The explosion was sudden, lighting up the small room for a brief moment before a gust of smoke overtook it. A tiny frame wandered out of the cloud, coughing and waving her hand in front of her ash covered face. A brief billow of smoke floated up and out of the holes and windows of the shack.
"I think I missed a step." Aylee said as she tried to clean herself from the accident, and sitting on a stool next to her friend. The Forsaken broke his attention from the vice like trap he was tinkering with to look at her for a moment.
"Clearly." he replied, and turned his mind back to the device.
"I think you need to show me again." she insisted as she took a deep breath of fresh air. Skaggs chuckled a little.
"Well..." he started as he tweaked his trap... "...first thing you have to remember about making explosive arrows is that the goal is blow your target up..." Skaggs briefly paused as he tightened a screw. "...not yourself."
Aylee scrunched her face at him. "Well what about you? Get that dumb trap working yet?"
"Of course I did. It just needed a little..." Skaggs voice trailed off as he gingerly placed a pin into the contraption. "...and I think that's got it--"
Suddenly the trap sprung, and a small spout of fire spat up and lit his shirt on fire, to which he quickly patted it out. Aylee held onto a small piece of wood she was chewing on while watching Skaggs, laughing at his misfortune.
"Clearly." she replied. Skaggs let out a frustrated groan and tossed the broken trap aside.
"Gah, gnomes." He ranted. "Worthless devices... Where's my workbook..." Skaggs hobbled over to a nearby table that was cluttered with papers and old books, spare parts and tools. He thumbed through some of the books, tossed aside papers, and discarded the tools; all the while Aylee watched him grow more and more frustrated.
"It's just one trap. You've made plenty of them..." but still he thrashed around for several minutes.
"Skag! What is it? Tell me before you tear the place down." Aylee leaned forward, stern but concerned. Finally Skaggs stopped tossing papers aside, laid both palms on his desk and leaned forward on it.
"They didn't recognize me!" he finally relented as he shook his head slightly.
Aylee cocked her head to the side, compassion in her voice. "Y-your family?"
"No... no, my family died in the attack. I think, anyway, I can hardly remember those parts." It was then Aylee noticed a crumpled piece of paper in his hand. "No, it was my pets... from before. I went back yesterday..." He stopped for a moment, growling under his breath. Any sadness he would have shown seemed to translate directly to anger. Aylee stood up and walked up to him, and took the picture from his hand.
"This is them?" the picture showed a happy boy, with an odd looking dog-like creature by his side, and a brown bat fluttering nearby.
"Lorn just screeched at me and flew off. Lohth snarled and snapped at me." Had he been able, Aylee knew the Forsaken would have let loose a tear.
"They aren't much to look at... but they were the closest thing I had to real friendship. I don't know what-"
"I could take care of them." Aylee interrupted. Skaggs turned to look at her, his expression as inquisitive as his his grungy face would allow. "Maybe if I can gain their trust, you can come back into their life. Regain their affection. It's worth a try, right?" She continued. Skaggs looked back down to the table; after a few moments of contemplation, nodded in agreement.
-----------------
Midnight in Tirisfal Glades is an unsettling time for most. Creatures of nightmare roam around as commonly as a bird flies through the air. Skaggs was used to it, being a recent Forsaken, he had grown accustomed to the bumps in the night. Aylee, on the other hand, was still adjusting.
"What was that?" Aylee whispered, her bright green eyes widening as she looked around. Skaggs adjusted his body as they two lay hidden behind a fallen log among bushes.
"What? Nothing, just a spider or something, calm down." His words were little comfort to Aylee.
"So why are we waiting? Why don't we just go find them?" She asked while looking around.
"Because I have trained them to live in the shadows, like I did most of my life. They only come out when they want to be seen."
"Live in the shadows? What does that mean? You've never told me about your past much." She asked curiously, her mind finally off the sounds from around her.
"Well.." Skaggs adjusted again before continuing, "...I grew up on the border of Redridge and Elwynn. My parents were both miners all their life, slaving away in the mountains. I was a bit of a... problem growing up." Aylee chuckled.
