The Keep

The remnants of Draenor, now called Outland, seemed to always be cool, but in front of a fire at the tiny Troll post in Zangarmarsh, Jez and Zij sat warmly in front of the large fire, talking happily. Together on the bench, Jez lay curled up in a ball in Zij's arms, the two smiling and laughing.

"Someday we'll retire to the north, in the forests of Ashenvale, our Tribe secure. Our many children left to run things as we lounge about, nothing left to do but relax and mate around the clock." Zij chuckled before the fire, squeezing Jez's tiny body to him.

"Don't we do that already?" She mused.

"What with the Tribe and our duties, there's a lot of time we're not doing it. We could be mating around the clock really..." He stated, matter-of-factly.

"Ahh true. Like those days back at home on the weekend, when you wouldn't have any work or studies to do..." Jez sighed happily, dreamily staring off.

Zij grinned, thinking of their dark spacious bedroom in those days. Sheets and pillows strewn about, and the remnants of whatever snacks they took in with them on a Friday night. "We'd go into the bedroom, and not be seen again until Monday morning, when we'd come out exhausted and starving. Even if we were confined to secrecy, we made a good time of it." He smiled and leaned down, kissing Jez's neck.

He sighed, his eyes still not leaving the large flames, "But things are much better now. Free to be together. Even to walk down the streets as husband and wife... we've gone beyond even our wildest dreams in those days."

Jez nodded happily as he continued, "And soon my little Jez will swell, and I'll be a father." He placed a large hand upon her stomach, happily looking down on her, the possibilities of the future seeming endless.



Their wedding, many nights before, had marked a complete change for the Troll couple. Together they no longer felt the stress of the past, and their minds wandered to the future. Immediately following their consummation night, Zij declared to a weary and sore Jez that they would have a child. "We'll right the wrongs done to us my sweet. We were robbed of our child then... and we'll correct it now by starting again."

Jez lit up, trying to lift herself up off the bed she failed, grinning, and instead clapped her hands together. “Oh Zij! It’ll finally be like we always dreamed!” She waved for him to come and he laid himself upon her, the two kissing happily through what remained of the day.



Their wedding ceremony went off perfectly. In front of their Tribe, the mighty little Chieftess and the powerful Witch Doctor swore their vows.

Zij coughed nervously, "Now den... Jez... take dis ring." He stepped closer to Jez, pulling a very thin metal hoop from his robe. She smiled and held our her left hand.

Zij grasped her tiny wrist and held it close to him firmly, "Carry wit'chu dis ring for da rest o' yer days, a link between us." Smiling he bent down, clasping her ring-finger as his teeth sank into it, biting it off in a bloody mess, leaving a short nub of bone.

Jez winced, closing her eyes in pain, muffling the cries of anguish, as a good woman, of fine Troll breeding should.

Nodding, Zij brandishes the ring, slipping it down over the nub of bone and attaching it closely so that the regrowth will cover it up. "Dere ja are. May it nevah fail ta keep ja linked wit' me."

Jez grins, tears still in her eyes, as she nodded. Blinking a few times, she rubbed the tears from her eyes with her right hand. “An' wit' my ring, I'll be linked ta ja so I'll nevah lose ja… again.” She smiled, reaching for Zij's left hand as he presents it to her with a pleasant smile.

Biting down on his ring finger, barely piercing it, she looked up to him, embarrassed, still trying to gnaw at his thick finger. Her cheeks blushed red. “Usually I like 'ow t'ick yer fingahs are... now... not so much. I… I don't t'ink I can bite t'rough...”

Chuckling, Zij pats Jez's head, pulling a knife from within the folds of his robe, "No worries."

He bit down on his teeth hard, sawing at his own finger as some blood spurts about, until more than half of the digit hits the ground and he carves around the bone leaving a nub.

Zij shivers imperceptibly, "Dere ja are my sweet," holding out his bloody hand to Jez, while slipping the knife back into his robe.

The bride blushed, holding and tying the tiny ring to his finger. “I love ju, Zij. T'anks.”

His hand dripping blood down across his robe and the floor of the cave, he spoke his vows; “I, Zij, take ju, Jez, ta be my friend, my lovah, da mot'er o' my children an' my wife. In times o' joy, an' in times o' sorrow, in times o' failure an' in times o' triumph. I promise ta cherish an' respect'chu, ta care an' protect'chu, ta comfort an' encourage ju, an' stay wit'chu, for all eternity.”

