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This is another story I wrote in the genre of Warcraft. To simplify things a bit, I switched to measurements more in keeping with modern times rather than what I had previously used. This story deals with the redemption of a man, and the woman responsible. The emotion with which he contends, anger, is one with which I have had plenty of history. I like to think that love can always conquer anger in the end. Please enjoy!

BTW: It has come to my attention that I should include a disclaimer here...so...For all of you under the age of 18, this story contains scenes of a most adult nature and you need to stop here. Most of you are going to continue to read this, regardless. Just be aware that I and this site are not responsible for the consequences of YOUR actions. You have been warned!

THE SCOUT

Kolya moved silently through the brush, expertly weaving his bow between the thick stands of small, young trees. The object of his interest poked its head up and cast about, ears twitching. When the rabbit dropped its head to continue eating, Kolya drew his arrow back and let fly. The projectile hissed across the short distance and plunged into the side of the leporine. The long ear rodent leaped straight up in the air out of reflex and then fell over, dead. Kolya slung his bow over his shoulder and quietly closed in on the rabbit's corpse. It wasn't a good idea to leave fresh meat out in the open for very long in this area of Azeroth and the scout swung his head in broad sweeps, watching for predators.

Since coming to this world, long ago in his youth, Kolya found himself inexorably drawn to the wilderness. He spent his youth running the broad flats of Ammen Vale, climbing the peaks of the Nestlewood Hills, and even swimming out to Silvermyst Isle. He would spend hours teaching himself to track the creatures of the forest, learning their ways and trailing them through their natural habitats. Before long, Kolya could follow in the footsteps of any animal he tracked, experiencing a portion of their lives and learning much about them from the remnants of their passing. By the summer of his twentieth year, Kolya had gained a reputation in the Draenei community for his tracking abilities and the power to move silently in the wild. His reputation brought him to the attention of Velen and the High Command. Kolya found himself drafted into the Alliance and shipped to the training facilities of Stormwind to learn to be a soldier.

Years of battle against the Burning Legion left Kolya with a bitter taste in his mouth. The Legion's sterling defeat at the World Tree and losses in the Plaguelands brought some semblance of normalcy back to the Alliance and left Kolya tired of the fighting. He found himself wishing for the solitude of the wilderness once again and decided to resign from his duties as a soldier, returning home to the Azuremyst Isles. Unfortunately, his serenity at returning home was short lived when he discovered that pieces of the home ship, Exodar, had scattered across the isles and mutated many of the natural life forms. Once again Kolya was forced to use his talents and lead the fight against the murderous creatures on his home isle. After long years of hunting and killing mutants, the scout was approached by a faction of the Alliance dedicated to hunting and capturing independent criminals leftover from the Great War. Looking for a change, Kolya agreed and found himself tracking remnants of the Legion, and sometimes just plain criminals, across the world of Azeroth.

The scout's latest assignment had him tracking a rogue Orc in the foothills of the Redridge Mountains. Kolya hated Orcs. He was fully aware of their great betrayal on Draenor, long before the escape through the Twisting Nether, and never could find it within himself to forgive any of their ilk. When he fought alongside Orc combat troops in the last legs of the war against the Burning Legion, the scout barely tolerated any interaction with the green-skinned beasts, preferring instead to stay to himself as he blazed the way for troops to follow. Now he was in the wilds of Redridge, a little-contested section of Azeroth, tracking the troops of an Orc with delusions of grandeur. Kolya could still recall the initial briefing of the Alliance strike team, performed in a room at the inn in the town of Lakeshire.

The Draenei scout had stood with his back to the wall of the small room. Even under the best of situations, he had never felt comfortable with large groups of people. Part of his natural affinity for the wilderness stemmed from the fact that he preferred nature over civilization. It was sad, he thought, that he felt more kinship with the beasts of the forest than his own kind. As he scanned the room and reflected, the commander of the strike team, the only other Draenei in the room, called for attention.

"Lizzen up! Let's us get zis started!"

Commander Edver the Relentless was built typical of the Draenei race. Where Kolya was tall and wiry, Edver topped at around seven and a half feet and weighed nearly four hundred pounds. The Draenei leader was all blocky slabs of muscle, rippling and sliding over one another as he gestured at the inhabitants of the room.

"Ve arr here to talk about an Orc..."

The attention of the room became focused as Edver continued with details. Sometime in the last several months, an Orc named Gragak Doomsayer had amassed a power base of vagrant killers and ex-Horde soldiers, moved to the outskirts of The Redridge Mountains, and set himself up as a would-be warchief. Now it was Kolya and company's job to find this blasted Orc and bring him down once and for all. The Draenei scout had felt the sharp point of rage in his heart when he learned the race of the objective. Years of stories from his father describing in detail the atrocities performed on his people kept playing in his head. He remembered flexing his hands, imagining the Orc's neck crushing in his powerful grip. His furious thoughts had been interrupted by Edver, who was outlining his part in the plan.

"You, Kolya, vill go ahead of ze team and learn ze land. Ve have two ozzer scouts out in anozer section to better cover ze region. Be on ze lookout for paths zat may lead back to Gragak's base of operations. Ve need to find him before ve can deal wis him."

Kolya had nodded grimly and left the inn for the mountains as soon as he finished resupplying his meager possessions. For two months he had scoured the peaks, looking for spore that would lead him back to Gragak. So far all of the signs he found had started and ended on well worn paths through the mountain range. Nothing had indicated a trail that may lead to some hidden location. As his frustration grew, Kolya could feel his spirits darken, his desire to crush the life from this Orc dragging at his center of calm. He continued to comb the wilderness, determined not to fail.

The Draenei scout reached the body of the rabbit. Glancing around again, he crouched and drew an ornate dagger from its sheath on his hip. Automatically, his eyes surveyed the blade, noting its condition of cleanliness and inspecting it for damage. Like so many times before, the dagger was unblemished, kept that way by a permanent spell. The knife had been a present from his mother, given with great ceremony. The bejeweled blade had a legacy tracing back through over a dozen generations of his ancestors. His mother had explained when she presented it to him.

"Zis dagger iss intended for your Life Mate. Ven you haff chozen, you vill give zis to her to signify ze bond you share. Later, ven you haff children, it vill be prezented to your oldest son, to be passed on for ze future generations. Zis is very, very important, my Kolya. Ze one you gift ze dagger is ze one you spend whole rest of life."

Kolya rolled the dagger in his fingers, remembering her words, and then started to dress out the body of the rabbit. He moved quickly and confidently from years of practice. The meat from the rabbit will add to the dwindling stores of food in his pack and be a welcome addition to the hard cakes he normally ate. He finished his task, wrapped the meat in waxy linen, and cleaned his dagger on the soft fur of the rabbit. Sheathing the blade as he stood, Kolya gave thanks to the Holy Light of Creation for the gift of the rabbit and wished it well in whatever afterlife awaited. He then turned and hurried silently away before the smell attracted the worgs, or worse, the ettin.

As he moved silently out of the area, Kolya pondered his next move. The search for the Orc's hideout was becoming more and more frustrating. If something didn't happen soon, he was going to have to reconsider his involvement in this action. The pendant against his chest vibrated noiselessly, interrupting his train of thought. He growled and pulled it up on its chain so he could speak into the back of the adornment.

"Kolya responding...what do you want?"

The voice on the other end of the line was distinctly feminine.

"Kolya! We found it!"

The Draenei scout stopped in his tracks as his heart started to beat faster. The voice on the other end of the line belonged to a Night elf named Teleria Swiftarrow. Normally one of the most unflappable people he had ever met, the excitement in her tone could only mean one thing to Kolya.

"Gragak's lair?"

"Yes! One of the other scouts literally stumbled across it in the foothills near the Swamp of Sorrows..."

Kolya growled softly and nearly crushed the pendant in his hand. Out of all three scouts he was the one who had covered the most ground, put in the most time, and one of the others stumbled across it? By what luck could that have occurred? The Draenei scout focused back on the mission.

"When do we attack? Do I have time to link up with the strike team or should I meet them somewhere?"

"Um, I think Edver has specific instructions for you, hold on."

Kolya's eyes narrowed. Specific instructions had to be unwelcome news. He continued to scan his surroundings as he waited. The pendant crackled back to life and emitted Edver's rich baritone.

"Kolya? Arr you still zere?"

"Yes, Commander."

"Good. Listen closely. Ze attack is set to begin in ze three days. Zis should give you ze time to get into position."

Kolya frowned, forgetting that Edver couldn't actually see his face.

"Position for what, Commander? I need only link up with the strike team before they assail Gragak's lair."

"Therein is ze problem...You von't be wis ze strike team."

"Wait, what? Why not?"

"I need you to run ze active patrol line around ze lower section closest to ze objective. Ve arr going to get ze stragglers. I need you to be ready to pick zem up."

Kolya was stunned. He had been counting on being a part of the strike force performing the assault. The scout watched his chance at Gragak slip away with mounting fury.

"Why me? The lower section there is the swamp!"

"Zorry Kolya. Out of all ze scouts, you arr ze only one wis ze skills to negotiate ze swamp."

The Draenei scout ground his teeth in anger. For months, he had been hunting for this abode, avoiding wandering parties of Blackrock Orcs, outwitting the Murlocs, and dodging various predators. In one fell swoop, Edver had taken his purpose away. He tried to keep the growl out of his voice as he responded.

"I don't appreciate this, Commander. I worked as hard as anyone on this mission and I really wanted to be included in the attack."

"I realize zat, Kolya, but in zis decision I must be adamant. You really arr ze only one zat can work ze swamp."

The Draenei scout took a deep breath to calm himself but inside he was still seething.

"Yes sir. I will be in position in time."

"Good. I vill contact you in ze two days. Edver out."