"You? A problem? Impossible, you're such a delight to---"
"Do you want to hear the story or not?" Skaggs interrupted. Aylee laughed quietly and motioned for him to continue.
"OK, anyway, my friends growing up were an unsavory bunch. A shifty group of thieves and bandits, really. As I grew a few years old, I began to distance myself from the delinquents, but they did introduce me to the art of subtlety from rogues and survival from hunters, and the group known as SI:7."
Aylee cocked her head a little. "Never heard of them."
"Doesn't surprise me. They are a covert organization within the Alliance. Since I was as much a hunter as rogue, though, they wouldn't let me officially join, but I was allowed on a few of the missions once I showed them I can hold my own."
"Wait a minute..." Aylee sat up a little with a puzzled look. "You were both?" Skaggs nodded.
"I trained under both, I learned the art of huntsmanship, focusing on how to survive when it was just me verses the wild. My trainers taught me about survival tactics, how to track nearly anything that breathes, and how to perfect the use of specialized arrows and traps."
"And from the rogues? What did you learn?"
"I learned to live in the shadows. I could find and exploit weaknesses, find opportunity were none was, and even cheat death itself. It taught me to be prepared, tactical, and stealthy."
"Wow, sounds intense." Aylee said in amazement.
"It was exhilarating. I trained my pets to live life the same way. Hidden, alert, resourceful... Unfortunately I was rejected by the organizations on both sides, and since I never got to finish either of my training, I was left living in the gray area between the two."
Skaggs became silent and didn't speak for a few moments. He took his eyes off the bushes ahead and sat down against the log.
"I had brought my wife to Southshore with me for a few months stay. I had plans to train with an organization I had never heard of until then. They were an elite group of rogues that stationed in the mountains, and I knew if I was ever going to be taken seriously with SI:7, I had to prove myself. I did not know if they would accept me, but I was going to try."
Skaggs got quiet again as Aylee looked on in interest.
"I never got that chance, though. It was during that stay that Southshore was attacked. I remember my wife dying... but not much after that until I was raised in Deathknell. Slowly my memories came back, and I remembered bits and pieces of my past, and my training. I eventually went back to the places I used to know, but all that has come of it is heartache. I visited my wife's grave, the ruins of Southshore... and earlier this week, I went back for my closest friends, only to find my pets to had rejected me. Some of the Forsaken I have talked to said they regained their connection with old pets. Maybe it will come back to me one day, maybe it's gone forever. I just want to know they are alright."
Skaggs once again fell silent as he turned his attention back to his watch from behind the log. Aylee took everything he said in, knowing now just how much this means to him.
----------------------------
Minutes became hours as the two sat silently in their vigil. Skaggs noticed Aylee had almost nodded off to sleep a couple of times.
"We can come back later." He finally said, breaking the silence.
"No... no I'm fine." Aylee protested, stirring herself to fully awake.
"You've almost fallen asleep three--"
A rustle among the bushes a short ways off silenced them both. A moment later, a faint purple dog walked out from behind the bush, silent and careful, only illuminated by the moonlight streaking through the trees.
"Lohth..." Skaggs whispered. "Now's your chance."
Aylee nodded, and slowly came over the log. It wasn't long until the creature noticed her, lowered it's head and began a low growl. Aylee looked eyes with the creature, walking slowly toward it, hunched down a little. It was then, as she drew closer, she noticed this was no ordinary dog. It's face was almost demonic.
Aylee carefully walked up to a few steps away and knelt down.
"Come here, Lohth..." she whispered to it, never breaking her gaze. She laid a small piece of meat they had brought on the ground. The animal raised it's head a little and took a few steps forward. It leaned down and took a bite of the food, acting as if it hadn't eaten in days. Aylee inhaled and exhale, and laid her hand on the animal. To her surprise, it didn't react negatively. After it finished it's snack, the dog walked up to her as if they had been friends for years.
Aylee looked around to Skaggs, tears in her eyes, mouthing "I did it" between her smile.
