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Brothers	By : Koori Category: +S through Z > World of Warcraft Views: 1830 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own World of Warcraft, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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Chapter Twenty-Four – Nathaniel Conway, Age 20
Nathaniel kneeled, resting on his heels, his eyes closed. A casual observer would accuse him of slacking on his watch duties, but he 'saw' things more clearly this way. The distant sound of hands working the fields, the shouts of men … it was in Common so he dismissed it. There was no approaching clatter of a dozen Hawkstriders, so he was content they were safe for the moment. He opened his eyes and there was a sudden sense of wrongness, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Bishop agreed and let out a nervous whiney.
He looked around with eyes that had never let him down before and saw … nothing. Frowning he stood and approached Rook and Bishop to calm them. Something stung him in the neck; he reached up to brush it away. His fingers found the feathery flight of the tiny dart embedded in his flesh as his legs buckled. Though not remembering making any sound he saw his brother startle awake as darkness overtook him.
He awoke to a horrendous headache and his hands tied behind him, wrapped around the trunk of a tree. There was a hood over his head, leaving him in darkness. Through the throbbing pain, he could hear an argument.
"Lay down your weapons, humans!" An annoying familiar voice demanded. "We do not want to shed your blood but we will if you come between us and our prey."
"Prey …" an unfamiliar voice replied. "I would start praying elf; we're not the type of people you want to get on the bad side of."
"You're surrounded by a dozen elves that can take out three men in seconds," Lor'themar Theron replied. "Be wise, human, we just want the elf child and my bow … you can do what you wish with the other, they have earned my ire this day."
"Elf, what elf?" the man demanded.
"Stupid human," Lor'themar growled as Nathaniel's hood was removed. He blinked at the bright light, as the angry elf in front of him pulled off the bandana revealing his lofty ears. Nathaniel used the moment to look around and to his dismay saw Foster bound to a tree across the way, a hood on his head.
"Brother!" he shouted. Foster's head turned toward him.
"I'm okay, Baby Brother," he replied, calmly. "Head spinning a bit, how did you let them sneak up on us?"
"Brother?" Nathaniel could now see the stranger was a young man, dressed all in black leather with a bright orange bandana covering the lower half of his face, a bandit.
"Not even close," Lor'themar said with a smirk.
Looking around Nathaniel could see he was in some sort of small camp, there were a half dozen men dressed as the same as the bandit. Beyond them were the archers of Lor'themar with their arrows drawn.
"I tire, human," Lor'themar said. "We do this with or without bloodshed; you have on the count of three to say … one …"
"You can have what you want," the bandit replied with a shrug. "We'll take the one; he looks to have a strong back …"
"No!" Nathaniel shouted, "Damn it, by the Light I'm sorry, Sir, I just didn't … you can't leave my brother with them … please …"
"Halduron gag him," Lor'themar said as he disappeared out of Nathaniel's sight behind him. A youthful looking elf approached, there was sympathy in his eyes but a cloth appeared in his hands.
"No," Nathaniel shouted again. "I'll be as meek as a kitten if you take him with us …"
"You say that like you'll have a choice," Lor'themar said at his ear.
Cool fingers gripped his hand and fear rippled through Nathaniel. He tried to clench his hand into a fist but pressure on a sensitive nerve caused him to cry out. At that moment the gag was placed and tied tightly. The elf behind him chanted softly and the Sunwell Ring slipped off Nathaniel's finger. It felt like getting punched in the gut and he groaned. Forcing himself to stay awake he watched as Lor'themar walked over to where his brother was pausing at the bandit he showed the man the ring. "This ring is useless to any human, in fact if another High Elf saw you with one on, they would kill you assuming you had murdered the elf wearing it." He bent down behind Foster. "A token to remember your brother by," he said. "He won't need it anymore; the Sunwell will feed his want from now on."
"Release him Halduron and put him up on his horse," Lor'themar ordered. "Then tie him down, wouldn't want him to fall off when he passes out."
"I didn't say you could have the horse," the bandit growled.
Lor'themar turned and coldly stared at the other until the bandit turned away and spat. "Whatever just get the hell out of here."
"Brother!" Foster shouted from behind his hood. "It's going to be okay, we'll see each other again. Love you, Baby Brother."
