131. The Grand Return part I: The Ship

It is time to return to the seas.

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         The sun was setting, creating magenta and golden hues upon the rocky cliffs of Durotar, somewhere between Orgrimmar and Ratchet. The sun also cast a palette of warm colors over the sea. Sitting with is legs dangling off a ledge, at a distance from a secret alcove, Cristianno sat staring at the sunset, his blue-green eyes distant and in deep thought.  

         Alaia had wandered away from him for a while. Though she hadn’t gone far, she was still nearby, gathering flowers that she knew were going to be necessary to decorate their new cabin once they boarded the ship Ziggly was bringing over. She rushed around in the bushes around the ledge, plucking magenta hued blossoms and placed them in her basket.

         She was humming as she approached him and, flowers still in hand, knelt behind him, curling her arms around his shoulders and pulling him carefully against her. She whispered against his ear as she nuzzled there, "What are you thinking?"

Cristianno gave a slight gasp as the soft whisper caught him off-guard, and he smiled, his body leaning against her. "I wish I could say 'you', but I'm thinking about what has to be done in order to get back on the routes. We need to stop at Booty Bay to hear any information we may need before we began.” He nuzzled against her and tried to glance at her. "Are you ready?" He was nervous about hearing her response. He knew what she was going to say, but he always worried that one day, she would change her mind and walk away. Today, he simply looked at her and smiled softly, waiting for her voice to say what she had to say.

Alaia curled around him tighter, flowers resting on his opposite shoulder where they were folded in her delicate fist. "Of course I am," she replied softly, her tone definite. She brushed her cheek gently against the shell of his ear and grinned a little. "Very ready. And I promise I won't be completely useless."

"Oh, I know you won't, lovely." Cris smiled and turned his gaze back to the colorful sea. "You have no idea how hard it is for me to not worry about you." He closed his eyes for a moment, his mind racing with all the possible scenarios in which he ends up alone once again. "I'm not going to lose you."

With a little careful shifting Alaia settled in on the ground behind him, curled her legs around him that way, and let her cheek rest against his back, her arms lowering to wrap around his middle. "No, you're not. And don't you think I worried about you? Just because we weren't together doesn't mean I loved you any less. The first time you left, I sat on the shore and watched for you every spare minute that I had. It's fine to worry, but I'll be right there, so you'll know that I’m well. If you were out there and I was here... you wouldn't. And you know the kind of work I like to look for. With you is the safest place I have ever been. And wherever you are, it always will be."

He let out a long exhale, nodded, and closed his eyes. He remained silent in her arms, listening to both the gentle waves below and her blessed breathing. "I love you, Alaia." He couldn't help but smile when he said those words. Alaia responded, but not with words. Her response was a smile and a squeeze, a nuzzling against his back before she kissed his shoulder blade. It was then that he remembered something. "Was there anything else we need from the alcove? Before La'Toya leaves."

Her smile grew when she realized that he was trying to look back at her. "I don't think so. Unless there's something you forgot to tell me about."

"No...I don't think so." Cris shrugged and turned back to the sea. "If we have to come back, we will. I’m not worried. If we need gold, we'll get it out there." He began to move his legs back and forth once again, causing him to almost bounce in place. "Where is he?" He was looking forward to being back at sea after along time away.

Alaia couldn't help but giggle at the movement and for a moment, she managed to hold on even tighter. And then her giggling grew. "He probably got some big war ship that he can't handle on his own! Or some vessel meant to be manned by vrykul." That had her giggling more; she could just picture it so well.

"Oh spirits..." he muttered and leaned forward a little, eagerly looking out. "He said that I had better like the ship. I'm seriously worried."

She giggled again. "Well, I'm sure it can't be that bad. If it is, we'll just have to find something else. But I'm sure it'll be fine."

"I hope so." It wasn't long after his final word when he saw a ship close to the cliffs. It was a decently large ship, with black sails, but what caught his eye was the front of the ship, decorated with a bronze goblin head with a rather long nose. Cris jolted in Alaia's arms and leaned forward. "What the fuck is that?" Just as quick, he rose off the ground.

