Surrounded by trouble

(( this is a recount of a lot of stuff that happened on Monday night, with a lot of great people that I wanna thank for all the fun, and that's tied in with a lot of stuff going on ... so yeah .. hope you enjoy))



Dianthaa woke up feeling the hard cold floor against her face, which triggered a little alarm in her head. Without opening her eyes she groped around for her comms unit, her hand finding something sticky before she reached the device.

"thorns what time is it? " she asked, trying to get her bearings as she opened her eyes and saw Gerrond motionless in a corner, the vial the alchemist had given her lying smashed on the ground between them.

"Dia? Is that you?" came Arli's familiar voice, but with a tone she wasn't entirely happy to hear.

"Yeah it's me, what time is it? Am I late for the meeting?"

"Where are you? You haven't run off … been taken by the alliance?"

"Run off? What are you talking about?" here they go again she thought… what was the idiot thinking this time?

"You weren't answering, you moved Gerrond and told no one where, I .. We ...thought you'd been captured or something"

"I'm off comms for a few hours and you think I've run off with Gerrond?"

"A few hours? Try three days Dia!"

Three days … that meant she'd missed the meeting with Shay so she tried to ask him about that, well Arli was alive so it couldn't have gone that bad. But how could he ever think she'd run off with Gerrond? How? How could he even think she'd leave him alone with Shay like that?

"Dia … someone wants to see you in Brill, can you make?" she thought for a second he was just trying to change the subject, but agreed to meet anyway.

There was no one in Brill but Arli when she got there. She tried to get more information about the meeting with Shay, Arli just said it went great and she couldn't really press the matter in Brill. He let her know that it wasn't just him that thought she'd run off, it was Shivian and Squadron as well. Great … three of the Deathmasters think she'd actually betray the thorns like that… And why would they jump to that conclusion instead of go looking for her? Oh … Shivian had seen her meet with Gerrond … but that was ages ago … she couldn't really believe Dia had a thing for him? That was just plain ridiculous.

Two figures appeared in the Brill graveyard and Arli kept insisting Dia be polite with the two Sorrow Guard Reapers, what was that supposed to mean anyway? They made their way over and not two minutes into the conversation one of them, the same one who'd walked in on her and Arli a few nights ago, swung his sword at Dianthaa's head. The thick of the blade hit her and left a big throbbing bump.

"You still want me to be polite Arli? " she asked him as she reached for her daggers. It made Dia smile a little to see Arli trying to stand up for her and protect, but when she realized what a bad job he was doing for it, and how the other Reaper kept pointing her sword at Arli's chest, Dia's smile faded to be replaced by a cold chill down her spine.

"Shadows Dia, now" Arli quickly spoke into his comms unit, and Dianthaa took his advance in the neck of time, barely escaping as one of the reapers attempted to grab her arm. They stood in the shadows handing out more threats, and said they were going to burn down their house. Arli assured her it was just an empty threat so they took a moment before returning to Orgrimmar.

A flight on the zeppelin later Arli and Dia were standing in front of the burning hut, Dia not believing her eyes. He was trying to cheer her up as the flames consumed everything she owned. "It seems that all my troubles start with you, Arli" she said and finally conceded a smile. "We'll stay at the inn for a few nights, but at least you're stuck with me" he tried to cheer her up again. She was stuck with him alright, but she wondered what the price would be once Anethrax found out about the betrayal to her daughter. In retrospect it would have been easier to maybe just kill Antel when she was hurt, since it looked like the Mistress would find out anyway, and if Antel kept this up she'd have to do it eventaully. Dianthaa let out a sigh and put that thought out of her head as Squadron's voice came over comms and Arli asked him over.

While the undead scared the bejesus out of Dianthaa, and she knew he was the only one truly able to control Arli, he seemed to put his faith in Squad and, as much as they could Dia and Arli told the Deathmaster what had happened to the house. Squadron agreed that Antel was way out of line using her powers against one of the Thorns like that and the three of the them decided the best course of action would be for him to try and talk to Antel before things got any worse.

