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"So, what is this about?" the two frightful, flaming eyes were fixated on Lysende, adding to her nervousness. 

The humble-mouthed girl cracked her thin little fingers and stared at her toes as if she had never seen them before. The seconds ticked by, and she knew she could not waste his great-uncle's time indefinitely. She licked her parched lips reluctantly and raised her timid eyes to her relative.

"Well, I don't even know where to begin..."

"If you're willing to take an advice, then at the beginning." Illidan crossed his arms, and Lysende directed her gaze on her legs again, trying to hide her red face burning with shame. 

How could she even say such useless nonsense? Of course, she must start from the beginning... It's just that it was so terribly difficult to find that particular starting point... She took a deep breath in a vain hope to take her aimlessly wandering thoughts under control and to sort her erratic emotions into something vaguely resembling order. 

"It's about Kaelor." she finally murmured, but upon seeing the phlegmatic twitch of the demon hunter’s facial muscles, she wished she'd phrased her sentence more wisely. "I mean..."

"If you could stop beating about the bush, you would get over it sooner, and so would I. Or, if you are that ashamed about what you want to say, perhaps I am not the best person to discuss it with."

Illidan was right. She had no reason to palter, yet she was paralysed by her own pudency. Finally, the man took pity on the struggling adolescent.

"Is it something you want to know or understand better about men?" He asked, but no answer came. Only Lysende kicking the dust embarrassed let him know that he hit the nail on the head. "I believe I don't have to remind you that I am a child of a vastly different age. The world has changed so much since then, I can't guarantee that what I'm about to say will hold true in these times." His niece nodded slowly.

"What I... what I want to know is... how long can a man wait?" the teenager finally whispered her heartfelt question.

"In what sense?"

"Well... for a girl. To be with her. And for "that'." she whispered the last sentence more to herself, seemingly still conflicted if she wanted to be heard or not.

The small clearing where she had pulled the demon hunter aside was filled with birdsong, breaking the silence. Illidan sat down thoughtfully on a fallen tree trunk, his chin resting on his fist, and remained quiet for a while.

"How old are you again, Lysende?" he asked, making the girl uncomfortable. "Don't answer, it doesn't really matter," he waved. "You and Kaelor are both insolently young by night elf standards. Yet you, who have grown up among mortals, compare yourself to them, and hasten to live your life as if it were as fleeting of a moment as that of theirs."

Lysende was puzzled by his words. She did not understand what this had to do with her question. 

"Kaelor is studying to be a druid," her uncle continued, "It takes extraordinary patience to master it and learn how to harness nature's energies. It is a slow, often seemingly fruitless process, with no shortcuts."  He said. His words were mixed with some bitterness and contempt, but his audience failed to notice it.

"But there is only one way to become a druid, and there are so many women to choose from! You don't have to yearn for one if she doesn't toe the mark immediately... You can just look for another..." Lysende blurted out, and with her words the painful memories left behind by Za'zul's impatience and constant demands resurfaced. The countless hours of crying and terror when he threatened to spend the night with someone else. The many slurs he'd hurl at her when she'd say no again... And the day when he forced her into his car and drove away with her... "Men can't wait..." she hung her head, burning with humiliation and rage.

"Children can't wait." Said Illidan sternly. "Including you." 

Lysende looked at him with tears in her eyes, startled. Her parents always comforted her when she was hurt, not lectured her. She should have known that the demon hunter wasn't going to patronize her. From her aunt, too, she always heard what she needed to hear, not what she wanted to, no matter how painful it was.

"Have you ever waited for a woman out of love?" she asked, and then, seeing the man frowning, she hastily added: "If I may ask..."

Illidan did not answer immediately. His lips curled into a wry smile as his mind recalled the taste of a once sweet past, poisoned to bitterness by the betrayal of those he loved. The ten thousand years of darkness, during which he knew nothing but hate, and the rare moments when he remembered his love's voice or face, only further tortured his pain-ridden soul. 

"Yes." He said at last as slowly a mocking grin appeared on his face. "When you're young, it seems like you're the protagonist in this grand story, called Life. You think everything will turn out the way you want it to and it doesn’t occur to you that something can go wrong. Once, I felt the same way. Blinded by a false prophecy, I never imagined that the woman I love could choose anyone but me as her mate." The mockery vanished from his voice, leaving only melancholy behind. "Loving her was my greatest mistake." He raised his somber gaze to hers. "Don't flatter that boy."  

His words cut deep into Lysende's heart, feeling the full depth of the man's pain. She nodded sympathetically.

"I won't. I promise." she stepped up to her uncle and embraced him affectionately. "Thank you for telling me." she smiled encouragingly at him, then headed back to the camp. 

She had not even left the clearing when she remembered something. Curious, she turned back to where Illidan was still sitting on the log, lost in thought. 

"Are you still waiting?"

At her question, the demon hunter turned his head to her, and after thinking for a moment he laughed.

"It seems I never learn." He admitted, then added enthusiastically. "Yes, I do. But not for long." 

Lysende left the clearing, determined to protect Kaelor from such painful emotions. She will sort things out with him as soon as she can.

Illidan stayed behind. He raised his eyes to the clear sky, allowing himself to be hopeful about the future for the first time since his youth. "Soon, it will be over."

Hiding in the tree's shadows, someone breathed sharply, trying to suppress their sorrow in vain: a painful song of a broken heart.

On the shore, far from any other tree, stood a lonely weeping willow. Its long, ruefully nutant branches bent over the lake's clear water. A careless breeze grabbed into its greenish canopy, luring many of its tiny leaves into a whirling dance. But the wind proved to be a treacherous partner, and without warning drifted away, dropping the forlorn lovers into the deep. As hundreds of petals fell hopelessly into the water, they seemed like tears of a widow mourning her lover, stirring the surface.Not far away, the ground cracked from the drought greedily drank up all the blood that dripped upon it. Maiev's skilled hands turned the skinned, exsanguine carcass of the rabbit with practised care. As her knife sliced through tendon after tendon, separating bone from bone, slowly tearing the once living, breathing animal to shreds, the words that shattered her dreams tore her heart to pieces inside. Just in the morning she had star-gazed about a new chapter, her first taste of romance, but in the blink of an eye that life became out of her reach. It was swallowed up in the dark vortex of lamentation. When at last she was ready to embrace her feelings with an open heart, and with them her beloved, leaving behind their gruesome past, then, like a merciless pendulum swinging down on its victim, reality cut off all hope. The curtain fell down and the moment on the night before turned into nothing but a mirage, a cruel farce. The promise of that kiss existed only in her mind.Why had she gone after them? What was so important that she wanted to talk to them right away? She couldn't even recall it, only the searing pain as she listened to Illidan's confession with a lump in her throat behind a tree, making it clear to her that his heart was still bound to another. Why was she condemned to live her life in Tyrande's shadow? Why is she taking everything away from her?! Her position, her purpose, and the man who means more to her than anything else in the world.  "Why?!" she cut through a muscle. "Why can't he move on?! Why?!" Another cut. "After what she said to him! After how she treated him!" Another one... "Why? Why?!" and another. The blade was about to strike again, but a strong hand grabbed her wrist."What are you doing?" asked Illidan sternly. Maiev, woken from her agonizing thoughts, stared at the man bewildered, then at her other hand. Blood trickled down on her fingers in a thin stream, revealing her white bones beneath. She was careless. She didn't even feel the pain as the knife cut into her flesh. If the demon hunter had not stopped her, she would have most certainly severed one of her fingers, and several of them would have been so badly damaged that she might never be able to use them again."What am I doing?!"  As he didn't get an answer, Illidan took the knife from the woman and pulled her up by her arm."Heal your hand and get some rest. I'll take it from here." He ordered her imperiously. Maiev had no choice. Her face burning with shame, she left him behind and walked over to her sleeping bag. Even though her spell slowly healed her hand, it did nothing to ease the pain of her bleeding heart.A brightly winged butterfly glided lightly to and fro on the wind, glistening its million colours in the sunshine. It searched for a resting place due to the heat and finally found the perfect spot on Kaelor's finger. The youth greeted the tiny newcomer with a gentle smile on his face. Behind him, the old plank of the pier cracked as Lysende approached them. The druid beckoned her joyfully to come along, and she soon took a seat beside him."Look!" Kaelor showed her the butterfly, and she watched in fascination as the bitsy creature gracefully strode its delicate wings. The man gently took her hand and lifted it up, then carefully put the insect onto her finger, much to her delight."I've never held a butterfly before!" she chirped, but as her eyes fell on Kaelor's gladsome face, she got disheartened. Everything was so idyllic! She had always dreamed about a whimsical romance like this, yet... She has to wake up both of them for Kaelor's sake. He deserved a partner who is whole, not a broken product that cannot be touched or would fall apart again.The butterfly fluttered away, and she hung her young head in sorrow."I think I may know what you are about to say, Moonlight," Kaelor said suddenly, jolting her from her acute thoughts. "You've been in a lot of pain lately, but what hurts the most is that it's because of me." he sighed."That's not true!" interjected Lysende, but he shook his head ruefully."Oh, my dear Lysende... Please... Don't poison your sweet words with lies, even if you mean well. I'm not blinded by love to not see your hardships. My confession has put a burden on your shoulders that you were not ready to bear. You felt I was waiting for an answer and you have to hurry up, didn't you? She nodded slowly."I suspected that much. If I could, I would take it back. But time is inexorable, and it goes in one direction. All I can do is to lighten your load." he said gently. Lysende's throat tightened at his words. It wasn't hard to guess where the conversation was going, and despite her resolve, she wished she could stop the druid. But he continued, with a kindness in his voice. "I have been considering this decision for some time now, and seeing you, I am sure I am doing the right thing. I'm leaving Moonglade and will move to New Feathermoon in Feralas.Lysende raised her head as if she were struck by lightning, and she stared at her beloved in shock."So far away?!" She blurted out. "But... What about your studies?! Was it not your dream to become a druid under my grandfather?"Kaelor pondered melancholically on his former desire, then turned to her."Indeed. And believe me, it gave me indescribable pride to learn from Shan'do. But you know... I had to realize that this dream is not nearly as important as it once was. Your grandfather will be with us for a long time, and the world doesn't need more hurricane-stopping, Nightmare-fighting heroes. But there are many who could use a different kind of help. I want to learn how to heal the wounded soul. I've already spoken to Shan'do. He referred me to one of his former students who is researching how to harness the power of nature to heal trauma patients." He said. His words were filled with a protective love, comparable to no one's. Tears streamed down on Lysende's cheeks as she finally understood what Kaelor was about to do. It was all for her... And she had nothing to give in return. She was just stalling for time, thinking only about herself just like the woman who had wounded Illidan's heart. She opened her lips to protest, but he stopped her."Please don't cry. This conversation was not meant to be our relationship's swan song. We're both going to go on separate ways for a little while now, but that doesn't mean we won't see each other again. On the contrary! I hope the next time we meet I will be able to help you and give you the support you need."I wish I had met you sooner. Before him..." she sniffed."We can't change the past, but we can decide our future." Kaelor said encouragingly, wiping away her tears. "And if it's up to me, we'll have a beautiful future. Together. When you are ready."Lysende finally smiled at that. Following her heart's wish, her tiny hand shyly sought the druid's. For the first time since that night, she was able to touch a man. The warmth of Kaelor's body filled her with calmness and comfort previously unknown to her. Everything will be all right from now on... They watched the shimmering waves of the lake hand in hand and didn't let go of each other until they parted ways at the train station. She ran alongside the train for a while, waving to her love. The vehicle eventually proved to be faster and the boy's face disappeared into the distance, leaving her behind. Still... Lysende returned to her gloomy aunt to set off home, her chest filled with hope, looking forward to the day when they meet again. "Perhaps... waiting isn't that bad after all." 

