of the time, but still…
“Nothing but a bit of wear from your journey to Stormwind it seems. I’ve already done what I can for your head. That should be sorted out after a few days of good rest.” Crim finished checking Rozalin over and sat back down.
Rozalin gulped and cleared her throat, “R-right. Thanks big guy.” And she turned back around to continue cooking their lunch. While she did she found herself becoming more and more self-conscious of how much skin she was showing and how the wet black cloth of her top clung close to her body leaving little to the imagination, “Do you got a blanket or something I could borrow until I dry off?”
It took Crim a couple seconds to pull his attention from her. “Here.” He reached behind him and pulled out a large red blanket, offering it to Rozalin.
Unpleasant or not, the fluttering in her stomach was getting to be a bit much for her right now and Rozalin covered herself up, “Thanks. Food’s just about done.” With that Rozalin took the skewers away from the fire, keeping a few for herself while handing the rest to Crim. As soon as he took the food from her she dug into her own share, tearing off huge chunks of flesh and using her hands to help spit out the bones.
Crim grunted in amusement at the sight, “Now that you’re eating, we can address the next challenge in our path. Where do we go from here? Is there anywhere safe you know you can run to?”
“Sure ain’t.” The words would have been bitter, but Rozalin found herself in a remarkably good mood given the circumstances. Our path??? The words echoed in her head.
Crim grunted again and took a bite of one of his fish. He blinked, “This is good. I didn’t bring hardly any spices here with me…” He finished the fish in a couple bites and moved on to the next.
“The flame gives it flavor too. Just gotta let it crisp up a bit. I can’t believe you were seriously just gonna eat plain fish without browning the skin first or anything.” Rozalin finished her first fish almost as fast as Crim.
Crim smiled at her. They’d drank together before, but they never shared a proper meal like this, certainly not one that Rozalin had prepared herself. So far he’d only heard stories about how skilled she was in the kitchen. It was nice. The conflict in the Barrens didn’t give him many chances to relax.
Rozalin felt her cheeks grow warm when she noticed him looking at her, “What are you smiling for?”
“Just glad to see that your indomitable spirit is back.” Crim explained.
A fish bone got caught in Rozalin’s throat when she choked a little at the unexpected comment. She coughed and slapped her sternum until she managed to dislodge it, “What the fel?” Where did that come from?
“Don’t worry yourself over it now.” Crim bit into another fish. He meant what he said, but he could save the praise for a better time. “We need a plan. If nowhere here is safe then I can find a way to take you to Kalimdor. The Alliance has fewer eyes there and I’ll be closer at hand if you ever need anything.”
Rozalin coughed a few more times from the lingering tickle in her throat, “And how do you figure we do that? It’s not like I can just waltz back to Booty Bay. I’ll be caught again before I even make it to the docks.” And why did his help factor so heavily into this plan? Didn’t he have better things to do?
Crim raised an eyebrow, “You can’t, but I can. I’ll arrange passage to meet us somewhere discreet so we can slip away quietly.”
“And what makes you so sure you’ll even be able to pull that off? I was in the city and I couldn’t find shit!” Rozalin snapped.
“You forget who I am.” Crim’s voice boomed in the small cave, “I may spend my spare time tending to aspiring warriors, but before that I am Ragefang! The Breaker of the Searing Blade, Slayer of Nefarian, and the Hero of the Mag’har!” His chest puffed and he straightened his back up tall while he spoke, “Many there will be eager to win my favor.”
Rozalin felt herself be physically pushed back by Crim’s speech. She pulled the blanket tighter around herself. He had a point. She often forgot just how important he was to the Horde, but that just made the idea of him helping her all the more confusing. “Ain’t there a Horde outpost round these parts?” Rozalin muttered, still cowed by Crim’s display, “Why not just pretend I’m your prisoner or somethin and take me that way? Sounds a whole lot easier to me.”
“No.” Crim didn’t raise his voice, but it thundered firmly and his eyes flashed red, “The capturing of enemies for our own whims is a barbaric practice that should have died with Blackhand. I will not dishonor myself by claiming you.”
