Music:   Vor í Vaglaskógi by Kaleo 

https://youtu.be/272-mrDLlKI

The passage of time saw Tiene diligently meeting with Louvel when Sauren was away on business. She had tremendous respect for the noble rogue.

His preference for operating as a lone wolf was firmly anchored in love for his family. Everything he did, was for his wife and son, Lewis, ensuring their lives were comfortable and safe.

Lewis, now a young man, regularly wrote to his father - care of Capital Inn - and occasionally asked if the 'lady who had liked his butterfly' still had it in her possession. Louvel advised his son that indeed she did, and it was kept safely with other precious items.

From the noble rogue, Tiene learned the ways of the Shado-Pan monks. Louvel was a good teacher, although he was inclined to be silly at times. He'd made Tiene panic when she'd thought she'd seriously injured him and one time, even believed she'd killed him. When he'd jumped up, shouting 'Boo', she was furious - stamping her feet and pointing an angry finger at him for scaring her so. But he'd pulled her into a hug and eventually when she'd calmed down they'd ended up laughing about it.

He taught her about pressure points in the body which, when struck, would paralyse an opponent, not just disorientate or stun. Areas to strike were on the arms, just above the wrist and on the chest. He explained it was all about applying energy - either 'putting it in', or 'taking it out' of someone's body, using an upward or downward motion.

Some moves, he told her, worked better if executed at certain times of the day, requiring less effort in the strike than at other times.

Tiene's constant questions of "Why?" often left Louvel flustered - he did not have the answers to everything, he'd told her. It reached a point when he sensed she was about to say it he cut in quickly - "Don't ask!"

Nonetheless, she learned plenty, but something was missing. That was when Lexie came into the picture.

Louvel had no qualms in teaching the rebel some techniques as well. But when Lexie offered to be a marmot, to allow Louvel to demonstrate the effectiveness of the strikes, he was unwilling to oblige.

The girl argued Tiene needed to witness and practice 'putting the energy in, and taking it out again'. "Never do things by half measures," Lexie said. She assured Louvel it was the best way for Tiene to test the theory and - Lexie trusted Louvel not to kill her in the process. He agreed, albeit reluctantly.

Tiene almost passed out from panic when she first saw Lexie hit the ground, rigid as a board - the only things moving were her eyes. Louvel told Tiene to calm down so he could show her how to undo it, expressing time was of the essence unless she wanted to see her friend turn blue. Her friend survived, much to Tiene's relief.

Along with the all-important strikes, they learned a technique which also improved their natural rogue abilities - this was meditation.

At first, the women chuckled at a cross-legged Louvel, with his palms face-up, and chanting mumbo-jumbo. He haughtily scolded them, and then they followed his lead. Chanting helped Tiene in many ways.

She treasured Louvel's teachings, probably more than he would ever realise, and continued with honing her skills even when she became quite adept in the ways of the monk.

As for her 'other' lessons - she improved in that area too. No longer feeling shame at what she shared with her Guild Master, she had become a very able lover indeed. Sauren, it seemed, had been more than happy to play a submissive role on occasion.

He was never violent since that night he'd deflowered her. In startling contrast, he treated Tiene extremely well and afforded her respect. He was, however, always hungry, insatiable with a seemingly never-ending supply of stamina.

Her wish for their relationship to remain private - at least no shows of affection in front of recruits and staff alike - he honoured. Most in the guild knew about them anyway, but it was not a subject for open discussion.

No-one would dare cross that line.

Their work together went from strength to strength, as did that of her team. Before long, they learned the rules of Assassination and were engaged in some of these 'delicate' missions. Some required it to be solo work. The targets, whether influential or not, were all, without exception, executed with professional ease.

In everything, Sauren was fiercely protective of Tiene, both at work and when they attended events on behalf of the guild.

The one event Tiene dreaded, of course, was the bi-annual Gathering. It was tough for her to divorce the past from this event, but she put on a brave face, chanting before leaving for the festivities. She was half fearful and half hopeful she would see Camnath, but he never attended The Gathering again.

To many, including her family, all seemed to be going exceptionally well in Tiene's life. She had progressed significantly, flourished even, in the guild. Her skill was highly commended by the rogue community and equally so by the Blades' brand of clientele. Everything seemed perfect.

Moments of quiet contemplation involved assessing her life and slotting everything in its place. As much as she hated to admit it, sometimes, she enjoyed herself when with Sauren. He was attentive, considerate even, and yes, the passion was extraordinary - she had indeed become his 'pet'. Yet, through it all, miraculously, she remained resolute, focused. She could not wait for the day the pretence stopped.

