Bethanie
From RavenholdtWiki
| Bethanie LaClaire | |
|---|---|
May these daggers find a place in someone's heart... literally. | |
| Guild | Vengeance Imperium |
| Race | Human |
| Class | Rogue (Subtlety/Assasination) |
| Faction | Alliance, Eastvale Logging Camp |
| Profession(s) | Skinner (300) and Leatherworker (250) |
| Age | 24 |
| Player | Betan |
Physical Description
Average height and build - fit, but not "bulging" with muscles. Her hairstyle can be difficult to maintain, especially in battle, but her cute look is a very important part of luring her enemies to their death.
My Story
I was raised in Elwynn Forest near the Redridge mountains. Papa and mum were very simple folk. Papa (Denni) worked at the logging camp and mum (Genevieve) would teach my younger sister Betan and I how to cook, sew, and manipulate Papa.
My dearest friend, Aeryqa, is a Night Elf. She was with her father, Loridan, when he was delivering a special shipment of Darnassus wood to Eastvale. Papa loved Loridan's charm and wit, so he invited Loridan and Aeryqa to join us in our evening meal while they waited for their transport back to Menethil Harbor. Everyone was fast friends. Loridan shared hilarious stories of his childhood in Ashenvale. He was such a trouble maker in his youth! In later years, Papa would laugh and blame Loridan when Aeryqa and I would do something foolhardy and get into trouble. Aeryqa told me all about her adventure from the Night Elf lands across the great sea. She had to beg and plead to come with Loridan on his journey, and it was only when her mother intervened, that he accepted his daughter was growing up (she WAS 14 after all). She went on a wondrous carriage ride, then traveled by ship to Menethil harbor in the Wetlands. They joined a caravan going to Ironforge, and after a night stay with the dwarves, rode the underground tram to Stormwind. Aeryqa was nervous to ride the tram. I guess they don't have anything like that where she grew up. She says she saw a sea monster down there, but I think maybe her imagination was just running a little wild.
Over the next few years, Aeryqa traveled with her father whenever he needed to come our way. She and I always found ways to entertain ourselves while the men worked. I taught her to ride a horse, and we'd go fishing in crystal lake. Aeryqa in turn, taught me a few words in Elvish, and so much about the various herbs we found all about. Betan was always trying to tag along, and we'd have to remind her she was just too young.
During the Lunar festival of my seventeenth year, Aeryqa and Loridan came for a visit. They were here for four whole days, and I was so sad when the last night of their stay came around. Very late that night, after the giggling had stopped, and even we were asleep, there was a great commotion outside. There were lots of torches and loud noises, and Loridan and Papa went to investigate...
"What's all the commotion, Guard Roberts?" Denni yelled. No sooner had these words been uttered, that no less than a dozen Orcs with torches and maces came running toward Guard Roberts and his soldiers. They appeared to have the mark of the Blackrock! Swiftly, Loridan took up his walking staff and joined the battle to fend off the Orcs. Denni had never before felt a need for bravery, and was not even sure how to help. I'm a simple logger, not a fighter! he thought. I'll just let the guards do their job. After a moment, he then noticed Aeryqa and Bethanie watching Loridan from the shadows with awe. He felt something inside of him snap, so he grabbed his ax and joined the fray, eager to protect his family from harm. The battle lasted but minutes. Now that they outnumbered the Orcs, the guards soon had the upper hand and the few remaining cretins ran like cowards into the night. A cheer went up, and Denni wiped his brow. "Loridan?" he called.
Loridan was leaning against the base of a tree. He stepped forward saying, "You fought well, friend. I ---" a sudden look of pure shock appeared on Loridan's face. Time seemed to slow down. As his body fell, so did his attackers face.
"I thought he was another Orc," stammered a guard. "I mean, he's so tall! I... I didn't know... I thought..." his voice trailed off as Aeryqa quietly came forward and laid her head on Loridan's chest.