The bell rang, for the last time that day in the suburban elementary school. The narrow corridors of the bulky, faded-green cube building brimmed with students, topsyturvily strove to throng the exit. Among them, one or two weary teachers tried to fight their way back to the office, but their wiser colleagues routinely stayed behind in the classrooms, letting the impatient little scallywags go ahead.

While the older ones set off towards the bus stop in groups, the younger ones excitedly rushed to their parents waiting for them. At the street's entrance, a small traffic jam formed as two drivers could not come to an agreement on who had the right of way. One overly enthusiastic parent drove all the way to the school entrance, onto the pavement ignoring pedestrians, and while whining loudly, took the "heavy" backpack off her huge orc son's back, immediately buckled him into the child seat, which was quite uncomfortable for him for some times now, and, as if she had done her job well, departed loudly, flooring the gas pedal. A couple of fathers looked at each other, then decided that the lady's absurd behaviour was not worth the aggravation. They shook hands and said goodbye.

The building, which had just been full of children, slowly emptied, and only a few youngsters remained, playing in the lobby, waiting for their belated parents who were either sitting in traffic, drumming impatiently on the steering wheel, or thought they still had time to pick up their offspring and could fit in that last message for the customer.

A little Draenei boy stood in front of the entrance anxious, his little purple hands gripping the shoulder straps of his backpack to calm himself down. He had only just started school and everything was still so strange and new to him. Including her mother being late. His little sister had just been born a few weeks ago, and their mum often run late if the breastfeeding was prolonged. Besides that, the school was much further away than the kindergarten. They could walk home from there, holding hands, talking about the day. He thought back with a sinking heart to his favourite kindergarten teacher, an ageing, grey-haired female human who always smiled so sweetly. His lips curled down sadly. He would never see her again, nor his friends, or his favourite jungle gym. And even his mommy was late...

Suddenly a colourful, round lollipop appeared in his field of vision. The little boy looked surprised, first at the candy and then at the man holding it. A blood elf smiled back at him, his teeth as white as if they were at least made of porcelain. There was no trace of crow's feet around his sky-blue eyes, and his red, well-combed hair was devoid of grey strands. 

"Don't be afraid, take it." He said, bending down to be at eye level with the child. His voice was just as charming as his whole appearance. "You seemed to be saddened by something. I thought this might cheer you up a bit. It always works with my boys. What's your name?"

"Rualo." The Draenei took the candy timidly.

"Rualo. Nice name! My name is Bemtalor, but you can call me Bem. Waiting for your mother?" The little boy nodded. "She didn't come for you?" Only a sad nod came as an answer and the blood elf's lips curled into a gleaming smile again. 

"She's late because of my baby sister..." 

"Oh, I see. My poor thing..." he stroked the head of the sad child, his seemingly expensive dress smelled like sweet cotton candy. "Where do you live?"

"At Roaringvalley Street."

"My word! I live around there, too! How lucky! Come on, I'll walk you home then." He held out his smooth hand toward the boy. "Your mother will be so happy she doesn't have to come all the way here! What an excellent surprise!"

Rualo's eyes brightened hearing the stranger's words, and he readily held out his tiny violet-blue hand.

"Why are you out here?" A deep, stern voice growled from behind him, and the child knew at once that the words were addressed to him, though he had never spoken to the owner of the voice.

Startled, he spun around his axis and faced eye to eye the school's janitor, an older night elf. Or he would have, had the man's eyes not been covered by a piece of cloth. Rumour had it that he had to wear it because his eyes had been gouged out and he was completely blind, though Rualo found that hard to imagine, for whenever he saw the man he moved with the confidence of any sighted person. Still, the thought of empty eyesockets hiding under the blindfold sent a chill down his spine. He lowered his gaze to the silver leaf necklace hanging around the night elf's neck and tried to explain stammeringly to the janitor still standing at the door that he was waiting for his mother, but he was already about to leave, for there was someone to see him home. However, the man was not impressed by his barely intelligible

"Really? By who?" he asked, and Rualo was shocked to see that Bemtalor, who had been standing beside him just a minute ago had disappeared without a trace. "Now come inside, and don't you dare to go out until your mother comes to fetch you." the night elf told the boy, squeezing his shoulder paternally so that his words would reach the distraught child's mind. The young Draenei looked after the blood elf with disappointment, saddened to learn that he would not be surprising his mother that day. Not even the strawberry-flavoured lollipop could make up for his letdown.

"Blimey...!" Bemtalor threw himself at the back wall of the school, knocking off the already peeling paint at one spot, but the blood elf cared little for the damage he was doing to a decrepit educational institution. He was more upset because he was almost caught. He had warned himself repeatedly before to be more cautious than usual, due to not being familiar with the area yet, but the little Draenei waiting alone promised to be a way too good opportunity. With an aching heart he thought back to the boy's frail little body, his still untouched, silky skin, his innocent, anxious eyes and licked his lips. He would have bet he was the kind of kid that would first shyly resist, then just after a little pressure, turns out to be not so pure, just waiting for someone to corrupt him so he could show his kinky side. How old was he? Maybe first grade.

"More like first rate!" He laughed at his own tasteless joke. "Oh well... easy come, easy go." he dusted off his dirty clothes, hoping he would be able to wash the stench oozing from the containers out of his hair. But at least he wouldn't have to dye it again. After all, the strange blind guy would hardly be able to give a description of him, and he needn't worry about the Draenei kid identifying him either. In his experience, a brat that age has a shorter memory than a Murloc.

His gaze wandered from the ugly rubbish bins to the schoolyard. Instead of a wall, only a wire fence separated it from the back alley where he had fled in his hurry. Outside, three older boys were playing some silly ball game. Bemtalor was disgusted by the the adolescent youths" first pimps on their skins and growing body hairs, thus decided he had spent enough time behind the school. It was time to leave, but his resolve soon failed.

As he turned around, he found himself face to face with the janitor from before, and his feet rooted to the ground. How long had he been standing there? And how had he even found him? He was blind, wasn't he? 

