The Hunter's Companions Ch. 11

Two days after her fight with Kalendras, Livinia and Belcarm stood at the Orgrimmar portals with Kahora and Sierra. They were waiting on the arrival of final member of their party for their latest mission. Sierra and Kahora were deep in discussion, trying to determine the best way to enter the Deadmines. Livinia and Belcarm stood a little apart from them in order to chat in privacy.

In the two days that had passed Livinia had plenty of time to think which, typically, only led to more confusion. Fighting for Kalendras had just reinforced her desire to be with him, but she couldn't forget Belcarm's warm, intimate affection or the way his lips felt as they travelled across her skin.

"So you had to apologise to virtually everyone in Silvermoon, huh?" Livinia asked. Belcarm's face flushed red.

"Not everyone... just some of the Guardians, Magister Bloodsworn and Lord Bloodwrath. My father told me to apologize to your parents as well, but your father opened the door and refused to hear a word of it. He said that there was nothing wrong with fighting for the person you love," Belcarm's embarrassment abated a touch and he smiled at her in that delightfully tacky way of his.

"Did he just?" Livinia asked, surprised.

"Yes, but then your mother came along and gave me an earful."

"Harpy."

"Liv!"

"What? It's true?" Livinia rolled her eyes, Belcarm should know that she held no love for her mother beyond what she owed her for bringing her into the world.

"She said that you were soon to be betrothed to Rioden Swiftspell," Belcarm said through gritted teeth.

"Well she's delusional. The only way I am marrying Rioden is over my own dead body. And that, Bel, is physically impossible," Livinia snorted indignantly. Belcarm grinned at her and she reached out and put her hand on his chest.

"Liv, I also have another apology to make," Belcarm said, grin quickly turning into a guilty frown. "I shouldn't have... well, you know... It was wrong of me to do that to you."

"You are apologizing for that?" Livinia asked, eyebrows furrowed. "The only thing you need to apologize for is making me responsible for my own orgasm!

"In light of recent events Bel, I think you have made enough apologies to last you several years. Honestly, though, it is me who should be sorry for allowing this whole situation to get so bad in the first place."

"Any closer to making your decision, Dolah'surfal?" Belcarm asked huskily, eyeing her hungrily as his fingers traced circles on her cheek.

"I wish I was Bel- I really do... but all that crap in Silvermoon City made things so much more confusing," Livinia said despondently. Belcarm shrugged as though he didn't mind, even though he must have, and leant forward, brushing his lips against hers tenderly.

"Take your time. Take as long as you need. When you pick me I want you to sure of your decision," Belcarm tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear as he spoke. The sound of his voice filled her body with anticipation and she gritted her teeth.

"Keep talking like that and I won't be able to focus on the fight," Livinia laughed warningly. Belcarm chuckled and pulled away from her.

"When is Zin'jiri getting here?" He asked over his shoulder. Kahora looked over at him and then at Sierra, who shrugged meekly back at him.

"Zin'jiri had to cancel on us. He isn't able to make it... We had to replace him."

"With who?" Belcarm asked. Livinia frowned, she trusted Kahora's judgement implicity, but there were only a couple of other people who would be able to replace Zin'jiri.

"Someone else," Kahora looked at Sierra unsurely.

"Oh look," Sierra said with far too much enthusiasm. "Here he comes now!"

Livinia turned to face the moving stream of people and could see a familiar, hulking, silver mass above the crowd. Kalendras grinned sheepishly as her eyes caught his and her hands balled into fists. Belcarm caught on a moment later and turned to Kahora angrily.

"Anyone else but him," Belcarm seethed. "If he comes then you have to replace me."

Sierra and Kahora exchanged exasperated glances and waited for Kalendras to join them.

"Look," Sierra said, addressing Liv, Belcarm and Kalendras. "We've heard a couple of rumours fresh out of Silvermoon-"

"What the hell?" Livinia cried "Who told you?"

"We heard it from half a dozen different sources. With Zin'jiri out you three are the best group we could get together," Kahora shrugged.

Livinia watched as Belcarm and Kalendras eyed each other warily.

"Kahora and I thought that you would all be professional enough to put aside your personal problems for this. We have to get into the Deadmines, and it is imperative that we bring down the Defias Brotherhood," Sierra explained, watching the two males as she spoke.

