Music:   Vor í Vaglaskógi by Kaleo 

https://youtu.be/272-mrDLlKI

Over time, Tiene diligently met with Louvel when Sauren was away on business. She had tremendous respect for the noble rogue and enjoyed their little training sessions immensely.

His preference for operating as a lone wolf was firmly anchored in his love for his family. Everything he did was for his wife and son, Lewis, ensuring their lives were comfortable and above all, safe.

Lewis regularly wrote to his father - care of Capital Inn - and occasionally asked if the 'lady who had liked his butterfly' still had it in her possession. Louvel advised his son that she indeed did, and that it was kept safely with other precious items.

From the noble rogue, Tiene learned the ways of the Shado-Pan monks. Louvel was a good teacher, although he was inclined to be very silly at times. 

He made Tiene panic when she'd thought she'd seriously injured him (which she hadn't), and one time, even believed she'd killed him. 

When he jumped up, shouting 'Boo', she was furious - stamping her feet and pointing an angry finger at him for scaring her so. But he pulled her into a hug and eventually, when she calmed down, all was forgiven, and they ended up laughing about it.

He taught her about pressure points in the body which, when struck or gripped, would paralyse an opponent, not just disorientate or stun. 

Areas to strike were on the arms, just above the wrist and on the chest. He explained it was all about applying energy - either 'putting it in', or 'taking it out' of someone's body, using an upward or downward motion in the strike.

Some moves, he told her, worked better if executed at certain times of the day, requiring less effort in the strike than at other times. At least that was what Shing Windpaw had told him.

Tiene's constant questions of "Why?" often left Louvel flustered - he didn't have the answers to everything, he'd told her. But it reached a point when he sensed she was about to say it again, he cut in quickly with, "Don't ask!"

Nonetheless, she learned plenty, but something was missing. And that was when Lexie joined them.

Louvel had no qualms in teaching the rebel some techniques as well. But when Lexie offered to be a marmot, to allow Louvel to demonstrate the effectiveness of the strikes, he was unwilling to oblige.

The girl argued that Tiene needed to witness and practice 'putting the energy in, and taking it out again'. 

"Never do things by half measures," Lexie said. 

She assured Louvel it was the best way for Tiene to test the theory and - Lexie trusted Louvel not to kill her in the process. He agreed, albeit reluctantly.

Tiene almost passed out from panic when she first saw Lexie hit the ground, rigid as a board - the only things moving were her eyes. 

Louvel told Tiene to calm down so he could show her how to undo it, expressing that time was of the essence unless she wanted to see her friend turn blue. 

Her friend survived, much to Tiene's relief.

Along with the all-important strikes, they learned a technique which also improved their natural rogue abilities - this was meditation.

At first, the women chuckled at a cross-legged Louvel, his palms face-up, and chanting mumbo-jumbo. He haughtily scolded them, but then they followed his lead. 

Chanting helped Tiene in many ways, and she practised daily, even when not training with Louvel.

She treasured Louvel's pedagogy, probably more than he would ever realise, and continued honing her skills even when she became quite adept in the ways of the monk.

As for her 'other' lessons - she improved in that area too. No longer feeling shame at what she shared with her guild master, she had become a very able lover indeed. 

Sauren, it seemed, had been more than happy to play the submissive role on occasion.

Since the night he'd deflowered her, he had never been violent towards her again. In startling contrast, he treated Tiene extremely well, affording her newfound respect. In everything, Sauren stood fiercely protective of Tiene, both at work and when they attended events on behalf of the guild. And privately, he was tender, attentive, and playful. 

He was, however, always hungry, insatiable with a seemingly never-ending supply of stamina. Just how Aledine had reported him to be at Odette's years before.

He honoured Tiene's wish - to the letter - for their relationship to remain private. That meant no shows of affection in front of recruits and staff alike. Most in the guild now knew about them anyway, but it was not a subject for open discussion.

No one would dare cross that line.

Their work together went from strength to strength, as did her team's. 

Before long, they learned the rules of Assassination and were engaged in some of these 'delicate' missions. Some required it to be solo work. The targets, whether influential or not, were executed with professional ease. Another string to Tiene's bow.

The one event Tiene dreaded, of course, was the bi-annual Gathering. It was tough for her to separate this event from the past, but she put on a brave face, using chanting before leaving for the festivities. 

