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A Tale of Two Princes	By : coolwHip Category: +S through Z > World of Warcraft Views: 3394 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own World of Warcraft. I make no money from posting this story.

Chapter List
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Belorei was tired the next morning upon rising earlier than he normally did, but some tea and a quick breakfast livened him a little. He did a few stretches, not wanting to strain anything on the way to the Dead Scar. Ashtara watched her son quietly and chuckled, shaking her head.

“What?” he blushed.

“You... getting ready for another day of ranging."

“I guess that's the word,” he smiled, happy to see her more positive about it. He reached up to his head and frowned, noting that his hair was messy and tangled. He went back in the house and combed it, then began to braid it into a long plait at the base of his neck. He tied it off with a bit of leather cord and tossed it back over his shoulder. Then he began to gather his other things; a bedroll made of two blankets, some spare clothing, and his bow and quiver. He hefted his things outside and stood at the door, waiting to say goodbye to his mother.

She was out in the garden and looked to him, seeing him with his things. She rose, holding some gathered herbs in her hand and sighed.

“Belo...” She pulled him into a tight hug and he rested his cheek on her head, being taller than her. Then he kissed the top of her head.

“I love you Minn'da,” he blushed, feeling like a child again. His mother smiled up at him and touched his cheek.

“I love you, my handsome Belo. Take care of yourself?”

“I will...I should see you soon, I'm sure.”

She smiled and nodded. “I'm sure you will.” Her eyes were misty and he ignored the tightness in his own throat, worrying that if he allowed himself, his own eyes would tear up before too long.

Then he slung his things back over his shoulders and began to walk down the lane. She waved and he smiled back at her and waved in turn.

“See you, Minn'da!”

“See you Belore dorei! Take care my son! I-I'm proud of you.”

He looked away before his eyes could mist up and blinked several times.

Neither of them had any idea just how soon they would be seeing each other again.

Belorei's walk was brisk and chipper the rest of the path. He breathed in deeply and felt pride. He could hardly wait to get back to the other rangers. It had been hard at first to go to sleep the night before, with the excitement of what felt like his life finally beginning. The young elf smiled at the soreness of his muscles, not caring.

On his way to the end of the Dead Scar at Silvermoon, he found himself being followed. Blinking, he looked back over his shoulder at the sound of leathery flaps to see a small dragonhawk approaching. He stopped for a moment and it stopped as well. Belorei lifted an eyebrow.

“Huh?”

The little dragonhawk made a quick vertical circle in the air, tumbling over it's own tail, then chirped at him. He turned slowly, smiling at it. The young elf slipped a hand into a pocket and took out a small bag of dried fruit. It was a snack meant for later, but he didn't mind sharing a bit with a new potential friend.

He first held out the fruit in his hand but the dragonhawk cried shrilly and floated backward. He chuckled and wiggled the fruit at it.

“Come on...have some.”

The dragonhawk seemed indecisive, so he finally tossed the fruit into the air, and grinned when the creature snapped it up in his beak. The snout snapped several times, as if savoring the dried fruit and the dragonhawk let out another shrill cry, floating closer again. Belorei chuckled.

“Come on,” he waved it over and turned, walking again. He smiled to see it following him, although from a little distance.

He found himself highly amused as the dragonhawk began to fly up closer to him, almost traveling beside him. It made another chirping noise after catching his eyes and he chuckled, taking out another bit of dried fruit and tossing it. The sleek creature caught this one as well and made another chirping noise, this one longer and almost melodic. Belorei grinned.

“You're so friendly. Maybe you'll stick around the Dead Scar today, hm?”

The dragonhawk chirped at him and he chuckled.

As he neared the Dead Scar, he saw that his fellow rangers were already gathering at the base of it. Excited, he began to hurry his pace. Soon he was noticed (and waved at). Belorei waved in turn.

His winged companion decided to linger behind, however, nervously chirping about ten feet away from the group.

“Is that yours?” one of the rangers, whose surname Belorei remembered as being Sunshadow asked. Her hair was a long, reddish ponytail. He shook his head, blushing.

“It followed me. I gave it some fruit.” He showed her the bag of dried fruit he held.

