Stub crunched on the pinecone he had in his mouth. Bits of pinecone fell out of his mouth as he chewed, falling into Sapphire's lap. She merely brushed them off of her. Grendel came rushing forward and tried to save his precious pinecone but the hyena leapt to his feet and rushed off.

"No, no Brother! Give it back...It's mine! I found it!"

Sapphire watched as the two ran around the entire cave, irritating the thornclaws wherever they went. Stub would tease Grendel by slowing down and almost letting him catch up, before sprinting off full speed just out of the boy's reach. Grendel eventually lost his stamina after a while. He slumped to the ground in front of Sapphire.

"He is very fast," Grendel groaned.

"Because he has four legs and you only have the two," Sapphire said matter of factly.

Grendel rolled over to look at her. She scowled at his doglike behavior.

"You don't seem to like me," Grendel observed. He sat up and smiled at her, as if expecting her to disagree.

Sapphire merely nodded. "You are right. I do not."

The boy's mouth dropped open. Stub finally returned with the pinecone. He laid down the now moist pine cone in front of Grendel. Grendel didn't notice.

"I was hoping to be friends! I have never had a friend before...Human friend that is."

That took Sapphire off guard. She had never had a friend her own age. Never interacted with another child before. Grendel seemed very irritating but perhaps all children were annoying. Maybe she was annoying and didn't even know. Falric frequently called her annoying but everything annoyed him so she never took it personally.

She looked down at her lap, suddenly embarrassed that she was acting so mean to him.

"I'm sorry. We can be friends if that's okay."

Grendel gasped and he almost immediately lunged at her. He then stopped inches away.

"Oh no! I can't hug you. You are broken!" He said, horrified that he had been about to hurt her.

She gestured nonchalantly. "It's fine."

The boy smiled. "Oh good. Hey, you wanna hear about my collection of stuff?"

He did not wait for an answer. He immediately went into a long one sided conservation where he picked up each object in his crude room and showed it off to her. Random bones, sticks, rocks, and other things made up his collection. Most he had found in the forest. Some manmade things he scavenged from the closest villages and homes of people out of their trash. He seemed particularly proud of a complete human skull he found at an old battleground. Stub seemed far more interested in his talking than Sapphire was. Rot did not even pretend to listen. He passed out from boredom about a minute in.

The boy picked up an antler and held it out for Sapphire.

"Here, you like this? I found a buck as he was shedding his antlers for the year and grabbed one!"

Sapphire took the horn and examined it. There were four sharp points along it. She ran her hand over the smooth pale bone.

"It's really nice," She commented. It was an honest answer. She really did think it was a nice treasure. Better than the random rocks and sticks. Sapphire held it out to return it to Grendel but the boy suddenly got all fidgety and waved at it dismissively.

"No, You can have it...if you want."

Sapphire's eyes widened and she clutched the antler with both hands. "Really? You are giving this to me?"

The boy smiled shyly and nodded. "Like I said. If you want. It is just an antler."

Before Sapphire could respond, Grendel's mother came trotting over. She saw how the two children were behaving and locked her eyes on the antler. Her jaws opened and her tongue came out in a very amusing looking smile. She whined a bit at Grendel. Now the boy's cheeks turned bright red.

"I am not!" He denied. Sapphire had no idea what he was answering but the boy grew very agitated. She frowned.

"Did I do something wrong?" She asked, worried. Grendel whipped back to face her.

"No, of course not! Mother is just being annoying. Never mind. I...I gotta go do something."

With that the boy sprang up and fled the cave. Stub cackled before chasing after the boy. Grendel's mother watched him leave and tilted her head at Sapphire. She then padded over to the girl and licked her cheek before laying down next to the girl. Sapphire lifted her hand, but hesitated. She then laid the hand against the wolf's fur. Then started to stroke the fur. It was softer than Stub's fur. The wolf planted her head in Sapphire's lap. There they stayed until night came.

The sun slowly set over the forest, giving the trees a blood red tint as if they were bleeding. Clouds of bats started to blanket the sky as they flew in search of food. Arthas leaned against the rocks surrounding the wolf den, sharpening his simple steel sword. He watched boredly as Grendel ran out of the cave and into the forest. The boy passed by a few wolven guards that kept watch over the den.

