"Here with you..."

She heads to bed ahead of him as he puts Riptik down for the night. He joins her there in short order. She turns to face him as he settles at her side. "Barraccus," she asks softly. "Do you ever have any regrets about what happened to you?"

He looks at her curiously. "You mean being a death knight, and everything that came with it," he states, and she nods. He frowns slightly in thought, rolling to his back and staring at the ceiling. "No," he says finally, then looks at her again. "I wouldn't change a thing, no matter what I went through to get here. If anything did change, I most likely wouldn't have met you, Quae."

She frowns now, looking uncertain. "So your family dying, all the torture you went through.... You wouldn't change any of that?"

He shakes his head. "I know it sounds terrible, but Quae... I would go through it all again, so long as I knew that in the end I would be here with you."

She looks at him without answering for a minute, then she reaches over to gently stroke his cheek. His hand comes up to cover hers as it comes to rest on his chest. She can feel his heart beating under her arm, and she smiles.



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This is basically what was going through my mind when I did this picture. (So everyone get your minds out of the gutter! >.>) Haven't done anything RP-wise with these two for ages, and I miss them. I'm still not sure exactly when I'll move them to Feathermoon, but it'll probably be soon. Anyways, enjoy zee artz!

Quae and Barraccus: Heading North

Quae gently traced the scars zigzagging across Barraccus' chest. He lay still, eyes closed, though she knew he was awake. She said nothing, however. She was thinking.

He had arrived in Telaar earlier that afternoon, and she had immediately noticed how worn out he looked. He had brushed off her concerns, so she had let it drop. All through that afternoon, however, she had watched him closely. He was tired, it showed in everything he did. She had cut their time out short, pretending to be tired herself, and after a supper that he only picked at, they had retired early.

She knew that his work up north kept him busy, yet he managed to get back to her every weekend so they could spend time together. But the constant traveling was exhausting him. Quae knew it had to stop. Barraccus would argue, she knew he would. She was also pretty sure of what he would say, and carefully thought out her own arguments accordingly.

Finally she leaned over, laying her hand on his cheek as she kissed him. He returned the kiss, then as she sat back again he opened his eyes and gave her a faint smile. "I love you," he said softly, and she smiled back. "I love you too," she said, then paused before continuing, "but... you should be up north." He blinked at her, first in surprise, then confusion. "I should-I need to be with you," he started, but she laid a finger on his lips, silencing him. "Hear me out, love," she asked him, and after a moment he nodded slowly.

"You need to be up north," she said bluntly. "You need to be there, when he falls. You need the closure, love. You can't be whole without it, and I need you whole." He blinked at her, then when she took her finger away he asked, "And how can I be sure you're safe, if I can't see you?" She gave him a faintly mocking grin. "Simple, love. I'm coming with you." "What?!" he exclaimed, sitting up partway on the bed, then he winced and lowered his voice. "But... Northrend, Quae. It's bad enough with you here, but what makes you think being with me will make it easier to keep you safe?"

She frowned, and he knew he had probably said at least two things he shouldn't have. Instead of answering sharply, however, she merely said, "It will be easier because you won't have to worry about us being apart. I'll be right under your eye. The Temple doesn't have any more of a presence there than they do here. And if you don't think you can protect me from anything up there, you're not giving yourself enough credit."

He looked at her for a bit, finally cracking a small smile. Then his gaze sharpened. "But what about your work here? Are you just going to pack up and leave?" She shook her head at him. "Barraccus, there is no work left. Everything I've been doing the past few weeks has been repetitive chores, things to keep me busy and out of their hair. And there are still younger adventurers coming in, looking to prove themselves before they head north. Love, trust me. I will not be missed."

Barraccus was silent for a few minutes, then finally he gave her a crooked grin. "You thought up an argument for anything I might say, didn't you?" he asked wryly. She smiled back. "Pretty much. You are rather predictable, love." He chuckled, then pulled her closer for another kiss. "Alright," he said when they parted. "We'll head out first thing. To Northrend." The twist of his mouth when he said it showed he still didn't approve, but she knew he wouldn't argue anymore; she had won. She snuggled down at his side, allowing herself a small triumphant grin. "To Northrend," she repeated softly. "Together."

Quae and Barraccus: Hopes

I know this has been long-delayed. Shaurria has been taking up most of my story-writing time lately. For a refresher, this happens right after this.

Also I'm borrowing the ideas for herb uses from the Wildfire Riders & Co., they have a thread about it here for reference.
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The next day Quae ran through everything the Honor Hold commanders told her to do quickly. With Barraccus' help, none of it took long. She was dismissed after turning in her last report, then she and Barraccus went back outside to their mounts. He turned to her before getting on Krallormu. "I'm presuming you have a spot picked out?" he asked with a grin, and she grinned back. "Follow me," she said, then urged Thoribas up and away. He scrambled into the saddle quickly and chased after her.

Quae found an outcropping of rock and waited for Barraccus to catch up to her before nudging Thoribas down. She dismissed the gryphon, knowing he wouldn't go far, and turned to see Barraccus already off Kral's back, looking around. They were as alone as they could be; even the orcs of Zeth'gor nearby were no bigger than ants in the distance. He turned to face her, grinning. "Nice spot," he said. "So what was it you wanted to tell me?"

Quae looked at him appraisingly, until his grin turned mischievous, then she abruptly dismissed her shadows. "First, love, take off your shirt." His eyebrows went up, but he complied without comment, having grown used to this routine. Quae helped him with his armor, then he pulled his shirt off and sat. Quae knelt next to him, her hands already starting to glow with holy energy. Placing one hand on his chest, she let the power flow into him and closed her eyes, following it with her senses. It filtered through muscles and blood vessels, then deeper to bones and organs. She felt it when it came upon anything out of order, guiding it as it healed cuts and scratches, then a pulled muscle she hadn't even realized he had.

He flexed his arm when she finished, testing the now-healed shoulder muscle, and grinned at her. "Thanks." She still just studied him, a slight frown her only expression. "You're sure it doesn't hurt anything?" she asked him. Arien's words echoed through her head- "It's not a good way to test, since healing works on the Forsaken just like it does on us"- but she pushed them away.

Barraccus caught her hand in his own and pulled it away, breaking the contact and the healing spell. "Quae," he began, his expression now as serious as hers. "You've been doing this every day we've had together for the last couple months. What is it?"

She closed her eyes briefly, opening them again to look into his. "Tell me again how you died," she said softly, just above a whisper. He raised an eyebrow, and she smiled slightly. "I'm not changing the subject. Trust me." Now he closed his eyes for a moment, then looked out into the distance. "I don't remember. All I can recall is his eyes digging into mine, then blackness. When I woke I was in Acherus, and my training began. What does it have to do with anything?"

Quae took a deep breath. Elune, she prayed silently, give me the right words. "I've been thinking about it the last few months. Don't you think death would have been a bit more... memorable?" He shrugged. "I don't know, Quae. But what does it have to do with whatever you've been doing?" "Barraccus," she began, then paused, suddenly uncertain. Finally she blurted, "What if you didn't die?"

He blinked, surprised. "What do you mean?" "What if you never died, love? I've been researching this in Stormwind's library, and nothing I've found says you have to die to become a death knight. Light, Arthas was a death knight before he became the Lich King, and he never died; there are all sorts of accounts of it. And I found a strange book, that says if you agree to it, you simply receive the powers." She hoped no one from the Temple found out she had read that book. Creepy and mysterious didn't even begin to describe it; it had probably belonged to a cultist once.

Barraccus stared at her as she spoke, the skepticism in his eyes slowly being replaced by uncertainty. He mouthed the words agree to it after her, then as she finished he looked at her sharply. "Why are you so sure of this, Quae? I mean, it'd be wonderful, but still..."

"Think about it, love," she told him. "If you're not undead, the Temple can't touch you. The charges against me would be dropped, we could make our vows official, and... when we're ready, we could start a family." At the word family, his expression changed, a look of pain and longing flashing briefly across his face. "But Quae," he said. "That should prove it if nothing else does. I mean, shouldn't something have, you know, happened by now?"

Quae had been expecting him to ask that, but she still dropped her gaze. "Umm, about that," she said hesitantly. "I'm afraid I haven't been totally honest with you, Barraccus." She glanced up at him; he had gone completely still, his expression unreadable. "Quae," he said quietly. "Are you...?" She gave him a small, sad smile. "No," she replied, and his face showed disappointment for a moment, before he regained control. "Then what do you mean?" "You know the tea I make every morning?" she asked, and he nodded. She took a deep breath. "It's earthroot." She watched his face carefully.

He was silent, staring at nothing for a long while. Finally he looked up at her. "Earthroot?" She nodded, still watching him. "You really think I'm not an undead?" "Yes, I'm getting sure of it," she replied, and he nodded. She studied him as they sat in silence for several more minutes. "Barraccus," she said hesitantly. "If you want me to stop taking the tea..." He shook his head. "No, you might as well stay on it. At least I can get it for you from now on. I'm guessing Alanon was providing it before?" "Yes," she replied. "Love... are you all right?"

He didn't answer right away, instead looking off into space, his expression still unreadable. Finally he looked at her, and after a moment he cracked a grin. "Yea, I think I'm more than all right." Quae smiled back, fighting back the worry that came when she saw the hope slowly growing in his eyes.

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P. S. - Happy Thanksgiving everybody!!