She was half fearful and half hopeful she would see Camnath, but he never attended The Gathering again.

To many, including her family, all seemed to be going exceptionally well in Tiene's life. They were not yet aware of her involvement with Sauren, nor of the incident at the first Gathering with Camnath's humiliation and vanishing act. They didn't probe about Camnath either, sensing it was a subject that, for whatever reason, was painful for her to discuss.

No, as far as family were concerned, she'd progressed significantly, flourished even, in the legendary guild. Her skill was highly commended by the rogue community and equally so by the Blades' brand of clientele. Everything seemed perfect.

Moments of quiet contemplation involved assessing her life and slotting everything in its place. As much as she hated to admit it, sometimes, she enjoyed herself when with Sauren. 

Apart from his attentiveness, even consideration, and the continued training, she had learned to feel 'comfortable' with him. Yes, it was partially an act, all part of the plan, but life was so much easier if she simply moved with the flow. And, yes, the passion was extraordinary. 

Yet, through it all, she miraculously remained resolute and focused. She could not wait for the day when the pretence stopped.

Other times when she sat either in her rooms or in the library, she daydreamed of yesteryear - and Camnath; his face, still so vivid. 

The stolen kiss, forever sweet, ghosted on her lips as her fingertips touched her mouth. She would smile wistfully at the memory, but always, always, it changed to the night he walked away with hurt in his eyes.

Strolling on the battlements, or even through the city's streets, she often thought she caught a glimpse of him in the distance. She used to run towards the point she'd seen him, but he was never there. He'd just been a figment of her tortured imagination.

Her reality, meanwhile, involved information about Sauren's suspicious dealings and meetings. He'd been meticulous, keeping his meetings secret. He only ever took his two bodyguards, the muscled brawn of Don Stanton and the subtly elegant and constantly munching Reed Hale. Increasingly, Brett was 'needed to oversee' the guild in Sauren's absence.

But a new network had been born. To Tiene's delight, it had been formed by Belaen Bloodbane and a few like-minded guild leaders.  This was used solely by Tiene and her allies to collate and pass reports of the suspicious goings-on. 

Standard practice would continue through the already long-established network as it had done for countless years, thus preventing Sauren from suspecting anything was amiss.

Conjecture surrounding Sauren's business dealings escalated when word about Caer Darrow being used as a school for necromancy, the forbidden magic, was leaked. 

It had taken considerable time and funding for it to be made ready, but evidence that the mage, Kel'Thuzad, had been the one to invest in the school was irrefutable.

There were rumours abounding that Sauren had been responsible for acquiring the premises on Kel'Thuzad's behalf. But it was a jigsaw with a missing piece. What would Sauren gain from this allegiance? The jury was still out on that one.

News of a strange cult was growing in the region, with alleged promises of eternal life for those who joined. 

The natives had been restless, tired, and overworked, and as a result, became easy prey for conversion to this strange religion.

Whispers then spread that Kel'Thuzad was using his ample fortune to gather a surreptitious brotherhood - like-minded men and women. He was very cautious, though; the affluent mage paid handsome sums to those who kept the cult's purpose secret using unorthodox methods of persuasion. Thus the sect continued to grow.

And so did the new rogue network - rigorously policed by Brett and Belaen. One astonishing member was none other than the noble rogue, Louvel. 

Having disclosed some snippets of information about strange goings-on in the region involving the new cult, Tiene managed the one thing Sauren had failed to do for years. She persuaded Louvel to join ranks. He agreed, but only to share information. That was good enough for Tiene.

Times, however, were indeed looking dark, and one night, Tiene felt the need to enquire after Camnath through the new network. She could not bring herself to contact him directly, for she feared no response more than anything. 

So, she opted for approaching Belaen, his guild master. In her rooms, with a trembling hand, she started to write a note.