All of a sudden, Loridan took a deep, raspy breath. Aeryqa looked at Denni with fear in her eyes. "Please don't just stand there. DO something," she whispered as tears dripped off her chin.
The youngest one within miles, was the first to take action. Betan had been held back by her mother while the fight had waged. She now ran to her papa, tugged on his jerkin and said, "Priestess Josetta can help! In Goldshire! She's been teaching me how to bandage! She's a healer, Papa!"
Denni finally sprung into action. "Bethanie, you and Aeryqa help Thomas ready the horses. No one is staying behind. Guard Roberts, help me fashion a sling to carry Loridan on; and you..." he turned and pointed at the young soldier that had run Loridan through. "Ride to Goldshire, wake the priestess and explain the situation." With a nod, Guard Roberts told the soldier to follow Denni's command. The soldier mounted his horse to go. "And you'd better pray to the light that Loridan makes it out of this alive." With a solemn face, the young soldier saluted, and rode off into the night. Denni leaned toward his faithful stable hand, Thomas, and in a low whisper said, "You'd better follow him." Thomas mounted quickly and left.
In a few minutes the full party was ready to go. Bethanie and Aeryqa were mounted and ready to ride, Guard Roberts stationed a few of his soldiers to stay for the night, and their horses were fashioned to carry the sling with Loridan on it. Denni started to help his wife onto a horse, but she hesitated. "Why don't I just stay here with Betan?" she asked.
"I want no one staying behind, my love." Dennie said. With a sigh and a smile, Genevieve kissed her husband and mounted the horse. She took Betan on her lap and was ready to go.
"Stay close to mum, now," Denni said as he kissed Betan on her forehead and helped her settle into the saddle. As he mounted his own horse, he nodded to Guard Roberts signifying their readiness. Roberts gave some last minute instructions to the soldiers; staying or going. "Light be with us," he said as he mounted his horse, and led the party swiftly toward Goldshire.
When they arrived at Goldshire, Priestess Josetta was in front of the Lion's Head waiting for them with Innkeeper Farley, and Loridan's attacker. She rushed to Loridan's side and examined his wound; then called to Farley, "Help me get him inside!" As everyone headed into the Inn, Bethanie trailed behind. She noticed the attacker, just standing in the shadows next to his mount. He seemed to refuse to make eye contact with her. Finally, she followed the crowd into the Inn, and forgot about him for a time. Farley had cleared off a table, and laid a cloth down so that Loridan could be worked on. Priestess Josetta began tending to the wounds right away.
After a few moments, Farley gestured to the women and girls. "Let me get you a room upstairs, I have a few empty ones." Aeryqa was reluctant to leave her father, but Bethanie squeezed her hand reassuringly, and they followed Genevieve and Betan up the stairs.
A short time later, but what seemed years to Aeryqa, Priestess Josetta knocked on the door. Her face was difficult to read as she asked, "Who bandaged this Elf?"
Genevieve was suddenly worried that in the hurry of getting ready, no one had even thought to bandage the wound. "Well," she stammered. "We were all very busy with --"
"I did," Betan interrupted.
Josetta knelt to look Betan in the eye. "You did?" she asked.
"I just did what you showed me like with Billy's pet boar." Betan said innocently.
"And you did a great job, Betan! You may have saved his life." She turned to face Aeryqa, "But we won't know until morning. Why don't you all try to get some sleep?"
It was difficult, but everyone did eventually fall asleep. As Bethanie drifted off herself, she heard the quiet sobs of her best friend, and wished there was something she could do to ease the pain.
The next morning, at dawn, Genevieve roused the girls and led them downstairs where she had breakfast laid out. "Thank you so much for your hospitality, Farley," she said to the old Innkeeper.
"...and thank YOU for cooking!" He smiled at Genevieve, and heartily dove into the meal before him.
"Well," said Denni as he took a bite, "Bethanie here makes better spice bread, but I guess this will have to do this morning." Denni winked at his daughter with a smile, but Bethanie could barely crack a smile. She didn't want to joke and laugh, or even have normal conversation. She felt so bad for Aeryqa and wondered how Loridan was doing.
