The Filthy Animal was... well, it was filthy, as usual. It was also loud, packed and incredibly stuffy. Upstairs, squished into a table in the corner, her gold trimmed pauldrons digging into her neck was Leda. Sweat trickled down her back and the purple robe she loved so much clung to her fur. There were too many damn Horde in one space! She suspected that, like her guild mates, these Horde were also unwilling to share a table with any member of the Alliance.
Their food had long ago come and gone; it had been questionable, at best. Empty mugs and wine glasses littered the scarred tabletop, leaving little rings of wine behind after Em’s enthusiastic retelling of her trip to Dragonblight. But despite the loud, packed and the incredibly stuffy atmosphere, the members of Felsong remained at their little table in the corner and the slim troll waitresses seemed to trade off on whose turn it was to glare in their direction. More booze was ordered and Leda reached up to remove the bothersome pauldrons (elbowing Rene in the face in the process) and earning a tableful of catcalls.
It took a lot of alcohol to make a Tauren tipsy, especially if this Tauren has the constitution of a bear. After her ninth mug, Doogie resolutely refused to sit still. After the fourteenth, Iyo sighed. And after the twenty-first she started to get nostalgic.
Iyotanka had become obsessed with Trolls. He had long ago learnt their language, but was still wading his way through their long, ancient history. Their fall from power fascinated him. And this was why it was nearly midnight and the twins were back in the Ghostlands. It had been years and to Leda, felt like a lifetime, since they earned the trust of the elves of Tranquillien. But here they were, dodging spiders and getting cobwebs stuck all over their armour while their wolves raced to the forgotten Troll city.
“Remind me again, Iyo, why are we coming alone?” Leda grumbled.
“Because Rend Fate is busy dealing with Medivh. They couldn’t spare anyone; I don’t think anyone was interested in volunteering either.”
The city was huge. Much bigger than Leda expected. Beside her, Iyo was nearly salivating at the chance to see the architecture, speak to the locals or something equally boring. The Tauren dismounted at the camp outside – Leda taking an opportunity to stock up on supplies and Iyo taking an opportunity to stick his large, ringed nose where it didn’t belong. It didn’t take long for her brother to completely upset the camp. Leda was wrapping the last of the bandages around a potions vial (so it wouldn’t break) when a bloodcurdling woman’s scream echoed through the valley. Rolling her eyes, she stands and makes her way toward the source. Iyo was already backing out of the little tent, hands raised in self defence. A human female, clutching a linen shirt to her naked chest, in a pose familiar to all women, had one finger up and was ripping her brother a new one in Common.
“For Ysera’s sake Iyo. I know you saw books, but honestly! Is this your tent? No, it’s not. Those aren’t your books either. Neither were the books in that cultist camp and neither were the books in Silvermoon. You have to ask first!” Iyo sighed and hung his head, but she knew that no matter how repentant he was now, nothing would keep him from the knowledge on the page next time. Or the time after that.
The giggle caught them both off guard.
The twins spun as one to face their ridiculer and the giggle was stifled for a moment.
“I’m sorry, but I couldn’t help – that was hilarious!” It was a tiny, blonde blood elf, not even half Iyo’s size. Her sides were still shaking as she attempted to quell her giggles. “I,” she gasped, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Tauren blush so hard!” A deep, shaky exhale followed and then the giggles started up again. “Oh man, I need to sit down!”
Leda blinked, Iyo blinked.
Slowly, the itty bitty elf managed to calm herself down and then lay down, spread-eagle, in the cold grass. Considering this the end of a decidedly odd conversation, Leda grabbed her saddlebag and cocked her head in the direction of the city.
“Hey wait!”
The elf sprung up with an impossible amount of cheery energy, her blonde hair settling around her face perfectly (how did elves do that?!) “Are you guys going to Zul’Aman?” Her smile was beginning to grate on Leda’s nerves.
Iyo had wandered off again and was inspecting the materials of a grass hut, so Leda answered the bubbly blonde. “We are, yes. My brother insists on cataloguing the entire thing, speaking to the locals or something just as dull.”