"I came here today so that I could help bring down the Brotherhood," Belcarm said stiffly, straightening his back. "I'm not going to forsake my guildmates just because Zin'jiri had to be replaced."

"I knew what I was getting into when I came here," Kalendras grunted with a shrug. "Let's do this."

~*~

For the most part Kalendras and Belcarm kept to their word. There were only a few instances where one of them was unable to stop themselves from saying something snide to the other. Livinia was quick to intervene though, and to tell them that they had more important things to concentrate on. It was a grueling mission. Their trip through the Deadmines had taken longer than any of them expected. By the time they fought Admiral Ripsnarl they were all tired and on edge. They had to make several different attacks against Ripsnarl before they managed to defeat him. After Ripsnarl came Captain Cookie, the only reason they beat him in one go was because they were flat-out determined to put an end to this mission. When they reached Vanessa VanCleef no one in the party was prepared for the absolute havoc that the she would unleash. She thrust them all into a surreal dream state that mixed reality with a cruel, harsh nightmare. After facing Glubtok and they had to pick their way through a dangerous hallway full of lightning bolts. They got through, barely intact and they the shade of Ripsnarl in their nightmare. When they finally came face to face with VanCleef again they were all exhausted. Livinia's arrows were slower and less accurate, Belcarm's strikes weren't as sure, and Kalendras was worn out from the copious amount of healing he had already performed.

However, they were strong fighters, even when they were worn down. Livinia fired the final arrow that brought Vanessa VanCleef to her knees. Just when they thought it was over, VanCleef begun to laugh and her skin glowed, looking as though it had turned to molten flames.

"TO THE RIGGINGS!" Kahora cried, voice booming through the strange popping sound emitting from VanCleef.

Livinia turned quickly and saw several ropes swinging just over the edge of the deck. The party members grabbed on as VanCleef gave her dying scream. Just as they were about to swing away to safety Livinia turned to see Borris sniffing at a dead body obliviously. She let go of her rope and launched herself back onto the boat- she had to save Borris!

"BORRIS!" She cried out at the same time that VanCleef smiled triumphantly. Livtha pushed Borris to the edge of the boat and covered his body with her own just as VanCleef exploded, raining fire all over the ship. Livinia's armor seared red hot and she cried out, the pain was excruciating. She fell to the deck with a loud thunk and blacked out, to a dark abyss filled pain and the sound of ValCleef's maniacal laughter.

~*~

Belcarm watched in horror as the flame engulfed Livinia. Without thinking he abandoned his own rope and jumped onto the ship. He fell down through a sea of fire, his armor burning hot, and as soon as he landed beside Livinia's prone form he threw up a Blessing of Protection. An impenetrable bubble formed around them, sheltering them from the flames. He wanted to kneel down and check on Livinia, but the concentration it took to sustain the bubble in his depleted state made it too hard to do. Instead, gritted his teeth and held on as his world swam around him.

When the flames died it took a moment for him to realize that Kalendras was outside his barrier, yelling at him and demanding to be allowed inside. Belcarm groaned in relief when he released the blessing. When the magic around them fizzled out of existence, Borris extracated himself from under Livinia's prone form. For a moment he looked as though he was about to attack Belcarm, but thought better of it and slunk around behind Kalendras instead.

Belcarm let out a gasp of surprise as he felt the Druid's healing power focus on him. He tried to resist it, Livinia needed it more than he did, but his body betrayed his mind and he surrendered to the healing.

"She will need both of us if she is to make it out of here," Kalendras said gruffly. Belcarm nodded, feeling refreshed, and knelt beside Livinia.

"I'll help," Kahora gruntedd, taking off his gauntlets and kneeling beside Belcarm. "Sierra, you keep watch."

Kalendras, Kahora and Belcarm worked together for few minutes, trying to heal Livinia and bring her back from death's doorstep. However, when Sierra cried out a loud warning and begun to fire offensive spells over their shoulders they had no choice but to stop.

"We need to get out of here before we're swarmed," Kahora announced grimly.

When Belcarm looked up he saw the small army of Defias Brotherhood members that were coming to inspect the disturbance in their leader's domain. Belcarm swore at the sight of them and looked at Livinia desperately.

"Can you hold up a Blessing of Protection while you fight?" Kalendras asked quickly.

"What?" Belcarm asked "She can't even wake let alone walk!" He said, pointing to Livinia.

