World of Warcraft®

Backstone muttered as he crossed the streets of Stormwind heading for the Mage District. It was one thing for Malakai to ban him from seeing Sylvia, it was another for him to be sending him out on silly errands to fetch her clothes that -he- wouldn't be able to give to her. It was completely obvious that Malakai was after her. That..scoundrel! How dare he do this to family! He fumed, so lost in thought and anger that took no notice that he had arrived at his destination.

"Umm, dear? Can I help you with something?"

A voice! Blackstone quickly snapped back to reality, his hand falling to the sword at his side as he looked around. When he saw the old woman who looked like she was about to have a heart attack due to his actions, he quickly released the hilt and apologized. "Sorry, sorry..I was lost in thought. I'm with the Watch, official "Errand boy". Could you point me to Sylvia Grayson's quarters?"

The old woman chuckled nervously, "Course dear, I'm Cathy Bender, landlady of this property. It's right up this way." She gestured for Blackstone to follow her as she entered into the building, reaching to grab the keys from a side pocket. She soon wiggled the master key free and opened up a room and gestured to the inside. "This is it, Sylvia's room. She hasn't been that popular, good girl, but not many come to visit her..save that old pervert. In fact, you're the second today!"

Blackstone glanced inside, his eyes roaming over the scenery. The place still looked in tact, no one had ramsacked it for information, that was a plus. Maybe all of this was going overboard, perhaps the girl wasn't even in danger. "Second?" He looked back towards Cathy, a frown plastered upon his features. "Who was the first and what did they want?"

Cathy blinked, "Well, she was just curious about if I had any spare rooms. Said she wanted to connect with an old friend which just so happened to be Sylvia, crazy coincidence Anyway, she just went inside to use the restroom and mentioned a few things that Sylvia would probably be in dire need of since she was down at the Watch House now. She's probably being mistreated, I doubt the Watch knows how to treat women..That commander over there is much too serious and rude!"

"Right..he's that and more." The corporal muttered as he listened to Cathy. "So, where did this woman go? How long ago was it?"

"Oh well, it was just moments before you got here. She should've passed you in the doorw--Hey!" Cathy couldn't even finished her sentence as the young man turned and broke for the door shouting at the top of his lungs.

"HEY YOU! YOU!" Blackstone roared as he rushed back to the doorway. Damn, she was gone! He growled angrily as he looked about the outside area searching for any trace of her. Maybe the commander was right, why would this girl drop in and then suddenly leave? Would she not try and visit Sylvia in the Watch House as a friend would? He sighed and turned, heading back towards Cathy. "Did she say anything else? Where she was going, where she was staying?"

"No, dear..Is she in some kind of trouble? Wait..you don't..Oh no!" She pressed her hands to her cheeks in horror as the realization dawned upon her. "She..was out to hurt that poor girl, wasn't she? I almost..helped!"

"It's alright, ma'am. We caught on before it happened. I must be going, I need to get this information back. I need you..to keep quiet about this. We don't want them to know that we're on to them. I'm going to take the things from apartment just in case they're still watching. You see anyone else, you come down and let us know, got me?"

He waited for the woman to nod her acknowledgment before he passed by and entered into Sylvia's room. He gathered a few things in the tote bag he was carrying, careful not to directly come in contact with stuff. Once he finished, he zipped the bag up and headed back out, glancing towards Cathy before exiting and heading back down the street. Close call, too close.

(1/2)

Malakai nodded at Rhian's request. "Yes, if you think the body will help with the results, then I will take you to it. So far we know of nothing that was taken from the scene, if Jenkins' had something on him they wanted, we don't know about it." His gaze lowered towards Longshore, returning the curious stare from wolf. "As for going alone, I will give you the space you need to get the best results. There will be men around though, we can't risk whoever did this coming back to eliminate anyone on their trail."

His brow furrowed for a moment as he realized a key detail that he had declined to get, "Excuse me, my manners are shot, lack of sleep and all. I did not catch your name, tracker." His gaze lifted to her, studying her face for a moment before venturing away. There was a sudden commotion coming from within the office that caught his attention. Blackstone. Damn that boy, what was it now!?

"Commander!" The corporal rushed in, tossing the bag off to the side as he weaved through the collection of desks and bodies to reach Malakai's door. "I just went to collect the girl's stuff like you asked. Seems everyone in the damn city knows she's here, people can't keep their mouths shut!"

"I see, well I suppose it was inevitable. Come on in and we'll disc--"

"NO! That's not it! There was a girl there before I arrived. Landlady said she went inside Sylvia's room under the guise of an "old friend". I just had a hunch that she was up to no good so I went to confront her but she was gone. Disappeared without a trace. So I asked the landlad a bit more on it, and the girl apparently "suggested" some things that should be told to me to deliver."

"What?!" Malakai's silver eyes narrowed as he listened. This could be nothing but it could also be the first attempt on Sylvia's life. His gaze slid over to Rhian who was still standing beside him. It seemed he would have to trust the tracker with a bit more due to the fact that Blackstone just blurted out a bunch of sensitive information.

"Right..Sylvia Grayson, mistress..play toy, whatever of Jenkins'. We detained her in our custody for her safety since she was talking of spies and the like. On further questioning, it seems something definitely was going on. Something Jenkins was involved in that involved a cult. Anyway, now you know. " He turned back to his corporal, "That bag, does it have the stuff in it?"

"Yes sir, I thought we could analyze to see if we could find anything."

"Smart thinking. I'll get Fizzle to look over it..but first, if that woman touched anything, her scent is fresh." His gaze drifted back to Rhian, staring at the hunter before nodding his head in the direction of the bag. "Let's see if we can't track her down."

He stepped out of the office, "Fizzle, we're going to do some analysis on the contents of that bag once our tracker here is finished." His gaze wandered over the room locking onto Korrzair. "Korzzair, you're late! I want you to accompany Rhian here, I must tend to some things first, but I'll be back." He nodded to the Night Elf and Rhian before turning, gesturing for Blackstone to follow him as he headed towards the quarters in the back.

Malakai knocked to the door, "Sylvia, it's Malakai." He announced before opening the door and stepping inside along with Blackstone. "We need to..oh.." He blinked upon discovering the woman waltzing around in his robe. He turned away to glance back towards the door. "We need to move you, people know you're here and though it's safe, I'd rather not have anyone privy to that information but me and my men. Blackstone, fetch some of stuff from the closet and give it to her, she'll have to..bear with that clothing for now. Blackstone?" He glanced over and elbowed the corporal in the side, "Stop staring at her you damned idiot!"

