The Hunter's Companions Ch. 08

Nevertheless, Belcarm slipped his arm around her and they made their way to the Bazaar. Normally Livinia hated the Sun Markets, there were always far too many people and far too few things of interest. She had given up on them, like she had given up on much of Silvermoon City, a good long while ago. Belcarm loved the markets though, and like the night before she found his enthusiasm to be very inspiring.

~*~

Every time that the breeze blew in his direction Belcarm's entire body tensed. At such a close distance it was near impossible for him to ignore the pull of Livinia's body, but whenever the breeze caused her scent to filter towards him it became even harder. His main consolation was that she didn't seem to mind it when he held her hand, or slipped his arm around her waist. She looked sensational, not that she didn't always look incredible in his opinion, but he was so used to seeing her in her armor or riding gear that her gorgeously cut red dress as a very special treat.

As Livinia stood, transfixed by a shelf of old books in all different languages, Belcarm's fingers slowly caressed the swell of her hips, his palm pressing softly against her, her heat radiating into his body. He had spent the entire night fighting with his unfulfilled desire, and seeing her again reignited his desperate need for her. He had told her that he loved her, and she had returned that love, but she still seemed confused. Belcarm had spent the darkest hours of the morning toying with the idea that perhaps, despite how outrageous it may seem to him, Livinia actually loved the Druid as well.

That morning his father had woken him with a sheepish grin, some bread and cheese, and a full water skin. How did she like the Observatory? Were they planning to meet up again? Would he invite her over for dinner any time soon? Belcarm had even gotten an apology for the way his father had turned all paternal on him in front of her. Belcarm hadn't minded that so much as his father thought he had, but the alternative to humbly accepting the apology was telling his father the real reason behind his frustration the day before. How could he tell his father that he was sexually and emotionally frustrated because the woman he loved, and was loved by in return, also loved another?

All of his late night misgivings seemed to fade away as he watched Livtha enjoyed herself at the markets. She never been one to hold back her criticism against Silvermoon City and Blood Elf politics. While Belcarm didn't agree with her about a lot of things, he could understand where she was coming from. Being brought up in such a strict environment and having art, politics and history forced upon you would certainly make you hate it a little. Even though she seemed to resent all of it on the surface, he could tell from her behavior that she did miss it while she was gone. That was what he wanted to show her before the exhibition- he wanted to make her fall in love with their culture again, to remind her of all of the wonderful things that he, and their people, had to offer her.

She bought two books before she let herself be dragged away from the book vendors striped tent. Next he took her to the stand of his favorite local artist. The venerable Sin'dorei female had a hard looking face, but eyes that held the promise of a million stories and endless wisdom. Her store was filled with dozens of different pieces, of all different shapes and sizes. Each item was made from old weapons hailing from different eras and cultures. Once Belcarm had even seen a set of ancient Night Elf daggers that had been joined together at the pommels, with a cracked glass vase between them. Whilst her art wasn't as refined as much of the sculpture or painting he had seen, every item held a history and a hidden story that he found fascinating.

It didn't surprise Belcarm that Livinia loved the woman's work. Even though Liv had little tolerance for any items that didn't serve a functional purpose she seemed to like the way that the woman had taken old weapons and given them a breath of new life. As most of the items were functional as well as artistic they were right up her alley.

After exploring the markets for a little longer the two of them decided that it was time to grab a bite to eat before heading to the exhibition. Belcarm found the idea of finally going to such an even thoroughly exciting, and with the lovely day they were having he found that his angst over their predicament was slowly being eclipsed by anticipation.

~*~

The exhibition was being held at the Silvermoon Fine Art Gallery. When Livinia and Belcarm approached the towering double doors one of the guards stopped them. All Livinia had to do was say hers and Belcarm's names and the door were thrown open to them. Inside there was a large crowd of people milling about, nursing crystal champagne flutes and nibbling on bite-sized portions of the finest delicacies from all of the Horde's constituents.

"Would you like a program, Miss?" A female Blood Elf wearing a crisp white uniform emblazoned with the Blood Elf crest. "Thanks." Livinia said with a small smile, accepting the piece of parchment and handing it straight to Belcarm.

Once they were past the main doors they wandered into the first large hall. Livinia had been here many times before, and knew that there were several other halls of the same size to the left, right and directly behind this one.

