"Chess?" asked Nenunial, tasting the word on her tongue and finding it altogether unfamiliar. The years in servitude to the Lich King had drained most of her memories of her previous life. Her assignment was to gather information about infiltrating Dalaran. This wounded girl was of no importance to her. Why was she, a death knight, still sitting at the beside of this girl? Then Nenunial remembered, the horse. Of course, she had not thought that the horse would still retain some of the memories of its past life, that it would still retain its soul. It never once occurred to the silent death knight that she too, might still retain her soul.
"Yes, it's a game. You don't know of it?" asked Arieanne, her brow furrowed in disbelief. Nenunial shook her head, her time as a living being on Azeroth was too short to learn of fanciful trifles, like games. "This won't do at all," said Arieanne, struggling to stand up. The death knight watched as the wounded girl wobbled towards the door, her expression blank. Then, Arieanne's legs gave out, sending her tumbling towards the floor. Nenunial's arm shot out, catching the girl in mid fall, and pulling her roughly back up. Arieanne winced as all the muscles in her body screamed in pain, but otherwise said only a quiet "Thank you". Stubbornly pushing on, the girl made it all the way to the top of the staircase. Nenunial thought that she would hear a defeated sigh coming from the girl, but Arieanne only squared her shoulders.
Grabbing onto the railing, Arieanne tentatively put one cloven hoof onto a step, then the other. Nenunial watched in almost amazement as the wounded draenei made her way down the staircase. Step by step, Arieanne looked almost about to faint, but stubbornly kept on going. Once she reached the last step, Nenunial helped her to a table.
One of the barmaids hurried towards the two women, looking the wounded Arieanne up and down. "Could I have the Smoked Desert Dumplings please?" asked Arieanne, collapsing into her chair.
"You'll do no such thing, young miss," said the woman, shaking her head, "With that condition there, the only food you're fit to eat is some Nightfin Soup. I'll ask cook to make you some Goldthorn Tea as well, the sooner you get all healed, the better." Leaving to time for Arieanne to argue, the waitress turned and walked off towards the kitchen.
"She's right, you know. You need to eat something that you'll be able to keep down," said Nenunial, receiving a small glare in return. Changing the subject, the death knight asked, "So how do you play this, 'Chess' game of yours?"
"Well, it's simple," answered Arieanne, who then proceeded to go off on a long rant about the many intricacies of Chess. She paused only for a moment to point out a chess set on a nearby shelf, and asked Nenunial to fetch it for her. Once the wooden board was all set out before her, she helped Nenunial learn how to move the different pieces, and then started a small match with her.
The wooden pieces make small 'clack'ing sounds as the met with the dark wood of the board. The two Draenei bent over the game, each evaluating the situation they were in. Nenunial put a hand fowards, about to move one of her pawns to the side. "No, don't do that!" protested Arieanne, trying to help out her new pupil.
"Why not?" asked the death knight cautiously, trying to figure out what danger she was about to walk right into.
"Because if you do, I can move my queen right there," explained the girl, pointing to a free space on the board.
"And...?" responded Nenunial, still clearly not quite comprehending all aspects of the game.
"Checkmate," grinned Arieanne.
"Yes, it's a game. You don't know of it?" asked Arieanne, her brow furrowed in disbelief. Nenunial shook her head, her time as a living being on Azeroth was too short to learn of fanciful trifles, like games. "This won't do at all," said Arieanne, struggling to stand up. The death knight watched as the wounded girl wobbled towards the door, her expression blank. Then, Arieanne's legs gave out, sending her tumbling towards the floor. Nenunial's arm shot out, catching the girl in mid fall, and pulling her roughly back up. Arieanne winced as all the muscles in her body screamed in pain, but otherwise said only a quiet "Thank you". Stubbornly pushing on, the girl made it all the way to the top of the staircase. Nenunial thought that she would hear a defeated sigh coming from the girl, but Arieanne only squared her shoulders.
Grabbing onto the railing, Arieanne tentatively put one cloven hoof onto a step, then the other. Nenunial watched in almost amazement as the wounded draenei made her way down the staircase. Step by step, Arieanne looked almost about to faint, but stubbornly kept on going. Once she reached the last step, Nenunial helped her to a table.
One of the barmaids hurried towards the two women, looking the wounded Arieanne up and down. "Could I have the Smoked Desert Dumplings please?" asked Arieanne, collapsing into her chair.
"You'll do no such thing, young miss," said the woman, shaking her head, "With that condition there, the only food you're fit to eat is some Nightfin Soup. I'll ask cook to make you some Goldthorn Tea as well, the sooner you get all healed, the better." Leaving to time for Arieanne to argue, the waitress turned and walked off towards the kitchen.
"She's right, you know. You need to eat something that you'll be able to keep down," said Nenunial, receiving a small glare in return. Changing the subject, the death knight asked, "So how do you play this, 'Chess' game of yours?"
"Well, it's simple," answered Arieanne, who then proceeded to go off on a long rant about the many intricacies of Chess. She paused only for a moment to point out a chess set on a nearby shelf, and asked Nenunial to fetch it for her. Once the wooden board was all set out before her, she helped Nenunial learn how to move the different pieces, and then started a small match with her.
The wooden pieces make small 'clack'ing sounds as the met with the dark wood of the board. The two Draenei bent over the game, each evaluating the situation they were in. Nenunial put a hand fowards, about to move one of her pawns to the side. "No, don't do that!" protested Arieanne, trying to help out her new pupil.
"Why not?" asked the death knight cautiously, trying to figure out what danger she was about to walk right into.
"Because if you do, I can move my queen right there," explained the girl, pointing to a free space on the board.
"And...?" responded Nenunial, still clearly not quite comprehending all aspects of the game.
"Checkmate," grinned Arieanne.
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