"You've been lurking around the neighbourhood for a while." He said deliberately, keeping his sightless eyes on Bemtalor, making the blood elf shiver even more.

"Me...? I beg your pardon, I live here." He muttered being ill at ease, trying to remain as calm as he could in the situation. He's gotten out of bigger messes than this, and this is just a blind night elf mongrel... "I just moved here with my family recently. My son is starting school here soon, I was merely..."

"Surveying the area." the other put words into his mouth with a resigned expression.

"What...? Well... something like that? I suppose you're a parent yourself as well, you would want your child to be in a good place, wouldn't you?" He tried to get a grip on him. Parenting was usually a good topic to discuss. "Do you have a kid? How old are they?"

"Time to take out the garbage." said the night elf stiffly, and Bemtalor finally felt a little relief. He seemed to convince the man, and forcing confidence onto his lips shaking with fear, he replied with a friendly smile.

"Yes, you're right. I should get goi..." he wanted to reply, but he never got to the end of the sentence. Sharp, indescribable pain ripped across his face as the janitor plunged a hunting knife into his mouth, piercing his palate and severing his spine. His whole body suddenly went limp and he fell to the ground, groaning in anguish.

The blindfolded night elf leaned over him dispassionately, scrutinising his action's results, and then whispered into his ear. 

"I recognize your kind. I can smell a scoundrel like you from a distance." the blood elf tried to protest but could only grunt with the blade in his mouth. "The pain you are going through is nothing compared to the agony a parent feels when they lose their child." He murmured, then gripped the hilt of his knife. It slipped out of the wound with a sickening squelchy sound, causing Bemtalor further suffering, driving him to almost losing his consciousness. He wished he did...

The last things he sensed were the metallic taste of his own blood as it danced a vulgar gloating waltz on the tip of his tongue, and the reeking stench of the dumpster as his dying body was shoved inside by the janitor, who then slammed the roof down on him with a last heartless grin, leaving him alone in his agonizing death struggle.   

The next day the school was filled with life again thanks to its young and cheerful students. A group of children waited excitedly at the entrance of the corridor that led to the caretaker's office. Finally, their patience paid off, and they rushed toward their beloved janitor arriving to work, welcoming him loudly.

"Good morning, Uncle Vandel!" the little ones shouted and were in a flush of joy when the man stopped to greet them.

"Good morning to you too!" he said gently, as one of the little boys hugged him affectionately. He knelt down and sat the kid around his neck, stood up and spun him around a few times, then returned the giggling child to the others. 

"Uncle Vandel, can we see your tattoos?" a little gnome girl pleaded in her thin voice. The night elf nodded and pulled up the sleeve of his shirt, revealing the intricate pattern. His action was accompanied by loud woos and oohs.

"So it it true that you are a demon hunter?" another child asked, and the man nodded again.

"And you hunted real demons?" asked a night elf boy dreamily. Vandel looked out the corridor window, straight at the dumpster bins across the courtyard, and smiled. 

The light in the tiny bathroom was merely flickering, the bulb was reaching the end of its lifetime. Its electrical clicking echoed through the cobwebbed silence of the night but to no avail. The sound blended into the raging chorus of grey hissing noise that sat like a fog on Maiev's mind, dulling her senses. Her vacant gaze watched her resigned face in the mirror, studying its tiny irregularities and imperfections. Her short eyelashes, the thin, chapped lips, her pointy cheekbones... Then her eyes wandered to the rest of her naked body, comparing herself over and over again to Tyrande, and each time she fell short, the iron claws of hopelessness cut into her soul trapped in pitch-black chains forged from her own sorrow, and tore another shred from her shattered self-respect until she was but a miserable shadow of her former proud self. 

Giving up hope of finding anything to rival the high priestess's splendour, she dragged herself into the shower and turned on the tap. The shower spray sizzled, and the steam from the hot jet of water slowly filled the room. Maiev leaned her palms against the tiled wall, tilting her head down to let the water soak it, hoping its warmth would ease some of the biting chill that was spreading from her sorrowful heart throughout her body. The drops almost scorched her skin, yet she shivered. She turned her face to the shower. She voraciously drank up the water splashing into her mouth, then bowed her head.  

Once again she saw Illidan before her eyes, his face radiating with tender emotions, but as much as she wanted the smile of his deep love to be directed at her, on his mind only shone the grace of another... 

"If only she did not exist..."

She took another sip of water, but it did nothing to quench the longing that plagued her.

And she was thirsty... so... so thirsty...

The bulb had finally given up, leaving the bathroom's illumination to the weak, filtering light of the dawning. The sun's rays glistened on the ice-cold jets of water splashing steadily from the showerhead. At the bottom of the shower tray Maiev curled up in shame, staring into nothingness. Her soaked hair and clothes reeked of cheap booze.  

The impossibly tiny raven-black letters blurred together on the virtual page of the text editing software, its whiteness painfully blinding the tired gaze. The phenomenon was not unusual for Maiev Shadowsong. She made a hollow attempt to clear her blurred vision by rubbing her worn-out eyes, but just as she expected, it proved to be futile. She knew way too well the agonizing symptoms of a hangover, along with the shame that went with it. How many times had she vowed to never drink again, and yet... She stared chastened at the sleazy-looking elf reflected in the monitor, in whom, unfortunately, she had to recognize herself.Before she could begin the usual, infinitely repeated self-loathing again, the smell of nauseating flowers hit her nostrils, forcing her facial muscles to grimace. It was an unmistakable portent of her boss's arrival. She didn't have to wait long before the cheap wooden door of the office opened, giving way to a blood elf floating in a cloud of perfume. If Maiev still would have doubted the identity of the comer, her catchy chirping hum gave away beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was Nabitha who had arrived."Good morning, my dears!" she whirled around her axis to make sure all of her subordinates would see her tacky extravagant neon green suit, which only she could make look good. Even among her peers, she was an oddity, and her fashion sense was not the only thing that made her eccentric.Maiev tried to remain unseen by her, concealing herself behind the monitor of her workstation as Nabitha took a seat at the desk opposite of hers, but despite her best efforts, she could not prevent the blood elf from awarding her with the woman's special attention. "Oh my, you were at a party? And you didn't invite me? Shame on you, Maiev, naughty girl!" she flashed her pearly white teeth, seemingly oblivious to the elf's annoyed growl. But it was only when Nabitha pulled up a chair next to her and took a seat without question that she became truly irritated."Don't get your hopes high." she hissed. "Just had a drink with a long-lost friend." "If that cheap swill you've been pouring down your throat counts as a friend." she thought bitterly, but at least Nabitha seemed to believe her lie. Not that it made her situation any better, as the blood elf didn't budge."What a pity..." she pretended regret with such theatricality that would have made the worst barn-stormer in the world turn green with envy, and Maiev had a bad feeling. To her chagrin, she was proved to be right. She knew where the conversation was going. Nabitha wanted to talk again about that metalhead with tattoos she'd been trying to pick up for months in one of the nightclubs she frequented...Although Maiev liked her probation officer job herself, Nabitha probably enjoyed it even more than she did, especially its perks, specifically, of being around criminals. For her boss had an interesting fetish: the worse a person was, the more they attracted her attention. It was an open secret that she shared her bed with more than one of her supervised, and it was probably the greatest tragedy of her career when she was promoted and could no longer get close to her coveted bad guys. But this was merely a temporary setback for her, as she soon found a way to indulge her passion by going to nightclubs in notorious neighbourhoods, without fearing for her own safety. She had no reason to do so anyway. Although she did not make a big splash of it, Maiev soon discovered that Nabitha was as well versed in magic as her fellow blood elves, especially in the Frost school. And with her sparkling beauty, she didn't have to do much teasing to find a willing man for the night. But one male seemed to get the better of her. Though Maiev was deeply irritated by Nabitha's tales of conquests, she felt a certain morbid curiosity for the man the blood elf had been besieging for months with an offer for a one-night stand, but he would always cut up rusty."You know, there's this guy who works at that nightclub."Here we go again..." She rolled her eyes as she had no other choice but to listen to her boss" chatter."I asked him again yesterday, and guess what... He finally came with me to one of the VIP rooms!" announced Nabitha, and Maiev turned to her in shock. She had to admit that she hadn't expected this development. "So now that you've finally got what you wanted, will you spare me of your stories about that man?"Not exactly..." Her smile faded. "When we got to the room, I went in first. Then all I heard was the entrance closing behind me! The guy locked the door and left me there!" she said regretfully, and Maiev could hardly prevent herself from laughing out loud. "I owe you one, Mr. Bad Boy." she bit her lip to conceal her grin, though she was sure her conversation partner could see her struggling to keep inside her gloating giggle. Matters not... At least for a while she wasn't preoccupied with her own misery. But the moment proved fleeting, and her melancholic thoughts began to form a gloomy rain-cloud over her weary mind again."The cleaners let me out this morning." finished Nabitha, ignoring the ruinous mood of the woman sitting beside her."Poor you. Done?" asked the night elf, unemotionally."Done!"Then give me an aspirin, my head is about to explode."The blood elf readily opened the blue silk purse that had been resting on her lap, and with a graceful wave of her hand, she passed it to Maiev."Wow, wow... Drinking, and forgetting to prepare a medicine? How amateurish!" she remarked tauntingly."I already took care of my hangover, but your pointless babbling gave me a migraine anyway." Maiev grabbed the painkiller and returned the rebuke with a sardonic smile, but her boss seemed unperturbed by her cynical style. Instead, as if she had done her job, she pushed back the chair and, like a schoolmistress, patted the night elf gently on the head, much to her annoyance, then went to her own desk and began to work at last, leaving Maiev alone with her thoughts fitting her bitter expression.