The corporal snapped out of it and glared angrily at Malakai before following orders and heading to the closet. He hastily pulled out a large overcoat and some trousers, turning to hand them to Sylvia..and staring just as he had before. "Here you go, Miss Grayson."

The boy was lucky he was family, Malakai thought to himself. "Anyway, we're going to get you out of here. I'll take you to my home, it's not too far away and no one really goes there. A perk of being head of the Watch. Let's go."

(2/2)

The sudden entrance of Malakai made Sylvia blush. She drew the robe closer around herself as the men came into the room. When he mentioned taking her away and only offering her his own clothing to wear she was adamant. "I am not going to wear that going out into the street! Where is my clothing? I sent a list of stuff I wanted, I don't think any of this will fit me, its way too big!" she ranted.

With a pout and look of defiance she turned and stalked to the bathroom and got her own clothing. "It's not clean, but at least it fits!" she declared as she shut the door and got dressed. About fifteen minutes later she reappeared and in her short skirt and skimpy blouse. Showing a lot more than the robe had covered.

Sylvia glanced at Blackstone with an air of distrust. "Did you go through my things like some pervert who likes girls clothes?" she huffed. There was no way she would be interested in the bungling fool now.

Turning to Malakai she half smiled and sauntered over to him. "Your place, huh? Are you sure it's safe there? I could go to my apartment and get some things...if you escorted me there." her voice all sweet and coaxing. Her long blonde hair falling over her shoulders and her eyes giving him suggestive looks.

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The sudden shouting of the Watchman had caught Amarlei by surprise and it was fortunate she was around the corner and out of sight. She quickly walked into a nearby shop, it happened to be a tailor shop. "Hello! I am looking for a new dress, what do you have for sale?" she was bright and cheerful as she started looking through the rack.

With one eye on the open door she watched as the Watchman went by in a hurry. She had already selected a dress and paid for it when he disappeared around the corner towards the Trade District. He might be bringing someone to investigate the girls apartment now, Amarlei cursed at gossipy landladies in general and decided to go to plan B.

The Slaughtered Lamb was a haven for warlocks and also quite a few shady characters. She found the one man who would be able to help her. "Brad, I need a disguise..and yes I have work to do in Stormwind still. It's complicated, don't ask..."

As the figure left the Slaughtered Lamb it appeared as a tall lanky male in top hat and fancy clothing. The disguise was foolproof to anyone not a mage or illusionist. His hat covered the length of long dark hair and his mustache and beard were impeccably trimmed. He carried a cane and walked with a slight limp. The Canal District had walkways through out the city and they wandered into almost every section. He made his way to Old Town and into the Pig and Whistle.

Ordering a brandy, he sat in the corner under the stairwell and took out a book. He was reading it slowly and set it down only to light a pipe and let the fragrant smoke float off into the tavern. The patrons paid him no mind as they continued their drinking and tale telling.

Malakai sighed. This was the exact reason why he kept his head buried in his work and not worrying about anything else. "Sylvia, it's the middle of the night, no one is going to see you. We'll just get you out of here and take you to my place, then we'll get you some more clothes..better clothes, more..expensive clothes?" He really didn't now the way to appeal to a woman's heart through bribery but it seemed material possessions was right up her alley..or so he hoped.

Blackstone on the other hand was fuming, "Pervert?! Who are you calling a pervert?! If it wasn't for me and my spot on attention to detail, YOU"D BE DEAD! Those "essentials" I went to get for you from your apartment were tampered with by some woman who claimed to be one of your closest friends. I'm sure her intentions were admirable and this mystery friend only wanted what was best for you.." He snorted, folding his arms over his chest and spat on the ground. "Silly blonde bimbo, who'd be interested in you anyway? You're all body and no brain!"

"Corporal Blackstone! You are dismissed, go see to the reports out front. I'll deal with you later." Malakai whirled around to face him, eyes narrowed

"S'alright "Commander", I'll just leave you two alone anyway. Seems you're her new arm to hang off of." He smirked and whirled on his heel, quickly exiting the room and storming from the Watch House.

"I apologize. He just...seems to be under some stress. He is right though, your apartment is no longer safe, that's why I need to move you." Malakai glanced over at Sylvia for a moment, thinking that maybe with the hard truth, she would be more cooperative. Still, time was running out and the faster he got this done, the better off she would be. "Sorry for this too.." He muttered as he quickly advanced in her direction.

The Watch Commander would then sweep Sylvia off of her feet before she had a chance to complain or make any other demands. If he was successful, he would wrap her up tightly in his arms, using one of the coat's that she had so carelessly tossed to the side to cover her upper half. "Again, sorry..can't risk someone seeing you, and it'd be best if you stayed quiet." He then made for the door, turning down the backside of the Watch House and exiting out the rear exit. It wasn't far to his home and the few street lights that illuminated the area didn't provide much in the form of light.

Meanwhile, Blackstone had decided he was going to drink his worries away, heading down to the Pig and Whistle. He was still in his Watch uniform so he drew a few stares from the people as he plopped down in a stool. "Load me up!" He roared towards the waitress. As his first drink was brought, he gulped it down, then another, and another.

"I tell you what! People just..don't respect you these days! I mean..like. What's the deal?! I may not be his closest family member...I'm just a cousin but that doesn't mean he can treat me like crap! I saved that stupid Grayson woman's life! SAVED HER LIFE!" He was fuming, rage and alcohol fueling him to keep spouting out things that he probably shouldn't.

"What do I get for it? Nothing! Dismissed 'cause he's attracted to that stupid girl! Hell, he's taking her to his house right now! No telling what they'll be doing while he's supposed to be solving murders!" He kept going on and on, downing more and more alcohol until he eventually passed out on the table.

The sudden advancement of Malakai towards her almost made Sylvia blush. She had dreams about being swept off her feet, but this was entirely unexpected. As he picked her up, bundling her in the overcoat, she screamed. Unfortunately for him she mouth happened to be very near his ear.

Her arms immediately went around his neck as she gasped and yelled at him, "Put me down!! I am not a child or a sack of potatoes! I can walk! I am perfectly willing to accompany you...where are you taking me? Your place? What? But why? I still need clothes...you said you will get me some? Oh that is just great, but you cannot just buy things off a rack, I have taste and I won't wear just anything! And it has to be fitted...I have a full figure and narrow shoulders...some things just need adjusting..it can get complicated...maybe you could have a seamstress come and measure me and make me some stuff? Oh that would be wonderful! No one has ever done that for me..I like you Malakai." and before he even got to the door to his house she had planted a sweet kiss on his cheek. Of course the lipstick left a nice print.

