Bloodsword: 3 - Opportunities

Days passed, uneventful, though he started hearing more and more whispered rumors about the scribe who was more than he seemed. He did his best to ignore such things, hoping that, like with most rumors, it would pass in time. Kinedra and her group ignored him, even avoided him, and he realized he liked that just fine. He had thought the lady Kinedra beautiful, true, but when she said nothing, did nothing, except giggle at the antics of her "friends," he had little to admire.

Silea, on the other hand, spent less and less time amongst the aristocracy and more and more with him and his friends, mostly servants and other such laborers. She seemed more at ease around him, though he occasionally caught her staring at him. No doubt she wondered about the story surrounding his sword and what really happened. Luckily for him, the guardsmen and other soldiers had long ago buried the story regarding his unfortunate accident. They looked after their own, even if he no longer walked that path.

It was one sunny day when he was eating lunch in the courtyard of the Arcanum with a few friends, Silea included, that his old master came striding up with a purpose. He was surprised, of course, as she was accompanied by one of the Guardians of the city.

"Lady Oalina!" Purah exclaimed, jumping up and bowing. "What can I do for you?"

Oalina was old and wise, her hair turning silver and her eyes full of knowledge. She was tall for a woman, and though the Quel'dorei do not wrinkle or show any real physical sign of aging, she carried an aura of great wisdom that could only come with many years of life.

"Purah Lightsword, this is Guardian Rad'ith. He is here on behalf of the Farstriders. They seek a scribe to help them with a few military endeavors. When they came to me for advice, I suggested you." She stepped aside to allow the Guardian to speak.

"Correct," Rad'ith said, his voice a little clipped. "You come highly recommended. The details of the job, however, are not mine to give. If you're interested, please come with me, and everything will be explained."

Purah was surprised, to say the least. Silea looked concerned, but remained silent, and his other friends simply looked bewildered. Purah finally spoke up, "While I appreciate the offer, sir, my job and my place is here." He turned to Lady Oalina, to thank her for her confidence in the recommendation, but stopped. There was a look on her face that he didn't quite understand. She seemed to be filled with apprehension and a sense of urgency. "Although... I suppose speaking to the Farstriders about the position couldn't hurt. Perhaps I can do both jobs." He grabbed his pack from the bench where he had been sitting. "Lead the way."

The Guardian, clad in the colors of the city, stood out quite clearly. Oalina kept easy pace with them both, even for her age. Purah felt very out of place between the two of them, but stayed silent as they walked the street. As they turned the corner, Oalina sighed and the Guardian grunted in response. "Looks like you've got a decent head on those shoulders, boy. For a second there, I didn't think you'd come along."

Confused, Purah looked back and forth between his old teacher and the soldier. "Pardon?"

"You obviously picked up on the lady's expression. Means you're observant. Means you aren't a complete idiot and may actually fill our needs quite well."

Still terribly confused, he looked to the Lady Oalina for a better explanation.

"I can't give you any details here on the street, Purah, as the information you'll be handling if you get the position is classified and confidential. When you speak to the commander, you'll understand. I recommended you because you have a level head, you're intelligent, and you'll do a good job."

"My lady, while I appreciate the praise a great deal I'm not so sure I can do anything for the military. My past-"

"Completely irrelevant, Purah. They won't be asking you to touch a weapon, much less pick it up and swing it about." She sighed again. "Though, based on the information they're starting to get, your previous skills would no doubt be welcome."

She refused to elaborate further, which only piqued Purah's curiosity, but he didn't press her, knowing her sharp tongue. Indeed, if the information was confidential, it was a huge risk to tell him even as much as she had. Whatever it was, it must be rather concerning.

The Guardian and his former teacher led him to the Farstriders Enclave, an area of the city that acted as the military center. Politicians came and went, members of the Convocation greeting each other or having debates. Further in, more and more soldiers could be seen. They also wore the colors of the city, though they were more heavily armed than the Guardians. Some of them were the Rangers, led by Sylvanas Windrunner, Ranger-General of the Quel'dorei. She was practically legend with her bow and leadership, a true hero of the people, though there had been very little need for fighting as of late.

The concerning news was revealed to him soon enough. They had finally come to a stop near what was obviously a runner's station for getting messages out to the soldiers in the field. It was a small building, with a few offices, but mostly desks where scribes could write copies of orders and reports to send out via fast messengers. As they entered, he could already see several scribes frantically scribbling away, as well as runners coming and going out into the city and through the nearby gate.

The commander of the post was a tall, thin, and stern-looking elf who introduced himself as Runner-Commander Bur'ir. He thanked the Guardian for the escort and dismissed him, leaving just Purah and the Lady Oalina sitting in the small, slightly stuffy office. He sat at the large desk opposite them and stared for a moment at Purah.

"Well. The Lady says you'd serve us well. Ever been a solder, boy?"

Purah shook his head. "No, not officially."

Bur'ir said nothing at first, then nodded. "Yes, the Lady explained your tale to me. An unfortunate thing, that. If you choose to work for me, though, you'll need not worry about weaponry. None of my other scribes have ever learned to fight. Ha! I doubt they'd know which end to hold." He chuckled at that for a moment, obviously finding more humor in his joke than either Purah or Oalina.

Once he settled, however, he stood to close the door and then spoke plainly.

"Purah Lightsword, the information I'm about to reveal to you must be kept secret, do you understand? We don't want to concern the citizenry over what may end up being nothing."

Purah nodded. "Yes, sir. I understand."

"Very well," Bur'ir nodded. "There have been some rather strange and concerning events occurring in the Human lands of Lordaeron...