Rozalin cowered back a little, “I was just trying to make it easier on you, jeez…”
Crim closed his eyes and took a deep breath, “I apologize for speaking so harshly. But even if my pride and my reputation were not at stake I would still refuse. I will not allow you to be degraded in such a despicable manner, even of your own accord.”
Silence hung in the cave for a moment. Rozalin felt the flutter in her stomach come back. She tried to get a read on Crim, but whenever she met his eyes, she found herself unable to handle how intense and ardent they were. In the end she simply scrunched up and looked down at the stone floor of the cave instead. Why couldn’t she look at him? He wasn’t leering at her. She wasn’t afraid. Hell, if anything she felt safer than she had in a long time with the way Crim was talking about her like they were a team. Why was he so concerned about her? What was going on between the two of them?
“F-fine… Have it your way.” Rozalin mumbled and wiggled her toes.
Crim snorted softly and grinned when he noticed, “Good. I’ll set off now then. We don’t have any time to waste.” Crim rose to his feet, taking up his axes to sling across his back.
Rozalin jolted back to attention, “Whoa wait! You’re just gonna leave me here by myself?!?” She shot out from the cover of her blanket and grabbed Crim’s wrist. It took both hands to get her grip all the way around it. “What if the Seahawks come back?”
“Don’t worry.” Crim placed a huge hand on the side of Rozalin’s head, “Those mercenaries will be busy licking their wounds for a while yet. I’ll be back before they even have a chance to try and sniff us out.”
Rozalin’s heart skipped a beat. Crim’s eyes were so warm and familiar. She shrugged the hand off and averted her gaze again, but she kept her grip on Crim’s wrist, “Yeah, and I didn’t think word had reached Booty Bay about me being wanted yet when I got caught. Who knows what other tricks they got up their sleeves?”
Crim whistled and Drel perked his head up from where he was laying down deeper in the cave. He ordered the wolf over and he walked up to Rozalin, inclining his head down to sniff her curiously. Rozalin was more than a little alarmed at first having such a large predator approach her, but she warmed up a bit once the wolf started licking her face. “Hey, cut it out.” Rozalin laughed and tried to block Drel with her arms. Her attempts were made in vain as Drel simply stuck his snout between them and continued licking.
“I suppose I’ve never introduced you, have I? This is my wolf, Drel.” Crim chuckled as he watched Drel knock over Rozalin while he licked her.
Rozalin yelped and giggled as she fell over, “Ok ok! That’s enough saying hello. Eugh, I just washed up, now knock it off already. Ahh! Ew! Your tongue’s getting in my mouth!”
“That’s just how wolves greet one another. They’re a bit more forward about it than your dogs.” Crim explained. He barked another order to Drel and he stopped licking and sat down.
“Yeah, I noticed.” Rozalin got back up onto her knees and used the bottom of her undershirt to wipe up all the slobber on her face.
Crim cleared his throat as the undersides of Rozalin’s large breasts peeked out from the bottom of her upturned tank top, “He knows you’re a friend, so you aren’t in any danger.” He felt the blood rushing through his body and grabbed his belt to adjust his pants while he shifted his legs. Fortunately Rozalin didn’t seem to notice what he was doing as she was more interested in Drel at the moment. She shuffled over to start scratching the thick fur around the wolf’s neck wearing a big smile. It seemed Rozalin had warmed up to Drel already, “He can stay here with you. He’s a strong breed: a mix of mainly Nagrand Prowler along with Silverpine Worg and a bit of Frostwolf. Even a battle hardened warrior would have to think twice before facing him.”
“He’s my bodyguard then?” Rozalin said with a grin. Drel panted while he soaked up all the affection Rozalin was giving him.
Crim grunted in affirmation, “Is that satisfactory?”
“Yeah yeah.” Rozalin shot Crim a wink while she continued petting Drel, “Do what you gotta do so we can ditch this stupid jungle, big guy.”
Crim pounded a fist on his chest and grinned at her, “I’ll be on my way then. Blood and thunder.” And with that, he made his way out of the cave to set off for the city. He only stopped for a moment to turn back when he heard Rozalin call out to him.
“Hey! Big guy! Lok’tar!” Rozalin stood next to Drel and waved.