With a curse, Kolya dropped the pendant back down the front of his tunic and pinched the bridge of his nose with two fingers. Damn it! The whole reason he was out here was to take down that detestable Orc! He had even avoided the patrols of the local Orc clan, the Blackrocks, just for an opportunity to deliver some justice! Kolya snarled and lashed his fist into a nearby tree, breaking his noise protocol for the first time in years. It seemed like everywhere he looked, those thrice-blasted Orcs and their Horde brethren infected every area they passed through, defiling nature and thumbing their stupid, flat noses at the established order. The Draenei scout could feel the anger bubbling in his gut. Since he could remember, his father had horrified him with detailed tales of the Orc's devastating betrayal on Draenor, and the subsequent deaths of his people. The stump of his father's missing leg was a constant testament to the horrors the Orcs had inflicted to his people. Kolya listened intently to every story and developed an overwhelming antagonism towards the green-hued race. Only the Burning Legion was more hated in the scout's eyes, having stolen away the honor of the Draenei millennia ago, when they still were known as Eredar. Kolya's fingers tightened on his bow and he started out through the brush.

The Draenei scout worked his way south towards the swamps. There was a campsite nearby that Kolya had used extensively in the past and he knew he could make it there before dark. As he moved silently through the woods, the scout wrestled with his feelings. He just couldn't believe he was going to be a left out of the strike team. Kolya knew, on some inner level, that he was obsessing about the entire situation and that he may be overreacting, but at that point he just didn't care. Anger burned deep in his chest, overriding his logical mind and pushing him to depths that were starting to feel uncomfortable. With a dismissive shake of his head, the scout pushed the anger aside and took note of his surroundings. A low growl off in the distance warned him of a predator moving parallel to his path. Kolya automatically checked the wind and found it blowing towards him from the direction of the growl. Relieved, he peeled away and readjusted his course to use a different path. Before long, the growl vanished into the distance and Kolya picked up his pace.

A few hours later, the Draenei scout crept into a secluded clearing nestled in between two cliff sides. An outcrop of rock provided a small amount of shelter from the elements and a nearby stream provided fresh water. Kolya checked the immediate area and found no signs of occupation. For the first time all day, he set his pack on the ground and sagged to his haunches in relief. Rummaging in his bag, he found his firestone and quickly had a small campfire burning. Kolya then stripped down bare and made his way to the edge of the stream near a small area that pooled languidly where the rushing water had eroded the bank. Clothes in hand, the scout slipped into the small pool, shuddering at the chill water. He carefully washed his clothing in a special, scent-neutralizing soap before ducking his head under the surface and scrubbing his body. Thoroughly cleaned, Kolya returned to the campfire and set his clothing out on some sticks to dry.

The cleaning ritual was one he did every night, or at least as often as he could. Nearly every major predator in the region hunted mostly by scent, making washing a necessity. Kolya pulled a loincloth from his pack and put it on; the minimal fabric afforded no protection from the cold but allowed him to cling to some semblance of modesty while his leather clothing dried. The scout dug his packet of rabbit from his bag and quickly had a spit of meat cooking above the fire. One of the reasons he liked the campsite was the way the tiny bit of heat from the fire reflected off the cliff sides and helped keep the small area warmer than the surrounding air. Two sides of protection also helped to block the constant wind of the mountains and hide the light from the campfire. Kolya shivered as he waited for the area to warm. The seasons were fast approaching the fall, and the mountains would soon wear their snowy peaks like a series of huge white jewels scattered across the horizon. The frost had not yet come in the mornings but the scout felt the wind and knew it would not be much longer. As the rabbit began to cook, Kolya felt pressure in his bladder and strode downstream to relieve himself.

When he approached the waters edge, he caught a momentary glimpse of his form reflected in the still surface of a small bank side pool. A strong, aquiline face stared back at him from the water. His high brow ridges sat directly above his pupil-less eyes and his nose sloped sharply down to a point above his full-lipped mouth. He wore his facial hair in a thick goatee, the hair framing his mouth, dropping down both sides, and covering his four thick chin tentacles at the roots. His hair he wore long, pulled back in a utilitarian ponytail and sporting one long thin braid that sprouted from the side of his head above his ear and reached all the way to his chest. The distant flicker of the campfire brought out the purple hues of his hair as it contrasted with the light blue of his skin. Kolya glanced down, noting the sharply defined musculature of his body. Where most Draenei were built tall and stocky, the scout was leaner and even taller. He stood easily over eight feet in height, with a build that, while still muscular, tended towards wiry strength rather than blocky power. His tail was very long and started out thick near the base and transitioned to a thin, blunt point. The muscles controlling the appendage blended into the anatomy of his body, carved and sculpted from endless hours moving through his environment. His legs were long and lean, bending backwards at the hock and ending in two artiodactyl hooves.

Kolya positioned himself near the edge of the stream and reached down to move the loincloth to one side. With a frown, he pulled his manhood from its resting place between his thighs and held it at an angle to relieve himself in the rushing water. His currently flaccid pole had long been a problem for the Draenei scout. Of course, every male with whom he had ever dared to discuss his dilemma had just laughed and joked that they wished they had the same problem. Kolya was huge, his member easily close to a foot and a half in length erect and thicker than his wrist. Where most males wished for dimensions of that stature, the reality was that it was an enormous nuisance. He had to constantly bind it to his leg to keep it from flopping around in his clothes, erections were a problem, especially when around others, and contrary to popular belief, most women are NOT comfortable with something that could perforate the back of their uterus. Flicking the last drop of urine into the water, Kolya frowned one last time at his fleshy pole before releasing it to fall back under his loincloth. With a disgusted sigh, he turned and made his way back to the campfire. Pulling his bedroll from his pack, Kolya stretched it out before checking the meat. When the last bits of his dinner were safely in his stomach, he banked the fire and crawled into his bedroll. It was a long time before he could sleep.

Two days later, Kolya sat on an island deep in the Swamp of Sorrows while insects buzzed around his head and filled his ears with noise. The planned attack on Gragak's lair was scheduled for after sundown and the scout was mentally preparing himself for the task ahead. The past two days had done nothing to temper his disappointment at being left out of the raid. If anything, the smoldering rage had blossomed and currently blazed away in his chest. As he sat on a log and burned, Kolya decided that if any of Gragak's party did try to escape into the swamp, he was going to make sure they didn't make it very far. The Draenei's hands twitched as he pictured an Orc, stumbling across the swamp and falling right into his clutches. He was imagining himself pummeling the imaginary Orc when the pendant on his chest vibrated. Frowning, he held the ornament to his lips.

"Kolya."

"Zis iss Edver. If you do zee a straggler zis evening, I vant you to apprehend, not ze terminate."

"Are you serious? What if I have to defend myself, or bring them down from a distance?"

There was a growl from the pendant.

"You heard vat I said, Kolya! I don't particularly like ze Orcs either, but ve haff our orderz."

The scout gritted his teeth to keep the rage from carrying across the link.

"Understood, Commander."

"Good. Edver out."

Kolya dropped the pendant with a snarl and leaped to his feet. He paced the small island for several minutes, trying to use the movement to burn off the anger. He was tempted to howl his fury into the depths of the swamp, only his fangs sinking into his tongue prevented him from doing something so stupid. Still enraged, the Draenei dropped back on to the log and settled down to wait for dark.

The hours passed slowly but the sun eventually did drop below the horizon. Kolya left his island and began to expertly move through the darkened swamp. He automatically seemed to find the perfect places to put his hooves with every step. Only the smallest squish betrayed his movement as he made his way in a broad semi-circle south of the Orc's lair. Suddenly there was an enormous explosion and the horizon lit briefly in the general direction of the Orc's hideout. Faint shouts and the smell of magic on the wind told Kolya that the raid had begun. He hunched his shoulders, hissed in frustration, and continued to scan the swamp for stragglers.

About twenty minutes or so into the raid, the Draenei scout caught the faint sound of splashing from somewhere behind him. Turning around with a sneer, he quickly went back the way he had come, leaping from silent point to silent point and eating up distance. As he approached, the sounds of someone struggling through the swamp became much clearer. It wasn't long until Kolya spotted a lone figure, panting for air and stumbling through the brackish water. The figure had somehow managed to pass the area of Kolya's patrol and was now slowly pulling away from the Draenei scout. All he could see of the straggler was a dark cloak, dragging along behind and snagging on the passing vegetation. The scout shook his head in disbelief. Who would wear a cloak like that while trying to move through the swamp? This person must be an idiot!

He pulled his marital dagger from the sheath on his hip and smoothly accelerated his pace. Within seconds he came up to a few strides behind the struggling figure and raised the blade to strike. As his arm rose, Kolya remembered his orders and his arm dropped reluctantly to his side. Inwardly he seethed as the object of his pursuit continued to struggle through the swamp, making so much noise that they didn't even hear the scout's approach. Kolya sheathed his dagger and glanced around. It dawned on him that the figure's grunts of exertion and splashing may attract an unwanted predator. There were things in the swamp far worse than an enraged Draenei. He briefly considered letting the straggler go, abandoning them to whatever their fate in the depths of the swamp but then he realized that it would look bad later if one of the prisoners remembered an escapee fleeing into the swamp, right through Kolya's patrol. Gritting his teeth in frustration, the scout prepared himself to capture the fleeing form.

In a few long strides, the Draenei slammed into the form, tackling it to the ground into a soft patch of mud. The figure let out a surprised grunt, and then struggled under the scout's weight as he ground his forearm into the person's neck, pinning their face into the mud. He deftly pulled back the surprisingly thin cloak and reached for a thrashing hand. His fingers closed over the hand and the scout noticed that something felt a little strange. Kolya bent the hand at the wrist and savagely twisted the figures arm up behind its back. When he spotted the three-fingered extremity, he hissed in frustration. He had caught one of the horned ones, a Tauren! Right on cue, the hood of the cloak fell back during the Tauren's struggles and exposed one of the beast's horns, smooth on the sides and apparently ground off at the end. Kolya growled vehemently when he realized he didn't get his chance at one of the hated Orcs. He pulled a length of strong cord from his pocket, already prepped with a slip-knot loop on one end. He quickly slipped the loop over the pinned limb and cinched the knot tight. Releasing his weight on the Tauren's neck, he grabbed the other hand in a bone-crushing grip and wrenched the figure's free arm around and behind its back. The Tauren lifted its nose clear of the mud and gasped in pain. As the horned figure arched its back to keep its face out of the muck, it continued to emit pained cries.

"Wa! Wa! Chi ishte owak pawene!!"

Kolya wrapped the cord around the Tauren's wrists and rapidly tied a knot designed specifically to bind prisoners. The Draenei scout then wrapped his fingers around the horned figure's muzzle and squeezed viciously, leaning over and snarling in its ear.