"Where would you like to start?" Livinia asked. Belcarm looked at the program and frowned.

"There is so much to look at." He said, his eyes scanning the document rapidly.

"Well we have until midnight." Livinia said with a shrug. Not that she wanted to spend that long here, the idea of staring at mundane objects that contained pretentious hidden messages for more than a couple of hours made her want to claw her eyes out.

"Perhaps if we head to the Sin'dorei section first. Start our visit off with something more familiar."When he looked up from the program he had a massive grin on his face, and after how wonderful he had been over the past two days Livinia decided that attending this stupid exhibition was the least she could do for him.

"Lead the way sir." She said, he offered her his hand and she took it, then he led her towards the grand arch way on their left.

For Livinia, the art was nothing unusual. The Blood Elf artists has used modern techniques to replicate the style of older works. The installations that were chosen all paid homage to the influences of different cultures from the Horde on modern day Sin'dorei life. It amused Livinia that, really, there wasn't much difference between traditional works and these new, modern, 'culturally diverse' pieces. However, Belcarm was quick to pick up on how the curvature of the brush strokes or the way that the marble had been sculpted represented a style adapted from a different race.

As much as Livinia tried to keep her head down, it soon became impossible to avoid the familiar faces in the crows. She greeted everyone cordially, and introduced Belcarm without reference to whether he was her friend or lover. She could see them looking at him curiously- the Master of the Sword's son with the rebellious Sunspeaker heir? It would cause quite a stir.

"Liv!" Just when she had gotten sick of hearing her name on people's lips, one voice broke through the crowd that made her grin.

"Daddy!" Livinia turned and smiled at her father.

Erique Sunspeaker had blazing red hair like Livinia's and the strong facial profile of the Sunspeaker line. He was tall as far as Blood Elf males went, and even though he led a life of words and paper he had not let his body go soft. He pulled his daughter into a tight hug and then held her back at arm's length.

"Sorry about this morning, Darling, your mother just got a little excited." Erique said with an apologetic smile. He then turned to Belcarm and raised his eyebrow.

"Daddy, this is Belcarm Sharpsword." Livinia supplied, looking at Belcarm nervously. She should have warned him that they might run into her parents.

"Good afternoon Sir, it's a pleasure to meet you." Belcarm said as he and her father shook hands.

"Aegon's son, yes?" Her father asked.

"That's right."

"So the one that has been taking care of my daughter for the past few years." Her father said. "Daddy! I can look after myself!" Livinia said indignantly, her father laughed and smiled at her.

"Of course you can Darling." He sighed, patting her cheek tenderly. Livinia rolled her eyes.

"Your daughter is an incredibly capable Hunter." Belcarm said with a polite nod towards Erique. "If anything, she takes care of me."

Erique Susnpeaker laughed jovially and patted Belcarm on the back. Liv's lips pulled up at the corners as she tried to resist smiling. In truth she and Belcarm were equally capable, but she wasn't about to rain on Belcarm's compliment parade.

"If you're anything like your father then I am pleased that you are travelling with my daughter." Erique said, Livinia looked at Belcarm out of the corner of her eye and could see that his face was glowing with pride. "I've heard you're a Blood Knight Champion, is that correct?"

"Yes Sir." Belcarm affirmed.

"The Master of the Sword having a Blood Knight Champion for a son caused a bit of a stir, did you know? Unfortunately some of the old tensions still run deep." Erique said.

"In the end we all want the best for our city." Belcarm said, his tone very serious and business like. Livinia was just about to turn the topic away from Blood Knight and Guardian politics when a small male dressed in house livery stepped up to their group and cleared his throat.

Livinia looked at the male and tried to figure out what crest he was wearing. She should know it upon sight, as she should with all the houses of Silvermoon that still bothered with livery, but after so much time away her memory had gone dull for such matters. The device of a blood red sun with a golden chain around it sat proudly on the black velvet doublet.

"Miss Sunspeaker?" His voice was surprisingly fluid and melodic. Livinia looked at her father who frowned back at her.

"Yes?"

"The Revered Chief Warlock, Mitrae Swiftspell and his son, the High Adept Rioden Swiftspell have requested your presence."

