(2025-09-12) Golden Times

Details

Author:	inkie
Summary:	Atley, Shine, and Lena catch up in Paw'don Village. Lena has a brilliant hypothesis. Atley has missed some news. Shine has a tanuki.
Rating:	T for Teen

Arc: Season 17: From the Mists

Atley jogs into Paw'don Village from the east, wearing his full plate and tabard. His footsteps are louder than his breathing, which is held at a quiet, steadied pace. Sweat drips from his exposed face and down his arms, glinting in the coastal sunlight.

Lena stands by a rough carved stone in the center of Paw'don Village, peering curiously at the writing carved into it.

Shine moves down from the direction of the inn toward Lena. He glances warily over his shoulder. "It's still following me," he observes.

Lena looks back and laughs at the little tanuki creature behind him. "Serves you right for feeding them."

Atley slows down, marching instead of running. He spots the two — or three — of them and nods upward, yanking off his helmet to reveal hair darkened and matted with sweat. "Hullo'," he remarks breathlessly.

Shine glances up from the tanuki and nods to Atley.

Lena's laughs fades as she takes in Dane's current state. "Trouble in the east?"

Atley swiftly raises a hand and waves it, shaking his head as he tucks his helmet under his arm. "No, no. Just a run from Pearlfin. Don't want to get soft." He inclines his head. "How was the passage over, Lena?"

"Longer than yours," Lena says dryly, relaxing a little. "Since we got word of Horde with the hozen, I keep waiting for something dreadful to happen."

"We've held the hozen back easily enough, I think. Until we have better sense of the Horde numbers, can't say what they're up to, though." Shine shrugs.

Atley grunts faintly at that, idly running his tongue along his bottom lip as he looks to the south. "Aye… Wot'ever comes of it, we'll handle it." he says, looking back at the two of them. "Together."

Shine glances over at Lena. "Aye."

"They can't be much more than we are," Lena says, nodding to both of them. "This place is so remote, and it ought to take them as long to arrange a full naval campaign, if they're even doing that."

Atley grunts and produces a waterskin, taking a sip before he pours some down the back of his neck. "Aye. Weaponizing the hozen tells me they're in a similar sort of shape as we."

"I expect a naval campaign will be their aim," Shine says, and folds his arms. "Hellscream won't be inclined to let a place like this go. How soon they'll be here…." He shrugs. "They're in better shape than we are."

Atley nods at the tanuki behind Shine, leaning to the side to peer at the creature with a scowl. "You've a companion."

Shine glances down at the tanuki and back up at Dane. "Been feeding them," he says ruefully.

"They've got no fear, it seems," Lena says in amazement. "Might be because of how calm the pandaren are here?"

"Most of the little creatures are like it, aye." Shine watches the tanuki sidle closer to sniff at his boot.

Atley faintly raises his brows as he straightens up and looks to Shine. "'Them,' is it. Putting together your own army, are you?"

Lena giggles. "An army of tanuki."

Shine glances up. "Useful for wreaking havoc on the enemy's food stores, I suppose. It's just a gang of them I've been feeding, though. This is the one climbs onto the wall with me."

"Aye, the beasts here are a bit cheeky. Docile." Atley takes another sip and lets out a spent grunt. "'Sides from those swamp horrors. Ugly bastards."

"Aptly named," Shine agrees.

"I hope not to run into too many horrors, as a general rule," Lena says with a slight smile. "But it's good to know to watch out for them."

"Bog east of here," Shine tells her. "Haven't seen any elsewhere, but I don't think we've seen much of the place yet."

Atley grunts and adjusts the helmet under his arm to tap his forehead. "One eye. Proper tall. Proper long. They must prefer the bogs."

Lena glances at Shine and his one eye. Not horrific, though.

Shine looks bland.

"Not as handsome as this one, f'course." Atley scoffs with amusement before looking between them. "Care for a sit and a bit of tea?"

Shine glances at Lena and back to Dane. "Could do, aye."

"Sure," Lena says with a smile. "I've not much in the way of duties right now, except not to upset the locals."

Shine offers Lena his hand.

Lena takes it, and walks with him towards the seating area.

"Had much of a chance to roam about, take in the place?" Atley asks Lena as he trudges towards the inn.

The tanuki wobbles along behind the trio.