Quae and Barraccus: Honor Hold

Barraccus arrived at Honor Hold earlier than usual. Quae's first hint was when the lieutenant she was speaking to suddenly started to grin knowingly. She turned to see a very familiar bronze dragon waiting patiently behind her, and its equally familiar rider watching her with a little smile. She barely heard the lieutenant's "Dismissed, priestess. Go enjoy yourself," as she went over.

Krallormu nodded to her as he rumbled, "Good evening, Quae." She absently patted his scaly head as she walked up to Barraccus, who had hopped off the drake at her approach. "Heya," he said, grinning. She grinned back before stepping into his arms, hugging him back as hard as he hugged her. "All set here?" he asked into her ear, and she nodded. Stepping back reluctantly, she headed to the stable master to get Thoribas, and they were off soon after.

They returned to Honor Hold soon after night fell, though it was always hard to tell when that was here in Hellfire Peninsula. Quae slept fitfully that night, finally giving up after the fifth time she found herself awake. She propped herself up a bit on the pillow and watched Barraccus sleep next to her. He looked peaceful, and she wished, not for the first time, that he could look that relaxed while he was awake.

She gently placed her hand against his chest, feeling his heart beat under her fingers. His skin was surprisingly warm. Everything about him was so unlike any of the few undead- death knights or Forsaken- that she had known. She hoped desperately that her hunches were right. After her talk with Arien the day before, she felt more encouraged. The paladin hadn't discounted her idea at all, in fact she seemed to think it might be possible. Quae vowed to do more research the next time she was in Stormwind. Barraccus never asked why she spent so much time in the library, but then, he was usually busy keeping an eye out for any threats from the Temple until they left.

She began slowly tracing the scars on his chest with her fingers, careful not to wake him. All the while she thought to herself, he did deserve to know. Alanon was right; she shouldn't keep this secret, especially when she might need his cooperation soon. She focused on the scars, studying them. When he had told all of them about his captivity, back when he had rescued Rhokk, he hadn't mentioned how he had gotten these ones. Later, though, she had asked him about them, and he had told her what he remembered. He told her everything; it was only fair that she was honest with him.

She was startled when Barraccus' hand suddenly came up and covered her own. She looked up as he opened his eyes and smiled at her. "Tickles," he whispered, and she smiled back. "Sorry, love. Didn't mean to wake you," she whispered in reply, then leaned over and kissed him. After she pulled back, she studied him for a minute, until his eyebrow quirked questioningly. "I need to tell you something tomorrow," she finally said, and the other eyebrow came up. She smiled reassuringly. "It's not important," -she winced inwardly at the lie- "but don't let me forget, okay?" He looked at her curiously, but nodded. Satisfied, she snuggled back into his arms and willed herself to sleep once again.

Quae and Barraccus Move To Winterspring

Wanted to get this out of the way. Quae is 55 now and will be hitting Outland soon, so right now story progression is good.
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"You're leaving us?" Pitchblack looked at Quae mournfully. She swatted at him. "I'll still be around," she said."Just not at home much anymore. Besides, it's not like we all see each other much anyway. You don't even write." Pitch chuckled. "I bet you just got tired of us being around when Barraccus is home," he teased. Quae grinned back at him. "My dear brother, whatever would give you that idea?" They both laughed.

Pitch was the first one to sober. "I really am glad you two are together. He's a great guy." Quae eyed him, then chuckled again. "Are you just saying that because he's been out with you in Zangarmarsh all week?" she teased him. He grinned. "Well, maybe. But really, if I got to choose another brother, I'd pick him for sure." Quae reached over and patted his hand. "Good," was all she said.

Quae suddenly stood. "I've got to go, he's probably waiting for me." "Where are you off to this time?" Pitch asked her. "Blackrock Mountain," she answered. "Going to give some Dark Iron dwarves a hard time." She grinned wickedly, and he laughed again, then waved her off. "Go on and have fun, little sister," he said, and she waved and headed out.

* * * * * *



Quae and Barraccus left the Winterspring flight master hand-in-hand. They both appeared lost in thought. Riptik slept quietly in his little pocket on the outside of Barraccus' backpack as they headed to the stable for their mounts, then rode out into the snow. Quae finally broke the silence. "I believe we can trust Vestala," she said, and Barraccus nodded. "She seems a good sort. We just need to be careful how many people find out about us." "I know," Quae said quietly. "Kal and I were just talking, and she snuck up on us." "Quae, it's fine," he interrupted. "You don't need to apologize."

They rode in silence for a bit, then Quae asked, "So where exactly is this house?" Barraccus turned Oscor down the road to Starfall Village at about that moment. "Down here," he said, and rode ahead. Quae quickly urged Moon after him. When she caught up with him, he had left the trail and was circling around a little cottage, sitting by itself near the village. "Here it is," he said grandly, and they both swung down from their mounts and entered. Quae looked all around the small house as Barraccus carefully removed Riptik from his pocket, then placed him in a ready-made nest near the fireplace. The wolvar pup barely made a peep as he was settled into his bed, still snoozing.

He straightened up as she turned to face him. "I like it," she declared, and he chuckled. "Good thing, since I already put my money down. It's mine now, or rather ours." He said the last part warmly, as he stepped over and put one arm around her. She rested her cheek against his chest, still looking around a bit. "The bearskin rug is a nice touch," she commented. "Yes," Barraccus replied. "The floor gets a bit cold." "A bit? I would think so," she laughed, pulling back from him. She then began fiddling with his armor, trying to unfasten the shoulder-guards. He raised one eyebrow at her. "And what are you up to now?" he asked, though his expression said he knew exactly what. She grinned wickedly at him. "Well, I'd like to see how warm the bed is next." "Mhmm. Normally I think you'd test that by sleeping in it." Her grin stretched wider. "I do intend to sleep in it. Eventually." His crooked grin started to spread across his face, as he began helping her with his armor.

Barraccus and Quae: Riptik

My apologies to all blood elf mages for this story. ;)
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Barraccus entered the Kalu'ak village, holding the fur-lined leather bag like it contained fine Dalaran crystal. He found the tuskarr he needed and handed the bag over gently. "Here they are, a dozen wolvar pups," he said, trying to hide his distaste. The tuskarr, Mau'i, took the bag just as gently, motioning to another tuskarr as he placed it on the ground. It squeaked as he turned it over so the pups could scramble out. "I thank you, Barraccus," the portly fellow said as he and the other- a female, Barraccus thought, though he couldn't tell them apart well enough to be sure- herded the little ones toward a small hut off to the side.

"Did the adults give you any trouble?" Mau'i asked him, as the female tuskarr took over the pups, waving him away. Barraccus shook his head. "No, a Sin'dorei mage had just gone through the camp. I just followed the trail and found the little ones hiding in the tents." Mau'i nodded sadly. "I wish we didn't have to do this, but the wolvar leave us little choice," he said. Barraccus just nodded as he looked around the small Kalu'ak village called Moa'ki Harbor. He winced as a lucky shot from one of the hidden wolvar warriors took down a tuskarr guard, but fortunately the guard was only wounded and soon made his way to the healer, as another warrior took his place in the defense line.

The death knight left shortly after. He decided to ride Oscor rather than flying out on Berk, and followed the trail through the wolvar village, not paying much attention to his surroundings. Until, that is, he heard a whimper as he passed by one tent.

Barraccus quickly stopped Oscor and looked around. He recognized the tent as one he had passed while he had been collecting the pups for the Kalu'ak. The charred bodies of the blood elf's victims still lay nearby. He dismounted and began searching the tent and its surroundings. He had thought that he had found all the pups here, but realized that he had missed one when he saw a pair of bright, beady eyes staring at him from the back of the tent. Barraccus crouched down at the entrance, trying to look as non-threatening as possible, and clucked to the frightened pup.

It took almost an hour for the pup to finally leave its hiding spot and creep closer. Barraccus couldn't feel his feet and his legs were starting to cramp, but he didn't dare move as the young wolvar, little more than an infant, came close enough to sniff his hand. It looked up at him and whined pitifully, then made a grumbling noise that Barraccus took for speech. "If you're looking for your mama, I'm afraid she can't help you anymore," he told it softly. At the sound of his voice, the baby sidled closer, then latched onto his wrist and buried its face into his sleeve, its sharp little claws clinging. Barraccus coaxed it into his lap, then stood up unsteadily. He cradled the pup close as he stomped some feeling back into his feet, then went back to Oscor.

When he presented the pup to Mau'i, however, the tuskarr shook his head. "I'm afraid we had you bring in the largest number we could handle," he said. "We don't have the space or resources for even one more." "But-" Barraccus cut off his protest as he looked around Moa'ki and could tell that the tuskarr's words were true. He looked down at the pup, now sleeping in the crook of his arm. "Then what should I do with him?" he asked. "You could always take him back. The wolvar would not abandon one of their own. But..." Mau'i trailed off meaningfully, and Barraccus finished the thought for him. "But he will grow up as savage as the others, and only cause trouble like his kin." The death knight sighed.

Mau'i gently tickled the pup's ears; he growled softly in his sleep. "Why not take him home?" he asked the death knight. "You could raise him yourself, you know. He's already becoming attached to you." Barraccus looked thoughtful for a minute. "I might do that," he said, "But I need to make sure it's okay first." "Oh really?" replied Mau'i, surprised. "Okay with who?" Barraccus grinned at him. "My other half," he said.