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The Pig and Whistle was hardly crowded, but there were regulars there who were hard at their drinking and some gambling. The sight of a uniformed Watch waltzing in and ordering liquor and plopping down on a chair resulted in several stares and not a few surreptitious hiding of cards and dice.

The figure in the corner took special note of the man and a smile came to his lips as his moustache rose in response. A lucky break perhaps? A waitress was summoned and a drink was delivered to Blackstone with a murmered message. "Sir, someone has bought you a drink and asked me to tell you that the Watch is appreciated for it's hard work."

The gentleman got up and limped out of the tavern before she even delivered the message. His footsteps slow and deliberate. The night was cloudy and moonless, the few streetlights managed to light up only a few feet around them. An easy evening to disappear into the shadows. The Watch House was not far away. The alleys were dark and Amarlei slipped into a very dark corner. Changing her clothing and depositing the disguise in a specially marked barrel. Her own black silk body suit and gloves made it easy for her to disappear into the darkness. The hood she wore completely covered her head and face. Only her green eyes appeared.

The sight of a man carrying a bundle was not lost on her and she followed them. It was not going to be easy and she knew she risked a lot to even remain in Stormwind. This had to be finished tonight. Or she would have to give her contract to another to finish, something she was too full of pride to admit.

The house he carried the bundle into was small and modest. Sylvia being quiet was not one of her strong points, her idea of a whisper left no doubt what she was trying to do. Her laughter floated over the empty sidewalks. Amarlei cursed the fact they went inside before she could get close.

Discretion won out though and she ghosted near to peer into a window. The small house was dark inside and she listened to hear where they went inside the house. She did not hear the bark of a dog and was relieved of that. Looking around she saw there was a pine tree next to the house with a lot of heavy thick branches. Slipping into the shelter of the lower branches she settled in to wait.

If they stayed there all night, she was sure they would be up to shenanigans before too long. She almost wished for a distraction for the man so she could get to Sylvia alone. For once she thought of calling in another member of the Taipan for backup. Or she could use one of her contacts in the city to cause some kind of commotion.

The Pig and Whistle was home to a lot of rough folks. Most of them stayed out of sight. The upstairs was the usual place for high stakes gambling. There were several downstairs who were quite irritated at the drunken Watchman sitting at the table. He had interrupted their game...and they were not a patient bunch.

The floorboards creaked as Big Jack got up from the table and sauntered over to the drunken Blackstone. "Hey...yer drunk...go home and sleep it off...ain't no broad worth gettin' crapfaced over...maybe another one will catch yer eye tomorrow...after ya get over yer hangover..." he chuckled slapping Blackstone on the back and urging him towards the door. His big meaty hands fairly gentle considering his size. He probably crested a good six foot nine in his stocking feet, and tonight he was wearing boots.

The copper was no match for the burly man and it might just scare the liquor right out of him if he noticed Big Jack's missing front tooth and the gold capped canines. The breath coming from the big man could have knocked a dragon over, he was partial to garlic roasted peanuts. That mixed with the dwarven ale made for a heady fragrance.

The others at Jack's table guffawed at the poor cop, they relished the idea of a fight and got ready to rumble. The bartender yelled in vain and the waitress dashed into the kitchen to hide. The rest of the patrons managed to make sure they were well against the wall some even headed for the back door.

It looked like Amarlei might get her distraction, and the dark haired dwarf sitting under the stairwell smiled. He had seen her come in and the signal she had given him. He had gone upstairs to peer out the window of the second floor when she left. He could make out just enough from his vantage to see where she was headed.

He waited until Big Jack had the cop by the collar of his coat before slipping out the back door. Waiting until the ruckus started before he disappeared into the shadows. He would help her if he could, but she might not appreciate any direct contact, so he waited in the alley not far from Malakai's house.

"Excuse me, my manners are shot, lack of sleep and all. I did not catch your name, tracker."

Rhian opened her mouth to reply but before she could speak, someone came running up to the watch commander and he turned away. She waited patiently as he listened to the newest crises and suppressed a sigh when he ran off. The watch commander appeared to be quite a busy man--or today was just a bad day.

Soon, an irate woman's voice came from down the and Rhian could hear the watch commander's voice, but not what he was saying. After a few minutes of standing outside his office, she decided that if she was to get started soon, she needed to take matters into her own hands.

She turned to one if the gnomes, "Can you direct me to the body? I'd like to get started."

The gnome started down the hall, waving a hand for her to follow. Soon, she and Longshore were standing in front of the dead man. As Rhian absently listened to another gnome prattle on about heart attacks, she watched as Longshore circled the body, whining. Following him was yet another gnome, this one quite nervous about what the large wolf might do to the body.

After several long minutes, the wolf whined and lay down, his muzzle pointed towards the dead man.

"What is it doing?" the gnome who had been following him asked.

"He was found something that he doesn't like. He is telling me to check the body but," she looked at the gnome, "that is something you'd be better suited to do."

"We already checked it!"

"Check again, Longshore thinks you missed something," Rhian turned and gave a short command to the wolf. The gnome looked upset but her companion was looking at the body with some speculation.

Rhian would let them do whatever they wanted, checking the body wasn't part of her job. Longshore had what he needed and now he needed to track. She headed towards the official's house. The watch commander had stressed that time was of the essence so she'd best get tracking.

Blackstone glanced up groggily as he felt a hand touch his back, his unfocused gaze fixed on the large blur hovering over him. "Commander?" His hand lifted from the table as he snapped off a quick salute while trying to rush to his feet. If it weren't for the big guy serving as a guide to him, he probably would've face planted on the first step. "Sher, I wasnhtmeanin to ge...angry! Women just never preciate me! I try..and try..and try..and try...and" He would've kept going on had he not doubled over and started to vomit.

With the help of Big Jack he managed to make it outside, turning to the burly man. "Shorrygainsher, I'll go back and aplogize." He shot off another drunken salute and then stumbled off down the street. Somewhere in his muddled brain was a destination, somewhere an apology was formulating, somewhere..a drunk was falling onto his face.

----

Malakai was glad that Sylvia had calmed down after the offering of clothing was laid down on the table. There was still no way he was going to let her go out to any seamstress or have anyone come back, but what she didn't know wouldn't hurt her. When she kissed his cheek, he just paused, blinking for a moment before he continued onward. This was going to be more trouble than he had expected. Since Blackstone was out of commision, he'd have to babysit the girl.