"Not as much as you lot, I'd wager," Lena says. "I've mostly been just down here in the Village, by the coast… and bit in Pearlfin. They seem to have warmed up, at least, the jinyu."

Atley marches over to a table and unsheathes Thunderfury, leaning it against the wall in arm's reach. He lays his shield next to it and flags down Brewmaid Qi. "Three teas, if you please." He swings a leg over a stool and settles down with a sigh. "Water people. Fallon ought to like that."

When Shine takes a seat on one of the low stools, the tanuki stands on its hind legs and scrabbles at the wooden edge of the seat for a moment, then clambers up into his lap.

Shine stares blankly down at it.

Lena raises her eyebrows at the laptanuki, and then says, "Aye, I reckon all the sailors quite like the fish people. Like some kind of myth come to life."

Atley sets his helmet down on the empty stool and rests his bracers on the table's edge with a clink of metal on wood as he undoes his gauntlets. He looks down at the tanuki then up at Shine.

Shine lifts the tanuki from his lap. It does an indignant sort of dogpaddle in the air. Shine leans over to set it on the ground. "We're not such good friends yet," he tells it, and then looks up at the others. "Aye."

"Like a hound, that," Atley observes. Brewmaid Qi comes by and sets a delicate tea cup before each of them before she demurely inclines her head and departs with a blessing uttered in pandaren.

Lena laughs at the little creature. "Not fearful at all. And anyway, it does seem like the chill reception you all mentioned earlier has generally thawed a little, with the Lorewalker and folks who've been up at the monastery in the north."

"Was a little concerned about Fallon and the whole… need for diplomacy. But I think the place has charmed him — jinyu in particular — and he's doing his best to charm it right back." Shine shrugs wryly. "So maybe Ralaea had the right of it after all."

Atley takes the tea cup, which looks inordinately small in one of his paws. "Ralaea wasn't concerned about him being here?"

Shine smiles crookedly. "I told him he might want to wait aboard ship while we got his arrival sorted with the natives. Ralaea told him to come straight up to the village because he's good at making friends."

"Guess it sort of depends on the people?" Lena suggests. "If this was a whole village of Light-worshipping noblemen, then… I'd have recommended he stay on the boat."

Shine actually laughs at that. He picks up his tea.

"I've heard only little from the goings on of the House. Are there frictions there with him and them, then?" Atley asks idly. He takes another small sip.

Shine eyes Atley. "Always," he says dryly. "I believe your Lord Ference is the only reason he hasn't managed to instigate half a dozen riots."

"But Lord Ference is there, so no riots," Lena says with a laugh.

Atley nods slowly and grunts, looking out over the coast. "I wasn't concerned. He's a diplomat, he can make a good account of himself, here. We can expect that to work against the Horde, here. Those savages'll not have the patience we do."

Shine sips his tea and glances toward the north. "Wouldn't mind if they'd send me north to see if I can get a look at their numbers. But SI:7 seems to have charge of all that."

"It seems they're well off away from where we are, aren't they?" Lena says, glancing in the same direction. "We've heard only a little of what they're up to, and seen less, here in the south."

Atley gestures vaguely to his right. "We put the lot of them we came across down here to the sword. They must be to the far north, and in growing force, I warrant."

"Doesn't seem like great numbers so far, but it would be good to know what those numbers are, and whether they seem to be setting up in the north for more to arrive." Shine nods at Atley.

"Oh, and Sir Atley, it’s on account of that group I'm not putting around much what my style of magic is," Lena says with a slight nod. "Not wanting to upset people. And in any case I've not needed any magic since I got here."

Shine nods at Lena.

The tanuki has taken up a post huddled beneath Shine's stool, only its ringed tail visible.

Atley briefly regards the tanuki's tail before he looks to Lena and nods. "I'm not surprised. You've always been wise with it, and that's a wise decision." He deliberates for a moment before continuing. "To be truthful, I've wondered why you got involved in all that to begin with, as useful as it’s been. I'd rather you hadn't."

Shine raises his eyebrow and regards Dane levelly in silence.

"Yes, well, everyone's got their reasons," Lena says mildly. "And I have mine. I expect the fleet's rather pleased I have all that to call on, when someone needs pulling from the depths."

"Expect His Majesty is too," Shine agrees.