* * * * * *

Quae's new saber Moon was in the stable when Barraccus arrived at home. None of the other mounts were there, which was fine with Barraccus; he and Quae were alone. The wolvar pup had woken up during the ride from Astranaar and now sat up in his arms, looking around with bright eyes.

After spending some time with a Kalu'ak who understood some of the wolvar tongue, Barraccus had learned that the pup was old enough to know his name, at least, and was called Riptik. Now as he carried the baby into the house, he hoped Quae was in a good mood.

He found her in the kitchen, washing a few dishes. She looked up when he came in and smiled. "Hey," she said. "I wasn't sure when you would get here, so I already had some supper. Did you want anything?" "No, I'm fine," he quickly replied. "But, um, Quae? I need to show you something." She looked at him curiously, then followed him into the main room.

He stopped and picked up a bundle that she couldn't see clearly, then stood with his back turned, hiding whatever he was holding. "Quae," he began. "I know that we decided not to start any kind of family until after Arthas was taken care of, but, umm, well you know that sometimes things happen." "Alright, Barraccus," Quae interrupted. "What did you do now?" "Have you heard of the Kalu'ak?" he asked her in response, looking back over his shoulder. She thought she heard a growl come from whatever he was holding, but wasn't sure. "No- wait, yes. Alanon told me about them," she replied. "They're some kind of animal-men, like the Tauren." "Yea," Barraccus said, more quickly now. "I've been helping some of them in the Dragonblight, at a village called Moa'ki. They're under attack by a tribe of creatures called wolvar. I've captured some of the wolvar pups for them from time to time, so the Kalu'ak can raise the pups to be friendly and not attack them. That's had... mixed results," he admitted.

Quae studied him, trying to see what he was hiding again. "That's all fine, but what about them?" she asked. "Weelll...." Barraccus trailed off, then finally turned around. In his arms was a fuzzy little creature that looked vaguely humanoid, obviously a baby. "This is Riptik," Barraccus told her. "He's an orphan now. A blood elf went through his part of the village right before I did, and... well, you can guess, I'm sure." Quae nodded, not taking her eyes off the pup. "Yes I can. Sin'dorei are bloody in more than just the name." She stepped closer, holding one hand out to the pup. "What is he doing here, then?" she asked, although she thought she knew the answer. "Well, the Kalu'ak said that perhaps we could raise him ourselves," Barraccus said. "I'd like to give it a try, at least, but it's really up to you."

Quae didn't answer for a long time, instead getting to know the little creature in his arms. She thought hard as she gently scritched his head. Barraccus had never hidden the fact that he wanted a family, and for that matter, so did she. She knew they would have to adopt; Barraccus' undead state prevented him from fathering his own kids, a fact that gave her no little pain, especially when she thought of how much he had loved his own sons, now long dead. She wasn't sure how they would work things out if they kept this little one, but she could tell he wanted it, and there were some things she just couldn't tell him no about.

Finally she looked up, into his hopeful eyes. "Yes," she said. "We'll keep him." He broke into a huge grin, and she knew it was the right decision. He sat down on the nearest chair and settled Riptik on his lap. "Rip," he said gently. "Your mama can't take care of you anymore. But if you want, Quae here can be your new mama." Riptik looked from him to Quae, his eyes bright, then growled, "Mamma." He then promptly opened his mouth and pointed at it meaningfully.

Barraccus warmed up some meat and chopped it up finely, while Quae raided the nursing supplies that Pitch kept on hand for any orphaned animals he found. Soon enough Riptik was bedded down in a corner of the kitchen, his stomach full, fast asleep.

Barraccus spent a few moments making sure he was tucked in snugly before joining Quae upstairs. As he slid into bed next to her, she grinned impishly at him. "Anything else you wanted to show me tonight?" He gave her his crooked grin. "Maybe how much I've missed you," he said teasingly, then leaned in for a kiss.

Sometime in the middle of the night, they were woken by a thin, high-pitched cry. It took Quae a moment to remember what it could be. Oh, right, the little one. She fumbled for a robe, only to be stopped by Barraccus' hand on her arm. "I'll get him," he whispered, then was gone. She heard him padding down the stairs as she groggily wondered if he had even been asleep.

Riptik soon stopped crying, but fussed every time they tried to put him back down. Finally they let him stay on the bed, and all three fell back asleep, with the little wolvar snuggled between his new parents.
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And that's how they got their wolvar pup. Hurray for the Northrend orphan quests, hehe.

Anna's Friday Five- Time

So I haven't done one of these for a long time, and wanted to give this a go. Too Many Annas has a theme for her Friday posts, where she will either have a list of 5 questions or give an idea for a 500-word ficlet, that you answer from your character's point of view. Today's 5 questions are:

• Is your character usually early, on time, or late? What does he or she expect from other people with regards to time?
• Is your character a morning sparrow or a night owl? Is this their nature, or have they trained themselves to it?
• Does your character carry a time-keeping device? (watch, pocket watch, chronometer, gnomish buzzbox with digital clock peripheral)
• How does your character deal with the Bronze Dragonflight - does he or she take them seriously? take the Caverns of Time seriously?
• What does your character eat for breakfast on a “normal morning”? (whenever that “morning” happens to take place)

Answers are from Kaledain, Khaotic, and Barraccus (since that's who I've been playing the most lately)

1. Kaled and Khaotic try to be on time for everything, but sometimes stuff happens and you can't help but be a little late. They hold the same expectations for other people.
Barraccus always tries to be on time, if not early. That being said, he would like for others to do the same, but won't get mad if they're late.

2. Khaotic is an early bird, usually up around daybreak (a holdover from her years in the army). Kaled is not a morning person, and she usually has to wake him up and fix breakfast. He usually becomes human again after some food and tea/coffee.
Barraccus is up with the sun without fail. Being a night elf, this isn't exactly natural for him, but he's been doing it for so long that he doesn't remember why he's like this.

3. All 3 of them keep track of time by the sun/moon/stars. Khaotic is especially good at this, again because of her time with the army; she was often a scout and needed to keep close track of the time.
Barraccus has a pocketwatch from a gnomish acquaintance, but he usually forgets he has it. He will remember to check it if he really needs to know the time.

4. Kaled and Khaotic haven't met any of the bronze dragonflight yet, but have heard enough about them to be warily respectful. The same goes for the Caverns of Time; they both have been in the Caverns but not inside any of the instances, so while they don't know what is going on in there, they can both feel that there is something.
Barraccus has some reverence for all dragons, although he wishes he knew exactly what it is that the Bronze did. Meeting his Future Self kind of shook him up a little.

5. Khaotic usually fixes breakfast, tho she doesn't always "cook", sometimes it's just toast and coffee. Kaled will eat whatever she puts in front of him.
Barraccus doesn't always eat breakfast, but when he does it's usually travel food from his backpack, whatever is served at the inn he's staying at , or if he's home, then whatever someone else has already fixed. If he has to cook, he'll fix toast and bacon, usually with tea. Anything else has a good chance of getting undercooked or burned.


So how would your character answer?

Barraccus and Quae: Dalaran

Moonlight and the light from the Dalaran streetlamps made their room in the Hero's Welcome as bright as day to night elven eyes. Barraccus lay next to Quae, watching her sleep. He wasn’t quite ready for sleep himself, not yet. Right now, he was content to simply look at her.

He loved her so much it sometimes took his breath away. She made him feel alive, like no one had before. He missed her when they were apart, and usually didn’t even realize how much until he came back and saw her again. But it was more than that, too. He knew that everyone he met didn’t necessarily see him when they looked at him; they saw a death knight. Even Alanon and Pitch, for all that they liked him and wanted to help. Riatha at times was worse. He had come to regard her as a sister, but she was a constant reminder of what they both were. But Quae was different; he knew that she didn’t care one whit about what he was, she saw him for himself. He thought that if he ever lost her, it would probably be his end.

At that less-than-pleasant thought, an image suddenly popped into his head, of his wife being torn apart by rotting ghouls. But it wasn’t Luraniel’s face that looked at him as she died. It was Quae’s.

He banished the image savagely, his face twisting into a silent snarl. He couldn’t quite hide his body’s violent twitch, but all Quae did was make a small sound in her sleep. He kept silent, placing a soothing hand on her shoulder while he regained his composure.

He had meant what he had said, about vengeance on Arthas. But it was more than that; he was deathly afraid that if the Lich King was not dealt with, then at some point he would come after Quae, and Barraccus couldn't stand that thought. He couldn’t even mention this to Quae; he knew she would likely get upset again over his protectiveness.

Looking at her now, he wondered at the strength of his own feelings. He and Luraniel had hardly known each other when they were wed. He had grown to love her, in his own way. She had been his wife, his friend and partner. But he felt a deeper connection with Quae. He wasn’t the romantic type, not really, but he was growing sure that in Quae, he had found his soulmate.

He remained absorbed in his own thoughts, until at last he was too tired to keep things straight. He moved in closer, slipping one arm around her, and gave himself over to sleep.

* * * * *

The view from Krasus’ Landing was breathtaking. Barraccus watched as Quae looked out on Crystalsong Forest far below, delight spreading over her face, and wished he could share her happiness. He had come to a decision about his thoughts from last night, and he wasn’t looking forward to the discussion he knew they had to have. Finally he reached out and touched her arm, drawing her attention. She looked over at him, and her grin faded at the serious expression on his face. “We need to have a talk,” he told her softly, and led her over to a quiet spot to the side. Once there he turned to her.