For a while, the only sounds heard around the table, were the occasional scrape of silverware or muttered "pass the herb baked eggs, please." Finally, Bethanie could stand it no longer. She had to know what was going on! She stood up just as Priestess Josetta entered the room. "Well?!" Bethanie shouted when she didn't immediately say something. "How is he!?" ...and how can Aeryqa be so calm about this? she asked herself as she glanced at her friend.
Priestess Josetta ignored Bethanie's outburst, and took Aeryqa's hands in her own. "Would you like to see your father, dear? I must warn you that he might not look like his usual self. He has suffered a grievous injury."
Aeryqa paused, but asserted her face. "I would like to see him." She paused, then added, "Um, can Bethanie come too?"
Without even waiting for an answer, Bethanie ran to Aeryqa's side and grabbed one of her hands. "Of course I'll come," she said.
As they entered the darkened room Loridan had been moved to, a chill ran down Aeryqa's spine. That's my father? she thought. He looked so small and insignificant laying there in the bed. Bethanie started to follow Aeryqa toward the bed, but Josetta held her back gently. Aeryqa sat on the edge of the bed and looked down at Loridan's pale face. "Father?" she whispered. Loridan opened his eyes slowly and tried to focus on his daughter. "Aeryqa. My sweet Aeryqa," he muttered. His eyes fell closed once again as tears flowed from Aeryqa's.
After a time, Josetta ushered Bethanie and Aeryqa back out of the room. "Let's allow him some more rest, shall we?" She smiled, but was the only one.
As the days and weeks went on, Loridan's condition had not changed. His wounds had been healed and he was still alive, but had not woken up since the morning after. Everyone was dealing with the grief in different ways. Aeryqa was quiet and reserved, and checked with Farley often to see if word had returned from her mother in Ashenvale. She worried how her mother, brother, and sister were doing all the way across the Great Sea. Betan spent a lot of time with Priestess Josetta. She was very eager to learn more about becoming a healer, and looked in on Loridan every day to help clean and redress his wounds. Genevieve kept busy helping Farley around the Inn. She cooked and cleaned to busy herself, and the guests absolutely loved her Moonberry Pie. Denni still had work to be done at the logging camp, but rode into Goldshire most nights to tell stories to his friend. "I know he's in there somewhere," Denni would insist. "I'm sure he's quite bored just lying there all the time." Everyone seemed to be making productive use of their time.
Everyone, that is, except Bethanie. She was so angry that no one was doing anything about the situation. The soldier who had attacked Loridan wasn't even in jail! Bethanie began to spend her mornings hiding in the shadows watching the Guard, Johnson, while he was on duty in front of the stockades. There is no way Loridan is going to pull out of this now. He's getting away with murder! she often thought.
The months passed and Loridan's condition remained stable, but he had still not come out of his sleep. Aeryqa's mother Jessiah traveled to the Eastern Kingdom with Fionah and Silas, Aeryqa's siblings. The LeClaire's moved back to Eastvale, but visited Goldshire often to check on Loridan.
One morning, Bethanie was in her usual corner of the Stockades fueling her hate for Guard Johnson. "He should be down in there with the rest of them!" she whispered.
Unaware that she had not kept that last sentence to herself, she was extremely startled when a voice behind her in the shadows said, "I whole heartedly agree."
Bethanie turned to face a muscular, dark haired man of average height. He seemed to blend in so well with the shadows that Bethanie was not completely convinced he wasn't a figment of her growing imagination. "Who are you?" Bethanie demanded.
The man handed her a sealed piece of parchment. "I'm your new best friend," he said with a smile, and then disappeared in a puff of smoke. Bethanie quickly unfolded the parchment. It read, "SI:7 Midnight."