"Finally..." She grumbled to herself, turning her attention back to the monitor. She quickly reviewed the last line of the half-finished report, but soon had to realize that even though she had read the letters, they didn't form a coherent sentence in her brain. The meaning was lost between her whirling thoughts, and instead a name kept creeping into her mind. It danced on the tip of her tongue, and the more she tried to get it out of her head, the more stubbornly it returned, distracting her from her work.One of her colleagues hurried past her to the printer, her pretty black pumps shoes drumming excitedly: Illidan, Illidan, Illidan... Maiev tried to concentrate through clenched teeth, but the thoughts of the man just wouldn't let her do her job..What should she do? It was too painful to be near him, but it was just as agonizing not knowing where he was or what he was doing... In the two weeks since the holiday, the demon hunter had been spectacularly joyful, and Maiev remembered his overheard words: "I don't have to wait for long." For what? What did he mean? Does he really think he can somehow tear Tyrande away from Malfurion? The High Priestess doesn't even speak to him, let alone contemplate a break-up to get together with him instead. The man must be aware of that! At least, Maiev hoped so, although frankly speaking, it wouldn't have surprised her if Illidan had lulled himself into false illusions. A new thought bubble began to form in her mind, a picture of another possibility flickering across its iridescent surface: what if he didn't mean Tyrande? What if he had found another woman? It wasn't the first time Maiev had raised the question, but every time she'd searched Illidan's apartment, she'd found no clues about it, and she sincerely hoped it wasn't the case. It would have been undeniably more painful to lose to someone who hadn't known Illidan as long as she had. Someone who didn't share a million memories with him and merely had just wandered into his life out of the blue. No, she wouldn't be able to bear the humiliation...  She has put an end to the sentence, and with it, to her torturing reflection.The sun was slowly, gently moving across the cloudless sky, a sure sign that the working day was drawing to a close. One by one, Maiev's colleagues strolled out of the office, some to go home, some to pick up their children. Finally, only she and her boss remained in the office. "Maiev, may I have a word with you?" said Nabitha suddenly, but without waiting for a reply, she pulled up a chair next to herself and offered her subordinate a seat. The night elf grimly scrambled up onto her feet from her uncomfortable chair and walked across the aisle to take her boss" offer. With unusual seriousness, Nabitha handed her a couple of printed sheets of paper with whole paragraphs circled in red. The margins were decorated with countless notes and question marks. Maiev was taken aback as she read back her own meaningless, rambling lines, then looked at her boss, who leaned closer sympathetically. "You weren't drinking with a friend, right?"Maiev's blood ran cold. Until that moment, she had believed she was in charge of her situation and had managed to hide her growing struggles from the outside world, but her fabricated reality began to crumble. Her face was burning from her obvious mistake and the loss of any semblance of control."I can tell that something is bothering you. If you must, take a few weeks off, get some rest. Or if you feel like, I could..."Don't you dare try giving me life advices, you empty-headed nymphomaniac...!" Maiev snapped at the blood elf, not realizing how badly she drew the longbow. She had lost control of the situation, and the urge to get the upper hand of somebody and feel herself holding the reins proved stronger than her common sense. She would lose no more...! But the anticipated thrill of victory never came as Nabitha closed her arcane blue eyes resignedly and took a deep breath. Soon the true balance of power became clear..."Shandris is a good friend of mine. The only reason I won't fire you here and now is because I fear you would sink even lower, and I know how much your family has suffered in the past because of your repeated low points. Or did you think I put up with your atrocious manners until now because I enjoy it?" The chilling words mercilessly poured from Nabitha's mouth, but unlike Maiev, she kept her cool and the impassive beauty of her face, while for the former, the realization of other's knowledge of her past doings and the shame that came with it finally put a lock on her lips. "You call other people empty-headed, while you are unable to see that you need help." she pitied her without her usual exaggeration as she rose from the chair."For the next two weeks, you'll be on vacation. In the meantime, sort out your personal life and return to work in a shape to be able to do your job. Otherwise, I'll take my hands off you." She said and started for the door, but from there she turned back once more, and almost as a coup de grâce, she spoke back:"And do something about your alcoholism." Then elegantly left the office.Maiev stared blankly at her boss's now empty chair as despair slowly took hold of her. She found herself in a downward spiral, and she felt as if she had forgotten how to swim... And the thirst... the damned constant thirst...

