therovingranger

[therovingranger]

Goldshire, Dusk.

The roof of the Lion’s Pride Inn and adjoining blacksmith shop came into view as Aedl receded her gait to a brisk walk. Though the road between the Gates of Stormwind and Goldshire was in small proximity, it still gave her the need to catch her breath; the rate of her heart pounded against her ribcage like a dwarf's iron hammer on an anvil. Fang trotted a few paces behind her, the length of his tongue extended at full capacity from their advantageous sprint. Veering his way behind the Inn, the mastiff spotted the large pond that resided there, going to cool himself down in its shallow depths. Aedl chuckled softly as she watched him go.

“Don’t stray too far Fang,” she smiled, watching him disappear from her line of vision, before looking around to catch sight of the traveling merchant she had met that earlier morning in Stormwind. It wasn’t hard to miss the red-haired man with the curl-tipped mustache in colorful and expensive textiles scowl at her with a look of impatience, tapping on his gold pocket watch as she approached him.

“Your ten minutes late elf!” he snapped, putting the pocket watch in the side pocket of his trousers, eyes narrowed. “You’re lucky Innkeeper Farley has a full bottle of my favorite brandy to keep me distracted while I waited for you, I could have been halfway to Redridge by now!”

Aedl merely lifted a brow at him and looked him over. The man was not starving by any means, certainly enjoying the luxuries of his trade, but she bit her tongue over the matter and forced an apologetic smile and bowed in his direction with sweeping arms. “My apologies for the inconvenience, Master Beautrough,” she apologized as humble as she could, standing straighter to face him again. “I am obliged by your patience.”

Beautrough waved her off and snapped his ringed fingers at her to follow him, and it took a locked jaw and gritting teeth for Aedl to keep herself composed to follow the entitled man. They approached a black saddled horse that stood still and turned it’s head to acknowledge them, nickering in greeting. Beautrough motioned towards the horse with an extended hand and stepped aside as Aedl drew closer to observe it.

Stepping forward, Aedl ran her hand along the side of the saddle and the horse’s back, inspecting the quality of her purchase. She reached a hand underneath the saddle and along the ribs, feeling a protrusion of bone sticking out to greet her, the spine sunken beneath the saddle. The hand trailed down to the back leg whose hoof was not bearing full weight, and with a click of her tongue and slight pressure, she encouraged the horse to lift it’s leg and step; Aedl, noting it was a mare, turned her attention to the horse’s head, watching it raise it’s head up quickly. The elf’s brows knitted together and her jaw tightened, feeling her anger rise quickly to the surface. She approached the mare’s head and rubbed the bridge of her nose, before opening the mouth slowly to look at its teeth. She shook her head in disbelief.

Beautrough started to wave her off dismissively after he watched her for a few moments, clearly fed up with the time wasted watching her inspect her purchase. “Our business is done here, I will be on my way before the dinner I purchased grows cold-.”

“-not until I get my money back,” she replied shortly, cutting the man off with an adamant tone. Fang had approached her with drooling chops, his lazy tail drooped as he heard Aedl’s aggravated tone towards the short man. The dog came to sit at her side and growl at him.

Beautrough whipped around and looked at her, and then to the horse, lifting a brow at her and Fang’s aggressive temperament. “Excuse me?” he asked vehemently, starting towards her a few steps. “I’m quite certain that our agreement was there would be no refunds once your purchase was made from me, elf, and that is a hundred gold you will -not- see back. Do you lack from retaining memory as you do with punctuality?” the man jeered, arms crossing in front of his chest.

As he was at least two heads shorter to her taller her frame, Aedl dared to put her hands on her hips and lean forward to meet him at eye level, speaking through a gritted smile and a patronizing tone.

“What I lack right now, Beautrough, is the means to keep my dog from taking a chomp out of your arse and planting a fist to your face! When I asked for a horse, I am fairly certain the agreement was one that I could ride for a very long trip I’m about to take, not one who is underfed, lame in her back leg, and older than the Bronze Dragonflight! And for the price you jacked me over to pay for said nag, I could have easily bought a retired charger or at least a green broke colt and a pack donkey!

The look on the man’s face reminded her of a ripe tomato, she had never seen an expression go from fair complexion to red as he did. But as quickly as the fevered red washed over his face, his composure reposed itself, and a mocking smile emerged instead, a heated glint in his dark eyes. He lifted a spangled hand and with a quick motion flicked her on the nose, hard enough to startle her and send her backing away mare, the poor thing neighing and pulling back out of fright as far as the reins would extend from the fence post. The quick motion caused Fang to stand and bark at Beautrough, hackles raised. Aedl cursed aloud, glaring at him as she got up in a clumsy motion, even more, embarrassed as a few onlookers started to laugh at her predicament.