"I found him abandoned."

Arthas turned his head briefly to see Greenstalker standing there. The wolf seemed sorrowful.

"I'm sure if Gorak Tul had been given the chance, he would have taken Grendel as he tried with your child. My pack has done their best to raise him...But I have thought upon what you said."

Arthas thought he knew what the wolf was implying. "If you are trying to ask me to take him in-"

The wolf shook his entire body as if he were wet, and then snorted derisively.

"Of course not. But I know he can no longer stay here. Sending him will spare him any revenge Gorak Tul is no doubt planning for me. And it will give him a chance to live as a man instead of a wolf."

The wolf looked out toward the forest, deep in thought. Arthas put down his sword. Just like him, Greenstalker seemed to have doubts on how best to take care of his offspring. It seemed comforting to see another parent struggling with their own choices. Arthas dislike that feeling.

Eventually the sun set completely and all that was left to light up the sky were the small stars. The moons had not yet risen yet. Greenstalker looked to the north and growled. Concerned, Arthas stood up and brandished his sword.

"No need for that. My friend has come to see us. Pray that he is willing to help."

All the wolves outside waited patiently, looking to the snowcapped mountains of the north. When Arthas had learned about Kul Tiras as a child, he did not remember hearing about any mountains. Two figures slowly approached the den, one slender and tall, the other shorter and bulky. At first, Arthas thought they were his size but as they got closer he saw they were much larger. The thornclaws cleared the way for their guests. Like Greenstalker, the short hulking mass had face that was devoid of flesh, showing off the bone. He was much bulkier than the wolf and its gait reminded Arthas of a bear.

His slender companion was easier to identfiy. The shadowy doe stopped a few yards from the den before the bear did. Her ears flicked nervously and she sniffed the air worriedly. Arthas did not blame her. She was surrounded by predators.

Greenstalker walked forward to greet them. "Ulfar. And Athainne. Thank you for agreeing to meet."

The bear inclined his head. The doe did not look at Greenstalker. Her dewy eyes, which had a violet glow to them, locked in on Arthas and she tilted her head.

"I was intrigued by your request. Where is the Drustling?" The bear asked. Greenstalker nodded toward the cave.

The bear sniffed in the direction and reared his head back in alarm. "No. She is tainted by Thros!"

Greenstalker barked, almost aggressively. "If she were so tainted, I would not be helping her! I sense nothing."

The bear growled. "You are blinded by it due to your own dealings in death magic, Son of Goldrinn."

At that comment, Greenstalker bared his teeth and growled. The doe's ears shot right up and got between the two of them.

"There is no need for this," The doe consoled in a alluring, feathery voice. She glanced between the two of them. Ulfar snorted irritably. The fur stood up defensively along Greenstalker's back. The doe gave him such a harsh look that the wolf eventually took a step back and lowered his head submissively. She then twisted her neck towards Arthas, staring deeply at him.

"You are dead but not," She stated. Arthas nodded, taken aback by the doe. She then strode confidently over to him, and sniffed him with her soft velvet nose. She then sniffed toward the cave.

"I do not smell Thros on either. Death, certainly, but they are not what you think, Ulfar."

The bear bridled. "You disagree?"

Athainne stamped one hoof into the ground. "I do. And my mate would agree with me. I shall help these lost children flee from here."

Ulfar did not seem to like this statement but it seemed that the doe held power over both bear and wolf. How a deer of all things was the most intimidating of the three, Arthas did not know.

The bear turned to leave but not before commenting. "I may be old but I'm not foolish. This sounds like a mistake waiting to happen. Incurring the wrath of Gorak Tul is not to be taken lightly. Even if he remains in Thros."

Athainne held her head up high and ignored him. They all watched him leave. As his figure slowly disappeared into the night, Athainne turned back to Arthas.

"So, you need to leave Drustvar...to where?" She asked. Despite his dark mood, Arthas felt better hearing the doe's soft but confident voice.

"Stormwind hopefully," Arthas replied.