“First time here then?” The elf bounced on the balls of her feet, Leda simply nodded in response. “Figured. The locals... well they aren’t too friendly. Well, actually, you could say they’re so friendly they wanna hug you until you’re dead!” Another disgusting giggle followed. Leda tried not to sneer. “You should come with us! My friend and I are looking for some help dealing with this crazy troll who can shift into a bear, we only just made it out before... well before the hug, I guess you could say.” Another giggle. Leda wondered if it ever stopped and slowly rubbed the bridge of her nose.
“Yeah, alright. Lead the way.” Leda begrudgingly agreed, calling for Iyo over her shoulder. “Let’s go!” They left their wolves to rest and followed the diminutive blonde up the stairs and through the impossibly large doors.
“I hated that giggle Cloe, but I find it’s come to grow on me. When things look their worst, we’ll still have Cloe’s giggle to keep us going.” Leda smirked, holding her mug up to Cloe in a silent toast.
“Here here!” shouted Rene, downing the rest of her wine at once.
Doogie was waiting inside, sitting on top of a crate near the entrance. She was impatiently tapping her bone-like fingers on the crate next to her hip, her femurs crossed and her foot jangling – a picture of built up adrenaline.
“Who’s this?” she grunted, her voice was typical of many undead – scratchy and low.
“Found ‘em outside” the elf chirped, “The ... uh.. big one wanted to ‘speak’ to the locals. I’m so sorry! I didn’t catch your names! I’m Clothilde and this is Doogie, but you can just call me Cloe, everyone does.” Her smile could have easily been made of sunbeams and ponies. Bile rose in Leda’s throat.
“And what should we call you?” Leda raised her chin in Doogie’s direction. The undead woman easily leapt off the crate, landing deftly on her plate boots, the sound echoing in the cavernous room.
“Anything but ‘doggie’,” she murmured and Cloe’s laughter filled the room. “Still waiting on your names, Tauren.”
“I am Leda Savagedawn and this is my brother, Iyotanka. We serve with Rend Fate, proudly under Thrall’s direct command.”
Doogie’s eyebrow twitched, “Rend Fate, huh? Interesting...We’ll see how well you fair out in the real field.” She snickered, picking up the large wooden shield and refastening her gauntlets. “Let’s move. Everyone’s waiting.”
They spent weeks at a time inside Zul’Aman. A rotating assortment of travellers, adventures, adrenaline junkies and more would join them each night. A makeshift camp was formed in the room where they first met – two tents, a small campfire, supplies from the little village below. Each night, when finally they could fight no further, the four of them would retreat back past the gong.
Eventually, the four became five.
“Poll: Alterac Swiss or Dalaran Blue?”
Three groans echoed around the large, stone room. “Go to sleep Em!” Leda rolled onto her back and threw her arm across her eyes. Beside her, in his own makeshift bed, Iyo was sleeping peacefully. Grumbling, Leda gets up and crawls over to the tent flaps, poking her head outside to glare at the undead rogue. “I know you’re out here Em! Unstealth right this second!”
A voice sounded on her left, “But I don’t need to sleep! I’m not tired!”
“Doogie doesn’t need to sleep either, but she’s decent enough to lay down and be quiet!” A piece of cheese bounced off Leda’s right cheek. With a frustrated growl, the Tauren slipped back into her tent and rummaged in her saddlebag for something to block – Ah ha! A couple of leftover bits of wool. Mumbling to herself, she shoves the cotton into her ears and attempts to get a couple hours rest before daylight.
Morning broke and Leda awoke to the tantalizing scent of roasted boar meat. Iyo was still asleep at her side and by now she knew that attempting to wake him would be useless. He’d get up in his own time and meat wasn’t really his thing either. With a glare in the rogue’s direction, the young Tauren sat down next to the early morning campfire and grabbed the rarest bit of boar she could find.
“Good morning Leda!” How Cloe could possibly be so happy this early was still a mystery. “Did you sleep well?”
“Would’ve been better without the non-stop polling.” Emilei at least had the decency to look ashamed.
“I’m sorry Ledabuhr,” the undead rogue slunk over and wrapped her boney arms around Leda’s neck, “I just wanted to know what you like to eat.”