"Shut up you stupid beast! Are you trying to attract a predator?"

He twisted the Tauren's head to the side until he heard it whimper, listening closely to see if any other noises sounded out in the dark. When he heard nothing, Kolya stood and buried his fingers in the mass of loose hair on the back of the Tauren's head. With a sharp jerk, he tugged until the figure's head was canted back at an awkward angle. He continued to pull steadily, forcing the Tauren to stagger to its feet without using its hands. Throughout the movement, the Tauren keened quietly at the enormous pressure on its neck and gasped in pain with every sharp jerk. When the Tauren reached its hooves, Kolya grabbed the figure by the throat and slammed it, back first, into a nearby tree. As the horned form gurgled at the pressure on its throat, the Draenei scout finally had a real look at his captive.

The thin cloak had fallen open and the first thing to come to notice was the two enormous breasts. Kolya growled through his gritted teeth in annoyance. Not only did he end up capturing a Tauren, but it was a female! He released his hold on her neck and she slumped against the tree, panting for air. The scout stood back and looked at the rest of her attire. Beneath the fresh coating of mud, the Tauren wore a skimpy, two-piece cloth garment. The top was little more than a tiny bra, struggling to contain her enormous furry orbs. Gold thread and lace trimmed the dark fabric and hung from the bottom to create a frilly effect. The bottom of the outfit was a long, stylized loincloth, also decorated with lace and gold thread. Between the two articles of clothing, there was hardly any coverage; the Tauren might as well have been naked. A thin collar of some precious metal, hard to see in the dim light, circled her neck. A long, thin chain attached to the front and draped over her chest to dangle a foot or so from the ground. A few simple bracelets and anklets completed the outfit. The Tauren female sobbed and trembled against the tree. Lost in emotion, she threw back her head and started to wail. Kolya lurched forward and clamped her mouth shut, fingers digging painfully into the top and bottom of her muzzle. He leaned in close and hissed into her face.

"Knock that off you blithering idiot! If something does come looking for you, I'm going to feed you to them myself!"

He pantomimed an animal with his free hand, running up and leaping at the Tauren. As his fingers closed the gap, he stopped, clacked his teeth together; lips peeled back, and shook his head like an animal tearing flesh from a kill. When he looked back at the horned female, her eyes were wide open in fear, the whites clearly visible even in the dim moon light. He raised an eyebrow at her.

"You understand now?"

Letting go of her nose and mouth, Kolya dropped his hand. The Tauren nodded slightly and then looked around, apparently expecting an attack at any moment. Reflecting in the lunar radiance, Kolya could see her cheeks were soaked with tears. He turned and looked back in the direction of the now-destroyed hideout. With a growl, the scout grabbed a handful of the Tauren's hair and shoved her in the direction of the hideout. The horned female squealed painfully through her nose at the treatment before drooping her head and slogging out across the swamp. As she walked, Kolya could see her shoulders shaking as she sobbed quietly. He just shook his head and frowned, angry at the female's pathetic frailty. Where was his glorious battle? Where was his opportunity for justice against the hated Orcs? No, instead he ended his evening in the murk of a swamp, herding a bawling female Tauren through the darkness. Kolya's rage continued to burn as he shoved her roughly forward again.

In a short amount of time, the two approached the site of the raid from behind a particularly dense stand of trees. As the destruction site of the lair loomed behind the copse, Kolya's pendant began to vibrate. He snagged the Tauren by the hair again, stopping her in her tracks. With the other hand he lifted the pendant and spoke into the back.

"This is Kolya."

As Edver's voice poured from the necklace, the scout was surprised to hear the same voice, faintly, from behind the stand of trees. Apparently Edver was just inside earshot.

"Kolya! Good! Report!"

The Draenei scout was about to turn and call out across the short expanse when he heard Edver speaking faintly in the distance, but not through the pendant.

"Izz za hothead, Kolya. Ve arr done wiss him, yes?"

Another voice, low and feminine, drifted across the water.

"We have accomplished our objective, if that's what you're asking. Why?"

"Because I don't vant him to be zere when ze prisoners arr processed. Ve vill haff too many ze problems already."

"You're talking about his temper around the Orcs?"

"I am talking about ze temper around everything of ze Horde."

"Oh...yes. Doesn't he ever smile?"

"Kolya say he haff no reason to smile. I vill haff to tell you story sometime."

"I'd like to hear it."

Kolya ground his teeth together in anger. How dare they speak about his dedication like it was a weakness? Just because he wanted very much to wipe out Orcs! The Tauren in his hand squealed in pain again. The scout looked and realized he had unconsciously twisted her hair in his grip as he trembled with rage. With a rough shove to the ground, he released her hair as Edver's voice sounded through the pendant.

"Kolya? Report?"

"I caught someone trying to escape across the swamp."

In the distance, he heard the voices again.

"Someone actually ran into the swamp? I thought you put him out there to keep him away from everyone?"

"Zis is unusual. Let's us see who iz caught."

The pendant crackled back to life.

"Who is zis you haff caught?"

"It's a Tauren female, dressed in some skimpy outfit and wearing a collar around her neck."

The voices drifted across the water.

"He has caught one of ze harem girls? How many did ve find in ze lair?"

"At least a dozen, maybe more."

"Zen she is of no use to us."

Kolya had finally identified the female voice. It was Teleria. The pendant sounded again.

"Kolya? You vill haff to bring ze female to ze holding facility at Lakeshire."

"What? Why can't I bring her to the hideout and transport her with the rest?"

"Ve arr trying to keep ze prisoners separated. It vill be easiest if you take charge of zat one wis you."

Kolya glared daggers at the pendant. Based on what he had heard from the conversation behind the trees, he knew this was a stall tactic designed to keep him occupied. The only problem was he couldn't protest effectively without disclosing his knowledge of their conversation. He refrained from snarling into the pendant...barely.

"You do realize that is at least a three day hike from here? Without a teleport, I won't be back until the end of the week!"

"Ve cannot spare ze resources to port you back. Just bring ze prisoner in and don't vorry about ze time it takes to get zere."

Kolya growled and looked down at the Tauren. She had assumed a position tucked into a ball on her knees, body crouching as low as possible and her forehead pressed to the ground. Her bound arms were thrust out awkwardly behind her. The scout fought down the urge to deliver a swift kick to her side. Instead, he leaned over and dragged her to her feet by her hair. As she whined at the mistreatment, Kolya barked into the pendant.

"I may be close, Commander, can you wait just a moment?"

"Negative. Ve must go now. See you in few days."

The scout dropped the pendant and started running, dragging the squealing Tauren along by her ear. As he rounded the stand of trees, small pops of displaced air began to sound up and down the edge of the swamp. Kolya looked around at the rapidly emptying area and spotted Edver, gesturing with his hand. The Commander didn't even bother to look up before he popped out of existence. In seconds, the area was devoid of troops, everyone teleporting back to the holding facility. Kolya bellowed his anger at the empty air. Even more frustrating was the fact that he had never learned the teleport spell. It was something he had been avoiding, preferring to travel across land on foot. Snarling, Kolya turned to the Tauren, who looked at him in sheer fright. She leaned away from him as far as she could, the whites of her eyes big and clear around her pupils. In the back of her throat she started to whine again. The scout pointed a trembling finger and screamed in her face.

"You! You're the reason this is happening to me! I should slit your stupid throat right now!!!"

The Tauren dropped to her knees in front of him, curling back into the odd, upright fetal position from before. Pressing her forehead to the ground, she sobbed quietly as Kolya struggled to rein in his temper. He watched her tremble for a few minutes, breathing deeply to stop his own shakes. When he finally regained some control, he tapped the horned figure with his hoof.

"Let's go. We have a long way to travel and I want to rid myself of you as quickly as possible."

Unable to understand him, the Tauren didn't move. She just shivered in place. Kolya felt his rage coming back. He leaned over and yanked her head up using her hair so he could see her eyes.

"I SAID...let's go!"

The female gritted her teeth at the pain, trying desperately not to cry out into his face. She struggled to her feet and started walking in the direction of his shove. The scout fell in behind her, occasionally poking her in the back to change her direction of travel. He guided her to the rock wall that separated the Swamp of Sorrows from the Redridge Mountains. There was a path that led up a seam in the face and the scout shoved her unto it. After several hours travel, the two found themselves moving through the scarce underbrush along a low series of hills. The female trudged along dutifully, her head hanging low and her arms tied behind her back. Kolya followed behind, thinking dark thoughts and occasionally trying to sear a hole in the Tauren's back with his gaze. He kept replaying the events of last night in his mind. Why would Edver even invite him if he didn't like the way he was around the Horde? Why go through the trouble? And now he was stuck ferrying this Tauren girl all the way back to Lakeshire. Kolya stopped glaring and just watched her for a moment.

In the bright light of day he could see more of the girl. Her thin black cloak was dirty and tattered from the flight through the swamp, covering her almost completely from neck to ankles. As he watched, the cloak snagged on a passing branch and nearly jerked the female to a complete stop. As she recovered herself and started to move again, it caught a second time, forcing Kolya to slow and wait. Annoyance bordered on anger as he reached down to his waist and drew his marital dagger. He lunged forward and grasped the Tauren by the shoulder, spinning her in place. The horned female squeaked with surprise and froze, eyes wide, as he held his blade to her throat. For a split second, her gaze met his, and then she scrunched her eyes shut, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks. Kolya grunted with annoyance and sliced with a sharp jerk, parting the fabric of her thin cloak where it tied at her neck and letting it fall away to the ground. In one smooth motion he slipped his dagger back into its home at his side and scooped the puddle of dirty fabric from the ground. He folded the garment twice and tucked one end into the waistband of her skimpy loincloth. As he tucked, he was only mere inches from her face. She opened her eyes and looked at him in surprise, realizing she was still alive. The scout finished his task and jerked his head in the direction of travel. The Tauren lowered her head and resumed plodding.

Hours later the two stepped close to a rocky wall nestled back into some low foothills. Kolya scanned the face for a moment, and then pulled some brush aside to reveal the entrance to a cave. He held the foliage high and shoved the Tauren through the entrance. When no growls or screams of pain emanated from the cave, he followed the horned female into the fissure. When the Tauren spotted him coming in she dropped to the sandy floor, tucking her forehead in the familiar upright fetal crouch. He ignored her for a few moments and scanned the cave. Nothing looked different from the last time he was here.