Atley grunts. He briefly looks to Shine before shifting his gaze to Lena. "I expect so. The Horde has theirs. We need ours. Anyway. No proper business of mine, is it."

"Not really, no." Shine smiles faintly at Dane.

Atley grunts and finishes off the tea in his tiny cup.

Lena's smile has a touch of pride in it, with the reminder of the King. "It's a power we can use responsibly. I'll not turn out like theirs did, here. I know my own heart and my own mind."

Shine lifts his teacup to her respectfully and then drinks again.

"I've seen too much of the fel's handiwork not to comment." Atley adds. "I don't doubt you. Or WEB, which is a fine thing, but still strange, if welcome."

Lena nods. "I've been away from the WEB office for a time with all this, but I think they're a valuable resource. Especially for people get mixed up in things and don't see how to manage a way out on their own."

Atley sets the tea cup down and folds his arms across his chest, sitting up. "Useful thing, I'm certain. I met Lord Tyrell. Fought with him, on the Molten Front. Seems squared away from all I've seen and heard. I know his house is a great host to Stormwind's orphans."

Shine nods. "Good man. And important for the ones having trouble — the warlocks, I mean — to have exemplars like him and Lena."

Lena nods. "One of the things that gets folks in trouble is if they get the idea there's no one there to help them. That if they explained their troubles, people would turn away. I suppose that goes for WEB and for the orphans, both, in a way."

Atley knits his brow as he listens, jaw set. "There been many cases of that in Stormwind, have there?" he inquires, tone gruff, but earnest.

"Well, there was the girl kidnapped Sandy," Lena says, a touch of sadness in her eyes. "She didn't come for help, and I wish she had, before she did… everything else."

Atley grunts and leans back, unfolding his arms as Brewmaid Qi returns with a steaming teapot. She tops Atley's cup off, and silently offers to do the same for the others before she withdraws. "Saw him recently."

Shine nods his thanks for the refill to Qi. The tanuki peeps out from beneath the stool briefly to see whether any food has arrived with the tea. It withdraws disappointed.

"Sandy?" Lena asks, after getting a refill of her tea. "How's he doing?"

Atley nods slowly. "Better." He takes a small sip. "I go back some time with him. Nearing five years." He scoffs with amusement and looks between them. "The first day we met, the first Cobalt Company 'deployment,' he challenged me to a fist fight. Gave his all as well."

Shine raises his eyebrow again. "Don't think I know the fellow."

"Cheeky sort. Properly." Atley inclines his head. "You ought to be able to attest to that," he says to Lena.

"Gausanders Spellbond," Lena clarifies. "One of Lady Ekorenine Spellbond's adopted. And I don't imagine he won that fight, did he?" Lena says with a chuckle.

"No," Atley growls fondly. "His strength is not in his strength. Mine is. Still, he garnered my respect in that instant."

"Ah, Lady Spellbond I know," Shine says. "That is — I don't expect she knows me. But I know her."

Atley furrows his brow at Shine. "How's that?"

Lena smiles, unsurprised.

Shine tilts his head at Dane. "She's a noble. Been a guest of the Fallons'. Friend of Her Grace. I recollect Her Grace tried to pull some strings when one of the lady's sons went missing, in hope of finding him." He shrugs again. "If they've been a guest of the Fallons, I know 'em. Not many of them pay attention to a footman, though." He smiles.

Atley grunts and eyes Shine. "Just how you like it, I trust."

Shine inclines his head, still smiling.

Atley says, "She’s a fine woman. As good a mother as any could ask for. I am grateful that Sanders was saved."

Lena nods. "Still, though, he lost his leg, and the girl who kidnapped him lost her future. If she'd had better guidance, or any guidance at all, she might not've been tricked by a demon."

Atley raises his cup. "No argument. I merely lament that such guidance is necessary. That such evil exists. Is… accessible. Pointless, I know. The world is as it is, innit'."

"World is as it is," Shine echoes mildly. "Best we master the forces in it before they're used against us, and us helpless."

"Evil is always accessible," Lena shrugs. "Don't need the fel for that."

Atley leans back takes a slow, contemplative sip with a grunt. "I'm more of a mind to oppose said forces. Of slaying monsters, not treating with them. Your point carries. The Horde have their warlocks, their deathknights… Still. There are lines. Others have sought to master great forces and ended up becoming 'mastered' themselves."

