At first Sarriah hadn't registered the noise. It seemed like the beginning of a nightmare; blood curdling shrieks and yelling that rang out; though muffled in the small room of thick stone walls and heavy oaken door she couldn't make out the words. Then came the commanding shouts, heavy in a resounding tenor that was unmistakably a human blaring out orders.

Opening her eyes lazily she was suddenly jerked into full wakefulness as Sa'jan grabbed her by the arm flinging her over his broad shoulders with practiced ease and racing out the room. The ride was sporadically bumpy as the troll burst through the bedroom door, running through the quaint farmhouse like hell was on his heels.

"Sa'jan, what's happening, why are you-" Sarriah was interrupted as a sharp crack spilt the air. They came upon the main room in the farmhouse just in time to see a steel plated boot break through the sagging wooden door that was already askew on its hinges, knocking it down in a heap of dry wood and dust.

A human appeared through the dust and rubble hefty a flickering torch in one hand and a sword that glinted dangerously in the other. Sarriah recognized him immediately as one of the fighters from the gulch. His ink black hair cropped a little past his strange rounded ears in a human military fashion, a recent pinkish scar running along cross his left cheek that seemed reddened by the exertion of battle or the thrill of the night's raid.

He had been one, who constantly defied orders, seeking glory instead of going along with the tactics in order to win the invaluable land in Ashenvale. Behind him, she could tell, was his band of cronies that had followed and defended every move he had made. Good fighters all, just ignorant or blatantly out of command when it came to taking orders.

At first Sarriah's heart leapt into her throat, could it be some sort of rescue, was the Alliance coming to save one of their own? But then, the human had never been one to care about anything but himself. Rumor around the barracks had told he and his gang would run off angrily after they had been forced to retreat, but Sarriah had never guessed in all her naivety this is what they left to do; to prey upon those who couldn't defend themselves against such well armed foes, in order to take out their frustrations of their own making.

The human looked around the room with bulging blue blood shot eyes until coming to see Sa'jan towering nearby. His eyes widened and he faltered backwards a step in surprise; his wicked smile disappearing as quick as it had come. He obviously hadn't expected to be set upon by a real challenge, only a farmer and his family, nothing any 'real' warrior couldn't tackle. By the time any foe strong enough to challenge them had arrived, they should have been long gone.

Sa'jan never took his eyes off the warrior who was staring fiercely at him and dropped Sarriah like a forgotten trinket to the hard packed dirt. He was half naked, but Sarriah could see the fury building up with-in Sa'jan like the beginnings of a horrendous gale. She knew from witnessing, armor hardly mattered when he got into that wild berserker state that seemed to make him lose all control and reason.

The human grinned wickedly again as if some inner voice had been bolstering him up; his face dancing wildly in the flickering torchlight, he was fully armored while the troll only had a pair of coarse gray linen pants on. He made a rude gesture to the troll and began to charge swinging his blade expertly. Sa'jan roared in fury and ran as well to face the human who had intruded upon the home.

Sarriah watched as a silent spectator as Sa'jan bent in a tackling like postures as he bulled forward literally slamming his whole body into the human with a thunderous blow. She saw him flinch only mildly as the human's sword dug a deep gash into his bare shoulder sending blood spurting down his back, but it was a small price to pay being that the human lost his footing at such a bull headed charge from the troll making him fly across the room. Sa'jan was after the scrambling human at once like a rabid wolf on the trail of his prey. His large three fingered hand grappled the human for the sword, looking more like a wrestling match as they were locked together attempting to throw the other.

The priestess might have been caught in a frenzied decisions on who to aid, but Sarriah had more urgent matters at hand. The screaming was still echoing through out the house. Children screams that pierced the air like war horns blaring in the priestess' mind. Scrambling up from the dirt floor, the elf hurried through the black hallway to the small room of the children. Flinging the heavy door open she saw both the young orcs were huddled in a corner trembling in terror, their father lying on his stomach, still clutching a well kept sword, unmoving in a dark crimson pool of blood. In-between father and children was a another human, tall and lanky like a weed grown through the cracks of cobblestone, garbed in black leather that mingled with the night so well Sarriah wasn't really sure where the shadows began and the body of the rogue ended. Two daggers hung loosely in his hands their steels illuminated by a bright emerald colored poison that dripped in little puddles unto the ground by his feet.

"Stop!" Sarriah yelled out, aghast as she realized immediately what was happening, could it be the righteous Alliance was going to kill children?

The human went rigid and turned sharply to her as if hearing a ghost, his hazel eyes searched her, desire and shock mingled in a brief glance. Even though most of his face was covered, Sarriah could tell he was flashing her a lustful smirk. "Sarriah, I thought you died in the Gulch." The rogue admitted casually. "I saw you running for your life through the forest while a huge panther was nipping at your heels. We can talk after I finish here."