"If you hold up a Blessing around us I will carry her and heal her while we get out of here," Kalendras said desperately. "Just make sure nothing gets through and I will make sure she lives to see another day."

Belcarm wanted to argue, he wanted to tell Kalendras that he should be the one to keep Livinia from the afterlife, but he knew the Tauren was right. Even if they both tried to heal her on the way out they would be besieged by enemies. Kahora and Sierra wouldn't be able to hold back the flow on their own, but with Belcarm's aid they should be able to make it out. Holding up the Blessing of Protection whilst fighting, especially when he was already so run down, would be difficult but Belcarm knew he had no choice.

"Fine," Belcarm said "But if she dies I will turn you into a fur cloak."

"If she dies I'll turn myself into a fur cloak," Kalendras grunted at him between healing spells. Belcarm spoke the words of the Blessing and the bubble of protection formed around Kalendras and Livinia a moment before the enemies came charging at them.

~*~

Kalendras watched as Belcarm observed the gash on his neck in Livinia's mirror. It was pretty impressive. He'd received it as he fought their way out of the Deadmines. As much as Kalendras hated to admit it, the Paladin had done an admirable job. It would have taken a lot out of him to sustain the Blessing of Protection while fighting so many enemies. Even though he had Sierra and Kahora at his side, there were so many enemies that they were almost overwhelmed a number of times.

It was lucky that the Paladin had managed to sustain the shield. By the time they managed to get Livinia out of that hell hole, they all knew that the only thing that kept her clinging to life was Kalendras's constant healing flowing into her. When they had found a safe place to regroup Belcarm had dropped the shield and Kalendras thought that he would pass out from a combination of his wounds and his weariness. Instead, he turned shakily and begun to channel spells into Livinia. Kalendras had told him to heal himself first, but the pretty boy would hear nothing of it. Kahora had sent Sierra off to warn the Sunspeakers that their daughter had been injured, and that their house would be the best place for her recovery. After that Kahora helped them, with his efforts they finally managed to stabilize Livinia.

"Livinia will be fine for now. You should heal yourself."

"It's just a scratch," Belcarm sniffed, turning away from the mirror. "It'll heal."

"It will scar," Kalendras warned.

"So?" Belcarm challenged, glaring at him, daring him to say what they both knew he was thinking.

Kalendras rolled his eyes and turned back to Livinia who was now sleeping soundly in her bed. She was lying, naked, on her stomach. Her entire back was covered in healing ointments from the top of her thighs to the base of her neck. That was where the burns had been the worst. They weren't able to cover her in a sheet though, because they both feared that it would stick to her and ruin her chances of healing cleanly. Deanna Sunspeaker had protested loudly when they refused to allow her to cover their daughter, but her sister Caristra, who was staying with her at the time, had told her that both Kalendras and Belcarm had undoubtedly already seen Livinia naked and that there was nothing to be gained by covering her.

Deanna had also protested when Erique set up a pallet beside Livinia's bed so that Kalendras and Belcarm could rest if they needed to. Erique had given his wife a withering look that silenced her and sent her from the room, fuming. The cot had been set up over an hour ago, and it seemed as though it would go unused. Kalendras refused to be the first to take a rest, and Belcarm seemed determined to resist as well.

"You're both still awake?" Caristra asked as she came into the room, bringing a tray of food and drink with her.

"I'm not tired," Belcarm and Kalendras protested at the same time.

"Ha!" Caristra laughed. "I'll tell you what- both of you have something to eat and then you can rest. I'll watch Liv while you two get some sleep and that way neither of you loses your little pissing match."

Half an hour later Belcarm told Kalendras that he should take the pallet. It would be easier for the Elf to rest on one of Livinia's couches as he was much smaller. Kalendras agreed, and as soon as his head touched the pillow his exhaustion overcame him and he fell asleep.

~*~

Livinia opened her eyes slowly, with a grunt she tried to roll onto her back but when she did her body exploded with pain and she cried out.

"Easy Liv," A female voice soothed.

Livinia quickly rolled back onto her stomach, her entire body protesting at the effort that it took. The skin on her back felt about three sizes too small for her, and where it made contact with whatever was covering her stung like hell.

