(2025-04-27) Where's Ilanya?

Details

Author:	Aly
Summary:	After the activities of White Squad, Kyris, Florande and Almeiria search for a missing maid.
Rating:	T for Teen

The prison island of Tol Barad is now a whole lot quieter after the work of Cobalt Company's White Squad, but leftover rain still falls from grey and gloomy clouds. Almeiria wanders the Slagworks, where an ill-fated skirmish took place, searching for evidence of a missing friend before the Wardens come through and remove all the signs.

"This would have been easier if there was something still alive, out here," Almeiria mutters, wrapped tightly in her Shadowform.

Kyris seems irritable. He still has his hood over his head. "What should we be looking for specifically?" he asks.

There's movement in the shadows near a metal structure, and a familiar panther pads out. Florande quickly rises into elf form, to make sure neither of her allies are dangerously startled.

"I'm back," Florande says, moving over to the group. "Have you found anything yet?"

"Not yet," Almeiria says, sounding perhaps a bit surprised to see Florande. "But look for bodies with dagger wounds. Ilanya is an assassin. I would like to confirm she was here, at least. That we're not wasting our time."

"Dagger wounds," Florande says, nodding. "I can look for that."

She drops back onto all fours and shifts into panther form. Maybe her eyes are sharper that way. She paces around, looking at both the Horde and Alliance bodies, keeping an open mind.

Many of the corpses were killed by sword, mace, or magic but a few — most notably orcs — have dagger wounds in vital locations. One, in particular, looks like he might have been in the process of chasing something out of the garrison when someone ambushed him from behind. He fell facing a lightly forested section of the island.

Florande shifts up into elf form and nods. "There are some — look here. Is this like your Ilanya's work?"

Kyris grunts, coming over to look as well.

Almeiria joins them by the orc in question. "It does," she says, gazing towards the trees. "But that's interesting. He was killed from behind, almost as if… Perhaps she was covering someone's retreat?"

"Maybe she had made a friend here?" Florande suggests. "Someone she wanted to keep safe."

"I'm not much of a tracker," Kyris says, "and it's been raining all day. We could look for campsites or shelters?"

"Hmph. Worst case, we run around screaming until someone responds, Horde or otherwise." Almeiria is probably not serious. She starts towards the forested area. "We should be prepared for injuries. If she was able to report back, she would have by now. Someone would have."

"I'm good for carrying someone hurt or fetching a healer," Kyris says, shrugging.

"I can heal, a little," Florande says. "I'm not a healer, but enough to help before she gets to one. Depending on how bad she's hurt, and if the wound is set. Which… from this it probably would be."

They continue in silence, the rain lessened by the cover of the trees stretching overhead. Then, on the ground ahead of them, a large sodden lump becomes visible through the trees. The body of another orc.

"A trail?" Florande says, staring at it. "She is leaving a trail."

Kyris crouches beside the body to check for knife wounds.

The telltale knife wounds are present, but sloppier than the previous kills. This one was a struggle.

"Also dead," Almeiria mutters, nudging it. "I suppose that's good, it just means I can't —"

Something stirs from behind a tree a few feet away, and above them, the sound of a rope suddenly cut.

Kyris looks up sharply.

Florande melts down into bear form almost immediately and growls low and fierce.

A dark humanoid shape falls from one of the trees, almost directly above Almeiria. Steel glints in the dim light. The shape behind the tree remains where they are.
Florande attempts to swipe at the humanoid before it reaches the shadow priestess.

The shape lets out a sharp cry as the claws connect and she is thrown to one side, tumbling into the foliage. Behind the trees, the flash of a sword greets them. It's awfully low to the ground, though.

"Hey," the shape hisses as she recovers her voice. "I told you not to let them see your sword. Not until they come close enough for you to use it."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but they saw you, and then… I thought if I threaten them a little they'll leave." The voice of the other person (a young man?) sounds completely terrified.

Almeiria has called a shield of Light around herself in the scramble, but, seeing no further threats to engage without pursuing a better line of sight, she tilts her head, looking to Florande for the cue to proceed.

"Identify yourselves," Kyris says, drawing his own sword.