SI:7? Bethanie thought. I wonder what they want with me! Lost in thought, she began to wander to the gates of Stormwind. As she arrived, she was practically knocked over by the LeClaire stable hand, Thomas, as he rode into town with Henri, Bethanie's black stallion, in tow. When he saw her, he yelled, "Bethanie! You must come quick! Loridan is awake!"
The letter from the mysterious man forgotten, Bethanie grabbed the reins and was on Henri in a flash. They galloped back to Goldshire making record time. Thomas took the horses into the stable to reward them for their speed as Bethanie ran into the Lions Pride looking for her family and friends. Upon seeing her friend, Aeryqa ran and hugged Bethanie. "He's awake! He's really awake!" Bethanie couldn't tell if Aeryqa was laughing or crying. More than likely, it was a little bit of both. Aeryqa bounced up the stairs promising to come back down shortly.
Everyone seemed to be talking at once, and the atmosphere of the inn was jubilant! Betan and Josetta were off in a corner with Genevieve, so Bethanie joined them. Genevieve had tears streaming down her face. "Mum?" Bethanie said, concerned. "What's wrong?"
"I don't know whether to be happy or sad," Genevieve said.
Confused, Bethanie said "Well, happy of course! Loridan's awake!"
"Well, THAT makes me happy," Genevieve said, "but I'm going to miss seeing my little girl everyday."
"Mum, you aren't making sense. I'm not going anywhere!" Bethanie said, a little exasperated.
"Haven't you heard?" Betan chimed in. "I'm moving to Stormwind! After I healed Loridan, Josetta called Laurena and..."
"Wait a minute!" Bethanie interrupted. "YOU healed Loridan?"
"But didn't Thomas tell you?" Genevieve laughed. "Yes! Our own Betan is going to train with the High Priestess herself."
Bethanie was speechless. She knew her sister had great potential, but this... "I .. uh... " she stammered. She looked at her mother, then sister, then Josetta. "Well, Congratulations!" she finally said as she hugged her sister.
A booming voice carried to them from the stairs, "What's all the fuss about?"
Jessiah and Loridan were coming down the stairs, with Silas, Aeryqa and Fionah just behind. "Loridan!" Bethanie shouted and ran to gently hug the tall Night Elf. He was walking with a cane, but he was walking!
"You really are healed!" she said.
"Good as new," laughed Loridan. "Thanks to dear Betan. Now how about some of that famous cooking, Genevieve? I'm starving!"
With so much to celebrate, Genevieve recruited Betan and Bethanie to help her cook a meal fit for a king. There was charred wolf, roasted boar, Mackerel, even some blood sausage imported from Thelsamar! Darnassian Bleu, Alterac Swiss and Stormwind Brie went well with some of Bethanie's famous bread. Betan made a giant vat of pumpkin stew and for dessert there was plenty of Genevieve's Moonberry pie.
"So, you are really thinking about going?" Aeryqa asked her friend.
"Well, yes! I don't know what they could possibly want from me, but if there is one group of people I do not want to cross, it's SI:7," Bethanie said.
The continued their evening walk in silence for a while, and dusk began to fall. Bethanie wondered if she should have confided in anyone, even her best friend.
"The man that handed you the note," Aeryqa began, "Well, have you ever seen him before?"
"No, not that I remember. As I said, I didn't even really see him then. It was like he appeared out of nowhere, but was still invisible... almost."
"Well, I suppose it can't hurt, you going then." Aeryqa said. "If they wanted to kill you, he would have done it then."
Betan stopped mid-stride. "Kill me!?" she exclaimed. "Why would they want to kill me?"
"I don't know!" Aeryqa exclaimed. "Why do they want you at all? It just seems fishy, you know?"
Bethanie calmed down, and resumed walking, but slowly and thoughtfully. "I guess I just didn't think about the fact that they could want to do me any harm. I haven't done anything at all worthy of notice from SI:7!"
This time it was Aeryqa who stopped, and looked inquisitively at her friend. "You know, you never even mentioned what you were doing over by the stockades in the first place."