"It's not much, but this is home." He spoke as he pushed open the door to the small cottage nestled on the outskirts of the city. He didn't frequent it much, usually just sleeping in his office when the chance came. The lack of housekeeping would be an obvious note upon seeing the dust and cobwebs that loitered the place. There was hardly any furniture, a small table, a few chairs, a shelf of old dusty books, and a small couch.

Rather than stand around and listen to her protest about deplorable living conditions that he was sure to hear, he quickly moved through the first room into the bedroom. "I'm afraid this is the only bedroom this place has, you'll have to sleep here." He spoke to her as he finally let her down from his arms and pulled the coat from her frame. He gestured towards the bed and nodded his head, "You can sleep there..try and get a good rest, I'll need to ask you some more questions in the morning and see if you happened to remember anything else. Unless you want to do it now? The..questions." He quickly added in that last part as he ventured across the room to grab a chair.

Malakai positioned the chair at the foot of the bed and sat down in it. His arms folding over his chest as he watched Sylvia. He wasn't about to let the girl out of his sight, she was pretty much the only thing they had going in this investigation so far unless that tracker came up with something.

He finally broke his stare, glancing to the left, towards the small window that looked out towards the street connecting to Old Town. There was only one real path to get to the house unless someone was just intent on sneaking, then they could circle around from the backside though the backdoor was long barred and most of the windows were shut up. It came with the territory of being the "Law".

There were only two ways into the bedroom, the door they came through, and the window he was staring at. It was perfect, either way an attacker came, they would be forced to bottleneck. Malakai grinned, his arms drifitng from his chest to his sides where they grasped both of his pistols. He was ready for them.

----

Somewhere a drunk was picking himself up from his momentary black out. A string of curses left his lips as he stumbled along again towards his intended destination. He knew where Malakai lived as he had been to the place several times. Even with that knowledge, he still found himself lost, wandering around Old Town for what seemed like hours. He even passed the Watch House just as Rhian and Longshore were exiting to go about their business. His eyes narrowed upon seeing the badge fixed on her and he stood up as straight as possible to give her a salute.

"Careful..girl, streetsh is dangerous." He mumbled as he passed by and went about his way. Blackstone finally located the right path and followed it down, spotting Malakai's house in the distance. He stumbled up, pausing beneath a tree to catch his breath and stop the world from spinning. "So much trouble.." He shoved off and walked towards the window, placing his hands to the pane and planting his face against the glass. "Commander?! COmmander get offa that girl! She's a witness!"

(1/2)

A movement! Malakai's left hand lifted, balancing the pistol in his grip as he aimed it towards the shadow that was creeping towards the window. The hammer clicked back and his finger twitched lightly on the trigger, waiting for the right moment to fire. Then, he saw Blackstone. "Son of a..Blackstone! Go back to the Watch House and get sobered up! You're not fit for duty and so help me if anyone followed you here..."

"Commander! I..may ahve..said something about this place in the bar...I don't remember." came the muffled words through the window. Malakai sighed, the place was already compromised and they had just arrived. There was no time to move Sylvia now, he'd just have to hole up here for the night and hope that whoever was in the bar wasn't stupid enough to come.

"Get in here then you fool, watch the front door. You and I are going to have a long talk once this is over." He waved Blackstone towards the building and shook his head once the corporal disappeared, shuffling around the front. He wouldn't be much of a lookout but at least it was another body to perhaps deter anyone from coming in.

Wyntar settled into her chair at 'A Hero's Welcome' Inn in Dalaran, a small glass of white wine and the new compendium she had purchased setting on the table before her. She smiled as she sipped the wine, it was a good vintage, and she had been willing to spend a little more coin for it. Her right hand caressed the book she had searched for and found in a dusty old store. She looked forward to reading it, and learning its secrets.

Several men, laborers from the looks of them, sat down at a table a few feet away from her. She was contemplating moving to a less populated part of the inn as they ordered their ales and dinner. But her ears perked up as she overheard their discussion.

"Well, I heard that he died from a heart attack, I mean he was an old fart."
"Old fart of not, he was a captain in the military, and he was still in good shape, should have seen the little filly he had on his arm...I'm talking nice...real nice."
"Jenkins, he was old, like he said, it was a heart attack, plain and simple."
"I heard tell it was murder, hell the old boy had enough enemies, what with filling the Stockade with all manner of criminals. One of them..."

"Excuse me? But would you men be talking about Captain Jenkins of Stormwind?", her voice was filled with concern and dread as she looked them all in the face.

The man who had started the conversation, nodded, "Aye, they found him in his home, well, she found him, is what I heard, but yes, old man Jenkins. Why, you knew him or somthing?"

"You could say that." as she picked up her book and headed out of the inn. She made her way to the portal that would take her to Stormwind in a flash.

Her mind was a whirl as she thought about the last time she had see him. He was hale and hearty then, had he been sick or was it something darker? She stepped through the portal, and felt the usual disorientation for only a moment, then found herself in the familiar room of the Mage Tower.

I need to seek out the Watch, or better yet, the Watch Commander. Somethings not right, I have never known Jenkins to be ill a day in his life. She hurried down the long spiral ramp of the tower, to seek a member of the Watch to find out what she could and who was in charge of the investigation.

From her watchpoint beneath the tree, Amarlei saw the drunken Blackstone come to the window. He spoke to the man inside and then went to the front door. He was very drunk and Amarlei knew he would not be a very good watchman. She contemplated her options. The only way she could get to Sylvia now would be a direct attack, something she would not do. It was only getting worse and she felt a head ache throbbing in her temples.

They were so paranoid now that even the slightest hint of an attack would send them into a frenzy. She decided to back up and retreat. If a distraction was needed she had to call in help, there was no choice. With an adeptness of her trade, she ghosted out from the tree and headed back to Old Town and the alleyway. It was still dark and she was able to get another disguise together. The mage illusion was not going to be good since she suspected that Blackstone had seen her.

A vile tasting potion transformed her into a gnome female and she giggled as she approached the Pig and Whistle. Getting into character was a habit she had learned long ago. You could not simply put on a disguise and not act like you were a gnome, or troll or whatever you were looking like.

Her hair was now a vibrant pink and in twin pony tails. She bounced with an alert energy and giggled like a little girl. Her entrance into the Pig and Whistle was noted and the waitress came up to her and smiled a greeting. Amarlei looked up at the tall human and made the often voiced comment of a gnome. "My you are a tall one! I need a drink and a game! I am looking to have some fun with some hearty souls who are not afraid to gamble with a gnome..." as she said the last words her eyes caught the four humans sitting at the table.

