Bourbon and peanuts
“C’mon, kid. Try to keep up.” In an effort to improve her reputation with the Alliance, as well as with some of the more… sentimental… guild members, Bjorke had taken on the task of escorting an orphaned boy around, to help out the Matron of the Orphanage. The boy kept wiping his nose on his sleeve, picking up odd things and putting them in his pockets, and changing his mind every five minutes about where he wanted to go. Bjorke had to keep her horse, Beans, to a walk. Every time she kicked him up to a trot, the boy sat down and cried because he didn’t want to run.
They had been out to the Lighthouse in Westfall, which Bjorke pretended not to enjoy, even though it always was one of her favorite spots for thinking. Then to a dam over Loch Modan. While there, she delivered the case of ale to Sven Longbeard, and counted her money twice, to make sure the dwarf didn’t short her again. The boy wanted to see Darnassus, so off they went. Far too quiet and peaceful there for Bjorke’s liking, but at least they didn’t have to stay long. A few more stops, and the boy was ready to return to the orphanage. Bjorke had been ready to return him for some time already. The kid kept getting fingerprints on her dagger. Read the rest of this entry »
A Brief Encounter
In a hurry to finish her business at the auction house, Bjorke ran out of the inn, and straight into a wall.”Ooof,” she grunted, taking a step back. Not a wall, but an immense man covered in plate and furs. As he turned, Bjorke said, “Excuse me. I didn’t see you there.” She smiled up at him as he faced her.
Chuckling, he said, “I find that hard to believe, human.”
She looked him up and down, taking in his armor. Her eyes fell upon his axes – very impressive, indeed. Her eyes twinkled in admiration of his choice in weapons. “I’m afraid I wasn’t looking where I was going. Please forgive me for bumping into you.”
“No harm done. Shu Ion Gar, I am Edrick of Clan Malcore.”
“Bjorke Aurelius. A pleasure to meet you.” She bowed her head in greeting. The huge man had an aura of strength that emanated from him, and Bjorke wondered what it would be like to fight along side such a warrior. Her mind drifted to scenes of carnage, with him in the midst of multiple foes, and herself zipping her blades quickly… The color rose in her face as she felt the bloodlust rear up. “I …. must be going. I have business to transact. I certainly hope we bump into each other again soon.” She smiled up at him, mischief in her eyes.
He chuckled at her again, “Yes, until then, Bjorke Aurelius.”
Bjorke ran to the auction house, checked her transactions, then began to scan the listings for weapons. A new blade was needed…
Profit and Loss
Bjorke looked over her ledger, making notes on the day’s transactions. “Not bad,” she thought, “but could be better.” She frowned slightly. Her new affiliations were not quite as profitable as her old ways, but she tried to balance her purse against the feeling of belonging to the Guild. She sensed someone approaching, but did not look up.
“Hello.”
“Hello,” she replied, she waited a moment, then raised her head to look at him, tucking her ledger away. A tall, silver-haired man with a full beard stood before her. Bjorke took in the cut of his clothes, the fine fabrics, and his polished manner.
“May I have a seat, next to a beautiful woman?” Read the rest of this entry »
Wedding Present
Bjorke found Kelandros Stormrage outside the Pig & Whistle. Elegantly dressed, he was scanning the street, obviously waiting for someone. Since Bjorke’s sources had told her the girl was in Moonglade, Bjorke wondered who he was looking for. A voice in her head urged her to find out, but reason won out – Bjorke knew spying on one’s guild mates would be frowned upon, a fact she conveniently overlooked when it came to the girl.
“I have a present for your bride,” she said, stopping in front of him. Read the rest of this entry »
A Reversal of Fortunes
Commander Thunderman spoke quietly, not wanting to advertise their conversation. “This will not do. It simply will not do, lass. Sterling cannot have members taking orders from other guilds, especially Ravenholdt.”
Bjorke nodded. This had been very clearly explained to her some time ago. “This is why I brought the matter to your attention, Commander.”
“You need to nip this in the bud. It cannot go further. Make sure he understands the consequences.” The soft burl of his voice hinted at the anger he was keeping in check. Read the rest of this entry »
Consequences
Bjorke sat quietly in the shadows under the stairs. The table in the center of the pub had not noticed her, and she had no wish to reveal herself. The Sterling guild members Kelandros and Mabon, as well as two others she had seen, but did not know were talking with a warlock Bjorke had seen around town. The male night elf was regailing them with a story of the day’s adventures in Arathi, making Mabon gasp. “I was kidnapped last time I was up there!”
“Oh, great,” Bjorke thought to herself. “Here we go again.” Read the rest of this entry »
Business, old and new
The days passed, one much like the next. Bjorke tended to business during the day, earning money and gathering information. Each evening, she and Commander Thunderman would enter the battlegrounds at Alterac Valley, honing their skills, or “bashing skulls,” as he put it. With each blow, her bloodlust grew, until she was fearsome to behold. While rusty at first, she quickly regained her team fighting skills. Finishing moves to expose armor, or stun the opponents helped her teammates bring their enemies down quickly. Read the rest of this entry »
Battle Cry
A clink of armor roused Bjorke from her drunken stupor. She sat up quickly, instantly alert, a talent learned from years of training. Commander Thunderman stood over her, the stench of stale bourbon curling his lip to a sneer. Bjorke stood at attention, giving her tunic a quick tug of adjustment. “Commander. Good morning, sir.” Read the rest of this entry »
Aftermath
Bjorke sat in her usual spot in the Pig & Whistle: under the stairs, in shadow, with her back to the bar. She drank deeply from her bourbon, and sighed. Kelandros Stormrage had interviewed, no… grilled her extensively about her motives and reasons for planning the ambush against her comrades. Bjorke had explained, as best she could, only losing her temper once. Kelandros was an officer of the guild, and seemed to be a reasonable man, for a night elf, anyway, Bjorke thought. He said she seemed “misguided.” Read the rest of this entry »