Florande pauses at the sound of terror, and pulls back to stand next to the other two protectively.

The young man struggles to peer around the tree. "You first," he says. "A-are you… Alliance?"

"Don't twist like that," the woman scolds. Very slowly, she struggles to her feet, revealing a blonde woman wearing dark leathers, a mask pulled over her face. Her stance is awkward, as if she is unable to put any weight on one of her feet, and her armor is heavily damaged where Florande's claws struck.

Almeiria disperses her Shadowform. "Ilanya dear, what was your plan if you'd killed soldiers of the Alliance?"

"It was a numbing poison, and I wouldn't have hit anywhere fatal," Ilanya grumbles. Her green eyes take in the other two. "Cobalt?" she guesses.

Florande shimmers back into elf form immediately on hearing Almeiria speak the name 'Ilanya', and half raises a hand towards the woman. "You're the friend? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt the friend. I… yes, Cobalt."

"Knight-Champion Kyris Lysander, Al—" Kyris breaks off. "Excuse me. Kyris Lysander, Cobalt Company. We are all Alliance."

"Lord Kyris," Ilanya greets, performing an awkward half-bow. "I hope you will excuse my abruptness and impropriety, but to report the situation, we are two, injured during a patrol when we discovered a group of Horde holdouts. We fought well, all things considered, but not well enough seeing as we two are all that are left, and barely."

She offers Florande a brief flash of a smile. "'The friend' probably should not have jumped you," she says.

"I'm Florande Wildbloom," she says, with a reflexive answering smile. "We were looking for you. Let me heal you? At least the scratches I made, they should mend easy."

Faint greenish flickers of rejuvenation move over her hands.

Ilanya nods her permission, accepting the healing. The scratches recently inflicted do mend easily, but the same cannot be said of the older damage to the woman's leg.

Kyris nods to Ilanya. "We'll get you medical care and see you back to safety."

He turns to the young man (?) still in hiding. "I've identified myself," Kyris says to Ilayna's companion. "Now you."

Florande bites her lip, finishing up healing the scratches, and then her ears twitch toward the hidden companion.

"Private Detah Walkin of the Stormwind Tol Barad division, sir," the young man says, and then has to take a moment to catch his breath.

"I said don't twist," Ilanya warns as Detah tries again to look at the Cobalt group.

Almeiria tries to get a look at him. "Is he seated?"

"Yeah," Ilanya replies. "Gut wound. I've kept him stable with what health potions I had on me, but if he wiggles around too much he'll open it again."

Florande winces. "I could try… but I am not a healing expert, and it's been… can we move him?"

Ilanya shrugs. "If you can heal him through it if something reopens. Otherwise we'll need… a stretcher, some people to carry it maybe. We're going to need food and water, too, but we can worry about that when we're not in the middle of nowhere. Already burned through both our supplies, and his." She gestures to the dead orc. "We've been drinking rainwater for the past little bit. Good thing it rains a lot here."

"I can try," Florande says, concern in her eyes. "We go back to the central camp? They have water and rations."

"It'll be safer if I fetch aid," Kyris says. "We'll get you a stretcher, Private, you just take it easy. Florande, Fey, you'll stay with them?"

Florande nods and salutes at Kyris. That's what soldiers are supposed to do, after all. "I'll watch and try to heal if anything gets worse."

Almeiria moves to Ilanya's side to help support her as she wobbles a little. "If anything violent should happen upon us here, it will regret its choices," she says smoothly.

"We've been out here for a while," Ilanya comments. "I was beginning to think help wasn't coming."

"She was looking," Florande says, tilting her head towards Almeiria. "But no one could say where you were."

Kyris wipes his sword dry from the rain and sheathes it before climbing up into the saddle of his horse. "I'll be able to find you again," he says with confidence. "Wait here."

"Do take care, Kyris, dear," Almeiria says. "It would be unfortunate if this became a double rescue."

"Surely Lord Kyris, an esteemed member of Cobalt Company and Knight-Champion of the Alliance can handle himself," Ilanya says, flashing Kyris the briefest, slightly mischievous grin before her expression fades back into Maximum Politeness.