Bethanie tried desperately to keep her face blank as all sorts of emotions threatened to rise through to the surface. Unsure if she was successful or not, she answered as aloof as she could. "Well, I was in town, and my thoughts were wandering. I wasn't really paying attention to where I was going." She couldn't tell if her friend believed her or not, but Aeryqa did not pry.
"I guess we'd better start heading back," Aeryqa suggested. "It's getting dark."
Silently, they headed back. Bethanie kept wanting to start the conversation back up, but was afraid of where it might turn. Before she knew it, they were back at the Inn. As she started in the door, Aeryqa grabbed the sleeve of her tunic. "Just..." Aeryqa's face looked somber, but she was determined to show her support. "Just be careful, okay?" Bethanie stared into Aeryqa's glowing eyes, then hugged her fiercely.
"I promise!" Bethanie whispered.
With Loridan's recovery, the festivities ran late, so the LeClaires had decided to stay in town for the night. The Inn was eerily quiet as Bethanie carefully snuck down the stairs. She consulted the gnome device that Farley kept. According to it, she had about an hour to saddle Henri and make it to SI:7 on time. She was dying to find out what this was all about.
She'd made the ride from Goldshire to Stormwind so often lately, that Henri didn't need much coaxing to know where she wanted him to go. Upon arriving in town, she noticed how eerie it was with so few people on the streets. She made her way into Old Town, and was passing the Leather shop before she realized that she'd never been to SI:7 before. Just ahead of her, looming in the darkness the stone building looked quite intimidating. She shivered, but was fairly sure it had nothing to do with the weather. She dismounted and tied Henri off to a pole. Now what? she wondered. She had been standing there for a few minutes when she heard someone clearing their throat behind her. Turning, she saw the same man who had delivered the note earlier that day. "I'm glad you came," he said. "I'm Lord Tony Romano, trainer of Rogues for SI:7." "Pleased to meet you," Bethanie said, bowing. "I'm Bethanie LeClaire. May I ask what it is you want from me?" "Straight to the point, I like that," said Lord Romano. Though his lips did not twitch, his eyes smiled at her. "Come," he said, turning toward a building that looked extremely old. "We have been watching you for some time, Bethanie. Your potential - though raw - has not gone unnoticed."
Bethanie followed Lord Romano into the building. "Unnoticed by who?" she asked as they came to a door with a complicated looking handle. His eyes smiled at her once again and he turned his body to block her view. After a moment of fiddling, the door gave way to a large room with very little furniture. Lord Romano gestured to an overstuffed chair, and Bethanie sat down, eager to hear more about her potential.
"We understand that you have taken quite an interest in Johnson." Lord Romano said matter-of-factly. Bethanie blushed, but said nothing. "We too think there is more to this man than meets the eye. We'd like you to continue your watch over him, but now paying attention to what he does away from the stockades. He works from dawn to dusk, and I understand he has breakfast each morning at The Guilded Rose. I'd like you to follow him for a few days and report back to me with your findings. Any questions?"
Lots of questions went through Bethanie's mind, but could she... should she, speak them aloud? How do they know I've been watching Guard Johnson? If they know, does he know? How much do they know? Am I in trouble? Is this some sort of test? Lord Romano said nothing as she contemplated his request. He sat quietly, simply watching as she struggled internally. Finally, Bethanie spoke. "I have just one question... no, make that two." Lord Romano raised his eyebrows and nodded, urging her to speak. "First, If you know I've been watching him, then I can only assume he knows as well. How am I to follow him without being seen or found out?"
This time, Lord Romano allowed the smile to touch his lips. "A fine question, Bethanie! I knew I was right about you. Luckily, Johnson is not that bright, and has no clue that you have a new found interest in him. I, on the other hand, have ways of finding things out, and much practice at obtaining information. What is your second question?" He asked.
Bethanie hesitated, but firmed her resolve and spoke her mind. "What did you mean when you said you agreed he should be in the Stockades? Should I know something more about him?"
