Niviene Larethian

Garrisoned in Draenor

The older draenei women gathered Niviene between them and hustled her off to a room in the upper reaches of the keep while Xaanue spoke to her father and the captain of the garrison guards. She explained, as best she could, the situation with the priestess, emphasizing the mistreatment she had received. The men nodded and turned to give orders to the watch sergeant, the newcomer was to be protected at all costs.

“I think she’s been drugged. She suspected it could happen so she refused to eat, only drank water. Still, she has a mindless focus on treating the injured. I don’t believe it’s a normal focus, I literally mean mindless…” Finara spoke to the women, trying to make them see the gravity of the situation.

“Yes, I’m sure you are correct. Never you mind, we will take care of her. You. Go have a bath drawn for her, we’ll wash the stink off her then purge the poison from her system.” the eldest draenei woman nodded, ushering the night elf from the room.

“Xaan did the right thing bringing you here young woman. We will make you right. Tell me child, what is your name?” the other woman said, guiding the priestess to a bench.

“Please, may I have some water?” Niviene asked, not answering the woman’s question.

Yathaa nodded, handing the priestess a small green vial, “Drink this, then you’ll have water.” she commanded.

Niviene refused the vial, turning to grab the glass of water instead. Suddenly she was held immobile, the other woman, Inari, grasping her shoulders and holding her firmly against her chest. Yathaa pressed the vial against Niviene’s lips hard enough that the priestess gasped in pain. As soon as she did Yathaa forced the purgative down Niviene’s throat.

The priestess coughed and sputtered, stumbling her way to a chair when the draenei let her go. The two older women watched Niviene for a moment, conferring in their own language before Inari placed an empty basin on the bedside table, Next to it she placed another, smaller one, this one filled with water, a cloth resting in its depths. They continued to chatter back and forth as they left the room, leaving Niviene alone and confused.

She looked around the room for a moment, her gaze landing on a pitcher of water with a glass beside it. She poured a glass of water, drinking deeply before jumping to her feet, running for the bathroom where she vomited up the contents of her stomach. She retched until there was nothing left but bile and then she retched some more.

She lay on the cool stone floor, her body shivering, she clenched her jaws tight to keep her teeth from chattering, and moaned at the pain in her head. It was thus that Finara found her. The night elf lifted her up, using a damp cloth to wipe her face and neck before stripping her soiled clothes from her body and leading her to the now tepid bath.

As the priestess settled into the tub the mage dipped her fingers into the water, heating it until it left Niviene’s pale skin pink. Niv slipped under the surface, only rising when she could no longer hold her breath. Finarra washed her hair, helping her from the tub when Niv was barely strong enough to stand.

Clean; hair, body, and clothes, Niviene slipped into the bed, accompanied by the sound of crickets outside the open window. Quickly she fell into a fitful sleep, haunted by dreams of severed arms and buckets of blood. She thrashed beneath the covers, kicking them off in fevered delirium. She rose, shoving sweat soaked hair from her eyes, reaching for the empty basin where she vomited again, finally stopping when she could do nothing but dry heave. Then she fell back into the bed, to repeat the process all over again.

Xaanue and Finara stood in the door watching her, ready to rush to her side should she need help, until finally she fell asleep once more. 

“Who is this Braghaman she calls for?” Xaan asked.

Finara shrugged, “Your guess is as good as mine. I don’t even know what her name is.”