When her eyes finally adjusted the brightness of the room, still gritty and tired, she had a look around and groaned again. She was in her bedroom in Silvermoon City with a massive mountain of blankets piled around her. She bit her lip and tried to figure out why she was here. After spending time with Kal and talking to her father she had gone back to Orgrimmar and then on to the Deadmines with Kal, Bel, Kahora and Sierra. She remembered the strange nightmare scenario they had faced when they came up against VanCleef. Her entire body tingled when she recalled that Borris had been on the ship when VanCleef had exploded.

And then Liv remembered the agonizing pain she had felt when she leapt off her rope to protect Borris and her armour had turned red hot, cooking her inside it's metal cage. Everything after that was a mixture of disembodied voices, swirling colour and blinding pain. With a deep breath Livinia did a mental stocktake of her current health. Apart from a headache and feeling woozy, the only other pain she felt was where the delicate sheet was covering her back.

"Good to see you're awake," The voice said happily. Livinia turned her head to the other side and saw her Aunt Caristra smiling at her from the window seat.

"Aunt Caristra?" Livinia asked with a frown. Of all the people in the world she would have least expected her Aunt.

"The one and only! I decided to stay in Silvermoon for a while after the Ball; so much more quaint and unassuming than Dalaran... And then just over forty eight hours after you leave you are returned to us looking more well-done than a suckling pig!" Her Aunt's tone was casually conversational despite the topic.

"Is Borris okay?"

"Of course."

Livinia let out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding.

"Unfortunately your mother would hear nothing about allowing him into the house, so Belcarm took Borris to his cottage... Last I heard he was happily prowling around in the Eversong Woods," Her aunt looked at her with concern, "Livinia dear, pets can be replaced...."

"Not Borris!" Livinia argued, but her Aunt just waved her hand dismissively. "How did I get here?" She asked, knowing that it would be useless to argue. If she had made her own way to safety this was not where she would have come.

"Belcarm and Kalendras brought you here."

"Bel and Kal?"

Caristra's laugh rung clearly through her room, echoing off the cavernous marble walls.

"Yes dear, both of them! And might I just say what a wonderful job they did healing you! When the High Priest of Silvermoon himself came to heal you they turned him away. Can you imagine that? Apparently they didn't think anyone else could be trusted with you!"

As a matter of fact Livinia could not imagine that. Both Kalendras and Belcarm in the same room, working together? It was more likely that Deathwing decided to give up on destroying the world and become a Stratholme lily farmer.

"How long was I out for?"

"Three days... " Caristra sighed, showing the first sign of how serious the situation really was. "By the way- Belcarm is exceptionally handsome... I offered to pay him kindly for his services to you but he refused me! He is very dedicated to you, dear."

Livinia rolled her eyes at Caristra's antics but wasn't outraged- she knew that her aunt was a horrible flirt, and she also knew how appealing Belcarm was.

"Where are they?"

"I sent them both home to get some proper sleep. Neither of them wanted to leave you, you know, as it was they were both falling asleep on their feet when they arrived. They've had hardly a wink since. I only just convinced them to take a break, which is why I'm watching you. They both thought it might be better if your mother wasn't here; I figured that she is the last person you'd want to see when you woke up!" Livinia snorted and her Aunt smiled sympathetically.

"You all clearly know me too well!" Livinia laughed. Caristra walked over and Livinia felt the bed dip slightly under her weight.

"Hmmm... Indeed we do. So tell me darling, how on earth did you end up in this predicament?"

"Oh- it was like they told you... Fighting in the Deadmines, trying to save Borris-"

"Not that you silly girl! With the two of them! I simply must know!" Caristra said, making Liv blush. "Oh, I'll have none of that now!" Livinia stared at her in disbelief but her Aunt's resolve did not waver she had no choice but to talk.

"Kal and I have been friends for ever," Livinia said with a half smile, "And then one day outside of Orgrimmar just after I started adventuring... Well, we became more than just friends."

"And was he wonderful? For a Tauren, that is?"

"Excuse me?"

"Don't be coy; you know what I mean. How was he?" Livinia's eyes widened and Caristra's green orbs rolled impatiently "Really Livinia, do you think you are the only one of us to sample the delights of the other races?"

"Seriously?" Apart from human and elf relationships Livinia had heard very little about other inter-race relationships.

"Yes, seriously!" Caristra laughed laugh "I've had a couple of Taurens myself! Not the most attentive lovers, but what they lack effort they make up for in size."