Jez smiled happily, still shaking in pain and nervousness, taking a deep breath before reciting her own; “I, Jez, take ju Zij, ta be me 'usband, me partner in life, an' me one true love. I will cherish our union an' love ju mo' each day d'en I did da day befo'. I will trust ju an' respect ju, laught wit' ju an' cry wit' ju, lovin' ju faithfully t'rough good times an' bad, regardless of da many obstacles we will face ta'ged'ah. I give ju me 'and, me 'eart, an' me love, from d'is day fo'ward fo' as long as we bot' live.”

The couple stood before their Tribe, gleefully speaking the formal vows. When finished, they stood holding a hand, Zij stroking the back of Jez’s comfortingly as he pulled a tiny scrap of paper from his robe, starting to read from it, but quickly rambling on without so much as a glance to it.

“Jez, I 'ave been ja teachah, an' lovah, for many years. Nevah was a troll more proud ta see 'is student meet an' exceed all 'is expectations. A precious lil' girl became a great, an' powahful Lady, a leader o' men.” Zij waved the scrap of paper about as he spoke in a loud tone which echoed through the cave.

“D'ough I will always be ja teachah, it 'as been my proud duty ta realise my dream an' step aside ta let'cha take da reigns. Now, aftah all o' dis, I finally take ja as my wife, one o' da final steps down our long an' tumultuous path.”

“Tonight ja legally give jaself ovah ta me. An' as I 'ave for all dese long, blissful years, I will continue ta place ja well-bein' an' prosperity above my own. Ta make sure ja continue ta flourish an' grow undah my guidin' 'and.”

The scrap of paper fell from his hand without him even noticing. “ Trust in me as ja always 'ave, an' I will nevah let'cha down. Bring ta me ja love an' devotion, an' togeddah we will create a line o' children dat will create a legacy dat surpasses some o' da greatest Kings!”

Jez smiled proudly, blushing red.

Zij pointed his hand about the cave, a bloody nub waving in the air. “Chieftess, swear jaself to me, as 'usband an' master, an' I shall evah be ja dutiful guardian an' continuin' lovah. Join with me in law as we are in blood an' love; bound, unbreakable.” She smiled up at him, folding her hands to her chest.

He cleared his throat, nodding to the tiny woman before him. She blushed deeply, fumbling with her own small scroll, her voice shaking as she reads. “Taday is da day I legally give meself ta my lovah, Zij'ilis. Fo' years we been taged'ah, in many different ways, an' I'm proud d'at I can finally give meself ta 'im fully, fo' da rest of our lives. I promise d'at I'mma take care of 'im, an' make sure d'at 'is every wish, 'is every fantasy, 'is every whim an' desire be fulfilled, an' d'at I will be a good wife ta 'im, an' a good mod'ah ta da children I'll bare fo' 'im. We been t'rough tough times already, an' survived.”

Jez shivered, dropping the scroll. Nervously, she bends down, picking it up, and coughing shyly before she continues on. “Gone t'rough terrible t'ings, an' lived on, holdin' onta one anod'ah fo' strengt', an' d'is bond will only grow strongah wit' d'is legal, an' physical bind we're puttin' on our relationship.” Jez smiled happily and proudly up at Zij, to which he blew a kiss back at her.

“I love ju, Zij, an' I promise d'at I will always love ju an' take care of ju, long as ju will let me.” She let out a tiny sigh of relief.

Their vows and the ceremony itself complete, Jez threw her arms around her towering lover before the assembled Tribesmates. Zij grabbed her about the waist roughly, pulling her to him and bending her back with a deep, almost seemingly angry kiss. From within the dim cave the wedding party broke into frenzied cheers.

Jez rubbed her hands up and down Zij’s back, the two lost in the moment, a blinding wave of heat seeming to wash over them both as they knew now, that they had security. That in their new life they had that which they barely dared to dream of before.

The moonlight of over Teldrassil cast down upon them, fireworks went off and the rowdy wedding party continued. Breaking their kiss for but a moment, the two looked at each other happily, and then smiled to the crowd.

They had always been bound in blood as well as name, now they stood legally and formally tied to one another: Jez and Zij; Chieftess and Witch Doctor; Husband and wife; Brother and sister.

The pair chuckled at the boisterous scene, and without any noticing he whispered in Zandalarian, “I love you sis,” to which she whispered back “And I love you big brother…”