A stray breeze cut through the sweltering heat of summer as a harbinger of autumn, bringing with it a few cumuli to wage an uphill battle against the sun’s tyranny. The New Well of Eternity sparkled as beautifully as ever beneath Nordrassil's trunk paternally leaning over it. Illidan watched the tasteless fruits of his labour from afar, leaning against a wooden railing. He truly wasn't a sentimental person... Instead, his thoughts revolved around the message he had received from his brother in the morning, inviting the demon hunter to meet with him unexpectedly and as soon as possible. If anything, haste was not one of Malfurion's qualities, and Illidan knew it well, thus, his interest was piqued by the druid's request. However, his suggestion for the meeting's date was merely met with a short "I will be there" as the answer, leaving no other choice for the man than to resign himself to waiting until his brother would arrive to satisfy his curiosity. Bored with the sight of the glorious tree, he glanced at his phone's screen."Where are you late, brother?" he asked fumingly, but to his surprise, he received an immediate reply, albeit not from the person he had expected."I'm here, Illidan." the tinkling words sent a chilling gust down his spine, paralysing his limbs."Tyrande?!" His lips parted to make way for a deep breath, but it got stuck at the lump that grew in his throat. The memory of their last painful encounter, which he thought had been buried in peace, crawled out of the depths of his soul like an infectious, rotting corpse, bringing intolerable uneasiness with itself. Searching for shelter from his piling anxiety, he unconsciously reached onto the sleeve of his shirt, running his fingertips along the heedful hemming. Every stitch bore the care he had once craved from the High Priestess, but only bitterness and anguish were the prize for his former affection.Not waiting longer for his reply, Tyrande stepped to his side, placing her hands on the railing. Her sparkling eyes rested on her clasped fingers instead of him. Her unwillingness to face him further deepened the man's pain."Pardon me for calling you here on behalf of my beloved, but I felt that if I had asked you, you would not have come, and I wanted to have this conversation with you everyhow." "Your fears are not entirely unfounded." Illidan growled. It took even him by surprise just how much bitterness oozed from his words. Did his past grievances still hold sway over him? "However, my accusations proved to be just that." She twisted her bracelet. "Forgive me for immediately assuming the worst about you on the day we met at the festival."Illidan stared at her, speechless. He had waited so long for her to apologise to him one day. For being imprisoned over ten thousand years, alone in the maddening darkness. For her tossing him aside like a toy she got bored of... She, the very one he had once held dearest to his heart. The one from whom he expected understanding and appreciation... With time, the expectation became less and less in the hopeless loneliness. Then, when it seemed that the lady of his choice had seen the error of her ways and was atoning by freeing him from his prison, he was disappointed once again: in her eyes, he was nothing more than a tool against the Legion. An object whose feelings were of no account, and something to which she would never apologise, no matter how badly his soul craved those kind words, like splintered earth in the scorching heat. Yet... now that his millennia of dreams had become reality, the catharsis he had longed for didn't come with it, and the apology he had so much hoped for proved to be miniscule and meaningless. He savoured the bittersweet words thoughtfully, not knowing how to respond."Too many times had millennia tested my trust and I feared I had to be disappointed by your vow once more. But that can't be an excuse, we've all lived hard lives..." continued Tyrande. "And what do you expect from me now?" Illidan finally found his voice, although it still didn't sound as calm as he would have liked."What do you mean?" she looked at him questioningly. "You see, Tyrande... Every time you've graced me with your attention, it's always been because you wanted something in return. Whether it was a few measly compliments or saving your people."A look of disbelieving dismay came over the High Priestess's face, and the demon hunter would have been lying if he have tried to deny the tiny thrill he felt upon seeing her expression. "Is that really how you see my actions?" she asked, her formerly reserved but defiant tone softening to one of almost humility."Yes."Tyrande took note of the callous reply, frowning. It was clear as day that the man was touching a sore spot, but Illidan was left unmoved. Let it hurt! What he said was only a mosquito bite, nothing more compared to her sharp words which had poisoned and destroyed the memories oh so dear to his youth."You are not the first to accuse me of that. Therefore, I have reason to believe that there may be some truth in it, and again I owe you my apology."Illidan grimaced. His expression was a faithful reflection of the turmoil rumbling in his chest. He had always thought that one day this gesture would bring him comfort, but only a flame of anger flared in his soul. It was too little, too late! Still, his boiling emotions were quelled in an instant by Tyrande's pleading look. Now his anger was directed against himself as he turned his head away. The ashes of his love for her still smouldered in his heart, the what-ifs and unfulfilled desires keeping a tiny ember alive, just enough to put a stop to his rage. A cloud in its arrogance horned in front of the sun, casting a shadow over the landscape below. It was a fitting penumbra for a conversation between the two childhood friends. Or at least Illidan thought so. He was in the dark, not only about Tyrande's intentions but also regarding his own swirling feelings. It was one thing to fantasize about revenge and forgiveness in a lightless pit and another to come face to face with the object of his past desire. He never would have imagined that it would be easier for him to accept that the people he loved did not want him in their lives anymore than Tyrande's expression of regret. No... Not to accept... But to come to terms with his own immense bitterness, pent-up through centuries. He took a deep sigh and smoothed his hair back. His features slowly softened, and he nodded in agreement, accepting the apology, even if he didn't feel it yet. That would come in time... It was more important to finally make peace with his family. "You know well that I can't hold a grudge. Not against you..."I am angry at myself in your place." Tyrande raised her eyes to Nordrassil. "I can't tell you how to live, but I can say your rancor is pointless."'I see." The High Priestess, deep in thoughts, smoothed a hairbreadth from her ever-young face, then unexpectedly touched Illidan gently on the shoulder. "You were so dear to me once. That's why what you did hurt me so much... betraying us." Despite the intimate gesture and confession, her voice remained firm. Only her barely audible sigh attested about her past disappointment, confirming the sincerity of her words.Illidan's lips twitched. He could hardly refrain from adding "The feeling is mutual" but he wished not to break the illusory peace. "I don't care of the hows or whys. No need to explain what happened. That's in the past, and I prefer it to stay there." "You're right," she left the issue at that. Yet another awkward silence came in the discourse. Illidan glanced furtively at his phone screen, trying to remember when the next train home was, but his plan was soon ruined when Tyrande started up another conversation. He had to realise that he was unlikely to get out of the situation until the woman felt she had done enough to calm her conscience and send him on his way."I hear you're adjusting to your new surroundings quite quickly." "Aye. Although I'm not too keen on some of the... changes." "Restrictions on the use of magic?" Tyrande asked, though she already knew the answer. "Humans are weak and short-lived compared to us. Lacking strength, they try to limit everyone else, dragging them down to their level."Just don't let them get their fingers burned for their arrogance." said the demon hunter, as haughtily as he accused humanity of being. Tyrande's reproving look, familiar from their childhood, almost brought a smile to his face. "Worry not. I have no intention to play a role in such events. It feels good to just... live." "I'm glad you think that way." The High Priestess softened. She took a step back and looked at him. She had only meant to pay him a simple compliment, but the word was caught in her throat, and she had to turn her head to hide her misty eyes. For the first time in so many thousands of years she saw her childhood friend, the often arrogant, but always helpful brother-like figure, burdened by the promise of greatness instead of a monster, and with him came the realisation of how much she missed him and the love-filled old days, when the three of them had sat together on the lawn and wondered about their future. None of them had imagined it would be like this... But maybe now... Careful not to let the other notice, she wiped away a tear and murmured a prayer that her rekindled faith not be torn apart again by the claws of betrayal. Not now... "You look well. Fashionable as ever." she finally whispered out the words she had wanted to, and the new topic seemed to please Illidan as well."Maiev sewed it." he ran his hand proudly down the Y-neck raven-black shirt."It suits you."Word followed word as if a dam had finally collapsed between the two elves, separating them for far too long. Slowly the tension that had constrained them gradually dissolved in the current, and through the veil of the evanescent vapour, it seemed that their withered friendship could blossom again in the stream's bed. The thought filled Tyrande's chest with a long-unfelt hopefulness, and like a thirsty bee, she drank up the nectar of this new sprout, not noticing that a certain name kept resurfacing in the conversation over and over again, and seemingly had warped Illidan's whole world around itself. She only realised the change in his mood when he leaned almost musingly against the worn railing, and a soft but deep sigh of longing escaped his lips. His grim countenance smoothed as he gazed into the distance.Tyrande knew that look. Oh, how could she not have recognised it when he had once praised her in the same way? She was no fool, she knew exactly what his hopes had been for her then, and cursed herself for not having shattered his dreams about their relationship sooner. Out of vanity or for another reason, she did not know... But she was sure that this time the intoxicated look was not meant for her. For a brief, fleeting moment, a spark of jealousy flickered in her soul, like an older sibling demanding their toy back from the younger one upon seeing them playing with it in glee, but just as the feeling came, it vanished, replaced by sisterly joy."Out with it!" she urged him, almost playfully. "With what?" "I know that look Illidan!" She nudged her interlocutor with her shoulder. "You are in love!"Illidan's lips curled into a faint smirk, and he tilted his head left and right as if trying to decide whether to share his most guarded secret with her or not. His behaviour was tantamount to a confession. Emboldened by the correctness of her assumption, Tyrande continued her questioning."Do I know her?" she asked confidentially. "Perhaps our dear little Maiev?" Raised the most absurd name she could think of. She had intended it merely as a joke, hoping to get Illidan to talk, but it soon became clear to her that her jest had hit the nail on the head as the man nodded meekly.A broad smile of delight spread across the demon hunter's usually sullen face at the words he had so long wanted to proclaim from the housetop. It brought a strange, unexpected happiness to his soul that someone had recognised his attraction to Maiev, as if it had got him one step closer to making his cherished desire a reality. While his bloomed, the blood drained from Tyrande's cheeks."You are joking, right?" she dropped her former cheerful tone and changed her voice to a grey, lowering one. She hoped that she had merely misunderstood something, or that her own joke had backfired on her and the man is pulling her leg, but her wishful thinking proved to be in vain as the answer refused to change."Why would I?"Illidan, this is madness!" the High Priestess burst out, unconsciously grabbing Illidan's arm as if she was trying to pull him back from a crazed nightmare. "You talk nonsense, Tyrande... " "Listen to me..."You listen to me! Maiev and I get along fine. She cares for me and so do I...!"Because it's in her interest! You mustn't believe a word she says! Malfurion and I, we been fooled by her once too, and we've paid a high price! I don't know what kind of game that lunatic woman is playing with you, but believe me, she could never return your feelings!"That's enough!" Illidan tore his arm from her grasp with such force that the High Priestess almost fell nose first to the ground. "Illidan! Has Maiev made you to completely lose your better judgement...?" she tried desperately to talk some sense into her friend, but her words fell on deaf ears."Shut your mouth!" the demon hunter shouted at her, now completely out of his mind. His thundering roar ravaged through the peaceful valley with uncontrolled feral anger, and though she trusted the man knowing she would not be harmed, Tyrande took a step back, seeing Illidan's fury. "Just because you couldn't appreciate me, doesn't mean no one else can! Maiev does see me for who I am and appreciate what I can offer to her!"She's just fooling you! And you're fooling yourself, too." the High Priestess lowered her arms and gently crossed her fingers as she looked compassionately into Illidan's eyes. "You have more experience in that than I do!" he growled.A stalemate ensued, and Tyrande had to accept that she was unable to make the love-blinded night elf see reason. Anything she could say would only add fuel to the fire. She had no doubt that the former warden merely beguiled her friend for her own benefit, perhaps to lower his guard and strike him down in the most cruel way possible: while thinking he's in someone's company who cares for him. She could understand Illidan's reaction, trying to defend his love and sympathized with his need for affection. In a way, he was an easy target and she had to admit she played a vital role in it."Forgive me." She lowered her head, ending the conflict. "I'll pray to Mother Moon for your happiness." But the kind gesture proved to be in vain, as Illidan was unwilling to calm down, and with a bitter nod of the head, he left the high priestess behind. Tyrande watched him disappear over the horizon with a saddened heart. She must speak with her beloved...!

The demon hunter picked his hoofed feet rapidly, his almost running footsteps were fueled by his piling rage.Tyrande is wrong! How could she possibly understand his relationship with Maiev, the subtle dynamic between them? The thousands of years that had bound their fates together had always taken them in one direction, toward the only logical end for the two of them, he too now saw it clearly: Maiev was destined for him, and she must be aware of that as well! There was no way she could not feel the same way! They were meant to be! Yet... He had believed the same about Tyrande once, and now her words had planted a seed of doubt in his soul. But he would not let it take root! Although he had planned to wait to confess his love until every piece of his plan fell into place, proving his worth to the woman, he was prepared to sacrifice his dreams of the perfect proposal. Instead of his home, his journey led him straight to Maiev's apartment.He will make sure of her feelings, and that very day!