Their discussion was cut short by Serpiente popping up to see what all the commotion was about. Honestly if there was such a thing as an elf more annoying than Arli, it had to be Serp. They stumbled around each other for explanation for the fire and decided it was an accidental result of Arli's smoking and Dia's drinking … leave to Arli to make her look bad. Serp seemed to take a hint and wonder off and with Squad leaving as well Dia decided to show Arli where she held Gerrond, to avoid further suspicion of her running of to join the Alliance.

They flew to Brill and Dia led the way to the farmhouse where she'd tied Gerrond up to the ceiling.

"I had to move him away from that tower in the ruins of Lordaeron, he was screaming to much and the guards were sure to hear" she explained to Arli.

"He looks bad, is he talking?" Arli asked, grimacing as he looked at the warrior, clotted blood all over his face and swollen in all sorts of places.

"Not yet, but I've got some new toys, he'll confess to being madly in love with Anethrax by the time I'm done with him" Dia added, with a smile that made her look scary in the dim light.

"Are you gonna kill him when you're done?"

"I hope so, won't be much left to send back otherwise" it occurred to her, only for a minute, that she was really enjoying having the mighty warrior as an -almost - helpless prisoner, a bit too much.

She was explaining how he'd managed to knock her back and spill the poison that had knocked them both unconscious for three days, and scolding Arli some more for not looking for her, when people started announcing all sort of stuff over comms. Rather annoyed by the interruptions she listened in.

Annisa let Arli know someone was looking for him in the inn, but he had other things on his mind and quickly dismissed that.


Celthric was reporting some alliance presence in Orgrimmar, he said he'd wounded one but had no idea how many they actually were.

"They're probably looking for Gerrond" agreed Arli and Dianthaa, "We should let the think he's held there" suggested Arli, and he told Celth over comms to do just that. The thorns said they'd do that and Celthric was on his way to Tirisfal to deliver some sort of message to Arli. What now? Dia thought to herself, annoyed again at not being able to talk everything out with Arli.


Celthric was someone else Arli seemed to trust , and so Dia followed in his lead. They decided to take advantage of the alliance scouting Stormwind and throw them off the scent, so Dia and Celth set off to find Robi and drop her a hint.

She found Robi alone on the little island again, deep in thought as she seemed to be pretty often these days. She needed to figure out away to drop Robi the hint without it being obvious … even Dia had to admit that subtlety was not one of her strong points. She tried to ask about the attack on Orgrimmar but wasn't getting very far that way.

"Tell her you like her shoes" Arli suggested over comms … which popped an idea into her head, to resort to the thing that they did, still, have in common.

"You know Arli actually thought I'd run off with Gerrond?" she began, hoping this time Robi would take the bait. "I'd just moved him to Orgrimmar and he managed to knock me out. Instead of looking for me the idiot jumps straight to 'ran off to join the alliance'" and just like that she saw Robi loosen up a little. "How can I get him to really trust me. I mean there I was unconscious not 10 minutes away from our house … and he doesn't even bother looking for me". There that was it, now all she could do was hope, and leave, she could feel Celth getting very uncomfortable behind her, and Arli was getting edgy over comms as well… she got the feeling he wanted her away from Robi for some reason.

They made their way and left Celthric to guard the prisoner, while they returned to Orgrimmar for what was, by now, a well deserved drink at the end of a very troubled night. As Arli got drinks Dia's heart stopped when she heard a cold female voice in the inn, Antel. What gods had she pissed off today?

They ended up in front of the inn, making a scene in front of everyone, that one was a bitch what had Arli seen in her? She even called Dia a whore … took all she had not to plant her dagger between Antel's ribs. Arli was dancing on thin ice between the two of them, trying to keep them from each other's throats, calling Antel on her abuse of power and trying to keep Dianthaa from getting into more trouble … burring himself a little deeper each time he tried to soften one of the up. Somehow he managed to let it slip that he was ordered to kill Dia if she'd run off with Gerrond or got captured by the alliance, and Dia didn't let that one go till long after Antel had given up on their fight.