“I’d like to tell you some things, but please, don’t interrupt me until I’m done, okay? I don’t think you’re going to like all I have to say, but it needs to be said.” He paused and studied her, noting the sudden fear on her face, and gave her a comforting grin. “I love you, Quae. I don’t want to leave you,” he said softly, and she relaxed, returning his smile. Finding a spot under a young tree, he settled down on the grass, pulling her down next to him. Then he sat silent for a minute, gathering his thoughts.

“I know you think I’ve been too protective, and you’re right. But I didn’t go to Feralas to try to ‘save’ you, you just assumed I did. We need to come to an understanding about this. I don’t like arguing, and it seems we’ve been doing too much of it lately.” He looked up at her, holding her gaze for a minute.

“I wanted to die,” he said quietly, then held a hand up to forestall her response. “When my memories came back, all I could think of was that I had betrayed everything I held dear. I couldn't live with that, and tried to escape it all. Then you found me and convinced me to give my life another shot. Now, I want to keep living. I’d like to see how far all of this takes us. I know you fear for me, but believe me, I’m not going to go flinging myself at Arthas until one of us is dead. I won’t say that I’ll pass up any opportunities that come along, but as far as seeking him out, well, I’m not suicidal," he paused and gave her a teasing grin, "no matter what you might think."

He sobered then and studied her again, knowing she probably wouldn't like what he said next. "Quae, I do love you. You make me feel like I'm alive again, even when others all are afraid of me, of what I am. If anything ever happened to you, my life is over. I've lost one family, I couldn't go through that again, do you understand?" She started to frown in protest, but she stopped herself and finally nodded. "There's no guarantee that we will win against Arthas and the Scourge," he continued. "Every day we get is a gift right now. I don't want to spend half of our time together fighting." He paused and looked at her, giving her a chance to speak if she wanted.

She sighed and said, "I don't want to either. I'm sorry, Barraccus. I suppose I've been a bit too touchy lately." She looked down at her hands, then reached over and took one of his. "Let's try this, then: I promise not to snap at you again, if you can pretend you're not protecting me, deal?" He grinned at her. "I couldn't have said it better myself, m'lady." She grinned back and swatted at him.

* * * * * *

He walked with her to the portal that would take her to Darnassus and home. She hugged him, then pulled back and looked at him for a moment. "Come home with me," she said, and after a second he nodded.

They rode into the yard in good time, and Alanon came out to greet them. He smiled up at the death knight. "Barraccus, you have excellent timing. I have a surprise for you," he said, then nodded his head toward the side of the house. Curious, Barraccus swung down from Dune'adah's back and walked around the house, only to be pounced on and nearly bowled over by 800 pounds of saber cat.

"Oscor?" he said dazedly, as the big cat gently batted at him with one forepaw and butted his broad head against him. He got the saber calmed down after a few minutes, and gave him a brief once-over. Except for a large scar on his right hind leg, Oscor looked the same as he had before the accident. Barraccus patted his head, glad to see him again, while the huge cat treated him with a throaty purr.

Alanon and Quae came up as he finished brushing the dust off himself from Oscor's enthusiastic greeting. "He's healed up fine and is as good as new," the druid said. "I was about to post you a letter, but you've saved me the trouble and yourself a trip. He's been lazing about here for a couple days, and I imagine he's ready for the road now." "Thank you, Alanon," Barraccus replied. "He looks great. I'm sure Dune'adah wouldn't mind a break." He gave his mount a final pat, then turned to the others.

Together, the three walked back to the house.

Barraccus and Quae: Feralas

Quae moved carefully through the ruins on Sardor Isle. The naga were oblivious to her presence, at least until she showed herself by attacking one. She was choosing a new target now, and settled on a female, a spellcaster she knew she could overpower quickly. She mentally ran through her list of spells, then stepped out from behind her pillar and went to work.

* * * * * * *
Barraccus' ghoul wandered through the forest. Barraccus changed its name regularly, usually depending on his mood or some outside influence. Due to the heat in this place, and its rather advanced state of decay, it was currently known as Stinky. It was a very simple creature, only wanting to please its Master. Right now its meager thoughts were taken up with its current mission. It knew its Master was nearby; it could feel Master in its head. There used to be Big Master too, but after Master ran away, he stopped listening to Big Master, so Stinky didn't listen to Him either.

It poked through the bushes and piles of dead leaves while it shambled along. It was supposed to help Master find his Lady Friend, but so far it had had no luck. It saw some ruins a little ways in the distance, and something told it that it would be a good place to search, so it went that way.

The ghoul had just reached the ruins when it heard a hissing noise and the sounds of fighting. Lifting its rotting head to the breeze, it sniffed. Yes! it thought, there is the Lady Friend! But it sounded like she was in trouble! It sped up to a trot and headed toward the sounds.

* * * * * * *

Quae had dispatched the female naga easily, but had not counted on a large male coming into sight just in time to see its companion fall. It charged her with a bellow; she had just enough time to throw up a shield of holy energy before it struck. The naga hissed in surprise when its weapon glanced off the shield, then again as its mind was seared by the shadow energy Quae wielded. She struck again, and the monster swung at her wildly, flailing in pain. The blow was absorbed by her shield again, but it was hard enough to knock her off her feet this time. She landed flat on her back, slightly winded but unhurt.

Before she could get up, she heard a sudden squeal to the side and glanced over. Her eyes widened in surprise as a ghoul charged out of the nearby undergrowth. She prepared a spell that would trap the undead and hold it in place until she had dealt with the naga, but before she could cast it, the ghoul jumped on the naga. A few blows from its claws, and the already weakened naga fell. The ghoul stopped and stood there, looking at Quae curiously. She was about to cast her spell when it tipped its head to one side and inquired, "La- dy?" She stopped. There was only one ghoul she knew that would act that way, and she looked around, searching for its master.

* * * * * * *

Barraccus was aware when his ghoul found Quae, and quickly headed in the direction he knew it was. He broke out from the trees and into some old ruins on the beach, then spotted them and trotted over, one hand hiding something behind his back. The grin on his face at seeing her was quickly erased, however, by the look on her face.

"What did you think you were doing? I had everything perfectly under control!" she shouted at him as he approached. He looked at her in confusion, until she gestured to the pair of dead naga, one sporting fresh claw marks. "Oh," he started to say, but she interrupted. "Do you think now that you have to escort me everywhere, just to keep me safe? How am I ever going to learn anything if you keep coming to my 'rescue'?" she continued. "But I-" he tried again. She stood, hands on hips, glaring at him, then at his ghoul. "I just wanted to find you," he said apologetically. "Stinky just got a little carried away." She raised one eyebrow. "Stinky?" Barraccus opened his mouth, thought better of it, then waved his hand in a gesture at his ghoul. It looked at him for a second, then crumpled, its bones quickly dissolving into the forest floor.

Quae looked slightly sickened, but quickly recovered. "Why are you out here anyway?" she asked, anger still in her voice. "You could have sent me a letter, like usual, and I would have met you at the house." He gave her a very hesitant grin. "I, uh, wanted to surprise you," he said sheepishly, and she snorted. "You did that, that's for sure. What did you want that couldn't wait?" "Well...I...Uh..." Suddenly he wasn't sure what to say. He figured that if he said what he had planned to, she would probably snap at him again. Finally he took a deep breath and blurted, "I was going to, uh, kidnap you for a few days? I've gotten leave-" She interrupted him again. "What? Barraccus, I'm busy here. These naga have been harassing Feathermoon Stronghold for weeks now, they need to be taught a lesson before anyone gets killed!" He opened his mouth, but she cut him off. "And no, I don't want you to help me. I've got it under control, Barraccus. I mean it, I'm not going to learn anything if you keep tracking me down and trying to bail me out of everything!" She turned her back on him, not wanting to see the hurt in his eyes, or for him to see the tears of frustration in her own.

Barraccus stared helplessly at her for a few moments, then suddenly remembered what he had hidden behind his back. He didn't know if it would be enough to make up for the trouble he was in, but... "Uh, Quae?" he asked, very softly. She turned back to him and saw what he held out to her, and suddenly all her anger drained away. "Oh, Barraccus," she said, then reached out and gently took the red rose from his hand.

* * * * * * *

They walked on the beach for a good few hours. With Barraccus there, the naga had made themselves scarce, and they soon passed out of the ruins and the naga's territory. Barraccus had his arm around her waist as they walked, and every now and then she would lean her head against his shoulder. They stopped just out of sight of Feathermoon Stronghold, and Quae turned to him. "What was that about kidnapping me?" she asked. He cleared his throat. "Remember what I said, back before I went after Rhokk? About going off somewhere, just the two of us?" he asked, and she nodded. "Like I tried to say, I have a few days leave from the Dragonblight, so if you're not too busy..." "Um, yea," she said sheepishly. "I think I can take a break for that." He hugged her closer. "Do you need to go home and pack anything?" he asked her, and she thought for a second. "No, I just need my things from Jaxom's packs. Where are we going?" He gave her a crooked grin, the one that made her forget what she was mad at him for. "How would you like to see Dalaran?" he asked.

Barraccus- what kind of D&D character would you be?