Athainne's ears drooped, clearly distressed. "A city full of humans."

Greenstalker nudged the doe with his nose. "Well, he IS a human."

Athainne brushed him aside and entered the wolf den, talking as she went. Arthas and Greenstalker followed her quickly.

"I will try my best but I am sure you understand why someone of my...species does not like being near large numbers of humans."

Arthas looked her up and down. "Because...you are a deer?"

"How perceptive. Ah, is that her?" Athainne peered at the injured Sapphire. Grendel's mother and Stub sat next to her but got to her feet at the doe's approach. The wolf respectfully stood aside as the deer slowly crept over to Sapphire. Stub merely cackled in alarm and hid behind the girl at the sight of the larger mammal. Sapphire winced as she sat up but she quickly forgot about the pain. Her eyes were full of confusion but wonder at looking up at the large deer. Arthas at first wanted to stand next to her protectively, but it was obvious that the doe was no threat to them.

Athainne lowered her neck and brushed her nose right up against Sapphire. The girl smiled. The doe seemed to exude a calming presence.

"Hello!"

The doe's tail wagged. "Hello, little one. I see you are injured."

Sapphire nodded, and planted one hand against her side. "My ribs are broken."

The doe sighed, then lifted her head to turn to Greenstalker. "The girl and her father. What about your boy? How will he leave?"

Greenstalker casually sat down and scratched his neck with a back leg. "He takes a different path."

"As elusive as ever! And you are surprised my mate does not visit you often!" She argued. Greenstalker's head snapped back in alarm at her tone. All of the other wolves quickly came to his defense, growling and barking at the doe. She seemed unimpressed.

Grendel came back as the cacophony continued and then approached Greenstalker. Arthas took this time to go over to Sapphire to check up on her. The large wolf looked down at the boy.

"Grendel. You and I have to talk."

The boy shook his head. "I know. I heard you talking about me and mother. I know you mean to send me away from the pack."

Sapphire's eyes widened. "He has to go too?"

Arthas answered her. "Yes. For his safety it seems. Not with us though. He goes alone."

Sapphire gasped and then tried to stand up. Stub immediately grabbed her sleeve with his mouth and yanked her back down to a sitting position. "No! Why should he be all alone?"

Athainne sighed. "Sometimes wolves must leave to form their own packs."

"That's not fair!"

Ironic, Arthas thought. Sapphire had been completely isolated from normal human interaction and never interacted with other children. Yet, now she sounded exactly like ever other child. During all this, Greenstalker and Grendel were both talking. The boy looked positively despondent.

"Life's not fair," Arthas retorted. Sapphire scrunched up her nose in anger. Exactly like her mother did. Then, she seemed to grow thoughtful. She looked down at Stub, then called out to the giant wolf.

"Why can't Grendel bring someone with him? Like a friend!" She demanded. The wolf looked up at the bold question. He growled softly but it wasn't aggresive.

"Thornclaws are not well received by humans. He has no other friends."

Sapphire gestured to Stub. "He...can take Stub."

The wolf tilted his head. Grendel's mouth went agape.

"You would...You would let me take brother Stub with me?" He asked incredulously. Sapphire patted Stub. The hyena licked her hand and seemed to know what was going on. He trotted over to the boy, who knelt down and hugged him. Greenstalker shook himself and sighed.

"I can not object to this."

Arthas eyed Sapphire critically. "Why are you willing to give up that mongrel? Now you are alone with me."

"I still have Rot," Sapphire retorted. As if to emphasize, Rot barked defiantly at Arthas. Athainne watched the exchange with amusement. Everything seemed settled. Stub and Grendel would leave with Greenstalker. The doe would take Sapphire and Arthas out of Drustvar, though how Arthas did not know. When he tried to ask, the doe merely ignored him.

Although he did not get physically exhausted, Arthas felt drained. The last few days had been overwhelming. The past few months if he were honest with himself. His entire world had been upturned for the worse. He had been king, ready to kill and destroy the Horde and Alliance and eventually the world. He had all the power and armies to go with it. Now, he sat in a cave of wolves, with the only undead at his command being a half rotten dog.