Florande waves to Kyris, and sits to settle in with the others. In a very matter-of-fact tone, she adds, "Anyway, if anything violent happens to us before Kyris comes back, I'll turn into a bear and keep them occupied while Miss Fey kills them. I am here to help."

Kyris raises a brow at Ilayna and does not dignify the obvious flattery with a response. He just rides away.

Ilanya watches him go, then allows Almeiria to lower her into a sitting position. "A hard sell, that one," she comments. "Have you managed to befriend him, Florande?"

"Kyris? I don't know," Florande says, looking over to Ilanya. "I found his sword and kept it safe, and brought it back to him. He was happy about that, I think. I'm not sure if that's enough, or if there is an enough. Are you trying to make friends with him? I think he values actions over words."

Ilanya lets out a short burst of laughter. "I'm a bit short on actions right now, unfortunately," she says, gesturing to her leg. "But, he is a Lord, so I at least shouldn't be on bad terms with him. It wouldn't reflect well on my Lord if I wasn't at least polite."

Florande tilts her head. "I don't think you're on bad terms. I've never really seen him much more friendly than he was just now. Maybe I haven't seen him with the people he likes yet? Is your Lord very friendly?"

"Friendly, wow, I guess he can be? To children, mostly? He's polite, at least," Ilanya says. "Most people will tell you the eccentric part, or call him a madman, or be afraid of him. I think he'd be friendly to you, though."

"I'm really not a child," Florande says quickly. "I know I don't have my tattoos yet, but I'm in my twenties. I'm just… a little young, for my people. Why would people be afraid of someone who's kind to children, though?"

"Hey, slow down, sorry, I wasn't calling you a child," Ilanya says, smiling. "You're interesting, is what I mean. He likes interesting people. And, not everyone knows he's kind to children. He likes to cultivate an antagonistic reputation so that no one really knows what he's going to do. Keeps people on their toes."

Florande's ears twitch up at what sounds like a compliment. Then she says, "Maybe Kyris does something like that, too, being antagonistic to keep people from knowing him more truly."

Kyris is not there to defend himself.

Florande shrugs. "Anyway, I think he is a very good person. He is always very careful of his duties — he will be back soon with help, for sure."

"Oh? I don't mind a little antagonism," Ilanya says. "I'd like to poke him a bit and see, but doing that is part of the reason I ended up out here. If you upset the wrong people… you know?"

Florande considers that. "I don't usually try to antagonize people. But sometimes there are people you need to antagonize, because you don't want to accidentally end up on their side, right? You did not come to Tol Barad on purpose?"

"Well, I did and I didn't," Ilanya says. "I was sort of surprise told I was coming here? But I did want to help. Of course, the guy I was reporting to didn't like me and had me making shirts most of the time I was here. 'As befits a maid,' he said."

"Oh, you're a maid?" Florande says in surprise. "But you seem more like a dagger fighter to me. Was your officer not very bright, and he didn't notice you were a dagger fighter?"

Ilanya shrugs. "He just didn't like my methods. I went out alone to kill orcs, and never brought any proof that I killed them, or turned up any bodies. And he doesn't like my Lord. There was one incident where he finally sent me out to gather fish from that pirate village, Rustberg? And I did that, only I figured I'd poison some, in case the Horde had the same idea — which they did, I'm pretty sure, I waited to make sure civilians didn't eat the fish. They disappeared. So anyway I reported that and got an earful about how that wasn't my mission, and it was back to shirts until this mission."

Florande sits quietly for a long moment, thinking. "It sounds to me like he wanted you to turn off your thoughts and just follow what you are told? Leaders like that are usually bad leaders. Maybe you would be happier as… like… a mercenary. Where you can make your own strategies and your own plans, and work alone or with people as you like."

"I'll consider that if I ever decide on a career change," Ilanya says. "But I am a maid, if only a banished one, for now."

"Dagger maid," Florande says agreeably, as if this is a specific profession. "I hope you get unbanished soon, if the people you upset calm down."

Time passes and, despite the soggy environment, Ilanya and Detah are able to doze off, finally assured that nothing will attack them while they rest.

When conversation is done, Florande changes into a bear and settles in next to them, alongside Almeiria, to guard their slumber.