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Brauner let out a soft sigh as he watched the sky shift from blue to orange as the sun started to set. He wasn't sure how long he had been in town; it seemed clocks didn't exist in this world. The ivory bull looked at the vial of bluish liquid in his paw. At least he had managed to kill some time with the alchemy and herbalist trainers while waiting. Brauner looked down over the side of the bridge at the rolling fields of grass below. "Hmm . . . it's really peaceful up here."

Rohu Strode through the city, ignoring the dark looks and insults that were sent in his direction. It wouldn't be too hard to find Brauner, pure white tauren were few and far between after-all. His intuition told him to head toward the elder rise.

The snow white bull sighed again and closed his eyes, a soothing breeze flowing through his mane making his scarf sway in the wind. "Man, it's nice to have such a peaceful night." The bull sighed again and looked up at the stars now dancing in the sky. "It's getting late . . . or . . . I think it is, at least. I wonder if I should head back soon." The Grimtotem set his hooves on the bridge, the wind stirring his braids. Brauner stood with his back to the shaman, and in response Rohu coughed loudly to announce his presence. Flicking his ears a bit, Brauner expected to be met with the presence of Zig. Much to his dismay, however, Rohukarlo stood before him, making him pull his ears back. "Rohu . . . what are you doing here?" "I need to talk to you." The black bull said and crossed his arms. "Zigzahal is my . . . friend," he stumbled over the word he so rarely used, "and I want to watch out for him. He leaps before he looks far too often for my tastes, so I need to know what you're all about."

"What do you mean what I'm all about? What did I do?" Brauner frowned and took a step back. As if dinner wasn't bad enough, now the bull was feeling slightly uneasy.

"Why Zig?" The shaman stepped forward. "There are countless other mercenary teams. Why us?"

Brauner's tail was between his legs, something was wrong and it was bothering him greatly. "I told you guys . . . my mother had a vision. I was instructed to come. I didn't want to oppose her wishes."

"So you say." The shaman glared at him for a long moment. "You seem like you're on the level." Rohu stepped back and relaxed his stance. "Sorry about this, it's just that someone has to keep his ears perked around here. Those three would walk into a dragon's gullet without me to second-guess everything."

Brauner remined silent, visibly trembling before the words of the shaman sank in. A sigh of relief escaped his lips. "I . . . thank you." He finally managed to say. The bull hadn't felt this helpless since his father was taken from him so long ago.

Rohu sighed as he sat down beside Brauner. "I'm sorry if I've done anything to, uh, upset you." He said slowly. "I'm not really good at meeting new people. I only let Zig get close because he saved my life."

Brauner wasn't really sure how to reply to that. It made him falter before picking a new direction for the odd conversation. "Rohu, are white tauren rare? The longer I'm here, the more and more I notice I'm the only white one. Is there a reason behind it?"

Rohu shrugged. "Most of our kind has mixed fur. Pure white and black," he added bitterly, "are said to be chosen by the ancestors to bear the triumphs and sins of their fore-bearers."

Brauner put a paw on Rohu's shoulder. "Well, for me, the dead are dead. We don't pay them much mind and that's just how I see it, I'm not going to barrel through life with such labels." He stood up and brushed himself off a bit, feeling his confidence returning.

Rohu stood up as well. "I wish I could put the past to rest like you, but some wounds . . ." He brushed a hand past the stump of his left horn ". . . just won't disappear."

Brauner sighed and started to flick his nose ring a few times before letting what was said sink in, his voice soft and wavering. "Yeah . . . sometimes it just won't die . . . no matter how much we want to forget." Brauner blinked realizing he had zoned out.

"Come on, then." Rohu turned aside. "The others will be stoking the bonfire outside the clanhall, getting ready to tell stories and such. You coming?"

"I think I'm gonna go to my room when I get back." Brauner replied, shaking his head. Rohu crossed his arms. "Suit yourself, but if you want to meet the neighbors, just step outside. We're all gonna be out there. The big lug enjoys his bonfire evenings, and loves the old tales the elders spin. It's great." He rolled his eyes. "You know, hearing all the stories I never heard as a youth . . . being reminded of how reviled the Grimtotem are . . . not that it's not deserved, but having it told aloud is just painful."

