Darkness of the Heart
Darkness of the Heart
A deafening roar could be heard across the flat plains, a bright flash just before the roar. A whimper following suit of the roar and a whipping sound, like those of tent flaps. The soft patter of rain hit the top of her tent, trying to get her to fall into a false sense of security. She knew better than to fall for it. Tonight was a dark night, wet and dark. Wind whipped around her tent, creating a howling sound, causing her to whimper softly. Beside her lay Courage, her loving cougar. He took care of her as her fearless cat. In combat, no other pet could match his ferocity and courage. He would take on opponents twice his strength, size and age. He wouldn't always win, but when he did, it was well earned. He put his heart and soul into combat, and trained appropriately for it. Tonight, however, Courage was as scared as his mistress was, but he wouldn't show it. His pride kept him from whining and whimpering, cowering like the cub he had been when he was younger, back when his mistress had first saved him. His mistress looked down at him from the cot, and he nodded, indicating that she could crawl next to him. He always let her know things were safe and sound when he was near. After the signal was given, she slid from her bed and down next to Courage. She adored him with all her heart. She would ask him what she would do without him, to which she would respond promptly, saying that she would have become a pelt under some grotesque horde creature's feet, which caused her to shiver at the thought.
She wasn't planning on staying there; her mission was to reach Desolace by morning, where she would meet up with members of the Earthen Circle and help save the barren land from destruction by the Centaur. The Earthen Circle was a group of powerful shaman, led by the one and only Thrall, former warchief of the Horde. The Earthen Circle was doing a mission that would take them into the Centaur's enclave, for which they needed an escort. Given the chance to show her prowess, the huntress had taken the mission without second thoughts of the dangers. Little did she know the centaurs were hardy and hard to defeat.
As the night carried on, she lay snuggled against her cougar. As a particularly bright lightning flash hit, the ground shook with a resounding clap of thunder that bounced off the four small trees that the tent was tied to, causing the noise to sound much louder. The huntress whimpered and hid her muzzle against her pet, whimpering and whining in fear of the storm. He reacted by wrapping his forelegs around her, pulling her closer to him. She felt safe in his hold, thankful that she had chosen to bring him instead of one of her other pets. He was the only one who truly understood her, almost as if he knew her by heart and was a part of her. They lay there, snuggled against each other as the wind howled around the pair. The tent threatened to rip from its cording and into the wild beyond, but never left the ground, thanks to the tight knots the huntress put into the string. As the wind slowly but surely died down and calm swept over the foreign land, the two slowly fell asleep, soft whimpers escaping the frightened hunter, only to be stolen by the cougar who held them.
Mid spring: Day 5 of Ten day Monsoon
The following morning showed no promise to the let up of the storm. It raged on without showing mercy. Little did the poor girl know that it was a monsoon, one of the dreaded times of the year, especially for the tauren, who were all safe upon their bluffs. She felt a sudden urge, a burning between her loins. So she stepped out of her tent, and went to relieve herself in a small alcove of cypress. While doing so, she simply couldn't fathom as to why she felt someone was watching her pee. Pervert came to watch a helpless girl pee, she thought to herself. She was wrong as Menthal sat under his own bows of cypress, watching her every movement from the safety of the tree. He sat against the trunk, watching her carefully, one leg propped up on a hoof, the other bent, laying on the ground. Resting against his side was the most impressive mace anyone could ever see. At his right side rested The Crest of Thunder Bluff, a shield specifically designed for him. It resonated with power incomprehensible to just any regular shaman except him. Menthal was one of the senior Earthen Circle members, and one of their most powerful members as well. His status would have put him directly under Thrall, had he not been called away to save Azeroth from Deathwing.
Menthal sat under his tree, curious as to the worgen's movements. As he sat, he also wrote. In his hand was a leather-bound notebook. His words described of the worgen, a recount of the past two days that the trio had spent in the area they were in. He actually felt sorry for the girl considering she was weaker than he was and that she actually looked uncomfortable, even with her fur. She looked to be wet, damp and tired. He didn't know it, but she had a cougar just waiting for a silly individual to attack her, threatening to kill his mistress, which he would never allow without dying himself.
Taking it upon himself, Menthal sought her out, finding her crouching beside her tent to tighten the cords holding the thin canvas to the ground. "Hello, miss. I couldn't help but notice that you seemed quite uncomfortable with your lodgings," Menthal said, carefully selecting his words so that it didn't give away why he was out there in this terrible weather. Even though his eye sight was of the best, and he was one of the greatest trackers, he still feared the might of the ten day monsoon.
