Avoidance

Things had returned to what constituted normalcy. The gut wrenching feeling hadn't gone away, but there were days when it was possible to forget it.

Forget.

Did she want to? No new memories were coming forth; Kezrin had only Renzly's word to assure her, the word of a thief and a liar.

The little book was covered in a soft dark leather. Hesitantly, Kezrin placed her pen at the top corner, writing the date in a precise, even hand writing. She had despised journals in the past, as her memory had been near perfect before the warlock's curse. Now it was suspect, unreliable. If she ever had a relapse... she couldn't bear the thought of forgetting her friends again. She would record everything, and keep the book someplace safe.

She started writing.

My name is Kezrin Kanzelry, once Kezrin Goldwick. I work for the AAMS. I'm not entirely sure how it happened, except that one night day I woke up in Orgrimmar surrounded by the strangest people and no recollection of how I got there...

---

Kezrin took a deep breath and continued walking, clutching their bag of gifts closely. She could not tell if anyone were following her. After several minutes, she glanced around and didn't notice anyone on the street near her. "Ren?"

No answer. Concerned, she changed directions, heading back to where she'd last seen Renzly, warily watching for anyone. There was a scuffling noise from one of the alleys.

"Who sent ya?" The voice was faint, but she recognized it as Renzly's and crept closer.

"No one, I tells ya!" A panicked male voice replied...strangely enough, one that also sounded familiar.

"I don't really believe ya."

Renzly was holding a goblin pinned against the wall, her dagger pressed against his throat, keeping him in place despite being a whole head shorter than he. A long trickle of blood was dripping from a fresh gash on his cheek.

His eyes widened. "Kezrin! Tell her you know me!"

"Axelhammer?" Kezrin stared in disbelief, dropping the bag of gifts.

Renzly cursed. “Now we really can’t let him go.”

“What do you mean?” Kezrin asked with growing horror.

Axelhammer futilely tried to press closer to the wall. “Tell her to let me go, please…”

“I’m mean, it’s him or us, Goldie,” Renzly hissed. “And just how quickly it’s going to be depends on whether he tells me how many people know you’re here.”

“No one! Just me! I swear!”

“Renzly! Stop! You don’t have to do this!”

“He’s a threat. He was following us.”

Axelhammer whimpered. “I just wanted to see if it was really her… I was worried…”

Kezrin’s eyes darted between the two. “Please, Renzly, he’s not… a threat…”

“Oh, yeah?” Renzly turned to glare at her. “Then why was he hidin’? He ain’t no average joe. He was followin’ us and waitin’ for ya to be alone! We let him go, and it’s bad news for both of us! He’ll go back ta Waxworth, and when they find out I didn’t kill ya, it ain’t jus’ my job I’m gonna lose-”

The sudden silence as Renzly realized what she’d just said hit nearly as hard as the words themselves.

“You work for him?” Kezrin repeated dumbly. “All this time… when ya wouldn’t tell me what ya were doing…”

“It’s not… quite like...” Renzly’s hold on her prisoner loosened a fraction.

Axelhammer’s arm snapped up at the arm holding the dagger; Renzly went stumbling backwards as he used the wall as a brace to push her off. Axelhammer twisted her wrist. The dagger clattered on the pavement.

Kezrin… wasn’t sure what happened next. The two grappled in the alley; Axelhammer seemed to tower over the tiny rogue. They tumbled to the ground, Axelhammer pinning her down. His fists raised into the air, landing with sick, wet thwacks.

“No!” Kezrin threw herself on Axelhammer’s back, pulling at him. Renzly wasn’t moving. He shrugged her off; she landed with a thud on the pavement. Axelhammer stood and loomed over her. The line of blood from his neck and cheek now reached the collar of his shirt. He took a step closer.

“C’mon, you’re comin’ with me.”

Quickly, she slid backwards, the small stone pebbles of the pavement cutting into her palms. The too familiar sense of being closed in wrapped around her throat. She bumped into something small and hard. Her right fingers clasped around the leather-wrapped hilt without conscious thought.

He grabbed her arm left, attempting to pull her to her feet. She refused to move, looking back at Renzly, who still hadn’t stirred.

“Let me go! I hafta check on-”

“Get up, you brat!” Axelhammer was leaning close enough that she could smell his breath, a mix of alcohol and something sweet. He jerked on her arm again, hard enough to lift her whether she wanted to move or not.

Darkness clouded her vision even as the pain cut through her temple. Her chest felt constricted, it was difficult to breath… a faint impish chattering rang in her ear, half-remembered… and Renzly, she couldn’t leave Renzly...

The dagger was buried in his chest before Kezrin realized she’d swung her arm up.

His eyes widened in surprise, looking straight into hers. He took a stuttering step back and released his grip. Dark red seeped across his shirt. With agonizing slowness he grasped at the alley wall for support, sliding down to his knees. Staring at her in shocked accusation.

“I-I’m.. I’m…” She couldn't think of what to say. Her knees shook. The urge to bolt, to run, to flee surged through her, but there was still Renzly. Renzly needed her help.

Thankfully, her feet understood what to do without her telling them, bringing her to Renzly’s side. The rogue was still breathing, though her face was a bloody, battered mess. She made a soft grunting noise as Kezrin knelt down next to her.

“Goldie?” Renzly looked around in confusion.

“Ren, I’m here. Please, please, please be all right…”

“I’m gonna… be fine…” Renzly experimentally raised a hand to her face with a wince. “Been in worse fights, I think. Where’s the thug?” She snapped to being completely alert. “Goldie! Ya okay? Ya hurt?” Bloodied fingers grabbed at Kezrin’s sleeve.

“I think.. I think… Renzly, please help him.” Kezrin fretfully pointed over toward the slumped over Axelhammer.

Renzly frowned at Kezrin, but shook her head. She dutifully went over to examine him, kneeling beside the now still goblin.

“Goldie, he’s dead.” She reached out and yanked the dagger free, wiping the blade on Axelhammer’s shirt. The blade was returned to its sheath. She looked curiously at her. “You did this?”

“H-he was attacking you… and then…then I...” Her shoulders shook at the enormity of what had happened.

Renzly nodded matter of factly. “Told you, him or us.”

Then she started rummaging through his pockets.

“What… what are you doing?”

“Takin’ his stuff,” Renzly answered promptly. “We can’t hide the body. Take his stuff, and the bruisers’ll assume it was just another robbery gone bad. Less likely ta have people askin’ awkward questions.”

“How can ya be thinkin’ things like that?”

Axelhammer was dead. She had killed him, and Renzly was as calm as if she’d just spilled milk.

“Because it’s necessary. It’s what I do. What has ta be done.” She looked up from her work. “The first time I met ya, I killed those two thugs, remember?”

“Yeah, but…” A surge of anger interrupted her thoughts. “It wasn’t a coincidence, was it? Ya were followin’ me! The whole time!”

“Yeah, and I couldn’t let ‘em get to ya first, so I had ta take ‘em out. And keep quiet, would ya? We need ta get out of here without attractin’ any more attention.”

“I’m not goin’ anywhere with you. I can’t believe I just… just… goodbye, Renzly!” Kezrin stalked off toward the street.

“Goldie, wait…!”

She spun around and pointed a shaking finger at her. “If we were friends, ever really friends, for even just a minute… you’ll stay away from me!”

Kezrin ran out of the alley, shopping bags forgotten in her rush.

Renzly didn’t follow.