Found this on an RP guild's forum that I've been reading lately. It's a quiz to see what kind of D&D character you would be, only I answered it from Barraccus' POV. It was pretty darn cool.

I'm thinking of starting this as a meme (now that I know what those are), but I'm not going to tag anyone specifically. If you want to give this a try, go ahead and do it, then comment back here with your result (shortened version please :)) or a link to it if you have your own blog.

Quiz is here.
_________

And now, Barraccus' results-

I Am A: Neutral Good Human Ranger (10th Level)


Ability Scores:

Strength-18

Dexterity-16

Constitution-16

Intelligence-13

Wisdom-15

Charisma-13


Alignment:
Neutral Good A neutral good character does the best that a good person can do. He is devoted to helping others. He works with kings and magistrates but does not feel beholden to them. Neutral good is the best alignment you can be because it means doing what is good without bias for or against order. However, neutral good can be a dangerous alignment because it advances mediocrity by limiting the actions of the truly capable.


Race:
Humans are the most adaptable of the common races. Short generations and a penchant for migration and conquest have made them physically diverse as well. Humans are often unorthodox in their dress, sporting unusual hairstyles, fanciful clothes, tattoos, and the like.


Class:
Rangers are skilled stalkers and hunters who make their home in the woods. Their martial skill is nearly the equal of the fighter, but they lack the latter's dedication to the craft of fighting. Instead, the ranger focuses his skills and training on a specific enemy a type of creature he bears a vengeful grudge against and hunts above all others. Rangers often accept the role of protector, aiding those who live in or travel through the woods. His skills allow him to move quietly and stick to the shadows, especially in natural settings, and he also has special knowledge of certain types of creatures. Finally, an experienced ranger has such a tie to nature that he can actually draw on natural power to cast divine spells, much as a druid does, and like a druid he is often accompanied by animal companions. A ranger's Wisdom score should be high, as this determines the maximum spell level that he can cast.


Find out What Kind of Dungeons and Dragons Character Would You Be?, courtesy of Easydamus (e-mail)

Detailed Results:

Alignment:
Lawful Good ----- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (28)
Neutral Good ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (30)
Chaotic Good ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (19)
Lawful Neutral -- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (19)
True Neutral ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (21)
Chaotic Neutral - XXXXXXXXXX (10)
Lawful Evil ----- XXXXXXXXXXXX (12)
Neutral Evil ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXXX (14)
Chaotic Evil ---- XXX (3)

Law & Chaos:
Law ----- XXXXXXXXXXX (11)
Neutral - XXXXXXXXXXXXX (13)
Chaos --- XX (2)

Good & Evil:
Good ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX (17)
Neutral - XXXXXXXX (8)
Evil ---- X (1)

Race:
Human ---- XXXXXXXXXXXXXX (14)
Dwarf ---- XXXXXXXXXXXX (12)
Elf ------ XXXXXX (6)
Gnome ---- XXXXXXXX (8)
Halfling - XXXXXX (6)
Half-Elf - XXXXXXXX (8)
Half-Orc - XXXX (4)

Class:
Barbarian - (-4)
Bard ------ (0)
Cleric ---- (-2)
Druid ----- (0)
Fighter --- XX (2)
Monk ------ (-19)
Paladin --- (-17)
Ranger ---- XXXXXX (6)
Rogue ----- (-8)
Sorcerer -- (0)
Wizard ---- (0)
______________

So go have fun with it! And Happy Hunting!

Barraccus and Quae

Inspired by this quest, which Barraccus just completed. :)
Enjoy! Also, Zomg they have a fight?!?
__________________

Barraccus stormed into the house, startling Quae as she sat reading a book. Riatha followed him in, saying, “Please just calm down. There’s nothing you can do to change things now.” Quae stood up quickly. “Barraccus? What’s wrong?” He stopped and looked at her; some of his anger seemed to drain away. He sat down heavily on the couch. “I was that close,” he held his hands out about a foot apart, “to possibly finishing Arthas, and I couldn’t move,” he told her. “What?!” she exclaimed. “What do you mean, finishing Arthas? Tell me what happened, please!” Riatha shook her head and went to stand in a corner. He looked at her, then focused back on Quae.

“We were at Westgarde Keep,” he started. “I was sent to this place called Gjalerbron, to kill some vrykul and stop some ritual their queen was performing. Well, I had no trouble with them, but the queen was doing some sort of spell to revive their king, or something. After I killed her, I was about to finish off the king when HE showed up, right next to me!”

Quae stared at him in alarm. “Arthas did?” she asked him, disbelievingly. He nodded, some of the rage coming back. “I couldn’t move; it was like I was frozen. He spouted off some nonsense, and ported himself and that vrykul king out of there.” He clenched one fist. “I could have ended him right then and there, if I could have just been able to swing my axe.”

“Or,” Quae interrupted, “he could have killed you.” He turned to her, startled by the anger he heard in her voice. “Barraccus,” she said before he even opened his mouth. “Why do you have to be the one to kill Arthas? He’s too powerful for one person alone, even if you do think you’re invincible.” He stared at her. “But-" She stood up suddenly, cutting him off, her voice rising. “I know, you want to keep him away from me, from all of us. But have you considered what it would do to me if you get yourself killed, chasing after Arthas like this? Or is it alright if you die, just so long as the rest of us are safe?” She abruptly turned away from him, but not before he saw the tears starting in her eyes.

Alanon came inside at that moment, his hands full of herbs from the gardens. He stopped at the doorway and looked questioningly at Riatha, Is it safe to come in? She shook her head slightly. Unnoticed by the other two, she got up and walked outside, followed by the druid.

Barraccus stood, then went to Quae and hesitantly put his arms around her. She stood stiffly, but didn’t protest. “Quae,” he began softly, then found he couldn’t think of anything to say. She made no reply, but she did gradually relax enough to lean back against him. “Quae,” he tried again. “I’m sorry. It’s just that no one is safe until he’s stopped. When I think of something happening to you….” She finally turned to face him. “But you can’t do everything, Barraccus. I’m not stupid, and Northrend is a long ways away from here. You trust me to take care of myself here; can’t you let me do the same while you’re up there?” He held her tighter as he sighed. “I’ll try, Quae. I really will. I promise.”

Now she finally put her arms around him. As he leaned down for a kiss, she said, “I’m still mad at you.” But she didn’t sound like it.

Barraccus: Vengeance

This is immediately after this part. Short story is short?
____________________

Barraccus allowed Quae to lead him out the door. Once outside, though, he suddenly pulled Quae to a stop. He led her over to the side of the house, where his deathcharger was cropping grass alongside Crison’s. It raised its head and watched as he walked up to it and placed a hand on its nose. Quae stepped up beside him. “Is there something wrong, Barraccus?” she asked him. “No,” he answered quietly. “I was just thinking.” He stood silent for a bit, gathering his thoughts.

Riatha came over while he was thinking and went to the other side, stroking his charger’s neck. He barely glanced at her before continuing. “I’ve never named this horse. He’s been a good mount, but I hardly even thought of him once I had gotten Oscor. I certainly never rode him anymore. But now…”

The deathcharger snorted, then nosed his hand, looking for a treat. He rubbed its muzzle a bit, then let it wander off in search of better grass. “Arthas, the Lich King, has taken everything I cared about. I’ve found other things to care for, and now he threatens to take those too. I’m not the only one either. How many other families have been torn apart because of him? How many orphans and widows have been made? He must be stopped, before he does further damage.” He turned to Quae, and the look in his eyes almost stunned her with its intensity. “He has to be stopped, before he takes more from me,” he said quietly. She started to reach for him with one hand, but stopped herself and let him finish.

He turned back to the dark horse. “So, I thought of a name while we rode back here. And when we reach that final battle with Arthas, I won’t be riding Oscor; I’ll leave him somewhere safe. I’ll be on this horse that he gave me, this horse that I’ve named Dune’adah.”

“Dune’adah,” Quae softly repeated the Darnassian word. She shared a look with Riatha, one tinged with fear. “Vengeance.”

Barraccus: Oscor

This is several days after the last one. Rhokk is recuperating under Alanon's care, so Barraccus and Riatha have headed back to Northrend.

____________________________

Barraccus liked going up the steep, narrow trail even less than he had liked going down.

He and Riatha had been in Howling Fjord for a few days now. After Alanon had taken over Rhokk's care, they had agreed that until he was better, the less Rhokk saw of the death knights, Barraccus especially, the better. Crison had vanished, going her own way without telling anyone. Quae was staying in Ashenvale to help her brother. So Barraccus and Riatha had found themselves at Westgarde Keep, helping out with everything from lost cannonballs to invading vrykul.

This morning they had found a path down to the beach on the western coast, and Riatha convinced him to go exploring. They had found Scourge necromancers there, turning the murlocs into undead, and had felt it their duty to "take care" of the problem. After several hours, they finally retrieved their mounts and headed back to the Keep.

Barraccus tried to ignore the occasional gravel that rattled down past him, knocked loose by Riatha as she went on ahead. He encouraged Oscor with pats and quiet words as the big saber picked his way up the steep path.



He had no idea what caused it. One minute they were still heading up, where the top of the trail was finally coming into view, then something happened. Loose rocks that slipped from under Oscor's paws, a piece of the trail breaking free, or something. Whatever it was, Barraccus suddenly felt his mount lurch, then he was staring down into space. He had enough time to try to get free of the saddle and tell himself that this was going to hurt, then he hit the bottom and blacked out.