"Leave them alone." She warned firmly, her tone cool and dangerous. Her lilac eyes narrowed angrily as she stood as stalwart as any warrior could while facing a silent killer who had no qualms about taking innocent lives.

The rogue gave her another quick overview, before uttering a wicked chuckle; he knew she wasn't armed, and she was a healer, what threat could she possibly pose to him? Shrugging his thin shoulders he turned back to the children brandishing his twin daggers with purposeful malice. He twirled them expertly in his hand like flashes of burnished fire blurring through the air as thought they fed of the children's terror.

The children clung to one another screaming hoarsely, their eyes screwed shut as they waited for the daggers to pierce their skin and steal their young lives. Sarriah's strong voice cut through the screams with one powerful word. The children opened their eyes in shock just quick enough to see something like a golden hammer materialize from the air right atop the rogue, hovering for a split second, then come crashing down with the weight of a two ton boulder. The rogue uttered a small pitiful confused groan as the Smite barreled down from above like the hand of Elune itself coming to decimate the evil. The powerful blow illuminated the room like a streak of lightening before hammering into his back like an ogre fist making him lurch forward in agonizing pain. There was a sickening crunch-snap sound of his spine spitting in two like a branch broken over the knee and he crumpled to the ground a still broken shell.

Both children turned the priestess in wonder and awe, but Sarriah was already kneeling beside their limp father who was now a sickly pale teal from loss of blood. Warm blood soaked the fringes of her robe as she quickly began inspecting the orcs wound, hoping, praying for any chance that he still lived. Life was hard in the Barrens; the children did not need to lose their father along with such struggles they fought from day to day.

She found the wound immediately on the orcs side, bright green poison still flecking the edges of the wound the rogue had dealt. Even with out a thorough scan she could tell, the rogue had ruptured something and the orc was bleeding internally as well as outwardly. He would die soon, if she didn't mend up the ruptured area.

The children were looking at her in a tenuous quiet that spoke louder than the screams that still seemed to echoed through the room. They were depending on her. Letting a slow calming breath pass her lips, Sarriah forced herself to stop trembling and focus on the task at hand in a calm peaceful manner.

Meditating only on Elune's gift and the body lying before her, the priestess placed her blood covered hands on the gushing wound, and began to sing her healing spells. The words were like a lullaby drifting smoothly through the air, brining calming and peace. She could feel the warmth of her spells pulsing through her hand then emanating to the orc like a radiant light.

As the healing increased, so did the rise of her voice, till it seemed she was singing to the top of her lungs, she felt her throat dry and her tongue begin clinging to the roof of her mouth, sweat driblets appearing on her forehead to trickle down the side of her face as the spells took their toll on her magic. She nearly toppled over as she felt the wound slowly closing, green flesh regenerating and stitching back together smoothly and without much difficulty. In her mind she could picture the punctured organ inside healing back to its rightful function by the spells she sang. Her voice dribbled off to a halt, as she sucked in huge amount of air, gasping for breath. The wound had sealed nicely to a thick ugly gash but his skin was still a pale green. There was a tense moment in the air as priestess and children watched the unmoving orc.

The girl, Grasha inched forward to stand beside the kneeling Sarriah, her shaking hands were clasped over her chest, her lower lips trembling as she fought bravely not to cry though tears still glimmered in her maple eyes. "I-is h-he…" She whimpered quietly, trying forcing the question out when Gronok slowly opened a bleary eye weakly. He breathed in ragged gasps and offer his children a weak but steady smile.

Sarriah grunted as the air was taken out of her by the two children tackling her simultaneously. Their small arms squeezed her in miniature vices grips as they hugged her, and sobbed in joy. "You did it, miss Sarriah!" They squealed happily burying their faces in her bloodied robe.

Sarriah was glad that the darkness in the room hid her embarrassed blush as she fought to get up from the sticky blood coated floor. Clearing her dry throat she nodded officiously at the two trying to be commanding and stern as she had seen Sa'jan be many times. "No time for that, your father's still in bad shape, we can't be jumping around just yet."

The children's faces fell to masks of worry and shame again at their outbursts, making Sarriah's heart melt again to compassion instead of strictness. Her voice softened as she placed her hands on the children's backs ferrying out of the gory room that was drenched in blood and poison. She looked down to them both tenderly, in a reassuring manner. "But he is alive, and if Elune wills will be strong again."

As they exited the room a stronger scent of blood lingered through the dry air as if blood had mingled with the wind to carry it directly to the priestess. Sarriah's eyes widened as she cursed quietly under her breath; she had completely forgotten about Sa'jan!

"Stay here." She ordered the children, her tone monotone and numb, almost trance like.