"So they have," Shine agrees. "Cautionary to those who might try to follow them otherwise. Well, cautionary to the smart ones. Thins the herd of the stupid ones."

"We can see what made the people before us stumble," Lena nods. "There's still risk, obviously. But… many things carry risks."

"Only few things have the power to end the world. I'll hate it," Dane says flatly. "The fel. The undead. Always. But it's here regardless, and I see reason in learning to master it, and adapt with it to the best of our ability. But I'll never like that we've had to, nor that we'd be helpless without doing so. I've never had to embrace the fel to twist the head off of a demon."

"And you think I could twist the head off a demon without it," Lena says, and there's the slightest hint of steel beneath her words. "I'm happy for you, that you've never felt you had to."

Shine sips his tea and gazes straight ahead, his expression a perfect blank.

Atley maintains a gruff frown as he peers at her. He slowly raises the tea cup to his lips and takes a sip. "I've always thought you were decent, Lena. Quite decent. And I still do." He sets the cup down. "I've said my piece. I know yours. P'raps we ought to move on."

"Aye, likely so," Lena draws in a breath and takes a sip of calming tea. "I only meant to mention it, as a thing I'm not being open about here, and which I expect I'm likely not to need. I am curious about the folk here and how they fight evil. The Shado-pan, was it?"

Atley raises a hand. "I trust you, and your judgement over your abilities. And aye," he sits up and glances vaguely over her shoulder. "The Shado-pan. One of them was about, when we arrived. They're not warm to us."

"Aye." Shine nods. "Taran Zhu. Told us to fuck off, basically. For a warning about negative feelings, he seemed to have a fair few of his own."

Atley chokes on his tea and growls with amusement, clearing his throat as he shakes his head at Shine.

Shine smiles faintly.

"So then having them isn't the whole picture, where the Sha is concerned," Lena says, relaxing back into a smile. "Or the Shado-Pan would be in trouble."

Atley grunts. "Wot' do you make of wot' you've heard of the Sha?" Atley asks Lena.

"I'm not sure what to make of it yet," Lena admits. "I've not seen any manifestation, but I've been trying to keep an eye out. I want to see if I can tell what sort of magic it is, but… I mean, it's probably for the best if I never encounter any."

Atley grunts. "For the best for each of us. We've not seen any since the first days," Atley says, glancing at Shine.

"Best for all of us if none of us," Shine agrees. "Tell him your immunity hypothesis." He gestures with his cup at Atley.

Atley looks over at Lena.

"I was thinking about how if you go to a new place, the food and the water there might upset your body," Lena explains. "Even if it's perfectly fine for the locals. Pandaria's been out here on its own for so long, I wonder if it isn't something similar?" She shrugs, takes another sip of tea. "Maybe that's why it affected the SI:7 agent so badly."

Atley finishes off his cup again and grunts, setting it down to refold his arm. "That's a bit brilliant, innit'. T'may be the case here."

Shine smiles at Atley. Damn straight. "SI:7 agent and the orc were both newcomers here, aye?"

Lena nods. "So if that's the case, maybe we'll be alright if we let ourselves adapt properly."

Atley nods slowly at Shine. "That's right," he says, before looking back to Lena. "Adapt with the passage of time?"

"I hope so," Lena nods. "That is, if that's the case. And if so, I hope it doesn't take too long."

"It may not," Atley concedes. "It's a fine theory. We face a great deal in this land, and there's still much to be discovered and learned about its people, and ways, but I am encouraged. I have faith in all of us."

"I believe the fact they're carrying on wars of their own and we've not seen hozen exploding into sha or whatever lends further credence to the hypothesis." Shine nods to Lena. "But aye, just a hypothesis."

"I admit I am curious about how many other peoples might make this place their home," Lena says, her eyes lightening with the topic. "We've only just seen this corner of it and there's what, four sapient races already?"

Atley rolls his eyes upward in thought before he nods. "Aye. We made headway with one local, a woman called 'Peixin.' She's of a mind to join the Company. I asked her if all the villages were this ornate. I'd thought this was some sort of holy site, but she said most of it's like this. Ornate."

"It is beautiful here," Lena says, and turns a smile towards Shine. "A good place for a honeymoon, even everything else considered."