He paused, and looked thoughtful for a long moment. "If you agree to gather some information for me, I in turn will teach you a few things that will help you gather it; including telling you all you need to know about Johnson. Do we have a deal?" Bethanie paused again, but this time for only a moment. The prospect of learning from this man was indeed intriguing. Furthermore, she already had a desire to see what kind of a man Johnson was outside of his work. What harm could be done? Bethanie rose from her seat. "I agree to your terms, Lord Romano," she said with a slight bow. "When shall we begin?"
"There is one more term you must agree to, Bethanie," Lord Romano said seriously. "You must not tell anyone of your Rogue training. We must keep up the illusion that you are a simple maiden learning to work leather."
"Work leather?" Bethanie asked confused.
Lord Romano stood and gestured her toward the door. "Tomorrow at midday, you will attend a class at The Protective Hide, given by trainer Randal Worth. After the class, you will casually make your way into this building, and wait for me in front of the door to this room. As far as anyone else can know, you are only going to learn the leather craft, and will be practicing it alone all afternoon. Understood?"
"Yes," said Bethanie as she exited the room, "but..."
"Until tomorrow then," said Lord Romano as he too left the room and closed the door. He gestured her to start down the hallway in front of him. "I trust you to take care of anything else," he said to her back.
"But, Lord Romano," Bethanie started, "I already..." As she turned around she realized that Lord Romano was no longer there. "...told someone." she finished with a sigh. Her thoughts were a swirl as she made her way back outside. As new and exciting as this was, it also sounded dangerous. Plus, there was the matter of Aeryqa. Do I tell her the truth? she thought as she mounted Henri. As she arrived home, she still hadn't answered her own question.
Bethanie didn't sleep so well that night, and as she lay there quietly at dawn, already awake, she heard Genevieve fussing over Betan, who was leaving straight away for Stormwind. At breakfast, Bethanie asked if she could come into Stormwind with them, mentioning that there was supposed to be a class at the Protective Hide that she'd like to attend. "Leather working sounds fun enough," Aeryqa said. "I'd love to go too." Just then, Loridan came down the stairs. She looked at her father, out of bed in the morning for the first time in months. She turned back to Bethanie and said, "But I think I'd better stay with Father today." Bethanie hoped that Aeryqa didn't notice her relief and tried to look understanding. Aeryqa hadn't yet found her alone to ask about the meeting from night before. This bought her a little more time to decide what to do.
The ride to Stormwind was a family affair. Denni and Genevieve rode ahead while Betan and Bethanie rode behind and reminisced about their childhood. It seemed that a lot had happened since the Lunar Festival, and Bethanie found it hard to remember it had only been a few months since Loridan had been hurt - it felt like years. As they approached the Stormwind gates, Bethanie could sense a change in her sister. She is only 13, Bethanie reminded herself. I would be a little nervous too. Bethanie caught her sisters eye and smiled brightly trying to reassure her. It seemed to work, and Betan smiled back, starting to look excited instead of nervous.
At the cathedral steps, High Priestess Laurena met the LeClaires herself and had someone see to their mounts. They were given a lovely tour of the Cathedral, but all Bethanie could think about was her secret training.
"And this," Priestess Josetta was saying, "is your new room, Betan."
Betan ran in and flopped on her new bed. She looked at her family and grinned. Then was all of a sudden somber. She sat up. "You'll come visit me, won't you?" she asked.
"Of course we will," Bethanie said. She looked at Laurena, "As long as it won't interfere with your training," she added.
Laurena smiled and explained to Betan that she wasn't being held prisoner; she could visit her family whenever she needed to, but it was important to focus on her studies. "Now!" Lorena said, getting to her feet. "Who's hungry?"
"Actually, I need to be going," said Bethanie. "I want to attend the class Randal Worth is giving today."
Bethanie hugged her parents, and then her sister. "I'm proud of you, sis." Bethanie whispered.
