The Search for Redemption

Bjorke sat in the World’s End Tavern, slowly nursing a tankard of bourbon. Prices were high in this pub, and with profits down, she couldn’t afford to guzzle the booze. She mulled over the latest happenings. Sven, who was not Sveghadhan “Sven” Longbeard, had hired Mal to kill her. Ok, no surprises there: many assassination attempts had been made against her. It was merely a career hazard. Mal had been poisoned to get him to comply, and yet, he still was reluctant to give up any information on this Sven.

Perhaps it was time for more pillow talk. He hadn’t been to forthcoming in the past, but things had been rushed. His declarations of love had been a good opportunity, one too good to pass up. Sweet seduction often passes for emotional commitment, and words were easy enough to say. A long, romantic night spent whispering dreams and aspirations ought to provide some useful information. Read the rest of this entry »

Commander,

The following actions are needed in order for Sterling to increase its prowess and effectiveness in the service of the King and the Alliance.

• The creation of a Cadre of Assassins is imperitive
  • This Cadre would be charged with taking care of the problems that follow some of the younger, more impulsive guild members.
• Implementation of a system of information-gathering put into place.
  • Integrating the various networks of contacts already available.
  • Expanding the number of contacts by instructing members on proper information-gathering techniques.
  • Emphasizing the need for clandestine meetings, including respect for under-cover operations.
• Instituting a training program for new rogues.
  • Individuals need to be matched with a mentor, avoiding conflicting information dissemination.
  • Leadership skills will be emphasized, including proper resource utilization. Read the rest of this entry »

It had been a busy day. Bjorke was in her room, unpacking her things. She set her tabard in the cupboard, still wondering if her place truly was with Sterling. She would not leave him, but could she serve the Commander? Could she put aside her own need for an uncomplicated life in favor of the support of her guild, to subjugate her desire for revenge in order to fit into the standards of behavior Garnil Thunderman expected? She paced her room, Hero watching her intently from his spot at the foot of her bed.

Sven was a problem. He was a danger to several guild members, so getting rid of him would serve the guild, wouldn’t it? Bjorke thought she could live with the idea of not killing her guildmates when they annoyed her. Working as a team… did have its rewards. Fighting alongside the Commander, or Rileno, was definitely thrilling, more so than fighting alone. Fighting as a pair with Malfuryon brought a similar feeling: knowing the other’s moves, countering with her own, bringing down their foes quickly… very exciting. Read the rest of this entry »

Bjorke met him in the pub. “I’m thinking of leaving, just chucking it all, and heading out on my own again.” His reaction was exactly as she had predicted. “But…” She looked down at her lap, wringing her hands. This was the hardest thing she’d ever done. “I … didn’t want to leave without seeing you.”

He waited, not speaking, but tense.

“My friend was talking to me.. and well… I realized… some things..” Bjorke had never had such trouble speaking. She swallowed hard, looked up at him, and whispered. “I love you. I don’t want to leave you.”

The smile he gave her erased all doubts.

She pulled out a letter and ripped it up. “I guess I have a report to write for my Commander.”

“I want a report penned by dusk tomorrow, on your goals and what you plan to accomplish within Sterling.” Commander Thunderman had been displeased, just as Bjorke expected, at her behavior in Booty Bay. However, a written report… she had not expected that.

She chewed the end of the pen again. What did she hope to accomplish? Crumpling up the parchment, she tossed this one next to the others on the floor. Blast it all! That was it. Bjorke could stand it no longer, and penned her resignation. She read over the missive. Hmmm. Perhaps denigrating the Commander’s family heritage was not quite the tone she wanted. That parchment joined the others on the floor.

To Commander Garnil Thunderman:

I find I can no longer be a part of Sterling. My goals don’t seem to match those of the guild. It would be in everyone’s best interest if I left you alone.

Bjorke Aurelius

Bjorke folded her tabard, leaving it on the bed. She tucked the letter in her bag, planning to mail it when she hit Outlands, wanting to be as far from Stormwind as possible. Taking one last look around her rooms, she summoned Hero, and left.

Bjorke sat up, sweating and shaking. She reached for the other side of the bed, but it was empty. No blood, no body, no knife. She looked around, near panic, trying to figure out where she was, what was happening. She spied a note propped on her bag.

Had to go. See you soon.

I love you,

Mal

Breathing a sigh of relief, Bjorke realized it had just been a dream. She was more determined than ever to find Sven. He was affecting too many people now. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed, found her clothes and dressed. Gathering her things, she headed for the portal to Ironforge. Time to talk to some more Dwarves.