The freshly painted, spotless white ceiling looked just as empty and dull as Maiev's day without work to do. She had taken a forced leave of absence on her boss" orders, but the sudden free time on her hands had done little to improve her mood, on the contrary... She had to realise very early on that despite - or perhaps because - she was hardly ever in her flat, it could be cleaned up fairly quickly, leaving her with nothing to do in no time. She stared blankly at the paintwork while laying idle on the sofa. While it was undoubtedly better than the canary yellow she had before, she wouldn't have minded if ReLife, in their efforts to silence her about the attempted murder by one of their ex-clients and therefore taking over the redecoration's expense of her formerly rented flat, had at least asked her what paintjob she wanted. Or what kind of sofa... Or wardrobe... Or anything! Instead, probably an orc was given a shopping list, and the useless idiot walked into the nearest furniture shop in the area and bought the first thing he saw, to get the job done quickly... And even if he were to try to do the job properly, Maiev had little doubt she still would have hated the result. Those savages have no taste after all. The woman had previously been less bothered by the lack of harmony in her home, but now that she was on "holiday" and had nothing better to do all day than stare at the four walls, the clutter was becoming particularly irritating. But at least they had been generous enough to buy the flat for her so at least she no longer had to worry about the rent. Not that it was all that expensive - it was literally a hole down in the basement - but still. Also, they had taken the trouble to put that big ugly mirror back, so there was nothing stopping her pinched reflection from keeping her company all day long."What are you staring at?" she barked at the apathetic mirror image. From the rattling bag resting on her chest she took a salty stick, and then, little by little, chomped it. The echo followed suit. She hated the taste of it, which she found inedibly oversalted, but she needed something to distract her from the symptoms of alcohol withdrawal, and crunching temporarily remedied the situation. "Solve my problems in these two weeks...?!" she grumbled grumpily. "Easy to say when I couldn't do it in twelve thousand years!" she pulled out another stick. To her woe, she had never been good at dealing with things that couldn't be put in jail or simply slaughtered, and her personal crises fell into that category. In such cases, instead of finding a real solution, she would either run away or take refuge in booze, but mostly she would do both at the same time until the situation resolved itself. And her love-sickness proved to be a new and hitherto unknown adversary, which she was not sure she could overcome by burying her head in the sand.Closing her eyes, she took a deep sigh. Why had fate cursed her with having Illidan fill her every waking moment in some form or another for the rest of her life? It was both shocking and terrifying for her to realise just how small the difference between hate and love was. With her hand she tried to reach out for another salty stick, but all in vain, the bag rattled with a sorrowful emptiness. Maiev, in her annoyance, tried to throw it on the table, but even her muscular strength could not defy physics, and the wrapper fell gloatingly to the floor, taunting the frustrated woman."Damn it! Then stay there! The bin's full of bottles anyway..." she cursed, making a mental note to take out the trash later, but at the moment she was in little mood to stare at the by-product of her self-destructive lifestyle. Instead, she threw her head back on the pillow and her thoughts soon returned to Illidan. What would he say to her if he knew how she felt about him? Would he be disgusted? Would he laugh at her? Would he break off contact with her? She couldn't decide whether these possibilities seemed unlikely to her because of the friendship they built over the past year or because of wishful thinking. She would have given anything to shake the pink fog off her mind and see her own situation in a clear light, reducing the terrible anxiety that had become part of her daily life since their holiday together. Perhaps she could discuss it with someone... With whom? Maiev had no one she felt she could confide in, except, of course, the one she wanted to talk about... And she didn't feel desperate enough just yet to pull the "I'm asking for a friend" play. "Jarod, perhaps? Oh yes... That would go well! Hey little brother, guess what, I'm head over heels in love with the guy who almost killed you and who I spent most of my life chasing after and hating! Can you help me figure out how to get him to return my feelings? Out of question! I'm certain there are better ways to make a complete idiot of myself in front of him. Lysende? Sure! It's a case of blind leading the blind. The little fledgeling is as unlucky in love affairs as I am..." And that was the end of the list of people from whom she could have hoped for some sort of support and guidance. For a fleeting moment, Nabitha's name came to her mind as a woman with considerably more experience in the topic of relationships, but she soon realised that the woman would probably just advise her to sleep with the demon hunter as soon as possible. In her shameless little nymphomaniac world, that was the answer to most questions. How nice it would be! If she could solve her problem by simply standing in front of Illidan and falling into his arms! He'd embrace her gently and graze her cheek and...Maiev closed her eyes as a tingle of anticipation slowly spread through her body, her face flushing from the disgraceful thought. "No..." She opened her eyelids and turned to her side ablush. Up to that moment, she had always been able to restrain herself from daydreaming about indecent scenes. What was the point? It was a waste of time, and would only hurt her heart... Still... The image filled her with warmth that felt so intoxicating, yet right... And she needed it so much, so badly to fill the cold void left behind by the man's overheard confession and her alcohol addiction. She couldn't abandon such ardor anymore. "Just a bit more..." She shut out the light and with it, the painful reality once again, allowing herself to linger a little longer in her building imagination. She was in her lover's arms anew, and he smiled charmingly as he continued to caress Maiev's cheek. She put her hand where she imagined Illidan's, making the pretence even more real. The fingers stroked her cheek, then danced gracefully along her jawbone, finally settling on her lower lip, gently separating it from its mate, allowing the man to eagerly claim it. As their lips finally met for the first time in the fantasy, Maiev pressed the back of her hand to her mouth not to break the illusion. As skin touched skin, her breath caught in her throat from the dizzying sensation, and she had to gasp for air to prevent herself from passing out from the electrifying thrill. She denied herself way too long the peccable delights unfitting the vigilant Warden she was, but now the floodgate was open and there was no turning back. Her other hand slowly ran down on her neck, leaving goosebumps behind, trailing down to her breasts. The room was filled with heavy panting.The dream continued as Illidan pushed Maiev onto the bed, kissing her lips with thirsty fervor, clasping her hands together over her head, dominating her. The vulnerable position only fueled the heat in her body, and with her head thrown back, she enjoyed him having his way with her. Suddenly he broke the kiss between them, licking her ear with unparalleled passion, then sucking her earlobe. His elated breathing caressed her wet skin, setting her heart ablaze. With his free hand, the demon hunter pulled up her shirt and reached under her bra, grabbing one breast. He massaged it rhythmically for a while, then began to tease the nipple between his fingers. Soon the thin garment fell to the ground, and he continued to adore the bulging nipple with his tongue. Maiev's loud moans echoed in the small apartment. As the burning lust became more acute, her core cravingly waiting to be treated, the hand wandered lower and lower...She would let herself drown in the ocean of sinful pleasures on that day... 

"Something's knocking... Maybe a woodpecker? No... The sequences are way too short for that. It's not the sound of wood either... Something else... Like glass. What about the glass...?" Maiev leisurely woke from her slumber. She sat up on the sofa where dream had befallen her, slowly, fitting for a twelve thousand years old elf.The room was bathing in the grey twilight of early dusk, though the stars have not yet shown their gorgeous selves, instead waited patiently for their turn on the night sky. Maiev wiped her eyes, yawning, then stared listlessly ahead. Something woke her, that was given. But what? She didn't have to ponder on the question for long as she heard another knocking sound, and this time she knew exactly where it was coming from. Her whole upper body turned towards the tiny window of the basement apartment, just so catch sight of Illidan crouching outside, his face sporting that familiar confident grin, watching her. Suddenly the colour drained from the nigh elf's face. She swiftly checked that the duvet she had pulled over herself half asleep after the overheated daydreaming was indeed covering her, particularly the lower half. Her underwear was still slid down to her knees, leaving the most sensitive part of her body uncovered. How could she have been so careless as not to draw the curtains! Not that anyone had thought to peep through the window in all these years, after all, they were right to think it opened into a cellar like the others. Her rashness almost came back to bite her in the arse. She perplexedly motioned for the demon hunter to go downstairs, she would open the door, and when she saw him disappear behind the building, she quickly pulled up her trousers and tried to readjust herself up as best she could, hoping that the smile the man flashed at her was not due to him being able to see through the blanket... He swore he can't do that, didn't he?!It wasn't long before she heard Illidan's hoofbeats approaching down the corridor. She took a deep breath to clear the lingering memory of her shameful reverie from her mind and opened the door."What brings you here?"The road slanted this way." The man replied with a winsome charm as he took off his black leather vest and hung it on the rack. Like most of his garb, he didn't wear it to protect his body from the weather, he merely enjoyed dressing fashionably and he certainly knew how to wear the clothes Maiev had sewn for him."Fine, then don't tell..." She rolled her eyes as Illidan let himself in."However... Since when are you taking afternoon naps? Are you training to be a druid and practising your centuries-long idleness?" he grinned at her, and she returned the gesture with a wry smile. "As much as it pains me to say it, I'd rather leave that wondrous craft to your masterful brother." Illidan rewarded her tetchy reply with a soft chuckle."He will be so heartbroken when I break the news to him."Indeed, when I'm such a good catch!" She played along with the made-up scenario where Malfurion would be even remotely interested in her becoming a druid as Illidan lifted a cup from the shelf, clearly preparing to brew tea."Would you like some, too?"Maiev nodded wearily, then settled herself on the sofa's arm, her back to the demon hunter. It was far more awkward to face him than she had expected. Certain she's preoccupied with her thoughts, Illidan gave Maiev a loving glance, then took out another mug. Soon the hiss of water filled the tiny apartment."Which one?"Maiev reluctantly turned to her friend. He was holding two tea brands in his hands."Same as you." Illidan nodded, then began to measure out the tea leaves. He moved as naturally as if he were at home. At home... Maiev's heart leapt at the thought. How wonderful would that be... She shook her head. It wasn't the time for another daydreaming. She grabbed and put the idea to the back of her mind for later."So, you just came for a drink free of charge?" She asked as she figured some small talk would be a good distraction from her wishful thinking."I was more interested in the company that comes with it. Besides... It's not free if I'm making it."Misery loves company, huh?"Passionately." 