Other times when she sat either in her rooms or in the library, she daydreamed of yesteryear - and Camnath; his face, still so vivid. The stolen kiss, forever sweet, ghosted on her lips as her fingertips touched her mouth. She would smile wistfully at the memory, but always, always, it changed to the night he walked away with hurt in his eyes.

Strolling on the battlements, or even through the city's streets, she often thought she caught a glimpse of him in the distance. She used to run towards the point she'd seen him, but, he was never there. He had just been a figment of her tortured imagination.

Her reality, however, involved information about Sauren's suspicious dealings and meetings. He had been meticulous, keeping his meetings secret. He only ever took his two favoured henchmen, making the excuse Brett was needed to oversee the guild in his absence.

But, a new network was born. Organised by Belaen Bloodbane and a select few like-minded guild leaders, this was used solely for Tiene and her allies to pass and read reports of the suspicious goings-on. Standard practice would continue through the established network as it had done for countless years, thus preventing Sauren from suspecting anything was amiss.

Conjecture surrounding Sauren's business dealings escalated when word about Caer Darrow being used as a school for necromancy, the forbidden magic, was leaked. It had taken considerable time and funding for it to be made ready, but evidence the mage, Kel'Thuzad, had been the one to invest in the school, was irrefutable.

There were rumours abound Sauren had been responsible for acquiring the premises on Kel'Thuzad's behalf. But, it was a jigsaw with a missing piece. What would Sauren gain from this allegiance? The jury was still out on that one.

News of a strange cult was growing in the region, with alleged promises of eternal life to those who joined. The natives had been restless, tired and overworked, and as a result, had been easy prey to convert to this new way of thinking.

Whispers then spread Kel'Thuzad was using his ample fortune to gather a surreptitious brotherhood - like-minded men and women. He was very cautious though, the affluent mage paid handsomely all those who worked to keep the cult's purpose secret. The sect continued to grow.

And so did the new rogue network - rigorously policed by Brett and Belaen. One astonishing member was none other than the noble rogue, Louvel. Having disclosed some snippets of information about strange goings-on in the region involving the new cult, Tiene managed the one thing in which Sauren had failed for years. She persuaded Louvel to join ranks. He agreed, but only to share information. That was good enough for Tiene.

Times, however, were indeed looking dark, and one night, Tiene decided to enquire after Camnath through the new network. She could not bring herself to contact him directly, for she feared a lack of response more than anything. So, she opted for approaching Belaen, his Guild Master. In her rooms, with a trembling hand, she started to write a note.

𝔇𝔢𝔞𝔯 𝔊𝔲𝔦𝔩𝔡 𝔐𝔞𝔰𝔱𝔢𝔯 𝔅𝔩𝔬𝔬𝔡𝔟𝔞𝔫𝔢

𝔗𝔥𝔦𝔰 𝔫𝔬𝔱𝔢 𝔦𝔰 𝔪𝔢𝔯𝔢𝔩𝔶 𝔞𝔫 𝔢𝔫𝔮𝔲𝔦𝔯𝔶 𝔞𝔰 𝔱𝔬 𝔥𝔬𝔴 ℭ𝔞𝔪𝔫𝔞𝔱𝔥 𝔖𝔲𝔫𝔰𝔭𝔢𝔞𝔯 𝔦𝔰 𝔣𝔞𝔯𝔦𝔫𝔤. 𝔒𝔲𝔯 𝔠𝔬𝔯𝔯𝔢𝔰𝔭𝔬𝔫𝔡𝔢𝔫𝔠𝔢 𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔯 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔭𝔞𝔰𝔱 𝔣𝔢𝔴 𝔶𝔢𝔞𝔯𝔰 𝔥𝔞𝔰 𝔡𝔢𝔭𝔩𝔢𝔱𝔢𝔡 𝔰𝔬𝔪𝔢𝔴𝔥𝔞𝔱 -

She scrunched that attempt up and threw it in the fire to hide the evidence.

𝔇𝔢𝔞𝔯 𝔊𝔲𝔦𝔩𝔡 𝔐𝔞𝔰𝔱𝔢𝔯 𝔅𝔩𝔬𝔬𝔡𝔟𝔞𝔫𝔢

𝔓𝔩𝔢𝔞𝔰𝔢 𝔭𝔞𝔰𝔰 𝔬𝔫 𝔪𝔶 𝔯𝔢𝔤𝔞𝔯𝔡𝔰 𝔱𝔬 ℭ𝔞𝔪𝔫𝔞𝔱𝔥 𝔖𝔲𝔫𝔰𝔭𝔢𝔞𝔯. ℑ 𝔱𝔯𝔲𝔰𝔱 𝔥𝔢 𝔦𝔰 𝔡𝔬𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔴𝔢𝔩𝔩 -

Another one for the fire.