"Huh?" Luna responded. She turned and instantly froze up, for before her stood an eight foot tall tauren, with a black beard, black horns and black hooves. His bovine like snout held a golden nose ring that glinted in the flashes of light. Her throat clogged up with the starting of a scream, unable to be released due to the shock and fear of the present situation. However, even though no sound was made, Courage was by her side, snarling, in an instant at the tauren. The tauren paid the cat no mind, which Courage thought to himself as a huge mistake. Even though he knew he was far weaker than the shaman, he was willing to give his life for his mistress in a heartbeat, even if to allow her to get away so she could live another day.
"Shh, don't scream, I simply wish to talk. If you would like I have a hovel just over the next hill and you are welcome inside. I would enjoy the company during this storm as I am isolated from Thunder Bluff." He nodded in the direction of the location he spoke of. To his surprise, she had composed herself and nodded, tapping her cat on the shoulder, and the cat in turn stopped snarling at him. "Alright, just let me get my stuff real quick. It's dangerous during this storm, as the elementals like to come out and prey on the lonely fools who take the dare to wander the plains of Mulgore during this time." With that said, Menthal sauntered over to his stuff and retrieved them, picking a few acorns also, making it look like he was gathering herbs. "To answer the question on your mind as to why I was out here, I ran out of herbs for potions and came out to get some. Thankfully I found you when I did, the storm only gets worse."
After walking over a hill, a small hut with a stream of smoke billowing out of the top. Menthal walked beside the small worgen, holding his shield up for her to stay as dry as possible, which wasn't all that successful. "That's my hut. You are welcome to stay as long as you like, especially with a storm like this." During the journey to Menthal's hut, they had stumbled across several water elementals and even a rare storm elemental, to which Courage dispatched with ease. After those encounters, they split the earnings, which was two elemental waters and one gold, fifty silver total. After reaching the small looking hut, they entered. Luna gasped at the furnishings, which consisted of pelts and pillows. There didn't seem to be a bed, couch, or even a table in the house. "Sorry for the close quarters; it isn't normal I help someone during the ten-day monsoon," Menthal stated as he put his shield down by the door, along with his mace and tunic, revealing his well sculpted chest and forearms. Nudging her into the single room, Menthal sat down by the small fire, coaxing a few coals to light again, putting a log on the fire.
"May...May I please change and dry off?" Luna asked Menthal, embarrassed that she would have to disrobe in front of the tauren male. She found herself blushing profusely beneath her near black fur, suddenly becoming hot enough to dry herself naturally. Menthal nodded at her and stepped behind a wall that she had not noticed, the door shutting, leaving her with Courage alone in the main room. Moving closer to the fire, she first placed her bow on the ground, then her pole-arm. After her weapons sat and dried by the fire, she took off her leather tunic and britches, followed by her gloves, boots and cloak. She then, reluctantly, discarded her soaked panties and bra, laying them on the small spit that ran above the fire. Taking one of the pelts from the floor, she wrapped herself in it, just before Menthal peeped into the room. "You settled? I kind of want to make some tea before bed." Luna nodded to him, laying back against Courage, who had taken his spot behind his mistress.
As Menthal sat and stirred up some mint leaves, he couldn't help but glance at her every now and again. He could see that she had taken her undergarments off as well as her regular clothes. Catching her eye, he smiled at her full heartedly, showing her genuine kindness where as any other tauren would have killed her and the cat on the spot. However, being a shaman, he couldn't bear the thought of her dying out there with elementals on the loose. Sitting beside her, he watched as she smiled softly back. "W...would you mind r...rubbing my back a l...little? Its s...stiff," She asked him softly, blushing again as she stuttered. He nodded kindly, to which she turned towards him and let the pelt fall to her waist, covering her breasts with her arms as she did so. She shivered when she felt his hands rolling her shoulders, then down her spine to the base. She delighted in the feeling, relaxing back against him as he worked. She was in bliss as he massaged her, relieving the stress of the past five days on the cot, which she had unfortunately needed. Today she would sleep on pelts until the storm passed over, but judging from what the tauren called the storm, it would last for about 5 more days. "W-what is your name? I'm Luna...Luna Stormcrow." Luna asked him politely. "I'm Menthal. Menthal Ironhoof. And you have a beautiful name, Miss Luna." She blushed at the comment and nodded at his name; she found it rather attracting. To say the least, she was already attracted to him and she didn't know why. She was about 21 years old, and had only started her questing just last year. Her father was proud of his 'baby girl' going out on her own to fight the horde. She doubted he would have thought of 'fighting' as joining a tauren for a cup of tea while getting a massage, possibly more.