Big Jack looked up at her and waved, "Come over here, little one! We need a fifth for our poker table. I hope you have some gold to lose.." he added cheerfully. In spite of his size he was a softy when it came to females. Something that Amarlei intended on using well.

Her pockets jingled temptingly as she bounced over and pulled up a chair. Setting a small device she had invented just for this purpose long ago, she pushed a button on the cube and it transformed into a comfy seat, gnome sized and fitting up to the table and giving her the chance to see what was going on without looking like a child. Climbing up on the chair with the ease of long practice, she dug into her pocket and pulled out a sack of coins.

The others at the table looked at the sack with greed and the game began. Baldrick was dealing and he looked like he knew what he was doing as he shuffled the cards with precision and a bland expression on his face. For an elderly human he was quite deft, something that Amarlei caught on to immediately. There was something about him that warned her. He could be an SI:7 agent or just another rogue, but he was definutely someone she would watch carefully.

Jack smiled at the sack of coins and chuckled softly, he was confident in his playing and knew his friends were too. Vinnie on his left was a card shark and knew his game well, his handsome looks and toothy smile were meant to be disarming to anyone, but especially to females...of any race. Malcolm was a quiet one who smiled shyly at Amarlei and softly announced to her, "You are welcome to join us, I am Malcom, that is Big Jack and Vinnie, and the dealer is Baldrick. Can we have your name little lady?"

Amarlei thought for a moment and grinned cheerfully, "I am simply Annie, and just because I am a gnome does not mean I am helpless! The stature of a person should be noted only by their skills, not their size." she admonished.

Baldrick did not bat an eye as he nodded and intoned with a deep voice, "Ante up we are just doing five card stud for now." and he began dealing as soon as the rest had each tossed a silver on the table.

In about an hour, 'Annie' had managed to win about five gold and the rest of them were having second thoughts on their skills as poker players. She let them win small pots and managed to score a few times with bigger ones. She was careful not to make too big a deal out of it.

(1/2)

The small house was not at all what Sylvia expected. She gazed around with disappointment at the lack of furniture and the dust over everything! "You live here? With all this dust and...cobwebs and...is that a mouse!!" she ended up screaming as a mouse indeed skittered across the floor.

She clung to Malakai with fear as he carried her all the way to the bedroom. "I don't like mice and bugs...this is a horrible place! You should have a cleaning lady or something..." she trailed off as he carried her into the bedroom and set her down. As he removed the overcoat she tried to straighten her mussed up clothing and turned to spot the bed.

"I see you do not like to waste time...but I think maybe we should get to know each other a bit first..." she purred with all the charm of a courtesan. Her eyes drifted over his muscular form and she smiled.

When he pulled up a chair and started asking her questions, "Questions? Like what? Oh, I am Sylvia Graystone and I am from Lakeshire. I moved to Stormwind a few months ago and started working in the Blue Recluse as a waitress. I suppose I had a meager start, it was nice of the bartender to let me stay for free as I did not have much gold. I made some friends and met Jenkins there. He was such a sweet guy..." her eyes teared up to show proper grief. Her hands searched her clothing for a kerchief to wipe her eyes, dabbing at them delicately.

She failed to notice his fertive glances at the window and door as she prattled on and on. She did not list all her 'friends' as it seemed in poor taste, but she did recite her life history as if telling a romance novel. Going through her rise from lowly barmaid to the cover of a romance novel after having captured the interest of a local artist who worked for a novelist. Her long winded tale brought up short as Blackstone appeared at the window.

She gasped in surprise when he invited Blackstone in and made a disgusted face. "I am not going to have anything to do with that one, he is drunk and rude! He practically called me a vile name! I am not a lady of the night! He can stay out in the other room...I am not doing anything kinky! And as for you, I hardly expect to be able to sleep with you sitting there...I mean really? You are going to sit there all night and 'watch' me?" she stared at him wide eyed.

A tall and distinguished human military man strolled into the Watch headquarters. Some of the duty officers looked up and tried to figure out who he was. His dark gray hair and well trimmed mustache were neat and cut in a definute military style. He looked around with an air of authority. Spotting a gnome sitting behind a desk he strode up to him and stood a moment before clearing his throat. His voice was deep and controlled, and there was no mistake he was used to being obeyed.

"I am General Wilford Bates, I believe you are holding the remains of Archibald Jenkins. The Office of Veterans is ready to collect him for burial. He is a well decorated military man and he deserves to be buried with honors. I am assuming the natural causes official statement means he should be released for proper handling. I am here to collect said remains. The cart is out front and there is a grave already selected for him in Stormwind Cemetary. The funeral director in the Office of Veterans has time to process Jenkins for burial now." his voice gave no indication he would accept a delay of any kind.

"Listen Sylvia, apparently you didn't understand the part where I said people are trying to kill you. We still don't know who. So, it's in your best interest to bequiet, lay down, and try to sleep. I'm not moving from this spot because I'm not risking you getting hurt." Malakai folded his arms over his chest, fixing his silver eyes on the woman. "As for Blackstone, he was telling the truth, he did save your life earlier today from an unknown woman who was at your apartment. You accused him of being a pervert, he reacted. Besides, if you didn't want men looking at you, why are you wearing -that-?" He nodded his head, indicating her choice of outfits.

He shook his head slowly, muttering something inaudbile beneath his breath as he went back to scanning the two entrances for signs of anyone. "Anyway, you said..the Blue Recluse? I hear Jenkins frequented there, quite often actually. " Interesting, a minor detail from her silly story actually might serve as another potential lead. He didn't think anything of the man going to the Blue Recluse at first, but perhaps there was something going on there. "Did he..talk to anyone? Sit alone? How exactly did you..come into the picture?" He risked a glance in her direction, his eyes drifting to her outfit for a moment as if answering that last question.

He quickly looked away, finding something else to claim his attention when a loud "thud" sounded from the front room. Malakai rose, heading towards the door, pistols in hand. "Blackstone?"he whispered, pressing his ear against the door and listening. A frown crossed his features when a light snore reached his ears. Still, many could fake such a thing, so he cracked the door just the slightest to peer out. He could barely make out the corporal, curled up on one of the tables completely passed out.

"Moron," he said as he shut the door.

---------------

Fizzle glanced up from his desk as the General entered and made his statement. "General Bates, it's a pleasure to meet you. Unfortunately..the investigation of Archibald Jenkins has not been concluded. Whoever informed you of such would be wrong." The Gnome looked down at the papers scattered on his desk, sifting through them until he found the particular one he was looking for. "Here, our commander figured that you would be around soon to collect the body." He offered the paper up to Bates.

