"Well aren't you a pathetic sight," said the human. What the human said was not what surprised Kaeev; he understood them. The human was speaking Taurahe; certainly not like a native speaker, but well enough. His eyes locked with the human's at this. "You understand me, then?" asked the human, noting Kaeev's reaction. Kaeev looked away again. He nodded slightly. Knowing what was likely to follow, he thought he might avoid it with another matter. "I'm thirsty," said the shaman. The human frowned, and said nothing. The silence was long enough that Kaeev looked at the human for a reply. The human's visage then shifted suddenly from disappointed to hateful. "You might get some water when you answer my questions, Horde scum!" he exclaimed, dealing Kaeev a hard blow across the face with a gloved fist. "What were you doing sneaking around these woods with a bunch of orcs?" Kaeev's dizziness returned with the blow, but he still managed to keep his nausea under control, making no effort to retaliate. His memory was still foggy from the time that he departed the camp, and so he answered nothing. The human persisted. "What was your mission?" Kaeev still did not answer, feeling the side of his head that throbbed anew from the blow. He could feel where blood, now dried, had trickled down the side of his face; this explained the taste of blood he had earlier. The human hmphed at the shaman's silence. "I suppose the poison on that dart can have that effect on people, making them ill and forgetful. The one for you would have killed smaller creatures.” Kaeev felt his own neck that was still aching. This explained a lot of things for him. The human smirked as he could see the realization coming to the shaman.
"Perhaps I should enlighten you on what happened,” he began, drawing a dagger and tossing it idly. “We spotted your party, not long after you crossed the bridge over the Falfarren River. Spying on the outpost we had established at Mystral Lake." He then chuckled. "Your leader was a loud one. It didn't take much to dispatch him, especially with surprise on our side. The others panicked after that, and they soon followed your leader in death.” He nodded at Kaeev. “You took an arrow or two yourself, or so these night elves say. I guess you only survived because you were their healer.” Another chuckle. “Your superiors must have been desperate, sending a shaman whose strength was not in his healing. Still, you tried to raise your friends, but the elves put you under before you could finish. We needed one for questioning, after all.”
He laughed as he observed Kaeev’s look of astonishment at his words. “You wonder how I know so much? Your marks--even the faint ones on your hands, are what give you away. Oh yes, I know your kind, you are no stranger to me.”
Kaeev could not in a far better state--let alone his current state--fathom in his mind how a human would be this knowledgeable of him. “Who are you?” spoke the shaman finally.
“I am Knight Darrick Malagan, and I lead the Alliance forces in this part of the land.” answered the human. He then pointed the dagger at Kaeev. “And you would do well to remember my name, shaman, for you--” Kaeev’s chin lifted as Malagan then pricked it there with the dagger. “--are my prisoner. I hold your fate in my hands.”
A look of hatred came to Kaeev’s face, accented by the fresh blood that was beginning to trickle from his chin as Malagan kept the dagger there. The knight only grinned wickedly in reply. He looked back at the night elves behind him, saying something in Darnassian to them before he gave a mocking laugh. They all laughed with him at Kaeev in return.
One of Kaeev’s legs began to pull in, like he was getting ready to kick with it. With a smirk still on his face and with a dangerous tone of voice, Malagan said, “I wouldn’t do that, cow. Besides, I don’t want you dead yet. I still want answers before I do you in or ship you off to Stormwind. So let’s try again, hm?”
The dagger lowered from the shaman’s bleeding chin, and he was able to relax a little at this. “Do you have a name, cow?” questioned Malagan.
The shaman beared his teeth. “I am Kaeevanrash of the Stormspeakers!” he answered in a show of defiance. “And you waste your time, human. I will tell you nothing!”
Malagan frowned only briefly, and turned away from the shaman. “I see,” he said. He then chuckled. “That’s all right, cow. That just means you’ll make this a lot more FUN!”
As Malagan spake these words, he whirled around suddenly and dealt Kaeev a harsh blow to the head again with the butt of the dagger. Kaeev’s sight went dark, and as his face hit the dirt, he lost his inward battle with his nausea right before also losing consciousness.
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