"Aw that's touching," the bandit said walking over to Foster and kicking him hard in the side. "Shut the fuck up."
Nathaniel had no strength to fight as he was put on Rook, his hands bound to the saddle horn. The elf named Halduron grabbed the reins as he swung up on his cockatrice and led him away from his brother. "I'm sorry," he thought silently as a tear fell down his cheek. "So sorry, Brother." It was too much to fight the approaching darkness so he gave into and slumped forward on his horse.
The following days were periods of painful wakefulness and even more heartrending moments when he couldn't escape the darkness and dreamt. During a time of awareness Halduron had removed the gag and was trying to get him to swallow from a canteen. Though his lips were parched Nathaniel turned his head away. That got him the strong hand of Lor'themar on his jaw as his mouth were forced opened. Afterwards the gag was replaced and darkness overtook him again. There were times he awoke off his horse and resting on a mat near a fire, the elves around him talking in their sing-song tongue. Mostly he remembers riding slumped over Rook's broad neck.
He wasn't sure how long he was kept at his state of semi-conscious, it felt like weeks. Eventually there was a sense of an approaching power reaching out to him. It felt foreign, cold, but with it his strength returned. His moments of alertness lengthened but misery remained, it just changed faces. Instead of nauseating pain that caused him to black out, he was just plain nauseated. After choking on vomit they removed his gag with a stern warning to hold his tongue. That freed him to be sick off the back of his horse; it was frequent enough he could tell those that travelled with him were growing concerned.
After one episode Lor'themar and Halduron had words in their native tongue and Lor'themar rode close to Nathaniel and pressed a hand on his forehead. Tired and ill Nathaniel jerked away. With a look of ire the elf urged his mount back to Halduron's side and they spoke again. With feverish eyes Nathaniel looked around, the land looked foreign to him. The trees were tall with brilliant white trunk, golden leaves crowned them. He was sure in other circumstances he would find his surroundings beautiful. His wrists ached, the ropes reopened the sores, and fresh blood trickled down onto the darker older stains that marred Rook's golden coat.
Halduron fell in step beside him, "Child," he said. Nathaniel ignored him; they knew his name but insisted on calling him that and he was more than willing to act childish. There was a snort and a flash of movement, a light weight fell in place behind him. Rook barely noticed the additional passenger. The elf that had been leading his horse tossed Halduron the reins.
"Are you sure we shouldn't stop at Fairbreeze Village?" he asked Lor'themar.
"They have no priests there," the elf replied. "We need to get him to Silvermoon."
"Alright, we'll see you there, sir," Halduron said as he dug his heels into the sides of Rook who took off. They left the path they had been following, weaving in and out of trees at a blinding pace. The horse seemed to respond to the elf's touch better than his owner's. After an hour of breathtaking racing, Halduron pulled up on the reins and nudged Nathaniel. "Look, Child, the magnificent city of Silvermoon awaits us," he said.
Looking up Nathaniel saw a large white wall approaching the golden and red touches, he had never seen anything look so grand and it was just a wall. He heaved but he had long since purged anything inside, so they were just gut wrenching.
"Alright," Halduron said, "you can admire the splendor of your people later, let's us find a healer."
Through a feverish haze he saw them approaching an opening in the wall and ride through after some sharp words from Halduron to the smartly dressed elves guarding outside. Once inside the town there were twists and turns before they pulled up in front of a building. A blade appeared in Halduron's hands and he cut Nathaniel free pulling him down off Rook. Dropping Nathaniel down in a nearby bench he unnecessarily said, "Don't go anywhere," with a smirk as he hurried inside. Nathaniel watched the blood from his wrists drip down onto the pristine sidewalk. It was the first time in what felt like forever he hadn't been under watch and there was nothing he could but stare stupidly at the crimson drops.
"All right," a new male voice said. "Let's get him inside before he scares away the guests."
He found himself between Halduron and another elf, being half-dragged inside, with an arm draped over each shoulder. "Sorry about the shirt," Halduron said.
"I've been splattered with worse," the man replied with a chuckle. They carried him up some stairs and a curtain was pushed aside and within was a bed, he hadn't slept in one in forever. "He's filthy …"
"We've been riding for an entire month," Halduron replied, "and he hasn't exactly been the most hospitable child, I'll pay extra for the fresh linens."