She sat, trying to form the words she would write. Nothing seemed appropriate. Everything came out so formal and unfeeling. Then again, perhaps that was best?

As she was about to put pen to paper again, two hands slid over her shoulders and down over her breasts, squeezing them gently. She had not heard Sauren enter the room and jumped when he touched her.

"Who are you writing to?" he asked. His voice did not convey suspicion at least, nor did his touch.

She glanced sideways at the fire, praying the failed letters had not fallen out on to the hearth. The fire crackled and spat as her discarded letters crisped, then flaked away in blackened segments, turning to ash. "Inaris," she replied, stemming a sigh of relief.

"Can it wait?" The hunger in his voice was like a drug.

She put down the pen and stood, turning to face him. "Yes, it can wait."

"Good. Because I can't, I need you. Now."

He was already naked, ready to please her. Pulling her close, he popped the cork of a vial and held it to her lips, tipping the contents into her mouth.

As the liquid slid down her throat, Sauren's kisses traced its path. An involuntary moan left Tiene's lips, and his mouth closed over hers.

With ease, he peeled away her clothing, his hands caressing her skin, stroking, squeezing, moulding her to his body.

Having followed Aledine's advice, Tiene had found herself unable to refuse him. He had become an addiction sexually.

He carried her to the bed, her limbs wrapped around him.

In the aftermath of their passion, he lay holding her, stroking her hair. She absentmindedly traced the serpent tattoo on his chest. Silence ensued. It felt like a prelude to something, but she knew not what.

"I have received a letter from Darkshire today," he said out of the blue, his voice more of a whisper.

"Darkshire?" She was aware of the connection. His estranged wife still lived there.

"Yes. It is in response to one I sent two weeks ago. I have told Piper I want a divorce."

Sauren's marriage was not something he spoke of at length, but he had explained why it came to an end. Still, Piper's name had not been uttered for quite some time, so why now? Tiene wondered.

"And? Is her response positive or negative?" she ventured hesitantly.

"Positive. It will take a few days for the official documentation to be drawn up, of course, but yes, we will be divorced."

Tiene stopped outlining his tattoo. She felt uncomfortable.

Suddenly, Sauren grabbed her hand and rolled her onto her back. He stared into her eyes. "You must know what I am about to ask you, Tiene," he said, his voice fevered, expectant.

Her world - what remained of it - caved in. She dreaded his next words.

"Marry me!" he said in a rushed breath.

She stared at him, stunned. No! She had not seen this coming - at all!

"Be my wife," Sauren said, stroking her hair. "No more vials from our wedding night. I want you to bear my sons, Tiene."

A loud knock came to the door. Tiene jumped, her nerves were raw.

Sauren exhaled angrily, extremely displeased by the interruption. Whipping the covers back abruptly, he rose and strode towards the door, wrapping himself in a robe.

Tiene, bringing herself out of her stupor, crawled to the end of the bed to listen carefully.

"Apologies, Guild Master, but there is a gentleman who wishes to speak with you - urgently!" The voice belonged to one of the pageboys, and he was very nervous by the sound of it.

"He can wait!" Sauren snapped.

"He is a very persistent individual, Guild Master. He says it is with regards to your mutual friend, from Dalaran."

Sauren growled. He muttered something to the boy, but Tiene couldn't make out what he said. Then Sauren slammed the door.

Tiene scrambled back to the top of the bed, managing to pull the sheet about her before he came back up the steps to the bedchamber. "Is everything alright?" she asked, trying to keep her voice level.

"I don't know!" he shouted at her.

Seeing her flinch, he immediately apologised. "Forgive me, Tiene. I am not angry with you. We will continue the wedding plans another time. I must go now." Placing his hand at the back of her head, he brought her forward to deliver a passionate kiss. Then he turned and left, once more slamming the door.

Wedding plans? No! Tiene had to think about how to delay this - if not avoid it altogether. Who was she kidding? She knew she could not escape it - Sauren would not take no for an answer. Amid everything else she schemed and orchestrated, marriage had not been something she'd even considered.

On the one hand, the divorce would not be instant, so she considered that was a plus! And now her father's permission would be sought by her Guild Master. Surely he would agree to go about things the right way? In doing so, it would at least give her time - to do what though? She wondered, unsure. How was she going to prevent this debacle?