Seeing him off before heading into battle, Crim thought. His lips pulled into a wide, tusked smile. He could get used to this sight, “Lok’tar!” He bellowed back.
Crim sprinted down the road to Booty Bay as fast as he could. Fortunately with his strong connection to the wolf spirit he didn’t sacrifice much speed for leaving Drel behind. Crim gave everything he had to push his spectral lupine legs as fast as they could go. It was only after he made it to the tunnel leading into the city that he slowed down and returned to his orcish form. Even so, he still wasted no time in heading down to the docks to try and secure passage to Kalimdor. He kept his questions prudent so as to avoid undue suspicion. However, some captains weren’t able to leave on such short notice, and others weren’t willing to take on so much risk. Crim didn’t lose heart, though. He’d find one soon enough. He trusted the spirits to guide him.
“Well well well.” A nasally voice called out, “Look who’s back.” Nack sauntered up to Crim and nodded.
Crim nodded back and grunted, “Nack, throm’ka.”
“Doing some business down at the docks?” Nack raised an eyebrow.
“As a matter of fact, I am.” Crim turned to face the goblin head on, “And I somehow doubt that you finding me so quickly was an accident.”
The corner of Nack’s mouth twisted up into a grin, “Got ourselves a wiseguy here, don’t we?” Nack extended a hand toward the location of his office on one of the higher decks, “Before you keep making moves here, though, why don’t we talk a bit. Came across some information that I got a feeling you’ll be interested in.”
Crim furrowed his brow and peered at Nack. He was as impossible to read as ever. Crim grunted and stepped toward the goblin.
“After you.” Nack kept his hand held out while Crim took the lead back to Nack’s office.
Once they were inside they took their seats and got right to business.
“So what do you have for me?” Crim asked.
Nack leaned back in his chair and raised a long finger, “This isn’t about what I have; It’s about what someone else has. Like I said before, I don’t want to get mixed up in this mess.” He adjusted a stack of papers so that all the pages lined up nicely.
“I understand your conditions fine, Nack. Now tell me what it is.” Crim said betraying a hint of impatience for the roundabout manner of the goblin.
“You remember the last time you paid me a visit, yeah?” Nack asked nonchalantly while he continued tidying his desk.
“I do.” Crim replied.
Nack finished fiddling with his things and gave Crim his full attention, “Well the next day I got a young man from Cobalt Company coming down looking for our Roselash.”
“I see…” Crim opened and closed a fist absentmindedly. Did he have yet another foe to contend with, he thought? He could feel his axes itching already.
“But let me finish.” Nack butted back in, “He had some pretty big talk about how he thinks she’s innocent. Also made it sound like there’s some politics going on behind the scenes there too. Which, given how Cobalt Company’s founder is now on the Stormwind House of Nobles, it’s not difficult to imagine what kind of opportunity this sort of scandal could present to a potential rival.”
Crim leaned forward. Now this was news, “You’re saying the Seahawks were hired to find her?”
“I’m not saying anything. Just having a little chat with an old business partner.” Nack raised an eyebrow but kept his smile as glib and unassuming as ever.
Crim sighed, “Of course. But Roselash has this man’s good will as well as the vested interest of Cobalt Company on her side then?”
“Sure seems that way, pal.” Nack answered, “And that's a whole lot of people and resources getting thrown her way.”
“Hrrmmm…” Crim stroked his beard in thought. He was strong, but he was still only one man. Cobalt Company had more resources and fewer obstacles in its way when it came to saving Roselash. And that was to say nothing of clearing her name. If she ever wanted to see her home again, she’d need the help of the Alliance, not the Hero of the Mag’har. He clasped his fist in front of him and squeezed it tightly.
“I also hear that the Seahawks lost the mark they were going after to an orc raider.” Nack commented, “Roughed em up something fierce, snatched her right in front of them, and was gone just as fast.”
Crim relaxed his fists and glanced up at Nack, “And how do you reckon these are related?”
“Wouldn’t know.” Nack clicked his tongue, “It’s none of my business, but you know me. I’m always looking to expand. I don’t think Cobalt knows that their girl’s been nabbed by an orc.”