The drinks were soon ready and steaming on the café table, waiting for their warmth to permeate one's body. Maiev looked pensively at the rising steam. It was so pleasant... Just the two of them, in a small world, isolated from everyone, that only they understood. Why did a third have to step in, dooming their paradise? If she could, she would have locked the door behind them and thrown away the key, so that this intimacy could remain forever the privilege of the two of them."Something's bothering you." Illidan stated, distracting the woman from her thoughts."I'm a little stressed out. It's work-related, nothing serious. Don't lose sleep over it" Maiev lied without thinking twice. She half expected some sort of friendly banter or a joke, instead, the man got up from the sofa and walked behind her. She turned her head in suspicion to see what he was up to. "Allow me to ease the tension." Illidan murmured in a silky voice. He placed his hands on her shoulders and began to massage her placidly. The night elf jumped from the sudden and truly unexpected gesture."Relax." He whispered gently, but it was easier said than done. Maiev's heart was pounding in her throat, and she had no doubt that she blushed to the roots of her hair. She could only hope the other didn't notice her embarrassment. Things started to get dangerously close to her fantasy. She pulled her shoulders together fitfully, making it harder for Illidan to rub it. "Come on, Maiev. Let me take care of you." The demon hunter continued to encourage her. "You're in good hands." She truly couldn't argue with that, and frankly didn't even want to. With no other choice, she quietly let Illidan's fingers run up and down on her neck and shoulders. They moved slowly and rhythmically, leaving a tingling sensation behind them. Little by little, Maiev's initial constraint passed, and she enjoyed the man's treatment serenely. An atmosphere of long felt tranquillity pervaded the tiny apartment.How different his hand felt from hers just a few hours ago! His touch didn't give off shameful lust like hers, but something else... Caring. Her heart leapt. Yes... Illidan cared for her. In the meantime, the rubbing had softened imperceptibly into a caress, nothing more than a sweet reminder of the man's support. Maiev's lips curled into a faint, hopeful smile. If despite falling for someone else, he was still so attentive to her, perhaps the bond between the two of them was strong enough to survive a third party.Unconsciously, she placed her hand on Illidan's. The warmth and understanding that radiated from it almost intoxicated her, her hot blood coloured her cheeks wine red. There was a bond between them that she found hard to understand, but knew was there. It was deeply rooted in their souls, and nothing could destroy it: mutual respect. She closed her silver eyes and for a second they just enjoyed each other's gentle touch, silently, careful not to interrupt the intimate moment.Without breaking away, Illidan got around her and sat down on the sofa, facing the woman, placing their interwoven hands on his lap, their gaze locked like their fingers. Maiev barely could hear anything besides her own heartbeat drumming in her ears. Illidan was wearing a comforting smile, mesmerizing her. Her pent up feelings in her chest were close to a boiling point, it was just too much to bear. Perhaps... Just perhaps if she's telling him everything there and then, in that deeply emotional state, he would understand. He certainly would... And maybe... Upon seeing how true and genuine her love is for him, he would stop chasing the other and choose her instead...! That's right! It all made perfect sense in her head. No one else could come even close to what she felt for him!"I..." Even if she had had the courage to finish the sentence, her stammering voice would have been lost in the noise made by the ringing phone. It took a moment for her to realise what was happening, and she reached angrily for her trouser pocket where her device lay. "Work..." She squeezed the word out through her teeth as she glanced at the name on the screen."Answer it." Illidan let go of her hand, much to her chagrin, and picking up the empty salty sticks wrapping left on the desk, he walked away to give Maiev some privacy to make the call. At least as much as was possible in an apartment barely bigger than his former cell. Neither of them had any illusions that he would be able to hear every word of the conversation, but neither made a big deal of it, especially Maiev, who wanted to send the phone flying rather than take the call for a completely different reason. Finally, she pressed the tiny green button."Maiev Shadowsong speaking." A high pitched voice responded on the other end of the line. It was Tixilla, the petty gnome criminal and one of her most unlikely probationers."Hi, I hope I'm not disturbing you." She began, and it was with great difficulty that her probation officer could refrain from pointing out that in fact, she was. "I remember you cancelled our meeting tomorrow, didn't you?" She asked, but Maiev's grunt was perhaps more of an answer than she expected, for she quickly apologised and hung up the phone."Done..." She was trying to push the phone back into her pocket with satisfaction when suddenly she froze as the stale stench of alcohol hit her nostrils. As if struck by lightning, she turned towards Illidan, who was just as stunned as her, leaning over the dustbin, still clutching the empty wrapping in his hand. Time seemed to slow down as he looked at her, his face reflecting shock and confusion."No!" A voice screamed in her mind as the icy horror of realisation and panic slowly spread through her body, paralysing her mind. He shouldn't have seen it! Her most pathetic side... What would he think of her now? What should she do? She must stop him...! He mustn't see her like that! Then she would surely lose to that other woman! She wanted to speak, but her dismay blocked the air's way, holding the words in, feeding her despair further. She was almost choking, and for a moment she feared she would lose consciousness. The demon hunter turned his attention back to the trash can and its contents, perplexed, as if he was counting how many beer bottles Maiev had stuffed into it, his concerned expression darkening with every additional vial."Quick... do something... anything... Stop it!"Maiev...?" Illidan turned to her, his gaze demanding answers."Don't look at me like that! So pitying... Don't look... Don't look! DON'T LOOK! DON'T LOOK!!! STOP IT!!!" Her heart was beating faster and faster, her muscles tensed. She could feel her boiling blood pumping in her ears as her paranoia rose. Something snapped inside."Maiev, are you all right...?" Illidan stepped closer, reaching out a hand to reassure her, but before he could get to her, she jumped up from the couch and swept his hand aside with an unexpected movement. "What am I doing?" "What do you think you're doing?" Maiev snapped at him. "How dare you dig through my rubbish?!" "Is that... my voice...?" "I didn't mean to, calm down..."Don't tell me what to do in my own place!" "What is this...?"Please..."Get out." "What's going on?"Maiev, let's talk..."I said get out!" "Wait, I didn't mean to say that...!"As the despair slowly twisted into a maddening rage coursing through her veins, the outside world gradually ceased to exist for her as she lost touch with it. Voices dulled into mere distant echoes, as if they were underwater. A macabre voice filled the room. It somehow sounded familiar, but she couldn't recognize it. Events slowed down, colours faded. She couldn't feel her body, she completely lost control. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the huge mirror mounted on the wall, with Illidan in it, and a horrible monster in front of him. With a contorted face, it was screaming at the top of its lungs, like a banshee. The demon hunter tried to calm it, but it kept howling, striking at him again and again. Maiev tried in vain to defend him, but her limbs refused to obey, and she watched helplessly as the quarrel escalated. "GET LOST!" A final, blood-curdling scream pierced her consciousness as Illidan made another attempt to calm the enraged beast by holding it down, but it pushed the man away with inhuman strength. He lost his balance, and Maiev's heart ached at the stunned look on the man's face as he fell backwards, revealing his attacker behind him. For a moment, she locked gaze with the flailing fiend. Why was it so familiar...?! She hadn't even realised what had happened when suddenly the reflection shattered as Illidan crashed into the mirror. The smashing noise and the demon hunter's painful groan suddenly pulled her back to reality. She stared in shock at her outstretched hands and the tiny shards scattered on the ground. In front of her, Illidan panted, his face contorted in pain, his back still pressed against the remains of the broken mirror.  "Get out..." She whispered once more in a shaky tone, finally recognizing her own voice.The man said nothing. He straightened himself from the shards of glass and left in silence. As the door closed behind him, Maiev collapsed to the floor, powerless as she finally understood what had happened. Giving in to the stifling lump in her throat, she buried her face in her hands, gleaming tears welling up in her eyes. "That's why he will never consider you..."

