The druidess hauled the heavy bag through various outpost. Tagged on the outside it was a clear Kaldorei marker letting others know that inside the individual was deceased. Anyone who checked the body bag would find the corpse of one Araane Stormwarder, cleverly disguised under a fair amount of Fae Magic. The druidess would haul the bag for countless hours taking more confusing paths the most might imagine, each step checked and rechecked with Fae magic, the handy sprite darter ensuring that in this case she was followed by no one.
A sound had gone out, the only Underboss of the Devilclaw still actively in service as she declared in a cold voice “Time of Death 2:32 Hours Ironforge Standard time. Until Further notice, I am assuming command operations of the Devilclaw and pursuing an investigation into the murder of Araane Stomrwarder”
She knew that her rouse would not last under a great deal of scrutiny, her medical team, the newblood Kas, Azaerl, and Cali were all very aware that the Ursine leader of the Devilclaw still drew breath, but it was the Druidess hope that their stones were being monitored, that their operations had been compromised enough that she could use this moment to turn the cults or whatever this was against them.
Alnarra didn’t have much knowledge at running any kind of criminal operations and certainly not the empire that the Devilclaw had come to regain in the past year, but she knew how to fight cults. This for her was the very core of her knowledge base, thriving in dismantling and destroying them. For the first time in a while she felt as if she had more then purpose, she had a clear understanding of the situation.
So she made her way into the quiet tree line of Duskwood, the former home of the Devilclaw, and over many a broken branch and limb, through hush forest she carried the Devilclaw’s true leader to a safe house of which the location was known to none but herself.
Passing the simple mason work wall and traveling inside she was quick to find a bedroom stocked full with Medical supplies and more then enough for her to look after her compatriot druidess. Setting her down in the bed, she unzipped the bag and pulled back the covers, going to strip the other druidess down and give a painstaking examination to ensure there were no other wounds then the punctured kidney. Once she was satisfied she made sure to put the woman in a comfortable hospital gown
Finally confident that their location was secure and that the younger druidess had no other injuries she began to attach IV’s and the like, making sure that Araane got her fluids and was cared for. She pulled up next to the woman in a chair, her eyes tired for a whole myriad of other reasons, but right now there was a laser like focus. In her hands a small cup of tea that she sipped on, pulling away to brush her fingers gently against the other’s face.
“I’m sorry for all the secrecy that you’re going to wake up to… I know that you can’t really hear me. But… I am hoping at least that someone takes the bait, when you wake up you can feel free to yell at me… scream at me, but know that what I’m doing, I’m doing to protect the organization.” Her hand traveled further down the woman’s face and then to her hair, toying with it.
“I know that you and me don’t stay on good terms, we’re always fighting about something, I know Gwen will be distraught if it was her who did this to you. I just hope you trust me on this one. Maybe… just maybe we can root out whoever attacked Gwen in the first place and cross an enemy of the Devilclaw off the list”
The druidess shook her head a bit sitting back in the chair not wanting to fall asleep, intent to watch over the other. She pulled the covers up gently and moved her hand down to take Araane’s own, “You and I have got to stop coming so close to death Butterbear… I don’t think my heart can take it anymore. In a lot of ways you.. and Alice are the only real family I have left”
“I wish we could talk about… all the craziness, but I imagine when you wake it will be back to the grindstone again, there’s always more work to be done” she scooted the chair a bit closer to the bed’s frame leaning her head over and giving a little sigh “Rest well butterbear… my sweet sweet bear, rest well and we’ll deal with this when you wake up”
The night would progress for what likely was hours as she kept by the other’s side, never for a moment closing her eyes never for an instant letting go of the other elf’s hand. She bit her lip in the small confined room and in that moment did what she thought was best, praying to the Goddess.
The Simple Bear Necessities of life
The druidess sat quietly in the home. She had brought back one of those wonderful Gnomish devices that allowed you to play moving pictures with sound so that at the very least her Ursine patient might have something to watch while she sat around in bed. To the bed’s side was a large bowl of popcorn and several phials of medicine meant to help with kidney function. A small machine hooked up to Araane’s side to aid in the mending process, the gnomes were certainly masterful inventors.
Looking the currently resting Elf over Alnarra sighed softly, ruffling he hair, “I have Kykona delivering the bad news, and I made sure to drop by Stormwind myself to at least show a presence, I hope you don’t mind my pretending to be the leader of this whole outfit for at least a bit,” Her hand went to pull one of the gnomish Moving Pictures with sound from the cabinet, this one about a heroic tale of 5 heroes who came together to defend Azeroth. A bemused chuckle as she started watching followed by a wistful sigh
“Not as much information as I would like is trickling in, even less then I would admit is giving us a good start, on top of that I don’t want to keep you ‘Dead’ too long, Kykona’s already told me that Seya took the news poorly, and I can’t imagine that Phaedra, or Talarae took it much better”
“Azaerl is no doubt probing into matters, Fafen’s crew is trying to throw the Twilight cult on it’s own adventure, and I have reached out to all the contacts I can muster, But even with our best efforts it could be some time before we expose the cult”
She looked over at the sleeping elf, reaching her hand to gently pet at the woman’s face and hair, “I promise that I’m trying to do things right… or well as right as one can be in this sort of situation. I won’t let you down Araane… not on this one… I just don’t know how much longer I can keep up the charade and facade. You know more then anyone that I’m not… a leader, not like you are”
She climbs into the bed with the other Elf, getting comfortable on top of the covers, her hand casually tracing against the other Elf’s Frame, resting her head on the woman’s shoulder. “I think you’d like this Gnomish Moving picture, it’s about a very big Green Orc who gets bigger and greener when he is angry, a Night Elven Sharpshooter, a Blood Elven Spy, a Human Paladin with these funny colors for his shield, a Dwarven Shaman who looks… well for a Dwarf he looks quite handsome, and then there is some other character, a Thorium man or something” shrugging some, “It’s a good piece, I want to find more by this Gnomish Moving image maker, someone was telling me he made a series of these about Marsh Bog Flies or something, that was very good but it got cancelled”
Trying to laugh a bit she pushed her head closer into the taller Elf’s slender Frame, the little gnomish device checking for vitals making a little beep every once in a while, “Just have to figure this all out”
Setting the Trap
Alnarra had just finished with the last pot of flowers for tonight’s Funeral. Inside the potted plant was lined with Wards meant to track the Arcane. Hidden under the rugs and scattered among the books that would decorate tonights event Wards meant to track Druidic magic, and finally in the coffin itself, lined to the teeth a series of Wards assigned to tracking the location of Fel Magic.
Beyond all this the food was all laced with a tracing agent that would allow the druidess to track any who ate it for at least 72 hours. Every inch of the place had been triple checked and warded in preparation for tonight’s events. The Enforcers of the Devilclaw had been briefed and anti toxins were stocked in masse.
A scouting patrol was chasing a lead and a group of interrogates gathering all the information they could from the Prisoner. Alnarra was not going to be caught off guard once more, this time it would be the Devilclaw pulling all the strings. The druidess was proud of herself.
She had managed to find that one of her suspects had indeed returned to the scene of the crime, and now she was prepared to strike. A scouting team was being called upon in the form of Sathea, Boudicca, Mynidal, and The new Blood Rory. Alnarra would be contacting them shortly enough to head into outlands and chase her new lead.
With any luck the Devilclaw could turn what would have been a devastating loss into one of their greatest victories, but it all hinged on being prepared and ready for any situation.
The druidess inhaled deeply, plotting, thinking, Tonight she thought they change the day.
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