Booze and the Blessed

[Aeladrine]

I trudged across Sholazar, Gwyn at my side. I had been asked to put down a lion, who the locals called Pitch due to his dark coat. I wasn't looking forward to it. I took pride in being a hunter, someone who prowled the lands with animals just as skilled as myself. An infamous animal was a powerful ally, not just a creature to be killed for its pelt.

That's why they wanted me to kill it, or so they claimed. Apparently his dark coat made him special. Apparently it made him a worthy trophy. I have never heard such a load of bollocks before. But I really needed their money. Sick as it made me, I had to do it.

So I traveled. Have a large proto-drake mount makes getting to places quickly pretty easy. The Frenzyheart were already there, taunting the poor lion after they'd backed him into a corner. He was snarling and growling and scared.

Before I knew it, Gwyn was beside him, doing the same. The Frenzyheart stepped back, obviously wary. I could hear them talking amongst themselves, questioning whether or not a ghostly pet would leave behind a pelt to be skinned. They deliberated, until one mentioned that it didn't matter: if a pelt was left behind it would make for a good sacrifice to the gods, it not, no real loss. They stepped forward again, ready to kill both the black lion and my faithful companion.

That wasn't going to happen. That would never happen. I had lost pets before. I was not going to lose Gwyn.

I don't know if the one closest to my baby ever realized what happened. It certainly took the rest of the hunting group a few moments to understand it. I'm not sure I understand it myself.

Sure, I'd killed people before. But they'd always attacked me first. I'd never just killed someone. Gwyn is my family, though. I had to do something.

Well, I guess the Frenzyheart had never seen a draenei before. We're not exactly common around these parts. They just kind of backed away. I guess they were afraid of me. I heard a few whispers of "demon" and "monster", but I ignored them. I had endured worse at the hands of my fellow Alliance members, after all.

As soon as they left, Gwyn came bounding back towards me, his new friend following cautiously. I berated my partner, then hugged him close. When Gwyn squirmed away again, there was a dark cat trying to press his nose against my face. I patted him awkwardly and asked Gwyn to find something for the three of us to eat.

The dark cat went with him. The two came back with a couple of baby gorillas. I wasn't too happy about that, but Gwyn just shrugged at me and gave me one of his looks that said, "This is the only thing we could find and bring back. You will eat it and you will like it." I sighed, but complied.

I had expected the black cat to leave in the night. Instead, as I fell asleep, I saw him curl up next to Gwyn. Suddenly, the world made sense again. What Gwyn had done that day was out of character. Now, it wasn't so hard to believe. I cursed my poor attention. I should've noticed Gwyn acting differently; I'd known him for five years, hadn't I? It bothered me that I hadn't caught him sneaking off in the night, as I was now sure he'd done. I felt betrayed and just a little unloved and went to sleep angry and upset.

I woke up to fur on either side of me. It was too warm and it itched and what the hell was Gwyn thinking? It took my groggy self a moment to figure out that, yes, there was fur on each side. One was the soft, cool fur of Gwyn; I'd come to realize over the years that it felt more like the wind dancing across your skin than the fur of any animal. The other was warm and just a little prickly, much like its owner.

And then I realized. I wasn't getting rid of the new cat. Gwyn wouldn't let me. I didn't really understand how or when it had happened, but it had nonetheless.

"I guess you're with us now. I'll have to introduce you to the rest of the crew soon. I can't believe I'm doing this. This is the sort of crap people do when they're drunk." I sighed, "Well, I can't call you Pitch. It just doesn't feel right, does it?"

Gwyn shook his head at this and I smiled and rustled his fur.

"Well, you're a drunk decision. I happen to know a word for booze that might just fit."

The cat smiled up at me, as if he already knew he would like it.

"Welcome to the family, Cwrw."

-----

Oh dear god, this is absolutely horrible. I'm sorry. It covers just about every cliche in taming stories that there is. I didn't even bother trying to make it decent. I'm so sorry.

And if the title doesn't make sense to you, go to babynames.com and look up "Gwyn".(;

Sorry again.):

[Kalliope]

*giggles quietly* This is charming because the very nature of the story is silly beyond words.

Plus I know the feeling of a pet choosing a companion without your consent... x_x

[Varethyn]

Aw, it's not horrible at all, I really quite enjoyed it