The Watch has decided to look further into the circumstances of Archibald Jenkins' death. We feel that foul play was at hand and will continue this investigation until the culprit is found. Evidence has been accumulated at the scene of the crime as well as a key wtiness that can testify on some odd behaviors. I feel that Jenkins was into some sketchy things and I intend to find out what they are. It is for that reason, that I will detain the body until my investigation is completely done. It is well preserved and will not suffer any decomposition in our hands, so you need not worry about the condition as time goes along. I'm sure you will understand my side.

Signed,

Watch Commander, Malakai Vnalia.

The Gnome only waited while the General read the letter, sending a signal to his assistance Wizzle with a hidden hand.

Wizzle nodded and hopped up from his desk, scurrying out of the Watch House and heading for Malakai's place. Unlike Blackstone, he knew the procedure to approaching the small house and quickly identified his presence as he came up the path, shining a small light several times to be seen.

He entered into the house and quickly went to the bedroom, eyes going wide as he noted where Sylvia was..and the stain of lipstick on Malakai's cheek. "Uhh, sir is this..a bad time? Well, perhaps, but I thought to inform you that the military is at HQ and demanding we release the body."

Malakai caught the Gnome's glance and absently brushed his cheek where Sylvia kissed him and then inspected his hand. Much to his horror, there were traces of her lipstick smeared across. "..Right. They're going to annoy us for quite a bit on that matter, much chest thumping to be had amongst us all. Have you heard anything from...that..tracker?" He still didn't even know her name.

"Not yet, sir. She left a short while after you did, looked like she was heading to Jenkins' house."

Malakai nodded. "Good, hopefully that wolf of hers can track the scent on the bag and at the house. He longed to be out there with her, actually doing something instead of babysitting some blonde who couldn't even grasp her situation. "If that's all, head back. Tell the General I am busy and he should come back later if he wishes to speak with me on the matter. Also, go make sure that tracker is alright, can't let anything happen to her either. Oh, and have someone check out the Blue Recluse. Ask around about Jenkins"

Wizzle nodded, salute, then turned to leave. Once the Gnome was gone, he turned back to Sylvia. "Now then..where were we?"

Sitting on the bed because there was no place else to sit, Sylvia nearly dropped her jaw. "You have the nerve to criticise me on my outfit when I specifically gave that man a note to give Cathy to give me some regular clothing along with my shampoo and stuff. He not only failed to bring my clothing, but now you claim some girl went into my apartment and did something with my stuff? What a joke! Who would want to hurt me? I don't know anything! I already told you Jenkins went to meetings, but I have no idea who was there, because he would not let me into the room." she huffed and flounced on the bed. Her skimpy outfit not doing much to control the movement of her charms.

"So you think I am some kind of floozy? I do not try and take advantage of men, they just seem to fall all over themselves giving me stuff. This is an outfit that Archie got for me. He liked it, I did not mind wearing it for him. Besides, I did not have time to get regular clothes I was hustled off like a prisoner!" she wailed as she got up from the bed to pace back and forth in front of the window.

The shadow of the distraught woman moved back and forth in front of the window. She threw up her hands at one point and went to his closet, throwing open the door and rummaging in there. She found nothing but watch uniforms and they were all too big. "You don't even have a girlfriend who leaves stuff here? You must be one stuffy guy without a life outside of work...well fine...I guess I will just bury myself in blankets then and let you 'watch' while I sleep." her voice finally calming down as she got into the bed and literally covered herself with the blankets. She kicked her shoes off and they fell to the floor.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The tiny gnome meanwhile had managed to get quite a bit of information out of the gamblers as they sat and chatted over the cards. She made sure to break even so no one could accuse her of the cheating she was so deft at. Not there to make gold, but looking for information.

It was two hours later that a dwarf meandered into the tavern and chuckled at the sight of the pink haired gnome gambing with the four men. "You boys must be pretty hard up for entertainment.." he drawled.

Big Jack threw a glare at the dwarf and patted 'Annie' on her arm. "I have you know this little lady is a dam sight better card player than you dwarf..at least she don't cheat!"

The dwarf stopped short, his eyes flared with anger and he whipped around with a yell, "I do not cheat!! 'Tis not my fault if ya get drunk and cannot see yer cards!" silence fell over the tavern as Baldric and Vinnie turned to stare at the dwarf. Malcolm's face turned white and he thought about getting up to leave.

Annie looked from one to the others and shrugged off Jack's hand. "Hey, now lets be nice...I am not in the mood to be tossing people around tonight..." she quipped with a straight face.

Her comment was so off base that Big Jack turned back to her and laughed heartily. "I would give you fifty gold if you toss that dwarf out on his ear, this I gotta see!" he was calling her bluff and Annie rolled her eyes.

Glancing over to the dwarf who looked like he was about to explode, she yelled at the bartender. "Quick! Give that dwarf a drink! He is only half drunk!! And yes the next round's on me...for everyone!" her announcement had the desired effect and the rest of the patrons quickly gulped down drinks in preparation for a new round.

Annie jumped down off her stool and strolled over to the bar and paid the tab. "That's a night for me guys, thanks for the fun!' she cried gaily as she skipped out the door.

(1/2)

Now that the Pig and Whistle was full of happy drunks, Annie slipped out the door and went into the alley behind the shops. A nondescript barrel held still more disguises, and a few more potions. Getting back into her normal dark silk suit and mask, she listened for any odd sounds, she was in the middle of Stormwind after all. She was debating which to use when a slight sound behind her caused her to whip around in alarm. The dark haired dwarf from earlier stood there with a smirk on his face.

"I managed to get almost within striking range there, gal...ye gettin' flustered?" he chuckled as she bristled with daggers drawn.

Her face relaxed and she sheathed her daggers. "Not sure why this hit is necessary, the bimbo is clueless. I don't think Jenkins would have trusted her if he thought she was smart enough to finger him and his little hobby. Why is she wanted dead anyway?" her pride stung because she had not yet fullfilled her contract.

The dwarf scratched his beard and looked her over. "Yer good, very good, or the Master would not have wanted ye on the team. Come with me..and I will show you something. I have a hunch there is more to Sylvia than meets the eye. I know where the meetings were held, and why they were secret. The thing that puzzles me..is why is she still hanging around? If it's a cover she is down in deep..and not going to be easy to flush out."