𝔇𝔢𝔞𝔯 𝔊𝔲𝔦𝔩𝔡 𝔐𝔞𝔰𝔱𝔢𝔯 𝔅𝔩𝔬𝔬𝔡𝔟𝔞𝔫𝔢

𝔗𝔥𝔦𝔰 𝔫𝔬𝔱𝔢 𝔦𝔰 𝔪𝔢𝔯𝔢𝔩𝔶 𝔞𝔫 𝔢𝔫𝔮𝔲𝔦𝔯𝔶 𝔞𝔰 𝔱𝔬 𝔥𝔬𝔴 ℭ𝔞𝔪𝔫𝔞𝔱𝔥 𝔖𝔲𝔫𝔰𝔭𝔢𝔞𝔯 𝔦𝔰 𝔣𝔞𝔯𝔦𝔫𝔤. 𝔒𝔲𝔯 𝔠𝔬𝔯𝔯𝔢𝔰𝔭𝔬𝔫𝔡𝔢𝔫𝔠𝔢 𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔯 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔭𝔞𝔰𝔱 𝔣𝔢𝔴 𝔶𝔢𝔞𝔯𝔰 𝔥𝔞𝔰 𝔡𝔢𝔭𝔩𝔢𝔱𝔢𝔡 𝔰𝔬𝔪𝔢𝔴𝔥𝔞𝔱 -

Nope.

She scrunched up that attempt and threw it into the fire to hide the evidence.

She tried again.

𝔇𝔢𝔞𝔯 𝔊𝔲𝔦𝔩𝔡 𝔐𝔞𝔰𝔱𝔢𝔯 𝔅𝔩𝔬𝔬𝔡𝔟𝔞𝔫𝔢

𝔓𝔩𝔢𝔞𝔰𝔢 𝔭𝔞𝔰𝔰 𝔬𝔫 𝔪𝔶 𝔯𝔢𝔤𝔞𝔯𝔡𝔰 𝔱𝔬 ℭ𝔞𝔪𝔫𝔞𝔱𝔥 𝔖𝔲𝔫𝔰𝔭𝔢𝔞𝔯. ℑ 𝔱𝔯𝔲𝔰𝔱 𝔥𝔢 𝔦𝔰 𝔡𝔬𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔴𝔢𝔩𝔩 -

Damn! 

Another one for the fire.

She sat, trying to form the words she would write. Nothing seemed appropriate. Everything came out so formal and detached. Then again, perhaps that was best?

As she was about to put pen to paper again, two hands slid over her shoulders and down over her breasts, squeezing them gently. She hadn't heard Sauren enter the room and jumped at his touch.

"Who're you writing to?" he asked. His voice conveyed only affection, no suspicion, and that was reflected in his touch.

She glanced sideways at the fire, praying the failed letters had not fallen out onto the hearth. The fire crackled and spat as her discarded letters crisped, turning into flaky black segments and ash. "Inaris," she lied, containing a sigh of relief.

"Can it wait?" The hunger in his voice was like a drug.

She put down the pen and stood, turning to face him. "Yes, it can wait."

"Good. Because I can't. I need you. Now."

He was already naked, ready to please her. Pulling her close, he popped the cork of a vial and held it to her lips, tipping the contents into her mouth.

As the liquid slid down her throat, Sauren's kisses traced its path, sending shivers down her spine. An involuntary moan left Tiene's lips, and his mouth closed over hers.

With ease, he peeled away her clothing, his hands caressing her skin, stroking, gently squeezing, moulding her to his body.

Having followed Aledine's advice, Tiene had found herself unable to refuse him. He had become an addiction.

He carried her to the bed, her limbs already wrapped around him.

In the aftermath of their passion, he lay holding her, stroking her hair. Absentmindedly, she let her forefinger trace the serpent tattoo on his chest.  He trembled with her touch. The silence which ensued felt like a prelude to something, but she didn't know what.

His fingers were gently stroking her arm. He was happy. Blissfully happy.

"I've received a letter from Duskwood today," he said out of the blue, his voice a mere whisper.

"Duskwood?" She was aware of the connection. His estranged wife lived there. 

Sauren's marriage was not something he ever spoke of at length, but he had confessed one evening at dinner and explained why it had ended. Piper had enabled troll magic to get inside the guild. That was treasonous.

Initially, Tiene had been shocked. Not because of the revelation itself, but because it was one piece of news that had never filtered through either network. 

She'd quizzed Brett about it. The poor man hung his head, ashamed and feeling guilty for keeping that fact from her. But the second in command had become very dear to Tiene, so she held no grudge for not telling her. After all, from a big-picture perspective, Sauren's marriage was irrelevant. It changed nothing.