Brauner silently followed Rohu to the elevators leading off Thunderbluff, looking down onto the fields as they made their descent. He wasn't sure how to respond to something so bitter and simply let the conversation drop into the wind, so to speak. The two silently waited as they slowly reached the base of Thunderbluff.

The shaman sighed and turned to the white bull. "Look, I'll show you where the meetings are held. You can decide for yourself if you want to listen to them. As for myself, I think I'm going to work on my scrolls."

Brauner flicked his nose ring again and then nodded. "Are you sure you wouldn't like some company or something? I'm sure it wouldn't be the last time he tells his stories right?"

Rohu sighed, "You have no idea. They practically drag the elders out every night. Old bulls, love the sound of their own voices. I guess you can stay with me, so long as you don't interfere. Ink's hard to come by and I don't wanna mess up my glyphs."

The ivory bull tilted his head and looked to Rohu curiously. "Glyphs and ink?" Brauner managed to say before Rime could get a word in edge wise.

"It's my job within the guild." Rohu clarified, "Zig handles metal, Arukan brews potions, Kal crafts leather, and I draw magical glyphs that help mercenaries such as myself stay alive."

"Hmm... what could I possibly contribute to such diversity? I don't want to be useless to everyone." Brauner said, basically ignoring the other tauren as his tone was overwrought with concern.

"I'm sure you'll think of something." Rohu said "I mean, only thing I knew when I joined was how to scalp a human and make it really hurt. I just wandered around the bluff one day until I found a more . . . acceptable hobby."

"Well my hobbies from back home aren't as . . . war-inclined; there wasn't much war there." The bull trotted alongside the other back towards their home, thoughts racing around his mind. "I guess I shouldn't worry about it too much. It won't do me any good."

"Worrying does more harm than good." Rohu muttered. "Trust me kid, it seems like you're gonna fit in here just fine. You might even replace me at some point."

Brauner frowns and looks over to his traveling companion. "I sincerely doubt that. You're such a nice bull under all that gruff behavior. I'd be sad if you ever left."

Rohu closed his eyes and chuckled. "Well, you'd be the only one, I imagine." He said softly as he stepped inside the guildhall.

Following suit Brauner followed the ebony bull back inside the hall, trying to keep his voice hush because of the late hour. "One is better than none if you ask me, Rohu. We might have just met, but I care. That's just how I am."

Rohu grinned again. "You say that now, but you also barely know me. Now where did I put that vellum?" He trailed off and began rummaging through a chest in one corner of the great room.

"I could say the same thing to you. I'm going to get the wine from my room. The others may have gone to bed, but I'm still in the mood for a drink. Would you like some?" Brauner said looking over the banister to the shaman. Rohu thought for a moment before nodding. "Sure, I could do with a drink" He replied before locating his supplies and followed Brauner up the stairs, veering off into his room.

Brauner nodded before turning the other way to his own room, grasping a slender bottle from his bag. "He seems like someone you shouldn't mess with, Brauner." Rime mumbled inside his head. The bull simply shrugged and started towards the shaman's room.

"He doesn't know the kind of person I am yet, Rime. I mean, I took you in, didn't I?" The spirit was silent as Brauner reached the door and entered slowly.

The ebony bull was sat behind a great wooden desk with carved images of eagles and bears rested upon its surface. His scrolls had already been laid out on its surface, and Rohu himself held a quill in one hand. A thick book sat beside an inkwell as the shaman mumbled to himself, poring over his collection of glyphs.

Resting himself beside the shaman, Brauner placed his bottle on the floor by his hooves. Bringing his paws together, he conjured a faint blue light, which shifted and changed into a shimmering ball of water. Moving his paws in different directions he split the orb into two, effortlessly shifting its shape to that of drinking glasses. Brauner smiled and lightly blew onto each paw, forcing the water held within them to frost over with ease. He was visibly pleased with himself over the ice glasses he'd created. Happily he proceeded to pour two glasses of wine for the pair before holding one up to the shaman.

Without taking his eyes off the tome, Rohu reached back and took one of the glasses. "Thanks." He said before taking a sip.