The cave was one of several campsites Kolya had scouted when he first came to the area. It had only one entrance and an underground river flowed sluggishly through the back of the cave. The ceiling sloped upward to a small hole, allowing a campfire to be made without fear of choking on the rising smoke. The floor of the cave was deep sand, washed in over the years from the occasional rising of the underground waterway. Kolya shrugged his pack off wearily and let it slip to the sandy ground. The lack of rest through the night and the tension of herding the Taureness were taking their toll. Normally he didn't make camp so early, but he knew Edver wouldn't have expected him to start back so quickly. He was actually almost a full day ahead of schedule. Kolya's gaze returned to the female and his mood darkened.

The Tauren was pressing her forehead to the floor again, trembling in place. Tears leaked from her tightly closed eyes and soaked into the sand below. The air outside the cave had started to chill but the air inside had already been cold to start. The Tauren shivered in her odd crouch, breath fogging from under her muzzle. Kolya needed to gather firewood so he stared at the horned female, thinking. He went over to his pack and pulled out a climbing spike and a hammer. Gathering up the length of slim chain attached to her collar, he threaded the spike through a link and then drove it into the rock wall. As he dropped the hammer near his pack, well out of reach of the female, she looked sideways at him. He turned and gestured in her direction.

"Don't move, beast. I'll be back shortly."

Kolya ducked out the entrance and proceeded to collect some firewood. It took several trips, the Tauren jerking with surprise every time the scout dropped a fresh armload on the pile. When Kolya felt he had enough for even two nights if needed, he pulled the plant life back over the entrance and sat down wearily on the ground across from the Tauren. He pulled his firestone from his pack and soon had a small campfire burning in the center of the space. He extracted the rest of the rabbit meat and set it to cooking on a few sticks. As the smell of cooking meat permeated the cave, Kolya's eyes fell on the Tauren. She was kneeling in that strange, scrunched up way as before, her face turned away from him. Over half of the front of her body was covered in dried, caked-on mud and the smell was making him angry again. He recalled the events over the last evening that had led to his present situation. The tackle in the swamp, her capture, and the subsequent dismissal at the hands of Edver all boiled down to one common element: The Tauren. Kolya knew somewhere in his heart that she had not planned the events that had led to this, but somehow he found it easier to blame her.

"Hey!"

At his yell, the Tauren had turned a startled face to look at him, never taking her cheek from the ground. Kolya leaned forward and sneered at her.

"Who are you? Why the hell were you in the swamp last night?"

Unable to understand him, the horned woman shook her head in small motions side to side, all the while an expression of growing fear appearing on her face. The scout felt his ire rapidly increasing.

"Hey! I'm talking to you! What were you doing in the swamp?"

The Tauren's eyes were very wide, the whites showing clearly across the cave. She had no idea how to respond, and she could see the Draenei was getting more and more upset. Without actively being aware of it, Kolya's hand snaked out and gripped a long, slender branch from the wood pile.

"I'm only going to ask you one more time!!! What were you doing in the SWAMP!!!!?"

The Tauren sucked in a breath and turned her forehead back to the ground, her tears pouring uncontrollably down her face. She trembled in fear, unable to understand why her captor was suddenly getting so mad. Through her quiet sobs, she could her him shift position.

Kolya growled low and deep in his throat, his blinding rage spiking his racing heart and turning his vision a hazy blue. For all of his life, he had always held some anger for something. Orcs, the Legion, and many others were all distant targets of his limitless fury. Now, thanks to Edver and his infuriating antics, Kolya had an object of his wrath live, helpless, and just a few steps away. With a snarl, Kolya leapt to his feet and waved the stick at her.

"Blast you, beast!!! I expect you to ANSWER ME!!!"

Kolya stomped across the sand, raising the stick above his head. It was the first time in his life he ever raised a hand against another being that hadn't been during combat, or on orders. The Tauren whimpered loudly at his approach, curling herself tighter into her ball and shaking visibly. As Kolya in his rage prepared to strike, a flicker of the firelight landed just so on her skin beneath the fur. The scout froze, not understanding what he was seeing. Thousands of tiny white lines crossed over each other on the skin beneath the Tauren's pelt. No square inch was spared, the lines visible at random angles across her back, her legs, her arms, pretty much everywhere. One particularly thick cluster of lines was situated across her shoulders, shoulders that even now she hunched desperately to protect her neck and the back of her head. With sudden clarity, Kolya realized the nature of the lines. They were scars...

The scouts mind reeled at the revelation. He took a small step back, the stick falling from his limp fingers. He was having a hard time processing the sheer amount of marks on the horned woman's hide. As his fury drained away in a flash, he pondered what amount of effort would have had to occur to create the grisly crosshatch on her skin. She would have had to have been beaten for months, no...years, to accumulate the amount of scarring he was seeing. Kolya stepped back further and tripped, falling to his rear. Despite himself, he couldn't help but stare at the trembling Tauren.

"By the Light, what has happened to you?"

He tried to wrap his mind around it, imagining the situation from her perspective. Little things began to add up; the collar and chain, the way she dropped to her knees in a submissive pose, the fear of his touch, all of these things pointed to a lifetime of harsh and brutal treatment. Kolya looked at his hand, the one that had held the stick. What was he thinking? All of the anger, the hatred, all seemed meaningless in the face of what he was seeing tattooed on the tender skin of the Tauren. A flash of sickening introspection had him thinking: What does that make me? After all, he had just treated her no less gently over the course of the last day. Kolya suddenly felt the need to throw up.

He leaned forward and gently ran his fingers over the marks on her shoulders. The Tauren flinched automatically, still anticipating his blow. When the beating didn't come, the horned woman turned her head and looked at him. Kolya ignored her tearful stare and continued his examination of her scars. With his body blocking the firelight, he had to brush the fur back to see down to her skin. Some of the marks he came across were less than a few weeks old, still barely in the early stages of scarring. As he stroked her fur, the Tauren stared at him in confusion, unable to reconcile his anger from earlier with this sudden, gentle interest in her back. The Draenei traced a particularly vicious looking mark that started at her shoulder and traced across the sensitive portion of the back of her neck. The female cringed at his touch and turned her head to look up at him. He looked down and saw the look she was giving him. If he didn't know better, it looked like she was apologizing to him that she had been beaten so severely!

Kolya's gaze traveled down her body, noting her awkward position with her hands bound. He realized she had been bound for nearly eighteen hours, and had not received anything to drink or eat. He also realized she had not relieved herself in that same time, Kolya having stopped twice on their trek to this position. Glancing at the chain spiked to the wall, the scout drew his dagger, causing the Tauren to whimper and lean away from him in new fear. He patted her shoulder and shushed her as he reached back and sliced through her bonds. When her arms sprung free, the horned female stopped whimpering and looked at him in surprise. Kolya returned the dagger to its sheath and stood up. He walked over to his supplies and pulled his water skin from his bag. When he came back and offered the container to the Tauren, she looked at him as though he were offering her a poisonous snake. Kolya sighed and shook the container with a little slosh.

"Come on...You have to be thirsty. It's just water."

Very hesitantly, as though he were going to change his mind and beat her anyway, the Tauren slowly reached for the container. Taking it from the scout, she sniffed at the contents. With a groan of relief she up-ended the skin and gulped the water down, even squeezing the soft sides of the skin to get as much liquid from the container as she could. When the last drop passed her lips, the female looked up at Kolya with a look of hope, holding out the skin tentatively. The scout grunted and took the skin from her hand. He walked back to the rear of the cave and dipped the waterskin into the slow moving stream, closest to where it came out from the wall. When it was full, he walked back over and handed it to the Tauren. She accepted the skin and continued to drink, even smiling around the mouth of the container. Kolya walked back across the floor to his pack, needing time to think.

He knelt down at his bag, mind working feverishly. He looked down at his hand again, thinking of how, just moments ago, he had been enraged enough to vent his anger on an innocent being. He recalled sitting at his father's foot, listening to stories of berserker Orcs, rampaging across Draenor and slaying thousands in their path. These stories had an indelible mark on his childhood, teaching him how to feel like a victim, how to hate a race, and how to feel injustice, all without ever living through the event. As he grew older, the hatred took the lead, laying its subtle hand on every interaction he had with anyone. On some level, Kolya knew it was the reason he preferred to be alone. Now he sat in cave, staring at his hand, and the foundation, the very core of his psyche, developed a significant crack. How could he justify his anger when the actions that perpetrated his hate where the same as what he had just done to some innocent Tauren slave? He had essentially become what he hated the most.

Kolya's hand blurred in his vision as the tears began to leak down his face. All of the fury he had held so close and used to guide his actions was now replaced with shame. In one startling moment, the scout underwent a fundamental shift in his entire belief system, the guilt and sorrow pressing heavily on his mind. Kolya clenched his hand and swallowed back a sob. He rummaged in his pack and pulled out the folding spade. He stood up a little unsteadily and chanced a glance at the Tauren. The horned female was still kneeling, her upper body upright, and both hands held the water skin. She was looking at the Draenei with, of all things, a look of genuine concern. Seeing her face, the scout turned and nearly ran out the cave entrance, the tears returning full force. He chose a spot some distance from the cave and leaned against a tree, pouring his shame out on to the ground. When he couldn't cry any longer, he knelt near the tree to dig a hole. He searched around till he found some familiar soft leaves and then, pausing to compose himself, he walked back into the cave.

The female followed his movements as he returned to his pack and dropped the spade. When he picked up the hammer and turned toward her, the Tauren shifted nervously. Kolya held up his hand, palm out, and walked directly to the spike in the wall. A few taps and a sharp tug freed the chain from the spike in a shower of pebbles. The scout casually tossed the spike across the cave in the direction of his pack. He turned, chain in hand, and gently removed the water skin from the Tauren's hands. The female looked up at him in surprised confusion as the skin followed after the spike. He gave the chain a gentle tug.

"Let's go, you."