For some reason, her heart raced at the eerie silence of the home. Where was Sa'jan? As she walked tenuously trough the hall she could only imagine seeing the human towering over his crumpled body, blood oozing from a severed head or a sword thrust through the belly ending his life slowly painful as his ropey guts spilled out unto the floor. Even now she could picture him weakly clutching his open belly vainly trying to keep his intestines inside his body, screaming in agony at her wondering they she had not healed him.

What made the priestess confused was why did she care? He had captured her, made her a slave, and chose to drag her around the wilds of Azeroth. Still the thought of seeing him lying there as his lifeblood ebbed away into the dirt with every shallow breath set her heart racing madly in fear.

By now she was racing through what seemed like a never ending hall, until practically bursting into the main room a small healing spell on the tip of her tongue to speak over Sa'jan. The troll was standing in the doorway of the home like a nightmare conjured from the nether come to life. Like the banked embers of the fire, she could see his rage slowly dissipating like smoke upon the wind. His tattooed chest bellowed as he breathed heavily, blood and sweat drenched over his body like he had bathed in the crimson life of his foe, his arms hanging limping by his side.

His left hand was tangled in the oily black tresses of a the severed head of the human, the eyes rolled back to milky white orbs, the mouth twisted into the last horrendous scream, forever frozen now upon his pale lips. There were still purplish black bruise marks around the sides of the human's face where it was clearly evident the troll had used nothing but his bare hands to wrench the head from the body.

Sarriah stared at him in appall, her mouth moving slightly moving but no words uttered at her fear.

"I killed da rest a dem dat was burnin da stables and trying at scare da pigs." Sa'jan stated normally. Looking down at his hand he saw the head still held in his three fingered grip, blood slowly dripping from the neck. Carelessly he tossed the skull nonchalantly outside before wiping his blood drenched hands on his stained breeches. "How be da orcs, are dey okay?" Sa'jan asked as he took a step forward. Sarriah saw him flinch as he came down on his left foot, a slow hiss like a serpents warning seeping out of his clenched teeth.

Shaking her head to try and banish the barbaric scene she had just witnessed, she raced to Sa'jan to help him to a rough hewn wooden bench. "Yes, by Elunes grace the children are safe, though the father was badly injured; I believe he will be restored to full health soon." She replied before throwing his lanky arm around her shoulder.

The priestess could feel the warrior trying not to crumple though she, even with only some of his weight on her, she felt as if she was dragging a ton of brick along her shoulder. Inch by inch they moved until the troll managed to sit on the bench, winching he leaned against the wall, throwing his leg up on the bench to check the damage. A deep cut had sliced through his calf the wound seeping blood that ran down the bench and onto the floor.

Sarriah just stared amazed for a moment that the gargantuan troll had managed to get to the door with such a wound without crawling through the dirt.

"Hand meh mah knapsack" He growled through the pain, both eyes were just and his teeth clenched.

Nodding, Sarriah sprinted dutifully to the corner bringing out the patched faded brown dusty pack. Handing it to him warily, she watched him rummage through hastily before bringing out a corked vial of ruby colored liquid. Biting off the cork, he spat it out, before guzzling the mixture down in one swallow. With a large burp he slammed the empty vial on the table, and sighed in relief as the thick creamy liquid flowed through him. Along with his races regenerative abilities and the strong potion, Sarriah watched with more than a little impression as the wound began to seal and mend.

"So what happened to da enemy dat was attackin Gronok?" Sa'jan asked curiously as he scanned the room with his bright emerald eyes.

"I killed…" Sarriah's words got caught midway in her throat as she realized the full weight of her careless reply. She had killed someone. Never in her hundreds of years had she taken a life of another person. She seemed frozen in shock as the truth hit her; at the moment she hadn't had the time to dwell upon another recourse but had acted on instinct to protect the children.

Sa'jan saw her haunted look, the numb stare at nothingness, the first response for those who had made their first kill. They were slowing coming to realize they had ended a living breathing being. The troll had not had the same reaction to his first or any of his kills but had seen many young ones who had. Wisely he refrained a word about the matter letting the shock ripple through her.

"Dere be anyting I can do ta help Gronok?" Sa'jan asked calmly.

His voice broke through Sarriah reverie like a battering-ram brining her out of her spinning contemplations. She blinked once at Sa'jan as if she didn't recognize him then nodded her voice hollow. "Y-yes, he's lying on the floor, I think. Try and help him up."

With a grunt Sa'jan slid off the bench tentatively testing his leg, when he found it ginger to stand on but walk able he limped off to the back leaving Sarriah alone with her thoughts.

"Killed." She whispered aloud though she was talking to herself, her brow furrowed quizzically. "How could I have done this?" They were Alliance; they were supposed to be her allies, bound to the tenants of courage and honor not butchery. Was she a hypocrite now; a healer devoted to life who killed?