Probably for the best, after all the name calling and Dia dangling her new relationship with Arli in front of her, Antel left the inn and Dia and Arli returned to Tirisfal. Dia was still hurt about Arli being so willing to kill her, when he'd risked anything to keep Robi alive. But on the other hand, even with an unconscious warrior hung up from the ceiling, she was to happy to have Arli all to herself at the end of a very long night to stay that angry for long.

" Hail deathmaster" Dianthaa said on comms, giggling to her self as she referred to Arli so formaly. "How are you Sir?" she continued teasingly.

"Sir?"

"I was just trying it out, prefer idiot? " she went on. She'd spent the entire day poking and prodding at Gerrond and oddly that left her in a very cheerful mood.


"Sounds more like you" he replied … she wondered if she detected a slight insult in there.

"Found any nice house yet Arli?"

"Yeah .. Umm I'll show you later "

She tried to find out what he was doing now … but he was so stubborn about not telling her she knew it could only be two things … he was in trouble again .. .with Shay most likely … or he was already with some other girl. "I have something I have to do - alone- " oh that did not sound well. Arli said he was in Stormwind .. So that's one place he wasn't going to be … and it had to be pretty bad for him to send her to the alliance capital just to get her off his back. She flew above the zeppelin towers and decided to just take whichever came first and go looking for him.

Dia made her way to the Dalaran sewers, hoping to find them deserted … but instead she heard Shay's voice issuing threat after threat again. The idiot was trying to protect her again instead of letting her help. She wanted to barge in and help whether Arli like it or not, but then she heard her name and stopped in her tracks.

"No Dia's not my girl, I'm single now" was Arli's attempt to convince Shay to not go after her. She decided that Dalaran was after all a sanctuary and Arli was safe for the moment … this was not a good time to jump in and make Arli look like a total liar.

"I still want to see her Arli, she gave me some bad info that almost got me killed" announced Robi, oh well … that friendship was never gonna last long.

She listened in on the rest of the conversation, not believing that Arli was in this position, again, and acting the same way about it. He really needed her help to get away from Shay. When he was dismissed she followed Arli into the horde inn in Dalaran.

She walked up in front of him and slapped him hard across the face. " You idiot, why couldn't you just be with some other chick?"

Arli just stared at her and rubbed his face while Dianthaa started ranting. "Why didn't you tell me?" "How did you get into this again?" "Let me help you"

She threw all she had at him, angry, hurt, sad, funny. He was just angry until he worked his way into a sulk, and nothing Dia did warmed him up. She got that he was trying to protect her, so she backed off, but he wouldn't even let her get near and kiss her. Well if that wasn't gonna work how was she supposed to deal with him?

"I just need some time to think" he said in a cold voice.

"I'll be on comms if you change your mind Arli, Shadows Protect" she finally gave up and watched him walk away … wondering what the fel to do to keep him out of trouble.

Dianthaa made her way to the Stormwind inn's basement as per Robi's request. Thankfully Arli hadn't caught on that she was up to no good and she hadn't had to lie to him much. She'd promised not to see Robi again, but when she'd gottten the note asking to see her Dia thought it would be best to find out what the human wanted.

She walked into a crowded basement and found Robi and some other guy there. They started talking and within seconds, Arli stepped out of the shadows at Dia's side.So much for keeping it a secret she thought to herself and shrugged. On her way downstairs she thought she'd brushed by someone in the shadows but she couldn't find anyone there so she'd shrugged it off.

"You set me up" Robi was telling her "And you" she switched and looked at Arli "you pissed Shay off". Oh this was going to be a lovely meeting.

Dianthaa started explaining herself when she felt a sharp pain in her back. She tried to reach for her daggers but the blades and blows were coming at her from every direction. As her knees gave in she wondered to herself how could so many attackers fit into such a small basement. Then her head hit the hard stone floor.