She closed her eyes and let her mind wander, her paws gently kneading her soft breasts, causing her to let out very subtle moans. It didn't strike her as odd when the tauren's hands went further down her back, reaching towards the base of her spine, around her plush rump. Her body was curvaceous but not disgustingly so. She had a nice rear, not to big, not to tight. Her breasts were what caught attention. Being at about a mid C cup, they were quite the package to lug around on one's chest every day. She loved them though. They were meant for the one male she would love till the end of her days, as worgens mated for life.
She murred at the treatment she received on her plush rump, enjoying the shocks she was receiving. Damn, Menthal sure knows how to treat a lady when he has one. I mean if he ever has one. I doubt he gets much company. I might have to stay here a little longer with him then the ending of the storm. Hell, I might even end up sleeping with him, since I am so scared of thunder, Luna thought to herself quietly. She knew that she was afraid of loud noises, but she wasn't overly fond of sleeping with anyone other than Courage. She was a shy girl, didn't know much about her own self as it was. She did, however, trust this male enough to let him see her bare. She moved her arms to her side, moving back her back to rest on his chest. "Thank you. I feel much better now." She grabbed his hands and put them on her tight athletic-like stomach, right below her breasts. Her breasts, big they may be, didn't sag in the least; they were perfectly sized for her body. "Feel free to explore, but don't go too far. Courage will get mad if you do. Trust me." With that she closed her eyes again, laying her head back on his chest, listening to his heartbeat as she slowly drifted off. She could still feel his hands on her stomach, where they remained while she drifted. Courage kept an ever vigilant eye on the tauren, still highly suspicious of his actions. He was skeptical as to why the tauren would want a worgen in his house, if not to ravage her when they were both asleep.
Menthal leaned back against the wall, simply enjoying the heat of her body against his, leaving his hands on her stomach, respecting the younger female instead of inspecting her. He seemed to have grown quite fond of her, quite attached as it were. Am I in love with her? No...I can't be. I'm far too old for her and even if she liked me, what would the earthbinder think? He would probably be disgusted. Still...I can't help but feel this way towards her, even though her cougar hates me, she is still sweet and kind. Menthal mulled over things that the Earth Binder would say if he saw them like this, one catching him off guard. "Menthal Ironhoof, regardless of race, love pierces all veils. It passes the most constricting laws, forcing another to make decisions that most would shun if even a single thought crossed. You know this to be true. Love is your choice, who you love and how much. Take heart, young shaman, for your life is long and worthwhile. You have helped many people before, and shall do so more than I ever have. You might even become the next Earth Binder. Just remember that your choice is yours to make, nobody else can tell you what is right and wrong; only you can," Thrall spoke to him, even though Thrall was deep in the Maelstrom. This is what caught Menthal off guard. He did not realize that the Earth Binder had heard his thoughts, or even knew that he was in love with her. He decided to think this over while he slept, letting nature take its course, as is its right.
The next morning, Luna woke up feeling comfortably warm, relaxed and refreshed. She was confused, until she saw the tea pot and her undergarments sitting on the spit. "Sleep well, Luna?" Menthal asked from the other room. "Yes, thank you Menthal. I take it you didn't explore?" "No. I didn't want to disrupt your integrity by taking advantage of you while you slept. It would have been rude, inconsiderate and immoral. Thus it was wrong. So I did not partake of your offering. Nevertheless, I did sleep with you, but not in the sense that the Alliance perceives it. I slept with you, I never once touched you sexually or inappropriately, as is most men's want. Still you should not flaunt your body so carelessly, especially in the house of an elder tauren of the Earthen Circle." Menthal then re-entered the main room, sitting next to her and grabbing her arm, rather harshly but that's when she noticed that her arm pained her badly. She looked down her arm, only to notice that it was sliced open, and the wound looked deep. When did I get that? And how come I didn't notice it before? "How did-," was all she could get out before she passed out cold.