One of the moons was full and hung low in the sky as if expecting its mate to rise soon. There was a mist through the barren trees of the plague lands, hardly romantic but somehow it was. At the water's edge knelt the form of two tauren, hands clasped together, looking into each other's eyes. They spoke softly, the mist carrying the sound but not their words... their words were for their ears alone. The sounds of their voices were like a melody, the eerie, yet strangely romantic setting a stage, but they performed for no one but themselves.
Again the sharp pain, she opened her good eye and scanned the dark room as best she could. She could feel the anger of her captors, bristling in the room around her. Slowly she worked her mouth, trying to encourage saliva to coat her dry and cracking tongue.
"She's awake," it was the only warning she had before the blow landed.
Maralah waited with excitement for her husband to arrive home, she paced, her hands pressed to her belly. Finally the door opened and there stood Mingan, handsome as ever. She squeeled in delight and rushed to him, throwing herself into his arms, trusting he would catch her, which he did of course. He held her tightly, surprised by her enthusiasm. Kissing him on the cheek she took his hand in hers and pressed it to her belly, grinning like a fool up at him. At first he looked confused, then shocked, then overjoyed. Finally he let out his out shout of joy, scooping his wife and soon to be mother of his child, up in his arms.
Dimly she heard the voices again, the rustling voice of undead and the solid voice of Mingan. They were arguing; about what? She couldn't make it out. That bastard. She let the rage fuel her but carefully kept her tauren form, it was difficult to change when another life grew within. Once again she found herself carefully taking stock of her surroundings. There was no comfortable bed this time, and no bandages on her wounds... there were more wounds too, some were the kind you couldn't see. Why was she being kept alive?
Maralah was certain that the Earth Mother, even here in this diseased land, was watching out for her. But while the dreams of a happy past were possibly meant to bolster her, they instead tugged on her heart strings for what she thought she had. A tear formed at the corner of her eye and slowly made its way down the soft fur of her face. She winced as the salty drop penetrated one of her open wounds.
Child Within kicked as if in response to her wince. She lowered her hand to her large belly, whispering within to hold on, not yet. It was too close to her time, she couldn't give birth here, even if she had the strength.
Oh, why had I followed him? Don't be ridiculous, you couldn't continue to live the lie. Why couldn't it have been another lover as I suspected, why this? Why such a betrayal? Another tear cleared a path down her cheek just as the door to her make-shift prison opened. The figure standing in the door was clearly tauren, though she could not make out his features with the bright light behind him.
"She's awake again," it was his voice, but not. There was a coldness she had only learned to recognize recently. It was as though all emotion had been drained from him, just as her blood slowly drained from her now. "She's close to delivering, patch her wounds, I want the child alive." A cold panic gripped Maralah at those emotionless words. Her child… not theirs, she could never think of him that way again. He didn't care if she lived or died, only that the child did. What did he want with her child?
Figures moved past Mingan into the room, they stank of undeath and decay. Maralah retched before she could stop herself, one of the creatures laughed at her discomfort. With ungentle hands they began to bind her wounds, it was as though they took delight in causing her more pain. Once again the world went dark.
Maralah ignored the grass tickling her nose as she tried to come to terms with what she had just witnessed. Her fear of what might come to her unborn child kept her instinct to run at bay. The transformation into cat form had not been easy so far along in her pregnancy, but she had to learn the truth. Now she wasn't so sure she wanted to know. Maralah continued to watch as Mingan directed his troops... troops she had previously thought were part of the Argent Dawn. Once again she suppressed her instincts in favour of caution. Had he staged their first meeting?
To what end?
There was no denying it, she had married into the Scourge and it was time to get out. Slowly she began to back away from the scene unfolding before her, so intent on avoiding detection from Mingan she somehow missed the rustling of the brush behind her. A shout rang out, her heart leapt into her throat, and he turned... looking directly at her.
When she woke this time it was with a clearer head. Her wounds were bandaged, the visible wounds anyway, and she could feel the remnants of a magical healing. Maralah shuddered to think one of those vile creatures had been so personal with her as to cast holy magic upon her. With care, she sat up and looked about the room. This was to have been the baby's room, the window was boarded up, the door most likely barred. She hardened her resolve and began to plan her escape. There would be only one chance to get out, and for her child's sake she could not fail.
Getting up off the floor she first inspected the door, careful not to touch it lest a guard on the other side sense her intentions. She could barely make out the disruption in the line of light along cracks between the wood... definitely barred then. Even if she broke through she'd then have to deal with whatever guards her darling husband had left behind. The window then. Once she started she wouldn't have much time, she wasn't sure how much time she had now. Maralah rested a hand to her belly, once again whispering to her child to wait. If I must, I will kill us both before allowing him to take you.
~
She came awake with a start, holding perfectly still while trying to make out details in the light provided by the coals of her fire. Was it her pursuers or merely one of the creatures the Marsh harbours. Perhaps it was nothing, but she couldn't risk it. Silently Maralah got to her feet and began the almost painful transformation into her cat form. So much for a good night sleep. It had been like this for nearly a week, once she had escaped she'd gone south through the Hinterlands and Highlands, specifically avoiding Light's Hope Chapel and all towns and villages. He would expect her to take the easy route home, and she was more than happy to disappoint him.
It hadn't been easy getting onto the boats at Menethil Harbour, but she'd managed to do so undetected. As the craft had neared the coast of Dustwallow Marsh she abandoned it in favour of swimming ashore. Despite her efforts to stay ahead of Mingan he seemed adept at tracking her, there had been too many close calls. She faced west, toward the barrens... toward Mulgore, and stopped. With a hand to her belly and a fierce look of determination she turned east instead and headed for the water. She would swim south to Tanaris, cross the desert on foot and head through Thousand Needles to Feralas and from there fly to Thunder Bluff. It was the long way around, hopefully Mingan wouldn’t expect it.
Her decision made she quickly kicked out the remnants of her fire and began the journey, hopefully all the shape shifting had not damaged her child in any way... and hopefully the child could wait just a few more days.
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