There was a small group of people already gathered inside The Protective Hide when Bethanie arrived. There were tables set up, facing the back of the shop and leather scraps everywhere. She decided to make sure she introduced herself to Randal Worth. She saw an older gentleman with a large mustache, kind eyes and rough hands helping a small boy work on what appeared to be a hat. She approached and waited patiently for him to be done giving instructions. Finally, he looked at her. "Trainer Worth?" she asked.
"Yes, my dear, what can I do for you?" he replied with a smile.
"I would like to be included in the class today. I'm quite interested in learning the leather working craft."
"But of course, my dear!" he said, taking her by the hand. "Come right this way, and we'll get you started!"
Worth led her over to a table with a few other people around her age sitting at it. As soon as he had situated her with a few supplies, he went to the back of the shop and faced the students. "Welcome, welcome, everyone!" he beamed. "I'm so glad you could join us. We're going to start by creating a simple cloak. Begin by taking your leather, and..."
As Bethanie followed the instructions, she realized this came quite easy to her. It was a simple matter of making the leather do what you wanted it to do, by keeping it in place with various threads. She rather enjoyed herself and was surprised at how eager she was to learn more. I wonder if I'll take to Rogue skills as quickly, Bethanie thought to herself. Suddenly she realized, she'd almost forgotten all about her training with Lord Romano. She really DID enjoy this leather stuff. Soon, her cloak was finished, and she flourished it over her shoulders. She asked Worth for a few extra scraps of leather and thread so that she could practice at home by making another cloak. He was only too happy to oblige. Most of his students didn't seem nearly as enthusiastic about continuing to work leather.
Bethanie put her new cloak on as she made her way nonchalantly to the building Lord Romano left her the night before. She managed to get through the few hallways to the room they'd been in and waited patiently outside the door. I wonder how long I'll have to wait, Bethanie thought. Suddenly, the door opened and Lord Romano was on the other side.
"Right on time," he said. "Please, come in."
Bethanie did as she was told, and went into the room. Lord Romano closed the door, and as Bethanie watched, she felt a part of her old life get closed along with it.
Bethanie's session with Lord Romano was extensive. He was an amazing teacher. She was able to understand exactly what he was explaining, and by the end of their first session, she was able to stealth herself fairly accurately using the shadows to her advantage.
About the time it was getting dark outside, Lord Romano explained that their training session was over. "You have made excellent progress today, Bethanie. I expect you'll have no problem concealing yourself from the likes of Johnson. Just remember that not everyone is as dim as he. Another thing to remember... do not let anyone see you conceal yourself. It gives away the element of surprise, and will give away our secret."
Bethanie saw her opening and took it. She'd been thinking on and off about what to tell Aeryqa, and had made up her mind. "Lord Romano, I thank you for your patience with me, and will keep our training secret... save for one person. I can not betray my dearest friend, who I confided in after our very first encounter. She is a trustworthy night elf, and very loyal to me. I know she would not betray my trust, and by extension, yours. She does not yet know of my Rogue training, as I honored your request from yesterday." Bethanie looked Lord Romano directly in the eye, and continued. "Though I have absolutely no qualms about lying to our enemies, I will not lie to my one true friend." Now that Bethanie had finished, she wondered if she'd said too much. It doesn't matter,she told herself. If he cannot handle it, I want nothing to do with him.
Lord Romano maintained eye contact with Bethanie and seemed to be contemplating her words. He did not respond right away, but when he did, his voice was and odd mixture of authority and respect. "I will honor your decision," he said. After a few seconds of silence, he finally broke eye contact. Turning toward the door, he said, "Your assignment for tomorrow is to watch Johnson before and after his shift. Continue to work on your leather working, and make an appearance at The Protective Hide sometime during the day. Meet me here after Johnson has retired for the night to report your findings and continue your training." As an afterthought, he added, "Any questions?"
"No, my Lord," Bethanie answered with a bow. "You can count on me."