She woke in a pool of her own blood to find Arli and Robi standing over her, obviously in a fight. Shay was behind Robi with what she guessed were her other two attackers. Dia was trying to asses her injuries but could only really concentrate on Shayanan, understanding at last why Arli was so afraid of him. She was painfully aware that if Shay had wanted her dead he could have easily killed her, before she even had the time to react.

Soon enough the humans started making their way upstairs, there seemed to be some sort of commotion about Ivery, but she couldn't really care less about that at the moment, she only wanted to get out of there. Dia and Arli finally managed to sneak out of the inn as the members of the Dead Rose tied up Ivery and took him away. Dia promising to herself not to go on any more secret meetings with Robi, and never to underestimate her husband again.

She wanted to head straight back to Orgrimmar, but Arli wanted to hang around Storwind anddo something about that Ivery guy. She made him promise to stay out of trouble, thought the likelihood of that happening was about as big as Shay coming to apologize and bake her a cookie. Dia decided to let Arli do his thing for once, dreading that she'll come to regret it, and headed to Orgrimmar to see to her cuts and bruises.


"Ten days rest and no physical effort" Dianthaa glared at the note in her hand. How the fel was a thorn supposed to rest for 10 days? She slowly dismounted, fully feeling the pain of her broken rib shot through her body, and tucked the note away. She drew her hood closer around her face, didn't want people seeing how badly she looked tonight.

Serp and Oti were in front of the inn, some poor girl seemed to had set her eyes on the blood elf, Dia said her hellos and made her way past them inside looking forward to getting a lot of Firewater tonight. Arli was still mocking about in Stormwind, and she tried to get an update over comms but it didn't feel like he was understanding the code words she was using. She took a couple of drinks and sat down upstairs in the shadows. Not wanting to be home alone, nor exactly sucked in to the Sunday evening pub life.

After Arli finally got back, in one piece all together, she moved into the light and soon enough found herself surrounded by people. Actually, she realized, it was Arli that was surrounded, by pretty blood elves smiling and flirting with him.

"If that little bitch hits on you, I swear I'll kill her right now" she wispered in Arli's ear, not quietly enough, as the elf in question heard her and ran outside scared. Dianthaa was having too bad of a night to be polite, or care, and she was not going to let any no good magic wielder get between her and Arli.

Miko one of the newest thorns, was talking to her, and the little goblin managed to cheer Dia up a little, with her coy mention of a new boyfriend. That did not last long, because while she was enjoying the girl talk Arli had gone off to talk to one of those creepy Royal Apothecary something guys. As she looked up Dianthaa noticed that he wasn't talking to the undead anymore but to a new lovely blond elf, who was coming on to him like there was no tomorrow.

"Is that a mana wyrm in your pocket?" she heard the new girl ask and, blood suddenly boiling in her veins, Dianthaa jumped to her feet, regretting the swiftness of her move as soon as she'd made it. She made her way over to them, and in no uncertain terms told the girl to get the fel away from Arli if she valued her life.

She realized she was in no shape to control her anger just yet and made Arli leave. They'd be plenty of opportunities to work off that anger without killing silly young blood elves in the inn she thought to herself and smiled. And besides, she was the one going home with Arli and they were stuck there with Gravy and the orcs.

"Where are we going Squad?" Dianthaa continued to ask.

"You'll see" the forsaken answered, malice in his voice.

He lead her deeper and deeper into the Dalaran sewers, Dia got nervous realizing that by this point no one would hear her screams.

"Is this where you take all the girls?" She'd decided to stand up to him and make Squad see her as an equal, but eyeing the big axe on the Deathmaster's back she was already questioning that decision.

"Yes it is" he replied, malice and an audible smirk making Dia gulp.

"Well … I can see why you're still alone then" she added but let it rest there.

Squad was taking her down some long tunnel, and they abruptly reached its end. The forsaken stood fearlessly on the very edge of the opening, looking down to Crystalsong Forrest while Dianthaa stood well behind him, contemplating what such a drop would do to her body.

"Come over here" he commanded. Stand up to him Dia, she reminded herself of her earlier conversation with Arli, and how she'd seen him fear and obey Squad.