As he guided her through a warren of alleys and then into the Mage District, he motioned for silence and waited for her to notice where they were. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end as she heard the unmistakeable language of demons. Looking around she noticed the doorway ahead, a purple light faintly outlined it. As her eyes grew accustomed to the darkness she made out a figure slumped on the steps in front of the door. It wasn't until then she noticed the dwarf behind the unconcious figure and he motioned her closer.

With more trepidation than she had ever experienced, Amarlei put her ear to the door and listened. What she heard made her sick to her stomach. The unmistakeable crunch of bone and tearing of soft tissue.

"Eat it all my pets, we do not need evidence of the worst kind. Sylvia is in place and even now she may be carrying through her assignment. Once Malakai is under her influence we can proceed. Soon all the major heads of the Stormwind Military will be under OUR control. The King of Stormwind will die, and the city will be ours! The Alliance will crumble and the Horde will decimate them. Yesss...it will be all ours!" the voice had a distinct hollow quality to it.

The dwarf motioned for her to back off and they ghosted away from the door. Amarlei took out a flask of water and rinsed out her mouth. "That...was a demon...or a Forsaken warlock...how did he get into Stormwind? And who does he represent? I did not think Sylvannus was so ambitious."

The dwarf took out his own flask and downed a small swig of his favorite ale. "There be some Forsaken who are out for their own agenda, I think Putress proved that...this might be worse...the war between the Alliance and Horde is old...many years they have fought and many more they will. But we face a greater threat than that. If this warlock succeeds, the Alliance will be broken. I can see the Forsaken going for the King. Wrynn has made no secert of his distaste for the undead." the dwarf handed her the flask and she shook her head.

"So I am to take out the floozy who is not actually a floozy...to save the Alliance King...but what about the warlock? Shouldn't we be doing something about him?" her face shrouded in shadow as she kept her voice down low.

"Ye cannot face him alone, girl. and the Master be knowin' that...all we kin do is slow him down...fer now...even if they was to take a company of men in there...most would die fast to the warlocks and their demons that call the Slaughtered Lamb home. Make no mistake, most of them are under that Forsaken's control by now. The Master be lookin' fer surgical strikes. Take out the prime operative and the warlock will have to regroup. He cannot risk too much exposure or his plan will not work."

Amarlei nodded and tried to come up with a plan. Her back to the wall and thinking as the dwarf made one more observation before he faded into the Shadows. "Maybe ye might consider making friends with Malakai. If he were warned...he might not fall for Sylvia's trickery."

Rhian skipped down the steps of the building and headed through the Old City. She was quite familiar with the district; when she had first arrived in Stormwind, she had stayed at the Pig and Whistle tavern. It had been filled with mostly military and guards for her short stay and one kind woman, after learning that she was a hunter, suggested that she visit a tavern in the Dwarven District.

"Careful...girl, streetsh is dangerous," a drunk mumbled as he passed by and went about his way.

Longshore looked up at him with an expression that read, ‘Why? She has me.’ The sweet smell of alcohol rolling off the man’s body made the wolf sneeze and he dismissed the man and continued on his way. There were many familiar smells, some belonging to the people at the building that housed the watch command, some belonging to the people who had been working at the house. They passed a gnome with a familiar scent. The wolf paused a moment to sniff after one shoe before continuing onto Jenkins’ house.

Once there, Rhian showed the mark Malakai had given her and with some grumbling, allowed her and the wolf entry.

Rhian stood by one wall and looked over the room where they had found the body. She could hear the clicking of Longshore’s nails on the wooden floor and the occasional snuffled as the wolf took in the various smells. On one occasion, he lay down, indicating that he had found something, but when Rhian checked, there was nothing there. Perhaps it was the killer’s scent? She doubted it; Longshore would be able to smell the person who killed the official, but would have no way to know which scent belonged to that person.

If it was a blood elf, like the gnomes suggested, then that person was probably long out of the city. How did a blood elf get this far in without being noticed? That question had been plaguing Rhian since she had learned about the suspect, but then, with a proper enough disguise, the good people of Stormwind would only see what they wanted to see.

They needed to look for inconsistencies in who belonged to the different scents. Which smells led to where and connected to whom. It was a puzzle made out of scents and while she did not doubt that Longshore would be able to figure it out, the question remained as to whether or not she would correctly interpret what she was being told by the wolf.

“Which way was he facing when he was found?” Rhian turned to the gnome hovering in the doorway. “Do you think he knew his attacker or not? Was the door open or closed when the report came in?” These were questions that she had hoped to ask the watch commander before he had been called off, but then, an emergency was an emergency—although, what was the deal with the woman she heard and why did they seem so secretive with her?

It had been several hours since Amarlei had left the little house, it was getting close to dawn. SHe ghosted to the pine tree and peered in the window. She was rather hoping that Malakai and Sylvia had become at least tired enough to sleep by now.

The sun was not up yet, but the air was still, not even crickets chirping. From her vantage point she could see into the window. There were no curtains, which surprised her. There was no light on either. It was very quiet inside. Then she got a bit closer, not next to the window but close enough to use her spyglass to peer inside.

She could see a rumpled bed and it looked like a form on it, completely covered. Swiveling the glass around she could make out a figure...sitting on a chair. She froze for a moment as she thought maybe he was awake, but he seemed to be slumped over.

'How odd', she thought to herself. She scanned the area and saw some trash cans nearby and noticed the tree was touching the house. There was a chimney, obviously a fireplace of some kind. A bit of lazy smoke floated out of the top. He had a fire going somewhere.

She thought of plugging the chimney with something, but the shingles looked old and dry, it would be noisy to climb on the roof and the sun would be up soon. Although it was not like her to give up, she did not have a solid plan. Backing off until she could get a clear shot at Sylvia would be better in the long run.

She had a better plan however and it would be risky. Heading back to the Mage District she took out her hat and donned her mage disguise. This early in the morning most would be asleep, it would be a simple matter of getting lodgings in the area and finding out just who knew Sylvia. She had to have a contact somewhere to tie her to the warlock.

The District was quiet as the sun just started coming up. She was tired and need to sleep. The boarding house was expensive, but she had enough gold to afford a month's rent. It was not the same one Sylvia had, but next to it but across the street. In fact she had a good clear view of Sylvia's apartment windows from her modest room.

The room was furnished and the landlord seemed a kindly gentleman named Freddy Townsend. She asked to be undisturbed for a good long while, citing a long journey and need to rest. He assured her it was quiet duringthe day as most left for business. Carefully locking the door, she undressed and went to bed. She needed to be bright and cheerful in the afternoon, so she could spend some time getting the information she sought.

