There were not many people visible on the grounds as Mizue circles around the entirety of the sacred grounds. Another snap to the reins of Morrigan to command the drake to go lower and land this time, Morrigan responds with her call before making the descent. Causing a perfect landing down near the Argent Pavilion.
Dismounting from her back, the cold winds blow the Argent Crusade tabard Mizue had opted to once more wear over her armor to remind herself and others of her once rank and position within this faction. Years of torture Mizue had encountered at the hands of the Lich King after his shell came through her homes of both Stratholme and Silvermoon, killing her friends and people. The time here would never be forgotten.
“High Crusader Adelard?,” Mizue asks toward the desert-orange haired man with his back currently facing toward the entrance, who was looking over an assortment of papers scattered across a table. He was the only individual in here, but by the look of numerous supplies around the interior was proof that others had been here at some point in time. “It's been a while.”
The stern man makes a half about-face to look upon the woman as she was in the process of removing her hood from atop her head, freeing up her reddened hair and green eyes which look across to match eye contact. It took a moment for the man to run through faces and names in his head, before he finally speaks out lowly in retort. “Valentine.” Turning himself back to his papers after another moment of looking her over, seemingly resuming his work where he left off. “What are you doing back here?”
“I had some .. free time away from my business far down in Pandaria. Sir. I felt obligated to check up on things back here, where I had believed clean-up had been finally complete up here in Northrend and thus moved southward into the Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor.”
“You thought wrong.”
“.. Sir, if I may.”
“Valentine, this better be damned important because I have other things that need my attention more than some bookworm coming back to check up on if we are crossing our Ts and dotting our Is.”
Mizue lets out a faint exhale while thinking about her next words. “I had come to perhaps enlist and get some enlightenment on tryin' to begin a clean-up operation within the Blackened Woods. The Scourge taint is still quite heavy there, despite the Lich King's demise. If those extensively tainted areas are not cleaned up soon, that lingerin' plague will spread further into the Eversong Woods, and perhaps even devour Silvermoon in time.”
A grunt. “By the time that happens I will be long dead.”
“But I will not.” Mizue firmly retorts to her superior, which was enough to finally get the man to take his eyes off his papers again and face the blood elf once more.
“Valentine, were you not aware that this world was nearly torn asunder by some dragons not too long ago? Or was your nose buried inside another goddamn book too far that you missed it?”
“I am very aware of the Cataclysm, sir.”
“Then you should know also that an event such as that, which could have wiped all life from this world, is more important than wanting to save a few trees and gold statues your people find so important.”
Exhale. “My people are dead, sir. As in my family. I do not represent every blood elf. I am only considered Horde by affiliation, not because I want to be. And considering the recent actions of Warchief Garrosh, even that is dwindling. Regardless, I would do what I could in my power to help anyone if needed, be they Horde or Alliance. But chances are high I would be attacked if I stepped foot near Elwynn Forest or Westfall to try and help, so I wish to work .. closer to my people.”
“Then Valentine, I would suggest you turn around and go make some friends with those other elves of the Cenarion Circle or D.E.T.H.A. to help you if you want to go save trees and animals. This is still ground zero for the Scourge-taint. It's controlled, not gone. And I am posed with the duty to remain here until it is pushed back under the rug of that damn Citadel. Until that happens, then you can expect no sign of help from the Argent Crusade in Eversong Woods.”
“Then .. I wish to reassign myself here.”
Cocking his head back to look down upon the Field-Captain, arms crossing across his armored chest. “.. excuse me?”
Moving herself to attention, planting her feet and heels together and maintaining a straight spine. “I, Mizue Valentine, wish to rejoin the Argent Crusade at present rank and help the clean-up process. Another body to help, sir. I can venture back and forth fairly regularly to aid here, as well as maintain my position with the Grim back in Pandaria.”
“Wait—did you say Grim?”
A blink. “I did. Why, sir?”
“Forget it. I already have enough headaches here. The last thing anyone needs here is a bunch of goddamn crazies starting trouble. And if you're paling around with them now, we don't need you here either.” Turning back around to his paperwork as his arms uncross once more.
“Mizue? — MIZUE!” The sound of a dropped box of rations rocks the interior of the pavilion, as a tall draenei female makes a beeline over to the Field-Captain.
Turning herself toward the entrance, each of Mizue's green eyes blink in some surprise. “N-Nemar—ahhh!” Caught up in a tight embrace, with a pair of bluish arms coming around her body. Mizue does her best to return the hug before finally she is let go.
“Miz', what you doing 'ere? Nemara thought you left!” Like a happy puppy seeing their master did Nemara's tail whip behind her tall stature back and forth behind her from side to side. “Look what you did to your hair! .. And hoop earrings?”
“I .. did leave, but I thought about returning for a while. To help here.”
“To which I said no,” Adelard firmly cuts in between the conversation of the women sternly, which gathers both the set of green eyes and blue over toward his direction. His hand lifting to point over toward the pigtailed blood elf. “You were a good soldier, Mizue. Good, not great. But I'm not about to risk having your Grim buddies come through here to mess up things just because they are bored.”
“'Grim'? What this 'Grim,' Miz'? You tell, yes?” Nemara turns her eyes back onto her friend, who still had her eyes firmly over on her superior.
“We don't want you here, Valentine. That's final. So please, hand over your tabard and go on back home.”
Words piercing through her ears, going into one and staying locked into her head to echo within. Lifting her hand to place against her breasts, fist gripping upon the embossed fabric of her tabard displaying the Argent Crusade emblem. A moment of firm eyes resting on her once commander before finally pulling her hand away.
“No, I have a better idea on what to do with it.” Turning toward the pavilion entrance, brushing past Nemara in her motion outside back into the cold.
Nemara watches her friend leave back into the cold wind, then eyes her commander with her own firm look across her features. “If you no need her, no need Nemara either!” Stepping over that previously dropped body, Nemara's hooves smack into the wooden floor as she hastily goes outside to track down her friend before she got too far off.
"Women .."