So there was his angle, Crim thought. “Then I could send a message. I have a good idea as to where Roselash was taken and Cobalt Company would be happy to have her back.”
“It would be, but I think you’re forgetting about all the bodies you’ve been putting away in the Barrens.” Nack said pointedly, “If we’re talking about scandals, I’d say being in cahoots with someone of your reputation is a whole lot worse for Cobalt than one rogue member.”
Crim grunted again. Nack was right. Damn it! Crim could manage if the humans’ hatred of him brought him some trouble, but having it get in the way of him saving one of their own kind? Crim clenched his fists, “Tell Cobalt Company that Roselash was captured by an orc.”
Nack blinked, “Am I hearing you correctly?”
“Tell them. Tell them everything.” Crim growled.
Nack sat with his mouth open for a moment. He folded his hands in front of him before continuing as calmly as he could, “I’m not sure you’re picking up on the implications here. If they hear one of their own’s been abducted by an orc to who knows where to do who knows what. Well let’s just say they aren’t exactly going to come to her rescue waving ribbons and flowers. You putting one of your comrades’ lives on the line?”
“I’m not their enemy here. I’ll convince them of that.” Crim’s deep, booming voice rumbled. “And I can handle a few mercenaries. If they wish to challenge me, then I welcome it.”
Nack rolled his eyes in frustration, “That’s good to know, but let’s get back on topic because we” Nack pointed back and forth between the two of them, “Don’t have anything to do with this.”
“Of course. Now let them know. Send a message to Cobalt Company.” Crim stood up.
Nack stared at him, absolutely astonished, “Alright, boss. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
“And Nack.” Crim saluted Nack, “You have my thanks for your aid.”
Nack cringed and rubbed his temples, “Help with what? I’ve got nothing to do with this.” He shot Crim a tired look, “Remember?”
“Of course. You’re just following up with a potential client.” Crim understood his role in this scheme, but it felt wrong to not give credit where it was due.
“Alright good, now scram.” Nack waved him off and pulled a stack of papers in front of himself.
Crim nodded and walked outside, closing the door behind him.
“Sheesh. Orcs and their crazy ‘honor’ and codes.” Nack shook his head and got back to work. The way Crim was acting he’d have thought he was planning a rescue mission for his mother or something. Granted, Crim wasn’t one to take half measures, but still. Nack wondered if Rozalin was aware of how fond Crim was of her or what Crim planned to do about those feelings, but again, not his problem. For now all he had to do was sit tight while either Crim or Cobalt Company set about protecting his client’s interests.
Rozalin sat deep in the back of the cave with Drel laying nearby at her feet. She had put out the fire after Crim left just to be safe. The place was pretty remote, but Rozalin didn’t feel like taking any chances after the string of bad luck she’d been having lately. As much as she wanted to sit outside and enjoy the sun and the water while she waited, Rozalin was too scared to so much as set foot outside the cave. It left her bored to tears, but what else was she supposed to do? If someone caught her now, who would come to bail her out?
“Come on Crim, where are you?” Rozalin bounced her leg nervously. As the hours passed by the sun set. Before long she could barely see more than a few feet in front of her in the dark of the cave. She jumped each time she saw the glimmer from Drel’s yellow eyes when they shone in the dark, catching what little light there was at just the right angle. Rozalin’s breath quickened. Even after it got dark, the temperature hardly dropped at all. The oppressive jungle heat lingered and stole away any chance she had at relaxing. Rozalin wanted nothing more than to bury herself deep in Drel’s thick fur and pray for this all to be over soon, but she couldn’t. She was burning up. She couldn’t tell if it was her head still needing to heal, the tension of the situation getting to her nerves, or the days of poor sleep finally catching up to her.
Rozalin pulled her shirt over her head and threw it at the cave wall. She shivered. She was hot, but she was shivering! What the fel is going on, Rozalin thought. Drel must have felt how uneasy she was because he got up and moved to lay his head down in her lap. Rozalin smiled and started running her fingers through the fur on top of the wolf’s head, “Good boy.” It felt like she spent an eternity sitting there waiting. She never even ate dinner because she didn’t think she’d be able to keep it down with how nervous she was.