“Hey, throw it some more,” another – one of the dark haired triplets – suggested with a grin. “Seems like it likes you.”

“Yeah you might could train it as a pet!” one of his siblings suggested. Belorei shrugged. Jaela, who'd been speaking with Kinney privately walked up, shrewd eyes on Belorei.

“Good, you're here! You can take your stuff over there with everybody else's.” She pointed to a wagon several yards away where a few elves were gathered, selling wares. “We usually camp around here.”

Belorei nodded and began to haul his stuff over. The dragonhawk continued to flit nearby and he turned to toss it another piece of fruit. It snapped it up and Jaela shook her head, chuckling.

“Don't you start drawing creatures out here,” she told Belorei but her tone was light. “Last thing we need is some freeloaders!”

Some of the other rangers chuckled and Belorei smiled sheepishly. “Sorry.”

“I'm teasing,” She grinned. “All right, the rest of you line up! I think we've got guests coming..."

Belorei quickly set his things down with other bedrolls and satchels and came running back over the grass in front of the city. He looked up, admiring the old walls and the cracks in them here and there. Silvermoon had been through so much, and he was going to help it-

“Uhhh!” he tripped and fortunately landed on his hands and knees instead of his face. Still, he was very glad only Kinney had noticed him falling and covered her mouth to keep from giggling.

“You okay?” she called.

“What happened?” One of the triplets asked.

“Let's focus please!” Jaela huffed.

“I'm fine,” Belorei joined the others. Conversation ended as ghouls were already beginning to approach.

“Morningdew – you got that bow of yours?” He nodded at Jaela's question. “Good – stand back and cover us. You too, Fleetstride.”

She had addressed one of the triplets and somehow the other two were not confused. Belorei could only guess that one of them was talented at the bow while the others were not.

“Which one?” another joked and Jaela kicked dirt at him, causing the others to laugh.

“The one that can actually aim,” she retorted and there was more laughter.

“Haaa!” the third triplet said to the second. “She got us.”

The archer Fleetstride nodded to Belorei, glancing beyond him with amusement. Belorei turned his head to see the dragonhawk chirping and rolling in the air nearby. The blonde laughed at its acrobatics.

“Looks like it wants your attention,” Fleetstride grinned.

“Looks like it.”

“Archers!” Jaela snapped and they both faced forward, Belorei blushing. Fleetstride had already notched two arrows and was letting them fly so Belorei quickly followed suit. He hadn't really learned to shoot two at a time though, preferring to focus on one. Together, they took down the three ghouls that had gotten closest.

Suddenly, the dragonhawk screeched and rippled forward to blow flames at another ghoul. The rangers all laughed in surprise and Belorei sent an arrow into the ghoul's head, knocking it from it's body as its burning corpse fell to the ground.

“Looks like that critter might be useful after all,” Jaela grinned.

“If only we could train all of them to do that!” Kinney thought aloud.

“Then there'd be no need for us!” one of the triplets commented.

“We'd be out of a job,” said a second.

“In the street,” said the third.

As the morning wore on, Belorei tossed bits of fruit to the dragonhawk, which made greater efforts to impress its favorite elf. This wasn't without consequence though...

“Morningdew,” Fleetstride said tersely. “Call your pet back. It's getting hit."

“Sunwell,” Belorei muttered and whistled for it. “Um! Hey!” He whistled again and the dragonhawk stopped blowing flames at three angered ghouls and began to float back to him, body making waves in the air. Fleetstride sent three arrows this time, two hitting one ghoul. Belorei hit the third in the face and it fell backward, its arms flailing.

“You stay here,” Belorei told the dragonhawk, throwing the fruit on the ground near him this time. The dragonhawk chirped and peered at the fruit on the ground, puzzled for a moment, then gobbled it up.

Fleetstride chuckled.

“He said it was a bad throw.”

“Sorry about that,” Belorei looked to him and the others. They shook their heads.

“It's fine,” Fleetstride smiled a little. “I'm glad that it wants to help us though. Maybe if you train it some more.”

Belorei nodded. “Maybe so.” He was peering at the dragonhawks' back where it had been struck by a ghoul's fists. He didn't see any damage in the scales.

“He got a name?”