“Swiss. Bleu gives me a headache.”
“Yes! Now we can really be friends!” Em energetically jumped out of their awkward embrace and ran off, likely to find the leather armour she typically wore over her “pirate costume.”
“I think that one might’ve been a little off, even before the plague,” Doogie chuckled.
Em’s footsteps got closer again and she jumped out from behind a pillar, “I’m all ready! Let’s go!”Her leather armour was dry again after their swim through the river, but the sleeves of her puffy pirate shirt poked out from underneath.
“Let me go see if I can wake up Iyo.”
And then our five became seven.
“I know it’s free and all, but these conjured biscuits are beginning to taste like sand.” Renegdhen nibbled another bit of stale, crumbly cookie and visibly grimaced. “Not that I’ve willingly eaten sand before.”
“Ah but you have eaten sand before Rene! Mind you, it wasn’t willingly,” her childhood friend, Seishougen smirked. “You don’t remember your second day in the academy? The tallest, wealthiest little brat sat on you and shovelled it in! What was his name again?”
“Celendil. And if I meet him again, I swear, my revenge will be very similar to the humiliation I suffered!”
“Yes, yes, we know. Although having a skinny little elf like you on top of him may not have the desired effect, Ren,” Seis countered.
“Poll: Blue or Purple?”
“Seis! That’s just...! Eugh I can’t even explain how disgusted I am in words!” Ren proceeded to stomp her little foot and slouch off into the corner, behind the tent shared by Iyo and Leda. Seishougen hops up and follows her and from her spot near the campfire Leda watched as he punches her shoulder. The Tauren chuckles as Ren suddenly shoves Seis and the mage’s feet get tangled up in the net on the ground behind him. Both elves burst out laughing and Leda turns back to the fire, pushing a plate full of over-done Mudsnapper toward Iyo.
“I like purple Em! What about you?” Cloe grinned and pulled her toasted biscuit out of the fire.
“I dunno, purple looks so much more fun, but blue is so hardcore and serious. New poll! Leda or Iyo?”
There were others, of course - others who fought at our side and then faded away, forgotten. They’re probably all dead, but Iyo likes to believe they’ve settled down and started families.
“It only took us two months to clear Zul’Aman completely out. Not too bad at all!” Em waved her mug for emphasis and a large splash landed on Seishougen’s robe. The elf looked put out, but said nothing, only moving his arm below the table.
“I remember the day we got drafted,” Cloe giggled. “We were all dreading opening those missives. I was terrified that I’d be sent halfway across the world from the rest of you!”
The letters came all at once. We were still celebrating our defeat of Zul’jin in one of the Silvermoon taverns when a sombre-looking elf approached. The scrolls landed on the table, one for each of us. Mine had landed in a puddle of ale and the words had begun to smear by the time I opened it. Iyo and I were sent to Warsong Hold, in the Tundra, to report as soldiers against the scourge. Clothilde and Doogie ended up somewhere in Howling Fjord, while Em was stationed at the Horde camp in Wintergrasp. Ren and Seis were lucky enough to remain in Silvermoon for the rebuilding of their capital. It wasn’t halfway across the world, but it felt far enough.
Shortly after our training was finished, Iyo and I left the ranks of Rend Fate. As ex-members of Thrall’s elite personal corps, we were given our choice of missions. We joined Cloe and Doogie, Em followed shortly afterwards. Seis and Rene were easily recruited and with the sway of Generals Leda and Iyo, found themselves assigned to the 43rd Division of Thrall’s Army. Our tiny division was given the task of destroying the scourge stronghold Naxxramas.
Again, we literally lived in Venomspite for months. A few of the monsters inside the hold were particularly troublesome, but in the end we made it out alive. Perhaps it was our odd form of humour that kept us going in that dark, dank place or perhaps our sheer force of will.
And here we sit - mere hours after the death of Kel’thuzad, celebrating months of hard work and dedication. We are seven soldiers crowded around a table meant for four, but unwilling to split into two tables to be more comfortable. The 43rd wasn’t world renowned, the 43rd didn’t have medals or plaques or big fancy ceremonies. The 43rd had each other instead.
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