Tiene's other emotional response, of course, was rooted in the fact that trolls had killed her mother. Plus, being an elf, she understood the ongoing animosity between her people and the troll nations. She had two brothers who, to this day, continued to try and erase the ever-present threat.

Of course, when she'd considered it in more depth, she found a rather disconcerting parallel. Just like Piper, she was actively plotting to deceive Sauren. 

"Yes. In response to one I sent two weeks ago,"  Sauren said.

Suddenly, the 'irrelevance' of Sauren's marriage did not seem so irrelevant anymore. An unsettling feeling started to form in the pit of Tiene's stomach.

"Oh?" 

"I have told Piper I want a divorce."

And there it was. The implication was firing at her with alarming clarity.

"And?" Her voice trembled. "Is her response... positive? Or negative?" 

"Positive." He beamed. "It will take a few days for the official documentation to be drawn up, of course, but yes, Piper and I will be divorced."

Tiene stopped outlining his tattoo. She felt uncomfortable. Nauseous. 

And Sauren misinterpretted her hesitancy. He didn't see the truth behind the dread that was rising in Tiene. 

Sauren rolled her onto her back and stared into her eyes. She knew she looked startled. "You must know what I am about to ask you, Tiene?" 

Her world - what remained of it - was starting to cave in. She dreaded his next words.

"Marry me!" he said in a rushed breath. His face was positively beaming. That charming smile and perfect teeth were at their most dazzling. He was excited. Jubilant.

Tiene's heart sank. No! She had not seen this coming - at all!

"Be my wife," he said, stroking her hair. "No more vials from our wedding night. I want you to bear my sons, Tiene. For us to have a family."

A loud knock came to the door. Tiene jumped; her nerves were raw, but inwardly she thanked whoever was on the other side of that door for their timely interruption.

Sauren exhaled angrily, extremely displeased by the disturbance. Whipping the covers back abruptly, he rose and strode towards the door, wrapping himself in a robe.

Tiene emerged from her stupor and crawled to the end of the bed to listen carefully.

"Apologies, Master Sauren, but there is a gentleman who wishes to speak with you - urgently!" 

It was one of the pageboys, Tiene realised, and he sounded very nervous relaying the message to Sauren.

"Whoever he is, he can wait!" Sauren snapped.

"He's a very persistent individual, guild master. He says it is with regards to your mutual friend, from Dalaran."

Sauren growled. He muttered something to the boy, but Tiene couldn't make it out. Then the door slammed.

Tiene scrambled back to the top of the bed, managing to pull the sheet about her before Sauren reappeared at the foot of her bed. 

"Is everything alright?" she asked, trying to keep her voice level.

"I don't know!" he shouted at her. He was flustered. Annoyed.

Seeing her flinch, he immediately apologised. "Forgive me, Tiene. I am not angry with you. We will continue the wedding plans another time. I must go now."

Placing his hand at the back of her head, he brought her forward to deliver a passionate kiss. Then he turned and left, once more slamming the door.

Wedding plans? No! Tiene now had to devise a way to delay this - if not avoid it altogether. 

Who was she kidding? She knew she could not escape it - Sauren would not take no for an answer. 

Amid everything else she'd been scheming and orchestrating, marriage had not been something she'd even considered.

The saving grace was that the divorce would not be instant, so she considered that a plus! 

But now her guild master would seek her father's permission. She knew he would, because he would do anything to please her. She needed time - to - to do what, exactly? How was she going to prevent this debacle?

*****

Sauren stormed into the missions room, where his visitor was already sitting, waiting for him.

"This had better be important, Dar'Khan. For one thing, you've presented a huge risk to both of us by coming here!"

"Oh please, Sauren, give me some credit." The magister laughed lightly. "I'm a mage, remember? It's not as if I walked in through the courtyard announcing my arrival."

"So where did you pop in about?" Sauren glared at him.

"Here, of course. Luckily, one of your little servants was next door."

"Luckily?"

"Of course. He ran to get you."

Sauren was pacing back and forth, still agitated. Grunting.

Dar'Khan noted the guild master's attire. He grinned. "So how is the lovely rogue, Firefury, these days? I take it you were in the middle of her when I arrived?"

Sauren's eyes narrowed. "Watch your mouth, magister!" he growled, his tone threatening.

Dar'Khan smiled back, unfazed by Sauren's wrath. "I won't keep you from her for long then," he said.