Alaia let out a soft, surprised sound, bit off before it could be a yelp, and let him go so he could look. She put the flowers in the basket, and stood beside him, peering out at the water. It was then that she laughed. "Is that his way of …I guess..." She rolled her eyes good-naturedly and did not finish her thought. "I think it's exactly what it looks like."

From a distance, a small green goblin stood on the deck, waving furiously at them. Cris facepalmed and shook his head. "I'm going to kill him," he said softly.

Alaia giggled quietly and bit on her lip while she grinned for a moment. "He ... may not have been the best choice. But he did get a ship, and that's all you asked for." She was trying not to giggle again.

His hand slid off his face and he noticed the goblin climbing up the cliffs. "Really? I’m supposed to attack in that!"

She's continued to stifle her giggles, but she just couldn't help it. "Well... people will definitely remember you, I think."

He leaned over the edge. "What the fuck, Ziggly?" Cris shouted. Her giggling grew at his shout, until she's covered her mouth with her hand to quiet herself.

Ziggly climbed up to the ledge where Cris and Alaia stood and stared at her for a while. He turned to Cris and sneered "And what the fuck with you?" Alaia stared right back at Ziggly at first, eyebrows raised in something that may have been expectation or challenge.

Cris glared at him. "Watch it, Ziggly." The goblin spat on the ground at her feet and turned back to Cris. "No, what the fuck is up with you? Why are you bringing people to our secret alcove? Just because they have a pussy doesn't mean you have to drag them around. I told you that you could find pussy anywhere!"

She rolled her eyes at his words. "He can. But maybe that's not what I'm here for." She paused then, eyes narrowing thoughtfully, head tilting slightly. "Or is that all you see of any female?"

The goblin looked up at her and smiled a sharp toothy grin. "That's all you're good for, long legs. Just stand there, show off that sex appeal, and pop out the babies. Don't talk."

Cris narrowed his eyes and grabbed the goblin by the ears. He lifted him off the ground and dangled him over the cliff. "If I ever hear you say anything like that to her again, I swear you're dead, Zig." After dangling for a few seconds, Ziggly reached over to bite his arm, causing Cris to let go.

Ziggly managed to shadowstep behind Cris before falling, jump onto his back, and place his dagger to the elf's throat. "Look here. I'm only looking out for us. If you don't want that, then I'll just add another scar to this neck of yours."

Alaia watched all of this with twitchy fingers and an itch to move and do something. Had it been anyone else, she would have acted, but these two, she had decided, were different. So she watched with a frown and heaved out a heavy sigh. "Stop this. Please. You don't ... don't make me step in. This is silly." Her eyes fell on Ziggly, and then on Cris. "You don't have to like me. He doesn't have to like me. That's fine. I don't really care."

Her eyes drifted back to the goblin. "But looking out for him, shouldn't mean you have to make him miserable. I'm not those other women and I'm not trying to draw him away from this, am I?"

Still holding the dagger to Cris' neck, Ziggly turned to Alaia and said, "Listen, sweet cheeks, I don't hate you. You have a nice ass, but this guy knows that he shouldn't be taking everyone to our secret places." The goblin smacked Cris on the back of his head, jumped off his back, and walked to the edge of the cliff. "So, how do you like her? She's beautiful, ain't she? I call her Clarice."

  

Cris sighed and looked at Alaia with an apologetic look. "You named her?" He turned back to Ziggly.

The goblin nodded and looked genuinely happy. "Uh-huh.”

Alaia could do little but rub her forehead as if she had the worst headache ever. And surely, if anyone were to cause such a thing, it would be Ziggly. She shook her head at Cris, however, and gave him a flustered and bemused smile. "Why Clarice?"

Still in his awe-stricken trance, the goblin replied "After my spider."

Cris walked toward Alaia and wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight. "That's not the ship's name."

Alaia could not help but smile a little at the thought of the ship being named after a spider. It was actually kind of sweet, but she was soon preoccupied by Cris wrapping around her. She leaned into him, curling her hands around his arms and smiled a much gentler smile, giving his arms an encouraging squeeze.

Ziggly turned and glared at both of them. "Oh? And what the hell is it then?"

Cris kissed Alaia’s head, smiled at Ziggly, and simply said, "The Rising Dark Moon."