He was only out for a moment, then he slowly blinked back to consciousness. He was on his back, staring up at the sky. He thought he could feel Oscor's warm bulk next to him. He attempted to raise his head; except for a slight headache, it felt fine. When he tried to sit up, however...

"Ooooooh." It felt like at least one rib was broken. He carefully tested his arms and legs and found they still worked. Oscor must have cushioned him somewhat from the brunt of the fall...

Oscor!

He sat up as quickly as he coud despite his ribs. He heard Riatha call from above, and was distantly glad she had escaped the fall. But right now his eyes were fixed on his mount, who lay nearby, eyes closed and sides heaving as he panted. There was blood all over the ground. He knelt by the big cat's head, noticing with a trace of fear the blood staining the fur around his mouth and nose. "Oscor," he said softly. One ear twitched, then the saber opened eyes bright with pain. Barraccus gently touched his head, then looked over the cat's body. He couldn't see where the blood had come from, but it looked like the hind leg on the side he was laying on was twisted. He heard Riatha gasp behind him, and turned. She stared at Oscor just a second longer, her face pale, then said quickly, 'I'll get Alanon." She turned her mount and raced away.

Barraccus unfastened the saddle harness, then sat by Oscor's head and waited. He wasn't concerned with his own injuries; he could heal them himself by killing one of the nearby Scourge and absorbing its life energies. But he could do nothing for his saber except try to make him more comfortable, and keep him company.

The afternoon sun beat down on them, and Barraccus was trying to find some way to shade Oscor's head when he heard wingbeats above him. A large purple bird flew down and landed next to him, then Alanon was bending over the huge saber. Barraccus jumped up and immediately winced as his ribs stabbed with pain. He blurted out what had happened as the druid examined the cat. "He's not injured on this side," Alanon observed. "Let's see if he can turn over, so I can see the other side." He crouched by Oscor's head and began murmuring a calming spell as Riatha rode up, looking anxious. Once Oscor's eyes glazed over, the two of them managed to heave the big cat over. Barraccus winced again.

The hind leg on that side was quite clearly broken, the thighbone jutting from a large tear in the skin. As they settled him on the other side, it started bleeding again. Alanon went to it quickly and began a healing spell, running his hands over the gash. The bleeding slowed, and he had Riatha help him pull the leg out straight, then continued his spell. Once that wound was mostly closed, he examined the big cat further. Finally he turned to Barraccus.

"That leg needs further healing, and he has some internal injuries," he told him. "I can't help him much here, but what I can do is this: I can teleport him with me to the Moonglade, and there I will have help to finish healing him. You won't be able to ride him for a while, but he will recover." Barraccus nodded. "That sounds fine, Alanon. Please do it." "Will you be all right here, Barraccus?" the druid asked. "Yea, I can summon Dune'adah, and ride him until Oscor is better," he replied. "Go on, please. I know he's in pain." Alanon nodded, then knelt by the saber's head and put his hands on him. A faint glow surrounded them, which grew brighter until with a flash, the druid and saber disappeared.

Riatha looked worriedly at Barraccus. "Are you okay?" she asked him. He stood and winced again. "I will be. Let's just get back to the Keep." He closed his eyes and concentrated, calling his deathcharger from the shadow realm. With a swirl and a loud neigh, Dune'adah appeared beside him, and he mounted the charger and followed Riatha back up the cliff, much more slowly this time.


____________________________

There is a story behind his deathcharger's name, too. I'm still working on it, but it should be done soon.

Barraccus: Scars

"I don't remember all of what they did to me," Barraccus said. "But what I do remember is more than enough." He stared into space for a little bit, until Quae's hand on his arm broke his reverie. "They didn't torture me just for fun," he continued. "I have no idea why he didn't just kill me outright and then raise me, but he seemed determined to break my spirit first. I don't know if I'll ever understand why.

"They had some healers among them, though calling them 'healers' may be a bit of a stretch. They could mend the body, but often they left the pain behind, so that after they slit your stomach open, then closed the wound, you still felt as though your guts were hanging outside your body. They did that to me often enough." He had removed his armor before, now he pulled his shirt off over his head. Across his stomach was a pale line, looking like a crease in his skin. He twisted around in his chair then, letting them see the raised line that zigzagged crazily across his back, just under his shoulder blades. It almost resembled some kind of ritualized tattoo. "They used a sharpened hot poker, piercing the skin and stabbing it underneath just a few inches. It cauterized the wound right away so there was little blood. I think that was the first one to get infected; they didn't bother much with cleanliness. Also, they didn't go the whole way across at once; it took them several days." He rubbed at his shoulder, where there were other scars; for some of them it was easy to guess how they had happened. He made no mention of them, though, and no one wanted to ask him.

He sat back in his chair, playing with the shirt in his hands. After a bit he pulled it back on. "There are others of course. They whipped me bloody, I don't remember how many times. There are things they did that left no scars, not on the outside, at least. Potions that they forced into me, that felt like fire crawling through my veins. They also had a rack, if you can believe it, and they knew how to use it. But with everything they did, they were always careful not to cripple me in any way. My hands, for example; they did nothing to my hands, or my arms. They broke no bones, although at times it felt like they did. My guess is that he wanted his 'pet' to be as perfect as possible; after all, he already knew what a fighter I was."

He blew out a breath. Quae reached out and took his hand, and he smiled at her. "I was a little surprised, our first night, when you didn't seem to mind the scars. I had thought they might frighten you." Quae gave him a look that clearly said he was being silly. "If you think a few scars would put me off, after I had spent all that time trying to get you to notice me..." She trailed off, then looked at the others and blushed. He grinned, raising her hand to his lips and kissing her fingers. Then he turned back to the group, sobering. "So, on to the mental part of the torture.

"I have one great comfort regarding my family. None of them were raised as undead; there just wasn't enough left of them to raise. That was little comfort at the time, however, as I was forced to see them torn to pieces in front of me, again and again. Closing my eyes never helped, since the images would keep playing behind my eyelids. I thought I would go mad from that alone.” He paused then, his eyes looking someplace far away. “He…. He gets in your head,” he continued softly. “He finds what hurts you the most- crushes any hope you might have- until you will do anything he asks, no matter how terrible, just to make it stop.” Quae, with a worried look on her face, started to reach toward him, but stopped as Alanon shook his head at her. Let him finish, he mouthed at her, and she sat back, though she continued to watch him worriedly.

“I have no idea how I broke free of him. One minute he was there in my head, as strong as ever, then suddenly he was like a faint whisper. I know now that he simply relaxed his hold on us all; after all, he thought we were all about to be destroyed. How could even he have known the paladins would spare us?"

The others jumped slightly as Alanon’s voice broke into the spell that Barraccus’ words had woven. “So you have no idea how you broke away?” he asked, just as quietly as the death knight. “Nothing you can tell us?” Barraccus hadn’t jumped; he still sat as if in a trance. He blinked a few times as he thought. “I…I’m not sure. I know that I was tired of the killing, the wanton waste of life. When I realized that we were losing, I felt like it must end. I can’t remember anything, though, except thinking to myself, ‘Enough!’ It just…happened…” He gave a weak half-shrug as he trailed off. Quae looked at Alanon almost desperately, and finally he gave her a slight nod. She got up and went to the death knight, putting her arms around his shoulders as she began murmuring to him. He seemed to come back to himself, though his eyes still looked haunted. He looked around the room at the others as if surprised that they were all still there.

Alanon cleared his throat. “I think we’ll need to think on this,” he said. “Thank you, Barraccus. I know it was hard to talk about it.” He gave the death knight a wry grin. “Why don’t you take a break? I know Quae has been itching to drag you off somewhere.” Quae shot her brother an indignant look as she blushed. But she wasted no time in taking Barraccus’ hand and pulling him out toward the door.
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Got a few ideas running around in my head, so the next post may or may not be the next chapter in this story. We shall see. :)

Barraccus and Rhokk: Part 6

Read this part first.
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Now that they were all mounted, they made much better time. They crossed into Ashenvale after just a few more days, and rode into the yard in a light rain. As Crison helped Rhokk get off the deathcharger, Barraccus headed into the house to find Alanon. He found the druid in the kitchen and, after a warm greeting, proceeded to fill him in on everything that had happened in the Plaguelands. “So that’s about it,” he finished. “We didn’t know what else to do, so I’m hoping maybe you can get through to him.” Alanon started to reply when suddenly from upstairs there came a call, "Barraccus?" Barraccus’ face lit up as he moved toward the stairs. Quae came running down and leaped into his arms, and he spun her around, laughing. He set her down as he came to a stop, saying, "See, I told you I'd be back." Her response was to take his face in her hands and kiss him.

Crison came inside then, assisting Rhokk, who was looking around as if in a daze. He looked first toward Alanon as the druid came in from the kitchen, and the draenei’s eyes widened in disbelief. He then turned to Quae, and saw her standing with Barraccus’ arms around her. Something flickered across his face, too fast to see, and he suddenly yelled, surprising them all. All except Crison, who was still holding his bonds. She took a firmer hold and managed to hold him back as he lunged at Barraccus.

"RHOKK!!"

Whsssshht!