"Miss Sarriah?" The timid voice of Grasha sputtered quietly.

Sarriah looked down to see the small child staring up at her with sheer worship. She tried managing a smile, but could conjure a slight tip of her lips. "Yes?"

"You look sad." The girl pointed out. "Are you sad you didn't get to beat up the mean pink skin more before you killed him?"

If only that were the case! Sarriah could have laughed at the child's naivety but, the question seemed to settle her roiling emotions. "Not quiet." Sarriah admitted a small chuckle still escaping the tremor in her voice.

"Well I hope you feel better." The girl grinned, patting Sarriah's hand gently. "If it wasn't for you, papa, Ub, and I would have died!" With that the orc girl tottered away eagerly to look at the carnage outside that Sa'jan had no doubt created in the full flight of his fury.

Sarriah watched the girl run out into the midnight plains, realizing she was right; three would have died instead of one, innocence would have been lost a family destroyed and forgotten leaving only a grieving mother to find her household lying in little mounds all in a row beside the hut. She understood now. Tilting her head up to the red thatched ceiling the priestess smiled a single glimmering tear fell down the side of her cheek. Elune could answer a question in the most puzzling fashion. "Thank you for helping me understands, Elune."

With a refreshing sigh she raised, straightening her blood drenched robe and let to help Sa'jan. She found him in the children's room, the fathers body vanished leaving only the glossy crimson stain where he had laid. The body of the wiry human still lay at an awkward angle the blood seeping from under the corpse. Even though the site made a cold shiver race down her spine, she felt at peace, knowing that the death had been to save innocence.

"I put ole Gronok in his bedroom, da tough old orc was already trying at move around but I doubt he be ready ta be up and at 'em any time soon." Sa'jan explained as Sarriah slipped into the room. The warrior squatted beside the dead human, his hand rubbing his beardless chin as if inspecting the corpse intensely, he grinned proudly at Sarriah, making a beckoning gesture toward him. "Now c'mere dare be somting dat gotta be don now."

Wordlessly, but arching a slender eyebrow in curiosity the priestess obeyed, kneeling beside the corpse as well. Humming pleasantly to himself the troll scooped up a handful of blood cupping it in his palm. Digging into a small bag by his side he sprinkled a coarse blue power over it until the blood transformed into a deep plum hue. Dipping a finger into the strange mixture the warrior turned to Sarriah, his expression proud. "Now hole still, elfie." He ordered mildly.

Sarriah backed away quickly, her eyes wide with alarm. "What are you doing?" She asked confused.

"It be part ah troll tradition, when ya make ya first kill den ya get da privilege of ya first war mark at show ya was victorious." He explained calmly while mixing the paint like gunk in his hand.

"But I'm not a troll." Sarriah argued, stating the obvious firmly, as if in some way could dissuade Sa'jan from marking her with the permanent war paint. But trying to stop Sa'jan when he had decided on something was like telling the sun not to rise in the east or the wind not to blow.

The warrior chuckled, but inched closer to her nonetheless. "It is a honah; very few outside the trolls are allowed this right. Ya showed the bravery of any warrior or troll today, be proud." With a long suffering sigh the troll flashed an 'I'm doing this whether you like it or not' look telling Sarriah it was no use fighting it.

With a deep breath Sarriah nodded more to herself than to him, decided to grin and bear it no matter how barbaric she thought it was. Closing her eyes tightly she felt the tip of his finger dab the warm concoction of ground herbs and blood on her right cheek and slowly trail his finger across the bridge of her nose to stop at the other cheek on the exact same place. The blood had a heavy sickly sweet odor as Sa'jan made the ancient tribal marks on her face, she could feel his finger tracing the swirling circular patterns and streaks that made Goosebumps rise on her lilac colored flesh; or was it just the feel of Sa'jan's hands on her body that made her shiver?

"There." He finished, his tone satisfactory as he quickly wiped away the remnants of the mixture from his hand to keep it from drying on his palm. "Any troll would tink ya was long part of da tribe."

Sarriah could already feel the strange powder blood mixture drying upon her skin rapidly and sinking into her flesh permanently. If she ever got freed, she'd sure have a lot to explain back at the ivory temple of Elune.

Yawning the large troll rose, only flinching mildly as he stood on his left leg. His arms stretched out to their limits, the joints popping in satisfaction as the nights events were slowly catching up to his exhausted body. Grabbing the corpse of the human by its leather boots the troll grunted tugging the body out of the house before going into the main room and settle down for a long sleep. As he pulled the body, that created a bright ruby trial of blood, the troll smiled, facing Sarriah. He gave her a rare nod of satisfaction. "Ya did good, tonight, I don no what I do wit out ya." He revealed before lugging the corpse out the room.

Sarriah couldn't help but grin and for the third time that night, she blushed.