Suddenly a fluttering was heard above her, an animal swooped down just over her head. Aylee ducked, and turned to see the bat disappear among the trees. Her heartbeat was racing, she could barely see it.
Finally the bat lowered nearby, landing and walking over to her. It was one of the ugliest creatures she had ever seen, a dirty brown with leathery wings, but her heart broke for it. Both Lorn and Lohth had lost their master and were missing him as much as he was them. The bat wandered over to her, sniffing at her.
"The fruit, Aylee!" Skaggs said to Aylee in a whispered yell. Immediately Lohth and Lorn perked up and looked behind her snarling at Skaggs. He ducked back under the log, as Aylee brought the attention of the creatures back toward her, giving Lorn some fruit she had brought, and giving Lohth the last bit of meat she had. She spent a few more moments bonding with the animals, sitting and petting them, looking back at Skaggs to let him know they were OK.
Aylee finally stood up, was going to call the animals over to him, but found that they quickly scurried back into the darkness from where they came. Aylee had a confused look on her face as she looked at Skaggs, who joined her.
"Don't worry, that is how I trained them. They have secret places. They are yours now, Aylee. Take care of them."
"I want them to meet you! They're your pets, after all."
"No, they were my pets. Now they're yours. If I can't be their master, I will settle for being their friend if that is all I can have."
Aylee didn't respond.
"Come on..." Skaggs said finally, "...let's get you home before your father has a bounty on my head."
Skaggs walked off, leaving a stunned Aylee staring at him. She looked back at the bushes where the animals retreated, then back to Skaggs who was quite a ways off now. Shaking her head a little, she finally decided to catch up with him.
--------------------------------
The sun was rising in Winterspring when Aylee walked up to her house. Leaving Skaggs back in Tirisfal, she had a lot on her mind. As she walked inside, Rendir was in the kitchen.
"Oh there you are."
"Hi daddy..." She said sleepily.
"All night, Aylee? Baby, you need to tell us when-" Rendir pleaded.
"Daddy I'm fine, I was perfectly safe with.." Aylee tried to catch her words, but was unable. Rendir groaned and looked down.
"Him again. You know he's trouble." Aylee huffed as she sat down at the kitchen table.
"Yeah OK daddy, he has a big mouth sometimes--"
"Sometimes?" Rendir interrupted. "Baby his jaw is hanging half off his head, he has a big mouth all the time."
Aylee rolled her eyes. "I'm going to bed." And stormed off to her bedroom.
"Of course you are, it's morning time and you are just going to bed because you've been out all night!" Rendir yelled as she slammed her door. Salaina came walking into the kitchen a moment later.
"What was that all about?" She asked.
"Aylee's home. Out all night with that Forsaken."
Salaina nodded. "I see."
"I didn't mean to wake you up, I know you aren't feeling well." Rendir said as he walked over to her. "Come on, go back to bed, I will handle Aylee."
Rendir walked Salaina back to bed, and then went to Aylee's room. He knocked on the door, but Aylee made no sound. Slowly he opened it to see Aylee sitting on her bed, back turned to him with her head down.
"Aylee, I'm sorry for yelling at you, I just... worry." Still no response.
"Aylee? Baby, you OK?" Rendir said as he walked forward, concern betrayed in his voice.
"I just want to be alone for a bit, OK daddy?" She said, sobbing a little. It was then Rendir glimpsed the crumbled old photograph in her hand.
"OK... OK honey." Rendir leaned and kissed her on the side of her head, and slowly headed out, closing her door.
He slowly made his way back to the kitchen to find Salaina sitting there drinking a cup of hot tea.
"You're still awake?" he said.
"Can't sleep with all this noise. How is she." Salaina noticed the concern in his face. "Ren.. what's wrong?"
"She had a picture.."
"Of what?" Salaina asked curiously, setting her cup on the table and leaning forward.
"A boy, a human boy, and what looks like a couple pets."
"Oh..." Salaina responded, leaning back.
Rendir finally stood up, walked over behind Salaina's chair and hugged her from behind. He nestled his head next to hers, and spoke,
"Yeah... I think this might become more than what we are bargaining for."