Kolya let the horned woman get to her feet and then led her out the cave opening, guiding her to the hole. A few gestures by the scout and the Tauren widened her eyes in understanding. As she squatted against the tree to do her business, Kolya turned his back. For some odd reason, he was actually feeling embarrassed as she relieved herself behind him. When she took the soft leaves from his fingers, he could feel the blue, flushed heat creeping across his cheeks. After a moment, he heard the Tauren stand and move away from the tree. A few kicks of dirt into the hole and the two returned to the cave. Without protest, the female went right back to her spot on the floor of the cave. Kolya looked at her in speculation, wondering what kind of experiences would teach her to return to the exact same spot like that. He checked the meat, pronounced it done, and tore off a piece for the female. The Tauren hesitated at first until Kolya wiggled it in his hand, and then pounced on the offered bit hungrily. Kolya watched her groan with pleasure as she devoured the piece of rabbit. Before he realized what he was doing, he pulled the rest of the meat from the fire and handed it to her, keeping a tiny piece for himself. The Tauren looked at the proffered food and then at him, clearly confused. Kolya nodded his head, encouraging her. Slowly, she accepted the meal.

The scout sat back and watched her eat, chewing on his own piece. The swamp mud, plastered and matted on her face and body, along with her unkempt hair, gave her a wild appearance. Kolya frowned when he realized he was going to have to give her a bath sometime in the near future. As he watched, the Tauren, her belly full, slumped sleepily against the cave wall. The scout yawned as he watched her, feeling the effects of the long day himself. The horned female curled into a ball on the cave floor and rested her chin on her arms. Pretty soon Kolya could hear her steady, deep breaths as she slept. He banked the fire and pulled his bedroll from his pack. One last glance at the Tauren gave him an idea. He reached over and dragged the slim chain closer to his foot. With a piece of cord, he lashed the last link to his ankle, effectively giving him an early warning system. Assured, the Draenei drifted off to sleep.

Thousands of green skinned figures surged over the land, destroying homes, starting fires, and murdering helpless families as the screams of the dying drifted past Kolya's ears. He ran forward, crying out as another family was dragged from their home to face the blades. The scout began to shout, but the cry died in his throat as he beheld the faces of the invaders. They all had Kolya's face, each and every one. A meaty thunk sounded, and the head of one of the family members rolled to a stop at his feet. When he looked down, a mud-splattered Tauren looked back in confusion and fear...

Kolya snapped awake and sat upright. His breath came in big gulps as the last of the dream began to fade away into his subconscious. He looked around, noting the smoldering embers of the fire, and the dim light from the entrance. The female Tauren lay huddled in a ball on the other side of the space. Sometime during the night, the fire had waned and allowed the cave to cool once again. Kolya's breath misted on the air as he pulled himself forward and untied the cord on his ankle. He then crawled across the space and leaned over the Tauren. The female was shivering in the chill air, little puffs of breath clouding the air as she slept. Kolya touched her shoulder, as if to make sure she was real, and turned to build up the fire. When he had loaded up the wood, he sat right next to the female with his legs crossed before him.

The scout looked at the sleeping Tauren with different eyes. Now that he was no longer in a blinding rage, Kolya took note of the soft curves and contours of her body. She was actually kind of pretty, with broad shoulders and hips, softened into a nice, feminine shape. Her breasts were quite large, dominating the view above her waist. The scout ran his eyes down over her legs, quite similar to his own race aside from the fur. Her tail was not the aesthetic, muscular appendage of the Draenei race, but rather a slim, flexible rod of flesh, tipped with a poof of fur, and pleasant in its own right.

The warmth of the fire had quickly banished the chill in the air and the Tauren sighed and stretched in her sleep. As she stiffened and then relaxed, her loincloth fell to one side and Kolya discovered, completely by accident, that she wasn't wearing anything underneath! The scout averted his eyes, blushing with embarrassment. As he sat and looked into the fire, it dawned on him that the Tauren wouldn't know if he looked. He turned his head back, but she had shifted again and the view was gone. Kolya sighed in disappointment, the image of her sex burnt into his mind. It had been a long time since he had even attempted to be with a female and he was finding himself strangely aroused with her actions as she slept.

On a sudden whim, the scout rolled his weight forward until he was on his knees. He put a hand on each side of the Tauren's shoulders, which put his eyes directly over hers. He leaned down and took a closer look at her face. The mud from the swamp was still caked over her muzzle, minus the numerous trails washed clear from her tears. Her nose was broad and flat, but still strangely appealing, and her hair framed her face in long, chestnut waves. Kolya fought down an overwhelming urge to kiss her eyelids before he shook his head and blinked. Where was this coming from? He looked down at her again, trying not to breathe too hard for fear of disturbing her slumber. As he examined her long lashes, her eyes fluttered open with Kolya only inches away.

For several long minutes, the scout froze in place, staring down into those hazel eyes. The Tauren had also gone still upon seeing him there, her eyes widening slightly in surprise. She just watched him carefully, not understanding what he was doing or why he was so close to her face. Thinking quickly, Kolya did the only thing that came to mind...he smiled. Since it had been so many years since the last time he twisted his face into this unfamiliar configuration, the scout was unsure how he looked to the horned female. Her eyes flickered back and forth from his eyes to his mouth, and then she smiled back. The effect immediately transformed her face into something that threatened to take Kolya's breath away. Still smiling, the scout shifted his weight back on to his haunches.

"Um...good morning?"

The Tauren slowly sat up till she was nearly face to face with the Draenei. She glanced around the cave before turning to look him in the eyes. Still smiling, Kolya ducked his head slightly.

"Sorry about waking you up."

At the sound of the word "sorry", the Draenei suddenly realized what he needed to do. The slight smile on her face giving him the courage and conviction to proceed. He reached up with his hand and traced a bruise on the top of her nose, left there from his crushing grip the previous day. The Tauren watched his finger as it glided over her muzzle and then looked at him questioningly. He gave her a sad smile as he spoke.

"This was wrong. I know you probably won't understand me but I wanted to apologize for hurting you. I'm sorry."

His hand trailed down over her muzzle and back over her jaw line. At first the female stiffened at the unfamiliar gentleness, and then pressed her head into his palm, closing her eyes and sighing heavily. Kolya's smile widened at the unexpected motion, his guilt for her mistreatment abating just a little. He stroked her cheek with this thumb and noticed little flecks of dried mud falling to the ground. With this new interaction, he decided to see if he could get her to perform a necessary, albeit uncomfortable, task. The scout used the same hand to rub vigorously against her chin, palm cupped upward, until he had a little pile of dried mud in his hand. He held the hand up so she could see him pour the chunks on to the ground.

"You and I both need a bath. You stink like the swamp and I just plain stink."

Kolya rose smoothly to his feet and walked over to his bag, leaving a perplexed Tauren behind him. It was obvious she was unsure of what was happening. Last night he was a raging lunatic and today he was caressing her cheek like a lover. The scout sighed and dug out his bottle of soap. Whatever she may be thinking, she was going to freak at what needed to happen next. Quickly, he started to strip off his soiled clothes.

The Tauren widened her eyes in surprise as Kolya doffed the last of his uniform and started for the stream. He didn't even bother to cover himself, knowing it was futile. At the waters edge he dropped his bundle of clothing and dipped a toe where the stream slowed and deepened in the middle. The water was cold, of course, so Kolya shivered as he strode out into the depths. Fortunately for him, the deepest part of the stream only reached to about his bellybutton, allowing him a moment to stand and get used to the cold. As he twitched in the water, he looked over at the Tauren and pointed at her. The look of shock on her face was priceless and Kolya grinned again as he crooked his finger in a "come here" motion. It was time to see if she was going to cooperate.

To his surprise, the Tauren composed herself and stood up with a shrug. She unfastened her outfit as she walked across the sand and dropped her clothing on top of the bundle that already lay at the water's edge. She stood for a moment on the bank of the stream, hands on her hips, and smiled as she watched Kolya's stunned expression look up and down her naked body. Without clothing, the Tauren was even more stunning; the clean bits of fur where her clothes had covered seemed to accent her femininity. Her nipples were thumb-thick and encircled by dark, textured areolas that stood out in contrast to her creamy brown and chocolately spotted coat. Her sex, now completely exposed, was bare of fur, gradually growing fuzzier and blending into her pelt a short distance from her mottled labia. The horned female let him have one last look, and then started into the water. She gasped from the cold as she slowly waded out to stand before the Draenei scout.

Kolya stood transfixed. Deep down he knew what would have happened if he managed to convince her to get into the water, but seeing it happen had stolen his breath away. This amazing female was starting to blow away any and all notions he had ever had about Taurens. After what he did to her the night before last, and his outburst last night, he never thought for a moment that she would do anything he asked. Now the both of them stood in the stream, eyeing each other from less than a foot apart. Kolya blinked first and dropped his eyes. He cupped his hands and splashed some water up on his chest. The shock of the chill caused him to gasp at first but he grunted and continued to wet himself down. The Tauren female watched for a few seconds and then followed his example. The two splashed themselves for a few minutes, the horned woman dripping muddy chunks into the water, before Kolya scooped up the floating bottle and poured some of his soap into his hand. He was about to slap the soap on to his own chest when he saw the Tauren struggling to get the caked mud out of her fur. Before he could stop and think, Kolya stepped up and smeared the soap across the female's chest.

The Tauren turned her head to his, startled by his actions. The scout gritted his teeth as he silently chided himself for doing something so incredibly stupid. Already committed, he started to work the soap into a lather, trying to ignore whatever areas of her body that he happened to be scrubbing at the time. The female continue to stare at him in amazement, holding her arms out to her sides, while he worked the mud out of her fur with short, circling strokes. Once, he brushed against her nipple, causing the scout to pause and look up sheepishly. The female smiled and shook her head as Kolya resumed his task. He worked his way down over her chest, across her belly, and along her hip. The last bits of mud dissolved away and he leaned back and took notice of his position. During his trip down her body, Kolya had dropped to one knee to help reach the mess on her hip. Now he found himself kneeling directly in front of her, inches from her waist. He blinked and looked up to gauge the female's reaction to his ministrations. The Tauren looked back down at him and smiled slightly before she stepped back and fell backwards into the stream. Kolya watched her rinse off the suds in the slow moving water as he poured more soap into his palm and began scrubbing himself.