Livinia gritted her teeth and put on a false smile.

"And where about are the Revered Chief Warlock and High Adept?" Livinia asked in a voice so sweet it could only be poisonus.The messenger gave her a low bow, his arm trailing out behind him. Livinia followed the line of his body and saw the Swiftspells standing in front of a sculpture of a naked Blood Elf Mage.

As soon as she saw their faces, her memory cleared and she remembered them. The Swiftspells. Livinia had never liked them- all throughout her childhood Rioden had been extremely competitive, and a very sore loser. Luckily, Livinia hadn't had much to do with them, but when she had come across them they had always been caustic and overly proud. She looked at them, and then back at the messenger and put even more sweetness into her smile. The arrogant upstarts were standing there, expectantly, waiting for her to come to them. She would have none of that! She might be a high born lady, but she was not one to be ordered around like a house maid.

"An official summons?" Livinia asked "We are but a rooms-length away!"

"Livinia!" Her father snapped, his voice fully of warning.

"Father, I don't believe that-" Livinia stopped her protest when she saw the look he was giving her.

To refuse an official summons without a very good reason was a grave insult. Her father had given her many lectures before- when she was in Silvermoon City she was expected to act as befitted a lady of her station. Livinia, personally, thought it was a load of rubbish. There was no way she would ever follow her parents into politics, so she didn't think it entirely necessary that she play their social games. However, the lectures she got after misbehaving were worse than the social protocol in the first place. Livinia sighed and shot her father a withering glare.

"Come on Bel, have you met the Chief Warlock and his son before?" Livinia slipped her arm though Belcarm's.

"The Chief Warlock and High Adept have requested your presence, not his." The messenger said with a contemptuous glance at Belcarm. It was the first piece of personality he had shown Livinia, and she did not like it one bit.

"Did they just?" Livinia asked, her eyes narrowing.

"Livinia." Her father's voice was exasperated. "Go. Now."

She turned her glared to her father who responded unflinchingly.

"Besides, I'd like a chance to get to know Belcarm better."

Livinia turned gracefully, picking up her skirts slightly, and begun to pad daintily towards the Swiftspells. However, being the lady she was, she stopped along the way to turn and poke her tongue out at her father. Erique rolles his eyes, but Belcarm grinned at her with laughter in his green orbs.

"Chief Warlock, High Adept, it has been far too long." Livinia said, holding out her hand to the two males as she approached.

"Too long indeed, I didn't recognize you until your father approached you." Said the Chief Warlock, shaking her hand politely. Mitrae Swiftspell had startling pale blonde hair with the deepest green eyes Livinia had ever seen. He was clearly an older Blood Elf, it was clear from his posture and his air of constant disinterest. His son, Rioden, had the same blonde hair but with the trademark pale eyes of his mother's line. His body was slender, just like his mother's family's, and Livinia guessed that there wouldn't be even a hint of muscle hidden under his silken robes.

"You have blossomed in the last few years Miss Sunspeaker!" Rioden said, taking her hand, his eyes roving over her body sleazily. Instead of shaking it, be brought it to his lips and Livinia's entire body tensed. It was to her credit that she didn't pull away immediately, but when his skin touched hers she had the strongest urge to snatch her hand back and wipe it on her dress.

"Thankyou." She said with a polite nod. That was all she bothered to say. If they summoned her then they would have to do all the work.

"Your mother and I have had some interesting discussions lately." Mitrae simpered. "She has said that you are fast approaching your twenty-first birthday."

"Well she would certainly be in the best position to remember that." Livinia said.

"My son here, the High Adept Rioden, has just had his twenty-third birthday." Mitrae said, Livinia watched as Rioden puffed his chest out and smiled at her. "Perhaps you two would relish an opportunity to catch up on the last few years?"

"As wonderful as that sounds," Livinia lied placatingly "I will be leaving for Orgrimmar the morning after the Diplomat's Ball. I'm afraid I won't have time to find out just how adept you have become Rioden." Livinia said with an inclination of her head.

"Surely you will have time for a short luncheon before you depart?" Rioden said, stepping towards her. He reached out and placed his hand on Livinia's cheek and she gritted her teeth together even harder. Her hands, which were behind her back, clenched into fists and she struggled to control her anger.