"I'm fine here thanks" she replied, trying to sound defiant and hide her fear. For a second she wondered if Squad could smell that, like a dog would.

While Squadron was making his way over, Dia kept repeating to herself I'm his equal, there's nothing he can really do, I can stand up to him.

"What is this about Squad?" she pressed on again, grapsing for some control over the conversation.

"The way you're acting" he cooly replied.

"What about it?" she said as she stood facing him.

"Auch!" Dianthaa yelled as Squad grabbed one of the long ears and dragged her over to the ledge.

"If you don't clear up your act I will throw you off this rock myself" he announced, while Dia saw that Squadron meant it, she chose not to believe it for the time being. He wouldn't … he wouldn't … I'm a Deathmaster like him … he wouldn't.

"What the fel Squad?" she managed to say eventually.

"Do you think I minded the order about straightening out or killing Arli?" No, I'm sure you loved torturing him.

"I'm not Arli you can boss around and who'll just do whatever you say"

"I have just the same choices for you! Go ahead, look down, it's a long way down…." Squad seemed to be actually looking forward to pushing her into the nothingness below.

"I don't like being threatened" Dianthaa replied, in the most angry and determined tone she could manage without screaming.

"The get your act together"

"My act is together" How can I even say that with a straight face? The way I've been acting lately? Well … I'm not gonna back down now…

"Start acting like a Deathmaster and not some love sick teen"

"Do I need to stick a broomstick up my ass to act like a Deathmaster? "

"If you prefer that, yes"

"Well that's not gonna happen." I won't let you turn me into some little robot Squad

"Then your place among the Deathmasters won't be a long one"

"We'll see about that" Dianthaa let out a breath now that the threats had moved on from her life to her rank.

"Mistress's orders, not mine, we got one Arli, we don't need two"

"I'm not Arli, Squad"

"Yes you keep saying that"

"All due respect … then screw you Deathmaster" came Arli's voice from behind her, and he stepped out of the shadows by Dia's side.

"Arli? I said I could handle this" Oh fel , now I gotta worry about him as well.

Dianthaa walked slowly and silently to her bunk in the Filthy Animal. She looked at all the Thorns sleeping around her and had a vision of Arli in the inn in the sewers all alone. She burried her face in her pillow and began sobbing, hoping she was quiet enough not to wake the other.

What he'd told her had been the final drop… she'd held it in as best she could all day, but now she had to let herself feel all her emotions. And they were coming all at once. Dia could only hope the Mistress believed that she was willing to act like a forsaken now, she'd tried to not show any emotions at the inn tonight, but it was hard as all she could think about was Arli. She was thankful at least that Arli had had the decency to not show up to the interview, his presence would have made it very hard for her to keep things under control.

What he'd told her had changed everything. She wondered how she was supposed to keep this up. How was she supposed to act calm and show no emotions around him now? Her only hope was that her fear of the Mistress's punishment would be strong enough. She still had to work with him on the mission to Utgarde Keep, but at least there she could do as Celara had told her, focus her emotions into the fight, use them against her enemies.

She felt a pang of guilt at having told Celara about her and Arli earlier. She shouldn't have done that, it was not the Thorn way to make friends and surely the Mistress would not approve. But she's needed to tell someone before taking it up with the Mistresss. She had to see that she could do it.

Wiping her tears Dia turned to stare at the ceiling. She could go hunting tomorrow, Mistress would approve of it . A faint smile crossed her lips before the exhaustion of the past two days took her over.

Celara watches as Dianthaa walks away, seeking her Forsaken Mistress.

For a moment she looks almost sad, then she walks in the opposite direction. She knows the Deathmaster is caught in a tide of powerful emotion, an unwise place for one like her.

The Blood Captain considers the possibilities, the many ways she can manipulate the Thorn to gain an advantage.

Celara nods to herself as she makes her choice, what she knows will be kept safe by her. The Deathmaster faces enough peril, betrayal from someone she put her trust in would be cruel.

Calmly Celara turns her thoughts to the task at hand and soon becomes lost in her work.

Blood Captain Celara Sunshade