The blonde shook his head, smiling. “He only just followed me here today.”

“Hm... should give him one if you plan on keeping him.”

Belorei thought that sounded like a good idea. As he continued helping the others drive back the Scourge ambling up the Dead Scar, he contemplated different names for the dragonhawk. What did one name a dragonhawk anyway? Felo... Flame. He chuckled.

“Felo,” he called out to the dragonhawk. It turned from blowing fire into the face of a ghoul that Fleetstride had shot an arm off of and chirped at him. Belorei grinned.

“Felo! Come Felo!”

Fleetstride laughed as the dragonhawk began to flutter towards its new master, chirping again. He offered it another piece of dried fruit and winced when its sharp beak nipped him accidentally while snagging it.

“Good Felo!” He wondered if it would allow him to pet it. Slowly, he reached his hand out, touching the creature's chest with his fingers. It tilted its head sideways to peer curiously at his hand and he chuckled, brushing his fingers gently down its chest.

“Looks like someone's a hawk whisperer,” Jaela's voice teased him from a few feet away. He smirked, blushing. “Hey do me a favor. Come here, Belo.”

He hurried up to her, glancing back to make sure that the ghoul attacks had died down and Fleetstride wasn't being left on his own to manage them.

“What kind of favor, ma'am?”

“Just a note. For the Ranger General.”

Belorei paled.

“Th-the ranger general?” his voice sank to a mumble and Jaela scoffed.

“Oh don't look so scared. I'm only asking – again – for more arms. We're running low on weapons! I don't know how anyone expects me to recruit more rangers without even blades to offer them!”

Belorei nodded as she patted his shoulder.

“Now get going! Try not to dawdle either. We might need you again soon.”

Her last words made him blush and his chest seemed to hold a warm glow. He saluted her, smiling a little, then was about to head toward the city when he stopped, blushing further.

“Jaela?”

“What is it?”

“Um, where would I find the Ranger General?”

She clapped a hand to her head. “Sunwell! I forgot... You'll find him in the Court of the Sun, in Sunfury Spire.”

“Thank you,” he grinned as she shook her head at herself and turned to head to the city again.

Belorei hadn't been inside the city in...nigh a year at least. He looked with awe at all the rebuilding that had been done. His ears picked up the sound of hammers not far away, which he took to mean more renovations taking place. It gave him pride to know his people were moving on after what had happened. Years had passed since that horrible day but he knew that to his people it only felt like months.

A sensation of melancholy followed him up to the Court of the Sun. The city seemed so empty to him still. He could remember being small and seeing so many elves crowding its streets.

With a shrug, he continued up through Murder Row, blinking as he stepped into the bright sunlight of the Court. He admired the sight of the fountain, its sandstone catching golden rays of sunlight, the water of the fountain sparkling in the afternoon light. He decided to stop and get a sip of water from one of the spouts. A chuckle alerted him that he was being watched and he turned his head to see an elven man in fine robes shaking his head and tutting.

“Farstriders,” the man looked over him with a raised brow as he walked by and Belorei couldn't help but smile a little, blushing. It probably wasn't mean to be drinking water but he was thirsty!

He looked over his own leggings and boots as he walked up to Sunfury Spire. He was sure he looked pretty scruffy to someone like that man. Who was he? A mage? A Magister even? Belorei shrugged. It didn't matter how scruffy he looked right now. One day, maybe, he would wear finely tooled leather and carry a perfectly crafted bow.

He slowed as he reached the entrance of the Spire. The guards lined up on either side of the entrance made him a little nervous. They were all tall, broad shouldered spellweavers holding double edged blades and shields. He could practically feel their eyes following him, even though they seemed to be staring straight ahead. He had to wonder at their patience; being able to stand for hours so still and alert had to be boring. His own job was similar, but he got to enjoy being outside the city and actually fighting things at least.

Relieved that guard duty was not to be his fate, he entered the spire and couldn't help but smile a little as he saw three men standing in a circle.

One he assumed to be a mage – dark haired and dressed all in red and gold. His robes suggested the power of fire. Curiously, his face was covered with a matching bandana. He had to wonder why anyone would cover his face here like some kind of bandit. The other two men wore fine mail and leather. One of them might be the Ranger General... but which one?

