Tired, filthy, and hungry, Arisia wondered why she was out walking the streets of Orgrimar rather than in the room next to her brother, Caylon back at the inn. A sharp headbutt to the hip and she jerked, and grinned ruefully, looking down at the large orange tiger pacing next to her. “I know, Solstice, you’re hungry — we’ll get you some fresh meat and then I’m taking a bath, got it?”
The tiger sent a rush of affection to her mistress, along with yet another insistence of hunger, just in case her point hadn’t been entirely understood. She noticed the man ahead of them and moved in closer to his Hunter friend, mumbling to get her attention. Rissa looked up, alerted, and shrugged. He was an Orc, hardly unique here in the Orc Crown city, and while he was overdressed in furs and wool, winter was coming, as was the zeppelin to the new icy land of Northrend. He was wobbling a bit, walking as if drunk, but again, that was hardly unique.
She entered the Drag, a darker road that had an overhang that sheltered those inside from the weather as they went to various other parts of the City. Finding the butcher she preferred was easy, and Arisia was glad that the man was still open. She tossed a thick steak to her tiger who carried it outside proudly, and then made arrangements with the Butcher’s wife to deliver more fresh meat for the next three days to her room at the Inn. Before she left, she’d be in to grab a few stacks of the richly dried and unseasoned meat the vendor sold, perfect for times when she and Solstice could not hunt for the cat’s dinner.
Rissa was making smalltalk as she finished paying for everything, listening lightly to the pleasure her cat had at a fine dinner, as well as curiosity that followed. Rissa made her farewells and walked out, only to see the man bent over the tiger, softly patting it. He had piles of bundles on the ground, and had shed the thickest fur he was wearing. Rissa tensed, but then relaxed when she realized Solstice was enjoying the attention. Being that the tiger was quite choose about those she would even approach, this was unique. She walked over and smiled up at the older orc.
“Her name is Solstice; mine’s Rissa”
The orc bobbed his head, eyes bright with joy. “Had one like this when ah was a young’n; best damn pet ever. Tum kept me safe until he were as gray as I is now. Good pick, Hunter. Good pick.”
Smiling with pride, Rissa looked at her beloved cat and nodded. “She surely is, Sir; and she knows it.”
He nodded again, then turned and looked at the sacks. “Its hard to be startin’ out, neh?”
Ruefully, Arisia nodded. “Oh yes; my brother and I do the commissions out there, but… well, you know the drill– new equipment, new mounts, food… and he’s a priest– holy. He needs all sorts of things to do his job. But we manage; Solstice and I keep him safe, and he keeps us safe.”
The orc grinned. “It’s smart of you, Hunter; travel with a Priest, you save on heals! But still…” He dug through the bundles and dropped two into Arisia’s hands. “Here; you can sell these– some crackpot mage’ll give you good gold… or, keep them. You can never have enough things to keep you safe.”
Before she could object he bent once more and ruffled Solstice’s ruff, and scratched in the perfect spot behind her ears. “Yah, you picked good — safe travels, Hunter. See you in Northrend soon…” And moving swifter than Arisia thought someone his age would move, he strode off.
Bemused, Arisia slung the bag over her shoulder and made her way back to the inn, Solstice happily prancing alongside. They walked past the innkeeper, nodding, and went up the stairs, pausing and walking into her brother’s room. Caylon looked up, irritated at first, then grinning a welcome when he saw who had walked in.
“Take a bath before you sit on my bed, sister — you look like you rolled in muck.”
She nodded, then put the sack on the floor. Caylon walked over and dropped to one knee to poke at the sack. “What’s this? It has a magical aura of some sort…” At the second poke the bag rolled and two spheres rolled out. Both had a rich blue glow, the surface a patchwork of what looked almost like bone. Caylon picked one up and carried it to the desk to poke at it, nodding as Arisia explained.
“Did he say what they WERE?” He tried casting a spell on the sphere, but it just harmlessly reflected it back. The slender blood elf tucked a long silky strand of jet hair behind a gracefully pointed ear, narrowing his eyes to glare at the ovoid, poking it with a finger.
Arisia sat on the floor, folding her legs under her. She rubbed her forehead, moving the pale gold curls from her eyes and shrugged, picking the other oval up and setting it in her lap. “Um.. no; be Solstice liked him and you know her– she’s a good judge of people. He said we could sell them, but I’ve enough gold for now… and can always use something else to keep us safe while traveling.”
Caylon nodded. “Agreed; I wonder how they work– a spell? Or is there a potion inside?” He tapped the sphere with the stylus he’d been using, and a ringing chime filled the room. The glow intensified of both spheres until the light was nearly blinding, and both siblings picked up their spheres, Solstice not moving, just watching both calmly as if this was nothing to her. Rissa moved to throw hers when a cracking noise made her pause. She pulled it back to her as the light began to dim and tiny cracks appeared and then the sphere itself began to dissolve.
BLinking, almost blinded when the light abruptly faded, leaving the room lit only by the fireplace and the single lantern Caylon had lit before, both siblings blinked and tried to focus at the small creatures clinging to their hands. Rissa peered down in confusion as hers tilted it’s head, blinked luminous blue eyes at her, then flapped the wings that unfolded from it’s back and hovered before her, chirping affectionately.
Caylon’s did the same, and the Priest looked at his in wonder. “It’s a sort of tiny dragon, Ris — not the most prepossessing thing, but it’s rather sweet.” He laughed when a moth flew into the open window from outside, drawn to the light and the dragon turned it’s head, spitting out a blast of icy breath that froze the insect in mid flap. “Frosty little bugger, aren’t you.” The dragonet warbled in reply, and Caylon laughed again. “I think I just named mine.”
Rissa giggled, then stood; ready now for that bath. “You can introduce him to your cat, then — and I’ll hope it doesn’t freeze Boo. I’ll call mine Icicle; keeping with the cold theme, and it fits those sickle shaped fangs in his mouth.” She felt pleased, and grinned even broader when Solstice huffed up at the dragonet playfully, ducking a breath of cold as the pair began to play. She nodded at her brother and went to the room across the hall, looking with pleasure at the full steaming tub the innkeeper had placed while she was talking to Caylon.
As she soaked, she watched her pets play and began to think. The orc was right– Northrend would be coming soon. They were nearly done with all the job offers the Plaguelands could offer them; once her contracts were fulfilled, there was the portal to Outland to check out, and then… the hunter blinked, sleepily, finishing her soak and washing up, eager for the warm bed waiting. Northrend would call… and she and Caylon had a small part of it with them already… the young hunter could hardly wait for the adventure to begin…