The scout was washing his hair when the female tapped him on the shoulder. He turned to see her standing near and holding her hand out. He paused long enough to pour some soap into her hand and went back to washing his tresses. The Tauren dragged the soap through her mane and began scrubbing quickly. Finishing his hair, Kolya rubbed some suds on the female's back and dragged his nails through her fur. She stopped long enough to arch her back in appreciation before resuming her hair washing. Kolya plunged down in the water first, rinsing the remaining suds from his hair and body. He stood back up just as the Tauren knelt to rinse as well. When she eventually rose from the water, she stood with her arms hugging herself and shivered at the chill. Without thinking it through, Kolya wrapped his arms around her and held her against his chest.

"You're getting too cold. Let's get you warmed up..."

He squatted and scooped the Tauren up in his arms. While she was gaping at him in surprise, he waded to the shore and carried her over to his pack. He set her on her hooves and pulled a soft towel from his bag. He used the towel to scrub as much water from her fur as he could, working his way down over her body and forcing himself to not pay too much attention to her naughty bits. When the towel was soaked and she was a lot drier, Kolya hung the towel from a peg he put in the wall last night. He turned to go back to the underground stream when a hand on his chest stopped him short. The Tauren looked into his eyes and then tapped herself on the chest.

"Kisa."

The scout smiled and pointed to his own chest.

"Kolya."

The horned woman said his name slowly, enunciating each part.

"Koooollllyyyyaaaa."

"Yes...Kolya"

Without another word, the Tauren leaned in and hugged the Draenei. Kolya started to stiffen, not sure what to do, and then sighed and relaxed, letting the embrace wash away some of the feelings of guilt he still had for what he had done to her the previous night. He hugged her back, feeling her warmth against his skin and the fur on her stomach tickling his abdomen. Most notably, both of her thick nubs were rubbing against his chest, causing a stir in certain sections below. Kolya gently pulled away, rubbing her arms in apology and nearly dashed for the stream. He scooped up the bundle of clothes and the soap before plunging back into the water. Thankfully, the cold shock of the river helped fizzle the erection that had started to spring up between his legs. The gentle brush of fur, coupled with her stiff nipples, had reminded Kolya just how long it had been since he had last been intimate with a woman. He set about the task of washing clothes, trying to ignore the grin on Kisa's face.

When the scout was done with the wash, he hung each piece of clothing on pegs driven into the stone wall. He retrieved his loincloth from his bag, steering around the Tauren to get it, and then, having dressed, looked thoughtfully at the horned woman. He picked up the ruined cloak she was wearing the night before and examined it closely. Despite its rough treatment from earlier, the fabric was mostly in one piece and not too dirty. The Draenei folded the cloth three times and stepped over to the Tauren. He swung the cloth around her waist and tied off the ends, forming a makeshift skirt that dangled down to about a foot off the ground. Another trip to his bag produced his spare jacket, a soft leather piece with three-quarter length sleeves and various rawhide laces to tie it all together quietly. When he slipped it over her shoulders, Kisa gasped at the softness and quality of the garment. She shook her head and tried to take it off before he stopped her with a gentle hand on her own.

"No. You need something to keep you warm."

The Tauren female dropped her head in defeat and rubbed her palms on the soft leather, marveling at the workmanship. Kolya shook out his bedroll and smoothed it all the way out. He sat down at the end closest to the fire and patted the bedding on the other end. Kisa sat down slowly, watching the Draenei and trying to guess his intentions. Kolya watched her sit and found himself in a state of mind he rarely ever felt anymore...happiness. He smiled at Kisa's hesitance, fully aware that just moments ago she was striking a pose, naked, on the edge of the stream. He chuckled at her apparent contradictions and simply settled back, intending to take a short nap while his clothing dried. Kisa tapped him on the arm.

"Nechi ki hale chi, Kolya. Nahe owa pawene uku nahe kichalo ich awak. owachi, sechalo."

"Um...you are welcome...I think."

Kisa nodded and turned back to inspecting the leather coat, fiddling with the ties in an attempt to get the garment to stay closed over her chest. As he closed his eyes, Kolya realized he was preparing to sleep in front of a woman he nearly beat with a stick less than twelve hours ago. When he opened his eyes and rolled them in her direction, Kisa saw the look on his face and smiled lightly. She held her arms out, wrists together, and raised an eyebrow at him. The scout pondered for a moment, and then made a decision. He sat up with a grunt and climbed to his feet. As he walked across the cavern, Kisa watched his every move. When he stooped and picked up the thin stick from last night, she sucked in her breath in surprise. Kolya turned towards her and held the stick out horizontally with both hands. He made sure her eyes met his and then he brought the stick down over his knee with a sharp snap. Walking back over to his bedroll, he casually tossed the pieces into the fire as he passed. When he sat down next to the Tauren, he pulled his marital dagger, sheath and all, from his belt and pointedly laid it on the fabric between them. Drawing his hand away, the Draenei leaned back and closed his eyes. As he folded his arms across his waist, Kolya swallowed and waited. There was no way she could misunderstand the message. He reminded her of last night by picking up the stick, told her how he felt when he broke it on his knee, and then showed his willingness to trust her by placing a weapon on the ground within her reach.

After a few tense minutes, Kolya felt something being placed on his chest. He opened his eyes to see his knife, held in place with one furry finger. When he looked up at her, she nodded once and then turned away, leaving the blade on his chest. He smiled behind her back as she stretched out beside him on the bedroll. With the knife tucked safely back in his belt, Kolya drifted off to sleep.

The wind swept in from the lake across the open clearing next to the inn. Above, the clouds moved across the sky in short, jerky sprints that brought tears to the eye. Kolya was on the edge of the opening, kneeling on the hard packed dirt. He looked down and beheld Kisa, lying on her back in front of him. Somehow, she was wearing her harem outfit again, and the look of fear on her face made Kolya's heart lurch in his chest. His gaze snapped back to the center of the expanse where Edver stalked back and forth in front of a dozen additional harem girls, all sitting in the dirt. Teleria Swiftarrow pointed at the women and spoke.

_ "There's at least a dozen."_

_ Edver spun and made a chopping motion._

_ "Zen zey arr no use to us..."_

_ As one, the whole line of females fell to their backs, revealing heavy arrows still quivering in their chests. Twelve throats rattled their last breath and then their forms blurred and melted away like sand under a waterfall. Horrified, Kolya bent and scooped Kisa from the ground, holding her to his chest. She writhed against him and he held her out to look in her face._

_ "Kisa?"_

_ The Tauren's fearful gaze began to melt as her form began to liquefy. Kolya screamed and tried to clutch her dissolving body in his hands._

_ "Kisa!! NO!! Nonononono..."_

Kolya awoke with a gasp, eyes scrunched tight and still mumbling "no" under his breath. His heart was attempting to pound a hole out through his ribcage as the image of the melting Tauren burned into his waking thoughts. Sensation permeated his sleep-fogged mind and he felt his arms wrapped around something soft and yielding. He snapped his eyelids open and found he was staring point blank into a set of soft, hazel eyes. Kolya tilted his head down and blinked to clear the tears from his sight. Kisa lay atop his chest, one hand pressed flat against his sternum. He had both arms wrapped tightly about her back and waist, crushing her to him. One of his legs trapped one of hers and his tail coiled snugly around the other, holding it in place. The scout looked back into her face and saw concern in her gaze. A crushing wave of relief flooded over him as he realized her dissolution had been a dream. Kolya gave an alleviated sigh and pulled the Tauren close, burying his face in her neck.

"Thank the Holy Light..."

Kolya trembled as the adrenalin began to wear off. He inhaled deeply and pulled his head back to look Kisa in the eye once again. Gradually, he relaxed his grip on her body, even removing his tail from her thigh. The Tauren didn't move, just smiled slightly and looked into his eyes.

"Chi awak, Kolya?"

"I had a bad dream..."

Her mouth was so close; the Draenei could feel her breath on his lips. He discovered an overwhelming desire to lean forward and kiss her. His eyes flicked from her lips to her eyes and back as his hands tensed, ready to pull her close. Just then, the fire popped loudly and crackled, breaking the spell. Kolya smiled crookedly and rolled to his side, gently lowering her back to the bedroll. He scrambled to his feet and crossed the space to check on his clothes, which were dry. He changed quickly, picked up his bow and quiver, and knelt by the Tauren.

"I'm going to get us something to eat. I'll be right back."

Kolya touched her shoulder before walking out the entrance. Kisa watched him leave with a thoughtful look in her eyes. Outside the cave, the scout drew a deep breath before moving out into the woods. As he automatically moved silently through the trees, his mind raced at the events in the cave. Foremost in his mind was the dream, vividly emblazoned on his mind. What was his subconscious trying to tell him? The dream saw Edver doing away with the rest of the harem girls; was that some grim foretelling of the fate of those who were not important in the eyes of the Alliance? Just what was Edver planning for Kisa? Startled, Kolya felt a pang of fear for her safety flitter across his heart. Ever since his revelation when he saw her scars, his mind wandered in the dark, lost without his once-clear beacon of rage. Without his anger, Kolya's life cried for something to fill the emotional void left behind. Guilt and shame were the first choice, as the source of this personality shift resided only a few feet away just last night. As her forgiving and gentle nature revealed itself to him, he discovered another emotion attached to her presence...affection. Kolya stopped in his tracks, searching his feelings. It was true...he was starting to feel affection for the Tauren. After all he had done, she had turned around and repaid him with kindness. The events of his dream had left him feeling...scared. He had awaked in a panic, afraid he was losing Kisa, and that simple emotion proved to him something was growing between them. He could still sharply remember the feelings he was experiencing when he came awake earlier.

Of course, waking up to the position he had wasn't so bad either. He could still feel Kisa's weight on his chest and her breath on his lips. He remembered the overpowering urge to kiss her as she hovered over his face earlier. In all his years, Kolya had never felt such an attraction to ANY female. Looking back, he realized that his all-consuming rage had been responsible for his lack of intimacy. Oh there had been times, of course, where the anger had been set aside and he found himself in the arms of some blue-skinned Draenei female. Unfortunately, the size of his manhood had then become his deterrent to intimacy, the inevitable rejection further fueling his temper. All of his past partners seemed to treat him like a freak of nature when his drawers had come off. Kolya shrugged off the painful memories and started moving again, hunting for food.