*****

Sauren stormed into the missions room, his visitor sitting waiting for him.

"This had better be important Dar'Khan. For one thing, you've presented a huge risk to both of us by coming here!"

"Oh please, Sauren, give me some credit." The Magister laughed lightly. "I am a mage after all. It's not as if I walked in through the courtyard announcing my arrival."

"So where did you pop in about?" Sauren glared at him.

"Here, of course. Luckily one of your little servants was next door."

Sauren was pacing back and forth, still agitated.

Dar'Khan noted the Guild Master's attire. He grinned, a little bitterly. "So how is the lovely rogue, Firefury these days? I take it you were in the middle of her when I arrived?"

"Watch your mouth, Magister!" Sauren growled, his eyes flashing a threat.

Dar'Khan smiled back, unfazed by the Guild Master's wrath. "I won't keep you from her for long then," he said.

"Just get on with it."

Dar'Khan smirked, Sauren's obvious annoyance being a source of amusement for him. Nonetheless, he had severe news to deliver. "Our friend, Kel'Thuzad, has been slain."

"What?" Sauren spun round, shocked.

Dar'Khan went on to explain Prince Arthas had found the necromancer infecting the town of Brill. Having followed Kel'Thuzad to Andorhal, the prince learned the mage had been using the town as the base of operations for plague wagons. Arthas confronted him and Kel'Thuzad then confirmed the plague of undead had infiltrated Stratholme and infected all the citizens.

"Allegedly, he told the prince the Burning Legion had masterminded the entire operation over the years, and a Dreadlord, by the name of Mal'ganis, waited in Stratholme for the final stages to come to fruition. Kel'thuzad then fled to Stratholme."

Sauren was still pacing, listening intently, but trying to plan at the same time.

Dar'Khan continued. "Arthas followed and killed our esteemed colleague. He then led an assault on the city, culling the infected and those yet to transform. We believe Athas has now followed the Dreadlord to Northrend. The outcome of which is still unknown."

"Damn it!" Sauren hissed. "Kel'Thuzad had guaranteed my guild's safety from his army of undead. What was he thinking by telling the prince of Lordaeron his plans? Our plans!"

"That I cannot answer Sauren. But, his duplicity now has left Caer Darrow without proper supervision. There are many acolytes and test subjects within those walls."

Sauren halted and turned to look at Dar'Khan. "What is going to happen to them now? Their experiments are still locked up in the dungeons I take it?"

"As far as I know, yes."

"What do you think Arthas will do now?"

"Try to kill Mal'ganis I would think," Dar'Khan replied as he studied his well-manicured nails.

"Well, of course!" Sauren sneered at the Magister's snide remark. "But after..."

"We will need to wait and see, my friend. Perhaps, the Dreadlord will kill Arthas, and we will have no worries of him returning to seek retribution."

"What about the necromancers, Kel'Thuzad's students?"

"I'll see to them, never fear. It is an art I have been dabbling in myself, after all."

Sauren glanced sideways at the Magister. They tolerated each other, that was about the strength of the relationship. But, he had to hand it to Dar'Khan; he was not stupid. He was a clever man who had sought endlessly for sources of magic in a bid to increase his power.

The fact he'd come to tell Sauren the news pronounced his loyalty too, if not to the Guild Master himself, at least to the plans they had put in place with the now-dead mage, Kel'Thuzad. Dar'Khan could easily have kept developments quiet, dealt with everything on his own, and watched Sauren fall, but he'd decided to forewarn the Guild Master.

"Alright, then. Do what you need to do, Dar'Khan. Should you hear of the prince's return, let me know, and I will do likewise."

"Very well," the Magister said, standing and brushing down his cloak. "I shall let you get back to - more pleasurable things, then." His teasing smirk was met with disdain. "I take it you would prefer I teleport from here?"

"Yes."

Dar'Khan's portal snuffed out with a pop before Sauren left the room.

The Guild Master bounded back up the stairs and entered Tiene's room quietly. As he approached her bed, he looked at her face - her eyelids were flickering, as if in dreams.

He slid under the sheet and placed the soft furs around Tiene and himself. Gently, he pulled her slender frame into his arms and kissed her brow, softly, so as not to wake her. With a heavy sigh, he closed his eyes and attempted to calm his restless mind.

*

Tiene continued the pretence of sleep as she listened to Sauren's heart beating. Something was worrying him, she could tell. She knew not who his visitor had been, but she presumed it was linked to Kel'Thuzad, going by what she'd overheard from Sauren's exchange with the pageboy.

Things were becoming undone if she was not mistaken.

                                      _____________________________________________

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