"Just get on with it!"

Dar'Khan steepled his fingers. Sauren's obvious annoyance was a source of amusement for him. Nonetheless, he had severe news to deliver. "Our friend, Kel'Thuzad, has been slain."

"What?" Sauren spun round, shocked.

Dar'Khan went on to explain that their beloved Queen's son, Prince Arthas, had found the necromancer infecting the town of Brill through batches of tainted grain.

"Tainted? How?" Sauren demanded.

"I'm getting there. Steady. I thought patience was a ...virtue, for you rogues." The magister's comment was brimming with sarcasm. It did not go unnoticed.

"Just get on with it!" 

Dar'khan continued, but with a sly grin and a twinkle in his eye. "Having followed Kel'Thuzad to Andorhal, the prince learned he'd been using the town as the base of operations for his plague wagons. Arthas confronted him, and Kel'Thuzad stupidly blabbed that the plague of the undead had infiltrated Stratholme, infecting all the citizens.

"And allegedly, he also told the prince that the Burning Legion had masterminded the entire operation over several years, and a Dreadlord by the name of Mal'ganis was waiting in Stratholme for the final stages to come to fruition. Kel'thuzad then fled to Stratholme."

Sauren was still pacing, listening intently, while trying to form a plan.

Dar'Khan continued. "Arthas followed and killed our esteemed colleague. He then led an assault on the city, culling the infected and those yet to transform. We believe Arthas has now followed the Dreadlord to Northrend. The outcome of which is still unknown."

"Damn it!" Sauren hissed. "Kel'Thuzad had guaranteed my guild's safety from his army of undead. What was he thinking by telling the prince of Lordaeron his plans? Our plans!"

"That I cannot answer, Sauren. But his duplicity has now left Caer Darrow without proper supervision. There are many acolytes and test subjects within those walls."

Sauren halted and turned slowly to Dar'Khan. "What's going to happen to them now? Their experiments are still locked up in the dungeons, I take it?"

"As far as I know, yes."

"And what do you think Arthas's next move will be?"

"Try to kill Mal'ganis, I would think," Dar'Khan replied as he studied his well-manicured nails.

"After that!" Sauren sneered at the magister's snide remark. 

Dar'khan grinned. "We'll need to wait and see, my friend. Perhaps the Dreadlord will kill Arthas, and we will have no worries of him returning to seek retribution."

"What about the necromancers, Kel'Thuzad's students?"

"I'll see to them, never fear. It is an art I have been dabbling in myself, after all."

Sauren glanced askance at the magister. 

They tolerated each other; barely. But, he had to hand it to Dar'Khan; he wasn't stupid. He definitely had ambition. He was a clever man who'd sought endlessly for sources of magic in a bid to increase his power. 

Well, such an opportunity had just landed on his doorstep, so to speak. 

The fact that he'd come to tell Sauren the news also proved something unexpected - his loyalty.  If not to Sauren himself, at least to the plans they'd all put in place with the now-dead mage, Kel'Thuzad.

 Dar'Khan could have easily kept developments quiet, dealt with everything on his own, and watched Sauren fall, but he'd decided to forewarn the guild master.

"All right, then. Do what you need to do, Dar'Khan. And should you hear of the prince's return, let me know. I will do likewise."

"Very well," the magister said, standing and brushing down his cloak. "I shall let you get back to - more... pleasurable things, then." His teasing smirk was met with disdain. "I take it you would prefer I teleport from here?"

"Yes."

Dar'Khan's portal snuffed out with a pop before Sauren left the room.

The guild master bounded back up the stairs and entered Tiene's room quietly. As he approached her bed, he looked at her face - her eyelids were fluttering, as if in dreams. He smiled fondly.

Sliding under the sheets, he placed the soft furs around Tiene and himself and gently pulled her slender frame into his arms. He kissed her brow, softly, so as not to wake her.  With a heavy sigh, he closed his eyes and attempted to calm his restless mind.

*

Tiene continued the pretence of sleep as she listened to Sauren's heart. Something was worrying him, she could tell. She knew not who his visitor had been, but she presumed it was linked to Kel'Thuzad, going by what she'd overheard from Sauren's exchange with the pageboy.

If she was not mistaken, then it looked like things were now starting to unravel for Sauren Nightflame.

                                      _____________________________________________

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