Atley knits his brow. "Are the two of you engaged, then?"

Lena raises a hand briefly to her mouth, gives a nervous laugh. "You didn't mention…?"

Shine looks between them. "I don't… talk much personal, at work." He studies Lena, looking a little chagrined, then turns to Dane. "We were engaged last spring. We're married now. August 17th."

"Just before the ships launched," Lena says, with a wistful smile. "The day before."

Atley sits up. "Are you?" he says. "I hadn't known indeed. Tight lipped, this one," he says, gesturing to Shine. "That's happy news. S'good the two of you've been reunited after that departure, then."

Shine puts a hand on the table palm up, offering it for Lena's. "I said we'd get it done before… anything, aye? And we did," he tells her, and nods courteously to Dane.

Lena places her hand on his, curling her fingers around the back of his hand. "No delays, no waiting for the perfect someday. The day we chose was perfect for us, no matter what else happens."

Atley grunts with approval. "Ivri and I've been of the same mind. If you wait for the perfect someday, you'll be waiting forever."

Shine squeezes Lena’s hand gently. "Now it's… a working honeymoon, of sorts. I can tell ye I was watching for those ships from the moment we landed, once I knew we were here ahead." He smiles wryly at Dane.

Atley scoffs with amusement at Shine. "I can see why. Congratulations, to the both of you." He raises his empty teacup.

Shine smiles at him, then lifts his and Lena's intertwined hands to bend his head and kiss the back of Lena's, in a shocking emotional outburst (for Shine).

Lena giggles and lets him lift her hand and kiss it, her gaze soft. Then she turns to Dane. "Thank you. And I do hope you get to see Ivrianna sometime soon. Here or there."

"How are the babies?" Shine asks Dane.

Atley inclines his head. "I long for her. But you lot know how it is." He looks to Shine. "Karson talks more and more. His vocabulary's gotten bigger. Lila's gotten mobile on us. Crawling about the house. Couldn't stop her if we'd wanted to."

Lena smiles. "I don't reckon I've met your little ones. But such an age. I bet its something, seeing them discover the world and how it works."

Atley grunts. "It's a fine thing to see them learn about the world. Themselves. Brings up memories I hadn't known I had." He slowly looks between them. "Have you two thought of little ones?"

Shine glances at Lena. "Aye. But not yet. We've got our work. The fleet depends on her."

Atley nods once, sharply. "F'course. All things in good time, mm?"

"Yes, we've time yet," Lena nods. "Not… as much as I might used to have had. But time yet, before we have a family."

"You two are a fine pairing. That'll typically make fine parents — but now's the time to focus on one another as much as you're able, I warrant," Atley growls.

"And if we start feeling impatient, a visit wi' the Lady Ery will cure that soon enough," Shine says dryly.

Atley scoffs with amusement at Shine. "That one doesn't miss much, does she."

Lena laughs. "She's hard to miss, her own self, with that clacky toy."

Shine looks innocent. What clacky toy? He sips his tea. "And talking now too. First word was 'NOW.'"

Lena shakes her head, smiling fondly. Toddlers and their insistence on themselves. "But yes, time enough now for this place, and our work, and each other. All the rest, we're just at the beginning of."

Shine smiles at her.

Atley scoffs with amusement at Shine and shakes his head. "Golden times, truly," he says to the two of them before he glances up at the gathering storm clouds. "I ought to bugger off back to the Pearlfin."

"All right, then. We'll get back to — " Shine glances at Lena. "Something or other."

"I'll see you up that way, soon enough," Lena nods, and then smiles at Shine. "Yes, something or other."

Atley averts his gaze as he pushes himself up, but he does lift a wry brow as he recollects his gauntlets and starts putting them on. He tugs on his helmet and looks to Lena. "And, Lena…"

"Hmm?" Lena asks, turning back to him.

Atley speaks while slinging Thunderfury and his shield over his back. "I stand by wot' I said," he begins. "But if I have insulted you, please forgive me. You were admirable before you saved the King."

Lena's eyes widen slightly with surprise, and there's something a little more vulnerable underneath her usual polite smile. "Thank you for your words, Sir Atley."

Shine folds his arms across his chest. He bows his head politely to Dane, and is smiling when he lifts it.

Atley grunts and nods once to them both before he jogs off in the rain.