More guards keeping the way into Kargathia Keep parted as Kaeev showed them the parchment with Stoneaxe’s seal upon it. The keep itself still was not yet completed, but it was far enough along in its construction that a command post had already been established there. Entering the keep, he made his way around the circular hall to the doorway leading into the main room. Once there, he rolled his shoulders back, stood up straight and entered the main room, maintaining bearing.
The main room was rather large, but cluttered with construction materials. At one end of the room there was a large desk, filled with stacks of paperwork, maps and the odd weapon here and there. Two orcs sat there, studying a map of the region. The first was large in stature with deep green skin, hazel eyes and long black hair. Both his physical features and armor were well-kept, even for an orc. He looked quite busy. The other orc appeared lesser by comparison on all accounts: a bit lanky, more crude armor and looking rather stressed. It wasn’t hard for Kaeev to guess which of the two was Blood Guard Stoneaxe. He came to the desk, stopping some paces away before facing the pair directly. His hooves made a slight “click” as they came together and he saluted the officer, saying, “Sir, Grunt Kaeevanrash reporting as you ordered.”
Stoneaxe eyed him up and down, a look the shaman had received many times in the past several minutes. After a moment of silence that was beginning to grow awkward, the officer stated, “At ease, Grunt.”
Kaeev relaxed his stance, waiting anxiously to hear the reason he was summoned here.
Stoneaxe was right to the point. “Are you a shaman?” he asked.
“Yes sir,” answered Kaeev, a hint of pride in his voice. His response was met with another quiet and awkward moment as Stoneaxe eyed him up and down again.
“The shamans of my people are often easy to distinguish by their trinkets, paintings or tattoos,” said Stoneaxe with some skepticism, “yet I do not see any on you. Where are yours?”
“I have them, sir,” replied Kaeev. To affirm this, he held out his hands with his palms open. He frowned slightly as looked at them himself. Gray and blue symbols were indeed painted on the palms of his hands and on his wrists, but they had become badly faded with time and hard labor. Stoneaxe looked at them and grunted, seeming satisfied. “A servant of the storm,” he muttered aloud more to himself than to Kaeev. The shaman nodded anyway.
Stoneaxe then fixed his eyes angrily on the other orc, who yelped in pain as the officer stood suddenly and dealt him a swift thump on the head with his fist. “Idiot,” said Stoneaxe, gesturing with a hand toward Kaeev as he verbally berated the other orc, quoting him in a mocking tone. “’There aren’t any shamans here,’” he said. “‘Send for one from Orgrimmar or Thunder Bluff.’ Yes, waste even more days waiting, doing paperwork—“ He took a moment to then gesture toward the tall, unkempt stack of parchment on the desk. “while one resides here right under our very noses! And you put him to work, chopping wood with the peons!”
At this point, Kaeev was looking a little bemused as he watched. He then tensed as Stoneaxe looked his way suddenly and said, “How long have you been here, shaman?”
Hesitating briefly, Kaeev looked up as he quickly recollected. “About 4 months sir,” he answered hastily.
“FOUR MONTHS!” bellowed Stoneaxe before bopping the other orc on the head again. “And only just TODAY, after sifting through all this—“ He gestured to the pile of parchment again. “--did I find record of him even being here! Get out of my sight, before I put you in his place for four YEARS. Dismissed, Sergeant!”
The other orc, quailing from the reprimand, saluted smartly and left the room in haste through the doorway opposite the one Kaeev entered in.
“Uggh! Useless..” exclaimed Stoneaxe before sitting back down in his chair, rubbing his temple for another seemingly long and awkward moment while Kaeev stood there, fearing to make any sound lest the Blood Guard turn his wrath on him. The officer’s arm fell from his temple, his hand landing on the table with another ‘thump’ as he then fixed his eyes on Kaeev and gave a frustrated sigh before he spoke again.
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