Malakai sighed at Sylvia, rising up from the chair and crossing the room towards the window. He lifted his arms over his head, stretching his weary muscles which ached from sitting so long in the chair. His eyes scanned the area outside the window, noting the faint light starting to come over the horizon. It would soon be daylight and the first night of keeping this woman safe was a success. He glanced back over his shoulder in her direction, looking at her sleeping form curled up underneath the sheets.

He thought of how things would return to normal once the investigation was over, how he would go back to..sitting at a desk, sorting papers, managing criminals.. He smirked, watching her sleeping form for another moment. How easy she had it. With a shake of his head, he turned away and marched towards the door. On the other side he found Corporal Blackstone standing and straightening out his crumpled, vomit covered uniform. "Blackstone.."

The corporal didn't even look up, "Yes sir, I know..I behaved irresponsibly, she just..ugh. I feel like I get no appreciation for what I do unless I screw up!"

Malakai shook his head, "We're not in this job for fame and glory, Harry. Our only reward is knowing that the streets are safer, that people can walk without fear, everything else is trivial. That's the life we chose, if you want more, I suggest you seek it elsewhere." He waited a moment for Blackstone to say something in return but when he didn't, he assumed the matter was settled. "Now, to show that even with your screw ups, I still trust you completely. I am leaving Sylvia in your care. There a few men posted outside, plain clothes, but they've got an eye on the place. If anyone comes near, they'll warn you and be here faster than you can blink. I need to go find my tracker, I want this Blood Elf if she's still in the city."

"ME?! Sir, she hates me! HATES ME!" Blackstone protested.

"She'll live with it, especially..after what I offered." The last statement brought a puzzled expression to Blackstone's face but he chose not to inquire any further. Malakai was thankful, nodding his head towards the corporal and heading for the door to home. "I'll be back later tonight, I'll send someone over with food and new clothing. She'll throw a fit since we're just grasping at straws but she's not going to a seamstress." With that, he exited, stepping out on to the cobble and glancing about. A glance to the left, right, and then further up the street and he noted the position of his plain clothes men. It was easy enough for him to see them and if this assassin was a professional, he or she would notice too. That was the point, to deter them from attacking with the odds.

Smirking, Malakai headed on, moving towards the Jenkins' house where he hoped to catch up with Rhian.

“Which way was he facing when he was found?”

"The door, he was facing the door when he was struck down." Malakai entered as Rhian started to question one of his forensics team. "We found the hair inside the closet, so they got him from behind. " He gestured towards the closet and then towards the window, "and we believe that is the entrance and escape route."

The commander moved towards the far wall, leaning back against it, resting his head as he watched Rhian with curiosity. Hopefully her and this wolf would be able to find something, the scent from the bag in the Watch House and the scent here must be the same, or so he hoped. "Also, before I am hastily called away again or lose my head, what is your name?" He offered what appeared to be a smile, though his lips didn't quite make the full gesture. It was more of a hardened scowl than anything, more so considering how tired he looked.

For a moment, his mind drifted to the letter he left on the table for Sylvia. He didn't know what he was thinking when he wrote it, but perhaps if he could..gain her confidence, her trust, she might be more willing and easy to get along with.

"Miss Grayson, I regret to inform you that I must leave you in the care of others for a small moment while I see to other business around the city. The faster I can catch this person, the faster I can let you out of custody. I know you'll understand, when I win, you win. Corporal Blackstone is on the other side of the door should you need him, he is instructed not to come in unless you call him, or he has reason to. Breakfast will be delivered shortly as well as some clothes. I hope you'll forgive me for not letting you see a seamstress but it's a risk that I'm not willing to take at the moment. I should be back by nightfall and if you wish, perhaps we could have dinner? I'd like to make you as comfortable as possible and not treat you as a prisoner. I think this would even result in greater chances at being able to see you..after this investigation. That is entirely up to you though.

The Slaughtered Lamb was aptly named, warlocks conducted their activities in the basement of the shady tavern. There was a very distinct odor of fel in the whole place, a sickly sweet rotting stench that the new bartender did not seem to notice. In fact, he did not seem very much aware of anything. He took orders with a straight unemotional stare and filled them without making comments.

Those who frequented the Slaughtered Lamb were very few. Most of them seemed to know that this was a place to have secret meetings and not call attention to the tavern in any way. The warlocks went immediately to the basement and very few came out. Those that did seemed oddly excited and purposeful, as if they had just been offered some tremendous opportunity.

In the depths, one room was locked off from the rest. In front of this room a guard stood firm. He was a mountain of a man, standing close to seven feet tall and weaponry bristled from his back and at his side. No one who was not invited would be coming into the room. Inside the room a frail looking Forsaken sat at a desk. His hands flew with precision over the parchment as he detailed his latest achievements.

From time to time he consulted a glowing sphere beside him, peering into it with a serious expression. Beside him and looking over his shoulder was a Watcher, a curious creature with multiple eyes and a rounded shape. Tentacles dangled from the lower half of it and he floated a few feet off the floor.

"My plans are going forward, inspite of the meddling fool who killed Jenkins. I will find that assassin, and you shall feed my pretties..." the Forsaken patted the felhound who had nuzzled his hand in a bid for attention.

The Watcher chortled in his gurgling voice, "Do not become overconfident, Zarnneir, you know you cannot leave the relative safety of the tavern. The Watch will be looking for the killer as well...let them find the assassin and deal with it. Low profile is better for our objective. You have another operative, use her well. The King is our goal...we must destroy him, and he is too well guarded for a direct assault."

Zarnneir glared at the Watcher. "I will not compromise our objective, I am patient. Even now, Sylvia is moving in on a second pawn. She will prove to be more effective in the long run than you can possibly imagine. She is my daughter, after all. I was quite happy with how she manipulted Jenkins. If it had not been for that assassin, the King would be dead. All was in place! All she needed to do was get Jenkins in the presence of the King and activate the hidden fetish!" he grew angry then and rose to pace the floor.

All of his undead existence was dedicated to eliminated Varian Wrynn. His brain was not as rotted as it would seem. He used others to do his tasks. Even now several warlocks were spreading seeds of doubt about the King. Whispers of his affairs and his hidden misstress were all conjecture on Zarnneir's part, he knew it would be just gossip, but if it spread, then the King would have to deal with those close to him finding out and asking questions.

Those who objected or did not succumb to him were executed. Warlocks were not tolerated well in Stormwind. They were not missed, a casualty of their profession. But Zarnneir knew he could not continue to kill off warlocks without someone finding out about missing people and report it. Time was of the essence, he needed to get another pawn to move in on the King.