Three hours later, the Draenei scout stood in front of the cave entrance, two dressed and plucked pheasants dangling in his grip. He had paused at the opening, some inexplicable reason holding him from going through. He wasn't even sure Kisa was still inside. After all, he had left to go hunt without restraining her in any way. She could have easily walked out of the front of the cavern and disappeared. It was this thought that made the scout aware of why he was reluctant to enter. He was not yet sure how he was going to feel if she wasn't there. Hell, he wasn't quite sure how he would feel if she was. With a deep breath, Kolya realized he was hoping she was still there. Squaring his shoulders, he stepped through the entrance.

Kolya's heart leapt when he saw Kisa stretched out on his bedroll. As she smiled at him with half-lidded eyes, the Draenei felt unfamiliar warmth in the pit of his stomach. He smiled back, discovering with delight that the expression was becoming easier with practice. The Tauren looked him up and down, pulled something from behind his pack, and rose to come across the cavern. She took the prepared pheasants in one hand and handed Kolya his bottle of soap with the other. The Draenei looked at the bottle of soap and then down at himself. Dressing out the pheasants had left his hands and arms a bloody mess. Some of the blood had even dripped down on his legs just above his hooves. He looked back up to Kisa, who raised an eyebrow and pointed at the stream. Kolya chuckled and started for the water, shucking his clothes as he went.

When the scout finished washing, he started for the shore only to see Kisa standing and holding his loincloth out with one finger. He held out his hand to take the garment but the Tauren suddenly withdrew it playfully and pointedly let her eyes wander down and up Kolya's body. She took her time with her appraisal, smiling and winking at him when she finally met his eyes. She tossed him his loincloth and sauntered away to finish prepping the birds. Kolya pulled on his cloth, looking across the space at the busy Tauren while the memory of her perusal played over and over in his mind. Why did she do that? Surely she can't be interested in him? Not after the way he treated her. He crossed the space and sat down on his bedroll next to Kisa, who had the pheasants spitted and cooking over the fire. Kolya took a deep breath and turned to the Tauren.

"Kisa? I really need to talk to you. I don't know how much you are going to understand, but I'm going to try."

While he spoke, Kolya used his hands to visually emphasize his words.

"When I was a child, my father used to tell me stories about when he was living on Draenor. The Orcs there dragged him from his house and were going to kill him. He ended up having his leg cut off before he found a way to escape. Ever since then, my father has held a deep hatred for the Orc race. As I grew up, I too started to hate the Orcs, for what they did to my father and my race. Pretty soon I just started to hate everybody..."

The scout continued with his story over the next hour as the birds cooked over the fire. Kisa sat and watched his every move intently, trying to understand as much as possible.

"...and then you showed up. I didn't want to have anything to do with you at first. Edver told me to pick up stragglers but what I really wanted was to help attack the Orcs. I was so mad, I couldn't think straight and I took it out on you. I don't know why you are even being nice to me but I have to tell you thank you for not being mad. I'm really sorry for what I did to you...for what I almost did to you. You've really opened my eyes. All this time I was angry and making it all about me. Now I understand that some people have it far worse. Would you ever forgive me?"

Kisa leaned forward until she was just a few inches away from his face.

"Fooorrrrgggiiivveee?" The word was obviously new on her lips.

"Forgive...yes. I'm sorry, Kisa. Will you ever forgive me?"

Kolya hung his head, eyes going blurry. A hand on his chin brought him up to see her face. She looked at him as she seemed to struggle with something in her head.

"Kolya...um...No sorry...um...Kolya no mad now? Um...Kisa forgive Kolya...yes?"

The scout gaped at her. How did she know that? How much more did she know?

"You can speak Common? Why didn't you say something before?"

Kisa scratched her head and thought a while before responding slowly.

"No speak awak, Kolya. Ki towateke. I learn."

The scout just stared at her for a few seconds, and then burst out laughing. When he had subsided, he just shook his head and smiled.

"You have no idea how good you just made me feel."

The Tauren had watched his outburst with a sort of confused smile while she pulled the finished birds from their spits and handed one to Kolya. Before he could even thank her, she leaned in and kissed his cheek. Kolya froze in surprise, feeling the lingering tingle on his cheek. Kisa giggled at his expression and bit into her bird. Kolya settled back on his pack and tore into his own meal. The pheasant was delicious, browned nicely on the outside and juicy on the inside. The Draenei felt some of the juices drip to his chest and run towards his navel. As he picked the last of the meat from the bones, he looked down and cursed softly.

"What am I, two years old? How did I manage this?"

He was about to get up to go for his towel when Kisa stopped him with a hand on his chin. She smiled mischievously at his face and then leaned forward, licking the spatters from his chest in long, broad swipes of her tongue. Kolya groaned and closed his eyes. At the moment, he cared less if she had fur, a muzzle, or three fingers, as her semi-rough tongue lapped deliciously across his skin, starting out high on his chest and worked her way down slowly and deliberately. The tingling sensations left behind as she made each pass were more than enough to erotically stir his senses and waken his little-used libido. She paused over his belly button and huffed a little stream of air into the indentation, smiling up at him slyly. Kolya opened his eyes and smiled back until he looked past her head and saw the results of his reaction to her attentions.

Rising up out of his loincloth, the scout's manhood rose higher and higher until it stood fully erect, well above the Tauren's head. Kisa licked the space below his navel, her ear brushing slightly against his erection, and Kolya stiffened. In the past, his trysts had been clearly defined the moment his partner had laid eyes on his manhood. With the exception of one, all of his past lovers had freaked at this point when they saw his size. The lone exception had actually followed through and had sex with him, only to stop him part way because she couldn't handle his dimensions. As he watched with trepidation, Kisa finally took notice of his engorged pole. She raised herself up and stared in awe at his sizable erection. Kolya shifted nervously; things were progressing too fast and he wasn't prepared for the embarrassment and rejection he was about to endure. He was ready to open his mouth to apologize when Kisa wrapped her hand around his length and dragged her tongue across its tip.

The Draenei gasped at the sensation and slid sideways off his pack. He had heard, over the years, descriptions of what oral sex felt like for a man but he had never, ever, thought that he would someday experience it himself. As he watched in shock, the Tauren enveloped him with her mouth and slid slowly down his shaft. Several inches later, she hit the back of her throat with the tip, causing her to come to a halt. She worked her jaw, caressing his length with her tongue while she provided suction. After a few moments, Kisa grinned around his shaft, shifted her body up on to all fours, and swallowed, engulfing his entire rod right down to the base. Kolya grunted and gaped at her in total astonishment. A split second later the unfamiliar sensations of being totally throated overwhelmed his brain, causing him to close his eyes and groan in ecstasy. The Tauren paused, letting the muscles of her neck massage his length, and then slowly withdrew, lashing him with her tongue the entire way. Kolya gasped and shuddered at the sensations he was feeling, his mind overwhelmed with ecstasy. As Kisa's lips slipped back down, the scout's gaze turned to her body, supported on her knees as she used both hands on him.

As he twitched and moaned from the female's attentions, Kolya reached over and pulled the knot holding her makeshift skirt in place. The soft folds of material slid off her rump and puddled over her calves, leaving her bare from the waist down. The scout put his hand on her waist and slowly caressed her bottom, fingers splayed wide. There was roundness, soft fur, and then his fingers touched smooth, wet silk. Kisa pulled back off his manhood and groaned, eyes fluttering, as Kolya rubbed his fingertips up and down her dripping slit. The Tauren shuddered at his continuing touch and turned her head to look at him through her eyelashes, purring her words out.

"Oh Kolya, chi uku awak!"

The Draenei smiled at her words as she panted at his touch. He figured she didn't get a lot of pleasure from where she came. Emboldened, Kolya shifted his grip to the inside of her thigh and tugged gently. She looked at him in confusion for a moment as he softly swung her hips around towards his head. He grasped her close knee and swung her leg up and over his head, leaving him with his face inches from her pubic mound. Like he observed earlier, her sex was devoid of fur and her vaginal lips were mottled, flesh tone and black. They were small, lending tightness to her slit that Kolya found immediately appealing. He lifted his head and took a perfunctory lick, causing her to jump delightfully. Kisa arched her back and gaped at him through her arms and legs down the length of her body. He smiled at her and smacked his lips playfully, tasting her juices on his tongue. He slowly craned his neck and dragged his tongue over her again, wiggling softly between her folds. Kisa keened softly at his touch and smiled at him before relaxing her pose and returning her attention to his still-rigid pole. Kolya reached around her waist and pulled her a little closer, spreading her legs wider before him. He dove back into her mound, tongue first, and thrilled at her delicious taste.

Kisa was light and clean, still fresh from her bath earlier. Kolya realized the luscious flavor and aroma he was experiencing was her own sweet musk. He continued to lap at her, tickling her petals with the tip of his tongue. Below, he felt her hot warmth sink back down over his length, suckling and massaging him expertly. The scout reeled at Kisa's renewed efforts and doubled his own. The Tauren responded by angling her hips and pressing her quivering mound tight against his mouth. Kolya continued to ply at her folds, drinking in her juices, and then he grazed her nub for the first time. Kisa squealed through her nose and ground her hips on his face, shuddering as she convulsed through an orgasm. The Draenei drank in her emissions, savoring every drop, and massaged her firm rump with both hands. The Tauren slumped forward a little and panted as her hand stroked him firmly. She scrabbled off of his face and spun her body around till she was nestled between his knees. With a quick grin up at him, she swallowed him down.

Kolya shuddered and closed his eyes as his length slid into Kisa's throat. The Tauren expertly massaged his pole with both hands and tongue as she bobbed her head up and down on his shaft. The Draenei clutched at the bedroll, gasping in ecstasy, as a familiar pressure welled up from low in the pit of his stomach. Never before had he felt so much on his manhood at one time. The Tauren was warm and wet; alternating with a cooling sensation as she rhythmically withdrew, again and again. In a matter of moments, Kolya felt the pressure in his loins build to a rolling crescendo. He hung suspended on the precipice of eruption for just a short second, and then Kisa flicked her tongue against the bottom of the tip of his shaft. With a guttural moan that quickly transformed into a soft roar, the Draenei scout felt his muscles spasm and his back arch high off the bedroll. His hips bucked softly into Kisa's mouth, and the whole of his being rocketed down his length and spurted out the tip. The Tauren moaned happily as wave after wave of his fluids erupted against the back of her throat. When the flow settled down to a last weak dribble, Kisa gripped his shaft at the base and squeezed him in one long motion from bottom to top, wringing every drop to the head of his length. She popped off his tip with obvious suction and swallowed happily, stroking his member with both hands.