Suddenly, the sound of rustling leaves and cracking underbrush came in through the mouth of the cave. Rozalin clenched her hand around a fistful of Drel’s fur and reached to pat the ground at her side until she managed to wrap her fingers around the grip of the big knife Crim left for her. Drel’s ears perked up at the sound too, and he got up and slipped away to the outside leaving Rozalin behind.
“Yeah, you go on ahead. I’ll come up behind to back you up.” Rozalin wasn’t sure if those whispered words were said more for her benefit or the wolf’s. By the time she got to the edge of the cave Drel was already out of sight. Between the animal’s dark fur and the clouds covering up the light from the moons and stars she didn’t have a prayer. All Rozalin could do now is hope that he had her back. The rustling sound drew closer and she could even pick out heavy footsteps now too. Rozalin pressed her back against the wall of the cavern and waited. She clenched her teeth and gripped her knife tightly with both hands. When Rozalin saw a large shape round the corner she leapt up and screamed, driving the knife forward into whatever was waiting.
“What the hell are you doing?” A massive hand grasped both of her wrists at once and lifted her up into the air. Rozalin kicked and screeched until the voice spoke again, “It’s me, Crim. I’m back.”
Once Crim set her back down Rozalin dropped the knife on the ground and threw her arms around him, “Fuckin dumbass! Don’t scare me like that…” Her breath caught in her throat while she pressed her face into Crim’s stomach.
Crim hesitated for a moment before bringing a hand around to pat Rozalin’s back, “I’ll make sure to announce myself next time, then. I didn’t want to risk calling any attention to us.”
“It’s a bit late for that now, asshole.” Rozalin sniffled and dug her fingertips into Crim’s heavy purple armor. She only relented when Drel came around from the side to lick her face. She had a hard time looking mad after that.
Crim spoke a command to Drel in Orcish and he stopped licking Rozalin and went back into the cave to rest. Crim put a hand on Rozalin’s shoulder and peeled her off of him so he could look her in the eyes, “Let’s go back inside. We have more to discuss.”
“We do?” Rozalin asked. She lagged behind while Crim continued on into the cave and reignited the fire with a quick flick of his fingers, “What’s that supposed to mean? I thought we had the plan all sorted out.” She started to panic, “Wait, did something go wrong!?”
“No. Now be patient. I understand you’re anxious, but you’ll only make things worse in your haste.” Crim set his axes to the side and took a seat near the fire, “I received some new information that bodes well for you.”
Rozalin darted in after Crim and sat on the opposite side of the fire, “Really? What does that mean? What happened?”
“Patience. I’m about to tell you.” Crim watched the flames dance introspectively as he continued his story, “While I was attempting to find a ship, Nack found me. He told me that Cobalt Company is looking for you and they think you’re innocent. From what little I know it sounds like they think you have a good case.”
Rozalin’s jaw dropped, “Are you serious… wait what?” She sat up and put her hands on her knees, “I thought they were gonna ditch me for sure!” A bit of light returned to her eyes. Crim grinned when he saw it.
“Apparently not. I took the liberty of telling Nack to contact them so they can come and get you. I’ll continue to help in whatever way I can, but I lack the resources that Cobalt Company has to clear your name.” Crim explained.
For a long while the only sound in the cave was the crackling of the fire. Rozalin didn’t know what to say. She looked to Crim to get some indication as to how she should be reacting to the news. It seemed like it should be happy, but Crim looked so serious. “Hey, uh, big guy? There something else you ain’t tellin me?”
Crim took a deep breath, “You’ve found yourself unwittingly in the middle of a political struggle between a pair of nobles in Stormwind. One of them naturally being Cobalt Company’s founder, Elohad the Enduring, and the other is one of his political rivals in the city.”
“Yeah, I remember Cass sayin somethin bout how some Lescovar or some shit is tryna use me to smear him or some crap.” Rozalin gave Crim a concerned look, “Anything else?”
Crim grunted, “With the situation as delicate as it is, and with people’s reputations at stake, Nack was unable to mention that it was me who took you here.” There was a grave look in his eyes, “As far as they’ll know, you were kidnapped by an orc and taken away to who knows where.”
Rozalin sank a bit, “Oh… that’s not great is it?”
