Chapter 9

"Band'or manor thori na!" shouted the elfin woman, brandishing her war hammer.

Gharni drew her attention from the elf's ring and struggled to understand what she was trying to communicate to her. The attitude was clearly hostile but if it was a question or a command then the right answer or action could defuse the situation. She tried desperately to link the sounds to the few words of Thalassian Azran had taught to her.

The worg Frekaz stood at attention next to his mistress, tightening his muscles and growling at the she-elf. He needed no translation to understand that a fight was imminent, however his training kept him from attacking without provocation.

'Prepare... ' thought Gharni, 'I know band'or means prepare to... '

The elf gave a guttural scream at the orc, hoping to provoke at attack. Gharni saw, through the eye slits in the elf's helmet, a wrathful glare flash in her eyes which were glowing an eerie green.

'Wrath!' The words clicked into place Gharni's head. 'Prepare to ... meet my wrath ... enemy.' Gharni quickly came to the realization that the situation was explosive and would not be resolved easily. The only thing that may have saved her to this point was that she had not made any movement that could be mistaken for an attack. Gharni's eyes flicked to the top of the hill she had come from. There was still no sign of Azran or Xlandria.

Gharni knew she was strong enough to beat this elf in a fight but killing one of the people she had been sent to make contact with would put their mission in jeopardy. In a moment of desperation Gharni threw down her bow and recalled the one word of Thalassian she knew that had a chance of calming this woman who called her an enemy.

"Rona!" shouted Gharni, meaning 'peace.' She held out her empty hands palm up to make it clear she had no hidden weapons.

The elfish woman glared at her but her stance relaxed visibly.

Knowing that his might be her chance to open relations with the High Elves of Silvermoon Gharni decided that the right gift might go a long way. The orc knelt down and set her backpack on the ground before her. She slowly reached in and withdrew a vial filled with a purple liquid. She made a slow tossing motion to indicate to the elf what she intended to do and then gently tossed the potion to the battered elf before her.

The elf snatched it out of the air with her free hand. She examined the liquid, popped the cap off and took a sniff, then swallowed the contents in two gulps. The effect was immediate. Several visible cuts and bruises were healed in a second, the elf also found her magical powers replenished.

"Anaria shola," said the paladin.

"I wish I could understand you," said Gharni in a gentle voice. Gharni's limited skills with Thalassian were proving to be a continuing hindrance to her attempts at diplomacy. "Bur ergin Landowar?" asked Gharni, inquiring in the Alliance Common tongue if the language of the humans was known to the elf.