When the frost motes filling the air subsided, Rhokk was standing with his lower half shrouded in ice. Barraccus had shoved Quae back and stood protectively in front of her, one hand still held out, frost clinging to his gauntlet. They all stood as frozen as Rhokk for a few minutes, until the druid broke the stunned silence.

“I think perhaps you should wait outside, Barraccus,” Alanon said, watching Rhokk warily. Then his gaze shifted to take in the other death knights. “All of you, please.” As the three filed out the door, he added, “Quae, stay with me. I’ll need your mind-magic.” The priestess gave Barraccus a quick kiss on the cheek, then went to join her brother.

Barraccus found himself fidgeting, unable to keep still. Riatha watched him with some concern, while Crison simply made herself comfortable under a tree and appeared to be taking a nap. Barraccus was startled when she suddenly broke the silence. “So, a death knight and a priestess of Elune,” she said. “You do like to make things hard, don’t you?” Barraccus flushed. “And..? We know the potential problems, and how we deal with them is our decision.” She opened one eye to look at him. “No need to get snappy,” she told him. “I didn't mean anything by it. Heck, I suppose it could be worse.” They all lapsed back into silence until at long last, Alanon came to let them back in. The look on the druid's face spoke volumes.

“We can’t help him, not like this,” Alanon said as they filed inside and stood around him. “We don’t know what is wrong with him, and without knowing what we’re facing, I’m afraid to try anything; we might just make him worse. He seems to believe that you killed us all, Barraccus, and now that he’s seen us he doesn’t know what to think. I hope he doesn’t go comatose on us, like what happened to you.” He sighed, looking as close to hopeless as Barraccus had ever seen him. It shook the death knight, even more so when the druid turned to him with obvious reluctance.

“I think,” Alanon said, as he looked at Barraccus with sympathy, “It might be best if you told us what you went through while you were a prisoner of that necromancer, as much as you can remember. It will probably help us understand what is going on in Rhokk’s head.” Barraccus stared at him for a minute, his expression unreadable. “Let…let me think about it a moment,” he said faintly, and he left them, going out to the porch. Quae looked at her brother almost angrily. “Are you sure it’s necessary?” she asked him. He nodded firmly. “Quae, it might be our only chance. Go talk to him, please.” She gave him an agonized look, but did as he asked.

After several minutes, Barraccus came back in, Quae at his side. He looked at Alanon expressionlessly. “All right,” was all he said, and he went into the kitchen and sat down, staring at the tabletop. Alanon allowed himself a sigh of relief, then looked to the others. “This is important for Quae and I only, but the rest of you can listen in if you’d like. I doubt an audience will make a difference to him,” he told them. Crison immediately went in and leaned against the stove. Riatha also went in, but more hesitantly, and sat down next to Quae, as if to offer emotional support. Barraccus looked around at them all, then let out a deep breath. “Okay, let’s get this over with,” he said, and began.
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Still working on the next part, though it's almost done. I'll get it posted asap. :)

Also, Barraccus has started on the Wrathgate pre-quests, so look for more stories as soon as Crison and I wrap this up!

Barraccus and Rhokk: Part 5

Rhokk stirred, then slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was Crison, who noticed he was awake and spoke quietly to someone nearby. That someone came into his field of vision, and suddenly he was filled with rage. As Barraccus looked down at him he started thrashing around, trying to get free, but the ropes were sturdy and securely knotted. He could barely hear Barraccus' voice. "Rhokk, please calm down. Talk to us, what is wrong?" He finally stilled, and glared at the death knight for a moment before he looked away, refusing to acknowledge either of the others.

After several minutes of trying to get Rhokk to talk to them, Barraccus finally gave up and looked helplessly at Crison. "Now what?" She shook her head, studying the draenei. "We need to make a more secure camp before it gets any darker. I'm sure you don't want to spend the night with the Scourge," she finally said.

They found a copse of reasonably sturdy trees and made a camp. They carefully loosened Rhokk’s bonds so that he could move a little and use his hands. Barraccus expected him to try and break free, but he sat still while they did it. He still refused to look at either of them and ignored the food they offered, until finally Barraccus left it sitting on the ground near him. When he looked back later, Rhokk hadn’t changed his position but the food was gone.

Two days later, Barraccus was at his wit’s end. Rhokk still would not acknowledge either of them. He did eat the food they gave him, but not until they left him alone. Crison was also out of patience, and suggested in a bit of temper that if Rhokk wanted to duke it out, she was more than ready. Finally Barraccus had enough. “I don’t know what else to do here. I think we should take him to Alanon. Maybe he can do something.” Crison agreed. “How are we going to get him there, though?” she asked. “I have another mount at Southshore," Barraccus told her. "Until we get there, we can take turns on yours, and Rhokk can ride mine. He’s steady enough.” “Alright then,” she replied. “Let’s get going.”

They wound up tying Rhokk to the saddle on Barraccus’ deathcharger. “I am sorry about this, Rhokk,” he said quietly. “I wish you would let us help you.” The draenei ignored him, and Barraccus sighed. They headed out, with Barraccus leading his charger by the reins. As they traveled, the death knights tried to make small talk in the hope that Rhokk might respond to something. “Does your charger have a name?” Crison asked Barraccus at one point. He turned to look at it while they walked. “Not yet,” he finally replied. “But I have an idea.” He didn’t elaborate, and after a few minutes Crison changed the subject.

That night after they made camp, Barraccus crouched down next to where Rhokk was sitting against a tree. The shaman turned his head away, not quite hiding the rage and hate in his eyes. Barraccus just looked at him sadly. "He did this to you, didn't he?" he whispered, just loud enough for Rhokk to hear. "Arthas is in your head somehow. I just hope we're not too late, and Alanon can help you." Rhokk stirred a little at that. "Don't say his name, murderer!" he whispered back hoarsely. Barraccus looked at him curiously, but the draenei had gone back to ignoring him, and he finally left him to go find his bedroll.

They reached Southshore just a couple days later, and Barraccus immediately went to the stable master to fetch Oscor. He saddled the saber quickly and transferred the packs over, then they set off toward home.

Barraccus and Rhokk: Part 4

Read this first. Also, fight scene ftw!
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The last thing Barraccus expected, as he approached Rhokk, was for the shaman to jump back to his feet and attack him. He dodged nimbly out of the way, then swore softly as Rhokk's swing hit Crison instead. She dropped, unconscious. Then he had no time to worry about her, as Rhokk was on him again.

The shaman was fast, and his exhaustion was the only thing that kept his blows from landing for the first few minutes. Barraccus fought defensively, blocking Rhokk's attacks but not making any of his own. He jumped back as one strike got through to clang against his armor, then both combatants stood still for a moment, catching their breath. Barraccus tried to reason with the draenei. "Rhokk, what is wrong? I'm your friend, why are you doing this?" Rhokk's face became an ugly snarl. "Friend? Ha! You killed them all!!" With that he leaped at the death knight, resuming the fight.

Barraccus was confused. Killed them all? Killed who? But he couldn't think about it much more as it took all he had to fend off the shaman. Another blow got through his defenses to graze his arm, then Rhokk barreled into him, knocking them both down. Barraccus rolled clear as another strike brushed his head, narrowly missing getting knocked unconscious. He jumped back to his feet, and as Rhokk rushed him again, he whispered, "Please forgive me." He parried Rhokk's next swing, then brought the blunt side of his axe up and struck the draenei hard on the head. Rhokk stood in confusion for a second, then crumpled at his feet.

A couple hours later, Barraccus was letting Crison check the bandage on his arm. The gash wasn't very big but had bled profusely. Rhokk was lying next to them, trussed up so completely that he couldn't move. Barraccus looked at him sadly. "Is all that really necessary?" he asked. "Would you rather have him break free and kill us both?" Crison replied. "You know how strong he is." Barraccus sighed but gave up the argument.

They waited for him to wake.

Barraccus and Rhokk: Part 3

Don't forget to check on Crison's blog here to see what's happening with Rhokk.

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Barraccus wandered through the Plaguewood, searching as he went. He did not get far before he discovered a recently abandoned campsite and found a faint trail, but he lost it quickly. He had to watch out for the packs of undead that roamed the 'Wood as well, but he had no troubles with them; the few Scourge that discovered him he cut down mercilessly. At times he could see his wife's or sons' faces while he swung his axe, but he continued on relentlessly.

He found no more signs that day, and made camp after darkness fell in a small stand of sickly-looking trees. His deathcharger stood guard outside. His last thought, before sleep took him, was that he had never named it.

Rhokk, where could you be hiding? he thought on the morning of the third day. The Plaguewood was big, but not that big, yet he had seen nothing other than a couple more abandoned campsites. Any trails he found were lost after a few yards. He finally decided he had to search closer to Stratholme, which he had been avoiding up til now. Touching his heels to his nameless charger, he moved on.

He came within sight of the ruins of Stratholme shortly after noon, having traveled slowly so he could search along the way. Starting at one side of the lake in front of the gates, he worked his way along the shore. As he went, however, he began to feel uneasy, like he was being watched. He saw nothing, but still tried to keep under cover as much as possible.

He reached the front gates of the ruined city, then finally, he spotted something. He dismounted and crept up as close as he dared, peering through the branches of a tree. There was a huddled shape near the gate, and after a minute's study Barraccus knew that it was Rhokk. Filled with both relief and apprehension, he got to his feet and began walking toward the draenei.