“No. If this rival noble were to learn that Elohad was conspiring against them with the Horde, and with a champion such as myself no less, the scandal would be even greater than one of their members going rogue.”
His face was so serious, Rozalin thought. To be fair it always was, but this was different. She scooted around the fire to sit closer to Crim and placed a hand on his back, “You worried about what’s gonna happen when they get here?”
“I fear no man.” Crim rumbled, “I know how to appeal to their reason, and if that fails I know how to fight.” He glanced down at Rozalin. As soon as their eyes met, his expression softened.
Rozalin feigned a cough so Crim wouldn’t notice her blushing. Why did he keep smiling at her? “But still… you sure it ain’t botherin you none?”
Crim sighed deeply and grunted, “Perhaps… I can make a reasonable case to them, but with each passing day I seem to find myself surrounded by increasingly unreasonable people. In both the Alliance and the Horde.”
“Well if any of em try somethin stupid I’ll be sure to give them a piece of my mind.” Rozalin got up on her knees and straightened her back. She grabbed her flexed bicep and tightened her free hand into a fist.
Crim closed his eyes and took in a slow breath, “Thank you.” With that he stood up and started walking toward the mouth of the cave, “Get some rest. You need it. I’ll keep watch.”
Rozalin wanted to protest, but she wasn’t really in much position to. Her head was in a lot better shape than it was before, but she could still feel it swelling and pushing against the bandage wrapped around it. She stretched her hands above her head and leaned from side to side to crack her back and then crawled into Crim’s gigantic bedroll. She closed her eyes and tried to relax, but she just couldn’t manage it. Rozalin tossed and turned more than a dozen times hoping that eventually she’d be able to drift off, but she never did. She opened one eye to take a look at Crim where he sat out on the edge of the cave standing guard against any danger while she laid down. Her mind was swimming with thoughts. First Crim came all the way out here to rescue her. Then nursed her back to health and even took care not to frighten her by giving her some space and respecting her privacy. He was being such a good friend, Rozalin thought. So why was she feeling so flustered thinking about this? It seemed like whenever he looked at her he smiled. It made sense, right? They got along. Why shouldn’t he be happy to see her? Rozalin felt her stomach tying itself into a knot. But then why did she feel so flustered whenever she saw him looking at her?
She scrunched up into a ball and groaned. But he wasn’t just looking at her, Rozalin’s train of thought kept on chugging. She could deny it all she wanted, but she noticed Crim looking her over more than once. Why’d she let him do it? She’d beaten guys to a pulp for less. Even more than that, she’d walked right up to him wearing nothing but her underwear. As flustered as his wandering eyes made her at the time, there was no denying that she kind of enjoyed it. She just felt so safe with him around. Being with Lena had helped a lot, but she still wasn’t used to letting her guard down like this, especially not around a man.
A few more minutes passed and Rozalin was still no closer to falling asleep. Rozalin pursed her lips. She’d never sleep if she didn’t go over to him now, she thought. She got up and slowly padded over to where Crim was sitting at the mouth of the cave. Rozalin crossed her legs and sat down right next to him, “Hey big guy. You asleep?” She whispered.
“I’m meditating.” Crim muttered quietly.
Rozalin furrowed her brow and thought for a second, “Is that a yes?”
“The spirits will wake me if there’s any danger. I’m trying to get what rest I can.” Crim didn’t budge an inch.
Not quite what she was hoping for… Rozalin kneaded her hands and inched closer to Crim until their knees touched, “Well I can’t sleep at all. Can I talk to you?”
Crim finally opened one eye to look at her, “What is it?”
“N-nothing, I mean… I just… I’ve been feeling a little weird is all.” Rozalin spoke apprehensively.
Crim raised an eyebrow and placed a hand over her forehead, “What do you mean? Do you still feel weak? Are you getting sick?”
“N-no! It’s not that.” Rozalin snatched his huge hand and pulled it down from her face, “I just… Well I’m not used to people goin so far outta their way for me is all. What gives?” She was still holding Crim’s hand, resting it in her lap.