He cleared his throat and they stopped their chatter to turn and look at him. The mage narrowed his brows.

“What do you want boy? Speak your business and be gone!”

One of the other men, his hair long and gold, laughed at the mage.

“Sunwell, you'll scare him off before he speaks, Rommath.”

Rommath? Belorei felt as if his feet were glued to the floor. The Rommath? The Grand Magister? He had to swallow an impulse to turn and run out of the Spire. What was Jaela thinking! Bothering the Ranger General with some messenger while he was talking to the Grand Magister?

But the blonde smiled and motioned him closer.

“Who is your message for?” he pointed to the scroll Belorei was holding.

“Ah... The Ranger General, sir.” He bowed slightly, then came closer.

“That would be myself. And who sent this?”

“Ranger Jaela, sir.” He held out the scroll, feeling stupid for some reason.

The Ranger General, Halduron Brightwing as Belorei knew was his name, took the scroll and opened it, looking slightly amused.

“What is Jaela demanding now, I wonder?”

Belorei wasn't sure if he should go away immediately or wait to hear the Ranger General's response. Sunwell, what should he do? He was beginning to feel even more stupid standing there while the Grand Magister eyed him with annoyance. He caught himself looking at the white haired elf who stood between them and it sunk in that he was staring at none other than the Regent Lord. His breath caught in his throat as he realized the Regent Lord was peering at him with interest.

“Boy,” he spoke as Halduron Brightwing continued reading Jaela's demands. His voice startled Belorei. “What is your family name? I swear you look familiar.”

Belorei stammered, then wished he could melt into the floor.

“Morningdew, sir.”

“Ah...” the Regent Lord seemed to consider this, then shrugged. The Grand Magister, however, did a double take.

“Wait... did you say Morningdew?”

“Y-yes?”

Lor'themar was giving the Magister a curious look.

“Something interesting, Rommath?”

The Grand Magister shook his head but he was still eyeing Belorei almost suspiciously. The young ranger began to wish dearly that Halduron Brightwing would wave him off.

“Tell Jaela that I will see if I can have some more arms sent to her within the next week,” the Ranger General handed the scroll back to Belorei who nodded and with relief saluted then turned to walk away.

He was almost to the door and eager to step into sunlight again when the Grand Magister spoke.

“Boy!”

He stopped and slowly turned.

“Sir?”

“Your... What was your father's name?”

Belorei's face slowly flushed.

“Um... I... Vadrian, sir." He was too ashamed to admit he didn't know who his father was. He couldn't say such a thing before elves like these.

They were all watching him curiously and in the silence that followed he almost expected them to burst into laughter. Which would have been absolutely humiliating and probably caused him to melt into the floor. But the other two elves, the Ranger General and the Regent, were looking to Rommath curiously.

“Rommath, perhaps we should allow the boy to return to Jaela,” Lor'themar's suggestion was gentle and the Grand Magister shrugged and waved a hand.

“So be it.” He cleared his own throat. “Pardon. Go on with your business boy.”

He could hear them murmuring behind him as he walked away and for some reason he found his heart was thudding heavily. It calmed by the time he reached the Dead Scar again and Jaela frowned at his answer but allowed him to return to Fleetstride's side.

Hours passed and it was time to stop for a meal. They sat down for a quick lunch of cold cut springpaw meat with bread. He would have been able to forget all about the Grand Magister's odd gaze and embarrassing questions. He could have gone on quite happily living as a simple ranger, getting to know the others in the group and laughing at the triplets' jokes. But then Jaela got a messenger.

“The Ranger General wishes to speak with you, Ranger Jaela.”

The others, all in the midst of eating their lunch, turned to peer curiously at the messenger and Jaela. The messenger wore simple clothes, but was neatly dressed and not likely a ranger judging by his silk pants. Their leader blushed and stammered.

“Right now?”

“As soon as is possible,” the messenger replied. “He also would like you to bring Ranger Morningdew with you.”

“Morningdew?” her voice arched and she turned to give him a suspicious look. His ears drooped.

'Oh no,' he thought, along with. 'What did I do?'
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A Tale of Two Princes