A few minutes or hours passed, she couldn't tell, her sense of time was dulled by her heart-eating self-pity. What had she done...? This question kept repeating in her mind like an endless loop. She made a meek attempt to pick up the shards with her feeble fingers, but it seemed as if they would never run out. What should she do? How could she lose her head like that? Why couldn't she behave? Somewhere deep inside she knew that what she was doing was wrong, yet she had no power to stop herself. It was too late to regret it now, the damage was done. Little by little her head began to clear, and with it her saner thoughts began to return. She must apologise...Maiev's eyes brightened. Of course! She must go after Illidan! If she apologised now, she might be able to save their friendship...! Quickly! He can't be far away yet! If she hurries, she might catch up...! She sprang from the ground with renewed vigour, and, disregarding her gown, was at the door in a flash. She tore the door open as she made every effort to chase after her beloved, but her race came to a halt just after a few steps. At the end of the corridor, two green lights peered through the pitch-black darkness that enveloped the environment. A pair of eyes she knew so well... Illidan, hands crossed over his chest, stood silent, watching her. His face, as so often, betrayed no emotion, his gaze remained stiff and focused. Maiev could hardly believe her eyes as she walked slowly closer. How long had he been standing there? Or maybe he never left to begin with...?"I didn't mean to..." She whispered as she reached him, lowering her head in shame."Is there someone you can talk with about your problem?" At the question, Maiev raised her gaze to the demon hunter. She didn't expect forgiveness, but she didn't expect this question either. She sighed in thought."My brother."Good." Illidan replied, and seemed to be about to leave. "Uhm..." Maiev interjected, trying to save the situation. "Let's go somewhere, grab a bite! It's on me! I'll just get my coat and..."I think it would be better for you to rest." He dismissed the idea, much to her chagrin. His voice told her that there was no room for objection. So she sighed in resignation and waved goodbye to the demon hunter. He returned the gesture. "Sleep well, Maiev." He nodded to her and went on his way. She was about to respond, but as she opened her mouth to speak, her breath got caught in fright as she saw Illidan's back. One of his wings was flapping sorrowfully on his back like a rag doll. No doubt it was broken, perhaps in several places. The night elf put her hand over her mouth in shock. Every passing minute must have been a terrible agony for its owner, but instead of tending to his wounds, he stayed behind, watching over her lest she does something stupid...! The pain of realisation was worse than the thirst that drove her there... Illidan's figure was slowly swallowed up by the darkness, leaving Maiev alone with her regrets.

That evening she threw out the empty bottles and with them her poisonous addiction, though she knew that the symbolic new beginning would do nothing to help her relationship with Illidan. That day, she had shattered more than just a mirror with her outburst...

As an unwanted guest, the blinding sunlight of noon slipped in through the curtain drawn in haste, bringing lumination between the depressing four walls. A million dust motes danced aimlessly in the rays of light until they grew tired and finally found a resting place on one of the tastelessly assorted pieces of furniture. The more unfortunate, however, missed their target - the comfortable sofa - and landed on the melancholic night elf lying on it instead. 

Maiev Shadowsong, once a feared warrior far and wide, a renowned hero of the Kaldorei... now languished powerless in a squalid little apartment made out of a cellar in a dilapidated condominium. Only her blank stare indicated that she was in fact, conscious, but truth to be told, she had no mind to show any other signs of life, after all, what good would it do? Even if she had changed her mind, the tightening sensation weighing on her chest absorbed all the strength from her muscles like a particularly obnoxious leech, making her limbs as heavy as lead.

Not even a year has passed since she was at this very same point... She knew that history was bound to inexorably repeat itself, but in her experience so far, a cycle usually lasted quite a bit longer than 11 months. That was a depressingly short time even viewing it through human eyes, let alone those of an immortal night elf! Still, the wheel of fate seemed to have turned around again, and she had found herself tied to the rim as she waited helplessly for it to reach its lowest point, if it hadn't already happened the night before... Her eyelids instinctively rolled over her parched eyeballs to moisten them a little as her gaze was drawn to the ugly fruit of her latest outburst. The broken glass stood sullenly on the white wall, a depression in the right corner serving as a bitter reminder of her disgraceful act. A million cracks and fractures had passed through her reflection staring back at her, shattering and distorting her shape, yet she felt it reflected the truth more honestly than ever.

"I'll have to remove this too." She grumbled and made a feeble attempt to crawl out of bed, but the weakening blue feeling quickly forestalled her initiative, seemingly suddenly remembering not to release its prisoner until she completely eats herself up, leaving only the atrophied husk and a disembodied voice behind to haunt the inevitable next inhabitant on moonlit nights. Maiev pursed her lips bitterly, but even the horrific vision of the future proved to be not motivating enough. Alas, self-loathing stayed as her pastime, even though she should have been thinking of a solution to repair her broken relationship with Illidan. Not only did she have to account for the excessive amount of booze, but she also had to somehow apologise for her behaviour - if she ever manages to pull herself together and get up - and Illidan wasn't Jarod, who would forgive her almost anything thanks to their blood relation. What was she supposed to say to him?

"Sorry, I lost my head a little when you saw that I was drinking like a fish due to my nerve-racking jealousy. But don't worry, I only got upset because I love you so much and I didn't want my self-destructive lifestyle to reflect badly on me, ruining my chances with you! So, I smashed you into the mirror. I hope there are no hard feelings!" She could have gone on for hours, but her cynical self-flagellation was cut short by an unexpected knock on the door. Maiev sat up on the sofa with extraordinary agility and pricked up her pointy ears. Was she mistaken? Or was someone really whacking on the door? Perhaps Illidan! He came to see how she was doing! Another knock... No, it wasn't just her imagination! With each beat, her heart pounded louder and she hastily showed a leg, finally separating herself from the couch and the pink floral blanket, a particularly ugly house-warming gift from ReLife. 

"Coming" she shouted hoarsely. Upon noticing the obvious, she cleared her throat quickly and glanced in the mirror, but soon realised that it was still broken, so it was of little use to determine whether her appearance was in a presentable state or it could have used some touch. She grumbled under her breath as she followed her woman's intuition and combed her unruly locks of hair falling on her shoulders with her fingers, then stepped to the doorway. She took one last deep inhalation to calm her nerves and turned the key in the lock. Now unintentionally holding her breath, she pressed the handle, but her anticipation proved futile, for in the doorway stood another night elf instead of the demon hunter. "Jarod!" She stared at her brother in surprise. "You didn't mention you were coming."

"I was just passing by, and I thought I'd see if you were home." He smiled at her fraternally, apparently waiting patiently for her to invite him in. His good manners coming with his basic pleasant nature had only improved over the years, and Maiev was sure that much of her brother's success at work was due to this very useful quality, for there was no one he could not persuade with a few thoughtful words, including her from time to time. Well, to some extent... With no other choice, Maiev stepped aside resignedly, giving way to her sibling, who nodded and walked into the apartment without hindrance.

"I should let you know, that there was a little accident yesterday and..."

"Mother Moon, what happened here?" Jarod cried out as his gaze fell on the broken glass. 

"Uhg... That's exactly what I wanted to talk about." 

"He didn't mention that..." The upset brother mumbled something under his breath, but as soon as he noticed his sister's questioning gaze, he immediately changed the subject. "Are you all right? No harm came to you?"

"No, of course not..." Maiev sighed sorrily and motioned for the man to sit down, but he appeared to be oblivious to the gesture, so preoccupied was he with the damaged object. "Tsk." She snapped angrily with her tongue and settled on the couch without her brother. "Fine by me..."

"So?" asked Jarod, still studying the mirror. His face had long since lost its initial cheerfulness, which was replaced by deep furrows that split the ageless skin of his forehead.

"It looks worse than what happened. Worry not, dear brother, it's nothing serious." Maiev began her impromptu lie. "I just had a bad day and..."

"A bad day, you say?" The younger Shadowsong interrupted, tension leaking into his voice despite his best efforts to keep it concealed as he slowly turned his ominous gaze to his sister.

"Yes." She replied, pretending to be calm, but she could not shake the thought that he knew more than he was letting on and that his visit was not as coincidental as he claimed. Her suspicion was soon confirmed as Jarod stepped closer, revealing his cards for the first time.

"You mean a bad day like when you decided it would be a good idea to disappear for years while only Elune knew where you were, driving me crazy with dismay every time news came about an unidentified body found in the wilderness, or a bad day like when you filled out and signed this godforsaken application?" The man blurted as he slapped a crumpled sheet on the table. His eyes smouldered demanding answers as he huffed in fear-fuelled rage felt for his beloved sister. Maiev glanced at the paper, startled by her brother's unusual behaviour, and for a moment the air caught in her chest.