"I wouldn't get too close to him if I were you."

Barraccus whirled, drawing his axe from his back and dropping to a defensive crouch. Sitting underneath a nearby tree was a human. No, he corrected himself, seeing her glowing eyes. A death knight.

Staying in his position in case she attacked, Barraccus studied her, as she studied him. After several tense minutes, something in his mind clicked, and he relaxed his stance, lowering his axe. "You're Crison, aren't you?" he asked her. She nodded. "Very good guess. How did you know?" "Rhokk sent me a letter a few days ago," he told her. "He mentioned you. He said you abandoned him." She narrowed her eyes. "I never abandoned him. But he has gotten too dangerous to be around. He doesn't know his friends from his enemies anymore. I've been watching him... from a safe distance." "What is wrong with him?" Barraccus asked. "Do you know?"

Before Crison could answer, they heard a muffled shout. Barraccus spun towards Rhokk, only to see the draenei climb to his feet and start yelling and shaking his fists at... nothing. Barraccus watched, his concern growing, as Rhokk drew his weapons and rushed at a stand of skinny trees. He began attacking them, felling them one at a time. When the last tree fell, so did Rhokk, collapsing in obvious exhaustion. He curled into a ball and began crying softly.

Barraccus turned in confusion to Crison. She looked back at him with one eyebrow quirked. "You see what I mean now? That's not the first time he's done that, and he's getting worse." Barraccus shook his head and sighed. "But I have to help him. That's why I came," he said quietly. "It's your funeral," the other death knight replied. "But I'll try to help any way I can." Barraccus nodded his thanks then turned back to Rhokk. He gasped.

A blue glow was hovering above Rhokk's body. As the death knights watched, it slowly formed itself into the shape of a wolf. The ghostly animal looked down at Rhokk sadly; Barraccus thought he heard it whine. Then it suddenly looked up at him. As its translucent eyes met his, he gasped again. Then abruptly the wolf shimmered and disappeared. Barraccus stared at the spot where it had stood for several minutes, then turned to Crison. "Has that ever happened before?" he asked, and she shook her head. "I've seen things around him, but never anything clear. That's the first time I've seen what it was."

Barraccus turned back to Rhokk, then started slowly toward him. He couldn't get the look in the ghost wolf's eyes out of his mind.

It had been a plea for help.

Slowly, carefully, the death knight approached the fallen shaman.

Barraccus and Rhokk: Part 2

Alanon studied the letter. "I think you were right to show this to me," he said. "Even though I can't make sense of it either. You're sure about going, Barraccus?" The death knight nodded firmly. "Whatever is going on, if Arthas is behind it then I need to stop it. I can't have a repeat of...." He stopped and swallowed hard. "He won't take another friend or family member from me again." Quae, sitting next to him, put an arm around him comfortingly. "It's rather late for traveling today," Alanon said. "You'll leave in the morning?" Barraccus nodded.

That night as they lay in bed, Barraccus held Quae close. With Alanon and Riatha sleeping in the other beds, they couldn't do much more than cuddle, but Barraccus had felt bad about asking them to stay downstairs another night. He was almost asleep when he felt Quae shudder against him. He reached over to turn her face toward his, then gently wiped tears from her cheeks. "Quae," he said softly. "It will be alright. Nothing will happen to me this time." She sniffed and wiped her eyes. "It feels like I just got you back, and now you're leaving again," she said, just as quietly. "I know," he replied. "Maybe after this we can go somewhere, like a vacation. Just us, for a week or two. What do you think?" She smiled through her tears at him. "I just wish I was going with you," she said. He immediately shook his head. "You're not ready for the Plaguelands yet. You still have some training to do before then." "I know that," she replied, sounding almost angry, and he placed a placating hand on one of hers. "Rhokk's letter said not to tell anyone. I've already broken that part, but it's still best I go alone." She sighed, then pressed against him, burying her face in his chest. "Just make sure you come back in one piece," she told him, her voice muffled. He wrapped his arms around her. "I'll come back, I promise. I will come back."

The next morning he prepared to leave. As he finished fastening the saddlebags to Oscor, Alanon went over some final things with him. "Remember not to eat or drink anything but what you've brought once you get to Tirisfal," the druid was saying. Barraccus turned to him with a wry expression. "Do you think it would really harm me that much?" he asked, and Alanon studied him for a bit. "I suppose not," he admitted with a sigh. Barraccus turned to Quae, who stood nearby. She came forward and hugged him tightly, and he kissed her forehead. When she stepped back, all she said was, "Find him, Barraccus. Find him and get the both of you home safe."

He mounted Oscor and was soon on his way. He pushed the big saber hard, and arrived at Southshore in record time. He left Oscor there; he didn't want to risk his prized mount through the plague-infested lands he would be traveling in soon. Instead, he walked out of the town, then when he was out of sight he stopped and concentrated. Suddenly his deathcharger materialized next to him in a swirl of dark energy. He fastened his packs onto its back, mounted and continued on his way.

He rode north to Chillwind Camp, where he stopped to ask after Rhokk. He found one person that remembered seeing the draenei, who told him that Rhokk had mentioned heading to Light's Hope Chapel, to aid the Argent Dawn there.

Light's Hope. The name brought back memories, mostly ones that he wished would remain buried. He thanked the man distractedly and rode on.

His deathcharger was tireless, unlike Oscor, and Barraccus didn't stop until he was about to fall out of the saddle. He made a hurried camp, left his charger to guard and fell into sleep. He woke after only a couple hours, and pressed on. He reached Light's Hope late that day. It was extremely uncomfortable for him to be there, after all that had happened when he had last been there, but the paladins that remained all accepted him without question. He found a member of the Argent Dawn who had spoken to Rhokk and asked him about the shaman's possible whereabouts. "He hasn't been in for days now," the paladin said. "Last time he was, he headed out in the direction of the Plaguewood. Be real careful, son. He wasn't acting quite right last time. He tried to attack our quartermaster." Barraccus raised an eyebrow at that, but didn't dispute it; if Rhokk's letter was any indication, the draenei was capable of anything now.

He spent the night there at the Chapel, then headed out at dawn. The trip to the Plaguewood did not take long. Once there, Barraccus slowed his mount to a walk and began his search.

Barraccus and Rhokk: Part 1

Starting a collaboration between myself and Crison of Unholy Presence. To read all of the letter Barraccus gets, check it out here.
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Barraccus got his mail out of the mailbox, then went inside the Astranaar inn to read it. Quae had already gotten hers; it looked to him like it was mostly notices from the auction house. Most must have sold, from the pleased expression on her face. He glanced through his own mail and found a few notices of his own, then a letter on the bottom of the stack. Before opening it, he paused and looked at Quae for a bit.

She had hardly left his side for the last 4 days, ever since she had braved the Emerald Dream and convinced him to return to his life. He still found it hard to believe sometimes that she loved him, or that he returned the feeling. He knew it was true though; no other reason could explain the way she helped him through his grief over his lost family, or how she nursed him back to health after his self-induced coma.

Quae noticed him staring at her and quirked an eyebrow at him questioningly. He gave her a reassuring smile, then turned back to his letter. He was startled to see it was from Rhokk. He hadn't heard from the draenei since Rhokk had gone to the Plaguelands weeks earlier. He opened it, read through it, and felt the blood drain from his face.

Barraccus I need your help... The words in the letter were scrambled, barely coherent. ...killed so many... Parts of sentences jumped out at him. ... I knew you were a Death Knight... His hands shook slightly as he re-read it. ...Crison...she saved me...left me to die... I've gone insane... His eyes locked onto two words at the end of the letter...Lich King.

What was going on?

* * * * * * * *

Quae watched Barraccus as he turned to his last piece of mail, a letter by the look of it. He had changed since his memory had returned; most of the stuttering and shyness had vanished. He was more self-assured now, stronger, and he was proving to have a stubborn streak to match her own. All told, she rather liked the changes.

But right now she wasn't thinking of all that. She kept thinking of her conversations, with him and with Alanon, shortly after he had woken from his coma. She couldn't stop thinking about it.

"Quae, you do know what this means, don't you?"
"Yes I do. A priestess and an undead, even one that's free of the Lich King. It's anathema."
"And does he know what could come of this?"
"Yes, Alanon. He does."

"A death knight and a priestess, what kind of chance do we have?"
"I'm not sure how long we can really be together."
"I have to go back, and try to finish what was started."
"I want to do whatever I can to make the time we do have, the best possible. This I promise, Quae.”

She watched as he opened his letter and started reading, and sighed. Now she remembered a night long ago, in a small clearing in the Moonglade. She had just started her training as a priestess of Elune, and had discovered a natural affinity to the shadowy side of Her magic. Her trainers had been upset and forbidden her to practice it until she was much farther in her training. Severely disappointed, the headstrong young night elf had run away from the Temple of the Moon and found her way to the Moonglade, wanting to be alone. But when a stray moonbeam found her in an otherwise moonless night, she had learned she would never truly be alone, as Elune Herself spoke to her for several hours.

"You will be my priestess, no matter what they say. I will never leave you, daughter."

Lost in her memories, she didn't notice at first when Barraccus stiffened, but she did notice his face go pale. Alarmed, she stood and went over to him. "What is it, Barraccus? What's wrong?" He looked at her, his eyes wide and full of worry. "It's Rhokk. I think he's in trouble."

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To be continued....