It was a long series of information-gathering. An ogre in Alterac had a map to an island off Dustwallow Marsh. There, Bjorke and Mal found a locked chest that held information implicating Mogh the Undying in Stranglethorn. This witchdoctor often worked with Grimlock, so Bjorke was confident that he held the antidote to Mal’s poison. Mal struggled along, bravely fighting his hardest, even though the poison had sapped his strength and caused him great pain.

They located the troll, and it was a tough fight. Mal stumbled, and three trolls were on him in an instant. Bjorke’s fury rose, and her blades flashed. She could not lose him now, not so close to the end. She flew into a blood-thirsty rage, and soon was surrounded by a pile of bodies. She knelt over Mogh’s body, and searched it. Read the rest of this entry »

Bjorke woke, her head aching and her ears ringing. She was on a straw cot, in a small room. She sat up, groaning at the pain in her head and body, looked around and tried to figure out where she was. A goblin burst in the room and tossed a hard piece of bread at her, cackling at her obvious hangover. Booty Bay. No doubt about it. The goblin’s laugh brought back a few of the memories of the night before. Bjorke had headed down, after Ril had left. She found a rather large orc and made contact. Unfortunately, his lady friend was even larger, and took offense to Bjorke’s interest in her mate.

Bjorke remembered a troll getting involved, but felt sure he’d regain use of his hand soon. Then the Bruisers stepped in, breaking up the fight. Not one to give up easily, Bjorke must have resisted. That would explain the large knot on the back of her head, shaped like a Goblin’s cudgel. Read the rest of this entry »

As Bjorke talked to Ghak Healtouch about her work in Searing Gorge, she couldn’t help but think of Mal. She collected her fee and asked him once again if he’d heard from Sven. She headed for the tavern in town. Sven often ordered supplies of ale from Hearthstove. He still hadn’t seen him, however, so Bjorke ordered a bourbon and sat down to think.

Mal had confessed that he had a writ to assassinate her. He had sought her out, and gotten to know her to carry out his contract. However, the hitch in his plan came when he fell in love with her. It wasn’t the first time she’d found an assassin out to get her. But he was the first one who had lived after she discovered the plan. She questioned him, and dragged out of him that Grimlock, an old adversary, had put the bounty on her head. He had also poisoned Mal, to ensure his compliance. He was a powerful and dastardly man, with known connections to the Forsaken. Read the rest of this entry »

As Bjorke finished up her task for Stormpike in the Sealed Room of the recesses of Uldaman, she looked around for her companion, Mal. She heard some noises coming from one of the now-empty tents in the trogg camp. Mal was seated on the floor, his face more pale than usual.

“Hiding?” she grinned at him. It was an unusual place for a tryst, but she’d been in worse.

He smiled up at her, then broke into a spasm of coughing, clutching his chest. Read the rest of this entry »

Bjorke mounted her new horse, and headed for Zangarmarsh. She hoped the work she found there would take her mind off other, more carnal thoughts. Cenarion Refuge was indeed full of job opportunities. She spoke to several people, then made sure her supplies were in order before heading south. Simple tasks, well suited to her talents, but the money was good, and the rewards offered were tempting. Unfortunately, the jobs held little challenge, leaving her mind free to wander.

Her life had never been so complicated before. Not in all the years of intrigue and espionage had she ever had such conflicted feelings. Perhaps because she never felt much at all before, she mused to herself. But now, she had an allegiance to a guild. Not just an allegiance, but an obligation, as she was now an officer. Each member of Sterling was connected to her, like it or not. Hiding in shadows while she ate and rested, Bjorke thought back over the recent incident in Western Plaguelands. Leadership skills were essential. She had learned that early on, that good leaders save lives, limit capital costs and maximize profits. Passing on her knowledge to the others was expected, wasn’t it? Read the rest of this entry »

(This contains some violent descriptions. If you are easily offended or disturbed, you may want to skip this storyline.)

Bjorke dressed, and sat down in the chair. She took a drink from her flask, and kicked at Niles’ foot, but he was unconscious. “Huh. Guess that last bit was too much for him.” She chuckled. Checking his knots to make sure they were secure, she then headed over to the pallet for a bit of sleep.

The nightmares returned, plaguing her sleep. An hour later, and the low growls of Hero woke her. She sat up to see Niles twisting around, trying to get free. “I hope you rested well, Niles,” she called over to him. He jerked his head, his eyes wild with fear. Bjorke smiled sweetly at him, and stood up. “Are you ready to tell me a story, Father?” She walked to the table and fingered the various implements. Read the rest of this entry »

(This contains some violent descriptions. If you are easily offended or disturbed, you may want to skip this storyline)

Another bag of gold, another promise of future assistance, another difficult conversation with the ugliest assassin Bjorke ever had the misfortune to meet, and she had information about Sven. Her Forsaken associate seemed almost eager to help her locate the dwarf. Although the details were unclear, she got the distinct impression that Sven had not held to his end of a bargain between them. Her time was limited, but she did scout the area the rogue had mapped out. Sure enough, someone had been in the abandoned house, and recently. Now she was torn. Stay and wait for the return of the house’s occupant, or go back and finish her conversation with Niles. Read the rest of this entry »

(This storyline contains some violent descriptions. If you are easily offended or disturbed, you may want to skip this storyline)

Zuerenhoff stopped screaming, and tears streamed down his face. Bjorke allowed a slight sneer to creep onto her face. Sissy paladins, she thought.