“You would be wise to watch your threats and muzzle your cur, elf,” Beautrough’s warning’s cool, his pompous air returning to him as he polished the rings on the hand that flicked her with a beautifully embroidered blue handkerchief. “Business misconduct on civilian grounds is an agreeable term for a week in the stockades.”

Aedl felt the hair on her neck rise, putting a hand out to Fang to quiet him as he growled lowly. He went to sit by Aedl’s feet and pant quietly, eyes intent on Beautrough. “The only misconduct given here is your hypocrisy and lack of integrity for the business you orchestrate, Beautrough,” Aedl managed to reply calmly. 

“Oh, my dear, there is no hypocrisy given! You asked for a horse, I had one, and it didn’t go further than that, because if I recall correctly you didn’t bother to inquire about the specifics. So truly, Miss Aedl if you find your purchase unsatisfactory, the fault is yours. You would do well to remember for future investments to know exactly how deep the river is before attempting to cross it.” 

Beautrough dismissed her with a turn on his heel and made his way back to Lion’s Pride, Aedl glaring at him all the way. “No worries, Beautrough. Chickens come home to roost.” Sighing with defeat, the woman patted her mastiff’s head, and turned around to the mare, rubbing her neck and shoulder. 

“I’m sorry old biddie,” she smiled, the horse leaning into her palm as she rubbed its ear. “I didn’t mean to disrespect you like that, you deserve better. I promise you, the first farmer we can find, you will retire on lush grass and lazy days for the remainder of your existence. It’s the very least I can do.”

Unraveling the reins from the wooden fence post, dog, elf, and horse made their way west towards Westfall, just as the light of the sun was kissing goodnight to the sky. 

[therovingranger]

Stormwind, Evening.

                                                  Prologue

The tolling of the Cathedral bell at dusk reminded Aedl of how quickly time worked. Today had been the fifth day, and the last chance she had given herself to plan accordingly. Scrambling around Stormwind’s districts, multiple visits to shops had led her to do valuable business with tradesman, painstaking bargains made down to the last available copper, gathering an assortment of wares and supplies necessary to start her trek. She had done well to follow the mental list of things to procure, though the last investment that would be made that evening would be the very thing that would cost her something more precious than gold: time. The young elf groused irritably to herself, tying a newly purchased short sword to her side with great difficulty.

“So much for catching a bite before we left Fang, that damn blacksmith’s apprentice couldn’t put enough nails in his jaw to strap it shut, let alone a horseshoe! With the way his mouth was running about the damn thing, this blade ought to face the might of saronite should it come to it! Oh Light please, don’t let me be late!”

The Gilnean mastiff’s tongue lolled, panting as he quietly bustled beside Aedl’s hastening steps. Worn leather boots met cobbled stone as the duo frantically ran to the gates that opened to Elwynn Forest. A fully tacked horse she paid a hundred gold for waited in Goldshire, but the traveling merchant’s earlier concerning remarks that morning were clear: if she wasn’t there before nightfall, he would find another buyer who took his time more seriously...no refunds to her purchase.

“No refunds my arse, what kind of business agreement is that?!” Aedl thought outloud, dodging between ambling citizens who she was quite sure intended to slow her down. “The beast better be shitting gold for that kind of treatment!”

“’Ey, watch yer tongue!” a dwarf called behind her, and she had the inclination to give him the bird. Unfortunately her arms were full with a packed satchel that kept falling from her shoulder, the scabbard of her sword banging against her thigh. She ignored the glares she received from inconvenienced onlookers, confident that she looked as crazed as she felt. Vain attempts were made to blow away wisps of raisin colored hair sticking to her perspiring face, and she was as successful as farting against the wind. 

Gods, -all- Gods be damned.

The gates approached faster than her mind had the process of thinking, as the sight of colossal wooden doors framed by metal opened outwards towards the forest, past the boundary of stone walls that enshrouded the capital city of the Alliance. Their looming presence reminded her the security obtained since she stepped foot into Stormwind, and she almost stopped to look at them. . . only to remind herself that nostalgia would have to wait. The reality hit her once the road turned from stone to dirt and grass, and Goldshire felt less than a few paces ahead. Anger, anticipation, and frustration unshackled her from their prison, left at those gates, and for the very first time...

she felt free.