~*~

"So, how did you convince my daughter to come to this exhibition?" Erique asked when Livinia finally made it to the Swiftspells.

"She mentioned it when we were talking and I asked if we could come." Belcarm said.

"She didn't complain?" Erique was curious now. Belcarm grinned.

"She complained. A fair bit actually. At first she told me she'd get just one ticket for me, but I said that I'd prefer it if she came along too." Belcarm said with a shrug.

"Interesting..." Erique said slowly, eyeing Belcarm carefully. "Liv's mother and I have to pull out all the stops to get her back here even for a few hours. Then, all of a sudden, she decides that she wants to go to the exhibition and the ball."

Belcarm's insides boiled when he saw the younger Swiftspell take Livinia's hand and kiss it. He knew it was a standard greeting, but the sight of the man's lips on Livinia's fingers, teamed with that haughty look in his eyes made his primal urges go wild- he'd never wanted to punch someone other than Kalendras so badly. "Didn't you want to go to the Diplomat's Ball?" Erique asked, the shock of the question made Belcarm turn back to Livinia's father.

"I would've liked to." Belcarm said slowly "But Livinia said that she only had one ticket." That mage Aegon frown.

"Deanna and I sent her two ticked six weeks ago, but she sent them back the next day. We really wanted her to come, because we are hosting it this year." Erique said, Belcarm's eyebrows furrowed. Her parents were the ones hosting the ball? "Then my friend Zuroc Totemrunner said that his son Kalendras managed to persuade her to go."

"Kalendras Totemrunner?" Belcarm asked, feeling as though a steel fist had gripped his stomach and was twisting his insides painfully. Now the situation made a lot more sense.

"Yes, her friend. It's a pity Livinia isn't taking you though." Erique said "She needs a young man like yourself to teach her to love her culture again."

Even though the words made Belcarm feel incredibly proud and honored he couldn't be happy about it. Livinia was going to the ball with Kalendras? Why didn't she tell him? Why did she lie and say that her parents had sent her the ticket, and the dress.

"The dreamcloth dress you sent her is amazing." Belcarm said.

"Dreamcloth dress?"Erique looked puzzled. "No, Deanna gave up on sending her clothes years ago- Liv would be more likely to use something her mother sent her to clean her arrows."

When Belcarm turned back to Livinia again his anger flared. Swiftspell now had his hand on her cheek and was smiling at her sleazily. He could see Livinia's fists balling up behind her back, her entire body tense, and could see that this would get ugly soon. The feeling of betrayal from her lies took second place to his anger at the Warlock. He wanted to say something, but they had requested a private talk with her and they were far too high above him for him to be able to approach them.

"Ooh, that doesn't look good." Erique said quietly, turning and seeing why Belcarm had gone so silent. "I don't think she likes that one little bit... We can't have her punching a High Adept. Do you want to go and rescue her or shall I?"

"Can I?" Belcarm asked, dumfounded. Even though Erique had been treating him like an equal they both knew that, in their society, the Sharpswords were far below the Sunspeakers.

"On my behalf? Yes, please." Aegon said, gesturing grandly towards the Swiftspells.

~*~

As soon as Belcarm stood beside her Rioden's hand dropped from her face and she took a slight step back. The Swiftspells both looked shocked by Belcarm's sudden appearance, but their shock soon turned to disdain.

"You are interrupting a private conversation." Mitrae sneered, looking at Belcarm as if he was a piece of filth beneath his shoe. That made Livinia even angrier.

"Chief Warlock, High Adept, this is my friend and companion Belcarm Sharpsword." Livinia said. Belcarm held his hand out for the other two to shake, but they merely looked at him.

"I thought he was your body guard." Rioden said, his nose crinkling in distaste. "I need no body guard. I do my own fighting." Livinia said sharply, giving the two males a withering look.

"A pity that," Mitrae said "a beauty such as yourself should not be out in the wild, roughing it like a pleborian. You should come back home, Miss Sunspeaker, follow in your mother's footsteps. If you came back I think you would find Silvermoon City much to your liking."

"I am a Hunter, not a diplomat Sir. Even so, there are certain things about Silvermoon City that don't suit me." She gave Rioden a pointed look and then threaded her arm through Belcarm's. "Good day Chief Warlock, High Adept."