“You were just about to tell me of the next day.” She cleaned the knife and replaced it on the table. She picked up a vial, opened the stopper and sniffed it.

Sobbing, he began to mumble. “You were marked. Evil. The mark was on you. But… I couldn’t… I couldn’t bring myself to end your life with my own hands. You looked so much like her… like your sister… I gave you to my servant, who offered to take you away. I don’t know what happened after that.” Read the rest of this entry »

(This storyline contains some violent descriptions. If you are easily offended or disturbed, you may want to skip this storyline)

Niles Zuerenhoff came to slowly, still fighting the effects of the poison. He groaned, and struggled against his bindings. Raising his head, he looked around, his eyes bleary. In the dim light, there was little to see. Bjorke stepped in front of him, the light from the fire illuminating her eerily. “Auralis?” His voice was confused.

“Nope. Guess again.”

“It can’t be. I heard you were dead.” He looked at Bjorke intensely, as if his will could alter who she was. Read the rest of this entry »

(This storyline contains some violent descriptions. If you are easily offended or disturbed, you may want to skip this storyline)

She stood and grinned at the man. Obviously, it could not be who he thought it was. It must be the other. But that was even more impossible. He shook his head, trying to clear it, but the sleeping draught was quick-acting. His own movement knocked him off balance. Bjorke dashed forward, catching him before he fell. He’d be much easier to get on horseback if he was not lying on the ground. She whistled for Beans, and started stripping off his armor, to lighten the load. Heaving him on top of Bean’s saddle, she strapped him on. Can’t risk losing precious cargo, she thought to herself.

The armor she carefully stowed in a chest inside. Looking around the lavishly-appointed house, Bjorke found the pieces she had seen earlier: fine silver chalices, ornately carved and gem-studded religious icons, a small box with matching jewelry, and a silk bag full of gold coins under the mattress. The tapestries and paintings were too large, the silk bedsheets too bulky, glassware too fragile. Her bag full, she headed back out, then turned, and went to the fur rug before the fireplace. She picked it up, and then draped it over his body, tucking it in. If examined, it would look like a dead body, a fallen comrade, being brought home for burial. Read the rest of this entry »

“I need to request a leave of absence, Sir. There is a personal matter that requires my attention. I need a few days, Sir.”

“Care to expand on that, Bjorke?” His voice held a touch of exasperation, and Bjorke remembered his comment about her always being the harbinger of bad news.

“It is… er… a family matter, Sir. A long lost relative.”

“Alright, since it is a family matter, I won’t ask more.” Bjorke sighed in relief. “Respect and honor, Bjorke. Be safe, and return quickly, lass. There is much work to do, and we need you here, to serve your King, and the Alliance.” Read the rest of this entry »

When the man sat at the table opposite Bjorke in the Salty Sailor, she did not look up from her ledger. He waited while she made notes, not making a sound. She finally put the book away in her bag, and signaled for another drink. Hero was at her feet, and he seemed to instinctively know when to growl, and when not to. Bjorke patted him, and slipped him a piece of meat the bartender had brought over. Being a regular customer certainly had its perks.

Bjorke looked at the man over her tankard. She had been waiting for him for a very long time, and now that he was here, she wasn’t sure she wanted to see him. He pulled out a thick envelope, and put it on the table, keeping his hand over it. Bjorke drained her drink, wiped her mouth, and reached into her bag. She removed a heavy coin purse, and slid it towards him. He counted the money, then slid the envelope towards Bjorke. He left as quietly as he came, the entire transaction over in silence, in the space of a minute, in shadow. Just as usual. Read the rest of this entry »

Bjorke chewed on the end of the pen as she struggled with the words. She’d never had to file a written report before. Ravenholdt frowned on leaving a paper trail of evidence.

When Knight-Captain Stormrage did not meet me as we had agreed…. Bjorke scratched out the words, then crumpled the parchment. “Blast! It started before that.”

My surveillance of Sven revealed… Again, Bjorke scratched out the words and threw the parchment to the floor. Her dog, whose name was now Hero, for his bravery and fighting skills, watched her, tilting his head comically. Read the rest of this entry »