"Until tomorrow then," Lord Romano said as he disappeared into the shadows.
Bethanie decided to stop by Goldshire and talk to Aeryqa before she headed home for the night. She looked around to make sure she was alone and then concealed herself in the shadows. She tiptoed into the main room and heard Loridan and his family discussing plans for going back to Ashenvale.
"I know it feels like we've been here a long time, but I'm really going to miss it," said Aeryqa.
"Yes, I too am going to miss this land," said Loridan, "but remember that we will be back in due time. It's necessary to return home for now. There is much to be done across the great sea."
Aeryqa recognized the look in her fathers eye and decided not to argue. "We can at least say good-bye, can't we?"
"There will be some time for that tomorrow, for now," Loridan paused as he stood. "... everyone to bed. It's going to be a long day tomorrow." Loridan and Jessiah followed their children upstairs to turn in, leaving the unseen Bethanie all alone.
As she stood there concealed in the shadows, she noticed a tear in her eye. Aeryqa had been here so long that she never even thought about the fact that she'd have to leave again at all. Knowing she had plenty of other things to worry about, she snuck up the stairs to speak with her friend.
Aeryqa opened her door in response to the soft knock. "Bethanie!" Aeryqa exclaimed quietly as she hugged her friend."What are you doing here? Is everything okay?" Bethanie went into the room, and beckoned Aeryqa to close the door.
"I have something to tell you," Bethanie began, "but you must swear on our friendship... even your life... to keep it a secret."
Aeryqa's face suddenly looked solemn. "What is it?" she whispered.
"Nothing bad," Bethanie quickly said. "Everything is fine, it just has to be kept a secret, at least for now."
"May I be eaten alive by a dragon if I even think to betray you," said Aeryqa humbly. Suddenly, she remembered the note from a few days ago, and Bethanie's midnight rendezvous. "Does this have to do with that SI:7 guy? I can't believe I forgot about that!"
Bethanie launched into the details of both her meetings with Romano, and stressed that he was trusting in them both to keep this a secret. "I also made this for you," said Bethanie as she handed a roughly wrapped cloak to Aeryqa. "It isn't much, but I'm just learning."
Aeryqa smiled and said, "I'll wear it with pride!" and put it over her shoulders.
"So, this Romano wants you to risk your life and follow the guard who is bad enough for them to want to follow, but they won't tell you what he's done? What if you get caught?"
"Oh, yeah, I kinda left that part out. I thought it would be neater to show you. Close your eyes for a second," Bethanie said with a smile.
Aeryqa looked quizzically at her friend, but complied with the request as Bethanie quickly found a shadow and concealed herself as best she could. very quietly, she said "Ok, open them."
Aeryqa opened her eyes, but Bethanie was nowhere to be seen. Standing, she looked out the window and even peeked under the bed. She was about to check out in the hallway when she heard Bethanie. "Over here," Bethanie called. Aeryqa looked in the direction the sound came from, but didn't see anything. Wait... a very faint outline of Bethanie started to appear as Aeryqa focused on the spot the sound came from. "I think I see you," Aeryqa said, "but it's like I can see through you."
Bethanie allowed herself to be seen and stepped away from the wall.
"Okay, that's something I definitely wasn't expecting!" Aeryqa exclaimed. "How do you..."
"Don't even ask, because *I* don't even fully understand how it works. I can just... do it."
Aeryqa and Bethanie sat in silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. Suddenly Aeryqa said, "We're going back to Ashenvale tomorrow."
"I know," said Bethanie.
"YOU do?" asked Aeryqa. Even as she asked Aeryqa figured it out. "You were down there?"
"Yes, but only for the very last little bit," Bethanie admitted. "I'm really going to miss you, but we'll be in touch. Perhaps I'll even travel that way myself very soon. I don't know what the future holds."
"Neither do I," said Aeryqa, "but Father seems to have some idea."
"No one knows what the future holds, my friend," Bethanie said as she stood to hug her friend. "No one."
To be continued...