The Draenei just lay still for a moment, gasping and coming down off the high of that incredible orgasm. Never had he cum so hard, or so much, the Tauren's expert ministrations ushering him into new realms of ecstasy. He raised his head and glanced down, seeing Kisa still stroking his length and staring at it thoughtfully. Kolya played back the last few moments in his head, thinking about how she had pleasured him so willingly and how unaccustomed she was to having someone pleasure her. In that moment, he wanted her so badly...to hold her, make love to her, and protect her from any more abuse. He reached down and rubbed his hand on the back of her neck, causing Kisa to look at him and smile. Gently, he pulled her up on top of him so she lay on his chest, face to face with him while his hands rubbed down her sides and cupped her rump softly.

"I've NEVER met anyone like you before. Until you, I never thought I could find love. You fill the empty spaces of my heart where only my anger used to reside."

Kisa's eyes widened as he spoke. She apparently understood at least ONE word of what he said.

"L...love? Kolya love Kisa?"

In answer, the scout put both of his hands on the sides of her head and pulled her down to him. He started tentatively, pressing his lips to hers, and then opening his mouth wide while snaking his tongue between her teeth, relishing her texture and taste. The Tauren paused at first but then buried her fingers in his hair and returned his kiss with mounting intensity. Kolya released her head and glided his hands down the Tauren's back. When he reached her firm buttocks, he cupped their fullness and squeezed gently, rubbing his thumbs against the base of her tail. Kisa "mmmnned" through her nose and started to buck her hips against the scout's crotch. His member, trapped between their bodies from earlier, stirred anew as she rubbed her mound up and down its length. In moments, Kolya's pole was rigid and waiting, pulsing against her belly in perfect tune to his powerful heartbeat. She broke off their kiss, lifted one leg up in a semi-crouch, and used one hand to guide him to her waiting slit. A few swipes to wet down his tip and she let her weight stuff him between her lips.

As she descended slowly, Kolya watched her face anxiously. Kisa would drop down, pushing a few inches into her body, and then pause and catch her breath. At about half his length, she switched her hands to his shoulders and settled her center of gravity directly above his hips. Another drop buried another few inches, causing Kisa to inhale sharply through her clenched teeth and shudder at the intrusion. Kolya opened his mouth to say something but the Tauren stopped him with a finger on his lips. Two more descents of her hips hilted him inside her with a small hiss and Kisa closed her eyes and gasped as she paused to adapt to his size. Kolya rubbed her sides gently, stunned that she was able to take him fully. The sensations he was feeling eclipsed even those from her oral performance earlier. Every part of her insides rubbed deliciously against every part of him. Every once in a while her body would contract around his shaft, making if feel as though her passage itself was trying to milk him for his seed. The feeling was incredible! Kolya just lay there and basked in the experience.

After a short time, Kisa opened her eyes and leaned forward to kiss him again. The Draenei responded eagerly, wrestling with the Tauren's broad tongue while he explored her mouth across the seal of their lips. She kissed him hungrily, pouring all of her intensity and emotions into this one act. As her tongue lapped at his, she shifted her hips forward, pulling him out a little, and then lunged back, hilting him again. Kisa moaned softly at the motion, prompting Kolya to clutch at her hips and rub her fur in small circles. Encouraged, the Tauren rocked again, and again and soon had a smooth rhythm going, brushing her belly and nipples against his front with every thrust. Kolya gasped in awe at the sensations he was feeling from her movements, her hot flesh clutching at his length with every stroke, the brush of her teats against his chest. The scout pulled himself from the ground, forcing Kisa to sit up a little, and latched his mouth over her nipple. The Tauren mewled with delight and shifted the angle of her movements so that he could better reach her breast.

Kolya lavished her broad nip with his tongue, swirling around her areola and flicking the flat tip. Kisa gasped at his attentions and slammed herself down on to his length, shuddering through yet another orgasm. When it had subsided, Kolya pushed himself up into a full sitting position, startling the Tauren, and then wrapped his arm tightly around her waist. In a complicated, but deft, maneuver, the scout spun in place with her on his lap and then rolled over his knees to end up with her on her back, his length still pinned inside her. He rearranged his limbs as he kissed her again and then slowly pushed himself all the way into her. As her mound came to rest against his lower abdomen, he could feel the tip of his pole nudge against a barrier somewhere in her depths. Kisa grunted and widened her eyes.

"Kolya! Chi uku alo tawa! Ki awak. Ki ni awak!"

"Oops...sorry Kisa."

"No! Is good!"

Kisa lifted her head and kissed him passionately. Kolya settled his weight to one side and returned her kiss with everything he had, keeping his hips moving the entire time. He could feel her passage clenching at him with every retreat and relaxing around him on every entering thrust, creating an incredible coaxing sensation that had him tingling deep in his loins once again. With all of his weight on one hand, he used his free hand to cup her cheek as he kissed her, occasionally dragging his fingers down her body and teasing her nipple. Kisa closed her eyes and moaned into his kiss, bucking her hips up to meet his thrusts and pulling his head closer with both hands. This went on for several `glorious moments until the Tauren threw her head back and screamed, convulsing in the throes of an incredibly powerful climax.

Kolya gasped as her insides bore down on his length powerfully, rippling up and down his pole with amazing strength. He continued to thrust, once, twice, and then the tightness set off his own orgasm. His breath hitched deep in his chest and he slammed his hips forward, burying himself deep in her channel. His spurting fluids puddling against her cervix set her off again, causing her to thrash about underneath him. Even as Kolya twitched and quivered through the most amazing climax of his life, Kisa threw her arms and legs around him, pulling him close and sinking her teeth into his shoulder. Kolya put his face on her shoulder and buried his nose into her mane of soft, sweet hair. His breathing slowed gradually even as his manhood continued to pulse inside her. Kisa released her teeth from his shoulder and let her head fall back to the bedroll, panting heavily with a big smile on her face. Basking in the warm afterglow, Kolya propped himself up on his elbows to look her in the eyes.

"That was incredible Kisa. Thank you!"

"Owachi lo chi, Kolya."

The scout kissed the end of her nose, causing the Tauren to smile up at him again.

"Kolya?"

"Yes?"

"Um...now Kolya...Kolya love Kisa?"

The Draenei searched her eyes and saw her fragile ego preparing for the worst. He thought about all that had happened since they met; the capture, the anger, and her scars. As his fury had bled away the night he discovered her torment, he drifted emotionally, wrestling with his lifelong prejudices and the fresh hole in his psyche where the anger had controlled everything. He traced a thin scar across her collarbone with his finger, pondering her ready acceptance of him, even after his mistreatment of her. Despite all that she had undergone, she was still willing to see beyond his anger and recognize the goodness inside him. She started with the strength to flee her situation, the night of the attack, and finished with the strength to help him heal. In that moment, Kolya realized the truth.

"Yes Kisa, I do love you."

The Tauren's eyes filled with tears as she beamed up at him.

"Zhi? Zhi! Kisa...Kisa love Kolya loa..."

After that there was a lot more kissing...

***********************

The rabbit scampered across the log, pausing midway to sniff the air. The arrow hissed in from the brush and speared through its shoulder, carrying it right off the log. The rodent kicked feebly as the life faded from its eyes and Kolya glided in from the foliage, pausing as he scanned for any incoming predators.

Six months. Hard to believe how someone's world could change so much in six months. Kolya had followed his duty and brought Kisa back to the holding facility at Lakeshire. The argument that ensued between the Draenei scout and the Draenei commander had echoed across the shores of the lake. All of the noise had come from Edver, bellowing his protest at Kolya's request to free the Tauren harem girl. The scout had held firm, one arm wrapped possessively around her waist, his voice smooth steel wrapped in velvet.

Teleria was the first to notice it. The way he held her tight to his side and the way her head rested on his shoulder. She saw his firmed jaw and the way he defended her with passion, never raising his voice. With dawning realization, she understood what had happened. She tapped Edver on the shoulder, earning her a heated glance.

"Vat!!!"

Teleria leaned in and whispered in his ear. Edver's pupil-less eyes snapped open wide as he spun to look at Kolya.

"No...Really?"

The scout just looked at him and smiled. Teleria thought she would faint at the sight. Edver sneered at him and then walked away, growling over his shoulder as he went.

"Fine! It is but vone less anyvays!"

Kolya's smile widened even further as a pair of arms slipped around his waist from behind and interrupted his thoughts. Hot breath in his ear carried a whisper.

"That was good shot, yes?"

Kolya chuckled softly as he took her bow from her hand.

"That was an excellent shot...but I'm more impressed by how quiet you have become. I didn't even hear you come up."

He spun inside her embrace and kissed her softly. Kisa smiled wide at his compliment.

"Mmm...get better from good teacher. Maybe you reward me later?"

Kolya ran his hands down over the back of his old coat, now permanently hers, and gripped her rump through her brand new leather breeches.

"Oh I plan to...several times. For now though you had better take care of that rabbit, there are predators in this region."

Kisa nodded and kissed his cheek as she turned to where he had nodded. Kolya held out her bow, which she took and slipped over her shoulder with practiced ease. When she bent to pull her arrow from the kill, the Draenei scout marveled at how the leather pulled snug across her well-rounded bottom. A flash of reflected light revealed the ornate dagger she drew to dress out the carcass and Kolya's hand strayed to his belt where the dagger used to reside. He smiled as he imagined the day when he brought her home to introduce her to his parents. Oh well, one step at a time.

Kisa finished wrapping the meat in waxed linen and stuffed it into her pack. She stood and glided silently back into his embrace. He kissed her gently, lingering just long enough to get her panting, and then broke the smooch and smiled as he turned and put an arm across her shoulders. Together, they started out for the next region. Edver had called and informed the couple that the next target was a holdout of Firegut ogres in the Burning Steppes trying to seal the only route north for the Alliance. Kolya and Kisa were on their way to scout an alternate approach to the area of the blockade. The scout looked over to his mate...tomorrow was work...tonight he planned on showing his love how much he had changed in six months as well.

Together, the couple walked into their future.