Brauner didn't make any form of remark; instead he took a deep breath and downed his glass in a single swig. Snorting from the aftertaste, he leaned over and started to fill his glass again. "So what do glyphs do? Empower you in ways magic cannot?"

"Something like that." Rohu said as he took another sip and traced a symbol on the blank page before him. "A trained scribe can draw a mystic character that draws magic into itself, providing a power that nearly anyone can make use of. Kind of like sorcery for dummies."

"That's rather fascinating, actually. Kind of like a catalyst for someone's abilities." Brauner took another sip and rumbled; his cheeks and stomach were starting to feel warm from the wine.

"More like a little assistance." Rohu said as he went about his task. "You have to be able to do something, and the glyph can make it better. Not like these things can impart new skills."

The ivory bull nodded and took another sip from his glass, his tail wagging as he listened with the most fascinated of tones in his voice. "Still that's pretty cool . . . to think something like that is possible."

"Many things are possible, just not probable." Rohu said slowly. "Magic, demons, gods and spirits all play some part in this world. After all, you're speaking to someone who got a vision from his dead mother."

Brauner just kind of stared at the bull, as if he needed to be instructed in such insane things after what he'd been through. Simply nodding, the ivory bull sipped from his glass once more. "Mmmm . . ." he mumbled as its warmth took hold of him.

Rohu took another sip and sighed happily. "This stuff isn't bad, where'd you get it?

"There was this . . . uhh . . .blood elf, I think their called? Anyway, he was selling some from a place called Silvermoon. I've had my share of wine in the past so I could tell it was decent. Always have to pounce on great deals like that you know?"

"You have good taste" He said sipping again. "Hmmm, this is pretty potent stuff too."

Brauner blushed at the comment and rubbed the back of his head while he drank from his glass. "Hehe, well it's a white wine, they're typically sweet which makes it easier to drink the stronger stuff."

The black bull stood up and went to his bed, sitting on it behind Brauner. "Went right to my head at any rate." He rubbed his skull below one of his broken horns. "Never was good at holding my booze."

"Are you going to be alright Rohu?" Brauner blinked, it was obvious he was a lightweight himself, snorting and slightly sloshing his words at this point.

"I just need to lie down and wait for the room to stop spinning" He mumbled before reclining.

"Should I leaves ya then?" He was genuinely concerned for the other tauren, just unsure what he wanted from him besides probably leaving.

"Do whatever you want." he said as he rolled over. "It's your home now, too."

Frowning, Brauner tried to stand up. It took a try or two but he managed it and picked up his glass and bottle, deciding Rohu should probably rest. Brauner hated drinking by himself, but he was already toasted so he might as well finish alone in his room. "Alright then, I-I'll be in my room if you need me." He finally managed to snort before leaning on the door frame. "Mmff . . ."

"Plenty of room right here if you can't walk." Rohu said dreamily, rubbing the bed surface next to himself. Clearly the drink had gone to his head.

Snorting, Brauner tried not to battle with gravity any longer, setting his glass down he laid himself beside Rohu, letting out a soft huff as he felt the pelts on his back. "Thanks . . . not sure I would've made it back to my room without waking the others up and junk."

Rohu suddenly rolled over and threw his arm across Brauner's chest, pulling him in tight. "Hmmm . . . warm" He said dreamily.

Rumbling in response, Brauner affectionately nuzzled the other bull. Apparently, he liked being touched when drunk, as made all-too-clear from his deep murrs from his chest as the shaman held him close. Rohu pulled him closer, even moving his leg across Brauner's, embracing him deeply.

"Mfff . . . Rohu, you're so warm" He mumbled before pressing his muzzle against the other tauren, the rumbling getting louder as a paw found its way around Rohu's shoulder.

Rohu made a gruff noise of contentment as he let a hand roam across Brauner's chest, purring happily he buried his muzzle into Bruaner's neck. It wasn't long until his breaths became deep and regular, indicating he had fallen asleep.

Brauner groaned silently. Resting his chin on the shamans head, he too started to feel the grips of sleep pull upon him. Grunting one last time, he let his eyes close and he drifted off into sleep.