"He's not some sort of brigand is he? I mean we have a reputation here …"
"Nay just a naughty child," Halduron said as they sat him down on the edge of the bed. "Did you send for a healer?"
"I'm here," a new voice said. Blinking Nathaniel saw a young woman standing at the door. "I need a basin of warm water … better make that a tub, clean cloths, and incense lots of incense." The males stood a moment too long and she snapped her fingers, "now!"
As Halduron and the other hurried off, the female elf pulled her auburn locks back and tied them into a ponytail as she knelt down in front of him. She took one of his hands in hers and hissed at the sight of the frayed ropes. "By the Sunwell, I'll have that elf's head on a pike." Her cool fingers worked the knots and the ropes fell free.
"Why are you speaking Common?" Nathaniel asked, blushing at the weakness of his words, but it dawned on him they were speaking in words he could understand which had been a rarity these past weeks.
"Hal mentioned you couldn't speak Thalassian," the woman said as she freed the rope from his other wrist. "It would be rude …"
"Never stopped them before," Nathaniel said with a sigh.
"A really sharp pike," the woman mumbled. "My name is Belestra I'm a priestess, what is your name, Child?" As she spoke she unbuttoned his shirt and slid it off his shoulders.
"Nathaniel," he replied.
"Odd name," she said, "Okay, Nathaniel, can you tell me how long you have been feeling ill?" She laid he back and he let out a sigh at the softness of the mattress, he was startled out of his moment of reprieve when he felt her fingers working on his belt.
He grabbed her wrist, "Ma'am!" he said alarmed.
"Just undressing you so I can see what I'm working with," she replied as she freed her arm and went back to work on his belt.
"No," Nathaniel said as he reached for her again. This time his hands were grabbed by Halduron who had just entered.
"Sorry, Bel," he said, "he's been knocking his head against ours the entire trip. I can tie him back up."
"You will do no such thing," Belestra said as she grabbed the waistband of his pants and pulled it down. Nathaniel felt his face turn crimson as he now lay naked before the young elf maiden. As his hands were freed he reached for a nearby blanket but his hand was brushed away.
"Stop embarrassing yourself," Halduron said with a low growl, "your human stink is showing. Elves are not ashamed of our bodies; you'll understand when you join us for our communal baths."
Belestra raised a slender eyebrow at the comment as she knelt down beside Nathaniel. She took the blanket and laid it across his middle. "Now, Nathaniel, how long have you been sick?"
"Since they took my ring," Nathaniel said.
"Your ring?" she glanced over at Halduron who was helping emptying buckets of steaming water into a bathtub that had been brought in.
"His Sunwell Ring," Halduron replied. "He shouldn't need it here; we bask in the glory of the Sunwell here in Silvermoon."
"A child in the possession of Sunwell Ring how is that even possible?" she asked.
They talked over him as her cool hands touched his forehead. "According to Lor'themar the ring was his mother's, she died at his birth and he inherited the ring and it had been with him ever since."
"So your brilliant commander decided to take away the ring his body has been attuned to his entire life?" Belestra hissed. "Where is it now?"
"Lost," Halduron replied.
Belestra hissed something in Thalassian. "Help me get him into the bath," she said. "I can't work with him smelling like this."
His embarrassment returned as he felt her warm body press against his as they moved him into the bath. It was short lived; he let out a content sigh as he sunk into the fragrant water. Through half-closed eyes he watched Halduron shrug out of his shirt and kneel down. Gentle hands bathed him, as Belestra worked on his hair. At one point the bath was emptied and refilled as they washed the filth off him. Eventually he was clean enough for the bed and moved back. The healer placed one hand on his head and the other on his chest and he felt something warm enter his body, it felt like his mother's touch. At the thought his anger of the situation came back. Belestra felt the change and her touch soothed him, calming him.
"He's rejecting the Sunwell," she said finally.
"How is that even possible?" Halduron asked.
"I've only read about it in my text books," she said, "I need to do some research. For now he needs to rest, I'll send one of my students to keep an eye on him. During this time you shouldn't need to post a guard, we'll keep him sedated." She knelt down beside him and he felt her lips press against his cheek. "Sleep now, Nathaniel, we'll speak again soon."
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Brothers