It was hard to tell with the flicker of the fire so far away, but Rozalin’s cheeks were getting rosy again. Crim took a deep breath and his expression grew sober. He’d been dancing around this subject a bit himself. It genuinely hadn’t really crossed his mind in a serious way until these past couple of days. Perhaps since she was human, the thought just never occurred to him. With circumstances as tumultuous as they were, it wasn’t really a good time, but it would be unfair to Rozalin to keep her waiting if she felt the same way.
“I’ve told you before that I worked as a medic in the Brawler’s Guild to helpguide wayward souls. Well, you were one of those souls in particular.” Crim studied her while he spoke. Each scar on her body had a story, and while he may not have known all of them, he knew that Rozalin’s was one he wanted to see play out to its conclusion, “I could tell from your first fight there that the rage you use to overcome your foes isn’t fueled by anger or hatred. It’s fueled by fear.”
Rozalin’s breath got a little shaky. She already knew that Crim could see right through her, but it was another thing entirely to hear him say it out loud. The deeper she fell into her rage, the more everyone looked like Will Hazan. It wasn’t pretty, but it worked.
“Fear is a dangerous thing. Anger can be cooled and hatred can be softened, but fear is all consuming. There are no other options than to run or to fight. I’ve seen you do both, be it picking fights or drowning yourself in drink.” Crim turned his hand over in Rozalin’s lap to envelop one of hers.
Rozalin took her other hand and placed it on top of Crim’s, “Yeah…” She said bashfully. “I’m… tryna be better…”
“I know.” Crim smiled, “The past few years I’ve seen you learn to control it. We can’t erase our scars, but we can control how they shape us.” He pointed up to his red eyes, “These are the marks of the demon’s blood that runs through my veins. There is a scorching wrath that burns within me. I fight every day to keep it in check, being too proud and too afraid to dare unleash it again.” Crim’s other hand reached up and traced the long scar across Rozalin’s face, “But you…”
Rozalin felt her whole body tingle at Crim’s touch. Her eyes darted wildly across his facial features. Everything in her body was telling her to stop and look away, but she knew she couldn’t. She swallowed and held her gaze firm.
“You have taken that fear and forged it into a weapon. You have wrestled with the darkness within your soul and won. It is something I truly admire about you, and I would rather die than see it snuffed out so soon.” Crim kept moving his hand, slipping it across Rozalin’s cheek until it rested on the side of her neck and stroked her jaw with his thumb.
Rozalin felt her lips tremble, “You… you really mean that?” Her face was burning up, but she didn’t care anymore.
Crim grunted, “I do. You’re relentless, and you hold true to what you stand for, even if others around you might disparage you for it. You have never once let the differences of our respective people come between the bond we share. Being with you gives me hope for a lasting peace between our people.”
“Shut up.” Rozalin said giddily. She finally glanced down, but kept Crim’s hand pressed to her face, smiling from ear to ear.
Crim gave her hand a gentle squeeze, “Go back to bed. We have a long day ahead of us.”
We. The word played again and again in Rozalin’s brain, “Alright, but… I think I’d sleep a lot better if someone was there with me to make sure I’m safe and sound.” She placed a hand on Crim’s thigh and looked up at him invitingly.
“Not tonight.” Crim said with no small amount of effort.
“Please?” Rozalin pleaded.
All this unresolved tension in his body had him a bit wound up, but he remained firm, “You’re still recovering. Fate has spent the past week tossing you about like a wolf playing with its favorite bone.” Crim took Rozalin’s wrist and removed her hand from his leg, “I won’t take advantage of that.”
Rozalin leaned back and eyed him for a bit. She snickered. That wasn’t exactly a rejection. It seemed her instincts hadn’t been too far off the money. “Alright then big guy.” She got up and poked him on the cheek, “I guess I can’t fault ya for bein a gentleman.” She turned around and sauntered back into the cave, “See you in the morning, kay?”
“Rest well, Roselash.” Crim called back.
“It’s Rozalin.” She responded.
“Hmm?” Crim looked back and raised an eyebrow.
Rozalin crawled back into the bedroll and wrapped herself up, “It’s my name. I want you to call me Rozalin.”
Crim grunted, “I see. Rest well then, Rozalin.”
“You too big guy.” Rozalin closed her eyes and hummed.